Woman's death in Bakersfield house fire ruled an accident
Following the inquest, fire investigator Chris Navin offered condolences to Ms Tunstall's family and friends.He said the fire was a "reminder" of the risks of smoking, adding: "We recommend that if anyone chooses to smoke to do so outside, however, this is not always possible to achieve."If you have to smoke inside, smoking in bed or whilst tired isn't advised, as there is always an enhanced risk of injury."
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Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Teens who tortured kittens to 'reduce urge to hurt humans' are jailed
Two teenagers, who tortured and killed kittens in the woods because one wanted to 'reduce his urges to kill humans' have been locked up and banned from owning pets again. The boy, 17, and girl, 17, who cannot be named due to their age, both pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and possession of a bladed article in a public place. At a sentencing hearing at Highbury Magistrates Court in London in the UK, the male defendant was sentenced to 12-months in a secure youth center while the female defendant received a nine-month sentence. District judge Hina Rai told the 17-year-old boy that the killings were 'without a doubt the most awful offences against animals I have seen in this court'. Earlier this year, two eyewitnesses saw the couple holding hands as they approached a secluded part of a footpath in Ruislip, northwest London, carrying a black animal carrier with cats inside, the court heard. Armed with knives, a blowtorch, and scissors, the pair dismembered the kittens and then left their mutilated bodies behind. One kitten was recovered hanging from a tree by a rope. The kittens that the defendants killed were sourced through legitimate websites where owners sell pets. The pair falsely indicated they were legitimate buyers and paid for the animals in cash. During a police interview, the male defendant laughed when he was shown images of the weapons recovered at the scene. Meanwhile, the girl suggested she wanted to dissect the animals due to her interest in biology. A member of the public who discovered the mutilated kittens on May 3rd warned another passerby not to go down the footpath because 'there is something horrific down there'. In sentencing, the judge told the boy that his actions were 'extensively planned' and 'clearly premeditated'. Judge Hina Raijudge added: 'You said sorry in your (police) interview but reports also show that you struggle to show empathy and realise that the kittens would suffer. 'It seems you chose the kittens because they have emotion and you would have power over them.' Notes found on the boy's phone detailed his desire to murder people too. He had previously written: 'I really wanted to murder someone. 'Every day I was researching how to get away with murder. 'I have come close. I have killed cats to reduce my urges. 'I have skinned, strangled, and stabbed cats.' Prior to this offence, the boy - who has reportedly suffered with depression, anxiety, hallucinations, and self-harm - had no previous convictions. Earlier, prosecutor Valerie Benjamin told the court the boy's actions 'showed a degree of planning in terms of looking for animals and researching in terms of killing animals, and his desire to go on to killing humans, and how it would be to get away with murder and killing a homeless person'. The horrific scenes were not a 'spur of the moment' event but involved planning in 'finding the animals, taking them to a public place and killing them in such a sadistic manner'. Stephen Hancock of the Crown Prosecution Service added: 'This was an unimaginable act of cruelty on two defenceless animals which caused immense shock across our community. 'The manner in which these teenagers left the kittens was deeply disturbing and distressing. 'Instead of letting them hide behind their age, the CPS put forward the strongest possible charges to ensure they faced the full consequences of their actions. 'Whatever their motivation may have been, both defendants have now been disqualified from ever owning a pet and will have to live with a criminal record for the rest of their life.'
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Showjumper and horse rider GUILTY of forcing underage girl into sex with them before hatching ‘pact of silence'
A SHOWJUMPER and horse rider have been found guilty of forcing an underage girl into having sex with them. Guy Simmonds, 37, and Lauren Jarvis, 26, targeted the girl despite knowing she was under 16. 3 3 Equestrian boss Simmonds called himself "daddy" in messages to the youngster as he plotted the illicit encounter. He and Jarvis then hatched a "pact of silence" when they got wind that the girl was talking about it. The pair were today convicted of sexual activity with a child following a trial. Simmonds was found not guilty on five other charges of sexual activity with a child relating to the same victim. Cardiff Crown Court heard Simmonds bragged he was a "top showjumper" after targeting the underage girl on Facebook. Prosecutor James Hartson said there was a "clear element of grooming behaviour" from Simmonds, who had "no doubt at all" about the girl's age. He added: "At all times he knew how old she was and so did Jarvis. The victim told him herself in one of the very first messages she sent him. "The defendants didn't care about her age when they were planning and engaging in a so-called threesome with the victim. "They also knew what they did was wrong and they agreed a pact of silence when they got wind she had started to talk about it." In January 2024, he messaged fellow rider Jarvis to organise the encounter at her home - asking when he should "pop over". Simmonds then text the girl to inform her of the plan, telling her: "You will both do what daddy says." The girl told the court Simmonds got her and Jarvis to "do stuff" with each other before he had sex with both of them. Simmonds then messaged Jarvis after the encounter to say: "You both loved that haha". Jarvis replied: "Yeah, you missed round two" with a wink emoji. The pair then cooked up their vow of silence in a twisted bid to cover their crime. Simmonds text Jarvis, saying: "Hey, I have a feeling that [name of alleged victim] has said about us. "If anyone asks for sake of both of us nothing ever happened that night xx." Jarvis replied: "Hey, who's she told? Oh god has she really, what's she trying to do, make our lives hell? Of course I will xx." Simmonds ran a riding school that offered "showjumping horse production and sales, coaching and schooling" in the village of Undy in Wales. The alarm was raised when the girl told her dad what had happened and he alerted police. But Simmonds told police he did not have any form of sexual contact with the victim. He also claimed any messages about the encounter with Jarvis were "banter and a wind up." Judge Lucy Crowther adjourned the case for sentencing on September 29. 3
BBC News
21 minutes ago
- BBC News
Deer killed in dog attack at Hauxley reserve near Druridge Bay
Staff at a wildlife trust have been left "traumatised" after a dog killed a young deer in a "barbaric attack".Dogs are banned from the Hauxley reserve at Druridge Bay, Northumberland, due to the abundance of wildlife, but on 25 July two men in their 20s were spotted on site with a terrier and Wildlife Trust, which runs the reserve, said the lurcher was witnessed by a member of the public chasing a young roe deer into a pond and attacking men were then spotted washing the blood off the dogs before running down to the beach, the trust said. Northumbria Police said its inquiry was ongoing. The trust said the pair entered the top end of the reserve from Low Hauxley, through woodlands, which is an area well known for regular roe deer sightings and is therefore always off limits to the people shouting at the men, they did nothing to call their dogs off, the trust deer was found with severe injuries. A spokesperson for the trust said: "Staff at Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Hauxley reserve have been left traumatised following a barbaric dog attack on a young resident deer."Judging by the fact that the dog knew how to take the deer down, it is not the first time it has done it and is more than likely used regularly for hunting in this way."A Northumbria Police spokesperson said the force received a report of trespassing shortly after 15:00 BST on 25 July."It was reported that two men had entered the land with two dogs, before the dogs attacked a deer. The deer then sadly died."The two men and the dogs then left the area." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
