Maoist cult leader was found dead in bed in prison cell, inquest hears

Aravindan Balakrishnan, jailed in 2016 for string of sexual assaults, died of natural causes, coroner rules

A Maoist cult leader jailed for a string of sexual assaults and for keeping his daughter captive for three decades was found dead in bed in his prison cell, an inquest has heard.

Aravindan Balakrishnan, 81, who called himself Comrade Bala and brainwashed his cult into thinking he had godlike powers and could read their minds, died at HMP Dartmoor in Devon on 8 April 2022.

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‘I never expected this in the UK’: modern slavery expert receives death threat

Migrants at Work founder Aké Achi claims police failed to act on letter sent to his home warning of harm to his family

A leading modern slavery expert who pursues employers on behalf of exploited overseas workers, recovering thousands of pounds for them in the process, has received a threat on his life.

Aké Achi, founder and chief executive of Migrants at Work, an organisation which protects workers’ rights, says the letter was posted to his home.

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Manchester youth who delivered ‘fatal blow’ to Kennie Carter detained for 16 years

Three others sentenced to up to five years in young offender institution for revenge attack against teenager

Four teenagers have been sentenced for killing a 16-year-old boy out of revenge in a fatal attack where a single stab “pierced his heart”.

Kennie Carter died after being stabbed in the chest once in Stretford, Greater Manchester, on the evening of 22 January 2022.

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School worker jailed for sexually abusing autistic boy aged under 16

Acasia Welburn pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual activity with child by person in a position of trust

A school worker has been jailed for sexually abusing an autistic boy who was under 16 at the time, police said.

Acasia Welburn, now 26, had been working at a school in North Yorkshire in a “trusted care position” when she abused the child.

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Murder investigation launched after man shot dead in Merseyside

Police patrols stepped up in area after man, 36, killed in Kirkby on Wednesday evening

A murder investigation has been launched after a 36-year-old man was shot dead on the streets of Merseyside.

Police said they received a report at 6.35pm on Wednesday from the North West ambulance service that a man had been shot in Kirkby.

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Fears UK prisons face ‘collapse’ as they could be full before early release scheme begins

With Labour plan not coming into effect until September, ex-prison governor says emergency measures can only ‘keep a lid on things’

Prisons could still hit full capacity within weeks despite new emergency measures announced by Labour to release some prisoners early.

An unprecedented move to cut the time served in custody for most sentences to 40% will not come into effect until September, and officials fear that capacity will be overwhelmed by the end of August. The justice secretary has described the situation as a “ticking timebomb”.

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Sunak and ministers are ‘guilty men’ in prisons crisis, says justice secretary

Shabana Mahmood says Tories left country threatened with total breakdown of law and order

Rishi Sunak and his former ministers are “the guilty men” who should be held responsible for “the most disgraceful dereliction of duty” by failing to address the prisons crisis, the justice secretary has said.

Speaking as she set out plans to release thousands of inmates early to ease pressure in overcrowded jails, Shabana Mahmood said the Conservatives “had left the country threatened with a total breakdown of law and order”.

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Tributes paid to three women killed in ‘devastating’ Bushey crossbow attack

Neighbours of Carol Hunt and her daughters express shock as racing community sends John Hunt sympathy

Tributes have been paid to three women killed in an “utterly devastating” crossbow attack.

Carol Hunt and her two daughters, beautician Hannah Hunt, 28, and dog groomer Louise Hunt, 25, were found injured at a home in Bushey, Hertfordshire on Tuesday and died shortly after at the scene.

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Bushey crossbow killings: suspect taken to hospital after being located – as it happened

Manhunt was launched after Carol Hunt, 61, and two of her daughters, Hannah and Louise, were found at their home, where they later died

A resident living near the scene of the triple murder has told Sky News that suddenly last night there was a large number of police cars in the street, and that some of the officers were armed. He said that at first he thought it must have been a terrorism incident. Derek Turner told viewers

It was like an explosion in the street of police cars and ambulances. I would say in just this little bit here there were at least ten police cars. And we didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t have a clue. And suddenly there were police outside in black uniforms with semi-automatic guns walking around. So I initially thought it might be terrorists or something.

But that’s all I can say. It’s all been blocked off. It’s been a bit of a shock because it’s a really residential area. Nothing much ever goes on around here at all apart from people going back and forwards to work.

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Holly Willoughby speaks out after man convicted of plot to rape and murder her

Presenter says women should not be made to ‘feel unsafe going about our daily lives’ after Gavin Plumb convicted of plan to abduct her

Holly Willoughby has said “women should not be made to feel unsafe going about our daily lives and in our own homes” after a convicted violent offender was found guilty of masterminding a plot to kidnap, rape and murder her.

Gavin Plumb, 37, was obsessed with the television host, amassing more than 10,000 images of her on his phone including deepfake pornography. He was caught after unwittingly communicating online with an undercover police officer based in the US, who flagged him to UK authorities.

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Lucy Letby found guilty of trying to kill two-hour-old baby

Former neonatal nurse convicted on retrial after jury at original trial was unable to reach verdict

Lucy Letby has been found guilty of trying to kill a two-hour-old baby girl on the hospital ward where she murdered seven other infants.

The “cold-blooded, calculated killer”, who is serving 14 whole-life prison terms, was convicted on Tuesday of attempting to murder the “extremely premature” infant after a retrial at Manchester crown court.

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Grimsby man jailed for sexually assaulting dead bodies in mortuary

Damon Tingay punched the body of one man twice and performed sex acts on two male bodies, court heard

A Grimsby man who went on a rampage in a hospital mortuary, violently and sexually attacking bodies, was told by a judge there was a “very, very dark side” tohim as he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Damon Tingay, 30, broke into Diana, Princess of Wales hospital in Grimsby in the early hours of 17 March and was caught on CCTV opening a number of fridges and interfering with the bodies.

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NCA failure to investigate imports linked to forced Uyghur labour unlawful, court rules

Decision could result in retailers being prosecuted if they import goods made through forced labour, campaigners say

The UK National Crime Agency’s decision not to launch an investigation into the importation of cotton products manufactured by forced labour in China’s Xinjiang province was unlawful, the court of appeal has found.

Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), which brought the action, said Thursday’s decision was a landmark win that could lead to high street retailers being prosecuted under the Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) if they import goods made through forced labour.

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Acid offences up 75% in UK but only 8% go to court, data suggests

Acid Survivors Trust International calls for more focus on prevention in similar strategy to that for knife crime

Acid attacks and other offences involving corrosive substances in the UK have risen by 75% in a year but only 8% of cases led to criminal charges or a summons, figures suggest.

The total number of recorded offences last year based on freedom of information (FOI) requests was 1,244 – up from 710 in 2022 – comprising 454 physical attacks and 790 other alleged offences, including carrying corrosives and threats of acid attack to aid other offences such as rape or robbery.

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Families vow to step up fight for answers on anniversary of Nottingham killings

Relatives of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates instruct legal team to investigate police and health trust

The families of the victims of the Nottingham attacks have vowed to take their fight for accountability “to the next level” on the one-year anniversary of the killings.

In a joint statement, the families of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates, who were killed by Valdo Calocane in the early hours of 13 June last year, said they had instructed a legal team to help them “leave no stone unturned on our quest for answers”.

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Girl shot in Hackney was on school holiday visit from Birmingham

Girl remains in critical condition after being hit by bullet in suspected drive-by attack

The young girl left in a critical condition after being mistakenly shot by a suspected gangland hitman was visiting relatives in London on her half-term holiday.

The girl, from Birmingham, was still in hospital on Friday after a bullet struck her as she ate at Evin restaurant, in Hackney, north-east London, on Wednesday evening.

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France’s cold case unit orders new DNA tests in unsolved Alps murders

Deaths of members of British al-Hilli family and French cyclist in remote layby have baffled detectives since 2012

Detectives from France’s cold case unit have ordered DNA analysis of evidence in the unsolved killing of a British family and a French cyclist in a remote Alpine village 12 years ago.

Clothes belonging to one of the victims, cigarette butts found at the scene and pieces of the gun used in the killings are to be tested in the hopes of solving the mystery of the murders, described by the local prosecutor as “an act of gross savagery”.

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Man jailed for attempted murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend in south Wales

Daniel Mihai Popescu given more than 17 years for stabbing Andreea Pintili as she left home in Aberfan

A man who stabbed his pregnant ex-girlfriend weeks before she was due to give birth to their baby has been jailed for 17 years and four months for attempted murder.

Daniel Mihai Popescu, 29, grabbed Andreea Pintili as she left home in Aberfan, south Wales, and told her: “I have a knife and I am going to kill you.”

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