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Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Triple murderer should get whole-life order for ‘exceptional' crimes, court told
Triple murderer Nicholas Prosper should be given a whole-life order for the 'exceptional' killings of his mother and two siblings, the Court of Appeal has heard. Prosper was jailed for a minimum term of 49 years, less 188 days already spent in custody, in March after admitting killing his mother, Juliana Falcon, 48, sister Giselle Prosper, 13, and 16-year-old brother Kyle Prosper at their family flat in Luton, Bedfordshire, on September 13 2023. The 19-year-old also admitted weapons charges after plotting a mass shooting at his former primary school in the town. The Solicitor General has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal as 'unduly lenient', claiming that he should be given a whole-life order, meaning that he would never be released. If three senior judges rule that the sentence should be increased, Prosper would become the first person aged between 18 and 20 to be given a whole-life sentence. Barristers for Prosper, who currently will not be released until at least his late 60s, told judges that the sentence 'cannot be said to be unduly lenient'. Tom Little KC, for the Solicitor General, told the hearing in London: 'What the facts reveal is a case which, on any view, was exceptional, even in the context of a murder.' He continued: 'It was a murder of three people, two of them were children, including the intended rape of the sister. That did not take place, but it had been intended. 'The murders were committed one after the other in their own home, heard by neighbours and each was aware they were being killed by their son or sibling, and one pleaded, that is the brother, for his life.' He added: 'It was meant to achieve national and international notoriety.' In written submissions, he said that a whole-life term was 'just punishment'. He said: 'The age of the offender and his guilty pleas, although relevant to the ultimate decision, did not inexorably lead to or mean that this was a case in which a whole-life order was not appropriate.' After shooting dead his siblings and mother, and stabbing his brother more than 100 times, Prosper hid for more than two hours before flagging down police officers in a nearby street and showing them where he had hidden a loaded shotgun and 33 cartridges near playing fields. He had bought the firearm and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer the day before the murders after forging a gun licence. Rules were changed in 2022 to allow younger defendants aged 18 to 20 to receive whole-life orders. Sentencing Prosper at Luton Crown Court in March, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that a whole-life term could only be given to someone in that age bracket if a court deemed 'that the seriousness of the combination of offences is exceptionally high'. She stopped short of imposing a whole-life order in Prosper's case, as he was stopped from carrying out the school shooting, having murdered his family earlier than he intended after his mother woke up. She continued that while he was 'indisputably a very dangerous young man', the risk to the public was met with a life sentence. David Bentley KC, for Prosper, said on Wednesday that it was 'very difficult' to say how a 49-year sentence 'can be said to be unduly lenient'. He said: 'The reality is that with the existing sentence, the earliest date he could actually be considered for parole is in his late 60s, and the dangerousness is covered by the life sentence. 'As the court knows, if he remains considered to be dangerous, he never comes out anyway, so a life sentence is a life sentence, and the minimum term simply provides a time when it can be reviewed.' He continued: 'We accept that had it been someone aged 21 or over, the whole-life order would have been made. 'However, the judge, we say quite rightly, said this test is so high and there are factors here which allow her to stand back from that.' He also said that Prosper 'voluntarily separated himself' from the weapon after deciding not to carry out the school shooting. Prosper watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Belmarsh, at times with his head in his hands. The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mr Justice Wall and Mr Justice Goss could give judgment later on Wednesday.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PCAOB chair Erica Williams to step down
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) chair Erica Williams has decided to step down from her position. Williams was sworn in as chair in January 2022 and reappointed in October 2024. Williams said: 'With high economic uncertainty increasing the risk of fraud, the PCAOB's mission is as important as ever. It's critical that the expert PCAOB staff continue to be empowered to carry out their work of ensuring American investors are protected.' During her tenure, Williams executed a strategic plan focused on the modernisation of auditing standards, the enhancement of inspection processes, enforcement mechanisms, and the board's operational effectiveness, the PCAOB said in its press statement. Under her leadership, the PCAOB has completed access for the first time to inspect and investigate China-headquartered businesses, resulting in enforcement actions against these entities. Williams' term has been marked by various formal actions, with seven projects covering 24 rules and standards finalised during her tenure. The authority delivered sanctions, with the message that violations that put investors at risk will be met with serious consequences. Williams also oversaw the reconstitution of the Investor Advisory Group and the Standards and Emerging Issues Advisory Group. She also established the PCAOB's first-ever Office of the Investor Advocate. However, Williams' resignation comes amidst media reports suggesting that her departure was requested by Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Paul Atkins. An email sent by Williams to PCAOB staff indicated that she had been asked to resign with Atkins accepting her resignation. The email stated: 'Today, I accepted Erica Williams' offer to resign as chair and a board member of the PCAOB and thanked her for her service. I am grateful she has agreed to stay on until July 22.' Last month, the PCAOB imposed fines totalling $8.5m on the Netherlands member businesses of Deloitte, PwC, and EY for cheating in internal exams. "PCAOB chair Erica Williams to step down " was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Washington Post
14 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Wednesday briefing: Epstein files controversy; Hunter Biden speaks out; obesity study; Emmy nominations; Sycamore Gap; and more
President Donald Trump is facing more pressure over the Jeffrey Epstein files. Trump officials made unusual requests for data on voters and voting equipment. The Trump administration halted work on a new tool to predict extreme rainfall. The Minnesota suspect confessed to killing a Democratic lawmaker and her husband. A major study shed new light on the cause of obesity.
