Latest News from Powys County Times
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Prisoner who fatally kicked and stamped on fellow inmate is jailed for life
A prisoner who kicked and stamped on a fellow inmate who had asked to move cells the day before he was killed has been jailed for life for murder. Mahir Abdulrahman, also known as Mahir Mohamed, was found unresponsive in his cell at HMP Fosse Way in Leicestershire at 7.53am on August 20 last year, around half an hour after Ashirie Smith, 19, and Thierry Robinson, 21, were caught on CCTV entering his room. The 31-year-old Sudanese national suffered multiple abrasions and bruises to his head and neck consistent with a sustained attack, as well as fractures to his ribs, and was pronounced dead at 8.44am despite attempts by prison officers and paramedics to save him. A jury at Leicester Crown Court found Smith guilty of murder and Robinson not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on Wednesday. Smith was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 and a half years and Robinson was sentenced to 11 years on Thursday. A third defendant, Shaan Karim, 38, was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter, Leicestershire Police said. CCTV released by the force shows the moment Robinson and Smith entered Mr Abdulrahman's cell at around 7.26am before leaving around 37 seconds later. Smith then re-entered the cell and left again shortly after. Another inmate told a prison officer she should check on Mr Abdulrahman, and he was found slumped in the cell and was later pronounced dead. The trial was told Mr Abdulrahman had been stamped on and kicked to the head and neck, causing a fatal bleed at the base of his brain, and that he had previously had tuberculosis which had weakened the bones in his neck. Prosecution counsel Michael Burrows KC told the trial that Mr Abdulrahman, who was serving a 35-week sentence for a sexual offence, had asked to be moved from his cell the day before he died because he did not feel safe. The trial was told Karim had phoned his mother from prison and said other inmates had been 'terrorising him for days' and 'bullying' him. There was also an alleged incident involving Smith and Robinson the day before Mr Abdulrahman was killed in which he had thrown water from a kettle on them. Mr Burrow said that on November 25, after Smith had been moved to a different prison following the fatal attack, he had 'let slip' in anger what he had done, telling a prison officer: 'I'm in for murder, I have already dropped one body and I will take another if you keep f****** with me.' Detective Inspector Mark Parish, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'The injuries suffered by Mahir Abdulrahman showed a serious, sustained attack had taken place which ultimately led to his death. 'Thanks to the hard work of the investigation team, Smith and Robinson have been convicted in court and will now have to face responsibility for their actions.' Serco prison director Wyn Jones said: 'Any death in prison is a tragedy but the murder of Mr Abdulrahman was a heinous act. My thoughts remain with his family and those affected by his untimely death. 'Since the tragedy, our focus has been to bring those responsible to justice by working with the police to secure a conviction. I hope the verdicts will bring closure for his family.'
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Oscar Piastri says relationship with Lando Norris unaffected by title battle
Oscar Piastri has claimed his relationship with Lando Norris will not spiral out of control as the McLaren drivers duel to become champion of the world. Following his much-needed victory last time out in Monaco, Norris heads into Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix just three points adrift of his Australian team-mate. McLaren have taken six victories from the eight rounds so far, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen – the only driver outside of the British team to win this season – claiming this week that he no longer feels he is in the title fight. 'Of course it is an interesting dynamic, but my relationship with Lando at the track, and away from the track, is very similar to how it has been, and, if anything, we get along better now than we ever have,' Piastri told the PA news agency. 'The way we work together to give ourselves the best chance of success is still as strong as ever, and that has been a strength from the moment we have been team-mates. 'We get along very well. That hasn't changed. I don't expect it to change. But obviously we are both trying to win a world championship and only one of us can do it.' Piastri and Norris are in their third campaign as team-mates but their first as direct competitors for the title. McLaren have declared both are free to fight – a noble philosophy but one that rarely ends well. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's friendship soured across three seasons as title rivals when Mercedes dominated the sport. Here at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya in 2016, Hamilton and Rosberg took each other out on the first lap – one of multiple flashpoints which led to Toto Wolff threatening both men with race bans. It started with Mercedes misery 💥💥It ended with Max's "unbelievable" maiden win 🏆👦 The 2016 Spanish Grand Prix was intense! #F1 #SpanishGP — Formula 1 (@F1) May 29, 2025 However, Piastri, who at 24 is a year younger than Norris, continued: 'We are both very different people (to Hamilton and Rosberg). 'If you look at Nico, he was towards the end of his career. Maybe there are certain emotions that take over and there is more at stake? 'For both Lando and I, we still have plenty of years left in Formula One. We want the chance to win the title every year, not just this season. It is a pretty good problem for the team to be in, and we have already put in a lot of preparation to contain any problems that might have already arisen.' Piastri, in just his third season in F1, compared to Norris' seventh, has four victories to his team-mate's two this year, and has been the more consistent performer despite starting the year as a 9/1 title outsider. Questions have been raised about Norris' championship-winning mentality – although the British driver went some way to answering those critics in Monte Carlo a week ago. 'Lando knows himself much better than I do, but speaking for me, being mentally strong and mentally resilient is a certainly a strength of mine,' added Piastri. 'There is a lot of work that goes into that. It doesn't happen by magic. What you see is what you get with me. But I still feel emotions, right? I am not immune to that. 'I feel pressure, I feel nerves. It is not like nothing is going on. But it is about how you channel that and getting in the right state. 'As a driver, you have to believe that you are the best. You have to go into every race thinking you are the best driver on track. And that has to be the mindset when you fight for the world championship, too. 'Would I be disappointed if I didn't win the title? Yes. It would hurt, as it would for anyone. But I am still young and I hope I get this opportunity more than once. I don't think it would be a failure, that is harsh, but that doesn't mean I don't want to win it.'
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Powys gymnast takes a break from A levels to represent Wales
A POWYS gymnast achieved her dream of representing Wales this month. Francesca Humphreys has attended Maldwyn Dragons Gymnastics Club since she was two years old and 16 years later she is a Welsh international. The 18 year old was selected to represent Wales at the British Grades Finals in Stoke-On-Trent. A club spokesperson said: "Francesca has been a dedicated member of the club and an inspiration to all involved, not only as a gymnast but as a qualified coach. "This will be her last competition with the club before heading off to University in September. "We want to wish her a huge congratulations, not only for making it to the British, but doing it all in the middle of her A-Levels. A great role model for the club and gymnastics as a whole."
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Powys County Times
Mum's gender reveal ruined by Card Factor in the 'worst way'
A mum claims her baby's gender reveal was 'ruined' when she found out in the 'worst way ever'. Jess Gildenhuys was in Card Factory's Hardwick Road store in King's Lynn with her husband Josh Gildenhuys, 33, buying her mum a birthday card when the couple spotted gender reveal confetti cannons and balloons for sale. The 33-year-old had just had her 20-week ultrasound that morning, and the doctor put the gender of her baby in an envelope as she was planning on having a gender reveal party with her family. The soon-to-be mum-of-three wanted to buy the items, but first checked with a staff member that the store could ensure the colour of the products could be kept a secret from her and her husband. Jess, owner of her own business, Hello Moon Crystals, claims the staff member told her they could keep the gender a secret from her by removing the labels from the cannons. However, the business owner said that when the couple went to buy the items, the colour of the confetti cannon came up on a screen in front of the till as 'coastal blue.' Jess was 'shocked' and even more frustrated to see the colour of the cannon was visible on the receipt too. She had been looking forward to finding out the gender of her new baby with her two daughters, Jupiter and Athena Gildenhuys, aged six and three. Jess, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, said: "It's the worst way ever to find out the gender of your baby, you couldn't even write it. "You absolutely do not expect your gender reveal to be inside a Card Factory. "I was so shocked. It's hard to be shocked in that situation and keep your cool when you're in a public place. I didn't want to make a big deal of anything. "I've already got two girls. I was convinced this was a girl because I thought I was destined for girls. I'd already bought girl's clothes as well. "It was disappointing because we didn't find out as a family but it's also a funny story to tell I guess. "I mean what can you do in that situation apart from just laugh about it?" She said she sent Card Factory an email a few days later and said they asked which store this had happened in and that they were sorry for her disappointment. Footage shows the couple using the confetti cannon and balloon at a family party with her family, where their daughters found out they would be getting a new baby brother. But sadly, Jess and Josh already knew the gender of their baby, as for them, the surprise had been ruined. Jess said: "Because this is our last baby for sure, we wanted to make things a bit more fun and do something as a family. "It was disappointing the way we found out. It was ruined in that way. At least it made it fun for everyone else. I am a very positive person in those kinds of situations. "At least it wasn't just me, at least I was with my husband. "I didn't want to say anything to the person at the time either because I didn't want to come across rude or disrespectful or anything. "I just can't believe I'm going to be a boy mum. I'm like, 'oh my god!' "It's exciting though, it'll be fun, I'm sure." She shared a video of her experience on TikTok with the words: "@CardFactoryUK ruining our gender surprise." The situation left viewers divided in the comments. One said: "You can't blame them, they've simply scanned the barcode, not realising it would come up as blue or pink." Another wrote: "Oh dear haha. Maybe next time, get a friend or family member to get the items." Recommended reading: A third commented: "Imagine finding out in Card Factory." A fourth said: "You poor thing. I can't imagine going through such a thing in my whole life. Sending so much sympathy to you and your family." A Card Factory spokesman said: "We've been in touch with Jessica to offer our sincere apologies. "We've also issued reminders to our teams to advise customers that these items can show up on our till screens and receipts. "We would like to try help make amends to Jessica and her family and encourage her to make contact with our customer service team."
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Luke Humphries thanks Phil Taylor for ‘extra boost' after winning Premier League
Luke Humphries says a pep talk from Phil Taylor inspired him to become the Premier League champion. The world number one completed darts' 'triple crown' as he beat rival Luke Littler in the final at the O2 Arena in London, adding to his World Championship and World Matchplay wins. He joined an esteemed list as only Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson had previously won all three prestigious tournaments. ✅World Championship🏆✅World Matchplay🏆 ✅ PREMIER LEAGUE!🏆 What a feeling! It feels so good to join such an exclusive club to win these three big trophies, and I'm over the moon to win the @BetMGMUK Premier League! It's been a long, hard 17 weeks, but the reward at the… — Luke Humphries (@lukeh180) May 29, 2025 And the 30-year-old revealed chatting to Taylor – a six-time Premier League champion – helped him get over the line. 'To Phil Taylor, thank you so much. He has given me so much support,' he said. 'He has given me a lot of advice and an extra boost tonight. I'm really happy with that win. 'I'll keep it private between me and Phil. He just gave me confidence and was supportive of me. I think when you've got the greatest dart player in the world, showing a bit of support and belief in you, it makes you feel good. 'It's always nice when someone believes in you, but when the best in the world, or was the best in the world, believes in you it feels good.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Professional Darts Corporation (@officialpdc) Humphries looked a good bet to dominate the sport until Littler came along 18 months, with the teenager's to the World Championship final kickstarting an enduring rivalry. They are streets ahead of the rest of the field and this was their 24th meeting in 18 months, with nine of them coming in this season's Premier League alone. Humphries revealed that Taylor's advice was centred on him rather than how to beat Littler. 'It wasn't anything to do with Luke. It was all about me,' he said. 'He's never going to give me advice on how to beat people. He's just going to give me advice about me. 'It's all about me. He was telling me stuff about myself, about my just believing in me, to be honest. 'I would never, ever say anything that he's told me specifically, because that's our business. 'But he's just really supportive and gave me that bit of advice.'
