Latest news with #MarkRoberts
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pair brutally murdered father and dumped his body in caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile
Two men have been found guilty of brutally murdering a father and dumping his body in a caravan after mistakenly believing he was a paedophile. Mark Roberts and David Garland were also guilty of conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler, while Jack Rance, Angus Warner, and Reuben Clare, were cleared of all charges at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday. Mr Wheeler, 37, had been friends with all five but his relationship with Roberts, to whom he owed £100, went downhill when the others saw an article about a man - also named Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls. They were not the same person and prosecuting counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear the victim had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was then attacked at Roberts's flat in Yeovil in the early hours of August 24, 2024, suffering multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures. His body was hidden, with Garland previously admitting preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body. About three weeks after Mr Wheeler's death, police received information he had come to serious harm and began an investigation. One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death. Mark Roberts, pictured left, and David Garland, right, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler and await a sentencing hearing next week Officers carried out searches of several addresses and open spaces before finding the victim's remains in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington, Somerset on September 25. Detective Superintendent Lorett Spierenburg led the Major Crime Investigation Team enquiry into Mr Wheeler's murder and said after the verdict: 'Michael Wheeler was brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends. 'He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old. 'The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. 'Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter.' Mr Wheeler's mother was suffering from a terminal illness at the time of her son's disappearance and is said to have spent her last months under the shadow of his untimely death, before dying before the case came to court. The victim leaves a young daughter, ex-wife and sister. Roberts, 39, and Garland, 40, have been remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing, expected to be on June 13.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Two convicted of mistaken identity murder of Michael Wheeler
Two men have been convicted for "brutally" murdering their friend who they mistakenly believed to be a paedophile, police Wheeler, from Yeovil in Somerset, went missing in August 2024, and his remains were found by police a month Thursday, after a trial lasting more than five weeks, a jury at Bristol Crown Court found Mark Roberts and David Garland guilty of both murder and conspiracy to jury had been told that the two men had mistakenly believed Mr Wheeler, who also owed one of them £100, was a paedophile after reading news coverage about a man with the same name. Avon and Somerset Police Detective superintendent Lorett Spierenburg, who led the investigation, said they "took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter". The court heard Mr Wheeler was friends with the men and three others who were also charged over his relationship soured when the defendants found an online news report about a man – also called Michael Wheeler - who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls, police counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear to the court that the murdered man was not the same person, and had no convictions for child sexual offences. Mr Wheeler was attacked at Mark Roberts' flat in Juniper Close, Yeovil in the early hours of 24 August, the trial was suffered multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures, and his body was and Somerset Police said that three weeks later officers were tipped off that Mr Wheeler had come to "serious harm" and an investigation addresses and open spaces in Somerset were searched before his remains were found on farmland in Yarlington on 25 September. Det Sup Spierenburg said Mr Wheeler was "brutally murdered by people he had considered as friends". "He was killed over a £100 debt and because they wrongly decided he had been jailed for child sex offences in 2003, when he would have been just 16 years old," he said."The defendants gave Michael no opportunity to tell them they were wrong. Instead, they took the life of a man whose last words to his ex-wife were of love for her and their daughter."Roberts, 39, of Juniper Close, and Garland, 40, of no fixed abode, were remanded in custody ahead of being sentenced on 13 had previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of the body of Michael Rance, 28, of no fixed abode, Reuben Clare, 19, of Yeovil, and Angus Warner, 33, of Crewkerne, were all acquitted of any involvement in the murder.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stockport 'can't wait' for Metrolink extension to town
People in Stockport have welcomed the announcement of funding for a long-awaited extension of Greater Manchester's tram line into the town centre. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £2.5bn in funding for Greater Manchester, some of which will be used to extend the Metrolink network to the town. It is also set to be used to create new stops in Bury, north Manchester and Oldham, Reeves said. Stockport commuter Becci Simmons, 37, said she "can't wait" for the day that she can take the tram to work in Manchester, rather than multiple trains. Becci added: "We have quite a lot of trouble on that [train] line. And if have any trouble, you're stuck. You can't do anything else. "You've got to take the bus and the bus can take an hour." Leader of Stockport Council Mark Roberts said the recently-completed Stockport Interchange was "Metrolink-ready". Roberts, who was appointed to the top job last week, said: "Stockport is the fastest-growing town in Greater Manchester, and today's decision sends a powerful signal that investment is following ambition."He said the council had led the push for the Metrolink extension, alongside the business community. Labour MP for Stockport Navendu Mishra said the details around the project were yet to be figured out. He said the plan would help to "future proof" Greater Manchester's Bee Network. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the funding would also go towards 1000 new electric buses, meaning the entire Bee Network would become emission-free. He said: "We can now move at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network – creating the UK's first fully electric, zero-emission integrated public transport system by 2030."Burnham said new transport interchanges would be built in Leigh and central Manchester, with new transport infrastructure also to be built in Ashton-under-Lyne, Bolton, Middleton and Stretford. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'We are banging the table to say that it is Stockport's turn'
Stockport council's new leader has demanded action rather than words on the town's call for a Metrolink stop. Mark Roberts was appointed to the top job at the Lib Dem-controlled council last week, having previously served as deputy leader. The new town-hall chief said plans to expand the Metrolink network to Stockport need to move forward, urging the Labour government to 'put its money where its mouth is' to get trams rolling into Stockport town centre. READ MORE: Residents 'terrorised' and flats daubed in graffiti after teenagers tragically killed in motorbike crash in Salford READ MORE: Screams in court as Just Stop Oil activists jailed over 'audacious' Manchester Airport plot "We are banging the table to say that it is Stockport's turn,' Coun Roberts told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 'It is only right and fair that Metrolink comes to Stockport next, and we do get warm words and I welcome them, but we do need to see action, our residents want to see action on it. 'Stockport has contributed towards Metrolink for enough years now and not seen it delivered yet.' A possible expansion of Metrolink could see Stockport get a link to the east Didsbury line in south Manchester, with the work expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds. Meanwhile, the regeneration of Stockport has been geared towards a future tram stop, with the town's transport interchange described as being 'Metrolink ready'. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said last year that it was creating a business case for the expansion to Stockport which should be ready by this September, and that it has already awarded contracts for the design, modelling and appraisal of the construction work. Coun Roberts said the government's spending review would be a key sign of whether the plans are likely to move forward any time soon. "That's something to look out for in the spending review, about ensuring that [Greater] Manchester is given the money that it needs from a transport perspective to be able to deliver things for Stockport, and for government to put its money where its mouth is, saying it believes in this kind of stuff, which they say they do. 'Metrolink to Stockport would be a game changer. It's not just something that Stockport needs, it's what Metrolink and that transport network needs, it needs to be plugging into Stockport, and getting those benefits for the whole of Greater Manchester.' Stockport council's deputy leader, Coun Jilly Julian, added: "It's not just Stockport's turn, it's Manchester's opportunity. 'It's not just Stopfordains getting into Manchester easier, it's about Greater Manchester having better access and connectivity to Stockport, because there's a lot going on here." Local transport minister Simon Lightwood visited Stockport in February and was asked about whether the government would fund the work to expand the tram network. He said any decisions on funding future transport projects 'would be a matter for the spending review' - but added that Parliament will work with local authority leaders to look at what is possible 'within the realism of value for taxpayers.' TfGM and the Treasury were approached to comment.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stockport Council leader renews Metrolink tram expansion call
The new leader of Stockport Council has stepped up calls for the borough to join Greater Manchester's Metrolink tram Roberts was appointed to the top job at the Lib Dem-controlled local authority last week, having previously served as its deputy urged the government to "put its money where its mouth is" to get trams rolling into Stockport town for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the Treasury have both been approached for comment. 'Spending review' "We are banging the table to say that it is Stockport's turn," Roberts told the Local Democracy Reporting Service."Stockport has contributed towards Metrolink for enough years now and not seen it delivered yet."Were Metrolink to be expanded, Stockport could be connected to the East Didsbury line in south year, TfGM said it was drawing up a business case for such a move."Metrolink to Stockport would be a game changer," said Roberts."It's not just something that Stockport needs, it's what Metrolink and that transport network needs."It needs to be plugging into Stockport, and getting those benefits for the whole of Greater Manchester."Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, who visited Stockport in February, said any decisions on funding future transport projects "would be a matter for the [government's] spending review". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
