Babak Belurs

Senin, 29 Januari 2024

Teenage boys killed in Bristol stabbing pictured - The Independent

The devastated family members of two teenage boys who were killed in a horrifying double-stabbing have told how their “lives will never be the same” - as police announced two more arrests.

Football fan Mason Rist, 15, and “kind soul” Max Dixon, 16, were stabbed in Bristol on Saturday night by a group of attackers who are said to have fled the scene in a car.

A resident who was first on the scene after the brutal attack told how Mason had begged her for help as he lay fatally injured in her former partner’s arms. Kirsty Kidd told The Independent: “We tried everything, I just wanted them to be ok.”

She added: “It could have been anyone including my own children, that’s the scary part.”

Avon and Somerset Police have launched a murder investigation following the killings in the Knowle West area of the city. A 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were arrested shortly after the incident and remain in police custody. Detectives revealed on Monday they have arrested two more men aged 20 and 22.

This morning, Mason’s devastated grandmother visited the scene of the attack, where flowers, cards and candles have been left for the teenagers

Gail Iles revealed the youngster was a devoted Liverpool fan who tragically lost his dad Shayne Rist to Covid. She said it would be nice if the club sent a representative in tribute to the boy, adding: “It is so tragic.”

In a tribute shared on Facebook, a woman believed to be Max’s mum told how her life has been ripped apart by the tragedy.

“Devastated, our lives will never be the same without you my boy,” Leanne Ekland posted, alongside a picture of the smiling teen.

Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15

(Supplied)

Max’s heartbroken sister Kayleigh also posted an emotional tribute on Facebook on Sunday, which said: “My baby brother… one of a kind you are.

“You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken.

“I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. You will be missed kiddo I’ll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil’ bro.”

A mother, who did not want to be named, said she knew both Mason and Max through her daughter who attended Knowle Park Primary School with them.

She said they were “lovely kids” and that the community had been left devastated by the news of their deaths.

“People are scared to be outside today,” she told The Independent. “It is complete shock. How can two kids be attacked like this in the place where they live?”

Tributes at the scene in Bristol

(Alex Ross/Independent)

Tributes, candles and a family picture were left at the scene

(Alex Ross/Independent)

Ms Kidd, 30, was first on the scene with her former partner Scott Lovell, 31, following the stabbing at outside their home at around 11.20pm.

“I was sleeping in the front room and I heard a massive noise outside. I looked out and I saw the person [Mason] being stabbed,” she said.

“My ex-partner went to him and his first leg gave way and then both this legs gave way and he fell into Scott’s arms. He said ‘help me’.

“I then came out with a pillow and put his head on it before police arrived. When they took him away I was so scared for him as I saw his injuries. And when they later told me he had died I was devastated.”

Ms Kidd revealed she has received a message of thanks from Max’s sister Kayleigh, adding: “We tried everything, I just wanted them to be ok.”

The mum-of-five said her eldest - aged nine - had only come in the house a few minutes before the incident.

Charlie Hicks, 21, lives next to where Mason collapsed to the ground. He told The Independent: “I found out from the sound of the police and ambulance outside. I was going to bed. I looked outside the window and I saw him [Mason] on the floor with people around him.

“They [Max and Mason] are both innocent kids. They are nice, Max loved his football and played for Park Knowle FC. It’s just so tragic this can happened, everyone is in shock.”

Police said the victims sustained stab wounds and were taken to two hospitals - Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - by ambulance, where they died in the early hours of Sunday morning.

At a packed meeting of residents on Monday, concerns were raised over escalating violence in post code wars between the Knowle West and Hartcliffe areas of south Bristol – amid fears the teens were “caught in the crossfire” of the turf wars.

Andy Pearce, 73, said: “I think they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time - that’s the tragic thing about all of this, it could have happened to anyone’s children. I don’t think they were targeted, they were attacked because they were living here.

“There was a rivalry between the areas [Knowle West and Hartcliffe] in the 70s but nothing this. It’s got worse over the past few years.”

Molly Morgan, 20, who lives on Ilminster Avenue, heard the sirens following the attack before walking up to find the area on her road cordoned off. She said: “It’s quite scary to think this could happen to anyone here.”

A vigil was held near the scene of the attack on Sunday, where people lit candles and placed flowers for the victims.

Tributes include flowers with messages reading “Mason and Max Rest in peace”, a sign stating “Stop knife crime RIP boys” and a note from Oasis Academy John Williams reading: “In loving memory of Mason and Max, gone but never forgotten”.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraising page has been launched to “give these two little boys the send of they deserve”.

People lit candles at a vigil for the boys on Sunday night

Candles and a card at the vigil on Sunday

Football coach Scott Alden wrote a tribute to Max on Facebook: “I had the pleasure of knowing you and coaching you since you were a young boy, you were the cheekiest, happy, funniest boy a very talented footballer who loved his family and friends.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, the world is a cruel and dangerous place now.”

The tributes come as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said tackling knife crime requires a “laser focus” as he called for the nation to “roll up our sleeves” and take action.

Responding to news of the latest tragedy during a visit to Warrington, he told broadcasters: “This is devastating for the family and friends of these two youngsters. I have teenage children myself. I cannot even imagine what it’s like for the family and friends.”

Hew added: “We can’t carry on with these awful stories of knife crime. We have to roll up our sleeves and do something about it.”

Detectives said they were trying to establish “what possible motives could sit behind such an appalling crime,” with over 100 officers working around the clock and more arrests expected.

Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacres said: “It is with great sadness that we confirm the names of the two young boys, Mason Rist and Max Dixon, who died following the incident on Saturday night.

“Any death is awful, but the loss of Mason and Max, who had their whole lives in front of them, is particularly tragic and my heart breaks for the families who have to endure such unimaginable pain and suffering. Our thoughts remain with them during this time.”

He added: “Our investigation is progressing well, with four people arrested so far and more arrests are to come. We are committed to doing everything we can to hold to account those responsible for this horrendous crime and to provide answers to Max’s and Mason’s families.”

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2024-01-29 16:48:25Z
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Watch: King Charles leaves hospital after prostate procedure - The Telegraph

The King has been released from hospital after successful treatment for an enlarged prostate.

The King and Queen were photographed walking to their car as they departed the London Clinic after Charles had been treated in the same hospital as his daughter-in-law the Princess of Wales.

The pair, dressed smartly and beaming, waved to well-wishers outside the hospital at 3pm. As he left, the King was heard to say that he was “grateful for everyone’s kind wishes”, thanking the crowd that had gathered outside.

He has been in hospital for three nights, longer than the overnight stay initially expected. Aides have emphasised his determination to work from home, continuing with his red boxes and even mooting the idea of bringing paperwork to his bed.

It is understood he will require around a month off public engagements – the longest he has been off duty as monarch.

Charles spent three nights in the same hospital as the Princess of Wales Credit: Heathcliff O’Malley

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The King was this afternoon discharged from hospital following planned medical treatment and has rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation.

“He would like to thank the medical team and all those involved in supporting his hospital visit, and is grateful for all the kind messages he has received in recent days.”

The 75-year-old has generally enjoyed good health, other than sporting injuries as a younger man. In 2008, he had a non-cancerous growth removed from the bridge of his nose in a minor, routine procedure, and underwent a hernia operation in 2003.

He has had Covid twice, but suffered only mild symptoms and continued to work through it.

The King was heard thanking well-wishers outside the hospital Credit: Heathcliff O’Malley

On Friday morning, he was admitted to the London Clinic for treatment for an enlarged prostate. The Queen was with him, and he is understood to have visited the Princess of Wales before his surgery.

The Princess had been recuperating at the London Clinic after undergoing abdominal surgery last week, and was discharged on Monday.

The King received his diagnosis nearly two weeks ago, approving a statement from Buckingham Palace to give details of his condition in the hope of raising awareness of its symptoms.

NHS England said that after Charles shared news of the diagnosis, the “enlarged prostate” page on the NHS website received 26,170 visits in 48 hours, including another 9,760 visits on Thursday, compared with a daily average of 1,400 visits earlier in the week.

Prostate Cancer UK had 8,025 visits to its online risk check service, of which 6,800 were noted as high risk, more than double the previous day.

The King waves to well-wishers as he leaves the London Clinic after treatment Credit: Heathcliff O’Malley

On Jan 17, a spokesman for the monarch said: “In common with thousands of men each year, the King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate.

At the time, the King was at his Scottish residence at Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, and had cancelled a handful of engagements as a result of advice from doctors. He has since been at Sandringham and Clarence House as he awaited his treatment.

After his diagnosis, the Queen said the King was “fine” and “looking forward to getting back to work”. She visited him five times in hospital.

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Starmer says Sunak needs the help of 'grown-ups in the room' Labour to get gradual smoking ban through Commons – politics live - The Guardian

Keir Starmer has criticised Rishi Sunak for not imposing a ban on disposable vapes earlier. Asked if he supported the PM’s announcement, Starmer told journalists:

Yes, I support the banning of disposable vapes, not least because of the impact they have on children.

We’ve been calling for this for two years. So I do have a question for the government, which is why has it taken two years to get to this stage? We’ve wasted two years.

Starmer also suggested that Rishi Sunak was only allowing his MPs a free vote on this because he could not get them to back him. He said:

I’ve also got concerns that apparently the prime minister is going to give his MPs a free vote, because he doesn’t think that he’s able to hold his own team together.

Luckily the Labour party will always act in the national interest. We will vote for it and so this measure will go through. It’ll only go through because the Labour party is the grown-up in the room and is prepared to act in the national interest and vote for this important measure.

Sunak argues that, in allowing his MPs a free vote, he is following precedent. (See 11.13am.)

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During his evidence to the UK Covid inquiry in Edinburgh this morning, Michael Gove, who was Cabinet Office minister during the pandemic, in charge of relations with the devolved governments, and who is now levelling up secretary, repeatedly sought to downplay claims that relations between the UK and Scottish governments during Covid were fractious or dysfunctional. (See 11.37am.)

But even Gove could not claim it was all sweet harmony. Here are some of the excerpts from his evidence about the tensions.

Gove said the SNP did not want inter-governmental relations to work. Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, did, he said. But he went on: “With the best will in the world the SNP don’t want inter-government relations to work.”

No, I don’t believe they are politically motivated in everything they do. I think, I have great respect for the professionalism with which many [Scottish government] ministers conducted themselves. I do believe their overwhelming motivation was to protect the people of Scotland from a virus.

However, there are and were occasions when the [Scottish government] was thinking politically, as we can see, and of course it is the case the SNP has a political mission to achieve Scotland’s independence, ie destroy the United Kingdom and it would be naive not to be aware that highly skilled politicians, including those at the top of the Scottish government, might well see what they perceive to be political advantage at certain points.

Some of the language used, the desire to have ‘a good old-fashioned rammy with the UK government’ and some of the other language used, which I shan’t repeat now, does lead me to believe that at that point, there was a desire to pursue differentiation for the sake of advancing a political agenda.

He said it was an understatement to say that Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon were not soulmates. In his witness statement Gove said Sturgeon, the then first minister, and Johnson, the then PM, were not soulmates. Asked if this was “something of an understatement”, Gove replied:

Understatement is sometimes the most effective means of communication.

He said Sturgeon caused “irritation” in No 10 when she announced on 12 March 2020 that she wanted to ban gatherings of more than 500 people in Scotland. He said that was “divergent” from what had been agreed at an earlier UK Cobra meeting.

Keir Starmer has hinted that the Iceland supermarket boss Richard Walker could play a role supporting a Labour government.

He made the comment as he visited a branch of Iceland in Warrington, after Walker, a former Tory donor, used an article in the Guardian to decare his support for Labour.

Commenting on Walker’s endorsement, Starmer said:

I’m delighted at the reason he’s come out for the Labour party, because he recognised that we’re a changed Labour party, that we’re pro-working people, we’re serious about the cost-of-living crisis and about stability and long-term strategy.

I think it further cements the real profound way in which the Labour party has changed under my leadership, as we go into this all-important year of the general election.

Asked about a potential job for Walker in a Labour government, Starmer replied:

Richard Walker is wanting to work with us. He’s made it absolutely clear why he supports us and we’ll continue to talk to him.

Keir Starmer has criticised Rishi Sunak for not imposing a ban on disposable vapes earlier. Asked if he supported the PM’s announcement, Starmer told journalists:

Yes, I support the banning of disposable vapes, not least because of the impact they have on children.

We’ve been calling for this for two years. So I do have a question for the government, which is why has it taken two years to get to this stage? We’ve wasted two years.

Starmer also suggested that Rishi Sunak was only allowing his MPs a free vote on this because he could not get them to back him. He said:

I’ve also got concerns that apparently the prime minister is going to give his MPs a free vote, because he doesn’t think that he’s able to hold his own team together.

Luckily the Labour party will always act in the national interest. We will vote for it and so this measure will go through. It’ll only go through because the Labour party is the grown-up in the room and is prepared to act in the national interest and vote for this important measure.

Sunak argues that, in allowing his MPs a free vote, he is following precedent. (See 11.13am.)

Downing Street said this morning that it did not think any UK aid funding had gone to Hamas.

Asked about claims that up to a dozen staff at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is part-funded by Britain, were involved in the Hamas massacre of Israelis on 7 October, the PM’s spokesperson said:

We have tight controls and agreements and due diligence on how the funding is used, as you would expect, but it’s right in light of these allegations that we conduct a further investigation with our allies and seek the reassurance that will be required in order to allow funding to continue.

The spokesperson said that the UK committed £16m to UNRWA after the Hamas attack, but that that money had now been disbursed. He said no further money would be allocated while the Hamas link was being investigated.

An independent inquiry into claims of corruption and illegality linked to the finances at the controversial Teesworks development is expected to be published later today, PA Media reports. PA says:

Rishi Sunak appeared to confirm the report’s imminent release during a visit to the north-east, saying it would be “published later on”.

It comes amid speculation the long-awaited review will clear Teesworks and the region’s Conservative mayor Ben Houchen of wrongdoing.

The prime minister defended the “rigorous process” behind the government-commissioned probe, which has faced criticism over the lack of involvement of the public spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) was not tasked with leading the investigation ordered by levelling up secretary Michael Gove last year, with an independent panel made up of three local authority officers from elsewhere in the country set up instead.

The conclusion of the inquiry has been delayed several times, having initially been expected last summer.

At the No 10 lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson said the UK agreed with the US’s assessment that the drone attack on the US base in Jordan, which killed three people and left more than 24 injured, was carried out by “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq”.

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, is one of more than 70 peers on the list to speak in the second reading debate in the Lords on the Rwanda bill. He is a fierce critic of the government’s Rwanda bill and when peers were debating the illegal migration bill last year (a precursor of the bill being debated today, subject to very similar legal and human rights objections), he denounced it as immoral.

Asked how the government would respond if he made similar comments today, the PM’s spokesperson said:

This bill is a key part of how we stop violent criminal gangs targeting vulnerable people that has led to too many deaths in the English Channel.

That is the right thing to do, it is also the fair thing to do, both for taxpayers and for those individuals seeking to come here through safe and legal routes who see their place jumped by those who can afford to make crossings on small boats.

We’ve worked very carefully both on the bill and the treaty in coordination with the Rwanda government and we continue to believe that this bill is the right way forward to get the flights off the ground and to stop the boats.

One of the most controversial bills passed last year was the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, which is designed to ensure that in key public services, if unions stage a strike, some staff will have to carry on working to ensure that a basic level of service is provided. The legislation was partly designed to minimimise the disruption caused by rail strikes.

But, in the rail industry at least, the legislation is not working as planned. It relies on employers, not the government, deciding to activate the MSL powers and, in strike action starting today, the train companies have decided not to, because they don’t want to further antagonise the unions.

As Gwyn Topham explains in his story:

The set of strikes was expected to be the first test of the minimum service levels legislation, designed to allow train operators to run 40% of the normal timetable. Only LNER, one of the three operators directly run by the Department for Transport, planned to use the new powers to demand that drivers break the strike. An immediate escalation by Aslef, which called five additional days of strikes at LNER, prompted a climbdown.

Rail industry bosses as well as unions had made clear their reservations in consultations and select committee hearings ahead of the strike laws being introduced, which could also be applied in health, education and firefighters disputes. Labour has said it will immediately repeal the laws if elected.

This has particularly enraged the Daily Mail, which has splashed on a story about rail bosses getting big bonuses despite not using the new law.

At the Downing Street lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson said rail companies should be using the MSL powers. Asked if the government was disappointed that they were not being used, the spokesperson replied:

Yes. It is obviously something that we, and the public, expect to be used.

It is ultimately up to train operators to effectively manage their services. We have been as clear as possible they should be ready to use all powers available to them to reduce the impact of rail strikes on passengers.

Veterans who left the armed forces before December 2018 can now apply online for a veteran’s card, the government has announced. After testing, a digital application website has gone live. The card enables veterans “to easily verify their veteran status to access support and services from government, charities, and local authorities”.

In his Inside Politics briefing for the Financial Times, Stephen Bush argues that a gradual ban on smoking will be Rishi Sunak’s most lasting legacy. He explains:

Given that the median UK voter is very fond of bans, I think it is unlikely, to put it mildly, that these changes will ever be reversed by a future government. Certainly they are not going to be overturned by a Labour administration: on the whole, Labour MPs are much more supportive of these measures than Conservative counterparts. (If you want to get a Labour MP to say something nice about the prime minister, ask them what they think of his anti-smoking measures.)

The depth of support for these policies on the opposition benches is one reason why they will a) pass into law and b) come with the risk of a large Tory rebellion. It’s a free hit in lots of ways if you are a Conservative MP who wants to show a bit of libertarian leg.

But regardless, these measures will overcome the opposition and endure. Don’t bet on either libertarian Conservatives or liberal Labour MPs having the numbers or influence to turn around what will almost certainly be Sunak’s most lasting legacy on the UK.

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2024-01-29 14:10:00Z
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Teenage boys killed in Bristol stabbing pictured - The Independent

The devastated family members of two teenage boys who were killed in a horrifying double-stabbing have told how their “lives will never be the same”.

Football fan Mason Rist, 15, and “kind soul” Max Dixon, 16, were stabbed in Bristol on Saturday night by a group of attackers who are said to have fled the scene in a car.

A resident who was first on the scene after the brutal attack told how Mason had begged her for help as he lay fatally injured in her arms. Kirsty Kidd told The Independent: “We tried everything, I just wanted them to be ok.”

She added: “It could have been anyone including my own children, that’s the scary part.”

Avon and Somerset Police have launched a murder investigation following the killings in the Knowle West area of the city. A 44-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested and are in custody.

This morning, Mason’s devastated grandmother visited the scene of the attack, where flowers, cards and candles have been left for the teenagers

In a tribute shared on Facebook, a woman believed to be Max’s mum told how her life has been ripped apart by the tragedy.

“Devastated, our lives will never be the same without you my boy,” Leanne Ekland posted, alongside a picture of the smiling teen.

Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15

(Supplied)

Max’s heartbroken sister Kayleigh also posted an emotional tribute on Facebook on Sunday, which said: “My baby brother… one of a kind you are.

“You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken.

“I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. You will be missed kiddo I’ll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil’ bro.”

A mother, who did not want to be named, said she knew both Mason and Max through her daughter who attended Knowle Park Primary School with them.

She said they were “lovely kids” and that the community had been left devastated by the news of their deaths.

“People are scared to be outside today,” she told The Independent. “It is complete shock. How can two kids be attacked like this in the place where they live?”

Tributes at the scene in Bristol

(Alex Ross/Independent)

Tributes, candles and a family picture were left at the scene

(Alex Ross/Independent)

Ms Kidd, 30, was first on the scene with her partner Scott Lovell, 31, following the stabbing at outside their home at around 11.20pm.

“I was sleeping in the front room and I heard a massive noise outside. I looked out and I saw the person [Mason] being stabbed,” she said.

“My partner went to him and his first leg gave way and then both this legs gave way and he fell into Scott’s arms. He said ‘help me’.

Ms Kidd revealed she has received a message of thanks from Max’s sister Kayleigh, adding: “We tried everything, I just wanted them to be ok.”

The mum-of-five said her eldest aged nine had only come in the house a few minutes before the incident.

“They [Max and Mason] are both innocent kids. They are nice, Max loved his football and played for Park Knowle FC. It’s just so tragic this can happened, everyone is in shock.”

A vigil was held near the scene of the attack on Sunday, where people lit candles and placed flowers for the victims.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraising page has been launched to “give these two little boys the send of they deserve”.

People lit candles at a vigil for the boys on Sunday night

Candles and a card at the vigil on Sunday

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, the world is a cruel and dangerous place now.”

The tributes come as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said tackling knife crime requires a “laser focus” as he called for the nation to “roll up our sleeves” and take action.

Hew added: “We can’t carry on with these awful stories of knife crime. We have to roll up our sleeves and do something about it.”

Detectives said further suspects are being sought and it is not yet known whether the attackers and victims were known to each other. Officers also want to speak to passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the attack.

Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacres said: “This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died.

“Our collective thoughts are with their families at what is undoubtedly a very difficult time. Specialist family liaison officers will now be assigned to the families to provide them with support and keep them updated on the investigation.”

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2024-01-29 13:45:43Z
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My son's killer had no 'obvious signs' of psychosis before killing, says Barnaby Webber's mother - The Telegraph

The mother of a university student stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane has claimed there were “no obvious” signs of psychosis before his killing after prosecutors said medical evidence was “overwhelming”.

Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed along with Grace O’Malley-Kumar and caretaker Ian Coates in Nottingham on June 13 last year, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain the accepted manslaughter plea was a “huge insult”.

After Calocane was initially charged with murder, the 32-year-old killer pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility on Thursday.

At Nottingham Crown Court, he was handed an indefinite order to be detained in a high security hospital.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mrs Webber said there were questions to answer for prosecutors after it was determined Calocane was impaired by psychosis resulting from paranoid schizophrenia.

Barnaby Webber with his mother Emma Webber

She said: “What really concerns us is it’s not been delved into how he (Valdo Calocane) acted, we sat through six hours of the most traumatic images and timeline of what this monster did.

“From leaving St Pancras in London to when he was arrested we’ve seen his movements and they really alarmed us, there was no obvious psychosis.

“He encountered lots of other people, didn’t do anything, we didn’t even know he had a rucksack full of weapons with him.

“He changed his clothes, there’s very little reference to the Slazenger bag that’s gone missing, he hid in the shadows for nearly 10 minutes waiting for our kids and then he calmly walks away, phones his brother, admits what he’s done, and goes to the secure unit and has a face-to-face interaction with the warden, doesn’t attack him.

“But that wasn’t even raised properly last week in court and so for us we’re questioning how can this be the actions of somebody in such a psychotic state?”

In a separate interview on Sky News to be broadcast on Monday night, Mrs Webber said she was “ill-prepared” to learn when the manslaughter plea was being accepted.

She said: “I do feel now with hindsight I was foolish to just trust in our legal system. I hate to say that because I do feel let down.

“We were led to believe all summer that it would be a murder charge for our son, for the other two victims and then attempted murder for the other three victims.

“It’s a massive heinous crime, so we were ill-prepared for being told on the Friday before the pre-trial hearing that they were going to be accepting a diminished responsibility which meant manslaughter. That was the moment everything turned.”

Prosecutors accepted Valdo Calocane's pleas of not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility Credit: Nottinghamshire Police/PA Wire

In a statement issued after Calocane’s sentencing, Janine McKinney from the CPS said the manslaughter plea was only accepted after “overwhelming” medical evidence.

“Valdo Calocane’s actions that morning sent shockwaves through our entire community. He left three bereaved families devastated by grief and others with life changing physical and emotional injuries.

“These were savage, ferocious attacks against entirely innocent people who had no way of defending themselves.

“His pleas to manslaughter were only accepted after very careful analysis of the evidence. We reached this conclusion because the expert medical evidence was overwhelming; namely that his actions were substantially impaired by psychosis resulting from paranoid schizophrenia. During this lengthy and complex sentencing exercise, the prosecution’s case has been that Calocane was criminally responsible for what he did, as well as being impaired by his mental health.

“My heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of Grace, Barnaby, and Ian for this tragedy, and to Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller for the ordeal that Calocane has put them through.”

The Telegraph has approached the Crown Prosecution Service for further comment.

Calls for public inquiry

Last week, Mrs Webber called for a public inquiry into the killings, after it emerged Calocane had been sectioned four times since May 2020, but discharged on each occasion.

Some Conservative MPs and Labour have backed the move, arguing something had gone “badly wrong” because Calocane was known to the police and mental health services before he carried out the attacks last year.

The former engineering student had not been taking his anti-psychotic medication and had a warrant out for his arrest after attacking a police officer.

It comes as a special review was today ordered into the NHS trust in Nottingham where Calocane was treated before he fatally stabbed his victims.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will have until March to report back on the conduct of the Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, in the hope of providing further answers for the grieving families.

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2024-01-29 09:26:00Z
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'Heartbroken' sister's tribute to little brother killed in Bristol double stabbing - The Independent

The “heartbroken” sister of one of two boys killed in a double stabbing in Bristol has paid tribute to her “beautiful” little brother.

The boys, named locally as Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, age 16, were attacked on Saturday by a group of people who fled the scene in a car.

People take part in a vigil near to the scene in south Bristol

(Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

Max’s sister Kayleigh posted an emotional tribute on Facebook on Sunday, which said: “My baby brother… one of a kind you are.

“You sleep tight. A beautiful, kind soul gone. Just taken 16 years so young and innocent oh my heart is broken.

“I really hope you know how much we love you. How much I love you. “You will be missed kiddo I’ll always look out for you in every sunset, shine bright lil’ bro.”

Have you been affected by this? Email alexander.ross@independent.co.uk

Wellwishers have been leaving flowers and tributes

Local resident Kristy Allen told The Independent she was first on the scene holding the other victim Mason after the attack.

“I feel like I could have done more, I’m so broken,” she said. “I stopped the bus and everything. He fell into my ex-partner’s arms and then onto the floor. I gave him my blanket and pillow and stayed with him. It was only us out there then everyone came out. I saw his wound, which I can never forget.

“I didn’t even know there was another boy that had been stabbed until someone found him further up.

“He looked up at me and said ‘help’ and I hugged him. He was as white as a ghost. My head is such a mess right now it was horrible and I can’t believe they died.

“I want to let his family know that he wasn’t alone and me and my ex Scott stayed with him by his side.”

A murder probe has been launched following the boy’s deaths

A vigil was held near the scene of the attack on Sunday, where people lit candles and placed flowers for the victims.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you, the world is a cruel and dangerous place now.”

The force said further suspects were being sought and it is not yet known whether the attackers and victims were known to each other.

The double tragedy has led to an outpouring of grief

Bristol Commander Supt Mark Runacres said at a press conference: “There are further suspects that are being sought amongst the group that we believe are responsible.”

Detectives are keen to speak to passengers on a bus which was on Ilminster Avenue at the time of the attack.

Bristol Commander Superintendent Mark Runacres said: “This is an incredibly shocking and tragic incident where two young boys, who had their whole lives ahead of them, have sadly died.

Police at the scene in south Bristol where two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, died after a stabbing attack (Ben Birchall/PA)

Mr Runacres said house-to-house inquiries were under way and several witnesses had been identified. He also confirmed CCTV and doorbell footage was being gathered and a mobile police station was being set up near the scene.

The victims sustained stab wounds and were taken to two hospitals - Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children - by ambulance, where they died in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police confirmed a vehicle was also seized.

The Reverend Clive Hamilton, Vicar of the nearby Saint Barnaby church, said: “It is absolutely shocking, but I’m afraid this is the reality of life in many parts of Britain, not just Knowle West.”

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees described the stabbing as a “tragic loss of life” and expressed his condolences to the families.

He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Overnight we have sadly seen further tragic loss of life in our city.

“I’m thinking of the victims and their families, going through a pain that no parent should have to experience.

“We will do all we can to support the families and the local community, working with the police.”

Anyone with information about the incident or with any relevant footage, has been asked to contact 101 and quote reference 5224023382.

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Liz Truss says Sunak's plan to gradually ban cigarette sales is 'profoundly unconservative' – UK politics live - The Guardian

Good morning. Two weeks ago Rishi Sunak saw off the Tory rebels wanting him to toughen up the Rwanda bill, last week former cabinet minister Simon Clarke was shouted down by colleagues when he called for a new leader, but the turmoil in the party never really goes away these days, and today Liz Truss, Sunak’s predecessor, is fomenting revolt on another issue.

Truss has delivered a withering attack on Sunak’s proposal to gradually ban the next generations from ever being able to buy cigarettes. She opposed the idea as soon as Sunak announced it at the Conservative party conference last year, but today she has gone further, describing the proposal as “absurd” and “profoundly unconservative”. In a statement she said:

While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society, adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives.

Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.

A Conservative government should not be seeking to extend the nanny state. This will only give succour to those who wish to ban further choices of which they don’t approve.

The newly-elected National government in New Zealand is already reversing the generational tobacco ban proposed by the previous administration.

The government urgently needs to follow suit and reverse this profoundly unconservative policy.

Truss was responding to an announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care saying that, following a consultation, the government intends to go ahead with plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes, to take other steps to halt already-illegal vape sales to children, and to ban cigarette sales permanently for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

The DHSC says legislation to do this (a tobacco and vapes bill was promised in the king’s speech) will be introduced “shortly”.

The DHSC announcement covers England and Wales, but the Scottish government has said that it will do the same, and legislation is also due to cover Northern Ireland too.

Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, has been giving interviews this morning and she has defended the plan to increase the legal age for buying cigarettes by one year every year, so that 14-year-olds never get the chance to buy a cigarette legally.

In response to Truss’s comments, she told BBC Breakfast:

I’m old enough to remember a time when you could walk into a pub and it was filled with smoke and everybody at the time when that was being debated said ‘oh this will never work’. Nowadays of course you would be astonished if somebody tried to spark up a cigarette in a pub or a public facility.

And she told LBC:

I think it’s rather like the debate that we had a decade ago about whether adults should be able to smoke in cars with their children. There was a lot of debate about that. But are we honestly saying now 10-12 years later that we would go back? Of course not.

Labour is supporting the legislation, and so there is no risk of the bill not being passed. But there may be dozens of Tory MPs who agree with Truss, and who might be willing to vote against the government on this. When Atkins was asked on the Today programme if she was confident Conservative MPs would back the bill, she sidestepped the question, saying:

We have the support of mums and dads and smokers across the country. Smokers keep coming up to me saying I wish I’d never taken up smoking.

We will be hearing from Sunak on this later.

Here is the agenda for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak is on a visit in the north-east of England.

10am: Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary and former Cabinet Office minister, gives evidence to the UK Covid inquiry in Edinburgh. (During Covid, he was the UK minister in charge of liaising with the devolved administrations.)

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Morning: Keir Starmer is visiting a branch of Iceland in the north-west of England. The Iceland boss, Richard Walker, a former Tory donor, has used an article for the Guardian to endorse Labour.

After 3pm: Peer begin debating the second reading of the safety of Rwanda (immigration and asylum bill). More than 70 peers are on the list to speak.

If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a laptop or a desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting, too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line; privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate); or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.

Filters BETA

A reader asks:

Is it true what Liz Truss says that the NZ govt are rolling back their plans for a smoking ban? Why?

She is right. And it’s because a Labour government was replaced by a rightwing coalition. There are more details here.

Adam Bienkov from Byline Times says one problem for Liz Truss, in trying to get Tory MPs to oppose the gradual ban on all cigarette sales, is that the move is popular with the public.

Shares in vaping firms tumbled this morning as disposable vapes are set to be banned in Britain, PA Media reports. PA says:

Chill Brands saw shares slide by as much as 35% in early trading as a result, while rival business Supreme saw shares drop around 12%.

Chill’s market value had fallen by over £3m, with over £10m knocked off Supreme’s valuation during the morning trading session.

The announcement forms part of the government’s response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which was launched in October last year.

The ban is expected to come into force at the end of 2024 or the start of 2025.

On Monday, Chill Brands, which makes nicotine-free vapes as well as CBD products, stressed that it is “committed to strict compliance with all relevant laws”.

Callum Sommerton, chief executive officer of Chill, said it will continue to sell its products across UK and US retailers but they are prepared to adjust to rule changes.

He said: “The vaping landscape is constantly evolving, creating opportunities for businesses that are able to navigate the regulatory environment. The Chill brand has gained rapid traction with the support of major retailers, and I am confident that it will continue to do so as we move forward with our plans to launch reusable pod system vapes.

“Chill Brands Group is an agile company, and we are prepared to adjust to any legislation that may be enacted.”

Rival Supreme, which has brands including 88Vape, also saw its shares knocked by the announcement.

The company, which has yet to comment on the latest announcement, said in October that it was “fully supportive of any further legislation in the sector”.

While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society, adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives.

Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.

A Conservative government should not be seeking to extend the nanny state. This will only give succour to those who wish to ban further choices of which they don’t approve.

The newly-elected National government in New Zealand is already reversing the generational tobacco ban proposed by the previous administration.

The government urgently needs to follow suit and reverse this profoundly unconservative policy.

The DHSC says legislation to do this (a tobacco and vapes bill was promised in the king’s speech) will be introduced “shortly”.

The DHSC announcement covers England and Wales, but the Scottish government has said that it will do the same, and legislation is also due to cover Northern Ireland too.

In response to Truss’s comments, she told BBC Breakfast:

I’m old enough to remember a time when you could walk into a pub and it was filled with smoke and everybody at the time when that was being debated said ‘oh this will never work’. Nowadays of course you would be astonished if somebody tried to spark up a cigarette in a pub or a public facility.

And she told LBC:

I think it’s rather like the debate that we had a decade ago about whether adults should be able to smoke in cars with their children. There was a lot of debate about that. But are we honestly saying now 10-12 years later that we would go back? Of course not.

We have the support of mums and dads and smokers across the country. Smokers keep coming up to me saying I wish I’d never taken up smoking.

We will be hearing from Sunak on this later.

Here is the agenda for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak is on a visit in the north-east of England.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Morning: Keir Starmer is visiting a branch of Iceland in the north-west of England. The Iceland boss, Richard Walker, a former Tory donor, has used an article for the Guardian to endorse Labour.

After 3pm: Peer begin debating the second reading of the safety of Rwanda (immigration and asylum bill). More than 70 peers are on the list to speak.

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2024-01-29 09:27:00Z
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Senin, 29 Januari 2024

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Calls for public inquiry

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