Author: Darren Smith

Three brothers have been sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison for sexually abusing five women who were children when the crimes took place, as survivors told Sheffield Crown Court that the abuse had left them serving “a lifelong sentence” they never agreed to. Amar Ilyas, 41, was sentenced in his absence to 27 years in prison for 20 sexual offences against five women, including rape. He fled to Pakistan while on court bail and failed to appear for his trial in September 2025. National Crime Agency officers are now carrying out enquiries to locate and arrest him. Anyone…

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, has been found guilty of rape and a series of other serious sexual offences spanning more than two decades, following a trial in which both of his victims gave evidence that they had been abused as children. The 63-year-old, who denied all charges against him, was convicted by a jury of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency. The offences relate to two women and span the period from 1985 to 2008. Donaldson himself testified during the trial at Newry Crown Court. His wife,…

A construction worker has died after being found in a confined ceiling area at the Denver Broncos’ new $175 million practice facility, prompting the suspension of work at the site while an investigation takes place. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the man was discovered at the construction site on Monday night. The facility, currently under construction, is set to become a state-of-the-art, 205,000-square-foot complex. Fire rescue crews responded to the scene and were able to reach the man, but he was pronounced dead at the location. His name has not yet been released, and a cause of death has…

A 15-year-old girl and two boys, aged 14 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager was stabbed to death in Battersea, south London, with police confirming the victim’s identity as the investigation continues. Officers were called to reports of a stabbing in the early hours of Saturday morning. A 17-year-old boy was found with serious injuries and died at the scene. Police have now named him as Jamal Coombes. All three suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.

Three people, including two boys aged 14 and 16, have been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a man in Newcastle upon Tyne earlier this week. Gino Robb, 25, was rushed to hospital with stab wounds after the attack on Shields Road, Byker, on Tuesday night, but was pronounced dead later that evening. A murder investigation was launched immediately, with police carrying out a series of arrests over the following days, according to ChronicleLive. Two men aged 22 and 24, along with a 16-year-old boy, were initially arrested on suspicion of murder but were subsequently released on bail…

A 15-year-old boy killed while watching the Donegal International Rally has been named as Tadhg Callaghan Carter, after the event was cancelled following a crash that also left two other spectators injured. The incident occurred on the Gartan stage of the rally at Trentagh, near Kilmacrennan, on Saturday. Irish police, the Gardaí, said they and other emergency services were alerted after a number of onlookers were injured “in an incident involving a participating car.” It is understood the crash happened when a competing car left the road at a left-hand bend. Carter was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he…

West Midlands Police seized a zombie-style knife, a machete and a Rambo knife after breaking up a group of around 20 people filming a music video in central Birmingham, with several arrests made following a series of foot chases. Officers from the force’s Project Guardian Team came across the large group recording footage in the Newtown and Aston area yesterday. Up to 20 people fled as patrols moved in, with one individual caught after attempting to zig zag down the street. A Rambo knife was recovered from him during the arrest. The same team later returned to the area to…

The future of 1,500 jobs at one of Britain’s largest steel producers has been thrown back into uncertainty after exclusive negotiations to rescue Speciality Steel UK collapsed, forcing the government to resume its search for a buyer. Talks between government officials and Norwegian company Blastr over the acquisition of the South Yorkshire steelmaker, which operates sites in Rotherham and Sheffield, ended after Blastr’s preferred bidder status expired without an agreement being reached. The firm had appeared to be edging closer to securing a deal earlier this year. An Insolvency Service spokesman confirmed the process would now continue without an exclusive…

New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado has taken his NBA championship celebrations to a new extreme, filmed throwing stacks of cash at Starlets, a gentlemen’s club in Queens, as the team’s title celebrations continue to sweep across the city days after their historic victory. The late-night appearance comes as Alvarado continues to honour a promise he made before the postseason began. “If we win, I’m going to be drunk for eight days,” the Brooklyn native said during a podcast appearance before the Knicks’ run to the title. “I’m having a party in like every state.” Footage circulating on social media…

Six children have drowned in Spain within just 72 hours, prompting an urgent warning to holidaymakers after experts blamed a “tragic lack of supervision” for the deaths. The deaths occurred across multiple regions, including Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Among them was a four-year-old British girl who died yesterday after drowning in a hotel swimming pool at a resort in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote. Emergency services made several unsuccessful attempts to revive her at the scene. A three-year-old Danish boy also died after nearly drowning in a swimming pool in Can Picafort, Santa Margalida, in Majorca, with…