Latest news with #Binns
Daily Mirror
05-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Paedophile offered gran £300 to let him abuse baby girl in sickening messages
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. A paedophile has been jailed after boasting to a woman he met on a dating app about the alleged abuse he had carried out against children A depraved paedophile who offered a woman £300 to let him sexually assault her baby granddaughter has been jailed for four years after she took screenshots of his vile messages and alerted the police. Craig Binns, 31, met the woman on a dating website less than three weeks prior to the messages, where he "bragged" that he had previously paid other people to let him rape their children, including £1,000 to violate a two-year-old girl, Newcastle Crown Court heard in May. The horrified woman gave the screenshots to the police, leading to his arrest. Binns, of Cross Avenue in Wallsend, admitted to three offences in court including attempting to pay for the sexual services of a child and arranging the commission of a child sex offence. Binns and the woman exchanged messages for a few weeks before eventually meeting in November, where he took her for a drive in his car, prosecutor Claire Anderson said. The woman was completely unaware of Binns' horrifying motives. Days later the pervert, who told the woman his surname was Dudgeon, talked about staying in her home and suggested the couple have a threesome with a child, the court heard. He also questioned the woman on whether she had thought about having "sex with people aged from one onwards", Ms Anderson said. When he discovered she had a 10-week-old granddaughter, Binns asked for naked pictures of the child which he offered to pay for, the court heard. The dad-of-two also asked the woman if she had sexually touched the baby and if he could be left alone with the girl. The woman took screenshots of the Snapchat conversations which she sent to police but, fearing the risk he posed to children, continued messaging him to get more information about him, Ms Anderson said. He repeatedly offered her money to let him sexually abuse the baby, including £300 in cash for a graphic sex act, the court heard. Ms Anderson said Binns "bragged" about abusing other youths and said he had paid parents to let him "rape" their children, including a seven-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl he claimed he 'gave' £1,000 for. During the trial, the court heard there was no evidence he had ever actually carried out the abuse he boasted about. A search of his devices found he had registered his internet account under a false name and had made horrifying searches relating to families having sex. Binns initially denied all wrongdoing, telling police that the Snapchat messages weren't real. But he soon admitted everything, the court heard. Judge Edward Bindloss said Binns was trying to groom the woman and make her an "accomplice" in his abuse of children. But the woman "did the right thing" and went immediately to police, who also acted quickly to arrest Binns, the judge said, adding he commended both her and the officers for "their prompt actions". Judge Bindloss said had the woman not acted so bravely, he was "entirely convinced" Binns would have abused the child. He said Binns posed a "high risk" to children and would have to abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for life.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill to improve transit for Mecklenburg County advances through the General Assembly
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Plans to expand and improve Mecklenburg County's transportation infrastructure are one step closer to becoming reality. State senators voted Wednesday afternoon to pass HB 948, legislation that would allow voters to approve a new, one-cent sales tax in the county to fund transit initiatives. 'We're thrilled that the General Assembly has shown their support both in the House and the Senate for this bill. I think it goes to show that they understand that being able to continue to move efficiently is very important for any municipality in the state,' said Shannon Binns with Sustain Charlotte, a local nonprofit backing the tax. PREVIOUS | HB 948, also known as the P.A.V.E. Act, would enable the county to gather revenue to pay for a light rail expansion, improvements to roads throughout the county, and create new, faster bus routes. Legislators said 40 percent of revenue would go directly to municipalities, and 60 percent would go to a new, yet to be established, transit authority. 'This is what people in our area said they wanted, so we just are grateful they realized this is a local need,' said Binns. The one-cent tax and related plan have a lot of support throughout the county, including from Charlotte and the Town of Davidson. But leaders in Matthews oppose the tax, frustrated that the town was not included in a planned light rail expansion, set to be named the Silver Line. At Wednesday night's Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles expressed her appreciation of the bill's authors, most of whom are from Mecklenburg County. 'We're very grateful to the relationships we've built, and the relationships that made this possible,' she said. 'I truly believe it is something that changes the way the city grows and the towns and the county doing something that we haven't had the funding to accomplish. We're really looking forward to the improvements to be made for all of our citizens.' Supporters hope to have the tax before voters during the municipal elections set for November 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
28-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
CRIME SCENE: Canada-wide warrant issued for man accused of sex assault
A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for a 64-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a girl under age 16. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Peel Regional Police said that Ervin Binns is wanted for sexual assault, sexual interference and breach of probation following an alleged assault last month. Binns is described as mixed race, 5-foot-7, about 185 pounds, with a light complexion, short hair and a Caribbean accent. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call police at 905-453-2121, ext. 3460 or contact Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or at Read More Suspect sought in stabbing investigation. DURHAM REGIONAL POLICE SUSPECT SOUGHT FOR OSHAWA STABBING Cops are on the hunt for an assailant following a springtime stabbing in Oshawa. Durham Regional Police said officers were called on Tuesday, April 29 at 3:45 p.m. to the Park Rd. S.-Adelaide Ave. W. area. Officers arrived on scene and found a male suffering from a stab wound to his arm. He was taken to a Toronto-area trauma centre where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The assailant, who fled prior to police arrival, is described as a white man with a slim build, dark hair and a goatee. Anyone with video footage or information is asked to contact police at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1705, or Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or at This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Seized: •Loaded 9mm handgun, •20k Canadian currency•52g of meth•23g crack cocaine•14g cocaine•336g cannabis •Oxycodone#HETOPP stopped a vehicle #QEW/Ontario Street in St Catharines. Vehicle searched as a result of a Cannabis investigation. Assistance from… — OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) June 26, 2025 A vehicle stop in St. Catharines led to Ontario Provincial Police seizing drugs, weapons and cash. OPP says officers stopped a vehicle at Ontario St. and the Queen Elizabeth Way on Thursday with help from Niagara Regional Police and RCMP. The vehicle was searched as a result of a cannabis investigation. Police allegedly seized a loaded 9mm handgun, $20,000 in Canadian currency, 52 grams of meth, 23 grams of crack cocaine, 14 grams of cocaine, 336 grams of cannabis and an undisclosed amount of oxycodone. A 26-year-old man was arrested and faces 18 criminal charges. Music Canada Crime Toronto & GTA Toronto Raptors
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lightcast Appoints Industry Veteran Philip Binns as Chairman of the Board
Former Agilent executive to help guide commercial growth strategies for groundbreaking benchtop single-cell functional analysis platform CAMBRIDGE, England & CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 02, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lightcast, a pioneering life science tools company, today announced the appointment of Philip Binns as chairman of its board of directors, effective May 1, 2025. With this appointment, the Lightcast board includes one investor director each from Arch Ventures, Illumina Ventures, M-Ventures, and Longwall Ventures; two independent directors, Kevin Knopp, CEO of 908 Devices, and Kevin Hrusovsky, chairman and former CEO of Quanterix; and observers from OMX Ventures, +ND Capital, and Terra Magnum. "We are thrilled to add Phil to our highly experienced board," said Paul Loeffen, PhD, CEO of Lightcast. "His extensive industry expertise and proven leadership will be invaluable as we evolve from a product development-focused company into a fully commercial organization, expanding our global reach and maximizing our impact in the life sciences market." Mr. Binns brings decades of experience in scientific instrumentation and leadership, recently serving as president of the life sciences and applied markets group at Agilent Technologies. He joined Agilent in 2010 through its acquisition of Varian, Inc., where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company's atomic and molecular spectroscopy portfolio into a market-leading business. In addition to his new role at Lightcast, Mr. Binns serves as chair and non-executive director of Epiminder, a company developing implantable brain-monitoring devices; as a director of the Bionics Institute, a globally recognized medical device research organization; and as a National Council Advisor to the Australian Industry AI Group. He holds a degree in business management from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. "The Lightcast Envisia™ platform has the potential to transform single-cell analysis by unlocking functional insights that were previously out of reach," said Binns. "The company is at an exciting inflection point, and I'm eager to collaborate with this talented team to support the platform's global adoption and help drive the next generation of biologics and therapies." While traditional single-cell analysis techniques often rely on genomic data to infer function, the benchtop Envisia platform uses droplet microfluidics to perform highly controlled, sequential single-cell functional assays that capture rich functional data sets to improve decision making. Built around Lightcast's proprietary light-controlled droplet manipulation technology, the platform enables parallel interrogation of tens of thousands of picoliter-scale droplets, offering unmatched precision and flexibility. By integrating functional screening early in the antibody discovery process, the Envisia platform allows researchers to select and advance the most promising candidates. It also opens new possibilities in cell-cell interaction studies and broader applications in immunology and oncology. Lightcast recently announced the limited commercial release of its Envisia benchtop platform. The company is actively collaborating with leading pharmaceutical and academic institutions to validate performance, optimize protocols, and expand application areas. These efforts will support the full commercial launch of a comprehensive suite of validated protocols later in 2025. The complete Envisia workflow will include advanced instrumentation, intelligent software, a purpose-built cartridge system, and assay kits optimized for a broad range of cell types, assay formats, and research applications. To learn more about the Envisia platform, visit About Lightcast Lightcast aims to unleash new capabilities within the single-cell analysis field by developing a more accessible, scalable, and flexible platform for scientists in basic, translational, and applied research. These capabilities will empower new biological discoveries and accelerate the development of novel drugs, therapies, and biologics. Founded in 2019 and based in Cambridge, UK, Lightcast has invented a technology that uses rays of light to control picoliter-scale droplets for functional analysis of individual cells. For more information, visit Lightcast, the Lightcast logo, and Envisia are trademarks of Lightcast Discovery Ltd. View source version on Contacts For further information Andrew Noble for Lightcastandrew@ +1 (415) 722-2129 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
02-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Lightcast Appoints Industry Veteran Philip Binns as Chairman of the Board
CAMBRIDGE, England & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lightcast, a pioneering life science tools company, today announced the appointment of Philip Binns as chairman of its board of directors, effective May 1, 2025. With this appointment, the Lightcast board includes one investor director each from Arch Ventures, Illumina Ventures, M-Ventures, and Longwall Ventures; two independent directors, Kevin Knopp, CEO of 908 Devices, and Kevin Hrusovsky, chairman and former CEO of Quanterix; and observers from OMX Ventures, +ND Capital, and Terra Magnum. "We are thrilled to add Phil to our highly experienced board," said Paul Loeffen, PhD, CEO of Lightcast. "His extensive industry expertise and proven leadership will be invaluable as we evolve from a product development-focused company into a fully commercial organization, expanding our global reach and maximizing our impact in the life sciences market." Mr. Binns brings decades of experience in scientific instrumentation and leadership, recently serving as president of the life sciences and applied markets group at Agilent Technologies. He joined Agilent in 2010 through its acquisition of Varian, Inc., where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company's atomic and molecular spectroscopy portfolio into a market-leading business. In addition to his new role at Lightcast, Mr. Binns serves as chair and non-executive director of Epiminder, a company developing implantable brain-monitoring devices; as a director of the Bionics Institute, a globally recognized medical device research organization; and as a National Council Advisor to the Australian Industry AI Group. He holds a degree in business management from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. "The Lightcast Envisia™ platform has the potential to transform single-cell analysis by unlocking functional insights that were previously out of reach," said Binns. "The company is at an exciting inflection point, and I'm eager to collaborate with this talented team to support the platform's global adoption and help drive the next generation of biologics and therapies." While traditional single-cell analysis techniques often rely on genomic data to infer function, the benchtop Envisia platform uses droplet microfluidics to perform highly controlled, sequential single-cell functional assays that capture rich functional data sets to improve decision making. Built around Lightcast's proprietary light-controlled droplet manipulation technology, the platform enables parallel interrogation of tens of thousands of picoliter-scale droplets, offering unmatched precision and flexibility. By integrating functional screening early in the antibody discovery process, the Envisia platform allows researchers to select and advance the most promising candidates. It also opens new possibilities in cell-cell interaction studies and broader applications in immunology and oncology. Lightcast recently announced the limited commercial release of its Envisia benchtop platform. The company is actively collaborating with leading pharmaceutical and academic institutions to validate performance, optimize protocols, and expand application areas. These efforts will support the full commercial launch of a comprehensive suite of validated protocols later in 2025. The complete Envisia workflow will include advanced instrumentation, intelligent software, a purpose-built cartridge system, and assay kits optimized for a broad range of cell types, assay formats, and research applications. To learn more about the Envisia platform, visit About Lightcast Lightcast aims to unleash new capabilities within the single-cell analysis field by developing a more accessible, scalable, and flexible platform for scientists in basic, translational, and applied research. These capabilities will empower new biological discoveries and accelerate the development of novel drugs, therapies, and biologics. Founded in 2019 and based in Cambridge, UK, Lightcast has invented a technology that uses rays of light to control picoliter-scale droplets for functional analysis of individual cells. For more information, visit Lightcast, the Lightcast logo, and Envisia are trademarks of Lightcast Discovery Ltd.
