murdered

Man who murdered girlfriend in hot tub in Shetland is jailed for life

Ken BanksNorth east Scotland reporter and

Steven GoddenBBC Scotland

Police Scotland Young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, looking at the camera, with clothes hanging up behind her, and an open door.Police Scotland

Claire Leveque, 24, died from stab wounds to her neck and chest

A man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend in a hot tub in Shetland.

Aren Pearson, 41, stabbed 24-year-old Claire Leveque to death at his mother’s home in Sandness on 11 February last year.

Pearson denied murder and claimed in court that Ms Leveque had stabbed herself – but a jury found him guilty after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Judge Lord Arthurson said it was a crime of “exceptional depravity” and “feral butchery” and described Pearson’s evidence in court as “malicious” and “fabricated”.

He will have to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Police said Pearson had a “controlling and violent” relationship with Ms Leveque, and had attempted to degrade and abuse her before the murder.

“The level of violence Aren Pearson inflicted is truly horrifying,” said Det Insp Richard Baird.

Claire Leveque Claire Leveque and Aren Pearson looking at the camera.Claire Leveque

Aren Pearson said Claire Leveque stabbed herself

Ms Leveque was stabbed more than 25 times on her neck and chest during the attack.

The couple, who are both from Canada, had moved to Scotland in 2023.

The trial was told that Pearson’s late mother Hazel Pearson, who died in May, had dialled 999 on the evening of the murder.

She told police that her son had walked into the kitchen and returned with a knife.

He stabbed himself in the neck and told her that he had hurt his girlfriend.

Ms Pearson then found Ms Leveque in the hot tub, which was in a shed at her home.

“The water was red with blood,” she told police.

“Claire was covered with blood. She had severe injuries to her face.”

Damaged car on the back of a trailer at scene of Claire Leveque's death.

Pearson drove his Porsche into the water

Ms Pearson also told detectives that her son had looked like “a zombie” after the attack.

During the 999 call, Pearson took the phone and confessed to the killing. He said he had stabbed his girlfriend about 40 times.

He also confessed to police officers at the crime scene and to a doctor while he was being treated in hospital.

However, giving evidence during the trial he claimed Ms Leveque had struck him, grabbed a knife and then jumped into the hot tub, where she stabbed herself four or five times.

Pearson claimed she had lost her temper after hearing him speak to her father Clint in Canada about how much alcohol she was drinking.

Police Scotland Police mugshot of Aren Pearson looking at camera.Police Scotland

Pearson was detained after the fatal attack

After being detained by police, Pearson was taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick.

The jury heard that he said he had stabbed himself in the neck, consumed brake fluid and driven his Porsche car into the water.

A&E consultant Dr Caroline Heggie treated him for two days following his arrest.

Prosecutor Margaret Barron asked Dr Heggie if Pearson had said something that stuck with her.

She replied: “He said: ‘I’ve been trying to get rid of her for a while’.”

Lord Arthurson said the evidence in the case had been “substantial and compelling”.

‘Quite unimaginable violence’

He told Pearson: “Your much younger girlfriend – your victim in this case – was isolated and vulnerable in Sandness.

“You had from almost the outset of her arrival there subjected her to a cruel campaign of violence and coercive control.”

The judge said Ms Leveque had died “a squalid death of quite unimaginable multifaceted violence”.

“This was a sustained episode of feral butchery,” he added.

“You have sought to blame Ms Leveque for your own assaults against her, and you have, in a grave insult to her memory and to her bereaved family, put forward a defence that Ms Leveque inflicted these catastrophic injuries upon herself – a defence that the jury have unanimously rejected.”

My daughter texted me ‘I love you’ every night

Ms Leveque’s father Clint said his daughter had been “happy, positive and so friendly to everybody”.

Speaking to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Mr Leveque said his daughter was “a typical daddy’s girl”.

“My daughter texted me every night: ‘I love you dad’. Every night of her life,” he said.

“There’s nothing negative that anybody could possibly say about her.”

Mr Leveque said his daughter, who grew up in Westloch, Alberta, had a love of adventure.

Speaking after the verdict, Ms Leveque’s cousin Hope Ingram described her as “a bubbly, fun girl who brought life to every room that she walked into”.

“I miss her terribly,” she said

“It’s so nice that we can now move forward and just remember Claire instead of thinking of this awful incident.”

‘Hard to comprehend’

She thanked everyone who had helped get justice for her cousin.

Ms Ingram said she hoped that as a result, other victims of domestic violence would be able to “move forward and come forward”.

Hope Saunders, who still lives in Canada, was a close friend of Ms Leveque.

“It’s sickening that someone so bright and so young and so beautiful could have her life taken away from her in the flash of a moment like that,” she said.

“It is hard to comprehend and it gives you that sick feeling in your stomach, and her being so far away in the Shetland Islands breaks my heart even more.

“I don’t want to even think about how scared she might have been in that moment.”

Andrea Manson, the convenor of Shetland Islands Council, said she hoped that the guilty verdict brought some closure to Ms Leveque’s family.

“In a normally safe and caring community the tragic loss of a beautiful young lass is a tragedy that’s being felt by everyone in Shetland,” she said.

Source link

Celebrity Traitors star Paloma Faith ‘threw a wobbly’ after being first to be murdered

Singer Paloma Faith was ‘fuming’ after finding out her close pal Alan Carr was responsible for sealing her fate, along with fellow Traitors Cat Burns and Jonathan Ross

Paloma Faith “threw a wobbly” over being the first in The Celebrity Traitors to be thrown out the castle, sources have revealed.

Last night viewers saw the singer, 44, have her fate sealed when the lid on her coffin was slammed shut during the mission and she was physically carried out of the game.

But off camera, Paloma was said to have been “fuming” over her murder, especially when she discovered that the three Traitors who’d killed her off were people she felt close to. One source said: “She threw a wobbly afterwards about being the first to go.

“Some players just shrug it off when they leave, but Paloma was fuming when she discovered who had betrayed her. She couldn’t work out what had actually happened, and when she found out the details it only made her feel worse. Paloma is loud and wears her heart on her sleeve – it’s fair to say that she wasn’t happy with going home first.”

READ MORE: ITV Win Win to give away biggest prize in British TV history – and it could be yoursREAD MORE: Jonathan Ross’ rarely seen family and daughter’s heartbreaking health condition

As well as being close to comedian Alan Carr, the chart-topper also felt let down by Cat Burns, because she’s on the same record label, and Jonathan Ross, because she has known him for years and appeared on his chat show.

Speaking afterwards, Paloma described the experience as having been “up and down”. She explained: “I found it quite nerve wracking because I knew when I went in that I have a huge personality and that I’d be very visible.

“I knew that I couldn’t fade into the background. I’m the sort of person that lets my feelings about people be known by talking a lot, so it was never an option for me to be able to quietly just simmer under the surface.”

And she quipped: “I don’t think my technique was great in this game, but it works very well in real life.” Saying she’d have made a great Traitor, she added: “I feel like it was a big fashion mistake not to see me in the cloak.”

Asked who she’d like to see triumph in the game, Paloma snubbed the Traitors, saying: “I’d like to see someone kind and strategic win like Nick Mohammed. He’s proof you can be kind, considerate and clever to play the game well – you don’t have to be evil.”

On last night’s show, viewers saw Alan commit the murder in plain sight by brushing some hair from his pal’s cheek during a chat in the kitchen.

He went for Paloma in the poison pollen plot after she’d told him cosily: “I definitely trust you.” But after the killing, he admitted: “I feel awful. I didn’t know what else to do! I’ve gone and murdered one of my best friends.”

Alan, 49, also told the cameras that carrying out the murder had challenged him: “It was a stretch fo my acting ability – I don’t know how Meryl Streep does it.”

But when Alan spoke of his guilt to fellow Traitors Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns, he was told to “toughen up” after claiming that killing her off “broke my heart”. Wossy insisted: “You’re not a bad person – you’re a good Traitor. I don’t want to hear any more of this broken heart nonsense. We’ve got to start enjoying this.”

Later, there was confusion when all 19 of the group arrived for breakfast. Not realising she was a dead woman walking because of the slow-working poison, Paloma said she felt “happy and relieved” adding: “I thought thank goodness not to be the first one dead.”

And even after Claudia revealed that the Traitors had murdered in plain sight, she had no idea she was the victim, saying: “I had so few interactions yesterday that I don’t feel that I was got.”

During the mission, the group had to try and work out who had actually been murdered. When Paloma found herself lying in a coffin alongside comic Lucy Beaumont and online prankster Niko Omilana, she told the group: “I think it’s me.” Afterwards, Stephen Fry sighed sadly: “Oh Paloma, you were right.”

Weeping during her exit interview, she said: “I thought I wasn’t going to get emotional but I feel really sad. It’s been really a wonderful experience – I wish it had been longer.”

The BBC1 series kicked off with a huge audience of 6.1million and continues next Wednesday, with the result of the first banishment revealed.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .



Source link

I Fought The Law’s Sheridan Smith left ‘shaking mess’ over murdered woman hidden under bath

Gavin and Stacey star Sheridan Smith brings Ann Ming’s relentless fight for justice to screens in I Fought The Law. The actress explains why the series was particularly daunting.

I Fought The Law looks back on the murder of Julie Hogg and Ann Ming's subsequent fight for justice
I Fought The Law looks back on the murder of Julie Hogg and Ann Ming’s subsequent fight for justice(Image: ITV)

Sheridan Smith portrays Ann Ming, charting her extraordinary fight for justice in ITV‘s newest drama I Fought The Law – but the role was nothing short of daunting.

“It’s what Ann came up against,” Sheridan Smith says, “It was one thing after another. It was relentless. I don’t know the strength it took for Ann to keep fighting. I’m absolutely in awe of her.”

Julie Hogg was 22 years old when she vanished from her Billingham home in November 1989, leaving behind her toddler son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately knew something was wrong.

“I was convinced something had happened to my daughter from day one,” Ann says. But police believed otherwise. “They thought she could have gone to London to start a new life,” Ann says, “It really was frustrating.”

Three months later, Ann’s maternal instincts were tragically vindicated. She discovered Julie’s body herself, hidden under the bath at her home.

The investigation soon identified a suspect: William “Billy” Dunlop. He stood trial for Julie’s murder twice, but juries failed to convict on both occasions.

Then, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.

But for Ann, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case fade from memory with unwavering support of her husband Charlie, played by Daniel York Loh in the crime drama.

This relentless fight – both devastatingly personal and profoundly public – is the backbone of I Fought The Law. For Sheridan Smith, stepping into Ann’s shoes was a privilege and an emotional burden.

“I can only imagine and think if it was my child, but it was emotionally taxing,” she says. “It was just nine weeks and by the end of it, I was a shaking mess.”

READ MORE: Mattress that helps with back pain is now £248 cheaper and comes with free bedding

Sheridan Smith plays Ann Ming in I Fought the Law - her most daunting role yet
Sheridan Smith plays Ann Ming in I Fought the Law – her most daunting role yet(Image: ITV)

The actress fully immersed herself in Ann’s world, devouring documentaries about the case and Ann’s book. Sheridan says: “I get mad at myself if I don’t feel the actual pain and trauma. I wanted to make Ann proud and get her story justice.”

Ann was also present as a consultant on the set, while filming took place in North East England. “She was a huge support and very crucial to the production the whole way through,” series director Erik Richter Strand says. “Sheridan is in every scene. She doesn’t get many breaks. We had to make that set safe, practical and comfortable for Sheridan.”

The transformation was physical as well as emotional. Sheridan swapped her trademark brunette for Ann’s blonde locks. But she dreaded one scene above all: the bathroom scene, where Ann finds Julie’s body. “I knew I had that coming, I wanted to get that scene out, it was a bit scary,” she says. “I knew it’d be torturous.”

Sheridan’s own experience as a mother – she shares her five-year-old son Billy with former partner Jamie Horn – gave the role an added resonance.

“It was my first role as a mum,” she says. “It’s your worst fear, isn’t it? No one should have to go through that. I was emotionally attached to the whole thing.”

There was another, more personal note to Sheridan’s role. “When I did Mrs Biggs, I tried to think of my mum who lost her son, my brother,” she says.

“This time, there was a different layer. Just thinking how I would have felt in that moment, if it was my little one. This was much more powerful, that’s probably why it was a bit difficult.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.



Source link

Mum of murdered Harvey Willgoose, 15, says son’s killer should be named when he is sentenced later this year

THE mother of a teenage boy murdered at school says his 15-year-old killer should be named when he is sentenced.

He was convicted last week of stabbing Harvey Willgoose, 15, through the heart in a courtyard during a lunch break.

Photo of Harvey Willgoose.

3

The mother of murdered Harvey Willgoose believes her son’s killer should be named when he is sentenced later this year
Photo of Mark and Caroline Willgoose, Harvey's parents.

3

Harvey’s parents Mark and CarolineCredit: Abigail Jaiyeola/BBC

He cannot be identified due to an order imposed when he first appeared at court in February.

Media organisations asked Sheffield crown court judge Mrs Justice Ellenbogen to lift the ban in October but she said she wants to hear prosecution and defence views.

However news outlets were allowed to name the school involved as the city’s All Saints Catholic High School.

Yesterday, mum Caroline told BBC Breakfast: “Harvey hasn’t been here to speak up for himself and he’s been named. So, I think the defendant should as well.”

READ MORE ON HARVEY WILLGOOSE

Harvey’s sister Sophie said of the killer: “He’s a 15-year-old boy. We’d like to think that he didn’t want to murder Harvey.

“He’s just from a troubled background and services have let him down.”

Heartbroken Caroline has revealed that Harvey’s final words to her before he left the family home to go to school on Monday were “I love you”.

She told the BBC: “I have got his grubby t-shirt on so I can smell him.

“I don’t want to go to sleep because I don’t want to wake up and have to relive it all and remember it.”

She described her son as “the life and soul of the party” and “a joy to be around”.

Weapon-obsessed teen GUILTY of murdering boy, 15, at school with hunting knife before making chilling excuse to teacher

“He loved football, football was his life. He was going to be an actor at one point, I think he would have been good at it”, she told the news site.

Harvey’s father, Mark, said his son was his “best pal” and described him as a “loveable rogue”.

“We need to learn from this so no-one goes through what we have as a family,” he said.

Photo of Caroline Willgoose Ne-Turner and her son Harvey.

3

Mum Caroline told BBC Breakfast: ‘Harvey hasn’t been here to speak up for himself and he’s been named. So, I think the defendant should as well’Credit: Facebook

‘His death could have been prevented’ – Harvey’s parents speak out

Harvey Willgoose’s parents believe his death could have been prevented as there were “flags” in the days and hours before he was stabbed to death at his school.

Caroline Willgoose said her son was worried about attending, telling his parents he thought some students had knives, and she said this belief was shared by other children at All Saints Catholic High School, in Sheffield.

Mrs Willgoose said: “There were so many flags, so many flags.

“That’s the harrowing thing, that’s the worst thing, that it could have been so prevented.”

The jury heard how the defendant was asked if had brought anything into school that he should not have just a few hours before he stabbed Harvey, and he assured the assistant head that he did not.

This followed an incident five days before when the school went into lockdown after this boy claimed one of the teenagers involved had a knife, but police found no weapons.

Mrs Willgoose said: “If you have a reason to ask that child, you’ve got a reason to search that child.

“And that was on the morning. Hours before this happened to Harvey.”

She said: “Harvey told us on that Wednesday (five days before he died), ‘this is why I don’t go to school, because children have knives in schools’.

“He told us that on the Wednesday.

“Children knew that there were knives in that school.”

Following his death, Harvey’s family had made contact with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after an axe was discovered in the killer’s bag two months before the murder.

The IOPC said it later received a complaint referral “in relation to the actions and decision-making by officers regarding the alleged offender prior to the incident” and a complaint was also made regarding the actions of an officer following the incident.

It said it was decided that an investigation was required and that it should be undertaken by South Yorkshire Police.

A police spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain with Harvey’s family and loved ones, at what continues to be a heartbreaking time for them. South Yorkshire Police is currently investigating two complaints, which the IOPC referred into the force for local investigation.”

Source link

Heartbroken family pays tribute to dad with ‘heart of gold’ who was found murdered on canal bench as man, 38, arrested

THE heartbroken family of a dad found murdered on a riverside bench have paid an emotional tribute following his death.

Robert Brown, 57, was found dead on a canal footpath close to the River Nene in Northampton at around 6.30am last Friday.

He had last been seen visiting a Morrisions supermarket the previous day before he was discovered with fatal injuries on the bench from a wound to his arm.

A 38-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder and since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Yesterday, Robert’s grieving family paid a moving tribute to the dad – who was also a grandfather – as having “the gift of the gab and a heart of gold”.

His parents and brothers said in a statement: “Rob was quite a character and always full of fun.

“He was our real-life Peter Pan – the boy who never grew up.

“Everyone who knew Rob just loved him.

“He definitely had the gift of the gab and could talk the hind legs off a donkey.

“We would joke that he knew more about everybody else’s business than his own, but that was Rob.

“He had a heart of gold and was always ready to help others.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.

Photo of Robert Brown, murder victim.

1

Robert’s family described him as having a ‘heart of gold’ in an emotional tributeCredit: SWNS



Source link

Heartbroken family of boy, 2, murdered by grandparents calling for ‘Ethan’s Law’ to give child services extra powers

THE family of a boy of two murdered by his grandparents are calling for a change in the law.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths was found injured at the home of his mum’s parents but social workers were turned away.

Now relatives on the paternal side have set up a petition for “Ethan’s Law” — giving child services extra powers to bring in police if denied entry.

Mold crown court was told Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, subjected Ethan to “casual brutality” in Flintshire, North Wales.

They were convicted after a jury heard he was hit or shaken.

Ethan’s mother Shannon Ives, 28, had been living with them and was convicted of causing or allowing his death.

More on Ethan Ives-Griffiths

They will be sentenced in October.

Ethan’s paternal family set up a petition calling for an update in child protection services.

The petition also calls for checks to be carried out every five to seven days as opposed to the current 10-days.

It states: “Let us come together to push for these crucial reforms in child protection services.

“By signing this petition, you join us in advocating for the safety and security of all children like Ethan, ensuring that no child suffers in silence.

So far, the petition for ‘Ethan’s Law’ has over 400 signatures.

Grandparents, 46 & 47, found GUILTY of murdering boy, 2, after horrific ‘targeted’ abuse and ‘casual cruelty’
Photo of Ethan Ives-Griffiths.

1

Family of murdered Ethan Ives-Griffiths are calling for a law change

Source link

Murdered mum and children died in ‘cruel and vicious manner’

Catherine Doyle

BBC News NI

Reporting fromBarefield, County Clare
PA Media Three black hearses are lined up side-by-side on a road. Each has a flowers placed on top. There are a number of people standing behind the cars.PA Media

Mourners have been asked to wear bright and cheerful colours in their memory

A woman and her two children who were murdered last week in County Fermanagh were “taken from this world in a cruel and vicious manner”, one of the victim’s sisters has said.

Veterinary surgeon Vanessa Whyte, 45, her 14-year-old son James Rutledge and 13-year-old daughter Sara Rutledge were shot dead in Maguiresbridge.

Vanessa’s sister, Regina Whyte, said there were “no words available to express how this has impacted” their family and friends as she delivered the eulogy at their funeral in County Clare.

They will be buried together in Templemaley Cemetery, Barefield.

“We as a family have been robbed of both a relationship with our sister and a chance to see James and Sara grow up, and they have been robbed of the remainder of their lives,” Ms Whyte said.

She added that the family’s “only comfort” is that Vanessa, James and Sara are “together and finally safe”.

The Bishop of Ferns, Ger Nash, spoke of how “heartbroken” the community is at the “tragic and unspeakable loss”.

Bishop Nash added that the condolence messages left by some women who do not know the family highlight “the vulnerability of women to pain inflicted by others”, and that the messages are “signs of solidarity in the face of that pain”.

The congregation heard that Vanessa was “hardworking, honest and always ready to lend a helping hand” as a blue card and cattle tags, which help to identify animals, were placed beside her coffin to symbolise her career as a vet.

A hurl was placed next to James’ coffin as the pitch was his “second home” and he spent countless hours there with his friends and teammates.

Mourners were told he played with pride, but that it “was the spirit he carried off it – loyalty, dependability and kindness” that defined him.

A cat toy was placed in tribute to Sara’s “love for animals” and her “gentle presence”.

She was remembered for her love of life’s simple joys, including baking a cake and playing sport, as well as her “soft yet strong” spirit.

Handout Vanessa Whyte, centre standing with her arms around her son and daughter, James and Sara. Handout

Vanessa Whyte and her daughter Sara and son James were fatally shot at a house in Maguiresbridge last Wednesday

Mourners attending the funeral were asked to wear bright and cheerful colours in their memory.

Pupils from Enniskillen Royal Grammar, where James and Sara went to school, were among those who came to pay their respects.

Just before 11:30 local time, three black hearses returned to the church of the immaculate conception in Barefield, County Clare.

Hundreds of people lined the route from St Mary’s GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) in Maguiresbridge and St Patrick’s Hurling club in Lisbellaw where the family were members.

The purple and navy of Vanessa’s childhood club, St Joseph’s Doora Barefield, was represented in even bigger numbers.

A representative from the Irish Government and the GAA president Jarlath Burns were also among those in attendance.

People lined up on a street outside a church. There is a cloudy sky above.

People gather to pay their respects in Barefield where the funeral of Vanessa, James and Sara will be held

On Friday, hundreds gathered in the village to pay respect to Ms Whyte and her children as they lay in repose together.

Fr Brendan Quinlivan from the Diocese of Killaloe, said there has been such an “incredible sense of sympathy and empathy and outpouring of grief for all of Vanessa’s family”.

“There are no words that are adequate to describe the depth of feeling and the sense of tragedy that is being felt by Vanessa’s family, but also by the community,” he said.

He spoke about Vanessa and that when she was younger, living in Barefield, she was “a very vivacious and lively young person”.

He added that her career as a veterinary surgeon is “a reflection of the generosity of spirit that would have been very much part of her and her family, and that she received from her family”.

Emergency services were called to the home of Ms Whyte and her children on the Drummeer Road on 23 July, a rural area about 75 miles (121km) west of Belfast and about eight miles from the county’s largest town, Enniskillen.

Two of the victims were declared dead at the scene and a third died later that day in South West Acute Hospital.

Hours after the attack, police said a man from the same household was in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Following the shootings, police said a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was one line of inquiry for detectives.

On Monday night, the man suspected of the killings, 43-year-old Ian Rutledge, died in hospital.

Detectives investigating the shooting also reiterated their appeal for “anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward”.

Source link

Man who murdered wife pushing baby in Bradford jailed for life

A man who murdered his wife in front of their infant son has been jailed for life.

Kulsuma Akter, 27, had been living in a refuge in Bradford when she was fatally stabbed by her husband, Habibur Masum, as she pushed their seven-month-old baby in a pram through the city centre in April last year. The child was unharmed.

Last month, Masum, 27, of Leamington Avenue, Burnley, was convicted of murder following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Sentencing him at the same court on Tuesday to a minimum 28 years, the judge, Mr Justice Cotter, told Masum he “viciously and mercilessly” attacked Ms Akter, stabbing her 26 times.

Source link

Japan executes by hanging ‘Twitter killer’ who murdered 9 | Death Penalty News

Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged for the murders of eight women and one man whose body parts he concealed in his small apartment.

Japan has executed a man who was found guilty of killing and dismembering nine people he made contact with on social media, the first use of capital punishment in the country in nearly three years.

Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged on Friday after he was sentenced to death for the 2017 murders of eight women and one man in his apartment in Zama city in Kanagawa near Tokyo.

He was dubbed the “Twitter killer” as he had contacted his victims via the social media platform, now known as X.

Shiraishi admitted to committing the murders after reaching out and offering to help people – who were contemplating suicide – to die. He had stashed bits of the bodies of his nine victims in coolers around his small apartment, according to media reports.

Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who authorised Shiraishi’s hanging, said he made the decision after careful examination of the case, taking into account the convict’s “extremely selfish” motive for crimes that “caused great shock and unrest to society”.

Takahiro Shiraishi covers his face inside a police car in Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 2017 and released by Kyodo December 15, 2020. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT.
Takahiro Shiraishi covers his face inside a police car in Tokyo, in this photo taken by Kyodo in November 2017 and released in 2020 [Kyodo via Reuters]

The execution on Friday was the first in Japan since July 2022 of a man sentenced to death for a stabbing rampage in Tokyo’s Akihabara shopping district in 2008.

It was also the first time the death penalty was carried out since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government was inaugurated last October.

Last September, a Japanese court acquitted Iwao Hakamada, who had spent the world’s longest time on death row. The court found he was wrongfully convicted of crimes committed nearly 60 years ago.

One of the highest-profile executions in Japan was carried out in 2018 of the guru Shoko Asahara and 12 former members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, which orchestrated the 1995 sarin gas attacks on Tokyo’s subway system that killed 14 people and made thousands ill.

Capital punishment is carried out by hanging in Japan, and prisoners are notified of their execution just hours before it is carried out, which has long been decried by human rights groups for the stress it puts on death-row prisoners.

Japan and the United States are the only two members of the Group of Seven industrialised economies to retain the death penalty.

There is strong public support for the practice in Japan. A government survey in 2024 of 1,800 respondents found that 83 percent viewed the death penalty as “unavoidable”.

 

Source link

Mum of murdered Libby Squire slams ‘legal loophole’ that allows pervs to dodge sex register & says lives would be saved – The Sun

THE mother of a 21-year-old student who was murdered by a vile sex offender has slammed a ridiculous legal loophole that allows pervs to dodge the sex offenders register.

Lisa Squire’s daughter Libby was killed in Hull in 2019 by a prolific sex offender leaving Lisa heartbroken.

Black and white photo of Libby Squire's mother and daughter.

5

Her daughter was tragically killed in 2019 by vile Pawel RelowiczCredit: ITV
Libby Squire's parents outside Sheffield Crown Court.

5

Lisa was left shocked to discover sexual offenders could avoid the registerCredit: PA

Lisa was horrified to learn that men who commit indecent exposure can avoid being put on the sex offenders register.

The loophole that prevents pervs from being put on the register means those who commit indecent exposure can avoid being monitored by police.

Pawel Relowicz, the vile sex offender who murdered Libby, had a history of indecent exposure.

Evil police officer Wayne Couzens who murdered Sarah Everard in 2021 also had a history of indecent exposure.

Ministers have been pushing for stronger legislation with mounting evidence showing those who commit indecent exposure go on to commit violent offences.

A landmark Bill making sure offenders can’t slip through the net is set to make its way back through the commons this week.

Libby’s mother, Lisa, branded the Bill Libby’s Law Part One and told The Mirror: “It’s a perfect legacy for Libby.

“Her death was so preventable, it shouldn’t have happened, but she’s making a difference.

“If we can learn from her death that’s perfect, it makes it a bit less senseless.”

Current laws require prosecutors to prove an offender caused alarm or distress with their actions to get a conviction for exposure.

I felt guilty for not making my daughter report indecent exposure – it could’ve saved her life, says Libby Squire’s mum

Commonly offenders are charged with outraging public decency instead which does not result in them being added to the sex offenders register and allows them to dodge police monitoring.

Soon after Libby’s killer Relowicz was arrested Lisa was told by cops that he had a history of committing sexual offences.

The evil killer plead guilty to nine sexual offences unrelated to Libby’s murder, including voyeurism and outraging public decency.

Lisa said: “If more people had come forward and reported their experiences, and if police had been able to join the dots there might have been a different situation.”

Since the horror loss of her daughter Lisa has campaigned for victims to report non-contact sex offences to police, saying doing so will prevent more cases like her daughter’s.

Lisa Squire, mother of missing student Libby Squire, hugs a police officer.

5

Lisa has urged victims to report non-contact offences
Libby Squire's parents at her funeral.

5

Libby was killed by a vile repeat sex offenderCredit: PA:Press Association

The distraught mum was shocked to learn that offenders charged with outraging public decency can avoid being put on the register.

She said: “I never even imagined that they wouldn’t be. When I found out they weren’t I thought it was ridiculous. These are people that we should be watching.”

Lisa has demanded compulsory treatment programmes to stop those charged with indecent exposure’s behaviour escalating to more violent crimes and called for jail terms for those convicted of non-contact sex offences like exposure and voyeurism.

She reportedly believes her daughters death could have been prevented if more serious action was taken against vile Relowicz at an earlier stage.

Lisa believes that lives could be saved with the loophole closed and has campaigned tirelessly to make that a reality.

The Mirror reveal data showing the number of indecent exposure cases reported to police has skyrocketed since 2019.

Data from 37 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales shows a 15% rise in five years, while arrests have gone up by around 35%.

Dame Diana Johnson, Labour’s Policing Minister, told MPs last year that in five years almost 250 men found guilty of indecent exposure were later found guilty of rape.

She told the Commons: “Indecent exposure and non-contact sexual offences are gateway crimes that are still not taken seriously enough.”

The Home Office has now commissioned research into the link between non-contact sex offences and more violent crimes.

A National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesman said: “Sexual exposure is an incredibly serious crime which can be invasive and distressing for victims.

“We have been working hard to improve our response to sexual exposure and other non-contact sexual offences.”

Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones said: “Exposure is a degrading and cowardly crime, which can often escalate into serious offending.

“We’re strengthening the law to bolster protection for victims, meaning offenders with a broader range of motivations, such as the intention to cause humiliation or for the purpose of sexual gratification, can be prosecuted – and added to the sex offender register where necessary.

“I am grateful to Libby’s family, and other victims and survivors, who have bravely campaigned for change in this area.”

Photo of Libby Squire and her mother.

5

Lisa has campaigned to protect victims for yearsCredit:
TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED

Source link

My mum murdered my dad – he’s not a monster but I fought to free her and forgive her for brutal killing

A MAN who fought to free his mum from jail after she murdered his dad has spoken out about how he forgave her for the brutal killing.

David Challen, 38, campaigned relentlessly to free his mum Sally from prison in 2019, nine years after she killed his dad Richard – her husband – by bludgeoning him with a hammer.

David Challen, son of Georgina Challen, at a protest supporting his mother.

9

David Challen, 38, has spoken out about his family’s ordealCredit: PA:Press Association
Photo of Sally and Richard Challen.

9

Sally Challen murdered her husband Richard – David’s dad – in August 2010 by bludgeoning him with a hammerCredit: Collect
A woman and her son at a press conference.

9

David said he eventually forgave his mum and fought for her eventual release from prison in 2019Credit: Dan Charity – The Sun

Despite Sally having suffered decades of coercive control by her husband, David says Richard was “not a monster”, adding that he was “deeply complex”.

In August 2010, Sally, a 56-year-old housewife, brutally murdered Richard, her 61-year-old husband of 31 years, at their home in Claygate, Surrey.

Sally was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, before her murder conviction was quashed and she was released from jail in 2019.

Now, ahead of the release of a new book David has written on his family’s ordeal, the 38-year-old has recalled his battle to free his mum.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, David said reading about the decades-long abuse of Gisèle Pelicot by her husband and dozens of other men gave him flashbacks to the own suffering his mum experienced.

He explained: “It highlighted the normality of these men in our society.

“My dad was not a monster. He was deeply complex.

“If society labels them monsters, it’s washing its hands of how they are created.”

After Sally was jailed, David began to unearth chilling details about how his dad had subjected Sally to decades of domestic abuse – keeping it hidden from him and his brother James.

They discovered how their mum had been dragged down stairs, been raped by Richard on a family holiday to Los Angeles, and had attempted suicide at age 21.

My wife threatened me with a knife & beat me with bottles

Sally had been subject to coercive control – a pattern of abuse where someone is made to feel dependent, isolated, or scared.

She was even forced to hand over her salary throughout her painful ordeal.

These discoveries prompted David to begin years of ardent campaigning, eventually leading to an appeal which reduced her conviction to manslaughter.

Helped by a law passed in 2015 which recognised psychological manipulation as a form of domestic abuse, Sally walked free from HMP Send, Surrey, in 2019.

The landmark case saw Sally’s murder conviction quashed due to new psychiatric evidence, with her final sentencing acknowledging the impact that years of controlling abuse had on her.

As a result, roughly three thousands murder convictions are being reassessed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to factor in examples of coercive control – with at least five cases having been reopened.

Protestors holding signs that say "Free Sally Challen" outside the Royal Courts of Justice.

9

David fought relentlessly for years to appeal Sally’s murder convictionCredit: PA:Press Association
Photo of Sally and Richard Challen.

9

Richard had subjected Sally to coercive control for decades
Sally Challen arriving at the Old Bailey for a retrial.

9

Sally’s conviction was eventually quashed in 2019, following an appealCredit: PA:Press Association

In his new book, The Unthinkable: A Story of Control, Violence and My Mother, due to be released on Thursday, David showcases his struggle to come to terms with his father’s abuse, and how it’s affecting his life even now.

David also highlights how more needs to be done to protect victims of coercive control.

Speaking on the BBC show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg about how his dad’s abuse had become “normalised” in their family home, David explained how he “couldn’t understand” at first how his mum had murdered Richard.

Domestic abuse – how to get help

DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone – including men – and does not always involve physical violence.

Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:

  • Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
  • Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
  • Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
  • Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.

If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:

Remember, you are not alone.

1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.

Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.

He said: “She’d done the worst act anyone possibly could do. [She] took away my father.”

Following the change in the law regarding coercive control, David, now a domestic abuse campaigner, said he finally had a way to describe the “insidious nature” of his dad.

David added that not having a name for the abuse had “robbed us of our right to have an ability to protect ourselves.”

He explained that he had to dig up his past in order to “find the child” he had left behind.

David continued: “But I knew I was born into this world with a gut feeling that [there was] something inherently bad about my father, and I never knew why.

“I normalised the coercion and control in my home, this life of servitude that my mother lived under… sexual violence was routine.”

Photo of a bride and groom on their wedding day.

9

Richard and Sally had married in 1979Credit: Courtesy of the Challen Family
Sally Challen with her two sons, James and David.

9

Sally with her two sons, James and David, on her first day home after her release
Photo of a man carrying two young children on his back.

9

Richard with the couple’s two sonsCredit: Courtesy of the Challen Family

Source link

Five Mexican musicians abducted, murdered by alleged drug cartel | Conflict News

Relatives of five members of the band Fugitivo, aged between 20 and 40, received ransom demands after their abduction.

Drug cartel members are suspected of murdering five Mexican band members, who went missing after being hired to perform a concert in a crime-ridden city in the northeast of the country.

The Diario de Mexico newspaper said on Thursday that the bodies of the five musicians had been discovered after they went missing on Sunday, and nine suspects were arrested in connection with their abduction and killing.

According to authorities, the nine suspects are part of the “Los Metros” faction of the Gulf Cartel, which operates in the city of Reynosa, in Tamaulipas state, near the United States border.

“Law enforcement arrested nine individuals considered likely responsible for the events. They are known to be members of a criminal cell of the Gulf Cartel,” Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios told a news conference.

Tamaulipas is considered one of Mexico’s most dangerous states due to the presence of cartel members involved in drug and migrant trafficking, as well as other crimes, including extortion.

The announcement of the arrests came hours after officials said five bodies had been found in the search for the men, who were members of a local band called Fugitivo.

The musicians were hired to put on a concert on Sunday but arrived to find that the location of their proposed performance was a vacant lot, according to family members who had held a protest urging the authorities to act.

Relatives had reported receiving ransom demands for the musicians, who were aged between 20 and 40 years old.

Mexican musicians have been targeted previously by cartel members amid rivalry, as some receive payment to compose and perform songs that glorify the exploits of gang leaders.

Investigators used video surveillance footage and mobile phone tracking to establish the musicians’ last movements, Barrios said.

Nine firearms and two vehicles were seized, he said.

More than 480,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence and organised crime, and about 120,000 people have gone missing, in Mexico.

In this Friday Nov. 19, 2010 photo, initials of the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo) and a heart cover a wall at the entrance to an abandoned low-income housing complex in Ciudad Mier, Mexico. While Mexicans have been increasingly fleeing border towns up and down the Rio Grande valley, Ciudad Mier is the most dramatic example so far of the increasingly ferocious drug violence, and the government's failure to fight back. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
Initials of the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo) drug gang and a heart cover a wall at the entrance to an abandoned low-income housing complex in Ciudad Mier, Mexico, in 2010 [File: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP]

Source link

Murdered live on TikTok – Mexico’s femicide crisis | Gender Equity News

Mexico’s femicide crisis is back in the headlines after beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was murdered on a live stream.

The world was shocked when a gunman shot and killed Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez while she livestreamed herself at a beauty salon. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government says it will investigate the murder as a possible case of femicide. Will it mark a turning point for a nation that has long struggled with staggering levels of gender-based violence?

Source link

Menendez brothers who murdered their parents have their sentences slashed

Erik and Lyle Menendez, the infamous brothers convicted of brutally murdering their parents more than three decades ago, have had their sentences reduced today in Los Angeles

(Image: AP)

Two brothers who murdered their parents more than three decades ago have their sentences cut.

Erik and Lyle Menendez had been caged for life without parole but this punishment has been slashed to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law. The law applies to those who committed crimes under the age of 26 — Erik was 18 and Lyle 21 when they killed Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989.

And Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic told the packed courtroom in Los Angeles: “I’m not saying they should be released, it’s not for me to decide. I do believe they’ve done enough in the past 35 years, that they should get that chance.”

The brothers, who appeared via livestream, remained largely stoic — though Erik cracked a smile when a cousin praised his recent A+ grades in college courses behind bars.

Appeared via livestream video, they spoke for the first time in court before the ruling. Lyle said in a statement to the court: “I killed my mom and dad. I make no excuses and also no justification. The impact of my violent actions on my family … is unfathomable.”

READ MORE: Kim Kardashian transforms into ruthless lawyer in first look of Ryan Murphy seriesREAD MORE: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs silent response as family attend sex trafficking trial

Erik Menendez (L) and his brother Lyle (R) listen during a pre-trial hearing, on December 29, 1992
The ruling paved the way for the brothers’ potential release(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The ruling means the decision now lies with California’s parole board, who will determine whether the pair still pose a risk to the public.

The sensational case remains one of America’s most talked-about family tragedies, reignited recently by hit Netflix dramas and a wave of public support.

Attorneys for Erik and Lyle Menendez must prove the pair have been rehabilitated during their time in prison and deserve a lesser sentence of 50 years to life.

Such a ruling that would make them eligible for parole under California’s youthful offender law, since both were under 26 when they killed their parents.

READ MORE: ‘I was jailed for 38 years for murder I didn’t commit – but I’m not angry or bitter’

Their high-profile defence lawyer Mark Geragos told reporters outside court that he wants the charges dropped to manslaughter, and for the brothers to be given time served.

This move would effectively grant them immediate release. At least seven family members are expected to testify in support during the hearings, highlighting the level of backing the brothers continue to receive.

While Los Angeles County prosecutors are opposing the resentencing, arguing the pair haven’t fully accepted responsibility, Geragos fired back:

“The purpose of resentencing is to encourage rehabilitation — that is the law, not relitigate the facts of the crime as the D.A. wants to do.”

Former District Attorney George Gascón has already paved the way, citing new understandings of trauma and the brothers’ lengthy rehabilitation behind bars, including their educational achievements and support work with fellow inmates.

Source link