Man Guilty Of Murdering Women On Puppy Farm

A dog breeder has been found guilty of murdering his partner and her daughter at his puppy farm.

John Lowe, 82, opened fire on 66-year-old Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy Lee, 40, with a shotgun he normally used for killing rats.

Christine's daughter, Stacy Banner, said after his trial: "The shotgun was one of seven that had been returned to him by the police only months before he used it to kill."

She added: "John Lowe pulled the trigger but it was the Surrey Police who put the gun in his hands."

Christine Lee and her daughter Lucy: 'Two caring people'

Surrey Police has apologised to the family after Lowe's shotguns were returned to him in July last year following their confiscation the previous March.

The force said two reports indicated the decision was "flawed" and vowed to "co-operate fully" with an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation.

Lowe told his trial at Guildford Crown Court that the women's deaths near Farnham in Surrey in February were "a terrible accident" after a struggle over the gun as he went to destroy some dogs.

Lowe at the police station after his arrest

But the jury of six men and six women convicted him of their murders after hearing that, following his arrest, he told the police he had "put down" the women because they had been "giving me s*** for weeks".

They also heard that Lucy made a "desperate" 999 call saying that Lowe had killed her mother and telling the operator she was going back to confront him.

She was then shot twice, with Lowe reloading the .410 calibre double-barrelled weapon between shots.

Police and forensics at the scene of the shootings

Lowe, who listened to proceedings through a hearing loop, showed no emotion as the verdicts were given.

Speaking outside court, Mrs Banner said Lowe "brutally and deliberately murdered my mum and my sister by shooting each of them at close range with a shotgun - they did not stand a chance".

She added: "My life stopped when their lives ended on 23rd February this year. It will never be the same for me or my children who have lost their aunt and Nanny Burger King."

Stacy Banner reads out a statement to the waiting media

She also called for the way gun licensing decisions are made to be changed.

Christine Lee's sister, Julia James, said: "Christine had a heart of gold and was full of life. Lucy believed in protecting life and being kind to others.

"I witnessed on numerous occasions how caring Christine and Lucy had been towards Lowe. It has been heart-breaking listening to his lies."

An aerial view of the puppy farm

Surrey Police said three of its employees are being investigated for gross misconduct over the decision to return Lowe's guns before the shooting.

It is also reviewing all cases where guns have been removed and then returned to people in the last three years.

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Feminism Row: Harman Gets Shirty With Cameron

Harriet Harman has found a novel way of criticising David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions - by donning a pro-feminist top he had refused to wear.

In the Commons, the deputy Labour leader was seen wearing a T-shirt with the slogan: "This is what a feminist looks like."

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Mr Cameron had rebuffed five offers to be photographed in the shirt, which is part of a campaign by Elle magazine and the Fawcett Society.

This was despite the fact that Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg had agreed to support the initiative.

Lorraine Candy, Elle's editor-in-chief, claimed his refusal implied he "still has an issue with the word".

Both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg agreed to participate in the new campaign

Despite his vocal messages of support, the journalist insisted it "doesn't bode well" for the fight for equality "when the man in charge doesn't engage" with such a campaign.

After Ms Harman tweeted a photograph of herself in the T-shirt, she received a scathing response from the Tory press office.

They wrote: "And what does getting your husband through an all-women shortlist look like?"

Their retort was in reference to her husband, Jack Dromey, who was elected as a Birmingham MP after Labour ruled out an all-women shortlist.

The Labour party has insisted on the measure in other areas.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hunt For Bungling Robbers Caught On Camera

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Police are hunting two men who prepared for an armed robbery attempt completely unaware they were being filmed by a CCTV camera above their heads.

The incident unfolded in the Shepherd Market area of London's Mayfair in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The two men are seen on the security video walking up a nearby alley before going to a great deal of trouble to hide their faces, putting their hoodies up and putting on gloves.

The two would-be robbers enter the alley

But all the time the camera is recording very clear images of the pair, who appear not to notice it.

The men are then seen walking to the end of the street, where they attempted to rob a man at gunpoint.

The 37-year-old victim was parking his car in Shepherd Market when he was approached.

The pair walk off having pulled up their hoods

He told police one of the robbers said: "What have you got for me?"

The man managed to run away and raise the alarm, and the two would-be robbers were left to flee the scene empty handed, again caught on CCTV as they ran back up the nearby alley.

The men run back through the alley after the failed robbery attempt

One of the suspects is described as white and approximately 18 to 21 years old. He was seen putting a green bandana around his face before taking a handgun from his waistband and holding it behind his back.

Police say the second suspect is a light-skinned black man, also around 18 to 21.

As yet no arrests have been made.

Anyone who might know the identity of the men is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Top Referee Dropped For Driving Home Alone

Top football referee Mark Clattenburg has been dropped for this weekend's Premier League fixtures after breaking protocol to attend a pop concert.

The 39-year-old referee drove home alone after West Brom's game against Crystal Palace so he could watch an Ed Sheeran concert in Newcastle.

The rules of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) state officials must travel to and from the ground together.

It has also emerged Mr Clattenburg broke another rule by speaking to Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock on the phone after the 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns.

According to the PGMOL, a referee can only speak to a manager 30 minutes after the game. Any conversation must also take place in front of the referee's assistants.

Mr Clattenburg speaks to Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel in 2012

Following the breaches, the PGMOL board decided not to select the referee for any Premier League games this weekend.

Mr Clattenburg has been disciplined by the PGMOL in the past.

He was sacked five years ago by the PGMOL after an investigation into his "private business affairs". The punishment was reduced to an eight-month ban on appeal.

In 2012, Mr Clattenburg was accused of racially abusing Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel during their match against Manchester United, although he was cleared by the Football Association.

Referee Stuart Attwell will now be in charge of Leicester's home game against West Brom on Saturday.

The game at Leicester will be the referee's first Premier League match in more than two years.

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Murder Inquiry Over Body Parts On Island

A murder investigation has been launched after the remains of a woman were found on marshland by a group of ramblers.

The remains of 33-year-old Angela Millington, from Southend, were discovered on 21 June on Foulness Island in Essex.

Ramblers walking in a salt marsh area on the island initially found a collection of bones.

Police were called in and more remains were found.

Ms Millington was identified after forensic and DNA tests and, while it is not known how long the bones had been there, police believe she was murdered.

Ms Millington was last seen alive in Southend on 21 November

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Werrett, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "We have launched a murder investigation as we don't know what happened to Angela.

"We are keeping all lines of enquiry open. Anyone with any information, no matter how small, could help us to discover how Angela died and bring her justice."

Ms Millington had no fixed address and was last seen alive when she visited a housing officer in Westcliff on 21 November last year.

She took money out of her bank account on that same day and her mobile phone has not been used since the end of that month.

Mr Werrett added: "We have not found any of her clothing or belongings.

"Angela was known to associate with street drinkers and local homeless people.

"There was a sighting of her by a police officer in the Porters Grange area of Southend on 6 January but we have no definite details of her movements since 21 November.

"The expert reports indicate that she did not die on Foulness but was either taken there or the body was carried there in the tide."

:: Anybody with information is asked to contact police on 01702 470173. Twitter users can make contact through #answers4angela.

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Netanyahu Dismisses 'Coward' Claims From US

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, in Jerusalem

Israel's Prime Minister has vowed not to bow to "pressure" from Washington, after US administration officials reportedly labelled him a "coward".

An article in The Atlantic magazine quoted unnamed White House officials condemning Benjamin Netanyahu for lacking political courage, his posturing over the Iranian nuclear issue, and for his commitment to the continued construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The article is the latest sign of the apparently deteriorating relationship between the Israeli and US leaderships.

Officials in Mr Netanyahu's office said the Prime Minister would "continue to meet the security interests of Israel's citizens and the rights of the Jewish people in Jerusalem".

Ties between traditional allies US and Israel are increasingly strained

"No pressure will change that."

Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of pro-settler Jewish Home party, called on the Obama administration to reject the criticisms, which also described Mr Netanyahu as being "chickens***".

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1. Gallery: September 2014: West Bank Clashes

   A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen during clashes following a protest against the near-by Jewish settlement of Qadomem, in the West Bank village of Kofr Qadom near Nablus

3. A Palestinian protester uses a sling to throw stones towards Israeli border policemen

4. A Palestinian protester throws back a gas canister towards Israeli border policemen

6. Israeli soldiers and border policemen run towards Palestinian protesters

7. Mourners chant slogans during the funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron

8. A Palestinian protester pushes a burring tyre towards Israeli troops during clashes following funeral of Palestinian prisoner Raed al-Jaabari in the West Bank city of Hebron

"Serious curses such as these towards the Prime Minister of Israel are hurtful to millions of Israeli citizens and Jews around the world," said Mr Bennett.

"If what was written is true, the current government is planning to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus. I call for the US government to renounce these provocative insults and reject them out of hand."

The article in The Atlantic come days after reports the Israeli government is forwarding plans for the construction of a further 1,000 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem.

Some 600 new units were penned for the Ramat Sholmo settlement in North East Jerusalem, and 400 in the Har Homa settlement, on the southern edge of the city.

Israeli settlements beyond the so-called "green line", which represents Israel's pre-1967 borders, are considered illegal under international law.

Israel seized east Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it - a move which has never been recognised by the international community.

The latest announcement prompted stern criticism from EU governments and the US.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "We continue to make our position absolutely clear that we view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem."

But, speaking at the Israeli Parliament on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said: "I've heard the claim that our construction in Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem distances peace."

"It's this criticism that distances peace. These statements are detached from reality, they foster false statements by Palestinians."

Later on Wednesday the UN Security Council will discuss Israel's settlement announcements, following a request by Jordan.

Palestinian officials have warned the announcement of further settlement construction will fuel rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where protests and violent incidents have been on the increase.

On Friday a Palestinian teenager was shot dead during protests.

Last week a three-month-old Israeli baby was killed and several other people injured when a Palestinian man drove his car into a crowd waiting at a tram station.

Days earlier a five-year-old Palestinian girl was run over and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank.

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RBS Seeks To Shut Down Payday Loan Brokers

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has told Sky News it is actively working to close payday loan brokers.

The group, which includes the Natwest and Ulster Bank brands in its stable, said that between July and August alone it was receiving 650 complaints a day from its customers about payday brokers.

It said one million attempts were being made a month to remove money from RBS or Natwest accounts and said that one customer of a payday broker who was seeking a £100 loan was charged £700 in fees.

Brokers are web-based and do not lend money themselves but often charge fees even if their attempts to find a lender are unsuccessful. Fees usually range between £50 and £100.

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that, in the worst cases, brokers have passed a person's bank details to others which then also attempt to charge the individual for a service.

Its story prompted the Financial Ombudsman to issue a new warning about the use of payday brokers, saying nearly 11,500 people had contacted the service to complain about credit-brokering websites since April alone.

In two-thirds of complaints it investigated, the ombudsman agreed that the consumer had been treated unfairly. Fees were refunded in the remainder of cases.

The ombudsman said many people using the websites thought they were applying for a loan directly and did not realise that they were paying a middleman and loans would not materialise. 

Senior ombudsman Juliana Francis said: "In too many of the cases we sort out, no loan is provided and people's bank accounts have been charged a high fee, often multiple times.

"If money has been taken from your account unfairly or without warning, the good news is the ombudsman is here to help."

The Consumer Finance Association (CFA), which represents some of the best known payday lenders but does not represent brokers, said: "Brokers do not lend any money - they are simply the middlemen.

"There is no need to pay a fee to arrange a loan. You can go direct to reputable lenders who have new rules that ensure they will be clear and up front about costs and they cannot make more than two attempts to collect your loan payments from your account.

"Many brokers have no such rules and will keep dipping into your account to take arrangement fees."

Sky News revealed last month how the Competition and Markets Authority was changing the scope of its clampdown on payday lenders to include a greater focus on the brokers too.

Previous regulatory reforms within the short-term credit industry have included rules on capping daily rates and stricter advertising.

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Asylum: 29,000 Cases Unresolved Since 2007

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Failings in the UK's asylum system have led to an "extremely concerning" backlog of cases - with the Home Office accused of being in chaos over immigration.

Some 11,000 asylum seekers have been waiting since 2007 to be told whether they can stay in the country.

In total there are 29,000 cases waiting to be resolved, according to a damning report.

Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: "To make matters worse, the department is also failing to meet its targets for dealing with newer claims, so it is now creating another backlog for itself.

"The number of claims awaiting an initial decision was up 70% to 16,273 in the first three months of 2014 compared to the same period last year.

Video: Asylum Process System In Chaos

"It is deeply worrying that the Home Office is not tracking those people whose applications have been rejected to ensure that they are removed from the UK."

The report said there are 175,000 people whose applications to stay in the UK have been rejected and are still awaiting removal.

The Government scrapped the UK Border Agency last year as part of major reforms. 

One asylum seeker has told Sky News she feels mentally "tortured" after being left in limbo.

Her case has been repeatedly delayed and nine months after applying for asylum the Ugandan woman still has not been given a proper interview about her request.

Fearing further delays to her claim, she asked only to be known as "Namusoke" and explained to Sky News: "I feel tortured here in the UK, I feel depressed, stressed and traumatised, so I really feel bad because I can't help nothing for myself.

"I'm a beggar, which I was not born to do."

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1. Gallery: Struggle Of Calais Migrants 'Prepared To Die'

   Migrants who are trying to get to the UK are continuing to live in tents and get on to lorries after Calais' mayor warned MPs they were "prepared to die"

2. The images show migrants running behind a truck to try to board it as it approached the border post between Britain and France

3. Other pictures showed the conditions that the migrants were prepared to live in

4. The mayor of Calais told MPs that fencing donated by Britain to keep illegal migrants from the French port was "laughable"

5. She said that the border controls should be in Britain, not in France as they are at present

6. Ms Bouchart told the parliamentary committee it was easier to get welfare benefits in Britain and that migrants viewed the country as an "Eldorado"

7. Up to 2,300 migrants are thought to be in Calais and surrounding areas

8. In recent months the French say migrants have been overwhelming security forces as they make regular attempts to mob the port en masse to try and scramble on to trucks boarding ferries to Dover

9. The pictures were also taken on a day when Britain's asylum system was described as being a "failure"

The woman is fleeing persecution in her homeland due to the fact she is a lesbian - homosexuality is deemed illegal in Uganda.

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "The immigration system we inherited was totally dysfunctional.

"Turning around years of mismanagement has taken time, but it is now well under way.

"We have reformed visa routes to make them more resistant to fraud and cancelled failing contracts; and we are addressing the backlogs we inherited."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "This report lays bare how Theresa May and David Cameron are presiding over one failure after another in our immigration system."

The Refugee Council's head of advocacy, Lisa Doyle, said: "It's extremely concerning that so many people are still waiting for a decision on their asylum claim, years after first applying."

On Tuesday the mayor of Calais said Britain's benefits system had become a magnet for asylum seekers making their way across the English Channel from France - and that many are "prepared to die" to make the journey.

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Tesco Faces Criminal Probe Over Profits Crisis

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched a formal criminal probe into Tesco's accounting crisis that led the UK's biggest retailer to overstate profits by £263m.

The news was confirmed by both the supermarket chain and SFO, hours after Sky News first revealed details of the investigation.

The company said: "Tesco confirms that it has been notified by the SFO that it has commenced an investigation into accounting practices at the company.

"Tesco has been co-operating fully with the SFO and will continue to do so.

"Tesco has been notified by the Financial Conduct Authority that, in light of the SFO investigation, its investigation will be discontinued."

Video: Tesco's Woes In Detail

The SFO probe, while not entirely unexpected, adds to the sense of crisis at Tesco.

The company, which has lost more than half its value during the last year, has been hit by unprecedented boardroom turmoil, with the chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, planning to quit next year.

Eight executives, including UK managing director Chris Bush, have been asked to stand aside pending the outcome of investigations into the accounting mis-statement, which relate to payments from major suppliers.

Deloitte, the accountancy firm, and Freshfields, Tesco's legal adviser, undertook a preliminary probe, which was handed to the retailer's board last week.

That report has been handed to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), with which Tesco said earlier this month it is co-operating.

Dave Lewis, the new Tesco chief executive, last week unveiled a fall in half-year profits of more than 90% as the company battles to recapture market share lost to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.

Tesco has also been deserted by some of its leading shareholders, including the US-based Harris Associates and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, amid concern over its strategy and the state of its balance sheet.

The turmoil has forced Tesco to shore up its financial position by turning to five banks to lend the company £1bn each in order to head off the prospect of lenders calling in existing loans.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday that major consumer goods companies which supply Tesco have asked auditors to scrutinise their dealings with the retailer.

The SFO, which has powers to prosecute companies as well as individuals, has been pursuing high-profile cases against Barclays, GlaxoSmithKline and Rolls-Royce, among others.

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Student's Left Foot Is Now Her Knee After Op

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

A performing arts student who was diagnosed with cancer and faced losing her leg will soon be walking again after her ankle was used to create a new knee.

Jordon Moody, 22, took advice from specialists at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and rejected a full amputation in favour of a procedure called rotationplasty.

The delicate operation, carried out by the NHS in July, involved removing most of her thigh and reattaching her lower leg to replace it.

Jordon hopes to have her prosthetic limb fitted next month

Jordon's shinbone is now where her thigh was, but back to front, so her ankle joint acts like a knee and her foot points backwards ready to have an artificial limb attached.

"At first it was backwards," she explained. "They'd say 'straighten your foot' and I'd automatically bend it.

"Obviously my calf is at the front, if I got an itch on my calf I'd automatically go round the back because my brain and I am used to it being round the back, so that took a lot of getting used to."

Jordon's shinbone is now where her thigh was, but back to front

The operation has become a recognised procedure in the rare cases where someone needs to have their leg amputated but the lower limb is healthy.

Jordon, from Hessle, near Hull, has publicised her case as part of the Cancer Research UK Stand Up To Cancer fundraising drive.

She hopes to have her prosthetic limb fitted next month and will then have to learn to walk again.

"Once I have that fitted then I'm up and running, I can get rid of my crutches which I've needed for a couple of years now," she said.

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