Latest news with #Loughran
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Karen Read defense gets boost as plow driver testifies he saw no body in snow during Boston cop death case
Karen Read's lucky charm may be a plow driver who saw nothing during multiple passes by the address where she is accused of leaving her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, to die on the ground in a blizzard in January 2022. Brian 'Lucky' Loughran testified Wednesday that he didn't see a body on the lawn as he cleared snow on the street in the hours after prosecutors allege the victim stopped moving. Advertisement According to prosecution experts, O'Keefe's last known activity came to a stop around 12:30 a.m., and his body allegedly did not move until first responders arrived around 6 a.m. 'I saw nothing,' Loughran told defense attorney David Yannetti, speaking of his first pass around 2:45 a.m. He cleared that side of the block, turned around at the end and saw nothing again when he went back the other way. He testified that he passed by 34 Fairview Road, the home of Brian Albert where John O'Keefe was found dead in the snow, in both directions multiple times between 2:40 a.m. and around 6 a.m. Advertisement Prosecutors allege Read hit her boyfriend outside and drove off, leaving him to die in blizzard conditions. Loughran said he had good visibility despite the blizzard conditions due to multiple lights on the plow truck and a high seat. 6 Brian Loughran testified that he didn't see John O'Keefe's body on the lawn. AP When asked if he saw a body in the snow, he said he did not, but he added that he did see a Ford Edge SUV parked outside the address during a later pass around 3:30 a.m. Advertisement 'Loughran's adamance that there was nobody on the lawn after 2:30 a.m., one day after an active-duty officer was adamant that the taillight he saw before the [Massachusetts State Police] had it was not destroyed, are major blows to a prosecution case that already has had severe problems,' said Mark Bederow, a New York City defense attorney closely following the case. Loughran said the Ford Edge stood out to him because he was from the area and knew the Albert family, and he said he had to maneuver around the vehicle as he cleared the road. 'For as long as I can remember, they have never parked a vehicle in front of their house,' Loughran testified. 'They've always had enough ample parking in the driveway.' Special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Loughran during cross-examination about purported threats from an online blogger and inconsistencies in his timeline. Advertisement 6 Prosecutors claim Read hit her boyfriend with a car in blizzard conditions and drove off. AP Loughran said he never felt threatened by the blogger and denied having a bad memory when Brennan confronted him with multiple statements that offered different times for when the driver passed by Fairview Road. 'Mr. Loughran was adamant that he was not intimidated or threatened in exchange for his testimony, which substantially favored Karen Read,' said Bederow, who represents Aidan Kearney, the blogger known as 'Turtleboy.' Loughran now follows the blog but said he had met with a private investigator working for the defense before Kearney ever contacted him, but he added that he barely paid attention to the posts beforehand. 'I did not know I was being required to testify a certain way,' he said. 'I was also, at the time, dealing with the loss of my wife. I was not paying any attention to any social media.' Overall, he came off as sincere and sympathetic, according to Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts trial attorney who is following the case. 6 Loughran drove past the address multiple times during the blizzard. AP 'Lucky said, 'I was doing my job and I did not want the attention, I did not welcome the attention,'' she told Fox News Digital. 'I'm sure some people in the courtroom wanted to give him a hug after he said, 'I wasn't paying attention to social media because my wife had died.'' Advertisement Brennan played police dashcam video taken outside 34 Fairview Road that showed heavy snowfall and the distance between the house there and Cedarcrest Road, where a plow truck drove by multiple times in the background, in an attempt to illustrate for the jurors how far the nearest pass would have been from the lawn. Loughran agreed that some of the passes were him in the plow dubbed 'Frankentruck,' but he said he couldn't be sure at other moments. 'Overall, great day for the defense,' Edwards said. 'I didn't think there was any big moment today, and Brennan didn't even cross Ms. Kolokithas.' 6 Loughran said he had good visibility during the storm due to multiple lights on the plow truck and a high seat. AP Advertisement After Loughran's testimony, the defense called Karina Kolokithas, a friend of both O'Keefe and Read who saw them at the Waterfall Bar and Grille the night before his death. 'One important piece of evidence from Ms. Kolokithas was that she did not perceive Karen Read to be so intoxicated,' Edwards said. Kolokithas, who said she only drank water that night, testified that she spent nearly an hour talking with the defendant and did not feel that she seemed too drunk to drive. Kolokithas also testified that it seemed strange when Jennifer McCabe, a key witness in the case, pulled Read aside at the end of the night. Advertisement 6 Read spoke with her parents during a break in the court proceedings in Tuesday. AP 'Jen went over to Karen, kind of put her arm around her, and she's like, 'Karen, you're coming with me. You're coming with me,'' Kolokithas testified. 'And Karen's like, 'What? Where are we going?'' That, combined with surveillance video from the bar, illustrates part of the defense's effort to sow reasonable doubt. 'The defense is trying to develop possibilities, and they were trying to get the possibility that something was going on with John O'Keefe and the other men,' Edwards said. Advertisement Kolokithas discussed another interaction that stood out to her that night: O'Keefe kissing Read on the forehead. 6 Read exchanged flirty messages with ATF agent just weeks before her boyfriend was found dead. AP 'I'd never seen something like that before; a boyfriend do [that] to a girlfriend in public,' she said. 'Never saw that, so it just stood out to me. I was like, 'Wow, that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen.'' That nugget could also boost the defense, Bederow said, after Read's team introduced evidence that ATF Agent Brian Higgins, another man at the bar that night, was exchanging flirtatious text messages with their client behind her boyfriend's back. 'Kolokithas' description of John being affectionate with Karen right in front of Higgins minutes before Higgins seemingly was agitated towards John and had to be calmed down by Chris Albert, around the time Jen McCabe oddly told Karen she was leaving with her, was also helpful to the defense,' he said. Surveillance video appeared to show Higgins and O'Keefe gesturing at one another from across the room shortly before the group left and headed to Brian Albert's house at 34 Fairview Road. There is no audio, and Kolokithas did not testify about an argument between the men. However, Chris Albert, Brian's brother, can be seen pushing Higgins' arms down during the exchange.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Plow driver testifies he saw no body in snow during crucial hours in Karen Read murder trial
Karen Read's defense team is looking to build on momentum yesterday from a surprise police witness who testified that her taillight was less damaged when he helped seize it with a warrant than it appears in photos taken after it arrived at the Canton Police Department, where authorities first towed it. Read's defense called Brian "Lucky" Loughran, a Department of Public Works employee, to the witness stand Wednesday morning. He testified that he passed by 34 Fairview Road, the home of Brian Albert, where John O'Keefe was found dead in the snow, multiple times between 2:40 a.m. and around 6 a.m. Prosecutors allege Read hit her boyfriend outside and drove off, leaving him to die amid blizzard conditions. Loughran said he had good visibility despite the blizzard conditions due to multiple lights on the plow truck and a high seat. Asked if he saw a body in the snow, he said no -- but he added that he did see a Ford Edge SUV parked outside the address on a later pass around 3:30 a.m. Karen Read's Silence In Murder Trial Raises Stakes For Defense He said it stood out to him because he was from the area and knew the Albert family -- and he had to maneuver around the vehicle as he cleared the road. Read On The Fox News App "For as long as I can remember, they have never parked a vehicle in front of their house," Loughran testified. "They've always had enough ample parking in the driveway." Special prosecutor Hank Brennan asked Loughran during cross-examination about purported threats from an online blogger and inconsistencies in his timeline. Karen Read Judge Blocks Sandra Birchmore Mentions; Expert Says Cases Should Be Wake-up Call For Police Loughran said he never felt threatened by the blogger and denied having a bad memory when Brennan confronted him with multiple statements that offered different times for when the river passed by Fairview Road. Then Brennan played police dashcam video taken outside 34 Fairview that showed the heavy snowfall and the distance between the house there and Cedarcrest Road, where a plow truck drove by multiple times in the background. Loughran agreed that some of the passes were him in the plow, dubbed "Frankentruck," but said he couldn't be sure at other moments. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X The taillight fragments were not found at the crime scene until later, too, and her defense's implication is that they could have been planted there. Wednesday marks the 27th day of Read's retrial on murder and other charges in the January 2022 death of O'Keefe, her then-boyfriend, a Boston police officer, and an uncle who had taken in the orphaned children of his late sister and brother-in-law. She denies hitting him with her 2021 Lexus SUV and leaving the scene, where he died with head trauma and signs of hypothermia. The defense says no collision happened and something or someone else caused his injuries. On Tuesday, Dighton Police Sgt. Nicholas Barros testified that when he arrived at Read's parents' house to help state police confiscate the vehicle, fewer pieces of taillight were missing from the cracked taillight. He said that a photo of Read's SUV taken at the Canton Police Department's sallyport – a secure garage – did "absolutely not" show the taillight in the same condition it was in when he saw it in the driveway. Barros surprised the courtroom when he testified for the commonwealth during Read's first trial, which ended with a deadlocked jury last year. This time, he was a defense witness. Karen Read's Suv Reached '74% Throttle' Moments Before John O'keefe's Final Movements, Crash Expert Testifies "He was a devastating witness who has the [district attorney's] case on life support," said Mark Bederow, a New York City-based defense attorney who is closely following the case. He said special prosecutor Hank Brennan conducted an "excellent" cross-examination, showing Barros and the jury images of Read's taillight taken over the course of the day, before police took her SUV, but defense attorney Alan Jackson performed equally well in redirect questioning. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter "The sum total is that Barros is 100% unequivocal: the taillight he saw on January 29 was not anywhere near as destroyed as when the [Massachusetts State Police] had it," he said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Grace Edwards, a Massachusetts defense attorney who is also following the case, called Barros' testimony a "bombshell" and said the surprise in trial 1 was "a clear Brady violation" – referring to a rule that prosecutors must share exculpatory evidence with the defense. "The fact that a police officer drove to the Omni Hotel to meet with the defense team of a defendant on trial for murder clearly indicates he wanted to tell his story," she told Fox News Digital. Dr. Judson Welcher, an expert for the prosecution, explained to jurors how he found that O'Keefe appeared to have been struck in the arm by the back corner of Read's SUV before he fell to the ground and fractured the back of his skull. Christina Hanley, an analyst with the state police's crime lab, testified that investigators recovered plastic fragments from O'Keefe's clothing that were a match with the broken taillight or something made of the same material. Read could face life in prison if convicted of the top charge, second-degree article source: Plow driver testifies he saw no body in snow during crucial hours in Karen Read murder trial
Otago Daily Times
19-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Poet ‘discharged into thin air' before death
Ian Loughran was found dead in his home on July 19, 2021. PHOTO: ODT FILES A family member of a Dunedin author who died by suspected suicide says he was "discharged into thin air" after being admitted to hospital for his mental health. Ian Loughran was found dead in his home on July 19, 2021, aged 55, and this week in the Dunedin District Court, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale is overseeing an inquest into his death. Mr Loughran was a poet, well-known volunteer and award-winning stand-up comedian. He read his poems for audiences around the globe and wrote numerous plays, as well as hosting two radio shows. The inquest would explore six points, including the competency of Mr Loughran's care and communication between specialists. Yesterday the court heard from a member of Mr Loughran's family, who talked about his downward spiral. The woman, who has name suppression, said she was "greatly concerned" about aspects of his mental healthcare in the months before his death and made wide-reaching assertions. She felt Mr Loughran did not receive enough follow-up care after he was discharged from hospital, and it was not clear who she should contact if she was concerned — other than a generic emergency number. She also gave evidence about an "inappropriate" phone call from a psychiatrist after her husband's death and Mr Loughran being prescribed the same medication by two clinicians. The woman said Mr Loughran had often struggled with his sleep and "bouts of depression", about which he felt shameful. Between August 2020 and January 2021, he had "manic and depressive highs and lows", the inquest heard. After a concerning incident in which police were involved, Mr Loughran was unwillingly put into the secure unit at Wakari Hospital. "He was manic. He was, you could say, like a caged animal; he did not want to be held against his will ... he did not want to be there," the witness said. At the end of the five days Mr Loughran felt "fearful for his personal safety" and said he was willing to comply with every recommendation in order to get out of the ward. The family were unaware of just how unwell he was, and she was supportive of his discharge despite scepticism about his willingness to follow through with treatment in the community. Yesterday, the woman questioned the decision to discharge Mr Loughran given his unstable state. "He was basically being discharged into thin air," she said. He was in the ward for the statutory five-day period and after he was released, the family member noticed he was different. "He was much calmer but he seemed like a zombie to me and not himself," she said. The family member contacted the Emergency Psychiatric Service on multiple occasions after Mr Loughran's discharge. She resisted sectioning him under the Mental Health Act but ultimately did, and he was admitted to hospital again. Mr Loughran was living alone, but after his second discharge she and another family member stayed with him for a few days in July 2021. She then went on a trip out of town and on July 17 she received a text from Mr Loughran that said: "Love you so much xx." That was the last she heard from him. On July 18, she got back to Dunedin and made many attempts to contact Mr Loughran with no response. The next day, the woman was phoned by Mr Loughran's psychiatrist Dr Chris Wisely to say that he had missed an appointment that day. He had up to 14 missed calls from his mental health team, but no welfare check was completed — another concern raised by the woman at the inquest yesterday. She went to the house to check on him. When she arrived, the curtains were drawn and all of the lights were off, apart from the microwave light. She used her phone torch to see. "I could see him in his bed, I could see his face. It didn't look good," she said. She said the next day, Dr Wisely called her. "Some of the things he asked me were not appropriate," she said. "He was fishing for information asking if I thought Ian had done it accidentally ... he asked if he was a drinker." She said Dr Wisely recommended an undertaker who could make Mr Loughran "look good" and "joked and laughed" about things he had said in their meetings. The inquest is expected to continue for the rest of the week. , Court reporter
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Caolan Loughran pushes for Abu Dhabi fight after UFC London win
LONDON – Caolan Loughran beat Nathan Fletcher with a split decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2 in London. Take a look inside the fight with Loughran, who avenged a 2018 amateur loss to Fletcher with the close win. Caolan Loughran def. Nathan Fletcher Result: Caolan Loughran def. Nathan Fletcher via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Updated records: Loughran (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Fletcher (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) Key stats: Fletcher landed nearly twice as many total strikes, but Loughran landed six takedowns. Loughran on the fight's key moment 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 #UFCLondon Caolan Loughran beats Nathan Fletcher by split decision! Watch our prelims LIVE NOW on @UFCFightPass 📺 — UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) March 22, 2025 Loughran on his Fletcher rivalry 'When he got tired, I was able to pick up the pace and that's just something you can't teach.' Caolán Loughran feels he got the 'clear' victory over Nathan Fletcher after securing a split decision win at #UFCLondon. Results, Interviews & More ➡️ — UFC News (@UFCNews) March 22, 2025 Loughran on what he wants next 'I just want to fight in Abu Dhabi. Time wise, it just works well. It's kind of a hub for MMA. I'd love to fight (Raul) Rosas Jr. … I'd like to fight Cameron Saiman if he can get a win. … There's a lot of guys. Bantamweight is so good.' To hear more from Loughran, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 255. Gallery UFC Fight Night 255: Official scorecards from London View 53 photos
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Speed enforcement radar could be coming to local police departments
EBENSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — New legislation will soon be introduced in Harrisburg to expand which police agencies can use radar devices. Similar legislation introduced in the past failed to make it out of the appropriations committee but now local police are saying it may be time to move forward with making that technology more accessible. 'The most common causes of crashes are speed impaired driving and distracted driving. Pennsylvania has some of the most robust DUI laws in the country. They address both alcohol impaired driving and drug impaired driving. As for distracted driving, the legislature recently enacted Paul Miller's Law which, if you're familiar, gives law enforcement the ability to conduct enforcement activities when they see motorists with cell phones or other handheld mobile devices,' Ebensburg Police Department Chief Joe Loughran said. Many local police departments feel state laws have not addressed speed enforcement as much as they should. Nearly $1.5M awarded to Pennsylvania to expand opioid prevention efforts In an effort to cut down on speeding, police in Ebensburg gauge speed based off the time it takes for a car to move between two marks on the road. But according to police, it's an imperfect system, especially in areas of high congestion. 'When you came in on High Street here, you see how tight it is with vehicles parked on both sides of the roadway,' Loughran said. 'To address that from a speed enforcement standpoint, like we do now using stopwatches, it severely limits us and how much speed enforcement we can do.' A proposed new law could soon allow local police officers to use radar devices, making it easier for them to pull over unsafe drivers. It's a law police forces wanted to change for a while as Pennsylvania is the only state that bars local officers from using the technology. 'Radar would give us the ability to adapt and address those concerns more accurately and efficiently in the interest of public safety,' Loughran said. State Representative Jill Cooper (R-55th District) plans to introduce the legislation soon. She said current enforcement measures don't do enough to deter drivers from speeding. 'The statistics show 50% of fatal car crashes involve speeding,' Rep. Cooper said. 'People are like 'Can't they come and patrol an area?' I mean we have so many issues on speeding. We've changed. We've lowered speed limit signs in areas.' She said the use of radar could keep both drivers and police accountable. 'A lot of my police departments want an accurate way to record whether or not someone's speeding,' Rep. Cooper said. Pennsylvania State Police can use radar devices for speed enforcement and agree it's the most accurate way to make sure people being ticketed were actually going over the speed limit. 'Using the radar equipment takes any sort of human error out of it. That's all electronic. We have testing yearly as well as internal testing and each shift testing that we check on is radar units to make sure that they're working properly,' said Trooper Jacob Rhymestine, Public Information Officer for Pennsylvania State Police Troop G. The radar unit can malfunction, but police already using the system are trained to check the device at the end of each shift as well and will throw out citations issued if the device is found to not be in working order. There's been concerns by communities that police will use radar to increase revenue generated from citations, but Rep. Cooper said the update to the law will still strictly prevent such situations by limiting the amount of revenue a local municipality can collect from speeding tickets to 1% a year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
