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Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
How 17-year-old petty criminal serving three years turned into a vicious killer after just four months behind bars at Britain's wokest prison
A teenage petty criminal became a vicious killer just months into a sentence at a prison that has been seen as the most woke in the UK. Ashirie Smith, 19, murdered Mahir Abdulrahman, 31, by brutally stamping on his head and neck inside his cell at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire on August 20 last year. He has now been given a new jail term of life with a minimum of 17 and a half years - having previously been held for four months ahead of the attack, convicted for possessing a gun. The category C prison has been mocked by critics for resembling student halls, with inmates also given their own personal computers that double up as TVs. State-of-the-art facilities include a music classroom where record company representatives can help offenders train in music production for industry qualifications, a new library and an artificial turf sports pitch. Footage from inside the 'Scandinavian-style' jail, housing 1,715 inmates, revealed a ping pong table for inmates to enjoy as well as workshops available - while cells have bar-less windows. Among its offerings is a construction vehicle simulator - an exercise not too far removed from playing video games. The conditions previously sparked outrage on social media, with one writing: 'Lovely hotel, be nice for a weekend away.' HNP Fosse was officially opened in June 2023, with a visit by the then-Conservative govenment's justice secretary Alex Chalk. The jail is operated by private contractors Serco, who have issued a statement following the sentencing of Smith for the fatal attack on Abdulrahman, who was serving a 35-week sentence for a sexual offence. Serco prison director Wyn Jones said: 'Any death in prison is a tragedy but the murder of Mr Abdulrahman was a heinous act. 'My thoughts remain with his family and those affected by his untimely death. 'Since the tragedy, our focus has been to bring those responsible to justice by working with the police to secure a conviction. I hope the verdicts will bring closure for his family.' Smith was caught on CCTV leaving his cell with a smirk on his face before battering to death Abdulrahman who was found unresponsive by a female prison officer inside his cell with horrific injuries and suffering a cardiac arrest on August 20 last year. Abdulrahman died at the scene about an hour later, with a post mortem later revealing he died from a sub arachnoid basal haemorrhage - bleeding to an area of the brain. A court heard Abdulrahman was subjected to taunts by Smith and another inmate, Thierry Robinson, 21, which ended up with him throwing a hot kettle at them. Social media users have compared conditions at HMP Fosse to student accommodation The next day Smith launched the fatal attack after a prison officer unlocked his cell door before continuing their rounds that morning. CCTV shows Robinson smirking in the corridor outside Smith's cell before emerging topless and entering Abdulrahman's cell. Smith and Robinson emerge and calmly walk away from the cell just 37 seconds later, leaving Abdulrahman to die. Smith was then seen to re-enter the cell and exit again shortly after having carried out the vicious assault. Police and ambulance crews were called and found Abdulrahman in cardiac arrest at 7.45am but he could not be saved and died an hour later. Smith was found guilty of murder at Leicester Crown Court and was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 17 and a half years behind bars. Robinson was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment. A third defendant, 38-year-old Shaan Karim, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter. Ahead of his initial term at HMP Fosse Way, Smith had filmed incriminating videos of himself wearing a balaclava and waving a gun while dancing around. Police raided the home of Smith, then aged 17, in Birmingham in November 2023 and found a loaded pistol, as well as the damning clips on his mobile phone. Officers had received intelligence ahead of the raid that he was keeping a firearm at his house. Dramatic bodycam footage showed armed officers slowly approach Smith's home at 3.25am before smashing the window of the property's front door. Loud screaming was then heard as police shouted: 'Armed police, come to the front of your house with nothing in your hand.' During the raid, officers found a Walther pistol loaded with five 9mm bullets underneath a mattress and arrested the teenager. Police then found the incriminating videos which see Smith wearing a balaclava and a baseball cap and waving the weapon around while pointing it at the camera. In another clip, the teenager is dancing and spinning around in circles as he holds the pistol. Armed officers pictured during the raid which involved police smash the window on Smith's front door He is also seen emptying bullets from the gun towards the camera and brandishing the weapon and ammunition on a mattress. After his arrest, Smith admitted to possession of a firearm and ammunition and was jailed for three years at Birmingham Crown Court in April last year - just four months before he killed Abdulrahman. Smith's fellow defendant Robinson can be seen performing in 'drill' rap videos shared online, performing under the name 'Trills'. He was previously the subject of a missing persons appeal issued by Warwickshire Police in April 2019, when aged 15. Speaking after yesterday's verdicts, Det Insp Mark Parish, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'The injuries suffered by Mahir Abdulrahman showed a serious, sustained attack had taken place which ultimately led to his death. 'Thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, Smith and Robinson have been convicted in court and will now have to face responsibility for their actions.'
Khaleej Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Some firms allow working from abroad for up to a year; eligible roles revealed
Some UAE companies allow their employees to work for a certain period from abroad in order to retain the best talent and as part of remote work policies. In the post-pandemic period, companies have become more flexible when it comes to remote work, especially for certain roles in technology and consultancy sectors. In March, the UAE government allowed remote work systems for government entities outside the country, which would open up access to global talent without additional costs. Hana Abu Kharmeh, chief operating officer of Serco Middle East, said they offer global mobility opportunities that enable employees to work remotely from abroad, provided business needs are met and relevant tax and legal obligations are addressed. 'We've supported remote international working across a variety of roles and departments. This includes client-facing positions, such as advisory — where clients have agreed to the arrangement — as well as internal functions like HR and growth. These flexible models have allowed us to retain top talent, offer diverse career development pathways, and respond effectively to evolving workforce expectations,' she added. 'While there is no one-size-fits-all policy, the duration is typically agreed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the role, performance, operational requirements, and compliance considerations. Some arrangements have been formalised for six to 12 months at a time, with the option to extend where appropriate,' Hana added. Serco Middle East's COO noted that the purpose is to create 'a high-performance culture that supports both individual aspirations and operational excellence.' While speaking during a panel discussion at an event recently, Nasser AlBlooshi, managing director for UAE at Chalhoub Group, said the company allows staff to work four weeks every year from abroad if employees can sustain regular work hours. Mahesh Shahdadpuri, CEO of Tasc Outsourcing, said working from home became a huge possibility because of Covid-19 and technology and certain companies in the UAE allow employees to work from abroad. 'Going forward, individual companies have their own policies. We have seen in the US certain companies asking people to come back to work. Here in the UAE, certain firms do it differently. The essence is what your workforce wants, where are you in the evolution of your company, your objectives are clear, your culture is great, then it doesn't matter where people work from,' Shahdadpuri said. Hana added that the services sector such as advisory and consulting often lend themselves to remote arrangements due to their project-based nature. 'Similarly, technology and digital roles — including software development, data analytics, and IT services — typically allow for effective remote contribution. Corporate functions like HR, marketing, finance, and strategy also tend to support such flexibility, as do creative fields such as content development and design,' added Hana.
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh electric cycle hire scheme gets go-ahead
A new electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Councillors unanimously supported the scheme which is set to have hire bikes on city streets by August. The city's last cycle hire scheme collapsed almost four years ago due to vandalism, with private operator Serco being unwilling to continue running it. The Just East-sponored hire scheme in Edinburgh closed in 2021. (Photo by Greg Macvean) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And the new plans will allow the city to hold misplaced hire bikes for 'ransom' until the private operator pays up. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, convener of the city's Transport and Environment Committee, said he would 'not apologise' for putting officers under pressure to set up the scheme quickly. After an addendum by the Conservative group, the scheme will gain an element where the city can collect misplaced hire bikes, and hold on to them until the private scheme operator pays a fine. The policy is modelled off one used in the City of London, where misplaced hire bikes are kept by the council for 24 hours and then released to operators after payment of a £235 fine. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The change is aimed at addressing concerns raised by councillors about the risk of bikes being dumped on city pavements causing inconvenience or injury. Unlike the previous Just Eat bikeshare system, Edinburgh's new scheme will use a 'dockless' model, where bikes are not left at dedicated base stations. Instead, riders will be instructed to drop them off and return them at various designated places on either city pavements or carriageways, depending on the area. Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said: 'I'm glad that we had [a hire scheme]. It was just a great pity that those in charge at the time couldn't find a way to keep it going. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'My only concern is that we're now moving to a dockless scheme. I've seen the problems myself, and they're quite widely reported, where geofencing doesn't work and bikes can become obstacles in many places. 'The City of London seems to have been the most proactive in this. They go around and collect misplaced bikes, and they charge the scheme operator to get them back. 'What I'm asking is that officers, if we do go ahead with a scheme that doesn't have docks, we make sure we are ready to do that if we find they're not parked in the right places and end up blocking pavements.' In another departure from the Just Eat bikes, the new scheme will not be funded by the council, with services instead being supported through the fees riders pay to use the bikes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The next step for the scheme is the selection of an operator, which will be carried out by council officers. Two firms, Lime and Dott, are in the running. Both operate cycle hire schemes both in the UK and in the rest of Europe. The scheme will initially run as a two year trial, but councillors hope it will become permanent by the trial's end. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'I'm not going to apologise for putting officers under a bit of pressure with regards to this scheme, and the timeframes attached to it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We have moved at a significant pace throughout the development of this project. It's pleasing to get to this stage armed with information about what the future of this scheme looks like. 'Like others on the committee, I want to ensure that the trial moves into something that is accepted as something that is a normal mode of transport for people to choose to move about the city. 'I understand the concerns about the scheme being focused on the city centre. 'It needs to be delivered within the timeframe that we've previously discussed. But I do think the points brought forward in the Conservative addendum are particularly helpful. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Efforts to reintroduce a cycle hire scheme have been underway since the previous scheme failed, but for several years there were concerns that it would not be feasible to reintroduce one in the city. Among the concerns was the cost that running a scheme could have involved, with the Just Eat bikes scheme costing the city £1.8 million. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Firstly, I think it's great the work that officers have done with this, I'm really pleased on how this has moved on. 'I remember the debates about if this was feasible, if this was going to require a significant injection of council money on an ongoing basis. 'I think officers are to be commended for the work that has been done.'
Edinburgh Reporter
22-05-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
Electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh given the go-ahead
A new electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead. Councillors unanimously supported the scheme which is set to have hire bikes on city streets by August. The city's last cycle hire scheme collapsed almost four years ago due to vandalism, with private operator Serco being unwilling to continue running it. And the new plans will allow the city to hold misplaced hire bikes for 'ransom' until the private operator pays up. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, the convener of the city's Transport and Environment Committee, said he would 'not apologise' for putting officers under pressure to set up the scheme quickly. After an addendum by the Conservative group, the scheme will gain an element where the city can collect misplaced hire bikes, and hold on to them until the private scheme operator pays a fine. The policy is modelled off one used in the City of London, where misplaced hire bikes are kept by the council for 24 hours and then released to operators after payment of a £235 fine. The change is aimed at addressing concerns raised by councillors about the risk of misplaced bikes on city pavements causing inconvenience or injury. Unlike the previous Just Eat bikeshare system, Edinburgh's new scheme will use a 'dockless' model, where bikes are not left at dedicated base stations. Instead, riders will be instructed to drop them off and return them at various designated places on city pavements. Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said: 'I'm glad that we had [a hire scheme]. It was just a great pity that those in charge at the time couldn't find a way to keep it going. 'My only concern is that we're now moving to a dockless scheme. I've seen the problems myself, and they're quite widely reported, where geofencing doesn't work and bikes can become obstacles in many places. 'The City of London seems to have been the most proactive in this. They go around and collect misplaced bikes, and they charge the scheme operator to get them back. 'What I'm asking is that officers, if we do go ahead with a scheme that doesn't have docks, we make sure we are ready to do that if we find they're not parked in the right places and end up blocking pavements.' In another departure from the Just Eat bikes, the new scheme will not be funded by the council, with services instead being supported through the fees riders pay to use the bikes. The next step for the scheme is the selection of an operator, which will be carried out by council officers. Two firms, Lime and Dott, are in the running. Both operate cycle hire schemes both in the UK and in the rest of Europe. The scheme will initially run as a two year trial, but councillors hope it will become permanent by the trial's end. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'I'm not going to apologise for putting officers under a bit of pressure with regards to this scheme, and the timeframes attached to it. 'We have moved at a significant pace throughout the development of this project. It's pleasing to get to this stage armed with information about what the future of this scheme looks like. 'Like others on the committee, I want to ensure that the trial moves into something that is accepted as something that is a normal mode of transport for people to choose to move about the city. 'I understand the concerns about the scheme being focused on the city centre. 'It needs to be delivered within the timeframe that we've previously discussed. But I do think the points brought forward in the Conservative addendum are particularly helpful. Efforts to reintroduce a cycle hire scheme have been underway since the previous scheme failed, but for several years there were concerns that it would not be feasible to reintroduce one in the city. Among the concerns was the cost that running a scheme could have involved, with the Just Eat bikes scheme costing the city £1.8 million. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Firstly, I think it's great the work that officers have done with this, I'm really pleased on how this has moved on. 'I remember the debates about if this was feasible, if this was going to require a significant injection of council money on an ongoing basis. 'I think officers are to be commended for the work that has been done.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
22-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh electric cycle hire scheme set to start within months
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A new electric cycle hire scheme for Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead. Councillors unanimously supported the scheme which is set to have hire bikes on city streets by August. The city's last cycle hire scheme collapsed almost four years ago due to vandalism, with private operator Serco being unwilling to continue running it. And the new plans will allow the city to hold misplaced hire bikes for 'ransom' until the private operator pays up. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, the convener of the city's Transport and Environment Committee, said he would 'not apologise' for putting officers under pressure to set up the scheme quickly. After an addendum by the Conservative group, the scheme will gain an element where the city can collect misplaced hire bikes, and hold on to them until the private scheme operator pays a fine. The policy is modelled off one used in the City of London, where misplaced hire bikes are kept by the council for 24 hours and then released to operators after payment of a £235 fine. The change is aimed at addressing concerns raised by councillors about the risk of misplaced bikes on city pavements causing inconvenience or injury. Unlike the previous Just Eat bikeshare system, Edinburgh's new scheme will use a 'dockless' model, where bikes are not left at dedicated base stations. Instead, riders will be instructed to drop them off and return them at various designated places on city pavements. Conservative councillor Iain Whyte said: 'I'm glad that we had [a hire scheme]. It was just a great pity that those in charge at the time couldn't find a way to keep it going. 'My only concern is that we're now moving to a dockless scheme. I've seen the problems myself, and they're quite widely reported, where geofencing doesn't work and bikes can become obstacles in many places. 'The City of London seems to have been the most proactive in this. They go around and collect misplaced bikes, and they charge the scheme operator to get them back. 'What I'm asking is that officers, if we do go ahead with a scheme that doesn't have docks, we make sure we are ready to do that if we find they're not parked in the right places and end up blocking pavements.' In another departure from the Just Eat bikes, the new scheme will not be funded by the council, with services instead being supported through the fees riders pay to use the bikes. The next step for the scheme is the selection of an operator, which will be carried out by council officers. Two firms, Lime and Dott, are in the running. Both operate cycle hire schemes both in the UK and in the rest of Europe. The scheme will initially run as a two year trial, but councillors hope it will become permanent by the trial's end. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'I'm not going to apologise for putting officers under a bit of pressure with regards to this scheme, and the timeframes attached to it. 'We have moved at a significant pace throughout the development of this project. It's pleasing to get to this stage armed with information about what the future of this scheme looks like. 'Like others on the committee, I want to ensure that the trial moves into something that is accepted as something that is a normal mode of transport for people to choose to move about the city. 'I understand the concerns about the scheme being focused on the city centre. 'It needs to be delivered within the timeframe that we've previously discussed. But I do think the points brought forward in the Conservative addendum are particularly helpful. Efforts to reintroduce a cycle hire scheme have been underway since the previous scheme failed, but for several years there were concerns that it would not be feasible to reintroduce one in the city. Among the concerns was the cost that running a scheme could have involved, with the Just Eat bikes scheme costing the city £1.8 million. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Firstly, I think it's great the work that officers have done with this, I'm really pleased on how this has moved on. 'I remember the debates about if this was feasible, if this was going to require a significant injection of council money on an ongoing basis. 'I think officers are to be commended for the work that has been done.'
