Latest news with #Wales
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Hard-to-watch video shows 2yo being abused days before he was murdered by grandparents
Warning: Distressing A series of shocking videos show the disturbing moment a grandad is seen hauling his two-year-old grandson through the backyard and bundling him into a car – just days before the little boy's heartbreaking death. Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, were found guilty of murder at Mold Crown Court after their grandson, Ethan Ives-Griffiths, collapsed at their home. Ethan was dangerously dehydrated and severely underweight while staying with his grandparents. After collapsing on the evening of August 14, 2021, he was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered Ethan had recently sustained a 'catastrophic' head injury. The young boy tragically died two days later in hospital. After a month-long court case, during which grandfather Michael admitted in court to being 'cruel and neglectful to the toddler', the pair have both been convicted of the boy's horrific death, The Sun reports. Ethan's mother Shannon Ives was also convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty after the jury determined she did nothing to prevent her Ethan's suffering. Harrowing video footage, collected over a period of weeks, was played in court that showed Michael aggressively dragging his grandson around the backyard by the upper arm at the home in Garden City, Wales. Michael can also be seen shoving the underweight toddler into the back seat of a car and appears to strike the tot in one clip, filmed on August 12, 2021, while Ethan's grandmother watches on. The court heard two-year-old Ethan was made to stand with his hands on his head as a cruel punishment when he misbehaved. Shannon, 28, had been staying with her son at her parents' home after fleeing domestic abuse, with the court hearing how the toddler was 'targeted for abuse and subjected to casual cruelty'. An upsetting video from August 4 shows the underfed and dehydrated youth wandering through the garden of the property looking dazed before being grabbed by his grandad and hauled into the air. Further footage, filmed on August 4, shows Michael grabbing the youth from a trampoline in the back garden and hauling him back into the house. Ethan is once again lifted clean off the ground and violently dragged around by his abusive grandad. One video clip from the home, shot on August 12, shows the tragic tot being shoved through the garden gate by his grandad as his grandmother stares at her phone, uncaring of the abuse her grandson is suffering. Ethan is then bundled into a waiting car and disappears from view but grandad Michael can be seen and appears to wrestle with Ethan on the back seat. Michael then makes several violent, sudden motions with his arm which look to be blows aimed at the weak two-year-old. Another clip seen in court showed Michael lifting the toddler clean off the ground after violently gripping the youth's upper arm. Shannon's parents accused her of hitting her son, with Michael Ives telling the jury his daughter was 'quick-tempered' and would slap Ethan a couple of times a day. Shannon told the court her parents were 'horrible' and abused her as a child, The Sun reported. Young Ethan was described as 'painfully thin' and had 40 injuries on his body when he was examined by doctors. Michael and Kerry were in the living room with Ethan when he collapsed, but it took 18 minutes for emergency services to be called after the tot fainted. It was Ethan's grandmother who eventually made the call for help. Michael Ives denied he or his wife Kerry inflicted a severe head injury on Ethan before he collapsed at their home. But following the little boy's death, the grandfather accepted in court that he neglected Ethan and that the way he carried him, by his upper arm, was cruel. He denied mistreating the toddler in other ways. Jurors were visibly upset at points during the gruelling five-and-a-half week trial after watching extensive footage of the abuse Ethan suffered. The court heard Ethan had been placed on the child protection register, requiring him to be seen every 10 days. When Shannon last saw her social worker, on August 5, she spoke to him on the doorstep and told him Ethan was having a nap. No-one answered the door when social worker Michael Cornish went to visit in the days before Ethan's death. Caroline Rees KC, prosecuting, described the way Michael carried Ethan around the home and garden 'as though Ethan was just a bag of rubbish to be slung out'. Doctors found abdominal injuries on Ethan's body which are believed to have been inflicted on the tot in the days before his death. The tragic tot was also found with other injuries including bruises which were consistent with grip marks on his leg and face. Experts said Ethan would have died of dehydration within days if he didn't suffer the head injury. At the time of his death the tot weighed just 10kg. Detective Superintendent Chris Bell said Ethan was singled out and 'casually and brutally assaulted'. He said: 'It is beyond comprehension how anybody could treat a human being like that, let alone a defenceless two-year-old who you should be caring for.' The jury deliberated for six hours and 54 minutes before returning their verdicts on Tuesday morning. Mr Justice Griffiths said Michael Ives and Kerry Ives would be given life sentences while Shannon Ives faced a 'substantial prison sentence'. The defendants will be sentenced on October 3. An estimated 2.7 million Australians aged 18 years and over, around one in seven, have experienced childhood abuse, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Research shows most people who experienced childhood abuse knew the perpetrator with people who witnessed parental violence during childhood found to be more than twice as likely to experience partner violence as an adult (25 per cent) compared with those who did not witness parental violence during childhood (9.3 per cent).
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Stevie Wonder reveals truth about his eyesight during Cardiff show
He just called to say you're mistaken. Stevie Wonder addressed the longstanding rumour that he isn't actually blind during the Cardiff, Wales, stop on his Love, Light and Song UK tour. 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now,' Wonder, 75, said as seen in an Instagram video from a concertgoer on July 10. 'You know there have been rumours about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.' The musical legend then explained when he lost his sight. 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind,' Wonder continued. 'Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what colour they are, but what colour is their spirit?' Over the years, many celebrities have made cracks about Wonder not really being blind. Anthony Anderson poked fun at the Grammy winner's condition while on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' in 2016. 'What y'all don't know is, Stevie can see,' the actor, 54, said while sharing the story of how he challenged Wonder to a basketball game. 'It's just an act.' Three years later, Shaquille O'Neal claimed Wonder recognised him in an elevator. The basketball star, 53, told his Inside the NBA colleagues that he was in the lobby of his building when Wonder came over and said, 'What's up, Shaq?' '[He] presses the button. Get's off on his floor. Goes to his room. I went and called every person I knew and told them the story,' he recalled. 'He got on the elevator and was like, 'What's up, Shaq? How you doing, big dog?'' The Superstition musician, meanwhile, has been extremely open about his loss of vision. In 2024, he shared how his mum, Lula Mae Hardaway, struggled with the news at first. Despite her reaction, Wonder kept a positive outlook. 'I was born. Shortly after that, I'm blind,' he expressed in an episode of The Wonder of Stevie audiobook series. 'My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.' Wonder noted that his mother, who died in 2006, would cry 'every night' after he was diagnosed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer finally said to her, 'Mama, you shouldn't cry, you're making my head hurt.' 'And I said, 'Maybe God has something for me that's bigger than all this,'' Wonder recounted. 'History proved that true.' In 2004, he detailed his upbringing for O, The Oprah Magazine. 'She didn't bind me up. She wasn't like, 'Don't step there!' or 'Watch out, you'll fall!' She'd tell me to be careful, but I was going to do what I was going to do. She was just fast enough to catch me,' he said of his mother. 'She knew I had to learn — and the more she allowed me to do, the more she could let go. She saw that I'd developed what's called facial radar, meaning that I could hear the sound of objects around me. If you close your eyes and put your hands right in front of your face, then move your hands, you can actually hear the sound of the air bouncing off your hands.' The artist has also kept a great sense of humour regarding his disability. Wonder got candid on his friendship with Jamie Foxx while presenting the actor with the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards. 'He hit me up because of his win — Academy Award — for Ray. And I said, 'You know Jamie, just because you play a blind man that don't mean that we're besties, OK?'' he joked at the time. Wonder went on to tease Foxx, 57, and his 'love for blind people.' The Isn't She Lovely singer has won 25 Grammy awards throughout his career. Wonder also took home an Oscar in 1984 for Best Original Song I Just Called to Say I Love You for the film The Woman in Red. The star has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. Wonder has been married three times. He previously was married to singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright from 1970 to 1972, and fashion designer Kai Millard Morris from 2001 to 2015. Wonder has been married to Tomeeka Robyn Bracy since 2017. He is also dad to nine kids. 'I give a lot of credit to the mothers of my children. They've raised the children well,' Wonder told Winfrey in 2004. 'But I'm not one of those fathers who just send money. I guide them as a father and talk to them as a friend. I always want my children to feel they can tell me anything.' In 2014, he'd go on to joke about his big family on The View, saying: 'I got, how many, 22 kids?'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stevie Wonder Has the Perfect Response to Wild Rumor He's Not Really Blind
Stevie Wonder had the perfect response to ongoing rumors that he is not actually blind. During a show for his Love, Light and Song U.K. tour in Cardiff, Wales, the singer poked fun at the wild speculation and addressed the crowd: 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now. You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.' More from Rolling Stone PJ Morton Is 'Re-Presenting' a Legendary Louisiana Studio for a New Generation Lauryn Hill Makes Appearance at Roberta Flack's Memorial, Performs Alongside Stevie Wonder How The Weeknd Returned - and More Backstage Grammys Secrets He continued: 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?' Wonder has kept things lighthearted when discussing his blindness. During a 2015 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, the musician listed a catalog of the best advantages of being blind including, 'You can act like you don't see nothing when you really do' and 'You can say you didn't see that when you did.' His optimism for life began early in his childhood. When discussing his journey with journalist Wesley Morris and Barack Obama in 2024 for The Wonder of Stevie podcast, Wonder said, 'I was born. Shortly after that, I'm blind. My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.' The 25-time Grammy winner said his mother would cry 'every night,' and one time he told her: 'Mama, you shouldn't cry, you're making my head hurt.' 'And I said, 'Maybe God has something for me that's bigger than all this,'' recalled Wonder. 'History proved that true.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
France 24
4 hours ago
- Sport
- France 24
England's Woad turns pro at age 21 and joins LPGA Tour
The 21-year-old from Farnham became the world amateur number one last month and became the first amateur since 2022 to win a Ladies European Tour event when she captured the Irish crown by six strokes on July 6. Last Sunday, Woad shared third at the Evian Championship in France, her best finish ever at a women's major, setting the stage for her announcement on social media. Woad's major result was enough to qualify her for an LPGA membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) program, becoming the first player to earn a spot that way. "I am very excited to announce that I've decided to turn professional," Woad posted on social media. "I'm delighted to have secured a @LPGA card through the LEAP. I'm also happy to accept membership of the @LETgolf for 2026. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get to this position." Woad is scheduled to make her professional debut at the Women's Scottish Open on July 24-27 at Dundonald Links, a berth she earned with her victory in Ireland. She is also set to play in the Women's British Open, the final major of the year. It will be played on July 31-August 3 at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. Woad shared 10th in last year's event at St. Andrews. Woad, whose triumphs include last year's Augusta National Women's Amateur, had been playing for Florida State University. Woad will have LPGA Tour status for the remainder of 2025 and all of 2026, but a tour statement said the remainder of her LPGA schedule for this season remains uncertain. © 2025 AFP
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Couple feel vindicated by critical report into maternity care
A mother who played a key part in pushing for change in a health board's maternity care said she felt vindicated following the publication of a report highlighting Channon's son Gethin was disabled due to failings made during his birth in 2019."It's been a long journey for us, battling to get acknowledgement for what has been going on at Swansea. All the way up to Welsh government level we have been fighting."An assessment of all maternity services in Wales will now have an independent chair following the head of the Birth Trauma Association said it needed to take a thorough look at the culture of maternity units. Mrs Channon said she and her husband Rob "have frequently been brushed off" and ignored, however they now feel the health board has added that an unreserved apology "goes a long way to mend bridges with families who have felt adrift".Rob Channon added: "We do have faith that the new leadership want to make change, we just have to give them time. "If they don't make changes, we will have to hold them accountable for that."Maternity services across the UK have come under the spotlight, with the health secretary in England announcing "a rapid national investigation" into NHS maternity and neonatal services, following a series of maternity scandals going back more than a who support families that have experienced birth trauma argue the same mistakes were being made, with little sign that lessons were being learned. Julia Reynolds heads up legal firm Leigh Day in Wales, and as a medical negligence specialist said the issues had not changed in years."I see cases from all of the health boards across Wales and the issues we see are similar," she said."I have significant concerns about the quality of maternity care across Wales."The review of care in Swansea found that debriefs with families and responses to complaints lacked Reynolds said after losing a baby many families struggle to deal with being told "it was one of those things"."While staff might feel they're doing the right thing by potentially offering reassurance to families, what that really does is just leave those parents without answers, and really nagging doubts.""I do believe it's a disservice to families and I think it's really important for families to have answers, to understand what went wrong and even more importantly, for those children to get that early treatment to get the better outcome." The independent review into care at Swansea Bay included testimony from women who felt vulnerable, brushed off when they raised concerns, and as a result felt guilty for not speaking up for themselves women spoke of a lack of compassion, others felt belittled, and birthing partners felt powerless or called for improvements to the complaints process in Wales to make it less rigid and more Bay health board apologised unreservedly "to all women and families whose care has fallen well below the expected standard" and was working on an improvement Welsh government also apologised, and accepted all recommendations in full. Director of the Royal College of Midwives in Wales, Julie Richards, said the written policies, frameworks and statements from the Welsh government set out positive intentions."However, they cannot be achieved without investment and proper workforce planning."Over the past number of years reports and reviews into maternity services in Wales are sadly flagging the same key issues that are impacting the delivery of safe care, understaffing, underfunding, working culture and not enough emphasis or time for crucial multi-disciplinary training."Our members are seeing a rise in more complex pregnancies, with women requiring more specialist support during pregnancy so it's never been more important to get this right." A big theme from the report into care given in Swansea Bay was that women were not listened to."It's very easy sometimes for staff to dismiss a woman who's distressed as being over-dramatic," said Kim Thomas, from the Birth Trauma Association."We hear quite a lot that women are told they're making too much of a fuss. But when they try to remain calm there's an assumption there's probably nothing wrong."It creates real problems for women. This is where listening comes in - if a woman says she thinks something's wrong, then actually listen to her."The issues were all the more pressing given the disparities experienced by black women across the mortality is almost four times higher than that of white women, with significant disparities for Asian and mixed ethnicity women too. Umyima Sunday said she experienced good care when she delivered her second child at Singleton hospital two years ago, but her labour progressed so quickly she delivered her daughter on the ward."Even in pain, I'm really calm," said the 33-year-old, who moved to Swansea from Nigeria to study a post-graduate course in public health three years ago."I would say they were looking at me thinking, 'she's not in so much pain'."But a woman that has gone through that before knows how her body reacts. They didn't really understand that I was really in pain and needed them at that time."She said that while staff were listening, they lacked urgency, meaning no one was there to guide her through contractions and when to push."I just wanted the baby out and couldn't think properly - if I had someone beside me, guiding me through the process, I would have avoided the tears I had during the process." Perpetua Ugwu, 34, also considered her labour to be "smooth and straight forward" for her second child, and "nurses and midwives attended to me very well".Though she was initially told over the phone to "exercise a little bit of patience" when she told staff labour had started."If I had waited a little longer I would have given birth at home. If I hadn't taken that step to go into the hospital I would have delivered at home, because they didn't believe that my labour was there."But I knew what I was feeling and I knew that my labour is not long, it's usually short."Her waters broke in the taxi to hospital and her baby was born around 30 minutes said if she could change one thing it would be to "take away that stereotype of black women being able to tolerate pain more."We all go through labour in different ways, but if someone complains she is feeling pain or not feeling well, the best they can do is give the person attention. Don't let them wait a little longer."
