Latest news with #kidnap
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Criminal who kidnapped, tortured Kevin Lunney challenges constitutionality of conviction
One of the men jailed for the kidnap and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney has argued against the constitutionality of his conviction by the Special Criminal Court. Alan Harte (43) was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the non-jury, three-judge Special Criminal Court for committing serious harm and falsely imprisoning Mr Lunney at a yard in Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan, in September 2019. At the Court of Appeal on Monday, Michael O'Higgins SC, for Harte, said there were two grounds to the appeal: whether it was possible for the Special Criminal Court to deliver a majority verdict and whether that court was entitled not to disclose whether the verdict was unanimous or not. 'If a person is convicted, they should know if it is a unanimous or majority verdict,' Mr O'Higgins said. 'When taking someone's liberty away, it should be done with absolute transparency.' READ MORE He said that a court, when not making rulings, was in effect acting as a juror, so the judges of the Special Criminal Court were engaged in the same exercise as a jury. 'It's irrelevant who is doing it, they're carrying out the same task with the same criteria. If the verdict falls below a level, the trial becomes unacceptable,' Mr O'Higgins said. He said that while there were procedural differences between the courts, once a jury or judges retired to consider their verdict they were in the same category. Remy Farrell SC, for the State, said a jury trial involved trial by a reasonable cross-section of society, but the Special Criminal Court comprised judges who were not representative of a cross-section of society, so these were completely different concepts. Mr Justice John Edwards, presiding, said the court would reserve judgment.
Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Malay Mail
Man abducted in broad daylight after Puchong brawl, cops hunt three suspects
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Police are tracking three male suspects who abducted a man after a brawl at Jalan Persiaran Puchong Permai in Puchong yesterday afternoon. Subang Jaya district police chief ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat said police were informed of the incident at 6.38 pm that a local man had been kidnapped by three local male suspects following the altercation. 'The police are conducting further investigations and are actively working on locating the three suspects and the victim,' he said in a statement yesterday. Wan Azlan urged members of the public with information on the incident to contact the investigating officer, Insp G. Dinesh at 011 33094457 or the Subang Jaya district police headquarters' operations room at 03 78627222 or 03 78627100 to assist in the investigations. Earlier, a 15 second video showing the suspects forcing the victim into the cargo area of a lorry went viral on social media. — Bernama Brawl, Puchong Permai, kidnap, man, ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Smirking thug who battered his friend, forced him to strip naked and then paraded him through the streets is jailed
A smirking thug who battered his friend, forced him to strip naked and then paraded him through the streets has been jailed. Karl Griffiths, 42, of Penclawdd, Gower, staged his heinous attack after a day of group socialising at the friend's flat in the Welsh village on January 30 this year. The distressing ordeal saw him march his naked friend through the centre of Penclawdd, down what is the main road through the whole north Gower area. This was filmed by people in the village on their mobile phones, with the footage showing the poor man in clear distress. Before this, Griffiths - who already has a 'substantial criminal history' - had hit his friend and his friend's girlfriend with her crutches and punched him repeatedly in the head and all over his body. He also threw a lamp across the room, destroyed their TV, shouted abuse, took the couple's phones off them, locked everyone present in the flat - and told police on the phone: 'I'm going to kill someone'. He was now been locked up for 31 months, with sentences for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery, kidnap and criminal damage to run concurrently. The attacker received a one quarter discount for pleading guilty - and he will only serve up to half his sentence in custody, with the rest on licence in the community. Griffiths' previous offences include non-domestic burglaries, dishonesty matters, weapons offences and supplying Class A drugs. His police headshot shows him looking right at the camera with a brazenly direct gaze and a smug expression. Judge Huw Rees, at Swansea Crown Court, said Griffiths' behaviour was 'irrational' and probably done under the influence of drink and drugs. But he also admitted that by the look of his references, other people thought well of Griffiths and saw him as a 'kindly man'. The attacker hopes his friend can forgive him in time. Meanwhile, the victim said in an impact statement read by Mr Jones he could not believe someone he considered a friend could have treated him so poorly. He added it has had a massive effect on his mental health, leaving him feeling unsafe in his own home. But in an astonishingly generous move, the victim said while what Griffiths did was 'not right', he did not want his friend to be prosecuted. His partner said in an impact statement the horrifying attack had made her anxiety and depression even worse. She hoped everyone could 'put this behind them' and move on. Prosecutor Craig Jones said everything started after a big group hangout had extended into the evening. Griffiths received a phone call at one point in the night, briefly leaving the flat to answer. But when he returned, he locked the door behind him and told those present no one was leaving. After taking the phones of his friend and his friend's partner and refusing to return them, he accused the pair of stealing from him. The prosecutor said it was not clear whether he was accusing them of stealing money or drugs. It was then he assaulted the couple with the crutches and punched the friend, before hurling the abuse at them and throwing the lamp across the room, smashing it. Griffiths 'demanded' his friend take his clothes off, telling him they were 'going for a walk' and forcing him outside, the prosecutor said - before he 'essentially paraded him naked around the streets'. It was a highly public area, near the village's large CK Foodstores supermarket. The barrister said he would not play the footage of the humiliating naked walk in open court out of respect for the dignity of the victim, unless the judge wanted it shown. Griffiths then took his friend back to his flat where he smashed the TV and called the police. It was then he made the terrifying threat: 'Someone better come and get me, I'm going to kill someone.' He was arrested, saying in his police interview his arrival at his friend's flat had come after he had argued with his mother. Griffiths accused his friend of stealing from him and admitted to giving him 'a clip' and hitting him with 'a few punches'. He accepted making him march around outside the flat to humiliate him. Griffiths previously pleaded guilty to battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage, and kidnapping when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. His lawyer James Hartson said whatever grievance his client may have had with his friend, it 'could not remotely justify the level of humiliation and violence' handed out. But he added intoxication may go some way towards explaining it. The attacker has now rid himself of his addiction to controlled drugs and has enhanced-prisoner status at HMP Swansea, the barrister continued. Judge Rees pointed out Griffiths' victims had been his friends - and the 'parading' through the streets had occurred in a particularly public location. Griffiths' concurrent custodial sentence comprises 31 months for kidnap, three months for battery, 18 months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one month for criminal damage.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Man convicted of attempting to kidnap girlfriend's husband during botched hijack attempt - as she is cleared of involvement
A mother accused of attempting to kidnap her own husband walked free from court today - while the lover she was on trial with was convicted of the offence. Gary Leggate was chased by a masked Daniel Algar, 41, after he hid in the victim's car as part of the botched kidnap attempt, a court heard. Jurors heard Algar was having an affair with Mr Leggate's wife, Lucy Leggate, 36, when the attempted botched kidnap took place in September 2022. Prosecutors alleged Mrs Leggate helped in the planning by providing Algar with a spare key for her husband's car and disclosing his movements. But the jury cleared the mother-of-four of any involvement and found her not guilty of attempted kidnap. Algar, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, was convicted of the same charge and granted conditional bail ahead of his sentencing in August. The trial judge, Judge James House KC, warned Algar 'to expect a custodial sentence' and told him 'to put his affairs in order.' Judge House also asked for 'observations' on what were the possible outcomes of Algar's plan. 'Whatever they were they caused considerable fear to the victim in this case,' Judge House added. The court heard police were called to the incident on the A52, near Boston, shortly after 10pm on 22 September 2022. Jurors heard Mr Leggate had just left work at the nearby Reflex Labels printers plant in Swineshead without realising Algar had hidden in the rear seat of his car. A witness described how the car stopped suddenly on the wrong side of the A52 before Mr Leggate and a man wearing a mask both got out of the vehicle. The man 'appeared to run after' Mr Leggate before changing direction. In her statement, which was read out in court, she said she was 'immediately concerned' for Mr Leggate and had asked him if he was ok, to which he replied 'someone was in my car'. 'He was in a right state,' the court was told. Mr Leggate told the witness he knew the masked man was having an affair with his wife, and named him as 'Dan from Spalding.' The court heard Mr Leggate had become aware that his wife was having an affair with Algar around two months earlier but had suspicions for much of 2022. Jurors heard a phone belonging to Mrs Leggate made a 42 minute call to Algar which began at 9.27pm on 22 September and ended just before Mr Leggate reported the hijack. The prosecution said Algar had been searching how to use the automatic answer facility on his phone and the call had been arranged as a 'sham' to deceive the police into believing he was at home in Spalding. But Mrs Leggate failed to mention the 42 minute call when police spoke to her A few hours after the attempted kidnap and said she last spoke to Algar at 9pm when he asked about her, Gary and the family. Mrs Leggate, of Fishtoft, Lincolnshie, chose not to give evidence during her trial alongside Algar at Lincoln Crown Court. Prosecution barrister Luc Chignell argued both defendants 'shared a motive' even if he could not speculate about the 'end game' or who was the mastermind behind the plan. Mr Chignell added: 'If ultimately they wanted to set up away from Gary.' But the jury cleared Mrs Leggate of any involvement after four hours of deliberations. In the witness box Algar denied being the masked man in the car and claimed Gary Leggate had plotted a 'vendetta' against him because of the affair he was having with Lucy. But addressing the jury Mr Chignell argued Algar was trying to spin a conspiracy theory similar to those surrounding the moon landing or Elvis Presley's death. 'One of the great mysteries of this case is what Daniel Algar was going to do if Gary Leggate complied with him,' Mr Chignell added. Chris Jeyes, defending Algar, suggested Mr Leggate might have been seeking revenge after discovering the affair had resumed in September. 'If it was a competition for the affections of the girl then Mr Algar was winning,' Mr Jeyes stated. During his evidence Algar was asked if his case was that Mr Leggate had made the hijacking up and that nothing had happened? Mr Algar claimed: 'Yes, I believe so.' But after being shown footage from the car park at Mr Leggate's place of work Algar accepted it did appear to show another person getting into his vehicle before he left work. Algar conceded that he had a 'distinctive' Yorkshire accent which the prosecution said was recognised by Mr Leggate after the masked man spoke to him in his car. Jurors heard Mr Leggate also became aware of a 'musty, smoky' smell and during his evidence Algar confirmed that he was a smoker. Algar also conceded the boots worn by the hooded figure in the car park appeared to be similar to his work boots. But Algar insisted the person shown in the footage had different facial features to him. When asked if Mr Leggate had done a good job in finding someone to look like him Algar insisted: 'It would appear so.'
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
'No student deserve to die in dia pursuit for education' - School tok afta landlord allegedly kidnap male, female students bifor killing dem
Di management of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko for Ondo State, southwest Nigeria don react to di death of two of dia students wey jaguda pipo allegedly kidnap and murder. Di university for statement tok say no student deserve to die in dia pursuit for education, and nobody get right to cruelly murder dem. Dem also add say, "Security operatives dey do dia best to provide beta security and dey collabo wit oda state security apparatus to fish out dangerous elements from di community". Dia reaction dey come afta Ondo State Police Command confam say dem don arrest three pipo in connection wit di alleged abduction and killing of di two students. Na for 20 June, colleagues of Andrel Okah wey dey di Department of History and International Studies and John Abba of di Department of Economics, bin declare dem missing. Dia disappearance bin spark widespread concerns for di university as nobody sabi dia whereabout. Landlord of one of di students two odas suspects arrested - Police On Thursday, 17 July, di Ondo State Commissioner of Police Oga Adebowale Lawal, for one press briefing tok say dem don arrest di landlord of one of di deceased, on top accuse say e get hand for di crime, plus two odas. For statement, di CP say, "Following a petition dated June 24, 2025 wey G.O. Omoedu & Co., Legal Practitioners submit on behalf of one Mr Emmanuel Peter of Shagari Village, Akure, Ondo State, di command launch one intensive investigation into di reported abduction of im younger brother, one Abah John Friday, 25, and im friend, Okah Andrel Eloho, 19, both students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, wey go missing on June 20, 2025." E explain say wen dem receive di missing pesin complaint, dem begin investigation wey lead to di arrest of di suspects. Di police oga explain say one of di suspects Ojo Michael don confess say e participate for di robbery, abduction plus eventual murder of di victims. E further disclose say na one Oladele Femi wey be di landlord of di male victim allegedly engage am to do di work. "Michael also admit say im rape di female victim. Dem execute her along wit her friend wen she unmask im identity so dat she no go expose dem," di CP tok for di statement. Di CP add say dem also arrest Oladele Femi, wey during confess say na im dey behind di crime. Acting on dis confession, detectives bin recover di body of di female victim for inside one bush near Ode-Ekiti, and dem don deposit am for General Hospital Mortuary for autopsy." Di police boss also say dem dey try recover di remains of di male student, "wey dem believe say one of di accomplice wey still dey at large dump im body for river." who is believed to have been dumped in a river by an accomplice still at large." Di case of abducting students no dey new for Nigeria. According to one verified UN report, in di last 10 years, conflict-related violence don lead to di abduction of more dan 1,680 children from school and elsewhere; 180 children don die sake of attacks on schools; an estimated 60 school staff kidnapped and 14 killed; plus more dan 70 attacks on schools.
