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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I probe the minds of evil killers… infamous cat slayer signed his letters with sick moniker & lives in cloud cuckoo land
HE'S the psychopathic killer who filmed himself feeding a live kitten to a python and suffocating another in a plastic bag in a chilling bid for internet notoriety. But the sickening videos were a prelude to monstrous Advertisement 13 Luka Magnotta, a model and porn actor, was dubbed the 'Canadian Psycho' Credit: AFP 13 Jun Lin was violently murdered by Luka Magnotta in 2012 Credit: Rex Features 13 Magnotta used a python and other cruel methods to kill kittens in videos he posted online Credit: Collect Yet the Canadian, now 42, who was jailed for 25 years in 2014 for murdering Chinese university student Jun Lin, 33, remains remorseless according to true crime expert Teemu Saarenpää. After exchanging letters with Magnotta, real name Eric Newman, he believes the 'extremely ego-centric' killer 'lives in la la land' and remains in denial that he committed any wrongdoing. Advertisement Teemu, 41, who runs 'He's in denial, doesn't take responsibility for what he did and portrays himself as someone misunderstood by an evil society that set him up. 'He was unreflective of his deeds and is clearly a wannabe celebrity who wanted to be famous and a glamorous god. 'Because he wasn't able to obtain that fame through any real talent, he decided to become infamous instead.' Magnotta, who was the subject of hit 2019 Netflix docuseries Advertisement Other notable inmates he's probed include Speaking to The Sun for our Meeting a Monster series, Teemu admits he was particularly surprised by Magnotta's absolute refusal to acknowledge his callous crimes. In one letter Magnotta, known as 'Canadian Pyscho', refuted claims he was an animal killer - despite being captured on film - and brushed it off as jealous rivals who were 'very good with Photoshop'. Pathetic last days of Rose West revealed as serial killer monster can barely walk, has no friends & has new fake identity 13 Police say Magnotta had up to 80 aliases online Credit: Collect 13 Magnotta had aspirations of being a model Advertisement 13 A dead dog along with other incriminating things were found near to Magnotta's flat Credit: Splash News 13 The Canadian stabbed his lover Jun Lin to death with a screwdriver after tying him to a bed Credit: AP:Associated Press Among the incriminating clips was '1 Boy 2 Kittens', which showed him putting the animals into a plastic bag before using a vacuum to suffocate them. Yet Magnotta told Teemu: 'I never in my life harmed any animals – I actually adore them… I was falsely accused of willingly participating in some bizarre animal videos. I'm completely bewildered.' Chillingly, he also signed off his letter: 'Luka, aka cuddle cat'. Advertisement Magnotta snubbed doctors, who diagnosed him as schizophrenic, claiming they were 'self-serving' and created 'misleading reports'. One medical professional, he alleged, was 'obsessed with making a name for himself' - when in fact, according to Teemu, it was Magnotta who possessed a 'desperate obsession with getting a personality cult on the internet'. Magnotta, who says he has a 132 IQ score, also denied having created multiple online aliases - despite police reporting as many as 80 existed - claiming it to be the work of deranged fans. I never in my life harmed any animals – I actually adore them… I was falsely accused of willingly participating in some bizarre animal videos. I'm completely bewildered Luka Magnotta in a letter to Teemu Saarenpää 'If these idiots copied photos of me and impersonated me online, that's on them, that's their problem… I'm told people posing as me is an epidemic online,' he told Teemu, who's from Finland. 'I find it so pathetic and have always ignored it. I never, I repeat NEVER had any fake accounts, nor did I ever pose as anyone other than myself.' Advertisement When Magnotta was snared for murdering Jun Lin, cops discovered an 11-minute snuff film titled '1 Lunatic 1 Icepick', which showed him repeatedly stabbing his victim with a screwdriver and dismembering him. Sickeningly they revealed the killer used one of Lin's body parts to perform a sex act, then carved up his body with a knife and fork and fed bits of it to a dog. Teemu considered Luka deluded, describing him as 'in his own munchkin world' - unlike his other killer pen pal Richard Ramirez, who 'was aware he was evil and didn't give a s***'. 'The most evil person I've written to' 13 Monster Richard Ramirez murdered at least 14 people in the 80s 13 Ramirez was known as 'The Night Stalker' killer Credit: Netflix Advertisement 13 Ramirez proudly flashed a pentagram he had drawn on his hand in court Credit: Getty - Contributor The monster, dubbed 'the Teemu wrote to Ramirez, who plagued California during the Eighties, in a bid to understand how someone 'so tangibly evil' thought. 'He was definitely the most evil person I've written to,' Teemu says. 'Ramirez embraced being as depraved, as horrible, as deplorable as a human being could be. 'He was a Satanist. He embraced everything evil and spoke about worshipping the Devil, who he believed to be a real entity. Advertisement 'He didn't give a s*** about anything, killing was for fun for him, and even after he received the death penalty, he said, 'Big deal, death always came with the territory, I'll see you in Disneyland'.' But in Ramirez's letter, Teemu claimed he came across 'more like a chilled Californian surfer' or ' He says: 'There are some killers who are very verbose and self-reflective, but Ramirez was the exact opposite. "He liked AC/DC, Eighties muscle cars, chicks, beer, that sort of thing.' I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. If he was in a 10km radius, I'd get on a bus in the opposite direction Teemu Saarenpää Teemu suspects Ramirez was either not very intelligent or masquerading with a 'mundane mask of sanity' to pretend he was normal. Advertisement Teemu found one element of Ramirez's letter particularly chilling - the question: 'So any nieces or nephews in your life?' 'It was such a weird and specific thing to say that I looked it up online and Ramirez has a habit of asking penpals that question before trying to get them to send pictures of them,' Teemu explains. He fears this was a ploy to solicit snaps of underage children - and suspects it shows Ramirez - who died of natural causes in 2013 - was a paedophile. The death row inmate was known to have previously molested two kids in a lift and forced a three-year-old boy, who he tied up, to watch his mother being raped. Shock discovery Teemu's fascination with dark subject matter began after meeting a sweet old lady who he became friends with during his childhood - only to discover she was a murderer. Advertisement 'Sometime later I heard from my parents that she killed her husband and buried him in the garden of her home,' he says. 'You absolutely wouldn't believe it if you met her. It made me realise there is no 'killer gene' or anything categorically different in the brains of killers to the rest of the public, which I found really intriguing.' The revelation set him on a path to try to get inside the minds of famous killers, initially through reading books and watching documentaries, before deciding to write to them. 'I find the dark side of human life, full of stories so different from my lived reality, so fascinating,' Teemu says. 'I'm a normal, middle class dude, a bit like Milhouse from The Simpsons, so finding out about these people is like looking into the inverse mirror. Advertisement 'It makes me think how my life could have been if I was born in a warzone, watched people die, gone through a traumatic childhood or lived in an abusive family.' 'Violent psychopath' 13 Charles Bronson wasn't as intimidating in letters, as Teemu predicted 13 Bronson sent Teemu a painted postcard Credit: Supplied Teemu also exchanged letters with He wrote to the crook because he found his 'totally relentless one-man war against the authorities' fascinating. Advertisement 'If you told him, 'You can turn right to gold and chocolate and left to hell', he would turn to hell and refuse to obey, even if the decision did not help him,' Teemu says. It featured the Latin phrase 'Candor dat viribus alas', which translates to 'Candour gives wings to strength', and the sketch of a book titled 'Freedom is Wonderful by Charles Bronson'. Additionally he sent a short letter quizzing Teemu about his life, and was 'charismatic, verbose and always making jokes'. 'You can see how he would have a certain magnetism and women would want to be with him,' he says of the lag, who has married twice while behind bars and had several girlfriends. Advertisement You can see how he would have a certain magnetism and women would want to be with him Teemu on Charles Bronson But beneath the surface, Teemu noted a darker side. Bronson made a distasteful joke in response to him disclosing he had worked with refugees from Afghanistan, Bronson wrote: 'You mention that you work with folks from the Middle East. That's funny because you reminded me of a story where I took someone hostage – that person was Middle Eastern.' Teemu adds: 'He didn't elaborate but... he said it like someone would say, 'I went to Italy the other day,' but being Bronson he's like, 'Oh yeah, I took an Iranian guy hostage'.' He adds he would never meet the "violent psychopath" in person, admitting: 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. If he was in a 10km radius, I'd get on a bus in the opposite direction.' Read more about Teemu's interviews with serial killers and murderers at Advertisement 13 Teemu's fascination with dark subject matter began after meeting a sweet old lady who he became friends with during his childhood - only to discover she was a murderer Credit: Supplied Who are the UK's worst serial killers? THE UK's most prolific serial killer was actually a doctor. Here's a rundown of the worst offenders in the UK. After his death Jonathan Balls was accused of poisoning at least 22 people between 1824 and 1845. Amelia Sach and Annie Walters became known as the Finchley Baby Farmers after killing at least 20 babies between 1900 and 1902. The pair became the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison on February 3, 1903. William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I probe the minds of evil killers… infamous cat slayer signed his letters with sick moniker & lives in cloud cuckoo land
True crime expert Teemu Saarenpää admits Magnotta was not the most evil person he became pen pals with BEHIND BARS I probe the minds of evil killers… infamous cat slayer signed his letters with sick moniker & lives in cloud cuckoo land HE'S the psychopathic killer who filmed himself feeding a live kitten to a python and suffocating another in a plastic bag in a chilling bid for internet notoriety. But the sickening videos were a prelude to monstrous Luka Magnotta's final act - stabbing a lover to death, chopping up his body and posting out the severed body parts to schools and politicians. Advertisement 13 Luka Magnotta, a model and porn actor, was dubbed the 'Canadian Psycho' Credit: AFP 13 Jun Lin was violently murdered by Luka Magnotta in 2012 Credit: Rex Features 13 Magnotta used a python and other cruel methods to kill kittens in videos he posted online Credit: Collect Yet the Canadian, now 42, who was jailed for 25 years in 2014 for murdering Chinese university student Jun Lin, 33, remains remorseless according to true crime expert Teemu Saarenpää. After exchanging letters with Magnotta, real name Eric Newman, he believes the 'extremely ego-centric' killer 'lives in la la land' and remains in denial that he committed any wrongdoing. Advertisement Teemu, 41, who runs blog Forenseek, tells The Sun: 'He lives in a totally upside-down, candy land world where he believes he's accused of something he didn't do. 'He's in denial, doesn't take responsibility for what he did and portrays himself as someone misunderstood by an evil society that set him up. 'He was unreflective of his deeds and is clearly a wannabe celebrity who wanted to be famous and a glamorous god. 'Because he wasn't able to obtain that fame through any real talent, he decided to become infamous instead.' Magnotta, who was the subject of hit 2019 Netflix docuseries Don't F*** With Cats, is one of many monsters Teemu has been able to see inside the mind of by writing letters to them in prison. Advertisement Other notable inmates he's probed include Charles Bronson, who made a distasteful quip about hostage-taking, and 'Night Stalker' serial killer Richard Ramirez, who was the 'most evil person' he's spoken to. Speaking to The Sun for our Meeting a Monster series, Teemu admits he was particularly surprised by Magnotta's absolute refusal to acknowledge his callous crimes. In one letter Magnotta, known as 'Canadian Pyscho', refuted claims he was an animal killer - despite being captured on film - and brushed it off as jealous rivals who were 'very good with Photoshop'. Pathetic last days of Rose West revealed as serial killer monster can barely walk, has no friends & has new fake identity 13 Police say Magnotta had up to 80 aliases online Credit: Collect 13 Magnotta had aspirations of being a model Advertisement 13 A dead dog along with other incriminating things were found near to Magnotta's flat Credit: Splash News 13 The Canadian stabbed his lover Jun Lin to death with a screwdriver after tying him to a bed Credit: AP:Associated Press Among the incriminating clips was '1 Boy 2 Kittens', which showed him putting the animals into a plastic bag before using a vacuum to suffocate them. Yet Magnotta told Teemu: 'I never in my life harmed any animals – I actually adore them… I was falsely accused of willingly participating in some bizarre animal videos. I'm completely bewildered.' Chillingly, he also signed off his letter: 'Luka, aka cuddle cat'. Advertisement Magnotta snubbed doctors, who diagnosed him as schizophrenic, claiming they were 'self-serving' and created 'misleading reports'. One medical professional, he alleged, was 'obsessed with making a name for himself' - when in fact, according to Teemu, it was Magnotta who possessed a 'desperate obsession with getting a personality cult on the internet'. Magnotta, who says he has a 132 IQ score, also denied having created multiple online aliases - despite police reporting as many as 80 existed - claiming it to be the work of deranged fans. I never in my life harmed any animals – I actually adore them… I was falsely accused of willingly participating in some bizarre animal videos. I'm completely bewildered Luka Magnotta in a letter to Teemu Saarenpää 'If these idiots copied photos of me and impersonated me online, that's on them, that's their problem… I'm told people posing as me is an epidemic online,' he told Teemu, who's from Finland. 'I find it so pathetic and have always ignored it. I never, I repeat NEVER had any fake accounts, nor did I ever pose as anyone other than myself.' Advertisement When Magnotta was snared for murdering Jun Lin, cops discovered an 11-minute snuff film titled '1 Lunatic 1 Icepick', which showed him repeatedly stabbing his victim with a screwdriver and dismembering him. Sickeningly they revealed the killer used one of Lin's body parts to perform a sex act, then carved up his body with a knife and fork and fed bits of it to a dog. Teemu considered Luka deluded, describing him as 'in his own munchkin world' - unlike his other killer pen pal Richard Ramirez, who 'was aware he was evil and didn't give a s***'. 'The most evil person I've written to' 13 Monster Richard Ramirez murdered at least 14 people in the 80s 13 Ramirez was known as 'The Night Stalker' killer Credit: Netflix Advertisement 13 Ramirez proudly flashed a pentagram he had drawn on his hand in court Credit: Getty - Contributor The monster, dubbed 'the Night Stalker', murdered at least 14 people and raped multiple women at knife-point, often in front of their partners and children. Teemu wrote to Ramirez, who plagued California during the Eighties, in a bid to understand how someone 'so tangibly evil' thought. 'He was definitely the most evil person I've written to,' Teemu says. 'Ramirez embraced being as depraved, as horrible, as deplorable as a human being could be. 'He was a Satanist. He embraced everything evil and spoke about worshipping the Devil, who he believed to be a real entity. Advertisement 'He didn't give a s*** about anything, killing was for fun for him, and even after he received the death penalty, he said, 'Big deal, death always came with the territory, I'll see you in Disneyland'.' But in Ramirez's letter, Teemu claimed he came across 'more like a chilled Californian surfer' or 'Keanu Reeves in the Bill & Ted movies' than a depraved murderer. He says: 'There are some killers who are very verbose and self-reflective, but Ramirez was the exact opposite. "He liked AC/DC, Eighties muscle cars, chicks, beer, that sort of thing.' I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. If he was in a 10km radius, I'd get on a bus in the opposite direction Teemu Saarenpää Teemu suspects Ramirez was either not very intelligent or masquerading with a 'mundane mask of sanity' to pretend he was normal. Advertisement Teemu found one element of Ramirez's letter particularly chilling - the question: 'So any nieces or nephews in your life?' 'It was such a weird and specific thing to say that I looked it up online and Ramirez has a habit of asking penpals that question before trying to get them to send pictures of them,' Teemu explains. He fears this was a ploy to solicit snaps of underage children - and suspects it shows Ramirez - who died of natural causes in 2013 - was a paedophile. The death row inmate was known to have previously molested two kids in a lift and forced a three-year-old boy, who he tied up, to watch his mother being raped. Shock discovery Teemu's fascination with dark subject matter began after meeting a sweet old lady who he became friends with during his childhood - only to discover she was a murderer. Advertisement 'Sometime later I heard from my parents that she killed her husband and buried him in the garden of her home,' he says. 'You absolutely wouldn't believe it if you met her. It made me realise there is no 'killer gene' or anything categorically different in the brains of killers to the rest of the public, which I found really intriguing.' The revelation set him on a path to try to get inside the minds of famous killers, initially through reading books and watching documentaries, before deciding to write to them. 'I find the dark side of human life, full of stories so different from my lived reality, so fascinating,' Teemu says. 'I'm a normal, middle class dude, a bit like Milhouse from The Simpsons, so finding out about these people is like looking into the inverse mirror. Advertisement 'It makes me think how my life could have been if I was born in a warzone, watched people die, gone through a traumatic childhood or lived in an abusive family.' 'Violent psychopath' 13 Charles Bronson wasn't as intimidating in letters, as Teemu predicted 13 Bronson sent Teemu a painted postcard Credit: Supplied Teemu also exchanged letters with Charles Bronson, who he says came across like a 'jolly British bloke' and acted like 'someone you'd meet in a pub after an Arsenal match'. He wrote to the crook because he found his 'totally relentless one-man war against the authorities' fascinating. Advertisement 'If you told him, 'You can turn right to gold and chocolate and left to hell', he would turn to hell and refuse to obey, even if the decision did not help him,' Teemu says. Bronson sent Teemu a piece of artwork depicting himself topless on a beach musing about no longer being in prison. It featured the Latin phrase 'Candor dat viribus alas', which translates to 'Candour gives wings to strength', and the sketch of a book titled 'Freedom is Wonderful by Charles Bronson'. Additionally he sent a short letter quizzing Teemu about his life, and was 'charismatic, verbose and always making jokes'. 'You can see how he would have a certain magnetism and women would want to be with him,' he says of the lag, who has married twice while behind bars and had several girlfriends. Advertisement You can see how he would have a certain magnetism and women would want to be with him Teemu on Charles Bronson But beneath the surface, Teemu noted a darker side. Bronson made a distasteful joke in response to him disclosing he had worked with refugees from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Bronson wrote: 'You mention that you work with folks from the Middle East. That's funny because you reminded me of a story where I took someone hostage – that person was Middle Eastern.' Teemu adds: 'He didn't elaborate but... he said it like someone would say, 'I went to Italy the other day,' but being Bronson he's like, 'Oh yeah, I took an Iranian guy hostage'.' He adds he would never meet the "violent psychopath" in person, admitting: 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. If he was in a 10km radius, I'd get on a bus in the opposite direction.' Read more about Teemu's interviews with serial killers and murderers at Advertisement 13 Teemu's fascination with dark subject matter began after meeting a sweet old lady who he became friends with during his childhood - only to discover she was a murderer Credit: Supplied
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘He was very special' – Man killed in Cork city house fire named locally as master beer brewer as tributes pour in
A MAN killed in a house fire today was a well-known master beer brewer. The victim of the blaze on the north side of 2 A man who died in a house fire in Cork city has been named locally Credit: Cork's 96FM & C103 2 Master brewer Peter was remembered as a 'lovely man' who 'will be missed' Credit: Journalist Collect Peter, 62, previously worked in the award-winning Irish craft Franciscan Well brewery on Cork's North Mall for almost three decades as head brewer. Peter, who was known as a gentleman and a gentle giant, was popular with visitors and staff alike. The brewery credited him with developing a Celebration Brew, which proved a great success. It's understood Peter moved to work in a distillery in Cork's Marina Park in recent years. Read more in News Shane Long, who founded the Franciscan Well Bar and Brewery, worked with Peter for almost 30 years and said he knew him very well. In a heartfelt tribute, he said: 'If you had to have a photograph in the dictionary to define the word 'gentleman' it would be a photo of Peter. 'He was a quiet man. He kept his own counsel but he helped so many people over the years and the only person who knew about it was the person he helped. He was just that type of person." A neighbour said: 'He was a lovely man - a big friendly giant who will be missed." Most read in Irish News Mary Crilly, CEO of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, said she knew Peter and he was always willing to lend a helping hand. She said: 'He was working there in the Franciscan Well for a long time. Then he moved to work on the Marina. 'GORGEOUS PERSON' 'He was a gorgeous person. I was mad about him. 'We moved in by the Well around 10 years ago. We were renovating a house there and I got to know him fairly early, because if I needed someone to lift something Peter would be there. He was just lovely. 'He would be there in a blink of an eye to do something for you. The Well would have done a bit of fundraising for the Sexual Violence Centre and anything we wanted, Peter was behind us. 'He was very special. I am gutted about him because we were fond of him.' ALARM RAISED The alarm was raised at 12.45am today, with units of Cork Fire Brigades from both Anglesea Street and Ballyvolane stations attending at the scene at the Ardcullen estate in Hollyhill. A woman managed to get out of the house and alerted neighbours who rushed to assist her. The emergency services were quickly on the scene and were told there was a man still inside the property. Using breathing apparatus, the firefighters managed to access the burning house and located Peter inside. POST MORTEM DUE The woman, in her 60s, was treated by paramedics before being transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital (CUH) to be treated for non life threatening injuries. A post mortem examination will be carried out on the deceased man at CUH. The coroner has been notified and an inquest will be held in due course. SCENE SEALED OFF The scene was sealed off to facilitate a full technical examination of the two-storey terraced property. Efforts will be made to determine the cause of the blaze. A source said However it is understood the fire is being treated as a tragic accident.
Scottish Sun
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
I worked with Chloe Kelly as a kid and have now spent £3,000 building my own pub to watch her at Euro 2025
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LIONESSES superfan who coached England's Chloe Kelly as an 11-year-old now spends more than £4,000 a year supporting the women's squad. Sports physiotherapist Zoe Bleach, 42, first met Chloe, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 Euros final, when she was playing at the Middlesex Centre for Excellence. 11 England's Chloe Kelly is a top player in the WSL for Arsenal Credit: PA 11 Zoe Bleach exclusively spoke to SunSport about her experience coaching Kelly as a kid Credit: Collect 11 Bleach forked out more than £3,000 on her very own garden pub called The Lionesses Den Credit: Collect And Zoe told of her pride that the formerly 'quiet and shy' Arsenal star is an inspiration for millions of women just like her who are embracing the beautiful game. Zoe, from Gravesend, Kent, spoke as new research from Amazon's Chatterbox series shows a quarter of British women believe football is what the UK does best - rating it above pubs (24 per cent) humour (19 per cent) and moaning (18 per cent). The latest findings reflect how the Lionesses success has seen a surge in the popularity of women's football in recent years - and shone a spotlight on the game. Zoe said: 'The Lionesses winning the Euros has catapulted women's football in this country into the stratosphere. It's so nice to watch men and women supporting our girls, as well as the male teams. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS TRIAL BY FIRE Carroll suffers nightmare Dagenham debut as he's outshone by 'Trialist B' 'I have watched both for years, but to be able to watch women's football on ITV, BBC, mainstream channels feels very special. This is what I wanted since I was 15, and now I've finally got it at 42 years old. 'The women's team have all worked so hard. They had a passion when they were kids and they've managed to get all the way through to where they are now. They 100 per cent deserve it. 'I worked with Chloe for two years, and she was such a quiet little kid. She wouldn't say boo to a goose. If you spoke to her, she would almost be quite frightened. 'She was a really nice kid, from a lovely family, and a decent player - even at 11 - but I wouldn't have looked at her then and said she would be who she is today. 11 Chloe Kelly (third from left in the front row) honed her football skills in the cages of West London Credit: Collect 11 Bleach forked out more than £3,000 on her very own garden pub Credit: Collect 11 England play Sweden in the quarter-finals on Wednesday Credit: Getty CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'I am really proud of her. Looking back at those nights in Uxbridge, playing after school and being dragged to matches everywhere, she has worked really hard to get where she is now. 'It's not handed to any of the girls on a plate, so they deserve it all the more.' Lionesses legend Chloe Kelly shows off dance moves with Man Utd star after jetting off on holiday ahead of Euros Kelly replaced Lauren James in the 57th minute of England's 6-1 win over Wales on Sunday, which saw the side book a place in the quarter-finals against Sweden on Wednesday night. Zoe - who has been obsessed with football since the age of two - spends at least £4,000 a year and uses up ten days of annual leave supporting Arsenal's ladies team and the Lionesses. In 2003 she travelled to the USA and embarked on a 16-hour road trip between Mississippi and Washington DC to watch England women play, and meet her idol Kelly Smith. She and her partner Elizabeth even spent five months building a £3,000 pub in their garden - The Lionesses Den - to watch the Women's World Cup in 2023. Zoe went on: 'When there's big tournaments, I look at the schedule and book annual leave right up to the final in the hope they get there. 'For Euro 2022 I booked tickets for most of the games including the final. My thinking was that it was going to be a great day whoever was playing in it. 11 Zoe's pub is at the back of her garden in Kent Credit: Collect 11 It's decked out with a bar, beer on draught, pub chairs, stools and a huge TV Credit: Collect 11 The Lioness Den is also kitted out in England memorabilia Credit: Collect 11 Zoe is a Lioness megafan who travels around the world to watch the team play Credit: Collect 'I've been to Brighton twice, Southampton, Northern Ireland and to Wembley. I spent around £2,000 in total travelling to watch them and buying merchandise. 'We started building our pub in February 2023 and our goal was to finish in time for the World Cup in July - I spent every day off working on it. 'It cost us about £3,000 and we have filled with memorabilia including signed shirts from Beth Mead and Kelly Smith, signed autographs from Beth, Lucy Bronze and Mary Earps and pictures of Zoe and Leah Williamson. 'It might have been a lot to spend, but we use the pub easily once or twice a week and we love it. I don't regret a single penny I've spent supporting the Lionesses. 11 Kelly has been named on the bench for England's three games at Euro 2025 Credit: Getty 'And as the research from Amazon's Chatterbox series shows, there are lots of women like me - who are having a great time supporting our football teams.' Amazon's Chatterbox series shines a light on the personalities and opinions of its 75,000 employees and acts as a modern-day barometer of UK opinions. Oxford mathematician and Countdown star Dr Tom Crawford said: 'The data obtained in the Amazon survey is a fascinating insight into the make-up of modern-day Britain.'
Scottish Sun
29-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Dark side of Egypt where tourists are tortured & killed and Brits are banged up & ‘forced to pay bribes by corrupt cops'
Beyond the plush resorts of the Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada, Egypt harbours dirty secrets PHARAOH'S CURSE Dark side of Egypt where tourists are tortured & killed and Brits are banged up & 'forced to pay bribes by corrupt cops' WHEN it comes to a perfect holiday destination for Brits, Egypt has it all - five-star resorts, scorching temperatures and stunning beaches. But beyond the boundaries of its luxury all-inclusive havens is a dark underbelly that the country's tourist board would rather holidaymakers didn't see. 18 Ivonne Daniela Latorre died after being beaten in Egypt Credit: Newsflash 18 The Pyramids of Giza attract millions of tourists from around the world every year Credit: Getty 18 Brit Laura Plummer was held for over a year in a hellish Egyptian prison after painkillers were found in her bag Credit: Collect 18 A former British ambassador to Egypt recently branded the country a 'police state' The Pharoah nation sucks in a staggering 18million tourists each year, and the industry props up around 10 percent of the whole economy, and it's clear to see why. Flocking in their droves, tourists arrive to visit ancient tombs and lounge on the two magnificent coastlines of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. But beyond the plush resorts of the popular Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada - Egypt harbours dirty secrets. Tourists have disappeared in mysterious circumstances - only to turn up mutilated or dead. It is a police state in Egypt. It is violent and vindictive and it is abusing a British citizen John Casson A brutal police force deals in bribes and locks people up on bogus charges, including Brit holidaymakers. The ancient-world sites are riddled with canny con artists who know how to wangle money out of tourists. And animals are tortured and worked to death - with some discarded in makeshift graveyards around the back of the pyramids. Egypt's picture-postcard image is being tested, with a former British ambassador to the country recently branding it a "police state". John Casson said the authorities are "violent and vindictive" and urged the government to "deploy the full range of tools it has to protect British citizens". "This includes official travel advice that should caution against travel to Egypt," he said. Egypt's huge new mega resort will have 11 districts with hotels, attractions and UK flights "It is a police state in Egypt. It is violent and vindictive and it is abusing a British citizen." Egypt's dangerous underbelly was dragged into the spotlight last month when a Colombian tourist suffered a grisly fate. Ivonne Latorre, 24, was found dying in a coma at the side of a road after going missing from the Zamna electronic music festival in Cairo. She has sustained horrific injuries after crossing paths with men posing as producers - and tragically died five days later in hospital. Nobody knows who mutilated Ivonne, but an investigation has been launched into the beauty queen's mysterious death. I used to love going on holiday there, but I'll never step foot in that country again Tony Camoccio Holidaymakers have also accused the country's police officers of corruption, arresting tourists on bogus charges and offering them a way out with bribes. Tony Camoccio, a 56-year-old Londoner, was arrested and locked up in a terrifying jail for simply patting a security guard on the back. The window business owner was told he was going to be charged with sexual assault and locked up for seven years. He told The Sun: "I was locked in a cage outside for two nights with 80 other people. I was just in a T-shirt and shorts and it was one degrees at night. 18 Ivonne, left, died in hospital five days after being found Credit: Newsflash 18 Tony Camoccio was told he would be banged up for seven years on fabricated sexual assault charges Credit: supplied 18 Camels and other animals are routinely mistreated at key tourist sites Credit: PETA Asia 18 A camel tied up at the pyramids foams at the mouth Credit: PETA Asia "Then they told me to sign a document and said I would be released." But the document Tony signed was not a release paper - he says he'd been tricked into signing a confession written in Arabic. Tony said: "It was all about money. My lawyer was told I could get out if we 'made the policeman happy' - clearly meaning a bribe." But the most shocking thing Tony witnessed was inside the brutal Police Station 1 prison. He said: "You couldn't sleep at night because the guards were beating women and children, making them scream. It was horrible. "Egypt is a dangerous place. Most tourists just stay in their hotels because they know that, but it means they don't see the truth. "I used to love going on holiday there, but I'll never step foot in that country again." Tony was lucky to escape the police's clutches when he was released after just over a week - but not everyone has been so fortunate. An Italian Cambridge University graduate, Giulio Regeni, 28, was tortured to death after being scooped up in 2016 - and Italy blames the Egyptian authorities. His mutilated body was found in a ditch near Cairo nine days after disappearing while on a research trip - and an autopsy revealed he had been subjected to extreme torture. Rome has officially charged four members of Egypt's National Security Agency with his murder and torture, and prosecutors still hope for a trial. 'Tourist exploitation' While only a fraction of tourists have serious run-ins with the police, there are other murky realities about Egypt that almost all will experience. One is the near-constant stream of scams that plague tourists as they navigate the cities and attractions. A popular travel blogger who visited Egypt recently vowed never to return - and even re-booked flights to get out two days early. Antonina, behind the Embrace Someplace blog, said: "The constant 'in your face' deceit was one of the worst parts about visiting Egypt. 18 Guilio Regeni was kidnapped and tortured to death Credit: Refer to Caption 18 Laura Plummer, from Hull, said the Egyptian jail was the most horrific thing she'd ever seen Credit: PA:Press Association "These daily demands for as much money as possible started to get to us because it happened no less than 10 times a day. "Eventually we just stopped leaving the hotel. To put it bluntly, I felt like a walking ATM while visiting Egypt. "It seemed to me that, as a tourist, the objective was to get as much money from me as possible. The level of tourist exploitation is absolutely next level." The Pyramids of Giza - visited by tens of thousands every day - are a hotspot for the scams, particularly as the industry picks up again post-Covid. The problem is so bad it has driven a surge in social media influencers creating "avoid the scams" videos. Men with whistles are documented posing as officials, trying to get tourists to follow them to a spot only to charge an extortionate price for the "service". Others falsely tell visitors they are walking the wrong way - ultimately hoping to charge for pictures taken with the pyramids, according to Sam Mayfair's viral TikTok report. 18 British-Egyptian Alaa Abd el-Fattah is being held illegally in jail Cairo, according to the UN Credit: Reuters 18 Tora maximum security prison, where Alaa was initially held Credit: AFP 18 Laila Soueif's has been on hunger strike for over 250 days to protest the ongoing detention of her son Credit: Alamy But the ongoing case that pushed John Casson to call for a change to UK travel advice is that of a British-Egyptian man who has been locked up there for years, with the UN ruling that he is being held illegally. Alaa Abd el-Fattah was banged up five years ago - and has not been released despite his sentence expiring in September. His mum, Laila Soueif, in London, is on death's door after almost 300 days of hunger strike - and she has vowed not to eat until her son is free. I saw two girls getting tortured with sticks in my cell Laura Plummer James Lynch, working for Alaa's campaign, told The Sun that David Lammy's progress with the Egyptian authorities "risks being too slow for Laila and Alaa, British citizens whose health and lives are at serious risk as a result of their prolonged hunger strikes". Alaa's unfair detention echoes the story of Laura Plummer, a shop worker from Hull, who was locked up over prescription painkillers found in her luggage. The Brit ultimately spent 14 months in horrific conditions. Laura was convicted at trial, but she says a guilty verdict was recorded due to a mistake in translation. She was freed in 2019 following a Sun campaign and said: "The prison was horrendous. I was in a cell with 200 people and only 84 beds." Laura was moved from Cairo to Hurghada Prison, where she said she "witnessed the most horrendous things", including "two girls getting tortured with sticks". 18 Scars and raw wounds can be seen all along this camel's neck from rope burns Credit: peta asia 18 A horse is whipped after stumbling over in the road Credit: PETA Asia She said: 'What should have been a two-week holiday in the sun turned into a 15-month trip to hell." Left to die Animal abuse is also a problem in the country, an issue brought to light by a harrowing PETA Asia investigation. The animal rights group uncovered the routine abuse of the creatures forced to work at the pyramids and other attractions. Donkeys, horses and camels in particular are worked to death ferrying tourists around in the scorching heat, and often treated cruelly by their handlers. A recent report said that "handlers viciously beat animals who are simply too exhausted to go on". It said: "Screaming camels are viciously beaten with sticks by men and children at the Birqash Camel Market before being sold to the tourism industry. "Sick, injured, or starving horses and camels are often abandoned by carriage operators who treat them like disposable tools." Tour companies have started moving away from offering camel rides after widespread outrage at the findings of successive investigations, but the local operators are pushing back. As if all that isn't enough for tourists to deal with, a surge of fatal shark attacks have terrorised the coast in recent years. A 48-year-old Italian man was mauled to death in December, and a 24-year-old Russian man was killed in June of 2023. There have been at least two more confirmed deaths from shark attacks in the past ten years - and a host of injuries. It's Red Sea coast makes it far more dangerous to swim around than any of the other countries on the Med, as this map shows. Most visits to Egypt will pass without hitch but, after four years of diplomatic experience in the country, John Casson said the nation must do more to protect Brits, who bring in millions each year. He said: "Egypt cannot have it both ways. It pretends to be a friend and depends on flows of British tourists to keep its economy afloat. "It needs to discover that that kind of partnership is not compatible with abusing our citizens and blocking our embassy from carrying out the most fundamental consular actions on their behalf." 18 Horses eating from a rubbish heap Credit: peta asia 18 PETA Asia found there was a graveyard for dead and dying animals near the pyramids Credit: PETA Asia
