Author: Darren Smith

Former England international Eni Aluko has accused presenter Laura Woods of “gaslighting” after their previously close working relationship collapsed into a public dispute over women’s football punditry that has drawn in other prominent media figures. Aluko revealed on talkSPORT that she and Woods had enjoyed a strong friendship before the controversy erupted. “Laura was actually one of the people I would consistently go to. We got on like a house on fire,” she stated. “I had to look at the messages and think ‘hang on, I feel a bit gaslight here’.” The former Lioness’s comments came during a heated confrontation…

Italian authorities are searching for four suspects following a motorway robbery that saw an armed gang blow up a security van with explosives after blocking traffic with a burning truck on Monday morning. Police arrested two men near the town of Squinzano in Puglia’s southern region after intercepting their getaway vehicle, a dark blue Alfa Romeo fitted with a blue police light on the roof. The remaining suspects fled the scene at high speed following a shootout with officers. The robbery occurred between the cities of Lecce and Brindisi, with the gang forcing the cash van to stop by setting…

A woman who discovered male colleagues including her manager had placed bets on who would sleep with her first has lost her sexual harassment case despite a judge ruling the wager constituted harassment. Molly Craigie’s tribunal claim against East Anglia Home Improvements was dismissed on technical grounds after the judge determined she had brought her complaint “out of time” under employment law rules, even though the betting behaviour was found to be “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.” The saleswoman joined the company in September 2022 in a role requiring her to visit potential customers to confirm contracts. Within two…

A former Metropolitan Police firearms inspector dismissed from the force in December will appear in court this week facing 17 charges including rape, grievous bodily harm and misconduct in public office spanning a 12-year period. John Doyle, 53, who previously worked in the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command, was charged by postal requisition on Wednesday 4 February with offences allegedly committed between 2012 and 2024 against one victim. Westminster Magistrates’ Court will hear the case on Wednesday 11 February, where Doyle will face charges including five counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and four counts of grievous bodily…

Manchester Foundation Trust has closed applications for a 12-month fixed-term position paying up to £44,962 annually for a neonatal nurse to work specifically with families practicing close-relative marriage. The role, advertised earlier this year, requires fluency in Urdu and seeks a candidate who “values diversity and difference” to support families and enable “informed reproductive decision making” in what the job listing described as a “culturally sensitive empowering way.” The successful applicant will work full-time on a salary ranging from £37,338 to £44,962, tasked with ensuring “support and improve engagement with genetic services for affected families.” Manchester Foundation Trust represents one…

A musician already on the sex offenders register has been imprisoned for sending over 200 unsolicited pornographic images and videos of himself to women, marking his third conviction for similar offences in three years. Ben Gunnery, 46, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on 9 February after pleading guilty to two counts of sending photographs of genitals to cause alarm, distress and humiliation. The court heard Gunnery was subject to notification requirements as a registered sex offender when he committed the latest offences, having been convicted of similar crimes in 2023 and…

Ralf Schumacher is planning a three-day wedding celebration in Saint-Tropez this May, less than two years after publicly revealing he was in a same-sex relationship, German outlet Bild has reported. The 50-year-old former Formula One driver will marry partner Etienne Bousquet-Cassagne, 36, at the French coastal resort. The six-time Grand Prix winner announced his relationship with Etienne in July 2024. Schumacher’s ex-wife Cora has sent the couple her well-wishes despite previously burning her wedding dress and publicly stating she has Ralf “blocked” on her phone following their divorce. “[My partner] Steven and I wish Ralf and Etienne all the best…

A Bristol nursery was forced to close after CCTV footage captured a worker sexually abusing a child, leading to a police investigation that uncovered attacks on five toddlers in what prosecutors described as “every parent’s nightmare.” Nathan Bennett, 30, from Corston near Bath, was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of two charges of raping a child under 13, four of sexual assault of a child under 13, and two charges of assault of a child under 13 by penetration following a trial. He had previously pleaded guilty to 13 other charges relating to four of the five victims. The…

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy will face no disciplinary action despite rules prohibiting political demonstrations at the Games, following his controversial protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that sparked homophobic abuse and death threats. Kenworthy, who won Olympic silver for the United States in 2014 before switching to represent Team GB seven years ago, addressed the fierce backlash in a video message after photographing himself urinating the words “f*** ICE” into snow and sharing the image on social media last week. The openly gay athlete revealed he had received messages telling him to…

A 37-second video showing a woman calmly boarding a subway train before using the n-word against a group of taunters has divided social media users, with reactions highlighting splits over race and retaliation. The footage shared on 8 February shows a woman wearing a black puffer jacket being ridiculed about her appearance and a hinted prior incident involving her partner by a group on a subway platform. She maintains her composure throughout the taunts before boarding the train. As the doors close, the woman delivers the racial slur that prompts the group to pound futilely at the doors whilst she…