Latest news with #WestminsterMagistratesCourt
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE In Britain's second-largest city, some areas are 86% Muslim, Pakistani flags fly from lampposts and ugly sectarian politics threaten to tear the social fabric apart, as DAVID PATRIKARAKOS discovers in a devastating dispatch
Last month, a criminal lawyer from the Perry Barr district of Birmingham was charged with money laundering offences following a National Crime Agency investigation. Akhmed Yakoob is not due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court until the middle of next month but on Wednesday he came out fighting.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Russell Brand update as he enters plea to sex offence charges in court
Russell Brand has today pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault in court. The comedian and actor, 49, is now set to go on trial at the Old Bailey accused of alleged attacks on four separate women, including one allegation of rape, one allegation of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two further counts of sexual assault. Brand spoke only to confirm his plea, as well as his name, date of birth and address before being granted conditional bail during a hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Brand arrived at court wearing a grey blazer and matching trousers. He wore a pinstripe black shirt, exposing most of his chest, and a pair of brown boots. Brand wore sunglasses and held onto a black notebook as he made his way inside. He did not speak while being surrounded by dozens of reporters and photographers, as well as police officers, while walking into the court building. Brand, who will celebrate his 50th birthday next Wednesday, was charged with the offences by post last month. At a previous hearing on May 2, prosecutor Suki Dhadda read a brief outline of the case against him. Westminster Magistrates Court heard the TV star allegedly attacked the first accuser at a hotel during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 1999. It is also alleged he grabbed a second woman's forearm and tried to drag her into a male toilet at a television station in 2001. The third accuser is a TV worker who met Brand in London's Soho in 2004. And the fourth is a radio worker who was allegedly indecently assaulted after meeting Brand while he was presenting Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth between 2004 and 2005. Brand, who has been living in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with his wife Laura Gallacher and their three children, was born in Essex before rising to fame as a stand-up comedian. He later moved into presenting, hosting TV and radio shows for a range of channels, including the BBC and Channel 4. He hosted Big Brother's Big Mouth, a spin-off to hit show Big Brother, as well as the NME, MTV and Brit awards ceremonies, before starring in a string of Hollywood movies, including Get Him to the Greek. The born-again Christian has since reinvented himself as an 'anti-woke' political podcaster, amassing millions of online followers on the online video platform Rumble. The case follows an investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches in September 2023, which revealed multiple serious allegations against him. It was then announced Brand was charged by the Metropolitan Police Service in April. Following the announcement from the Met and the Crown Prosecution Service, Brand released a video in April in which he said he had never engaged in non-consensual activity and was grateful for the opportunity to defend the charges in court. In a message at the time to his 11.3 million followers on X, previously known as Twitter, he said: "I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist. I have never engaged in non-consensual acts." He added: "I am absolutely open to and welcome the opportunity to defend myself because my innocence is indefatigable."
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Russell Brand live updates: Comedian to make first crown court appearance charged with rape and sexual assault
Comedian and actor Russell Brand is set to enter pleas to sex offence charges including rape and indecent assault. The 49-year-old is due at Southwark Crown Court to enter pleas after an appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this month, where he heard details of allegations against him – including that he raped a woman in a hotel room when she attended a Labour Party conference. He was charged by post last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault, relating to four separate women.
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sunday World
Tommy Robinson back on streets after being released from prison
He is due back before the courts on a seperate matter next week Robinson was filmed with longer hair and a bushy beard on his release from prison (@TRobinsonNewEra/X/PA) Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been released from prison just days after a high court judge ruled that his sentence could be cut by four months. He was due for release on July 26th, but was spotted leaving HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes this morning. Images show Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, sporting a bushy beard, after he grew out his hair while behind bars. Sporting wooden rosary beads around his neck, Robinson took to X to share a 27-minute-long video following his release. Robinson was filmed with longer hair and a bushy beard on his release from prison (@TRobinsonNewEra/X/PA) News in 90 Seconds - May 27th In the video he told his supporters that he would organise a 'free speech festival' in London later this year. He also thanked X founder Elon Musk adding: 'because without X, if we didn't have X, everyone would just think I lied. No one would have got any other narrative. "These attempts at censorship, to silence, to cancel people, it hasn't worked. You've attempted to lock up the truth. And that truth has been echoed around the entire globe." Trump's right-hand man, Elon Musk, previously called for the release of Robinson while accusing Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute child rapists in Oldham in Greater Manchester. The president's billionaire pal previously pinned a message at the top of his X feed stating, 'Free Tommy Robinson!' As well as a number of messages in support of Robinson, Musk posted several times about rape gangs in Rochdale and Oldham, while attacking the prime minister and the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, over their responses to the scandal. Robinson is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court next Thursday on a separate matter after he was charged with harassment causing fear of violence against two men between August 5th and 7th, 2024. He was jailed for 18 months last October after he admitted to breaching a court order on multiple occasions. The injunction was made to prevent him from repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee who sued him for liable. Sentencing judge, Mr Justice Johnson said that the sentence was made up of a punitive element of 14 months and a coercive element of 4 months. The court heard that the 4-month sentence would be reduced if he took steps to comply with the court order. At a court hearing on Tuesday, legal counsel for Robinson said he had shown 'commitment' to complying with the order. The judge told the court that while Robinson didn't show remorse, he had demonstrated a 'change in attitude' since he was first jailed He added that the English Defence League founder has 'no intention' of breaching the order again, and is 'aware of the consequences' if he did so. Robinson admitted to breaching the injunction, which was imposed after he was successfully sued by schoolboy Jamal Hijazi, a total of 10 times. Robinson had falsely claimed that the then 15-year-old had attacked girls at his school in Huddersfield. He was ordered to pay Hijazi £100,000 in damages as well as the boy's legal costs. A judge then imposed the injunction to stop Robinson from repeating the false allegations.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- The Independent
Man, 58, denies inviting support for Hamas
A man has denied inviting support for proscribed terrorist group Hamas. Dylan Evans, of Hove, East Sussex, is charged under the Terrorism Act with one count of inviting support for the proscribed organisation on October 27 2023. Evans, 58, is self-represented and pleaded not guilty to the charge at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. He also pleaded not guilty to two counts of distributing written material to stir up racial hatred. It is alleged that on October 12 and October 13 2023 he 'distributed written material which was threatening, abusive or insulting' intending 'to stir up racial hatred' or being reckless as to whether that would happen. Evans, who was wearing sunglasses on his head and a T-shirt, told the court he had been arrested on May 23 2024. He was given conditional bail and will appear at the Old Bailey on June 6.
