Latest news with #AndrewHolmes
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Police officer told a woman he met on Tinder he would kidnap, rape and murder her in chilling echo to the Sarah Everard case, a court heard
A police officer told a woman he met on Tinder that he would kidnap, rape and murder her in a chilling echo to the Sarah Everard case, a court has heard. Andrew Holmes was a serving officer with Hampshire Police when he made the 'menacing and disgusting' comment to a woman he had started speaking to on the dating app. During the conversation in August last year, the 32-year-old said that if they met up he would kidnap, rape and murder her and burn her body. The shocked victim reported the incident to police, particularly given that he had told her he was a policeman. Holmes, 32, was spared prison but a district judge said it was 'astonishing' he thought that his comments were appropriate against the background of the Sarah Everard case. Ms Everard was abducted, raped and murdered by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021, in a case that shocked the UK. Poole Magistrates' Court heard that Holmes had engaged in a 'short conversation' with the woman on Tinder last year. In a statement, the victim said that when they initially reported the incident to the police, they 'didn't feel like it had affected me that much'. Holmes (pictured), 32, was arrested by fellow officers at his home in Southampton, two days later on August 18. He was spared prison but a district judge said it was 'astonishing' he thought that his comments were appropriate against the background of the Sarah Everard case Describing the comments as 'vulgar and disgusting', the statement, read by Leah Dillon, prosecuting, added: 'Although he had told me he was a police officer I was really hoping he wasn't as I didn't want to believe a police officer would say such awful things. 'When the police told me he was an officer and had been arrested it really shook me up. I started to think what would have happened if we had met up. 'It made me feel so uneasy, especially the rape comment as this is something that happens to women on dating sites.' The victim, who did not know Holmes prior to their 'short' interaction, also shared how the comments by Holmes had 'knocked' their confidence. They added: 'I've not been on any dating sites since this incident and have no plans to. 'I don't know why he felt he could say this thing to me, as well as not knowing what his true intentions were.' Holmes was arrested by fellow officers at his home in Southampton two days later, on August 18. Officers also discovered an extendable police baton in his bedside drawer he was not meant to have. Holmes maintained that it was a joke and denied sending an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message by public communication network. He did, however, admit to having an offensive weapon in a private place. Found guilty of the charges following the trial, Holmes was sacked from his job following a misconduct hearing in March. Rosa Bennathan, defending, described Mr Holmes as a 'man of good character'. She said: 'That loss of good character will be significant. The loss of his career through his actions. 'When she said she was unhappy with the messages, he immediately apologised and sought to reassure her, he has expressed real significant remorse.' Ms Bennathan also said that batons were kept in an area of the police station where individuals left unused equipment and that officers would often take things as spares. She added: 'He intended to use it as a spare, took it home with him and forgot he had done so. He accepts he should not have been storing that kind of police equipment at home.' The court also heard that Holmes is beginning to 're-establish' a 'relationship' with a woman, Ms Sarah Hocking. Having met on a dating site, the pair have known each other for eight years, with Ms Hocking describing Holmes as 'consistently kind and supportive'. Ms Bennathan added: 'He and Sarah Hocking are beginning to re-establish their relationship, move back in together and discuss a family. 'He is mortified, he will not commit similar offending in the future and he's not a risk to the public.' Judge Mike Snow told Holmes that there was 'no possibility' that his comments 'could reasonably be taken as a joke'. Directly addressing the former police officer, he said:' You were a serving police officer on August 16, 2024. 'Taking place against the background of the Sarah Everard case, I find it astonishing anyone would ever think it was appropriate to send two messages referencing kidnap, rape, murder and burning of the body. 'It had a very profound effect on your victim. She has left dating sites because of fear she will come across somebody who will behave in a similar way.' The judge added that while this was the 'most serious category' which carries jail time, he would grant suspension due to Holmes' previous good character and real prospect of rehabilitation. Holmes was given a six-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 compensation to the victim and prosecution costs of £650. He was also ordered to pay a £200 fine for the police baton offence and £154 victim surcharge. Hampshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson said: 'It is inconceivable to me that someone who has identified themselves as a police officer, while off duty, could ever feel it would be appropriate to make menacing comments like this to somebody they have just met. 'PC Holmes may have not intended to cause emotional or psychological harm to the woman, however he should have foreseen there was a risk of such harm. 'This sort of behaviour undermines trust and confidence, in particular in relation to the perception of women and girls, and the trust they can have in a male officer to treat them with respect and take their reports seriously.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect charged in Kansas City, Kansas deadly shooting last week
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 22-year-old man is facing charges in connection to a deadly shooting last week in Kansas City, Kansas. Andrew Holmes was charged in Wyandotte County on Monday with one count of voluntary manslaughter. Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department responded to a shooting on April 24, just after 5 p.m. at the Terrace Pointe Apartments near South 72nd Street and Kansas Avenue. When officers arrived on scene, they found a man outside, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. He has been , a resident of KCK. Download the FOX4 News app on iPhone and Android Holmes made his first appearance in court on Friday morning and is being held in the Wyandotte County jail on a $100,000 bond. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Daylight Saving Time 2025: How 'springing forward' negatively impacts your health — and why you should prioritize sleep now
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Daylight Saving Time (DST) is back, meaning it's time to "spring forward" once again and move our clocks ahead one hour. This Sunday, March 9 at 2 a.m. local time is when the time change will occur, bringing an extra hour of sunlight each day for the next eight months. However, it's worth noting this centuries-old practice may come with concerning impacts. For one, this time change can cause us to lose roughly 40 minutes to an hour of sleep. While it may seem like a minor inconvenience, it turns out the loss of sleep due to DST can have serious impacts on our health and wellbeing. DST causes a disruption in our circadian rhythm, also referred to as our internal body clock. Circadian rhythms help determine as well as regulate sleeping and eating patterns on a roughly 24-hour cycle. Essentially, this clock will tell you when you're sleepy or hungry as it rises and falls throughout the day. Read through some of the top impacts of daylight saving time below. The time change messes with our circadian rhythm, causing us to feel drowsy and moody; it can even lead some to experience an increased appetite. A disrupted circadian rhythm can impact our motor functions, response times overall alertness which increases our likelihood of injury. According to a 2009 study, there was a 3.6 per cent increase in mining workplace injuries on the Monday following DST. A separate study over a 10-year time period revealed a six per cent increase in car accidents in the United States immediately after clocks are adjusted in the spring. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) also indicated that according to statistics averaged from 2005 to 2009, car accidents rose by 23 per cent on the Monday following DST. Aside from being accident prone, DST can also cause an increase in heart attacks and stroke. Founder of Sleep Efficiency Andrew Holmes told CTV News there's a relationship between cardiovascular health and sleep. He shared an acronym of health issues, H.E.A.R.T.S., that sleep can impact. H — Heart failure: People who suffer from heart failure have often been diagnosed with sleep apnea. E — Elevated blood pressure: Sleep regulates blood pressure, while a person sleeping under seven hours can see their blood pressure rise. A — Atrial fibrillation: These irregular heartbeats can often be from someone suffering insomnia or sleep apnea. R — Resistant hypertension: A lack of sleep can make it difficult for medications to treat hypertension and blood pressure. T — Type 2 diabetes: Sleep is often linked to diabetes, as sleep deprivation can cause a disruption in your glucose metabolism. S — Stroke risk: Undiagnosed sleep problems can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure. Some studies have also found a link between DST and heart attacks as well as strokes. A study published in 2014 showed there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of reported heart attacks on the Monday following DST compared to other Mondays during the year. Dr. Amneedt Sandhu, a then-cardiology fellow at the University of Colorado, led the study and indicated this might be due to a combination of factors. Those might include the stress of starting a new work week and inherent changes to our sleep-wake cycle. Dr. Amneedt Sandhu, a cardiologist affiliated with the University of Colorado, led a study on the impact of sleep-cycle on heart health. According to the research, there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of reported heart attacks on the Monday following DST compared to other Mondays during the year. "With daylight saving time, all of this is compounded by one less hour of sleep," he said. "Whatever the reason, the findings may indicate a need to better staff hospitals the Monday after setting our clocks forward. ... If we can identify days when there may be surges in heart attacks, we can be ready to better care for our patients." Another study also showed that disruptions in circadian rhythm increased risk of an ischemic stroke. That's when a blood clot, known as a thrombus, blocks blood flow to the brain. The research, conducted by a team from Finland, revealed the risk of stroke was eight per cent higher in the two days following the spring time change than during the rest of the year. "Although from an individual point of view, this small increase in stroke risk we see in a population level is probably not a major issue, the study emphasizes the importance of sleep disturbances as a risk factor for stroke," lead researcher, Dr. Jori Ruuskanen of the University of Turku, told CBS News. Daylight saving time also has some serious health impacts on pregnant women, specifically those who conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). A 2017 study from a team at the Boston Medical Center and IVF New England published a study noting an increase in miscarriages for patients who received egg transfer in the 21 days following spring DST, compared to patients who received egg transfer outside of the DST window. Until there are collective changes to how we tell time, it'll probably be a good idea to try and avoid health risks associated with DST. According to experts, there are a variety of ways you can ensure you remain healthy and safe after Sunday: Get rest: Try going to bed earlier to get your usual amount of sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene: Educate yourself on good sleep hygiene, including not consuming alcohol and avoiding using your phone before bed. Defer dangers: If your work involves dangerous tasks, it might be a good idea to schedule those tasks for later in the week. Plan ahead: Give yourself extra time to get to places, especially on the Monday. Choose safety: Take extra safety precautions following the switch to DST to prevent possible injuries or problems.
