Latest news with #VauxhallZafira
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scots thug with dreadlocks brutally attacked victim with baseball bat after Bob Marley jibe
Crazed Gray was heard saying 'I'm gonna cave his skull in' HORROR ASSAULT Scots thug with dreadlocks brutally attacked victim with baseball bat after Bob Marley jibe Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A THUG with dreadlocks carried out a brutal baseball bat attack on a lad celebrating his 21st birthday - after the victim called him Bob Marley. Michael Gray took offence to being named the reggae legend and went looking for revenge several hours later. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Crazed Gray jumped out of a car as Josh Shaw walked home from a bar with his partner and viciously attacked him with the weapon, knocking him unconscious. Gray, 40, of Glenrothes, Fife, was jailed for two years today when he appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. Depute fiscal Sarah Smith previously told the court that the victim was out with friends for his 21st birthday and was in the same pub in the town as Gray. The victim was heard asking if he had put an Oasis song on the jukebox and as the thug was leaving the premises the victim said: 'See you later Bob Marley." Gray thought it was a reference to his dreadlocks and was heard saying: 'I'm gonna cave his skull in." The two groups were later in another boozer and Gray angrily warned the victim 'he was not the type of person to have a laugh with and he did not know who he was messing with". At around 1.20am Mr Shaw and his partner left the bar and began walking home when a car pulled up next to them with Gray in the front passenger seat. Gray got out of the car holding a black metal bat, which he used to strike the victim repeatedly on the head and body. He was knocked unconscious falling to the ground with passers-by calling an ambulance. But a police car arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and took him to the hospital. Divers uncover shipwreck of Glasgow vessel almost 140 years after it vanished without trace The victim's partner managed to video part of the incident, which included Gray making death threats and a black Vauxhall Zafira then driving off. Mr Shaw required surgery a few days later on his broken jaw. He had a metal plate and screws inserted to hold it together. Mr Shaw has lost feeling in the part of his chin which was struck and has been told this will never return. He also required stitches to a cut lip. Sheriff James Williamson previously told Gray: 'This was an outrageous, unprovoked and pre-planned assault on a young man causing him significant injury.' Gray admitted repeatedly striking his victim on the head and body with a baseball bat to his severe injury and permanent impairment.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Metal bat thug branded "Bob Marley" smashed birthday reveller's jaw in brutal attack
Michael Gray went out to seek revenge on the young man who compared him to the reggae legend. A young man out celebrating his 21st birthday was subjected to a horrific attack with a metal bat which smashed his jaw. Dreadlocked thug Michael Gray apparently took offence to being called Bob Marley and went looking for revenge several hours later. He jumped out of a car as Josh Shaw walked home from a bar with his partner and viciously attacked him with the bat, knocking him unconscious. Gray, 40, of Glenrothes, was jailed for two years when he appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. He previously admitted that on June 22 last year at Caskieberran Road, Glenrothes, he assaulted the man, repeatedly threatened him with violence, challenged him to a fight and repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a baseball bat to his severe injury and permanent impairment. Depute fiscal Sarah Smith previously told the court that the victim was out with friends for his 21st birthday and they were initially in Pinkertons pub in Glenrothes. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Gray was also there with friends and his first interchange with the victim was asking if he had put an Oasis song on the jukebox. As Gray was leaving his premises the victim said, 'See you later Bob Marley'. Gray thought it was a reference to his dreadlocks and was heard saying, 'I'm gonna cave his skull in'. The two groups were later in the Styx bar and Gray angrily warned the victim 'he was not the type of person to have a laugh with and he did not know who he was messing with', added the depute. At around 1.20am Mr Shaw and his partner left the bar and began walking home when a car pulled up next to them with Gray in the front passenger seat. Gray got out of the car holding a black metal bat, which he used to strike the victim repeatedly on the head and body. He was knocked unconscious falling to the ground with passers-by calling an ambulance but a police car arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and took him to the hospital. The victim's partner managed to video part of the incident, which included Gray making death threats and a black Vauxhall Zafira then driving off. This led to Gray being traced and arrested. Mr Shaw required surgery a few days later on his broken jaw. He had a metal plate and screws inserted to hold it together. He has lost feeling in the part of his chin which was struck and has been told this will never return. He also required stitches to a cut lip. Sheriff James Williamson previously told Gray, 'This was an outrageous, unprovoked and pre-planned assault on a young man causing him significant injury.' Gray submitted his guilty plea in February but the sentencing was delayed on various occasions for reports.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Woman, 57, killed in crash in Grimethorpe
A woman has died in a crash involving a car and a van near services were called to Park Spring Road in Grimethorpe at about 10:00 BST on Thursday after a collision between a silver Vauxhall Zafira and a white Ford Transit van, according to South Yorkshire Police.A 57-year-old woman who was travelling in the car was pronounced dead at the scene, officers men travelling in the van - aged 41, 42 and 55 - were taken to hospital with injuries that were not believed to be serious. Anyone with information or dashcam footage has been asked to contact police. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Record
27-04-2025
- Daily Record
Man airlifted to hospital after stabbing in seaside town
A man has been airlifted to hospital after being stabbed at a quiet seaside resort. Police were called to reports of a 22-year-old man having been attacked on Princes Street in Rhyl, Wales on Saturday afternoon. A major emergency service response got underway after the victim was discovered. Two air ambulances landed on the seafront before a man was airlifted to a nearby hospital, reports the Daily Post . Although, the injury was not life threatening and he has since been discharged. A second man has been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 wounding but has since been bailed. Police are appealing for any witnesses of the incident to come forward. Chief Superintendent Mark Williams said: 'On Saturday, 26th April 2025 at 15:18 hours, North Wales Police received a call from the Welsh Ambulance Service reporting an incident on Princes Street, Rhyl. 'The Ambulance Service stated a 22-year-old male had been stabbed . The injury is not life threatening and the victim, having been air lifted to hospital, was later released from hospital. 'A second male was later arrested on suspicion of Section 18 wounding. He has since been released with bail conditions. 'We are actively looking for witnesses to this incident . Anyone with information is urged to contact North Wales Police on 101, quoting reference number C059112, or they can report anonymously via Crimestoppers.' In a separate incident, we reported that an air ambulance was drafted in after a pedestrian was seriously injured in a horror road crash on the A706 in South Lanarkshire on Thursday, February 20. At around 7.50pm on the night, police were called to a report of a collision between a 31-year-old male pedestrian and a Vauxhall Zafira car on the A706, near Yieldshields Road, in Forth. The pedestrian was taken by air ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where medical staff describe his condition as " serious ". The 52-year-old driver of the car and his three passengers were uninjured. After the accident, the road was closed for around eight hours while initial investigations were carried out by Police Scotland officers. Police then appealed for information and dashcam footage of the incident. Constable Jennifer Weir, Roads Policing, leading the enquiry said: 'We would ask anyone, particularly drivers with dashcams, who were in the area between 7.30pm and 7.50pm to contact police if they saw the collision or have any information they think may be relevant to our investigation.' Anyone who possesses information , can pass it to officers via 101. When doing so, please quote incident number 3221 of Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
We make thousands extreme cleaning drug dens and crime scenes - and it's led to some chilling discoveries
Two mothers are making a living by cleaning blood-stained crime scenes, needle-strewn drug dens and hoarders' homes. Lauren Baker and Jasmine Layton, based in Kent, each run their own biohazard cleaning businesses in Kent and say they 'love' their jobs - but appreciate their way of earning a living isn't for everyone. Despite the many risks and unglamorous nature of their jobs - on which they've found dead cats stuffed into freezers and bathtubs full of human excrement - they say it pays the bills and there's no shortage of work. Mother-of-two Ms Baker revealed she once removed shocking amounts of items weighing nearly as much as four double-decker buses from just one hoarder's home. She explained that she found her niche after working as a domestic and commercial cleaner when she was called to a 'really grotty' house. 'I realised some people live like that and I could make a difference,' 30-year-old Ms Baker, from the Isle of Sheppey, said. Three years ago, Ms Baker decided to embark on a biohazard cleaning course in Birmingham. After completing her course, she set up her own LIT Biohazard and Trauma Cleaning business, cleaning up trauma and unattended death scenes, hoarder homes and drug dens across Kent and Essex. Discovering animals trapped in masses of nappies, bottles of urine, tampons and takeaway boxes is all in a day's work as Ms Baker sets about safely removing and disposing of biohazards including bodily fluids, needles and deadly bacteria. 'I absolutely love filth and grime,' Ms Baker says. 'Throw me in a sh***y toilet and I will have a field day.' Ms Baker recalled one occasion when she was called out to a hoarder's home and found a dead cat stuffed into the homeowner's freezer. She explained that the pet was something the owner 'could not physically let go of' because they had 'too much of an emotional attachment' to the animal. A sign on the door of LIT Biohazard and Trauma Cleaning's offices reads: 'You do the crime, we'll clean the grime.' Ms Baker's 2008 Vauxhall Zafira is decked out with her company's logo and slogans reading: 'Follow me on my socials, not in real life though - that's weird', and 'When a bodily fluid becomes a floor fluid, scan this!', with a giant QR code above. She says most people simply believe emergency service personnel clean up crime scenes after forensics teams have investigated. Instead, they hand over to specialist businesses like Ms Baker's, which can charge into the thousands to attend sites and leave them spotless. 'I cleaned a hotel room once where a couple had stayed,' she recalled. 'The bathroom was quite bad... When I walked in, it looked like a bloodbath. 'It will always stick with me because you sit there and think, 'What actually happened?'. Though crime scene clear-ups are not too frequent, as most are handled in-house by police, decomposition cleans are far more common. These jobs also present health risks from infectious diseases that may have caused the deaths of some; including HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis. To protect themselves, biohazard cleaners like Ms Baker are kitted out head-to-toe in full personal protective equipment (PPE), comprised of a hazmat suit, boots, respiratory masks and double gloves. They are also armed with industrial-strength chemicals and disinfectants, as well as traditional cleaning tools like mops and buckets. Ms Baker admits that being called to the aftermath of suicides is particularly difficult for her, as a close member of her family took their own life. 'My emotions come flooding back. I'll put myself in their family's shoes because I've been on the receiving end of it,' she said. 'I know how it feels to have the police knock at your door. But I have to take my emotions out of it because this family needs me right now and they need me to be on top form. 'So I can't be breaking down. This is not my story. This is not my place. I'm here to help this family.' Crime scene clear-ups are not too frequent, decomposition cleans are common. These jobs can present health risks from infectious diseases those who have died may have suffered from, including HIV, hepatitis B and C and tuberculosis Ms Baker added that sympathising with and relating to people whose houses she's cleaning is an important aspect of her job. 'I absolutely love my job,' she said. 'I wouldn't want to do anything else. I have definitely found what I should be doing.' Jasmine Layton, another mother-of-two from Folkestone in Kent, set up her business Crisis Cleanup in September last year. She said she had always been interested in forensics but had found it difficult to continue her studies while looking after her two children. The 28-year-old said being a biohazard cleaner felt 'similar' to being a forensic investigator, and is not without its potentially dangerous occupational hazards. One of the riskiest jobs Ms Layton takes on is cleaning drug dens and sharps from people's homes. Used needles, which present the danger of transmitting blood-borne infections and viruses, are often hidden. Ms Layton said she's had three hepatitis B jabs which gives her a 'tiny peace of mind' when cleaning hazardous locations. But she says her PPE needs to be 'on absolute point' to be fully protected. The cleaner's gloves are extra-thick to protect against needle pricks and she uses a magnetic litter-picker to grab the drug paraphernalia. Remembering one clean, Ms Layton said: 'The family didn't really have much history about the person who had passed away, but as I was moving his sofa around I could hear a jangle. 'I cut the back of the sofa and there were needles jammed down there. I've heard people have put them in fridges and booby traps in walls.' Other obscure locations where needles are found include some jammed in the seals of showers, stashed in tins of urine and stuffed under fences at the bottom of gardens. In some houses, Ms Layton has stumbled across stashes of hundreds of Barbie dolls and teddy bears. However, collections of toys are far from the grisliest discoveries she's found. 'Hoarders tend to hoard their poo and wee. If their bathroom is completely hoarded, which it will be, they sometimes take matters into their own hands and start pooing on the floor,' Ms Layton said. 'We've had a bath before absolutely full of faeces.' Ms Baker added that clean-ups of hoarders' homes can often become incredibly tense, with some shouting in her face. 'I've said to them, 'We need to dwindle these 78 glasses down to just 10'. There are only three of you that live in this house, so you don't need 78 glasses'.' Ms Baker estimates the biggest hoard she has removed from a single home was a staggering 39 tonnes: around the weight of nearly four double-decker buses. She says hoarders are sometimes incorrectly branded as 'lazy' for creating unliveable environments for themselves, and even their children. But for many, she says there is often a deeply personal reason behind their hoarding. 'If a hoarder has been a victim of domestic violence, she could be made to feel like having a period is absolutely disgusting,' Ms Baker continued. 'So they end up leaving that relationship and because it's been drummed into their heads that periods are vile and they shouldn't have any sanitary products, they start hoarding them - because they have control. 'People always put us down and say: 'You're just a cleaner'. But we're not. We take a lot of risks.' Ms Baker recalled a phone call she received a few weeks ago from a person who was 'crumbling', saying they had nothing to carry on living for. They had found her number online and saw she offered mental health crisis cleaning, so they 'took their chances' and reached out in the hope of getting support. 'They never wanted a cleaning service; they wanted support and help. After two hours on the phone, I believe I managed to change their mindset,' Ms Baker said. 'We found hope and sorted out a plan moving forward.' Both biohazard cleaners said their jobs don't only present physical challenges, but emotional ones as well. To help people improve their lives is a sentiment both cleaners share. Referring to the phone call she received a few weeks ago, Ms Baker said: 'I just know this person was sent to me for a reason. But I'm just a cleaner, right?' Now eight months into her new career, Ms Layton says she's glad she has no regrets about becoming a biohazard cleaner. 'It's brilliant. I wouldn't do anything different - I love it. The biohazard stuff isn't every day. You get people asking for your help,' she said. 'It ranges from normal to the extreme, which I like. Some jobs can be dangerous, but there will always be this kind of work.'
