Latest news with #McGarry
Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Goading' yob who got cop sacked after he was rammed off e-bike is locked up after ANOTHER police chase
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A "GOADING" yob who got a cop sacked when he was rammed off his e-bike has been jailed after another police chase. Mason McGarry was riding with pal Dominic Mizzi when they were clipped by ex-PC Tim Bradshaw in his police car. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Mason McGarry was rammed off his e-bike by a veteran cop Credit: Solent 5 The serial offender is now finally behind bars Credit: Solent Footage showed the teens being catapulted across the wet road in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, before McGarry attempted to flee. Veteran officer Bradshaw was cleared of causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was forced to leave his job after 22 years. At the time, the court heard serial offender McGarry had 42 previous convictions - including for robbery, theft and dangerous driving. The 19-year-old is now finally behind bars after he mounted the pavement in a friend's car at 60mph and hit a lorry while being chased by cops - just a month after the e-bike crash. Portsmouth Crown Court heard McGarry was driving his sister and two others in the borrowed Vauxhall when his friend called police to say the car had not been returned. Officers began a pursuit through Chichester as the teen drove at 60mph in a 40mph zone in a bid to shake them off. But McGarry tried to "squeeze" in past the lorry and instead mounted the pavement and hit the vehicle - causing £1,200 worth of damage. The thug pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop and driving without insurance. The court heard his list of previous convictions was "unenviable" and includes offences of drug possession, trafficking and two dangerous driving convictions. McGarry was sent to a young offender's institution for 12 months. Sentencing, Judge Jodie Mittell said: "The concern I obviously have is that the fifth time he will kill someone. "That could be his sister." At PC Bradshaw's trial in February, the court heard the crash took place while the officer was driving a marked Ford Focus. He said he tried to follow the e-bike after it rode past his car on the pavement in an attempt to "goad" him. Bradshaw said the same bike later pulled in front of him which is when he chose to make "tactical contact" at around 30mph. But he claimed only he "nudged" the electric bike with the bumper of his vehicle and that it was Mizzi's "own stupid fault". Bradshaw, who is now retired, added: "It was light contact, it was light enough, there was not a blemish on my police car. "I believed it was a justified, necessary action." During a voluntary interview with police, he also branded McGarry a "feral" teenager and someone who "just doesn't get it, just doesn't stop". A jury took just over an hour to reach their verdict and clear Bradshaw of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also found not guilty of a charge of causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention. The retired cop later claimed his colleagues are now fearful of taking direct action in dangerous situations because of the potential consequences. 5 PC Bradshaw was cleared of any wrongdoing 5 He told how he was 'goaded' by McGarry Credit: Solent
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Goading' yob who got cop sacked after he was rammed off e-bike is locked up after ANOTHER police chase
A "GOADING" yob who got a cop sacked when he was rammed off his e-bike has been jailed after another police chase. Mason McGarry was riding with pal Dominic Mizzi when they were police car. 5 Mason McGarry was rammed off his e-bike by a veteran cop Credit: Solent 5 The serial offender is now finally behind bars Credit: Solent Footage showed the teens being catapulted across the wet road in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, before McGarry attempted to flee. Veteran officer Bradshaw was cleared of causing serious injury by dangerous driving but was forced to leave his job after 22 years. At the time, the court heard serial offender McGarry had 42 previous convictions - including for robbery, theft and dangerous driving. The 19-year-old is now finally behind bars after he mounted the pavement in a friend's car at 60mph and hit a lorry while being chased by cops - just a month after the e-bike crash. Read more news Portsmouth Crown Court heard McGarry was driving his sister and two others in the borrowed Vauxhall when his friend called police to say the car had not been returned. Officers began a pursuit through Chichester as the teen drove at 60mph in a 40mph zone in a bid to shake them off. But McGarry tried to "squeeze" in past the lorry and instead mounted the pavement and hit the vehicle - causing £1,200 worth of damage. The thug pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop and driving without insurance . Most read in The Sun The court heard his list of previous convictions was "unenviable" and includes offences of drug possession, trafficking and two dangerous driving convictions. McGarry was sent to a young offender's institution for 12 months. Sentencing, Judge Jodie Mittell said: "The concern I obviously have is that the fifth time he will kill someone. "That could be his sister." At PC Bradshaw's trial in February, the court heard the crash took place while the officer was driving a marked Ford Focus. He said he tried to follow the e-bike after it rode past his car on the pavement in an attempt to "goad" him. Bradshaw said the same bike later pulled in front of him which is when he chose to make "tactical contact" at around 30mph. But he claimed only he "nudged" the electric bike with the bumper of his vehicle and that it was Mizzi's "own stupid fault". Bradshaw, who is now retired, added: "It was light contact, it was light enough, there was not a blemish on my police car. "I believed it was a justified, necessary action." During a voluntary interview with police, he also branded McGarry a "feral" teenager and someone who "just doesn't get it, just doesn't stop". A jury took just over an hour to reach their verdict and clear Bradshaw of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also found not guilty of a charge of causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention. The retired cop later claimed his colleagues are now fearful of taking direct action in dangerous situations because of the potential consequences. 5 PC Bradshaw was cleared of any wrongdoing 5 He told how he was 'goaded' by McGarry Credit: Solent 5 McGarry crashed a car into a lorry a month after the e-bike incident Credit: Solent
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a big strong character in the gym - but I fight a battle people can't see'
Liam McGarry's life was turned upside down by a spinal injury in 2017 and now the para-powerlifter is looking to change the narrative when it comes to mental health "I'm fighting a battle that most people can't see," says powerlifter Liam McGarry – his bubbly demeanour and strongman attitude hardening up as he begins his story. "Although I still walk into the gym and I'm a big strong character who loves to laugh and loves to joke, right now I'm going through it.' In a sport that encapsulates physical strength, McGarry's candour about his mental health is undoubtedly his most powerful trait. The 28-year-old powerlifter has hit unimaginable setbacks on his journey to the pinnacle of elite sport. Since a spinal injury in 2017, which saw him diagnosed with transverse myelitis, McGarry has endured a broken leg, an autoimmune white blood cell disease, a cholesteatoma, bladder fistulas and seven pectoral tears. But behind all of the physical pain, the Team England athlete says that it is his mental health that is truly suffering – and on Mental Heath Awareness Week, he wanted to share his story. It feels impossible to see the so-often energetic, joking McGarry admit that he is struggling mentally, but when the veil drops and the honesty begins to flow, McGarry reveals himself with a heart-wrenching vulnerability. "Right now I'm about the saddest I've ever been," he said. "I like to not think about it and keep my focus on my sport but I'm very sad and struggling a lot. "I'm desperate and I'm biting back at my team in a way I have never done before. But I always say, 'Big Liam will always be alright'. One day my breakthrough and my time will come." Unfortunately for McGarry, this is not a new mental battle though it is one he is now tackling with the support he needs, including a network of friends and family around him. It's a fight that has been ongoing since he was 20 years old and found himself paralysed from a spinal injury. It was an injury he has openly admitted left him at one of the lowest points of his life, including a heart-breaking conversation with his dad, a hard-to-hear story that he credits as one of the most painful yet pivotal moments on his journey to recovery. He said: "When my parents were both at my hospital bed at 2am in the morning, I remember looking at my dad dead in the eye and telling him that the second he left the room, the wires would be around my neck. "It was something at that time I honestly believed I wanted to do and I remember his eyes filling up with tears. My dad told me that if I did it then he would do it too and that still gives me goosebumps now. "That was the moment that I knew that I had a lot of people wanting me to win my battles. I know I can't give up because of them. I'm not just doing this for me. The story is always bigger." Having initially believed his career had been seized from him due to injury, McGarry's introduction to powerlifting at the Spinal Games in 2018 opened up a whole new world. It propelled him to achieve his childhood dream of becoming an elite sportsman and he is now able to call himself a Commonwealth Games athlete and Paralympian. "I've never been shy in admitting that the gym saved my life," he added. "Without the gym I would be in a very different place and with some of the thoughts that I had in the early days, I might not be here at all. "Finding the gym got me out of that downward spiral of thoughts. I don't just improve myself every day in the gym but I liked the fact that I could be better than able-bodied people." McGarry's journey within elite sport has been anything but easy. He underwent 16 surgeries in 28 days in the lead up to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, including five months of bed rest, before being hit by a horrific autoimmune disease that left him questioning how his body looked. It was then that doctors learned the prednisone he was taking to recover was weakening his muscles and the cause of a string of seven pectoral tears, the last of which he is still rehabbing from today. But despite the pain, McGarry has gone from Team England athlete to Paralympian, and qualified for Paris 2024 against all odds with a personal-best lift of 230kg just weeks out from the Games. "When negative thoughts and self-doubt started to creep in about whether I could qualify, I had to remind myself 'I was dying tomorrow'," he said. "There was no thoughts of another Commonwealth Games or Paralympics, because you don't know if that will ever come, you have to live for the day." The epitome of resilience, McGarry has bounced back from sporting injury after sporting injury on the journey to achieve his dreams. But it is his mental fight he is intent on showcasing. Because no matter what's he going through, no matter the highs or lows, 'Big Liam will always be alright'. "No one can sit there and say I haven't been through my fair share of physical problems, but when I compare my physical and mental problems, the mental battle has always been tougher," he said. "Mental health isn't something that comes and goes, it is something you have to top up like your physical health and it's something I'm still noticing everyday. People may see me as a big tough bloke, but one of my passions is about enlightening people on the mental struggles we go through as athletes. "I know the importance of sharing and telling my story." When life is difficult, Samaritans are here – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them free on 116 123 or email them at jo@ Whoever you are and whatever you're facing, they won't judge you or tell you what to do. They're here to listen so you don't have to face it alone.
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Nicolas Milanovic is an A-League superstar as Aberdeen told what he offers different to current Pittodrie wide men
Aberdeen are about to land one of the A-League's top talents in Nicolas Milanovic. That is the view of former Motherwell and St Mirren star Steven McGarry. The Dons are in the process of sealing a £400,000 move for the Western Sydney Wanderers attacker - who has been shortlisted for the A-League's young footballer of the year. McGarry said: 'I think it's a good signing for Aberdeen. Milanovic is an attacking wide player and has been one of the A leagues most consistent players this season. 'He would certainly be in my A league Team of the Year with his goals and assist contributions.' McGarry, who is coach of National Premier League side Sorrento, also thinks Milanovic would offer something slightly different to the current wide options that Aberdeen currently has. The 23-year-old plays on the right and although he also likes to play as an inverted winger. His 12 goals and six assists shows he can make and create chances. McGarry explained: 'He plays on the right hand side and is quick and direct. 'He's not a natural winger who hugs the touchline. 'He likes to mix up his attacks and comes inside the pitch to combine or create opportunities for himself.' Milanovic has been tipped for a full Australian call-up and McGarry thinks the pressures of playing for a top Scottish club like Aberdeen could help his cause. The Socceroos have games against Japan and Saudi Arabia in the coming weekend and McGarry wouldn't be surprised if he was to get the nod. He claimed: 'He'll definitely be on the periphery of the (Socceroos) squad due the season he's just had. 'I think there's an extended camp coming up soon so he might have a chance. 'I think coming to Scotland always brings its challenges and with the demands of playing for Aberdeen that you have to perform every week will help if he wants to get into the Socceroos and kick on again.' The road from the A-League to the Scottish Premiership is a well-trodden one. It has proved fruitful and McGarry is confident Milanovic can continue that trend. McGarry added: 'He's at a good age where he's now had a few years under his belt and with him adding consistency to his game it looks like a very good pick up. 'A lot of Aussies have come to Scotland and seemed to have done well so hopefully he can be another one.'
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Run, rabbit, run – and then hop! Sydney's Royal Easter Show welcomes showjumping as you've never seen it
On a crisp Sunday morning, the Pet Pavilion at Sydney's Royal Easter Show smells of donuts and hay. A crowd mills around a fenced-off patch of astroturf, where colourful jumps set to different heights are arranged in a long row. They are here to see 26 competitors take part in kaninhop, also known as rabbit showjumping. As the name suggests, kaninhop has its origins in Sweden, but it has spread globally since the 1970s. Natasha McGarry is a senior judge at the show, and also president of the Rabbit Hopping Society of Australia. The four-time national Rabbit Hopper of the Year, who lives with 25 house-trained rabbits, fell in love with the sport as a teenager in 2013 and has been competing in the greater Sydney area ever since. There are four events: straight course, crooked course, high jump and long jump. McGarry explains the straight course rules to the curious crowd: the winner is the rabbit that collects the 'least rail knocks, followed by quickest time'. (There are more caveats in the 48-page Australian rule book.) Everyone holds their breath as a girl wearing long purple braids approaches. Her black-and-white Harlequin rabbit, Batman, wears the competition standard H-shaped harness with a D ring at the back, attached to a 3m lead. 'Up, up, UP,' she says, giving Batman an encouraging tap. Batman clears the rails to enthusiastic cheers – and a sigh of the relief from his handler, 13-year-old Ciara Kaye-Stavens. Kaye-Stavens is the proud owner of 64 rabbits and wears a T-shirt with a cartoon bunny on it that reads 'Split Happens', a reference to her favourite split-coloured breed. She has already been up on the winners' podium for the crooked course category with Daredevil, a black Harlequin. 'Rails please,' McGarry calls each time a rabbit completes a course, motioning to her assistants to prepare for the next competitor. Her sister Ali whips out her tape measure, meticulously ensuring each obstacle is readjusted to code – up in 5cm increments. 'I need Marbles, Daredevil and Oreo ready to jump,' McGarry says. For the long jump course, the rabbits must clear red-and-white railings within three attempts. 'When you're ready, Mezzy,' McGarry says into the mic. Mezmerise the bunny is held close to handler Belle Janes' chest, a technique often used to show rabbits the height they need to jump. One spectator whispers that it looks as though she is preparing to bowl him down the track. Mezzy leaps towards the long jump, building momentum – then stops short of the barrier and twitches his nose. Worried he might be overheating, organisers bring out a rainbow cooling mat – a standard safety measure – and call a break. When Mez returns for another attempt, he clips the lower bar and sends it clattering to the ground. A collective 'Ooooooh' followed by 'Ohhh no!' escapes from the crowd. McGarry says the ideal hopper has an energetic temperament and long legs – although some of her best jumpers are also her most timid. 'If the weather's good, I train twice a week for no more than 15 minutes,' she says. 'Just enough for a run-through.' She keeps jumps low at home, and suggests beginners start with pool noodles, Lego or building blocks. Above all, she stresses: 'You don't want to be pushing them.' McGarry says rabbit hopping is therapeutic – for both human and animal. 'It helps me on a bad day – to get out, have fun and get some exercise.' She is currently mentoring a 14-year-old aspiring judge. 'She's so keen,' she beams. 'That's what I love about this community – everyone's willing to show you the ropes.' Fellow hopper Jenna Sinclair agrees. She has been in the sport since 2013, and says her heart still races every time one of her rabbits gets a clean run. Sinclair brought four rabbits to the show this year, but has plenty more at home. Her Standard Rex, Bushwhacker, is one of her best: strong-legged and handsome, despite being a 'total sook' at home. He seems unbothered by the crowd, licking his paws and grooming his long ears. The duo claim first place in the long jump, with Belle Janes and Mezmerise taking second, and Haylee Diskin with Marbles finishing third. The coveted Rabbit Hopper of the Year title – awarded on cumulative points – goes to Loren Stavens and Stonecold, a powerhouse Chinchilla Giganta. First-time audience member Miranda Whittle, of West Wallsend, is smitten. 'I need a rabbit now,' she says.
