Real-life mermaid who uses a £10,000 tail to swim can hold her breath for FIVE minutes

Meet the real life mermaid who swims with jellyfish and can hold her breath under water for up to five minutes


Linden Wolbert travels the world as a full time professional mermaid and uses her custom-made 6ft tail to propel her through the water.


The 32-year-old freediver and model can swim to depths of 115ft and uses her skills to promote ocean conservation and education.

Linden, from Los Angeles, California, said: 'I grew up as a water baby. My parents are both competitive swimmers.

'I always looked forward to going to the ocean for our summer vacation. I had a magnetism to the water.


'I've kind of always been a freediver but didn't realise the sport existed until ten years ago. Shortly thereafter, I when began training.

'Free diving is 70 per cent psychological. You have to be very calm and at ease in the water.'
Linden always dreamed of becoming a mermaid after growing up watching films like The Little Mermaid and Splash but it didn't become a reality until she got to know Hollywood special effects artist Allan Holt.

They spent seven months working on the 35lb tail, which was made from a fibreglass mould of Linden's body.

It involved sealing a monofin inside high-quality silicone to make it hydro-dynamic and effective in the water.

The thousands of fish scales were painstakingly sculpted individually by hand out of clay before they were duplicated in fibreglass and then the final mould was injected with silicone.

The whole project cost around £10,000 to complete.

Linden said: 'I was introduced to Allan through a friend. He wanted my advice for an underwater music video. I happened to mention I'd always wanted a mermaid tail but had no idea where to begin.
'Allan said he'd help me straight away.

'We set a budget at the start but then things happened. It ended up being way over but it was worth it.'My friends and family were all there the first time I used it in the water. I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't believe it was finally happening.'

In some of these amazing images, Linden is seen swimming in Jellyfish Lake on the island of Palau, which used to be connected to the Pacific Ocean.

Since it has been cut off, it has become home to millions of jellyfish because they have no risk of predators. The 12,000 year-old lake is the only place in the world where you can swim safely among them - because the sea creatures have lost their sting.

Linden visited the lake, which is popular with snorkellers, during a two-week trip to the island. She said: 'I had been on a dive that day and had left my tail drying. I always bring it with me wherever I go.

'A man came over to me and asked if I was the mermaid that went in the tail. I said yes and he told me his wife was a photographer and would love to photograph me.

'It sounded like a great idea so we got a boat out to the lake. It was so perfect. It was the coolest thing being surrounded by these golden pulsating creatures.'

The images were taken by diver and underwater photographer Wendy Capili-Wilkie, who lives on the island.


Linden has also posed for shots with extreme sports photographer Agustin Munoz, from Costa Rica, in Deadman's Cay, Long Island, Bahamas.

She said: 'I love the feeling of freedom and weightlessness in the water. It's such a different sensation. It's very dream-like. The power of the tail is amazing. I can go very fast. The 'wind' in my hair when I'm diving under water is like nothing else.

'I've been diving with sharks. With my tail, I'm longer than most of them.Many people think I'm crazy to swim with sharks but I'm always surrounded by an incredible safety team.

'The sea creatures are very inquisitive. They come up to me to take a closer look because I'm not blowing bubbles like divers.'

As well as diving, Linden, who has a degree in film and science from Emerson College, produces her Mermaid Minute, an educational clips web series for children.

She offers her mermaid services to the Make A Wish Foundation, Reef Check Worldwide and several other non profits and charities.

Linden is also the 'mermaid to the stars' and has been hired to perform at a string of Hollywood parties, hosted by celebrities, including Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake.
Culled from DAILY MAIL

Man shoots his father at Easter Sunday church service... says it 'is the will of Allah'

Witnesses say the 25-year-old man accused of walking into an Ohio church and fatally shooting his father after an Easter service Sunday was yelling about God and Allah after the killing.

Police say Reshad Riddle pictured above walked into the Hiawatha Church of God in Christ in Ashtabula and killed his father, 52-year-old Richard Riddle, with a single shot from a handgun Sunday afternoon.

Associate Pastor Sean Adams said Reshad then continued into the church, still holding the gun, and yelled that the killing was 'the will of Allah. This is the will of God.'

Adams told The (Ashtabula) Star Beacon newspaper that worshippers started screaming, ducking down and calling 911 on cellphones after the shooting.

'It was terrifying,' Adams told the newspaper.

'The children were screaming and people were dialing 911. We were afraid to breathe.'

Reshad Riddle was quickly subdued by officers, who arrived just moments after the shooting. They say he has been mostly cooperative.

The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland reported that another church pastor said congregants were leaving when they heard a gunshot.

'People pushed me into a back office and said, "Somebody's here with a gun,"' said the Reverend David Howard Jr.
'The guy was outside hollering and acting crazy.'


He said the church has about 175 members, none of whom knew what led to the shooting.

'It's such a tragic loss,' Crockett said.
County Coroner Pamela Lancaster said Richard Riddle's wound was 'immediately fatal.'

Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell said the younger Riddle offered no motive for the shooting.

'Witnesses at the scene said the shooter entered church and made some references to Allah, but we are not sure if that was a motive or if there was a family problem,' Stell said.

'There is no indication that the father and son had a bad relationship. Everyone thinks this was very surprising.'

'We knew that shots were fired in the church and we thought there were multiple people down. We called other agencies to assist because it was described as a mass shooting and we weren’t sure if there were multiple shooters or multiple people wounded.


'It is always better to be safe than sorry, and we got a great response. Many agencies — easily six agencies — came to assist.'

Coroner Pamela Lancaster said that the nature of the shooting made it difficult to have a full on-site investigation.


'I did all the investigation I could do under the circumstances at the scene,' she told The Star Beacon.


'There were many churchgoers there, so a tent and drapes were set up around the victim to ensure privacy. We did our best to shelter the situation and get (Richard Riddle’s body) in the transport van quickly.'

Police weren't the only ones who didn't know the extent of the violence, as Associate Pastor Reverend Steve Sargent told how he thought it was the beginning of a shooting spree.

'My mind went into overdrive,' he told The Star Beacon.


'I pulled several people into the bathroom, as many people as I could, and then I ducked under the baptismal.
'I’ve been at this church all my life, and I can’t ever recall an incident of theft. We have no fences here to keep anyone out. People can say what they want about this neighborhood, but the people have always been very receptive and respectful of this church and the work we do here.'


Court records show Reshad Riddle has an extensive criminal record.

Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court records show he was arrested and charged with two counts of felonious assault, kidnapping, abduction and tampering with evidence in 2006.

Records show that in 2007, Reshad Riddle was charged with felonious assault, and in 2009 he was charged with possession of drugs, tampering with evidence and possession of cocaine.

According to police reports, one of the felonious assault charges stemmed from an incident when Reshad Riddle allegedly attempted to cut his girlfriend's throat. Captain Joseph Cellitti said the young woman's neck had been cut with a knife and she suffered bruising on her side and chest.
Church parishioners said Reshad Riddle was a member of the church as a child, but did not attend services regularly as an adult.

'No one would have thought twice about him being here with his family on Easter,' Adams said.

'His family (have) been members here for years and years.'
Culled from Daily Mail

Man to become God?: Scientists set to bring 24 animals back from extinction

Scientists have met to discuss the possibility of bringing back 24 animals back from extinction.

But a real life Jurassic Park is not an option, it is said, because dinosaur DNA is just too old.

The so called 'de-extinction' of a number of species was discussed at a TEDx conference in Washington DC sponsored by National Geographic.
They included the dodo bird, the Carolina Parakeet, last seen in 1904 in Florida, and the Quagga, a plains zebra which once lived in South Africa.

The docile, flightless moa stood 12ft high. They died out because of over hunting by the Maori

The last wild one was shot in 1870 and the last in captivity died in 1883, the Journal reports.

The Dodo evolved without any natural predators, but it was forced into extinction by humans who killed them all for food

The teams chose the animals using a number of criteria, and discussed the ethics of bringing them back to life.


They discussed whether the species were desirable, if they held an important ecological function or if they were beloved by humans.

They also discussed if they were practical choices, and if there would be access to tissue with good quality DNA samples or germ cells in order to reproduce the species.
The Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger, is the only marsupial to make the list. It lived in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea until the 1960s

They also considered whether they are actually able to be reintroduced into the world and what the reasons for extinction were in the first place.


This month’s National Geographic explains how de-extinction works - by taking old DNA samples and reassembling them into a full genome.

This is then injected into embryonic cells which have had their own DNA taken out, and a suitable living surrogate is found to give birth.
According to the Washington Post, ten years ago, a team of scientists from France and Spain brought back an extinct wild goat – but it only lived for 10 minutes.
De-extinction does however raise a number of ethical and logistical questions, including how scientists can get a usable DNA sample from an extinct animal, and also whether they should.
The cost of de-extinction varies by species but it is believed could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.


It comes after scientists used cloning technology to attempt to bring back a frog from extinction by implanting a 'dead' cell nucleus into a fresh egg from another frog species.This extinct species of plains Zebra, the Quagga, once lived in South Africa. The last wild one was shot in 1870 and the last in captivity died in 1883

The resulting embryos lived for just a few days.

But the groundbreaking research by the Lazarus Project has brought the 'de-extinction' of creatures like woolly mammoths to the forefront of scientific discussion.


In repeated experiments over five years, the researchers used a laboratory technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Using a method similar to that imagined in the blockbuster Jurassic Park, they took fresh eggs from the distantly related Great Barred Frog, deactivated their nuclei and replaced them with genes from the extinct frog.

Some of the eggs spontaneously began to divide and grow to early embryo stage – a tiny ball of many living cells from a creature extinct for 30 years.

Although none of the embryos survived beyond a few days, genetic tests confirmed that the dividing cells contain the genetic material from the extinct frog.

Culled from DAILY MAIL

1,000 dead ducks found in Chinese river one week after 16,000 dead pigs were found there-in

At least 1,000 dead ducks have been found floating in a Chinese river, just days after the bodies of more than 16,000 pigs were pulled out of Shanghai’s main waterway.

The new discovery has triggered more concern over the safety of the nation’s drinking water.

The duck carcasses were fished out of the Nanhe river in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, officials confirmed.
They were found in over 50 woven bags but the bodies were so badly decomposed it was impossible to tell how they died.

The news came as Shanghai environmental workers said almost all of the dead pigs had been removed from the Huangpu river, which supplies 22% of the city’s drinking water.

Government officials said 98 pigs were recovered on Sunday and 93 on Saturday, the first time the daily toll had fallen below a hundred in days.

Images over the last fortnight of dead hogs in China’s commercial hub has proved a major embarrassment to the city, which is seeking to grow as an international financial centre.

Samples have tested positive for porcine circovirus, a common swine disease that does not affect humans.

It was unclear last night what killed the ducks. Their bodies were disinfected and buried in plastic bags three metres underground, said Liang Weidong, a deputy director in Pengshan’s publicity department.
He said the authorities were first made aware of the ducks a week ago but insisted the dead birds had been handled safely and posed no danger to residents or livestock.

An initial investigation suggested they originated from upstream and were not dumped by local farmers. The Nanhe river is not a source of drinking water.

Mystery remains over the exact origin of both the dead hogs and ducks.

‘Dead pigs, dead ducks... this soup is getting thicker and thicker,' wrote one person with the username Baby Luck on weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

‘The dead pigs haven’t even disappeared yet, and now the dead ducks emerge - does this society enjoy being competitive?” wrote netizen sugarandsweet.
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Self-immolation: mother-of-four dies after setting herself ablaze in protest against China's rule over Tibet

A Tibetan mother of four young children has killed herself in the latest self-immolation protest against Chinese rule.


Kalkyi, 30, pictured above, doused her body in petrol before lighting a match near a monastery in Sichuan province's Aba county in western China yesterday.

The mother died at the scene and her body was placed in the nearby Jonang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Radio Free Asia reports.


Her death comes just a week after 28-year old Kirti monk Lobsang Thogme set fire to himself on March 16 in Aba.
Tibetan rights advocates say the self-immolations aim to protest Chinese rule and call for the return of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. China accuses the Dalai Lama's supporters of encouraging the suicides.
Calls to the local government and police rang unanswered today.


Self-immolations reveal the desperation among Tibet's youth after 60 years under Beijing's thumb.


The Chinese government has sought to crack down on Tibetan dissidents issuing a stern warning to the authorities of eastern Tibet to punish all self-immolators and their relatives - and even those who send condolences to bereaved families.


It said all government aid would be removed from the families of self-immolators while development projects in communities that have been home to such protesters would be cancelled.


The charity and campaign group Free Tibet says it has documented multiple cases of collective punishment, imposed against the communities and families were individuals have set themselves on fire, or were other forms of protest have taken place.


It says punishments have included homes being ransacked, development projects which were planned for a village cancelled and ‘public criticism’.


Of the 110 protesters who have set themselves on fire, the majority have died of their injuries. Those who survive, are arrested and taken away. They are rarely seen again, say campaign groups.


Stephanie Bridger, director of Free Tibet, said: 'Tibetans from all walks of life, young and old, mothers, nomads, students, monks and nuns are rejecting China’s occupation of their homeland.


'China is trying to crush protest through arbitrary detention, collective punishment, communications blackouts, bribery and much more – this has only strengthened the resolve of the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom.
'Free Tibet is receiving reports of protests inside Tibet on an almost daily basis. These protests will only continue until each and everyone one of us stands with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and our Governments stop kowtowing to an unelected Chinese regime.'


But it is also a moral and policy dilemma for Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and a new generation of exiled politicians.


The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 with hundreds of followers and they set up base in Dharamsala, a town in the Himalayan foothills about 400 km (250 miles) north of New Delhi.


The deaths raise theological questions about non-violence and highlight a long-standing schism between the elderly Dalai Lama's softly, softly approach to China and activists who want to fight for independence.
culled from MAILONLINE

Horror film fanatic jailed for life for torturing his friend to death in 'sadistic' attack inspired by one of his favourite movies

A horror film fanatic who tortured and mutilated his friend in a scene which mirrored one of his favourite movies has been jailed for life.

Gary George, 41,pictured above will serve a minimum of 30 years after he tortured and mutilated Andrew Nall, 53, in a 'cruel and sadistic' attack.

George beat his victim and inflicted 49 separate knife wounds, including a wound carved into his stomach which had salt poured onto it.

There was also a 'creamy substance', thought to be cleaning fluid, found in Mr Nall’s eyes, the prosecution said.

His body was discovered in the bedroom of his flat in Chester, on August 30 last year.
Andrew Nall (pictured above) was beaten and stabbed in what a judge today described as a 'cruel and sadistic' attack in August last year

After the killing George, a homeless alcoholic, went into an off-licence where he told the shop assistant: 'I’ve just killed my best mate.'

He initially denied the murder but changed his plea to guilty last week as his three-week trial was coming to a close.

George was obsessed with witchcraft and horror films, Chester Crown Court was told.

He 'particularly' liked to watch The Loved Ones, a 2009 Australian film in which an attack takes place with 'chilling similarity' to the death of Mr Nall.

Passing sentence today Judge Elgan Edwards said: 'This was a cruel and vicious attack.

'It was also a sadistic attack.

'I am satisfied that in behaving in the way you did, you were aping the conduct in a film of which you were obsessed, namely The Loved Ones.'

The judge said he and the jury had had 'the misfortune' of watching the movie’s murder sequence during the trial and added: 'I regret to say that, as in this film, you committed many acts while the unfortunate Mr Nall was still alive.

'And that included the substance in his eyes, be that cleaning fluid, and the carving of marks upon his chest.'
George showed no emotion as his sentence was passed.

The judge described Mr Nall, also an alcoholic, as 'vulnerable'.

He added: 'He was vulnerable because of the amount of drink he had taken.

'You knew he had, you took advantage of it and, putting it in a nutshell, he was no match for you.

'You killed him in a most cruel and sadistic way and you enjoyed doing so.'

In an emotional victim impact statement, which was read to the court, Mr Nall’s sister Fiona Hall said the family had been left 'reeling' by his death.
Her statement said: 'Never did any of his family expect to have to deal with the aftermath of such a heinous crime.'

She said her brother, a former supermarket worker, had 'struggled' with alcohol for many years but was determined to turn his life around.

Mrs Hall added: 'Andrew was kind, considerate and would help others without a second thought.

'He was an engaging conversationalist, with a strong intellect and a quick wit.

'Those close to him are broken-hearted by their loss.'

She recalled what would have been his birthday earlier this month, when the trial watched a 'shocking' video of his 'mutilated body lying in his own bedroom where he should have been safe'.
Mrs Hall added: '(It was) a wholly undignified end indeed to a life cut short at the hands of someone to whom he had extended the hand of friendship.'

The family made no comment following today’s hearing.

George was also sentenced to 12 years today, concurrent to the life term, for a second attack 10 hours after the murder of Mr Nall.

The court heard he broke a bottle and slashed the hand and head of a man in an attack which the judge said 'caused the most awful injuries to his victim.'

He was caught by police following that attack.

In police interviews he admitted killing someone but falsely alleged that his victim was a paedophile and rapist.

George’s co-defendant, Christine Holleran, 50, was cleared of murder and manslaughter by the jury on Friday.

Holleran, who told the jury she witnessed the attack but played no part in it, shouted “justice, justice” as their majority verdict was returned.

Giving evidence, she said George was growling as he stabbed Mr Nall, and said: “He was like the devil.”
She said she then ran away from Mr Nall’s flat 'in a state of shock'.

In a statement released by Cheshire Police, Mr Nall’s family said: 'Andrew was brutally murdered by a man whom he invited into his home.

'He would have had no idea that Gary George was a sadistic bully capable of the most extreme violence.

'The cruel and callous way in which Andrew died leaves us unable to feel anything other than utter contempt for his killer.

'He took the life of a kind and caring man attempting to justify his actions by making untrue and wicked allegations that cast aspersions on his victim’s character.
The court heard how George was a fan of the 2009 Australian film The Loved Ones (pictured) and that his killing of Andrew Nall was similar to a murder scene in it


'The lengthy sentence imposed reflects the gravity of his crimes which gives us some consolation.

'Seven months on our collective grief is still immense.
'The trial has been a harrowing experience for everybody, especially those who loved Andrew - he has gone from our lives but lives on in our hearts.'

Detective Sergeant Andrew Paine, of Chester CID, added: 'This was a challenging investigation from the outset as only Holleran and George know exactly what went on in the flat on the night Andrew Nall was killed.

'Through painstaking inquiries we have pieced together the events leading up to Andrew’s death and the later assault which show that neither victim did anything to provoke the horrific attacks which followed.

'My sympathies go out in particular to the family of Andrew Nall and I hope the verdict goes some way towards bringing closure for them.'

Culled from MAIL 0NLINE

Horror in Mexico as seven men are executed and dumped on chairs in city centre

These shocking photos show how the bodies of seven men were found on plastic chairs in Mexico having been shot in the head, with threat messages nailed to some of their chests using ice picks.

A placard on one of the bodies, which were found early yesterday morning in Uruapan, Michoacan state, said: ‘Warning! This will happen to thieves, kidnappers, sex offenders and extortionists.’

Seven bodies had bullet wounds and had been placed individually in the sitting position in chairs near a roundabout, local authorities said. The local attorney general's office did not provide a motive.
Some of the bodies had their hands and feet bound, outside a Pepsi bottling plant. The men were believed to have been aged from 15 to 40. The bodies were found at 05:30 local time (11:30 GMT).


Meanwhile another seven people were killed in neighbouring Guerrero, where armed men opened fire in a bar in Ciudad Altamirano late on Friday. Four civilians and three off-duty federal agents died.

In Guerrero state, authorities said armed men opened fire in a bar in Ciudad Altamirano late on Friday, and four civilians and three off-duty federal agents were killed.
The officers were pursued by gunmen while walking to a local bank, and were killed after seeking refuge in a nearby hotel, an official with the federal police said.

Both states on Mexico's western coast have seen a rise of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels. Around 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico in seven years.

President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December, has vowed to quell the lawlessness and killing that have stained Mexico's image as a tourist destination and rattled investors.
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

How British woman jumped from two-storey building to escape 'rape' in India

The British woman who leapt from a hotel balcony in India to escape a sex attack has spoken for the first time about her ordeal – and lambasted the attitudes of Indian men towards women.
Jessica Davies, who had been travelling alone across India for three weeks when last week’s incident occurred, said she feared for her life when two men tried to force their way into her room at a hotel near the Taj Mahal.

Her terrifying experience – which has resulted in Sachin Chauhan, the owner of the Hotel Agra Mahal in Agra, northern India, facing charges of harassment – follows two recent gang rapes in the country.
Miss Davies, 31, said she wanted to speak out to warn all women travelling in India that they needed to be aware of their personal safety.

She said: ‘The way the men treat women and their attitude to sexual harassment and sexual assault is wrong. If they don’t think there is anything wrong with their attitudes and behaviour, this kind of thing will carry on.’

Miss Davies, a dental hygienist from Greenwich, South-East London, said she had stayed at the hotel for two nights. ‘There have been reports that I asked the owner of the hotel for a wake-up call at 3.45am on the morning he came to my room, but that is untrue.

‘He just turned up at my door, knocked and, when I opened it, was standing there holding two bottles of massage oil. He told me he wanted to give me a free massage and shower. He was drunk.

‘I don’t know why he targeted me because I hadn’t had any other problems with him. Maybe it’s because I’m small and he knew I was in the room on my own.’

Miss Davies, who returned to the UK on Friday after giving a statement to the police in Agra, said when she refused he tried to enter the room – but she managed to push him back and lock the door.

She says he continued knocking on the door for ten minutes, so she screamed for help and began hitting the door in the hope it would wake other guests. Miss Davies said that the owner was still trying to force his way into the room after 45 minutes.
When she heard the voice of a second man asking to come into the room, she shouted at them to go away, told them they were scaring her and pushed a table, with her rucksack on top, against the door.

‘I noticed the balcony door lock wasn’t secured,’ she added. ‘I fully believed they would eventually enter my room from the balcony and get inside with the intention of raping me.’
At 5am, an hour and a quarter after the ordeal began, Miss Davies realised no one was coming to help her and decided to jump from her second-floor balcony.
‘I got dressed, tucked my passport into the waistband of my trousers and climbed over the balcony. I couldn’t make a call on my mobile to get help because it wasn’t working.

‘I didn’t take any of my other stuff, and I didn’t go back for it afterwards. I just wanted to escape.’

She jumped from her second-floor balcony to one on the first floor – and then from there to the ground, injuring her right leg as she landed.

She then ran to a nearby road and flagged down a rickshaw driver, who took her to the local police station. ‘I really can’t thank that rickshaw driver enough,’ said Miss Davies, who is still limping badly and has extensive bruising around her foot and ankle.

‘I really do think I’ve been very lucky. I only have superficial injuries to my leg but I am still shocked and feeling anxious about what happened. The Indian police said it could be six months to a year before the case goes to court but when it does, I’m going to be ready for it.

‘I will go back if I have to in order to give evidence.’

Just days before the incident, Indian police said a Swiss cyclist was gang-raped after she and her husband were attacked while camping.

And, last December, the fatal gang rape of 23-year-old student Jyoti Singh, on a bus in Delhi, provoked international revulsion.

Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Killer who copied torture scene from horror film -Saw, bags 30yrs in prison for murder

A killer who copied torture scene from horror film, 'Saw', by slicing through victim’s spinal cord to make him reveal his PIN number was jailed for at least 30 years today.
Matthew Tinling, 25, knifed former soldier neighbour Richard Hamilton 17 times in the head, neck and legs in a 'savage and prolonged' murder.
At the climax of the frenzied attack, he aped a brutal moment from the famed horror franchise by trying to sever the 45-year-old's spinal cord.
Tinling tortured Mr Hamilton to get him to hand over the PIN for his bank account and later withdrew £240 to spend on crack cocaine.
Detectives were able to pinpoint the time of the killing using CCTV footage showing Mr Hamilton's curtains twitching in the early hours of the morning.


Tinling denied murder but was convicted after an Old Bailey trial.


Judge Timothy Pontius jailed him for life with a minimum term of 30 years for the 'savage and obviously prolonged' killing.


'Whether or not that was Saw 6, found by the police in your room, or another in the series doesn't matter.


'Plainly it was something you had seen and tried to imitate.'


Tinling was brought to court in handcuffs after attacking a prison officer while on remand following his conviction.


He showed no emotion as the sentence was passed.


The killer targeted his victim at the homeless hostel in Shirland Road, Maida Vale, west London, where the pair lived.


Mr Hamilton is believed to have been killed at around 2am on March 28 last year.


He had not been seen for weeks before his dead body was discovered.


Mr Hamilton was known to have more money than the other residents because he received £197 disability allowance every fortnight on top of £272 in other benefits.


'That was to be his ultimate downfall,' said prosecutor Zoe Johnson QC.
After forcing Mr Hamilton to reveal his PIN, Tinling used it to withdraw £240 from the victim's account on April 8.


The next day another resident went into Mr Hamilton's room and found his decomposing body lying next to the heavy curtains.


He had been stabbed 21 times to the head, neck and legs, including a fatal injury to the jugular vein.
Mr Hamilton's bank and Post Office account cards were not recovered but Tinling's DNA was recovered from the plastic wallet used to store them.


Tinling denied involvement but was linked to the scene by his DNA on the bedroom curtains and on a credit card holder.


The same camera that caught the twitching curtains also captured Tinling leaving the building to dump several plastic bags in bins.


Patrick Upward QC, defending, said: 'What you must remember is the circumstances in which these unfortunate men lived together.


'They were driven by the need for drugs and some times the use and abuse of alcohol.


'That can lead to fiery temperaments reacting a way which can lead to awful tragedy.'

The Saw series has been incredibly successful but its ultra-violent scenes have been widely criticised

Culled from MAIL ONLINE

14yr-old girl dies after inhaling computer cleaner to get 'high'

A 14-year-old girl died after trying out 'huffing,' a dangerous trend that involves inhaling household cleaners to get high.

Aria Doherty pictured above was found dead at her home in Northridge, Los Angeles on Monday after inhaling computer keyboard cleaner

Her body was discovered by her older sister - she was lying in bed with a can of compressed air attached to her mouth.
The trend of huffing also known as bagging or dusting is growing among pre-teens.


A recent survey showed one in five children have tried to get high by huffing chemicals before the eighth grade.


But Aria's devastated parents believe it was their daughter's first time at inhaling the chemical and insist she had meant to kill herself.


'I'm positive my daughter didn't realize it had the potential to kill her,' said Carolyn Doherty told NCC.


'This was not that she had done it so many times that the chemicals had finally caused her brain damage or she’d gotten too much into her system.'This is about her having a heart attack from just the very moment that she did the inhaling,' Mrs Doherty told CBS L.A..


The couple had talked to their daughter about drug use before and said they had never found any evidence that she had huffed at all.

Aria, a straight A student, had been at home alone for a few hours before the discovery was made.

She attended Nobel Middle School and teachers there are now planning an inhalant education awareness programme for her fellow students.


Last week a 12-year-old girl searching for a high died after she collapsed in her grandmother's bathroom when she huffed freon from the air conditioner outside.


Kristal Salcido, a seventh grader in Victorville, California, was declared brain dead after the incident. Her family took her off life support four days later.


Kristal's horrifying death is a nightmare for her parents and a warning for families everywhere about the dangerous trend of teenagers tapping air conditioning units to inhale the freon gas.


As well as death, the terrifying trend can cause long-term effects including damage to the kidneys, liver and brain.


An autopsy is pending, but it is possible that the computer cleaner caused cardiac arrest or the teen asphyxiated.

Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Abomination: 49yr-old man rapes infant grand-daughter after defiling his 2 underaged daughters

The atmosphere surrounding the office of the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ikeja, Nigeria was replete with disgust and anger following a startling revelation by a seven-year-old girl of how her father had been having carnal knowledge of her since she was six.

Aside this, her 49-year-old father, Sylvester Ehijire, who was paraded before newsmen, was also alleged to have had carnal knowledge of his one-year, three month-old grand daughter, in their one-room apartment, 13, Kolawole Street, Ejigbo, Lagos State.

The seven-year-old girl (names withheld) told a bewildered crowd that her father usually committed the sacrilege whenever her mother was away.

According to the primary three pupil,“every time my mother was not at home, my father will call me, dip his finger into my anus and his manhood inside my virgina. He would then promise to buy me biscuit and toy cars if I did not tell anybody. There is no Sunday that he did not do it.”
Asked why she did not tell her mother, she replied: “Anytime I wanted to tell my mother, he would hold my mouth and remind me of the things he promised me. But I would challenge him that he had never bought any of the things for me. At times when he finished and I threatened to tell my mother, he would tell me he would pluck out my eyes if I told anyone.

“Sometimes, he would even beat me whenever I attempted to open my mouth and also beat my mother with cane.”

Her 45-year-old mother, Mrs Ehijire, who hails from Iseleuku, DeltaState, corroborated her daughter’s claim, disclosing that the abominable act became known in 2006 when her first child, (now married) informed her that her father had been having carnal knowledge of her.

“I travelled to Abuja for a catering job because I am a caterer. At about 1 a.m that fateful day, my daughter called me to say she had just been raped by her father. Then, she was 17 years old. I had to leave the job and travel back to Lagos the next day. I informed my husband’s parents but all of a sudden my in-laws turned against me, saying I was lying.

“This continued until I could no longer bear it. I had to leave the house with my children in 2007. But I came back in 2011, after entreaties by my in-laws.
“The height of the abominable act happened last Wednesday after when I returned home to meet my one-year three-month-old grand-daughter crying.

“In a bid to pacify the baby, I took her to the backyard for a bath only to discover that her pampers were stained with blood and semen.

“At that point, I screamed and alerted my co- tenants. That was the last straw. I quickly rushed to the Ejigbo police station to report the case.”

Asked why she did not make an effort to protect her female children against such abuse, she explained that after reconciling with her husband in 2007, she usually left her daughter and grand-daughter in a creche until her return at about 6 p.m.

She said: “I gave a clear instruction to the proprietress never to allow anyone pick the children but me. But last Wednesday, I was told my husband went there and requested to pick them. Even when they resisted, he picked quarrel with them,asking if he had no right to pick his children.

“When I asked my seven-year-old daughter what happened thereafter, she told me that on reaching home, the father sent her and her elder brother who is nine to go and buy bread. She said when they returned, they met the net-door locked.

“While they were waiting for their father to open the door, the baby was yelling inside. Neighbours at this point became suspicious because they were aware of his antecedents. They started banging on the door.
“When my husband opened the door, they said he was sweating. One of them asked him to bring the baby and he did. They tried to pacify her to no avail. Medical test

To ascertain the claim, policemen at Ejigbo reportedly took both children to the hospital where the medical result made available to journalists showed that both of them had their hymen broken.

While the report of the seven-year-old read: “normal virginal and vulva, broken hymen (dis-virgined), that of the one-year three month-old baby read: “ bruised perineum, hymen broken, absent.”


The accused however, told Vanguard in confidence that “I swear I did not know what is wrong with me. I believe this is not real. I believe something above the natural is using me to achieve its devilish purpose.”

A mild drama, however, ensued when all of a sudden his wife started pleading on his behalf, after she over-heard the command’s spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, briefing journalists on the legal implication of the man’s act if he is found culpable.

At that point, Mrs Ehijire said she did not want her husband dead. “If he dies it will affect me as well. I want him to be dealt with and not be killed,” she said.

But Braide hinted that the suspect would be charged to court soon.
Culled from VANGUARD

'I think I'm going to die': How 14yr-old girl predicted her death on Facebook minutes before she was killed by drunken driver

A terrified teenage girl, Kayleigh Lawrie pictured above predicted her own death on Facebook just minutes before she lost her life at the hands of a drunken driver, a court heard yesterday.
Kayleigh Lawrie, 14, pleaded to be allowed to get out of the car being driven by her father's friend because she was so scared by his ‘Formula One’ style driving.

Kayleigh, who had already posted a message on Facebook saying ‘I think I’m going to die’, was told by her father Scott Lawrie not to be so stupid.
Moments later the driver Steven Hayter - who was twice over the drink-drive limit - lost control of his Renault Clio on a country road near Kayleigh’s home in Willoughby, Lincolnshire.

He was attempting to retrieve a cigarette he had dropped in the foot well.


The car skewed across the road into a ditch and then flew 60ft through the air before crashing down. Kayleigh, who was on the back seat, died instantly. A 13-year-old boy in the car suffered a fractured skull and facial injuries.
Lincoln Crown Court was told that Hayter had been on a seven-hour drinking session the previous night and then after a few hours sleep drank wine before setting out on his journey to visit a bank in the resort of Skegness.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said that on the night before Hayter drank four pints of lager in his village local before driving to the nearby town of Alford where he had another four pints and several double vodkas and coke.
Then, during the early hours he had a large glass of wine before downing a second large glass half an hour before setting off with Scott Lawrie, 37, and the two teenagers.

Hayter twice almost went off the road within minutes of setting off and then forced an oncoming pick-up onto the verge when he took a bend on the wrong side of the road.

Mr Scott said ‘At Alford the car stopped. The teenagers remained inside. Kayleigh posted a message on her Facebook page saying ‘I think I’m going to die. xx. luv you all’.

‘Kayleigh told him (Hayter) at the time she posted the message because she was scared.’

Hayter then called at a filling station and clipped the central pump island before reversing back and almost hitting another vehicle. He tried to fill up with diesel instead of petrol.

Mr Scott said ‘While the defendant paid for his petrol the boy and Kayleigh told Scott Lawrie they wanted to get out of the car because they were so frightened. Scott Lawrie told them not to be so stupid.

‘The defendant returned to his car. When he drove away from the petrol station he accelerated away at a speed so great that his wheels span.’

‘He started driving like a Formula One driver cutting up all the corners. The 13-year-old boy’s attention was focused on the speedometer which he read as 65 mph. As the vehicle reached the ditch there were screams and then the impact.’

Hayter himself suffered injuries and was taken to hospital. Tests taken more than four hours after the collision showed he was almost twice over the limit with a reading of 147 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood.

Hayter, a professional HGV driver, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, admitted causing death by careless driving while over the limit. He was jailed for six years and disqualified from driving for two years.

Recorder Timothy Spencer QC told him ‘Kayleigh lost her life because of your appalling driving. This was a wholly avoidable and wholly unnecessary tragedy.

‘The only explanation for what happened must be drink. Your alcohol level must have been extremely high indeed. I am not convinced about the necessity for the journey at all.

‘Chillingly Kayleigh realised just how bad your driving was and before you left the petrol station had already sent a Facebook message which foretold of the tragedy to come.'


David Eager, defending, said Hayter had been left full of remorse.

‘He accepts he was solely responsible for Kayleigh’s death. That will lie heavily on his conscience for the rest of his life.’

Kayleigh’s mother Charlotte Buxton, in a tribute to her daughter, said ‘Kayleigh was a bright, happy, bubbly and loving 14-year-old, who lived life to the full. She loved animals, which included her rag doll cat, Sapphire, and her dog, Luna.

‘Kayleigh was strong-willed and knew what she wanted out of life. Kayleigh loved fashion and wasn’t afraid to experiment with her looks, although it often got her into trouble with school. She was good at French and loved cooking, especially cup cakes.

‘Kayleigh will be missed and loved always by all who knew her.’
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Married female teacher had sex in car with 17yr-old dyslexic pupil after agreeing to give him extra tuition

A shamed teacher who was caught in a car with a 17-year-old pupil yesterday admitted that she had sex with the youth.

A court heard how Eppie Sprung Dawson, 26, had agreed to give the dyslexic teenager extra help with his lessons at the Catholic secondary where she worked.

But the married English teacher, who was only four years into her career, drove him to the countryside, stopped in a lay-by and had sex with him.

They were spotted together by police officers on a routine patrol.

At Dumfries Sheriff Court yesterday, Dawson admitted that on December 21, while she was in a position of trust, she engaged in sexual activities with, or directed towards, a person under the age of 18, and that she had sexual intercourse with him.

Procurator fiscal depute Lyndsay Hunter said that Dawson had met the youth in Dumfries and then drove him to a lay-by on the Cummertrees to Hoddam Road.

She said that at around 5.20pm, police noticed the car, which had condensation on its windows.
The fiscal added: ‘The officers remained in their vehicle and spotted the couple in the passenger seat of the car.

‘They left their vehicle and approached the parked car where they saw the couple having sexual intercourse.
'The police officers knocked on the car door and then saw the accused and a male, both naked from the waist down.’

Mrs Hunter said that Dawson was spoken to and it became clear that she was a teacher.


The fiscal added that she made no reply when cautioned and charged.

Happily married: Eppie Sprung Dawson with her husband Ranald Dawson on their wedding day

Sheriff George Jamieson deferred sentence until May 1 and called for reports, including a psychiatric assessment.

Dawson, of Dumfries, who taught at the town’s St Joseph’s College, was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
Sheriff Jamieson said the length of time she would remain on the register would be decided when she was sentenced. Bail was continued.

Solicitor David Finnie, defending, told the court that he would reserve his plea in mitigation until reports were prepared.

When Dawson was originally charged in January, one former pupil said that she often sent text messages signed off with kisses and claimed that she was known for being ‘touchy-feely’.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Council said Dawson was no longer employed by the authority and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment on the case.
Last night, there was no answer at the house that Dawson had shared with her husband Ranald, 32 – the son of the former Solicitor General for Scotland, Lord Dawson.

The teenager’s family could not be contacted for comment last night but when details of the case originally emerged, a woman at the family home said: ‘He is the victim in this but I don’t want to talk about it.’

A spokesman for the General Teaching Council for Scotland said: ‘We are aware of this case and conducting our own investigations into this matter.’
Culled from MAILONLINE

Ohio school shooter taunts his victims' families by wearing a 'KILLER' T-shirt in court before judge jails him for life

A teenage school shooter who killed three students in a murderous rampage arrived at court for his sentencing with the word "KILLER" emblazoned in black marker pen across his white T-shirt, flicking his middle finger at the mother of one of his victims.

Ohio killer TJ Lane, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole, smiled and smirked during the sentencing, according to local media.

Lane killed three students in February 2012 at Chardon High School, Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell King Jr, 17.
'This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. F*** all of you,' the gunman said, causing those in the audience to gasp in shock.
Twitter instantly lit up with posts expressing disbelief and shock at the defendant's callous behavior, with many commenters calling Lane 'sickening' and 'not human.'


When Lane addressed the court, he flipped the middle finger and used profane language toward those in the audience, including the victims' families.



'Frankly, I wasn't prepared for this,' the prosecutor said moments after Lane's gesture. He said the action was proof that Lane is a 'disgusting human being,' and that the rampage was a 'cold, calculated, premeditated killing,' ABC News reported.


Prosecutor James Flaiz went on to say: 'He still refuses to offer any explanation for why he did this. The only explanation I can offer the court is he is an evil person.'


Dina Parmertor, mother of victim Daniel pictured above, addressed Lane, calling him a monster and telling him that he doesn't deserve to be called human


Lane's guilty plea on February 26 came on the eve of the anniversary of the attacks. Daniel Parmertor, Russell King Jr., and Demterius Hewlin were killed and three others were wounded, two seriously, including Nick Walczak who is now confined to a wheelchair.

Lane wasn't subject to the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the crimes.


Crystal King, sister of slain student pictured above Russell King Jr, wipes a tear as she addresses the court


On Tuesday, Lane turned out in court wearing a white T-shirt with the word 'Killer' written on the front - the same word police say the 18-year-old had scrawled on his shirt the day of the deadly shootings.

Lane has never offered a motive for the massacre. Addressing the court during his sentencing, the 18-year-old flipped his middle finger to those who gathered inside the courtroom, among them the victims' families.
The defendant smiled and smirked as the victims' loved ones addressed the court with emotional impact statements.

'You are lucky there are so many police in this room,' said the mother of paralyzed student Nick Walczak. 'You can smile all you want. You are evil.'

Danny Parmertor's mother, Dina, told the court that she has spent every day since her son's murder in pain and tears, The Plain Dealerreported.


'You don't deserve to be called human,' the grieving mother told Lane. 'You are a monster. You are a weak, pathetic, vile coward.'
Dina Parmetor also added: 'I want you to be ensured years and years of pain, which in my opinion is not enough. You don't deserve to take another breath while my 16-year-old son lies in the ground because of your cold, disgusting actions.'

Philip Carter, brother of Demetrius Hewlin pictured above, reads a statement on behalf of his mother, during the sentencing of TJ Lane


Defense attorney Ian Friedman said Lane plans to file an appeal, and has asked the court to appoint him a lawyer for that process.

'The defense is deeply sorry for the families, all of the families’ pain, all of the families that have been affected by this,' Friedman said. 'There’s nothing we can say that’s going to lessen that.
TJ Lane's sister, Sadie, released a statement to the media following the sentencing, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and revealing that her own family continues to struggle with the aftermath of the tragedy.


'It may be hard for some to understand, but I love my brother, and hope that wherever the sentence and life takes him in the future that he can touch others' lives in a positive way from a point of view that only he can give,' she said.


Addressing her sibling's shocking demeanor during the Tuesday hearing, Sadie said: 'The brother in the courtroom and [the one] that did this is not the brother I knew
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

'Canadian cannibal' who 'stabbed student to death then had sex with his corpse on tape' collapses in court

A Canadian porn actor accused of killing a university student and posting a video online that shows him stabbing and having sex with the dismembered corpse has collapsed in court today, during the second week of his preliminary while video evidence is shown inside courtroom.
Canadian Press said Magnotta's eyes were fixed on the ground not on the screen where the, presumably gruesome, video evidence was being shown.
He stood up and collapsed on the floor just after the judge agreed to an extended lunch break.

Luka Magnotta, 30, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the gruesome slaying and dismemberment of Jun Lin last May.

He is also accused of dismembering his Chinese lover and mailing the body parts to political parties and schools.
Wearing a black sweater with colored stripes, Magnotta appeared distressed during a video evidence session this morning. The evidence is subject to a publication ban, until it is determined that there is enough evidence to go to trial.
He held his hand over his mouth and asked the guard in his glass-enclosed defendant's box for a five-minute break.

According to Canadian Press, he was all of a sudden lying on his right side, crumpled into a fetal position, in the courtroom, still handcuffed and shackled.
When he began covering his mouth, his lawyers came to check on him and 10 minutes into that segment of the hearing he asked the baliff to his side to request the break.

As well as first-degree murder, Magnotta is also facing four other charges relating to the case.

He is accused of dismembering Lin and mailing parts of his body across Canada, before leading police on an international manhunt before he was finally arrested in Germany.

Lin's parents were not in the courtroom on Tuesday morning. His father has attended the preliminary hearing, which began March 11, sporadically but has not stayed in the courtroom when the most graphic evidence has been heard.

The porn actor first appeared in court last Monday as his lawyers unsuccessfully sought to close pre-trial proceedings to the press and public.

Magnotta has observed all hearings from a glass enclosure in the packed Montreal court room.


During the proceedings, which are expected to last another one to two weeks, prosecutors are outlining the case against 30-year-old Magnotta and seek to persuade a judge they have enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

On March 11, appearing for the first time since soon after his June arrest, Magnotta wore a white T-shirt and khaki trousers, leaning back in his chair as he listened to legal arguments.

Also in the courtroom was Diran Lin, father of victim Jun Lin, whose dismembered body parts were mailed to schools and political parties in the Canadian capital Ottawa and Vancouver in a crime that shocked Canada and gained international notoriety.
Magnotta is accused of first-degree murder, interfering with a dead body and other charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

'This is the worst thing a family can endure. We are empty,' the Journal de Montreal quoted Diran Lin as saying in an interview ahead of the hearing. 'We had so much hope for Jun Lin.'

Police say the video, which they believe is genuine, showed a man stabbing his victim to death before dismembering the corpse and then eating part of the body.

Lin's hands and feet were mailed in May to the offices of political parties in Ottawa and to schools in Vancouver.


His torso was found in a pile of garbage behind Magnotta's Montreal apartment, and his head was discovered in a Montreal park in July. Lin was a student at Concordia University in Montreal.

Initial arguments revolved around an unusual defense request to exclude the public and the media, which was denied. The court imposed a publication ban on the evidence presented.
Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Fraternal polyandry: How Indian woman married a man and his 4 sibblings together

A young Indian woman has spoken out about being married to five husbands, all of whom are brothers.

Rajo Verma, 21, lives in one room with the siblings and they sleep on blankets on the floor.

The mother-of-one, who sleeps each night with a different brother, does not know which of her five related husbands is the father of her 18-month-old son.
The set-up may seem peculiar, but it is tradition in the small village near Dehradun, Northern India, for women to also marry the brothers of their first husband.


She told the Sun: 'Initially it felt a bit awkward. 'But I don’t favour one over the other.'
Rajo and first husband Guddu wed in an arranged Hindu marriage four years ago.


Since then she has married Baiju, 32, Sant Ram, 28, Gopal, 26, and Dinesh, 19 - the latest in the line of husbands - who married her as soon as he turned 18.


'We all have sex with her but I’m not jealous,' first husband Guddu - who remains the only official spouse - said. 'We’re one big happy family.'
The ancient Hindu tradition of polyandry was once widely practiced in India, but is now only observed by a minority.


It sees a woman take more than one husband, typically in areas which are male dominated.


In fraternal polyandry the woman is expected to marry each of her original husband's brothers.


It is thought to have arisen from the popular Sanskrit epic of Mahabharatha, which sees Draupadi, daughter of the King of Pancha being married to five brothers.


The practice is also believed to be a way of
keeping farming land in the family.


It is most commonly found near the Himalayas in the north of the country, as well as in the mountainous nation of Tibet.

While the advance of modernity has seen the archaic practice largely die out in most areas, the shortage of women in countries such as China and India has helped keep it alive as a solution to young men's difficulties in finding a wife.


Rajo said she knew she was expected to accept all of her husbands, as her own mother had also been married to three brothers.

She said they sleep together in turn, but that they do not have beds, just 'lots of blankets on the floor'.


She added: 'I get a lot more attention and love than most wives.'

Culled from MAIL ONLINE

Thief is jailed for his 343rd offence after stealing clothes from charity shop

A man who has been called Britain's most prolific shoplifter was back behind bars again today after admitting four more offences - bringing his total to 343.


A week ago magistrates at Prestatyn in North Wales released David Archer after he had spent two days in custody awaiting his appearance on offences 338 and 339.

But today magistrates in the same court remanded the 58-year-old in custody to await sentence at Mold Crown Court on April 11 after he admitted to four more offences, including theft from a charity shop.
Archer, of Mostyn, Flintshire, admitted stealing clothes and a camera from the RSPCA charity shop at Colwyn Bay and a collection box from the Co-op store at Llandudno Junction.

He also admitted two breaches of an indefinite ASBO imposed in 2006 which, among other things, prohibited him from entering any charity shop in England and Wales and from possessing a charity box.
Prosecutor Julie Jones said that he was seen on CCTV burning a piece of string which secured the charity box in aid of carers which was on the counter at the Llandudno Junction store.

Defence solicitor Roger Thomas told Prestatyn magistrates that one of the problems facing David Archer in the past was that whenever he was released from prison he was given only £40, which he had to spend on essentials, he had nowhere to live and was not entitled to emergency benefits.

'He is known in every shop in North Wales and there was no subterfuge involved,' he said. 'He is institutionalised and struggles to cope with life.'

Culled from MAILONLINE

Family Doctor filmed naked female patients using wristwatch camera

A family doctor who used a secret camera inside his James Bond-style wristwatch to record himself abusing female patients faces jail after admitting a string of sex charges.

Dr Davinderjit Bains, 45, used his position as a GP at a medical practice in Royal Wootton Bassett, near Swindon, Wiltshire, to assault more than two dozen women.
Bains filmed the attacks on his Tieex 4GB Waterproof HD Spy Watch DVR, which has been likened to something out of a 007 film.

It has a built-in camera on the face - with simple on and off buttons to record - and can be bought on the internet for less than £60.

Detectives branded Bains a "sexual predator" and said he had covertly filmed more than 100 women.

At Swindon Crown Court Bains admitted a total of 39 charges - 13 charges of assault by penetration, 13 charges of voyeurism, 11 charges of sexual assault and two charges of sexual activity with a child.

He also asked for a further 65 offences - 10 of sexual assault by penetration, eight of sexual assault and 47 of voyeurism - to be taken into account when the judge passes sentence.

His not-guilty pleas to three charges of sexual assault and a single count of administering a noxious drug with intent to commit a sexual offence were accepted by the Crown and will lie on file.

Bains, of Nyland Road, Swindon, was remanded into custody to await sentencing once reports have been prepared.

The offences were committed against 30 women - aged from 14 to 51 - between July 2010 and May 2012.
The police investigation began in June last year when a 19-year-old woman told officers she thought Bains had filmed her as she showered and said she had been sexually assaulted by him in Swindon.

When detectives arrested Bains at the Tinkers Lane Surgery in Royal Wootton Bassett, they discovered his high-tech wristwatch with spy camera.

They later recovered 361 high-quality video clips from Bains' watch and home computer.

Detective inspector Mark Garrett, who led the investigation, said Bains had used his position as a GP to abuse women.


"They put their trust in their doctor and Dr Bains breached that trust massively - compromising his professional position - and breached that trust to the highest order," he said.

"Today he stands exposed as someone who has utterly betrayed that trust for his own sexual gratification.

"He is a sexual predator, simple as that. And he was allowed to abuse his position of trust and offend for two years.

"In almost 30 years of police service I have never come across a case like that of Dr Davinderjit Bains."

Bains qualified as a doctor from Mangalore University in 1993 and became a GP in 2007. He is currently suspended from practising by the GMC.

In a statement the surgery said it was "appalled" at the crimes Dr Bains had committed.

"This has been a shocking and distressing case for all concerned," the statement said.

"The partners, GPs and staff of Tinkers Lane Surgery are deeply saddened by the actions of this former colleague and our sympathies remain entirely with the victims and our patients and their families.

"We are appalled that the sort of crimes to which Dr Bains has today pleaded guilty could happen in general practice.

"We will now seek to rebuild the trust and the confidence of our community and our patients."

Luke Daniels, of solicitors Irwin Mitchell, is acting on behalf of concerned patients and said Bains' pleas were the first significant step in his victims' battle for justice.

"This man massively abused the position of trust in which he was placed and carried out the most horrendous crimes that continue to have a devastating effect on the victims," he said.
Culled from HUFF POST

Catholic Priest who had been secretly married for 10yrs is found guilty of sexual assault on a 17yr old girl

A Catholic priest who had been secretly married for more than a decade was on at the weekend, warned he may go to jail for sexually assaulting a teenage girl on Easter Sunday last year.


William Finnegan, 59, known to his parishioners as Father Bill, denied forcefully kissing the 17-year-old and touching her bottom, but was found guilty by jurors at Bradford Crown Court.

It took the jury almost a day of deliberating before returning a verdict of guilty, prompting gasps and cries from Finnegan's supporters in the public gallery, where the young victim was also sitting.


Recorder of Bradford Judge Roger Thomas QC told Finnegan 'there's a lot of thought to be given' about the sentence he will receive, which could include an immediate prison term.


Judge Thomas said: 'This case, albeit sexual assault of the least type, does have to it factors of another type.


'What the ultimate sentence will be, I have an entirely open mind about but that ranges from immediate imprisonment to other arrangements of a community nature.'


Sensationally he reveled during the trial he broke his vows by marrying one of his parishioners in a civil ceremony abroad and then continued to do his job.

Far from being a celibate priest, Finnegan was enjoying an active sex life with his wife, the jury heard.
The revelation was made by Finnegan’s barrister as part of his defence case during the trial at Bradford Crown Court.
Judge Roger Thomas, QC, asked Finnegan before he gave evidence: ‘Your public announcement of this today is news to everyone?’
The defendant replied: ‘It is, and I will be dealt with.’

Finnegan was parish priest at St Clare’s Roman Catholic Church in Fagley, Bradford, when the assault happened on Easter Sunday last year.

He denied sexually assaulting the teenager by touching her bottom and forcefully kissing her.

Jeremy Hill-Baker, defending, told the jury: ‘You may be thinking that he is only human, that Father Bill, as a Catholic priest, has taken a vow of celibacy, condemning himself to a single and lonely life filled with perhaps an underlying sexual frustration because, let’s face it, it is not a natural state for a human to be in.

‘It would be understandable for you to be thinking, “Well, perhaps it just got the best of him with that 17-year-old”.’


Mr Hill-Baker then dropped the bombshell that Finnegan married Mrs Dawson, a mother of two, in Cyprus in September 1999.

Mr Hill-Baker told the jury: ‘No, you didn’t mishear me.’ He said: ‘So deeply in love was he that he was prepared to ignore the Catholic Church’s ban on marriage, a secret which has been kept from almost everyone until now.'

The court heard ‘Father Bill’ met Mrs Dawson during his previous post when he was a priest in Castleford and she was a parishioner.

After her previous marriage broke down, they fell in love and married. Only trusted friends and family were told.

Mr Hill-Baker said: ‘Far from being celibate, they enjoyed a full and active sex life.’ Questioned by the judge, Finnegan said he had been ‘suspended and simply ignored’ since the sex assault allegation came to light. He said his marriage would not be recognised by the Catholic Church because he was a priest.
The court heard that the girl and her family were known to Finnegan.

Richard Walters, prosecuting, said: ‘He regularly asked her for hugs and on occasions he called her his surrogate daughter.’


Jurors heard that as well as touching and kissing her inappropriately, Finnegan told the girl she was ‘amazing and beautiful’.


Two days later he arrived at her home when her parents were out and said he had had sexual feelings for her for some time. He then talked about buying her an expensive birthday present, which the prosecution said amounted to a bribe.


The girl told her mother who reported Finnegan.


The priest told the jury the girl kissed him and he did nothing wrong. He said: ‘She tiptoed towards me, placed her hands on my waist and kissed me on the lips.’
The priest said he forcefully pushed the girl away and told her: ‘That’s not to happen.’


Mr Walters said: ‘Rather than tell us the truth, you would rather brand that young girl a liar.’ Finnegan responded: ‘I have just taken the oath. I’m not lying.’


Giving evidence, Mrs Dawson said she and her husband had never permanently lived together but saw each other regularly, had a sexual relationship and went on holidays together.


She said each week after he finished his church services on Sunday he would visit her, then go back to work on Tuesday.


She said on the day in question, Finnegan had phoned her and told her he had been kissed by the teenage girl.


‘He was shocked,’ she said.

Finnegan, of Castleford, who will now have to register as a sex offender, denied forcing himself upon the teenager last Easter.


After swearing an oath on the bible, he told the court she had kissed him and said he had been suspended and ignored by the Catholic Church following the incident.


Finnegan will be sentenced following reports on April 11.

Culled from DAILY MAIL

Woman tried to sell her 2 children on Facebook for £2,600 to bail boyfriend out of jail

Police have arrested a woman for reportedly trying to sell her children on Facebook.

Misty VanHorn, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, is accused of trying to raise cash to cover the £670 bond she needed to get her boyfriend out of jail, KFOR-TV reported.

VanHorn is said to have offered to sell her two-year-old and 10-month-old children for a combined price of £2,600, or just £670 for the older child alone, the Oklahoman writes.
According to the police report, VanHorn messaged a woman on Facebook saying: “Just come to Sallisaw, it’s only 30 minutes away and I’ll give you all of her stuff and let y’all have her forever for $1,000.”

The unidentified buyer alerted the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, who in turn notified the police.

A neighbour told 5News Online VanHorn had been making earlier attempts to raise cash for her boyfriend's bail bond.

Tony Mosby said: “She was going door-to-door, here to all the way across town asking everybody for money to get him out.”

VanHorn has pleaded not guilty to two counts of trafficking children and is currently being held on a £33,000 bond.

Each felony charge carries up to ten years in prison or a £6,700 fine.

The children have been taken into the custody of the state.
Culled from HUFFPOST