Author: Darren Smith

A rapist who repeatedly changed his story and tried to blame relatives for attacking a woman after she left a Southampton nightclub has been jailed for 10 years following a DNA match made more than two years after the assault. Musafar Hotak, 25, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after being found guilty of raping a woman in her 20s on 12 July 2022. The DNA was matched to Hotak when he was being investigated for other criminal matters more than two years later. The victim had become separated from friends during a night out and was under the influence…

Defence Secretary John Healey has ordered Ministry of Defence officials to “leave no stone unturned” in a review of all records relating to whether Jeffrey Epstein used RAF bases during visits to the UK,the Telegraph reports. The search will examine military records and emails to determine if the sex offender booked RAF airfields, using details of Epstein’s jet issued by US officials. An MoD spokesman stated: “The defence secretary has ordered a review of all records that the department may hold relating to Epstein flights landing at RAF bases to ensure that any information which relates to Epstein’s crimes is…

The European Commission has referred former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson to its anti-fraud office following the release of files suggesting he shared confidential information about a €500 billion euro bailout with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. OLAF, the European anti-fraud office, confirmed it is examining the matter after receiving the 18 February referral from the Commission. The assessment follows publication of documents indicating Mandelson provided Epstein with details about the 2010 bailout designed to save the euro whilst serving as a senior British minister. A European Commission spokesperson told POLITICO the referral was made “given the circumstances, and the…

Gerald “Gerry” Dorgan has died from injuries sustained when his daughter’s transgender ex-husband opened fire at a youth hockey game in Rhode Island, becoming the third fatality from the February 16 massacre at the Dennis M. Lynch arena in Pawtucket. The 75-year-old had been in critical condition since Robert Dorgan carried out the mass shooting that also killed his daughter Rhonda Dorgan, 52, and grandson Aidan Dorgan, 23. Authorities confirmed his death on Wednesday. Rhonda’s mother Linda Dorgan and Thomas Geruso, a family friend and assistant principal at a Pawtucket high school, remain in serious but stable condition following the…

A fight between students at Fir Vale Academy in Sheffield sent two teachers to hospital with a third fainting during the incident, according to parents who described the scene as “chaos” when they collected children from school. South Yorkshire Police confirmed officers were called shortly after midday on Thursday 26 February to reports of a disturbance at the Owler Lane secondary school. A spokesman stated: “It is reported a fight broke out between a number of students. Officers are at the scene and are supporting school staff in the response.” Seven police cars were parked outside the school during the…

A 31-year-old wellbeing influencer who had been struggling to get pregnant for years died after suffering cardiorespiratory arrest during an assisted reproduction treatment at a human reproduction clinic in Brazil on 17 February. Gabriela Martins Santos de Moura went into cardiac arrest during the fertility procedure, with local reports not clarifying whether she was undergoing IVF or egg retrieval. She was rushed to hospital and placed in intensive care, where she remained for eight days before medical teams confirmed brain death. The tragedy occurred just one day after Santos de Moura and her husband, orthopedic doctor Samuel Moura, celebrated their…

Humberside Police have released CCTV footage showing 14-year-old Lily at Hessle Foreshore at approximately 6am this morning, appealing for anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area at that time to come forward as concerns grow for the missing schoolgirl. Inspector Tim Harvey confirmed Lily’s last known location using the what3words address large.parts.picked at the foreshore beauty spot, several hours after she disappeared from Ulceby in North Lincolnshire during the early hours. The CCTV image represents Lily’s last confirmed sighting, with police requesting members of the public who may have recorded footage from around Hessle Foreshore at approximately 6am…

The Home Office rejected a record number of asylum claims exceeding 80,000 last year, representing a 75 percent jump on the previous year, whilst the grant rate fell from 47 percent to 42 percent despite nearly 55,000 migrants receiving refugee status or permission to remain in Britain. The total number of claims receiving an initial decision from the Home Office hit an all-time high of more than 135,000 in the year to December. The rejected applications will inevitably lead to tens of thousands more appeals, adding significant pressure to the already stretched tribunals system which had a backlog of 70,000…

A 26-year-old Afghan allegedly in prison for migrant smuggling has racked up thousands of TikTok views showing off his cell at Wormwood Scrubs, with videos revealing television privileges, wall decorations of Afghan flags, and a well-stocked selection of snacks including chocolate bars, fruit, fizzy drinks and sausages. Samiullah Ahmadzai is being held at the Hammersmith jail for his alleged role in a “dangerous” trafficking gang and is currently undergoing extradition proceedings over a return to Belgium at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. One clip shows him watching Stephen Mulhern’s afternoon television show Deal or No Deal. A source told The Sun: “This…

Warsaw City Hall has begun procuring thousands of units of emergency equipment including thermoses, flasks, sleeping bags and stretchers as part of a program to transform metro stations into civil defense shelters capable of housing over 100,000 people simultaneously. The initiative, titled Underground Shield, involves adapting stations and technical facilities to store emergency equipment in cooperation with the fire service. Dedicated zones are being established for water supplies, stretchers, blankets and other essential equipment, with technical spaces already being prepared to house the gear. Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski announced the project on X, stating metro stations will be integrated into Warsaw’s…