Driving ban for ex-councillor Emma Holton four times over limit
The court heard a breathalyser test revealed 144 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of Holton's breath, which was above the legal limit of 35 micrograms. Holton represented her ward between 2015 and 2019, first as a Conservative and later as an independent.
This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Bonnie and Clyde' couple who planned brutal rape of young children jailed
A couple who dubbed themselves Bonnie and Clyde have been jailed for planning and fantasising about the 'brutal' rape and sexual assault of young children under the age of 12. Stuart Compton, 46, and his partner, Tracy Turner, 52, sent each other thousands of messages planning the depraved abuse of two girls and a boy over a two-year period. Merthyr Crown Court heard their sick plan failed after an online dating app informed police of concerns about Compton, and the pair were arrested. Sentencing the couple on Monday, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, handed Compton a life sentence, while Turner was given 12 years in jail, with a further two years on extended licence. Compton must serve a minimum term of seven years in prison before he can apply to the parole board for release. Addressing Compton, she said: 'Unless and until the parole board considers it safe to release you, you will remain in prison.' At an earlier hearing, the couple, who referred to each other as Bonnie and Clyde in messages, both pleaded guilty to six counts of arranging sex attacks on children. Compton also pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images, and Turner, who is a hospital operating assistant, admitted two counts of the same offence. Bonnie and Clyde were outlaws who gained notoriety in the 1930s for a series of bank robberies in America. The judge said messages showed they had discussed 'over and over again' their desires to rape children and their conversations 'made clear that this was not fantasy'. The couple had planned to carry out the acts, with Ms Lloyd-Clarke saying they had 'carefully identified' a location for one of the rapes to take place. 'You were both sexually aroused by the idea of raping a child,' she said. She added: 'You both deny your sexual interest in children, you both minimise your offending.' The couple must also inform the police of any names or addresses they use and are barred from working with children and vulnerable groups. Compton, from Cathays, and Turner, from Roath, both Cardiff, had denied a string of other offences, including conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and conspiracy to kidnap, which were ordered to lie on the file. Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, told the court their conversations demonstrated a 'clear intent to arrange and commit sexual acts' with young children, although no child was ever abused. 'The first threads of messages suggested fantasy, they expressly talked about fantasy, but this developed into an obsession,' Mr Cobbe said. 'Their obsession drove them to discuss over and over the sexual acts that they intended to perform and the ways that they believed that they could achieve that goal.' The prosecutor said they had been arranging the 'brutal rape' of one of the children and had planned to drug the child to aid the abuse. 'They recognised the abuse for what it was, they recognised that it was rape,' he said. 'It was not a realisation that it would amount to rape, instead they were clearly stimulated by the fact that it was rape. 'Compton would press her whether she wanted to be present, she would confirm that she did and go on to confirm that she wanted to be involved. 'Compton claimed that he would accept all responsibility for the acts. 'The exchanges lasted months, they began as a fantasy but they became an obsession and an intended goal.' The court heard that messages recovered by the police took weeks to go through because there was so many, and showed Compton was interested in children 'aged one to six'. Examination of Compton's device showed that he discussed his fantasies with others, and would develop his own character in these conversations, 'creating depraved sexual stories involving children'. Referring to Turner, Mr Cobbe said: 'They exchange messages where they discuss the possibility of going to a festival or camping, so that they can be 'around' families with young children. 'Turner suggests a family festival, not too expensive. 'Compton thinks that is a 'great idea', commenting he'd like to go to a 'hippy one, where lots of drugs consumed leaving unattended girls, great f****** idea that's genius babe'.' Some of the messages the couple sent each other were read out in court, with each of them describing what they wanted to do to the young children and each other. In one message, Compton asked if she was serious about getting involved, and Turner responded: 'I'm not f****** about, babe.' The mother of one of the young girls described in a victim impact statement how they had stopped trusting people after learning of Compton and Turner's crimes. 'The decisions we make as parents are now different and lead to paranoia,' she said. 'Some days it is very real and other days it is like a dream. We do not want this to define our family. We cannot undo this.' The father of another girl described the defendants' crimes as 'incomprehensible'. 'I hope what they have done to me and my family stays with them for the rest of their lives,' he said. His partner added: 'Finding out about their crimes turned our world upside down. 'I have always had an open and honest relationship with my daughter. 'I am furious that I have had to lie to my child to protect her from these offences.' Kevin Seal, representing Compton, insisted his client had expressed remorse for his actions in a pre-sentence report. Mr Seal said: 'It was clear to the author of the report that these were genuine comments from the defendant himself – 'I have let everybody down'. 'He wished to apologise to anyone who has been let down by his actions.' A doctor diagnosed Compton with a compulsive sexualised behaviour disorder, which involves intense preoccupation with sexual fantasies and behaviours. 'It is not to be confused with sex addiction,' he said. He said the disorder did not provide 'any form of defence' but wished the judge to understand what Compton suffered from. He said the Compton had used a mixture of proscribed medication for his back and illegal drugs, including cocaine and cannabis, as well as alcohol. Mr Seal said the defendant had recognised he had a problem and reached out for support for the drugs and there had been a 'marked de-escalation' of messages regarding children. Nicola Powell, representing Turner, told the court she had ended the relationship with Compton as soon as she was arrested and had no contact with him since. 'She was a lady who, until these allegations were made and pleas entered, was without previous convictions,' she said. 'She had worked as a senior theatre assistant in the NHS for over 30 years without a blemish on her character.' Miss Powell said Turner had a long-standing issue with depression and anxiety, which led her in later years to abuse alcohol and cocaine. 'She accepts that she had an extremely unhealthy relationship with him, she abused alcohol and he introduced her to cocaine,' she said. 'This was not the support she needed and quite simply, it led her to spiral downwards and out of emotional control. 'By the time of her arrest, she was taking cocaine every day. She thought she loved Mr Compton and he loved her.' Miss Powell said that Turner told the author of a pre-sentence report: 'I am very sorry and ashamed. I'll never forgive myself for the rest of my life.' The barrister added: 'I would ask you to accept that her remorse in this case is genuine.' A spokeswoman for the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said it would be inappropriate for them to comment on the case but confirmed that Turner was dismissed from her position in March 2025. She insisted that the safety and wellbeing of patients is the Board's highest priority. She added: 'We would like to take this opportunity to reassure patients that the criminal case is entirely unconnected with the individual's employment within Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.'
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Police officers detained after smacking son win appeal after ‘unlawful' arrests
Two married police officers who were arrested after one of them smacked their teenage son have won a High Court battle over claims they were unlawfully detained. The officers, who both serve with the Metropolitan Police, were arrested by Surrey Police in March 2019 after the wife gave her son what she described as a 'light smack on the left cheek' after he misbehaved. They sued Surrey Police after being told they would face no further action, claiming their detention was unlawful as it was unnecessary. The couple, who have three children, had their claims dismissed following a trial last year and appealed against the decision at the High Court earlier this month. In a ruling on Monday, Mr Justice Bourne overturned the decision. He said: 'In my judgment, on a proper analysis of the evidence at trial, the police did not show that there was an objective basis for the belief that it was necessary to arrest either claimant.' The judge said in a 30-page ruling that at the time of the incident, the couple's son, referred to as ABD, had 'an unfortunate history of challenging behaviour' and had begun attending a youth centre to access mental health services. The couple cancelled ABD's birthday party in March 2019 after he misbehaved, causing him to go to his room, where he 'kicked things around'. This led his mother to smack her son while his father was asleep, which she said 'was not hard and did not cause any injury or leave any mark'. ABD attended the youth centre the following day and told staff that he had been assaulted by his mother and that his father had done nothing to stop it. Despite offering to be interviewed voluntarily, both parents were arrested and detained for more than seven hours. ABD returned to the family home the following day, with police deeming that the children were not at risk of harm and telling the couple that they would face no further action three days after their arrest. Following a five-day trial at Guildford County Court, a judge dismissed their legal claims, finding that police 'reasonably believed' that their arrests were necessary 'to protect a child or children from the person in question and to enable a prompt and effective investigation'. The judge also ordered the couple to pay 70 per cent of the force's legal costs. At a hearing in London on July 2, barristers for the couple told the High Court that the judge 'erred' by finding that the arrests were 'objectively reasonable' as both parents had offered to give voluntary interviews. In his ruling, Mr Justice Bourne said he was 'unable to agree' with the trial judge's finding that there was a 'rational basis' for officers to conclude that voluntary interviews were not an option. He said: 'In the present case, no reason has been identified which actually explains why voluntary interviews were not a viable alternative.' He continued: 'None of this means that police officers are entitled to special treatment when they find themselves suspected of an offence. 'But the police must assess the circumstances and make rational decisions as to whether coercive measures are needed or not.' He added: 'Merely referring to the need to protect children and to protect the integrity of the investigation was not and is not enough. 'It follows that the arrests were unlawful and the claims should have succeeded.'
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Starmer joins Trump on Air Force One
Keir Starmer joined Donald Trump for a 250-mile flight in Air Force One so they could have dinner together tonight, after the president told the PM how to win the next election. The Prime Minister waved as he boarded the US presidential Boeing 747 at Prestwick tonight after talks and a chaotic press conference at Trump's Turnberry golf resort. The president advised his 'not too liberal' friend to cut taxes and immigration if he wanted to beat Nigel Farage at the next election. And he gently pressed the PM on giving the go-ahead for new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, while slamming funding for wind power . The PM stood up for green energy hours before boarding the aging American behemoth, which is built for long-haul journeys rather than a short hop across Scotland. 'We believe in a mix, and obviously oil and gas will be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear (power),' he said. The flight will land at RAF Lossiemouth, due to Aberdeen Airport having too short a runway for the 747. It was the PM's second flight of the day, having arrived in Scotland from Switzerland, where he watched the Lionesses retain their Women's Euros title last night. Without any awkwardness about playing one mate off against the other the president used the hour-long televised bromantic encounter to tell the PM to cut taxes and stop 'murderers and drug dealers' from coming to Britain. While Sir Keir sat beside him with an impassive look on his face he also attacked subsidies for wind power and - gently - suggested he should back fresh drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea instead. He was full of praise for the Prime Minister and the way he was running the country, despite their ideological differences, saying Sir Keir was was 'liberal ..but not too liberal' in his approach. Mr Trump added: 'I think the one that's toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add… low taxes, and you add the economy. '(Sir Keir) did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the deal that was made. But I think that, I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.' The president had earlier told Sir Keir Britain and the rest of Europe it must stop illegal immigration to avoid 'ruin' as the two leaders met in Scotland today. Mr Farage is not meeting Mr Trump during the visit. The American leader attacked Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan as a 'nasty person' and hailed both Sir Keir and Nigel Farage as 'great men' as the leaders took a series of questions across domestic and foreign affairs. The president also indicated that the US may not impose heavy tariffs on British pharmaceuticals, telling reporters that 'we certainly feel a lot better' about the UK working on drugs that will be sold in the States compared to other nations. The president had earlier said that he thinks Sir Keir, who has been in office for more than a year, will be 'a tax cutter.' The president had earlier spoken out as he met Sir Keir and Lady Victoria on the clubhouse steps at his Ayrshire golf course. During the president's 'working holiday' in the country of his mother's birth he spoke to reporters as bagpipes played in the background. He spoke out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - which the leaders will discuss further - and had criticism for Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. But he also addressed the wider issue of immigration facing Europe he added that it was becoming a 'different place' - and praised Sir Keir for taking a strong stance against it. 'This is a magnificent part of the world, and you cannot ruin it, you cannot let people come here illegally,' the president said. 'And what happens is there'll be murderers, there'll be drug dealers, there'll be all sorts of things that other countries don't want. 'They send them to you and they send them to us and you've got to stop them and I hear you've taken a very strong stand on immigration. And taking a strong stand on immigration is imperative.' The latest data from the Home Office indicates that 122 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Saturday. Security was tight at Turnberry as they discussed how to continue putting into place the US-UK trade deal they signed earlier this year, as well as the Middle East crisis. They met on the steps of the clubhouse while a bagpiper playing loudly in the background, with the president saying Sir Keir was going a 'great job'. He also said he did not mind Sir Keir 'taking a position' on Palestinian statehood, though he said he would not do so himself. The president rejected Israel's claim there is 'no starvation' in Gaza, saying that images of famine in the occupied territory could not be fake. He said Gaza was 'a mess' ahead of talks about the deepening humanitarian crisis. They piled pressure on Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who yesterday insisted 'there is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza' Images and warnings of starvation emerging from Gaza in recent days have piled pressure on the Israeli government over its conduct in the conflict. But Trump called for food to be allowed into Gaza immediately. He said he was not convinced by the Israeli denials, adding: 'That's real starvation stuff... and you can't fake that.' The PM, who was due to present to Mr Trump a UK-led plan to bring peace to the Middle East, added it was an 'absolute catastrophe'. Sir Keir held crisis talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the weekend. Britain is working with Jordan to airdrop aid into Gaza and evacuate children needing medical assistance, with military planners deployed for further support.
