Latest news with #criminalcharge
South China Morning Post
01-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong prosecutors drop charge against Indonesian tourist in tumbler case
Hong Kong prosecutors have dropped a criminal charge against an Indonesian tourist whose tumbler fell out of his backpack and hit another visitor at The Peak last month. Advertisement Merchant Satnauli Bangun, 44, was initially prosecuted for allegedly allowing an object to fall from a height when he visited The Peak Tower on July 2. The accused had put his backpack on a fence while sightseeing inside the shopping area of the premises, but his tumbler fell out of a side pocket and hit a mainland Chinese woman on the head on the floor below. Prosecutors on Friday told Eastern Court that they had decided to drop the case after reviewing the overall circumstances, without offering further explanation. Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai-man approved the prosecution's request to dispose of the tumbler concerned after the defence raised no objection. Advertisement Allowing an object to fall from a height carries a maximum sentence of six months' imprisonment and a HK$10,000 (US$1,274) fine under the Summary Offences Ordinance.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former MP charged with sexual assault at London pub
A former MP who recently championed AI in a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a criminal sexual assault charge. Ben Howlett, 38, who represented the Conservatives in Parliament between 2015 and 2017, is accused over an alleged incident at a pub in Battersea, southwest London, in 2021. He was charged in April and appeared in court last week to face the allegation for the first time. Scotland Yard said Howlett, who lives in Greenwich, was charged with sexual assault on April 24, nearly four years after the allegation of sexual assault was first made. While awaiting his first court hearing, Howlett sat down with Sir Keir in North Wales for a meeting on AI at the end of June. He was the MP for Bath during his stint in Parliament, before moving in the private lobbying sector. Howlett was in his role as co-founder of UKAI and chief executive of policy institute Curia when he met with the PM. He has previously posted a picture of himself on social media outside Downing Street when Rishi Sunak was in charge. Howlett appeared at Wimbledon magistrates court on July 2 to face the case for the first time, as magistrates sent it to be dealt with at Kingston crown court. 'On Wednesday, 18 August 2021 an allegation of sexual assault was reported to police', said the Met, adding that the alleged victim says he 'had been assaulted by a man'. 'The incident is alleged to have occurred in a pub on Nine Elms Lane, SW11', said the force, before adding: 'The suspect attended a voluntary interview during the course of the investigation. 'On Thursday, 24 April he was charged as above. 'The victim continues to be supported by specialist officers.' Court records show that Howlett did not enter a plea to the sexual assault charge at his first court hearing. The charge alleges Howlett 'intentionally touched a man aged 16 or over and that touching was sexual when he did not consent and you did not reasonably believe that he was consenting.' He has been set free on unconditional bail until the crown court hearing on July 29.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jon Jones Faces Serious Allegations Shortly After Retiring, Ends UFC Career With Shame and Scandal
Jon Jones Faces Serious Allegations Shortly After Retiring, Ends UFC Career With Shame and Scandal originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When UFC CEO Dana White abruptly revealed Jon Jones' retirement during a press conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, many UFC fans and media have expressed disappointment that Jones' career ended without a unification bout against Aspinall, a fight many viewed as crucial to cementing his legacy. Advertisement Shortly after his retirement from the UFC was announced, however, the former heavyweight champion was hit with a misdemeanor charge for allegedly fleeing the scene of a car crash in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chris Unger-GettyImages The incident, first reported by the Albuquerque Journal, resurfaced this week as police filed a criminal complaint accusing Jones of leaving the scene of an accident involving an intoxicated woman found partially unclothed in the passenger seat. According to the Albuquerque Police Department report, officers responded to a single-vehicle crash and found a woman "naked from the waist down" who claimed Jones was driving before fleeing on foot. The woman told police she had consumed alcohol and psychedelic mushrooms at Jones' home earlier that night and recalled needing to change clothes due to a bathroom incident before the crash. Advertisement Jones allegedly called her repeatedly from the scene, slurring his words and making "allusions to violence" toward a police aide during the conversation. Jones' attorney, however, has denied the allegations, calling the case "baseless" and claiming that the woman involved fabricated the story to avoid a DWI arrest. The attorney also argued that Jones was not in the car during the crash and criticized police for "targeting" the fighter. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Jones has faced allegations of this magnitude. Despite being widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, with a 28-1 record, two divisional titles, and a record-setting reign, his image has been damaged by countless controversies. From his failed drug tests to domestic violence arrests, Jones' behaviour has often eclipsed his fighting career. With the timing of this allegation surfacing just hours after his retirement was announced, it is with a cruel twist of irony that his UFC career is punctuated with a situation as controversial as this. Rather than a farewell fight or a celebration, Jones will have to reconcile that his career ended with a whimper. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
