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BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Hartlepool women's lies helped murderer 'escape justice'
The lies of two women in the aftermath of a murder allowed the suspect to "escape justice" by killing himself, a court has mule Kieran Wood, 24, was lured to a house and stabbed to death by recently-released prisoner Paul Foster in Hartlepool in May 2023, Teesside Crown Dowson and Lisa Lithgo were both there but lied to police and said they did not know who either of the men were, which gave Foster time to escape and take his own women, who were recorded concocting their stories, admitted perverting the course of justice. Their sentences will be determined at another hearing. Foster had been released from prison on 19 May 2023 and went to the home shared by Dowson, her partner Kenneth Dowson and Lithgo on Spurn Walk where drugs were sold and consumed, prosecutor Dr Christopher Wood days later, Lithgo arranged to buy £300 worth of cocaine from a local dealer known as Turkish, the court Wood said the deal was a set up by Foster which would see whoever delivered the drugs attacked and Wood, from Horden in County Durham and a "drug runner" for Turkish, took the cocaine to the house, entering shortly after 15:35 BST on 22 May, the court heard."Unfortunately he wouldn't leave alive," the prosecutor said. Mr Wood was stabbed nine times in the torso and arms, with Foster then seen on CCTV leaving at about 16:00 after being "hugged and kissed" by the attack, Kenneth Dowson, who has since also died, activated an emergency call system which, over the following 16 minutes, recorded the voices of the two women getting their story straight, the court was police arrived after being alerted by a passer-by, the women told their lies to officers, the court that evening, police identified Foster as the main suspect but when they went to arrest him in the early hours of 23 May they found he had killed himself, the court heard. Had officers been told the truth by the women at the outset, they could have caught and arrested Foster while he was still alive and "allowed him to face justice for the murder of Kieran Wood", the prosecutor lies also delayed police telling Mr Wood's family of his death, with them hearing it from other sources. 'Brutal' murder Mr Wood's mother Paula Scott told the court her first born son had been her "absolute bundle of joy" and he was always said her "darling boy" fell in with the wrong crowd but was not a troublemaker or fighter, adding he was "mischievous" and a "proper lady's man".Ms Scott said she would be haunted forever by his "brutal" murder and the lies told by Dowson and Lithgo, which allowed a "murderer to escape justice and ultimately end his life".The court heard Mr Wood had a young daughter and his son was born two days after his "cold, calculated and violent" for both women said they had feared what Foster would do to them and their families if they had told police he was the was disputed by prosecutors with Judge Francis Laird KC saying the issue would affect their sentence, so another session known as a Newton hearing would be needed to determine if they had actually acted out of fear of Foster.A date for that hearing is yet to be 57 and of Grange Road in Hartlepool, and Lithgo, 38 and of Wilson Street in the town, were released on bail. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Second Mexican national sentenced 20 years for $3m Duncanville meth bust
The Brief DUNCANVILLE, Texas - The second defendant convicted of large-scale methamphetamine trafficking in Duncanville, Texas, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison. The news was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. What we know Moises Elias Saavedra Posadas, 45, a Mexican national illegally living in the United States, pled guilty to methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute in February 2025. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Wednesday, May 28, by United States District Judge David C. Godbey. According to court documents, Saavedra Posadas helped codefendant Gerardo Barraza Ortiz deliver more than 4 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine on two separate occasions. Officers with the Duncanville Police Department executed a search warrant at an auto body shop located on South Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas, Texas, where several identifying documents belonging to Saavedra Posadas were located. The majority of the methamphetamine was located in 1,022 small packages hidden in buckets and pallets. A further search of the auto body shop revealed a freezer, burners, coolers, storage bins, and barrels that were being used to store, cook, and convert liquid methamphetamine into a crystalized form. Officers also located three firearms and several pounds of marijuana during the search. According to the Duncanville Police Department, the 107.05 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, if sold in ounce quantities, has a street value of approximately $3,128,400.00 in the Dallas, Texas area. Dig deeper Testimony from co-defendant Barraza Ortiz's sentencing hearing revealed that on June 2, 2022, officers located approximately 107.05 pounds of crystalized methamphetamine during a search of the building. Barraza Ortiz was sentenced to a term of 262 months' imprisonment in March 2025 by U.S. District Judge Godbey. Local perspective The Duncanville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Leal and Sarah Douglas prosecuted the case. The Source Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- The Sun
How tourists are being targeted with ‘Devil's Breath' drug that turns victims into ‘zombies' for robberies & kidnaps
TOURISTS in Colombia are being hunted by gangs using a terrifying drug dubbed Devil's Breath — a mind-warping chemical that turns victims into compliant 'zombies' before they're robbed, kidnapped or even killed. Also known as scopolamine or burundanga, the powerful drug is derived from the seeds of the Borrachero tree and was once tested by the CIA as a truth serum. 6 6 6 6 In doses as small as 10mg, it can paralyse victims and leave them highly susceptible to commands, making them easy prey for criminals. Victims lose their will, forget what happened, and often hand over PINs, valuables and passwords without a fight. Now Colombian gangs are plying unsuspecting tourists with the drug via drinks, chewing gum, cigarettes — or even business cards soaked in the substance — often after luring them through apps like Tinder or Grindr. And the body count is rising. Murders, robberies & warnings In a UK first, the drug was used in 2019 to murder Irish dancer Adrian Murphy. Teen killer Diana Cristea and her boyfriend Joel Osei met him on Grindr, poisoned him with scopolamine, and ransacked his flat. They were later convicted of murder and attempted murder of a second victim. In Colombia, foreign visitor deaths rose by 29% last year. Robberies in Medellín alone soared by 200% in the last quarter of 2023, prompting international warnings. The US Embassy warned: 'The use of online dating apps can increase your risk. Be cautious meeting strangers.' Backstreet chemists can extract 90% pure scopolamine with little more knowledge than a second-year science student. In grapefruit juice, the drug is even more potent because the juice slows the body's ability to break it down. UK scientist's brutal death British-based scientist Alessandro Coatti, 42, was on holiday in Santa Marta last month when he was lured to an abandoned house via Grindr. There, investigators believe he was drugged, bludgeoned to death, dismembered, and stuffed into suitcases. His remains were found scattered across the city, discovered by horrified children. Only his head, hands and feet have been recovered. Footballer rushed to hospital after being shot as he got into firefight with bungling robbers who killed man at bar Mayor Carlos Pinedo Cuello said: 'We are offering a reward of fifty million Colombian pesos for information that will allow us to identify and capture those responsible. This crime will not go unpunished.' Coatti, a Royal Society of Biology scientist, had been travelling in South America after leaving his job to volunteer in Ecuador. He was identified by a hotel wristband found on one of his severed limbs. While the exact cause of death for the Italian scientist remains officially unconfirmed, there is speculation that he may have been drugged with scopolamine prior to his murder. The 'Scopolamine Queen' One of the masterminds behind this chilling criminal trend is alleged gang boss Carolina Mejía Montoya, 27, nicknamed 'The Queen of Scopolamine.' She was arrested in Medellín after years of drugging and robbing foreign tourists in luxury apartments and hotels across the tourist hotspots of El Poblado and Parque Lleras. She racked up millions in thefts, using her beauty to gain the trust of high-profile visitors. In one night alone, she stole more than 120 million pesos from an Italian and an American man, police said. CCTV captured her leading victims into short-term rentals before drugging them and fleeing with their cash, cards and jewellery. Mejía, part of the La Marina gang, had previously been granted house arrest in a gun case — only to vanish and continue her spree. 'You do anything they say' Victims describe the effect of the drug as hypnotic and horrifying. Fernando, a 64-year-old Brit, believes he was drugged while on a work trip to Bogotá in 2012. He told The Telegraph: 'It's very dangerous because you're totally hypnotised, you do anything they say.' He said he blacked out after sipping a spiked beer and woke up the next day with €1,000 gone. Security later confirmed he'd wandered back to his hotel, retrieved a card from his safe, and left again—while still under the influence. 'It does something to your brain where you forget completely… it's like a vacuum,' he added. 6 6 Too late to remember Others haven't been so lucky. Colombian TikTok user 'Manning' recalled being drugged after a Tinder date — waking up six hours later in a ransacked apartment, his valuables, designer clothes and even his flip-flops gone. 'It was the worst experience. I woke up and found myself lying in my apartment, a mess,' he said, according to Infobae. Security footage showed the date calmly leaving with stolen suitcases. And it's not just apps or nightlife. In Bogotá, scopolamine has been sprinkled on ATMs, notebooks, and even jackets to target unsuspecting victims in daylight. In one case at the Atlantis Shopping Center, a woman fainted after touching a keypad coated in powder. In another, a man became disoriented after trying to help a stranger with directions near the Andino mall. Both survived — but experts warn many do not. 'It puts the brain to sleep. You are a zombie,' Dr Sarah Cockbill, a retired consultant pharmacist, told The Telegraph. 'People do just wander round in what looks like a trance.' Prof Kamyar Afarinkia, a toxicology expert, added: 'You can get a business card, soak it in [scopolamine], let it dry and then give it to somebody. 'When they touch it, unless they wash their hands quickly, it gets absorbed under their skin.' The drug's popularity with criminals lies in its subtlety. Victims won't realise they've been exposed until it's too late—and many are too embarrassed to report it.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- The Independent
Prison governor jailed over relationship with ‘Jesse Pinkman' drug boss
A 'rising star' prison governor has been jailed for nine years after having a relationship with a Liverpool drug gang boss, according to the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU). Kerri Pegg, 42, swapped her Honda Jazz for a £12,000 Mercedes C class car, paid for by 34 kilos of amphetamines by Anthony Saunderson, a major organised crime boss, who is now serving 35 years behind bars. Divorcee Pegg, described in court as 'petite, blonde and bubbly', signed off on temporary release for Saunderson while she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, Lancashire. When anti-corruption police raided Pegg's apartment they found expensive jewellery and designer clothes, along with size 10 Hugo Boss slip-ons and a toothbrush with Saunderson's DNA. Known to criminal associates as 'Jesse Pinkman', the drug dealer in Breaking Bad, or 'James Gandolfini', the actor who played lothario mafia boss Tony Soprano in the eponymous TV series, even members of his gang grumbled that their boss was spending too much time with Pegg, neglecting his wife and 'work'. Pegg, a keen gym-goer inside jail, was seen as a 'rising star' in the Prison Service, climbing the career ladder from graduate entrant to prison governor in six years, along the way also having breast enhancement surgery. During her trial at Preston Crown Court, it emerged that Saunderson had developed and delivered a programme titled BADD (Beating Alcohol and Drug Dependency) for inmates at several jails while at the time being a major drug dealer, running an amphetamines factory. Pegg claimed her contact with Saunderson was due to his involvement in the BADD programme. Pegg was convicted of two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of possession of criminal property following a three-week trial last month. Phil Copple, chief executive of HM Prison and Probation Service, said: 'The criminal misconduct in this case lets down the public we serve as well as the vast majority of honest and hardworking prison staff, but it also demonstrates our determination to take robust action against those who fail to achieve proper professional standards.' The court heard Pegg, originally from Bramhall, Stockport, had worked in the Probation Service for eight years. Married at 26 and divorced four years later after her husband's building and renovations firm went bust, she switched to the Prison Service for a new challenge. Pegg joined in 2012 as a graduate entrant, working at prisons including Risley, Liverpool and Styal, and by April 2018 she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was reaching the end of a 10-year sentence for drugs offences. He had been one of Merseyside's most wanted fugitives for his part in importing £19 million of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina. From the start of her time at the jail there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to Saunderson, with the two often being in her office with the door closed. She told jurors there were 'cultural issues' at the jail and clashed with bosses over her 'progressive' and 'hands-on' open-door policy with prisoners. In October 2018, Saunderson put in a release on temporary licence (ROTL) request which Pegg signed off, though she did not have the authority to do so. Saunderson was released from Kirkham in May 2019 and within two months, while still on licence, was involved in another massive drug conspiracy. Pegg's trial heard he continued contact with prisons in the BADD programme and was also still close to Pegg, who was at the time the regional official co-ordinating drug strategy in six prisons in the North West. Saunderson and his gang were producing and supplying drugs on an industrial scale from a lab at a premises on the England/Wales border and a storage unit in Aintree, Merseyside. He was jailed for 35 years at Liverpool Crown Court in August 2022 after law enforcement agencies cracked the Encrochat system – the phone network used by serious organised criminals. It revealed Saunderson's drug dealing – and his relationship with Pegg. When police raided her apartment in Orrell, Wigan, in November 2020, the Mercedes paid for by Saunderson in drugs was parked outside. They discovered designer clothes, handbags and jewellery, and found Pegg living way beyond her means, buying Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel necklaces. Detectives discovered that despite her £3,000 a month income, Pegg was deep in debt and had not declared three County Court judgments which amounted to misconduct, as debts make officials vulnerable to corruption. Her four credit cards were 'maxed out' and she had 6p in her savings account. Detectives also found the toothbrush and a pair of Hugo Boss flip flops both carrying Saunderson's DNA. Andrew Alty, defending, in his closing speech to the jury, claimed Pegg had been 'green and stupid', a naive and gullible person who was manipulated by Saunderson. Pegg tearfully told jurors she had been 'incredibly stupid' but did not think she had done anything wrong. Barbara-Louise Webster, prosecuting, said Pegg had a promising future, but added: 'Anthony Saunderson was her downfall.' After her arrest and resignation from the Prison Service, Pegg became the operations manager for poverty and homeless charity The Brick, based in Wigan. The charity was aware of her being under investigation but she kept her job with 'substantial restrictions'. Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Pegg's actions in becoming involved with a prisoner who had committed serious drug offences portrayed a total lack of integrity or judgment. 'She displayed a shocking lack of professionalism in her role, overriding rules around Saunderson's temporary release and ignoring her obligations to declare personal debts.' Detective Inspector Brian Morley, from the NWROCU's Prison Intelligence Unit, said: 'Kerri Pegg was a senior figure within the Prison Service, a public servant expected to behave to the highest standards but this was serious misconduct on her part and greatly undermines the trust given to prison staff and order in a prison.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Chilling Ring doorbell footage shows moment murderer smashed into vulnerable pensioner's home before dragging her out of bed and beating her to death as she begged him to stop
This is the horrifying moment a convicted drug dealer is caught on a Ring doorbell camera smashing his way into a defenceless grandmother's home before beating her to death. Catherine Flynn's daughter could only watch in terror as Dean Mears - who was 'high on drugs' - forced his way into the 69-year-old's seaside home. Harrowing audio then captured the appalling sound of 15 thuds as the scaffolder dragged Mrs Flynn - who had mobility issues and used a Zimmer frame - out of bed and stamped repeatedly her face and neck. Heartbreakingly the terrified pensioner could be heard begging: 'Please don't!' Less than two minutes after breaking in, the 34-year-old dived out of the broken window before fleeing, leaving the pensioner dying. After the ketamine and cannabis user was today convicted of her murder, a judge said he had no doubt that drugs were the 'root cause' of his senseless crime. He said Mears had probably gone to the wrong address and targeted Mrs Flynn by mistake. Police have now released the heartbreaking clip, mercifully with audio from inside the house removed. Following her death, locals paid tribute to Catherine Flynn, saying: 'She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, would do anything for anyone, a true queen with a heart of gold.' Natasha Flynn had been at home when she received a notification and video from the smart doorbell that a man was outside her mother's house in Rhyl, north Wales last October. Horrifying footage shows an agitated-looking Mears kicking at the front door before smashing his way through a downstairs window. The doorbell captured him demanding to know where Mrs Flynn kept her keys as she begged him to leave her alone. By the time relatives had raised the alarm and police had rushed to the scene, he had already fled, leaving Mrs Flynn with injuries a pathologist likened to those seen in high impact crashes. Meanwhile callous Mears was disposing of his bloodstained clothes in a doomed bid to cover his tracks. Following the death of Mrs Flynn - known as Cathy - one local said: 'She was the nicest lady you could ever meet, would do anything for anyone, a true queen with a heart of gold.' The drug addict admitted Mrs Flynn's manslaughter but denied murder, saying he couldn't remember why he had attacked her. But a prosecution psychiatrist told his trial at Caernarfon Crown Court that he didn't suffer from a severe mental illness. Questioned by his KC Richard Pratt, Mears agreed he'd been jailed in 2021 for possessing drugs with intent to supply. In evidence Mears claimed he didn't know why he went to Mrs Flynn's home. She was a stranger and he had no reason to hurt her. 'Do you remember what you did in the house?' Mr Pratt asked him. 'I don't remember,' insisted Mears. The KC said he had subjected the pensioner to a 'terrible' attack in the house and caused the 'most horrific' injuries. Mears replied :'I accept that.' He added: 'I just know it was a terrible thing to happen. I wish I had answers.' Cross-examined by prosecuting KC Andrew Jones, Mears repeatedly answered: 'I don't remember.' Opening the case, Mr Jones said Mears 'inflicted such severe damage to the face of Mrs Flynn that she had no chance of surviving this vicious, unprovoked assault'. He added: 'His actions before and after the death of Mrs Flynn show clearly he knew what he was doing and what he had done. 'He set about trying to cover his tracks by disposing of clothing he knew was covered in Mrs Flynn's blood.' The jury today took four hours to find him guilty of murder. Mears, of Kinmel Bay, faces life in jail when he is sentenced next month. Judge Rhys Rowlands told him Mrs Flynn had been 'an extremely vulnerable 69-year- old lady' and he had murdered her 'in what should have been the safety of her own home'. 'In my judgement there's every reason to believe, high on drugs, you went to Mrs Flynn's home by mistake. 'You intended to go to someone else's address.' The judge added: 'Any loss of life is tragic, but your killing of Mrs Flynn that night wasn't only senseless but the circumstances surrounding it can only be viewed as truly horrific. 'You broke in, went up the stairs, passing the chair or stairlift on the stairs she used because she had only limited mobility. 'You dragged her out of bed, demanding repeatedly to know where the keys were, and repeatedly stamped on the victim on her face and neck, causing the most catastrophic of injuries. 'As to exactly why you behaved in that way, only you will know.' But the judge said drugs had ruined Mears' life and now the life of another family. 'I have no doubt the root cause was your long-standing addiction to harmful illicit drugs and association with the dealers at a higher level of these drugs.' Addressing Mrs Flynn's family, who cheered the guilty verdict from the public gallery, the judge added :'I can't for one moment put myself in their shoes. 'What a dreadful experience to have gone through:' He added that not many juries had to listen to somebody being killed. Afterwards Senior Investigating Officer Superintendent Lee Boycott of North Wales Police said: 'On 24th October 2024, Dean Mears broke into Cathy Flynn's home whilst she was sleeping and ferociously and repeatedly stamped on her in a brutal and violent unprovoked attack. 'The injuries Cathy sustained were not survivable and she tragically died the following day in hospital. 'His abhorrent actions that night was witnessed by Cathy's daughter on her doorbell footage, which will undoubtedly stay with her and her family forever. 'Despite Mears showing no remorse for his actions, Cathy's family have remained dignified and respectful throughout the judicial process. 'I commend them for their courage and my thoughts remain with them today. 'I welcome today's verdict and thank the jury, and the investigation team, for their diligent work in securing justice for Cathy's family.'
