Latest news with #WitnessA
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
MI5 ‘deliberately and repeatedly lied' in agent's identity case, court told
An MI5 agent 'deliberately and repeatedly lied' after confirming to a journalist that a violent and misogynistic neo-Nazi was operating as an undercover source, a court has heard. The security service apologised to the High Court on Tuesday after acknowledging that a senior official gave false information under oath when he denied such a confirmation had occurred. A deputy director – identified only as Witness A – provided a sworn statement on behalf of MI5, insisting the agency had steadfastly maintained its policy to neither confirm nor deny (NCND) the identity of an informant. But that testimony was exposed as false earlier this year when a BBC journalist produced a recording of an MI5 agent – identified as Officer 2 – confirming that a violent neo-Nazi did work for them as a covert human intelligence source. Two investigations have since been launched to ascertain how MI5 came to provide false information to judges on three separate occasions. At a hearing before the High Court on Tuesday, Sir James Eadie KC, representing the Attorney General for MI5, reiterated an apology on behalf of the agency. 'Errors had not been deliberate' He said: 'I am not here to seek to excuse or diminish the seriousness of that position. Everyone from the director-general downwards acknowledges the seriousness caused.' But he insisted there had been 'no deliberate attempt to conceal or lie', suggesting that the 'failings and errors' had been down to poor recollection, a lack of accurate note-taking and communication issues. Sir James said the court could be 'properly satisfied' that a full investigation had taken place, and it concluded that the 'errors had not been deliberate'. He said the reviews found 'there had been no deliberate misleading or lying'. But Jude Bunting KC for the BBC said Officer 2 – the agent at the centre of the case – had 'deliberately and repeatedly lied', adding that there had been 'widespread knowledge within MI5' that he had done so. He said Officer 2 had been given authorisation from senior officials to 'deviate' from MI5's usual policy. Mr Bunting also said Sir Jonathan Jones KC, who was commissioned by the Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, to carry out the external review, had not spoken to Officer 2 directly during the probe. He said the conclusion was that Officer 2 appears 'to have consistently lied', adding that it was 'very troubling'. The embarrassing episode dates back to December 2021 when a BBC journalist was investigating the activities of a far-Right extremist. After emailing the man to put the allegations to him, the reporter was surprised to be contacted by an MI5 official saying the claims were not accurate. During several subsequent telephone conversations, the MI5 officer confirmed to the journalist the man, identified only as agent X, did indeed work for them as a paid informant and even offered to arrange a meeting. He also told the reporter he had been 'legally authorised' to disclose agent X's role, suggesting the decision had been signed off at a higher level. Sir Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, attempted to get the BBC to drop the story but, when the corporation refused, Suella Braverman, the Attorney General at the time, went to the High Court seeking an injunction. During MI5's submissions Witness A insisted they had not deviated from their standard procedure of never confirming nor denying the identities of agents. The same position was maintained in evidence given to two other courts as the man's ex-girlfriend sought to expose how he had used his MI5 cover to abuse and silence her. The BBC was eventually permitted to run the story about the man's violent past and extremist mindset, but was banned from naming him. Lady Chief Justice Baroness Sue Carr, sitting with Mr Justice Chamberlain and Dame Victoria Sharp, the president of the King's Bench Division, are considering what action, if any, to take against MI5. Mr Bunting said it was the BBC's position that the threshold for bringing Contempt of Court proceedings against the agency had been reached.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Fury as award-winning police officer is sacked after showing knife-carrying teen who 'assaulted elderly man' a 'lack of courtesy and respect' as he arrested him
An award-winning police officer has been fired after he was accused of showing a lack of courtesy and respect to a knife-carrying teenager he arrested for assault. The decision to dismiss PC Lorne Castle has prompted fury after he was found to have committed gross misconduct - with critics calling it 'bloody madness' and 'perverse'. The officer swore at and threatened the 15-year-old suspect as he arrested him for allegedly assaulting two people, one of whom was an elderly man. PC Castle, 46, pinned the youth up against a wall before taking him to the ground - both techniques which were later deemed lawful. The boy, known as Witness A, screamed in the officer's face and resisted arrest while on the floor. The officer of nine years then called him a 'b***h' and threatened to 'smash him in' while straddling him - and at one stage he placed his hand on the boy's face and jabbed his finger at him, a disciplinary panel heard. During the commotion a Stanley-type knife fell out of the teenager's waistband. But the panel has now ruled PC Castle made the boy feel 'frightened and intimidated' and showed him a 'lack of courtesy and respect' during the arrest in Bournemouth in January last year. Pc Castle (right) won an award for saving a person from drowning, as well as previously being named Neighbourhood Police Officer of the Year Senior officers later reviewed the bodycam footage and placed PC Castle under investigation which took 16 months. The officer admitted that he 'lost control' during the arrest and tearfully apologised for his 'out of character' actions at a police disciplinary hearing. But the panel, led by Dorset Police Assistant Chief Constable Deborah Smith, found him guilty of gross misconduct. They said he failed to act with self-control, did not treat the boy with courtesy or respect and that his 'shouting, swearing, finger pointing, taking hold of the boy's face suggested use of leg restraints was not necessary, reasonable or proportionate'. It was alleged the officer also grabbed the boy's throat but this was not proven. PC Castle was dismissed without notice and barred from serving again - in a verdict that has now fuelled fury. Norman Brennan, a retired police officer and founder of the campaign group Protect the Protectors, accused Dorset Police of throwing PC Castle 'under a bus'. He said: 'Senior officers at Dorset Police have taken leave of their senses.. This decision epitomises how they have lost touch with the danger and reality of frontline policing. It is bloody madness. 'Police officers when facing volatile or violent situations will at times swear and use some unsavoury words. 'All arrests involve some form of force and pushing someone even in the face during a struggle is not always intentional and even if it is its part and parcel in many arrests when restraining a suspect. No arrest is without some sort of force. 'I'm sick and tired of officers being disciplined for things like this and I think the majority of the public would think this is absolutely bonkers. 'Many senior officers kowtow to the constant criticism of the police in a sort of appeasement and often throw officers under the bus or to the wolves as sacrificial lambs. Cases like this are more likely to deter people from joining the police. 'Thousands of officers have and are already throwing the towel in as they have lost faith and confidence in their leadership who in turn are detached from the dangers and stresses of front line policing in Britain in this very violent age that we live in.' The incident that led to PC Castle's sacking happened in Bournemouth town centre at 5.30pm on January 27 last year. The boy was suspected of assaulting an elderly man while riding an e-scooter and then getting embroiled in a fracas with another youth outside McDonalds - while ge was also alleged to have run away from town rangers who tried to apprehend him until police arrived. PC Castle, who has twice won a national bravery award including one for saving an elderly woman from drowning in a swollen river in 2023, spotted the suspect walking up Richmond Hill in Bournemouth. Bodycam footage showed PC Castle run up to the suspect and push him against the wall before bundling him to the ground and sitting on top of him. He told the youth to 'show me your f*****g hands' and then put his hands and finger in the teen's face - and when the boy was unable to move his arms, PC Castle told him to 'stop screaming like a little b***h'. Neither the boy or his family complained about the arrest but PC Castle's colleagues reported concerns about his conduct to senior officers. Giving evidence, PC Castle said he became 'overwhelmed and scared' when the boy resisted as his mind flashed back to his arrest of a county lines drug dealer 18 months earlier which led him fearing for his life. As the officer struggled with the dealer, his associate who was stood behind was being told to 'cut him' - before an off-duty officer intervened to defend him. PC Castle admitted he had overstepped the mark with his language and aggression and broke down in tears as he said: 'I'm embarrassed by the video and I apologise for my actions. 'Anyone who knows me in public or private life knows that is not how I behave. When he started screaming and resisting I panicked and became overwhelmed. 'I did not choke the suspect and I did not get him in a headlock. I was trying to keep his head still with the palm of my hand so he did not hit his head. 'I did not put my full weight on him as my knees were on the concrete. I only applied enough weight to keep his body still. 'During the arrest I saw the knife fall out of his waistband so he was arrested for a knife offence. I think the arrest needed to be made but I lost control of the situation.' Mark Ley Morgan, representing Dorset Police at the hearing, said the knife was not relevant as PC Castle did not know the boy had it when making the arrest. Mr Morgan said: 'PC Castle breached standards of professional behaviour by failing to act with self control and failing to treat him with courtesy or respect. 'He abused his power and authority and his behaviour undermined confidence in the police. 'It was totally unnecessary and disproportionate, and it is so serious that dismissal would be justified.' After the hearing, Dorset Police Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell acknowledged that officers did a 'tough job' but said PC Castle let the force down by his actions. She said: 'I have never been in any doubt that PC Castle's actions were excessive, aggressive and inappropriate and I can understand the communities we serve will be concerned about this case. 'PC Castle has let the police service and his colleagues down and he does not represent the many hard-working officers and staff of Dorset Police. 'The outcome reflects the seriousness of this matter and ensures that he will no longer hold a role in policing and the privilege of constable. 'I am grateful to the officers for having the courage to do the right thing and report their concerns about PC Castle's actions.' But campaigner Mr Brennan called the officer's punishment disproportionate, adding: 'I am astounded that the matter reached a formal disciplinary hearing. 'A senior officer should have pulled him aside and given him words of advice about how the public may perceive officers when arresting somebody before letting him go back on the streets.' PC Castle worked as a community patrol officer in Bournemouth before he joined Dorset Police in about 2016. He was once named community officer of the year and last year was awarded a Royal Humane Society's testimonial on parchment for saving the woman in the River Avon at Christchurch. The citation stated how he entered the fast-flowing water and used a rope and life ring and managed to get it close enough to the woman to grab it, saying: 'The brave actions of the officers undoubtedly saved her life.' Outside of policing he has run a successful boxing training academy with his wife of 24 years, Denise Castle. Following the panel's verdict, Mr Castle said he was still processing the outcome of the case - while also thanking members of the public who backed him him. He said: 'I have had an unbelievable amount of public support, from people I know and don't know, which has really kept me going. 'All I will ever do is to try my best. I'm going to think about it (the outcome) and process it a little longer. 'I can't say how much the messages and public support has meant to me because it has been a tough time which has been hard on me and my family.' Social media users have been among those expressing backing for him - while raising concerns that the outcome could embolden other youngsters with weapons. Sara Louise posted on social media: 'What message does this send out to all the youngsters who do already or will now carry knives? 'They know they are untouchable if an officer challenges them. What message does this send out to any officer faced in a similar situation. Is it worth the challenge? 'Welcome to Dorset - a county where you can carry a knife but if an officer points their finger at you or calls you a nasty name they will lose their job/career. I'm appalled.' Jo Holland wrote: 'So a thug carrying a knife has been made into a victim and the officer protecting the public has been made into a criminal. And we wonder why society is going the way it is. Disgraceful decision.' Ray Venner posted: 'This is a good honourable officer doing a fantastic job in a very difficult dangerous environment. Shameful, absolutely shameful.' Fiona Lawrence posted: 'Surely dismissing someone with such a good previous record and has saved lives on numerous occasions isn't the correct judgement.' Other comments have included 'Travesty', 'He should be given a medal not the boot.''No wonder no one wants a career in the police - let's protect the villains'.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- The Independent
Teacher banned from the classroom after drinking ‘Costa cup of wine' before school
A teacher has been banned from the classroom for two years after admitting to drinking a ' Costa cup of wine ' in the morning before attempting to lead a class. Lesley Beuscher admitted that she had 'consumed a small amount of alcohol' on the morning of 26 June 2023, but claimed that it would have no effect on her ability to carry out her duties. However, a member of staff became concerned that she was not well enough to be teaching and informed another teacher, asking them to observe the classroom. In a witness statement, the fellow teacher, known as Witness A, said: 'Lesley Beuscher appeared to be struggling and confused. Once she managed to load the programme, I noticed that her speech was slurred. 'Initially, due to the time of the day, I was concerned that Lesley Beuscher was potentially suffering a stroke. However, when I got closer to Lesley Beuscher, I realised that it was more likely that she was under the influence of alcohol as I noticed the smell coming from her.' Once she had been removed from the classroom, Ms Beuscher apologised and said that the 'children deserved better' and admitted to being under the influence. In her evidence, Mrs Beuscher accepted that she smelt of alcohol and admitted to having consumed a 'small Costa cup of wine ' across the road from the school. However, she denied previously attending her workplace while drunk and stated in her statement that she was aware of the repercussions of drinking. In June 2021, she had been convicted of being in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and received 10 penalty points on her licence. The panel concluded that Mrs Beuscher was guilty of unacceptable professional conduct which fell short of the standards required in the teaching profession. The report noted: 'The panel noted that Mrs Beuscher made a conscious decision to consume alcohol before the start of the school day on 26 June 2023 in knowledge that she would be teaching young, impressionable children. 'The panel considered that Mrs Beuscher's conduct in allegations 1(a) and 1(b) exposed pupils to a risk of harm. 'The panel noted that by smelling and appearing to be under the influence of alcohol, Mrs Beuscher did not provide a safe environment for those pupils in her care, in particular, Mrs Beuscher limited her ability to prevent any harm to pupils and increased the chance of inadvertently causing harm to pupils.' She has now been made the subject of a prohibition order which bans her from teaching in any school, college or educational institution, which will be reviewed after a period of two years.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
MI5 knew teenage terror suspect was vulnerable but pushed ahead with inquiry
MI5 pushed ahead with a terrorist inquiry into a teenager later found dead in a suspected suicide, despite knowing she was vulnerable, an inquest has heard. Officers raised concerns about the risk of Rhianan Rudd harming herself after the security services opened an investigation into her obsession with committing a far-Right terrorist attack. But they were told that 'no exception' could be made in investigating her activities because of the threat she posed to national security. Intelligence chiefs concluded the case had to be pursued, as deradicalisation work with Rhianan could not be carried out under the Government's Prevent scheme while she was being actively investigated for suspected terror offences. The inquest has previously been told that Rhianan was 14 when she was charged with terror offences in April 2021 after downloading a guide to making a pipe bomb. She had told school friends of her desire to blow up a synagogue and 'slash people's throats'. The teenager, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, was found dead in a Nottinghamshire children's home in May 2022, five months after the charges against her were dropped. The Home Office had ruled she was the victim of grooming and radicalisation by adults. The inquest was told on Friday that officers raised concerns that there was a lack of national guidance for them in dealing with cases of vulnerable minors who also posed a terror threat. In internal MI5 emails read to the inquest, one officer said: 'We're seeing more and more of these cases and it doesn't sit comfortably.' Another email read: 'Opening an investigation is sometimes the only way of understanding the threat and the necessity to investigate them in the interests of national security. No exception can be made in Rhianan's case.' A senior MI5 officer in charge of its counter-terrorism investigations at the time, named only as Witness A, told the inquest on Friday: 'It's entirely possible for someone to be a victim or have mental health problems or be at risk of being radicalised – that does not mean they can't also be a potential perpetrator who we need to investigate to mitigate the threat that they pose.' Witness A said that MI5's duty to prevent harm was not removed if the suspect was a vulnerable minor who had been exploited by adults. Emily Carter, Rhianan's mother, maintains that the authorities, including MI5, counter-terrorism police and social services, failed to treat her daughter as a victim of exploitation by extremists. Chesterfield coroner's court, sitting in London, heard evidence from Witness A that the service's guidelines had now changed to allow officers to recommend through the counter-terror police that an individual should be referred to the Home Office's national referral mechanism as a potential victim of grooming, coercion or human trafficking. In a rare example of an MI5 officer giving evidence in open court, Witness A, who gave evidence from behind a screen, told the inquest that officers were being faced with a growing number of cases of young people involved in extremism and posing a potential terror threat. The inquest heard that 13 per cent of individuals investigated for involvement in UK terror plots were under 18, a significant increase over the past few years. Witness A told Judge Alexia Durran, the chief coroner, that this presented the intelligence service with added problems in safeguarding children while at the same time protecting national security. The officer said: 'There's a tension between safeguarding and managing the threat.' The inquest has previously heard Rhianan began to show disturbing signs of far-Right radicalisation after being groomed by her mother's boyfriend Dax Mallaburn, a US neo-Nazi. At the same time, the teenager was in contact online with Chris Cook, another US white supremacist, who supplied her with instructions for making homemade bombs and weapons. Rhianan became 'obsessed' with Adolf Hitler and Nazi politics, and at one point carved a swastika on her forehead. The inquest heard that during a meeting in April 2022, the month before Rhianan's death, police updated MI5 and said the girl had recently started speaking with a German accent, and dressed in camouflage on Hitler's birthday. Witnesses have said that before being found dead by staff at her care home, Rhianan's mood had appeared to be improving. But Witness A said that even at that stage it had still not been possible for MI5 to conclude that the teenager no longer presented a threat to others. The inquest continues. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
07-03-2025
- Telegraph
MI5 knew teenage terror suspect was vulnerable but pushed ahead with inquiry
MI5 pushed ahead with a terrorist inquiry into a teenager later found dead in a suspected suicide, despite knowing she was vulnerable, an inquest has heard. Officers raised concerns about the risk of Rhianan Rudd harming herself after the security services opened an investigation into her obsession with committing a far-Right terrorist attack. But they were told that 'no exception' could be made in investigating her activities because of the threat she posed to national security. Intelligence chiefs concluded the case had to be pursued, as deradicalisation work with Rhianan could not be carried out under the Government's Prevent scheme while she was being actively investigated for suspected terror offences. The inquest has previously been told that Rhianan was 14 when she was charged with terror offences in April 2021 after downloading a guide to making a pipe bomb. She had told school friends of her desire to blow up a synagogue and 'slash people's throats'. The teenager, from Chesterfield in Derbyshire, was found dead in a Nottinghamshire children's home in May 2022, five months after the charges against her were dropped. The Home Office had ruled she was the victim of grooming and radicalisation by adults. The inquest was told on Friday that officers raised concerns that there was a lack of national guidance for them in dealing with cases of vulnerable minors who also posed a terror threat. In internal MI5 emails read to the inquest, one officer said: 'We're seeing more and more of these cases and it doesn't sit comfortably.' Another email read: 'Opening an investigation is sometimes the only way of understanding the threat and the necessity to investigate them in the interests of national security. No exception can be made in Rhianan's case.' A senior MI5 officer in charge of its counter-terrorism investigations at the time, named only as Witness A, told the inquest on Friday: 'It's entirely possible for someone to be a victim or have mental health problems or be at risk of being radicalised – that does not mean they can't also be a potential perpetrator who we need to investigate to mitigate the threat that they pose.' Witness A said that MI5's duty to prevent harm was not removed if the suspect was a vulnerable minor who had been exploited by adults. Emily Carter, Rhianan's mother, maintains that the authorities, including MI5, counter-terrorism police and social services, failed to treat her daughter as a victim of exploitation by extremists. Chesterfield coroner's court, sitting in London, heard evidence from Witness A that the service's guidelines had now changed to allow officers to recommend through the counter-terror police that an individual should be referred to the Home Office's national referral mechanism as a potential victim of grooming, coercion or human trafficking. In a rare example of an MI5 officer giving evidence in open court, Witness A, who gave evidence from behind a screen, told the inquest officers were being faced with a growing number of cases of young people involved in extremism and posing a potential terror threat. The inquest heard that 13 per cent of individuals investigated for involvement in UK terror plots now are under 18, a significant increase over past few years. Witness A told Judge Alexia Durran, the chief coroner, that this presented the intelligence service with added problems in safeguarding children while at the same time protecting national security. The officer said: 'There's a tension between safeguarding and managing the threat.' The inquest has previously heard Rhianan began to show disturbing signs of far-Right radicalisation after being groomed by her mother's boyfriend Dax Mallaburn, a US neo-Nazi. At the same time, the teenager was in contact online with Chris Cook, another US white supremacist, who supplied her with instructions for making homemade bombs and weapons. Rhianan became 'obsessed' with Adolf Hitler and Nazi politics, and at one point carved a swastika on her forehead. The inquest heard that during a meeting in April 2022, the month before Rhianan's death, police updated MI5 and said the girl had recently started speaking with a German accent, and dressed in camouflage on Hitler's birthday. Witnesses have said that before being found dead by staff at her care home, Rhianan's mood had appeared to be improving. But Witness A said that even at that stage it had still not been possible for MI5 to conclude that the teenager no longer presented a threat to others. The inquest continues.
