Latest news with #McHugh
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Killers slashed and stabbed vulnerable man before dumping him in Glasgow close
Joseph McGready was slashed and stabbed having been accused of stealing from one of his killers. Three killers are each facing a life sentence for the brutal murder of a vulnerable man. Amanda Welsh, 49, Conor Thomas, 29, and Laura McHugh, 32, have been convicted of a fatal attack on Joseph McGready at the latter's flat in Braid Square in Maryhill, Glasgow on September 29, 2023. The 30 year-old was slashed and stabbed having been accused of stealing from McHugh. The trio had denied murder during the trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Welsh and Thomas had effectively blamed McHugh while McHugh had pointed the finger at the other two. But, jurors today, June 27, returned unanimous verdicts against the trio. They were remanded in custody and are due to learn the minimum they will spend behind bars next month. Mr McGready had ended up in the company of the three on the day of the killing before going to McHugh's flat. The trial heard claims it was while there Mr McGeady was accused of theft. He was set upon before he was dumped badly injured in the communal close. The killers then fled the scene. Welsh and McHugh ended up spending the night in a hotel. Mr McGready was later found, but he tragically passed away days later in hospital. The trio were eventually held by police for the death. McHugh told detectives of a "free for all" at her flat, but denied being responsible. She stated Welsh initially slashed Mr McGready before Thomas struck him "five or six times". Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. McHugh told the officers: "I shouted on Connor and he stopped. It was only a few seconds and it was over." She recalled "a lot of blood" and assumed the victim had a number of injuries. McHugh claimed she had been "terrified", but admitted helping lift Mr McGready from the flat and "put him in the landing". The victim was said to have pleaded: "Please stop, please stop." In her evidence, Welsh admitted slashing Mr McGready, but denied any further attack. She claimed the man had made a comment about her boyfriend. After she had dropped the blade, Welsh insisted she had then seen McHugh with a knife. Following the verdicts, prosecutor Kath Harper revealed all three had criminal records. This included both Welsh and Thomas having convictions for offensive weapons. Lord Matthews adjourned the case for reports.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Jealous lover who sent sex videos to his ex's work colleague is jailed
The 43-year-old had installed cameras in his home for security, but his ex-partner was unaware he had recorded them having sex. A jealous ex-lover made a 'very, very stupid mistake' when he sent four intimate videos to his former partner's work colleague, a court heard. The 43-year-old had installed cameras in his home for security, but his ex-partner was unaware he had recorded them having sex. She only became aware of the videos when her ex-partner sent the clips to her work colleague, and she reported the matter to gardaí. Defence solicitor Liam Cadogan said he had been instructed that his client had been in an open relationship with the victim. She had left him, then came back, and he had been jealous. Stock image News in 90 Seconds - June 27th Judge David McHugh said he would not allow the defendant to impune the character of the victim. Judge McHugh imposed a six-month sentence, saying this was a 'despicable' crime and the breach of trust was an enormous one. Judge McHugh further ordered that the defendant have no contact with the injured party. The court heard that the DPP had ruled summary trial in the district court on a guilty plea only. The defendant, who cannot be identified to protect his ex-partner, admitted four counts of distributing an intimate image without his former girlfriend's consent and with intent to cause harm to her on July 30, 2023. Sergeant Conor Mohan told Blanchardstown District Court the victim came into a garda station and reported that her ex-partner had secretly filmed them having sex. The victim said her ex-partner had sent four of these intimate videos to a male work colleague of hers. Sgt Mohan said the defendant had no permission to record the victim, or to distribute the intimate images. Gardaí later seized the defendant's mobile phone, and found the recordings. He subsequently made full admissions. The court heard the defendant had no previous convictions. A victim-impact statement was prepared by the defendant's ex-partner and handed to the judge, but was not read out in court. Defence solicitor Liam Cadogan said the defendant made 'a very, very stupid mistake', and he realised what he did was wrong. Mr Cadogan also told the court that the defendant was very sorry for what had happened.
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Why Dublin's win over Limerick will be enshrined in hurling history
It was the final day of Na Fianna's annual mini-leagues on Mobhi Road yesterday. Always a great occasion, this year felt even more special considering what many had witnessed in Croke Park the evening before and how so many of the All-Ireland club champions played a part in one of the greatest upsets in GAA history. From Niall Ó Ceallacháin, the architect of this stunning success, to Sean Currie, the electric inside-forward, and Conor McHugh, the former county footballer who defended like a dervish on Saturday. There was plenty of glory to go around in Glasnevin yesterday and the stars of tomorrow could be informed that it was in the minileagues Currie and McHugh set out on the journey that led them to be part of the side that delivered the shock of the summer. 21 June 2025; John Hetherton of Dublin celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Dublin and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile McHugh's performance at corner-back particularly caught the eye, as he helped to shut down the fearsome Limerick full-forward line, alongside John Bellew and Paddy Smyth, the trio continually putting their bodies on the line. It's made even more remarkable when you consider it's McHugh's first season as a county hurler. 'It's that lad's mindset,' Ó Ceallacháin said. 'You've seen him at the club with regards to what he can do there but that's totally mind-set. 'What I would say on top of that, he could have played nine or 10 years for Dublin, there's no question about that and you know why that didn't happen. 'For him, first of all, to want to do it and to come in and be with the lads for the first time, but for him to do it at that level to be honest, it's all mindset upstairs and that's what he absolutely thrives on.' Saturday's extraordinary performance against arguably the greatest team ever felt like the most significant step forward yet by Dublin hurlers, especially given they had to do it for 55 minutes after Chris Crummey, the team's beating heart, was sent off for a mis-timed challenge on Gearóid Hegarty. There has been loads of money pumped into the game in the capital simply so they can enjoy moments like these, but Ó Ceallachaín, as is his way, didn't want to dwell on the landmark feeling of the day, pointing out that this was game two of four for the team in the All-Ireland Championship – they beat McDonagh Cup champions Kildare last weekend. However, he did reckon that the close-knit nature of the group was key in them managing the chaos of Saturday. Limerick's Kyle Hayes dejected after Limerick's loss. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie 'The whole thing means a hell of a lot to them. They're very well connected group, they're very close and they have each other's backs. It means a lot to them. And they look out for each other. And in the chaos of what's out there in Championship hurling, you need to know that the lad beside you has your back. 'And in that dressing room, the lads do.' It has been an up-and-down summer for Dublin, veering from mediocrity to excellence, sometimes even within games, such as the Leinster SHC test against Kilkenny. However, the Dubs boss, who led Na Fianna to an All-Ireland club title earlier this year, held his hands up and felt that some of the inconsistency – such as the poor display against Galway – was on him. 'First of all, the Kilkenny game. When we looked at it, the lazy analysis of that game was we had a poor first half, and then just came out and played. That wasn't the case. 'If you look at that game, we conceded goals in that game that we just should not have. The elements that day, we were up against it in that first half, and we actually hurled very well for long periods. So, there was a level standard of performance there. 'The following week against Galway, we were not where we wanted to basically be. I put that back on myself. We had three games in three weeks. It's my first year at this, and I don't think I managed those weeks well, to be honest. Did I set the lads right up for it? But also, games take on their own flow. 'I forget the number of wides that we had in that first 25 minutes against Galway, but that sucks energy out of any team. The reason I say that is there is a base performance there, I don't think we did a huge turnaround. 'We didn't look deep into our souls the day or two after the Galway defeat.' Dublin goalkeeper Sean Brennan saves a late free ©INPHO/James Crombie 'There was a base performance there. Some things just did not go right that day, but we didn't just throw every-thing out. We knew that certain things were where they needed to basically be, but some things in the Galway performance just were not good enough. Outside looking in, that was probably 'aw, they're back to where they where'. 'We'd look under it and feel that there's a lot that was still OK about that day. I'm not understating performance or that we needed to be better. But with less focus on the outcome, there's a lot of trust there that there'd be a base performance there and that we'd be in games.' And now Dublin go on to game three of four in the Liam MacCarthy race. For many, it will be felt that they are in bonus territory, but after putting their bodies on the line – from Sean Brennan's remarkable late save to Paddy Doyle's heroic bodyblock – there is a sense that Dublin won't be denied. It is the sort of attitude they need to take into the semi-final against Cork in a couple of weeks' time. Whatever happens from here, Saturday's remarkable win will go down in the hurling history books.
Sunday World
21-06-2025
- Sunday World
Getaway driver in Lisa Thompson's murder slammed for painting herself as ‘the victim'
Deirdre Arnold acted as the get-away driver for "violent and abusive thug" Brian McHugh A HSE addiction counsellor, who acted as the get-away driver for "violent and abusive thug" Brian McHugh after he murdered Lisa Thompson, has been told by the victim's daughter that while the defendant tried to paint herself as "the victim" in the trial, she was "guilty and always would be". The teenager, who was 12 years old when her mother was strangled with a blind cord and stabbed to death in her own home by her former lover, also told Deirdre Arnold: "I hope every time you close your eyes you see what we live with. I hope in the silence of the night it reminds you of how you silenced my mam's voice forever". On March 10 this year, Brian McHugh (40), with a former address at Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun in Dublin 11 was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering 52-year-old Ms Thompson after a jury found he had inflicted 11 stab wounds to her chest and wrapped the cord around her neck. Six of the wounds had penetrated her heart and two went through and through. In a separate trial last April, a jury found Deirdre Arnold was not an "innocent abroad" and had "decided at every turn" to assist her then-partner McHugh, whom she knew to have murdered mother-of-two Ms Thompson. Arnold's defence counsel, Mr Patrick Gageby SC, told her sentence hearing yesteday that "in one of those terrible twists of fate", soon after becoming acquainted with McHugh, the addiction worker herself became addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. He said she has since resigned from her State job. Arnold, whom the court previously heard is the sole financial support for her three children, remains on bail pending her sentence next month. Evidence was heard at McHugh's trial that Ms Thompson was dealing prescription drugs from her home, with gardai who searched the house finding thousands of tablets worth nearly €50,000 hidden in the attic. The trial was told that Ms Thompson and McHugh had a "bit of a fling" in the year before she died. At Arnold's trial, the jury heard that she had made domestic abuse complaints and got an interim barring order against McHugh. She also told gardai that McHugh had broken her arm by holding it on the bottom of a stairway and stamping on it. Mr Gageby argued that his client was in fear of McHugh and reminded the jury that, even if they were satisfied she assisted the murderer, for a conviction they had to find it was without reasonable excuse. The jury unanimously accepted the State's case that Arnold impeded McHugh's prosecution by driving him to Ms Thompson's home at Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun on May 9 2022, where she waited outside for "well over an hour" before driving him away from the scene. Vicious killer Brian McHugh Arnold later checked McHugh into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport in an effort to help him evade prosecution. It was also the prosecution's case that the defendant allowed her silver Hyundai Tucson to be used to dispose of evidence taken from Ms Thompson's home. Deirdre Arnold, with an address at Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 was charged that on a date between May 9 2022 and May 10 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, did without reasonable excuse an act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh, a person who had committed an arrestable offence, namely murder, whilst knowing or believing Brian McHugh to be guilty of the offence or of some other arrestable offence. Arnold was also charged that on a date between May 9 2022 and May 10 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, acted or embarked upon a course of conduct which had a tendency to and was intended to pervert the course of public justice. She had pleaded not guilty to the two counts. Murder victim and mother-of-two Lisa Thompson Detective Garda Fergus Burke, of Ballymun Garda Station, told the court that Arnold has three children and one previous conviction from 2022 for attempting to drive under the influence of drugs. She she received a fine and was disqualified from driving for 18 months for this offence. In his submissions today, Mr Gageby said Arnold accepted the verdict and the matter would rest there. He said a letter had been handed up to the court which was not a plea for forgiveness but an indication of "true sorrow for her part" and that she would never forget the consequences of that day. Counsel added: "She also indicates that she recognises her actions no matter how unintentional had become part of something that caused the family great harm and is truly sorry". Mr Gageby said his client became a heroin user in early 2020, having formed a relationship with McHugh in the preceding year. In mitigation, Mr Gageby said there was demonstrably a pattern of abuse in the case and there was a text message deployed by the prosecution in the trial where Arnold had nominated McHugh as a danger to women. He said there were some unfortunate aspects to Arnold's upbringing and to date she has had three relationships with partners; "none of which had ended well and there seemed to be a pattern". Mr Gageby said his client had worked from the age of 16, had done a number of courses and had provided counselling. He added: "In one of those terrible twists of fate, soon after becoming acquainted with Brian McHugh she became herself subject to the addiction of heroin and crack cocaine; a pathetic aspect to this". The lawyer asked the court to consider if Arnold had not been in a relationship with McHugh at the time, would she ever have offended or come to the attention of authorities or ended up in the Central Criminal Court. Deirdre Arnold He said the defendant's conviction is incompatible with State employment and she has resigned. He said Arnold had worked incredibly hard from the age of 16 to provide a stable home but unfortunately established a relationship with someone who brought her down to his level and she was responsible for that. He submitted that there is no facility for an open prison for female prisoners and asked the court to take that into consideration. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath remanded Arnold on continuing bail until July 4, when she will be sentenced. Victim Impact statements: Ms Thompson's sister Ashley Duckett said in her victim impact statement that the reality between their family and the two defendants families was that "they can still pick up the phone to hear their voice or they can call or visit the prison and one day they can return to their lives". Ms Duckett said her family will never hear Lisa's voice again or her "contagious laughter". "Her children would love to be sharing their news on the Junior Cert results and many more things that have happened in the last three years since their mother was taken from them". Deirdre Arnold News in 90 Seconds - June 21st She said her sister had been "brutally murdered" in her own home and her children would never see her "redeem herself from the depression which had been taking over her life in her final weeks". Ms Duckett said she asked Lisa's daughter if she wanted to add to the victim impact statement so she could have a voice in the court and what she had to say "provided a glimpse into the hurt and pain caused by the murder of my sister by Brian McHugh and the actions of Deirdre Arnold". In her statement, Ms Thompson's daughter said she had been out playing with her friends "completely unaware that my world was about to be shattered". When her dad told her "your mam is dead", the teenager said "it felt like my heart was being stabbed over and over again and each word twisting the knife in deeper, ripping the life out of me bit by bit". "But you wouldn't understand that kind of pain Deirdre... you brought him to what was once a home filled with laughter, memories and love in every inch of that house". Ms Thompson's daughter continued: "In court you tried to paint yourself as the victim. Brian may have abused you and threatened you. Maybe you were scared of him but fear doesn't make you had a choice that night and you chose to be a part of something unforgivable". "I was 12 when my mam died. I was still a little girl. I was left alone to carry this grief that was too heavy for a child so I was forced to grow up overnight". "You have no idea of the trauma and scars you left me and my family with. Imagine a child crying uncontrollably in their friend's arm for hours, begging for a reason, begging for someone to make sense of it. Begging for their friend to tell them it was a nightmare and you would wake up to everything to be okay. "It's been three years and I'm still waiting to wake up from this nightmare. All of the sleepless nights I've spent staring at the ceiling with so many questions". "She should be here making a million more memories with our family and friends but instead we visit a cold silent grave".
Calgary Herald
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Fresh group of Edmonton soldiers depart for Latvia
Roughly 100 Edmonton soldiers departed for Europe Sunday to join the Multinational Brigade Latvia's Operation Reassurance where they'll stay for the next six months as part of the biggest reinforcement of NATO's collective defence in a generation. Article content 'We're just super excited to finally get boots on the ground because we have been looking forward to this for such a long time, and we've worked so hard to train,' said Capt. Emily Stregger as the group prepared to fly out. Article content Article content Article content NATO forces have been in the region since 2017 with the establishment of the Canadian-led combat-ready battlegroup that is hosted by the Latvian Mechanized Infantry Brigade and comprised of 14 contributing nations. Maj. Tim McHugh of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) said the group will be doing regular training while deployed, which takes on a different tone given their proximity to Russia. Article content Article content 'I think just having them on the vehicles on a regular basis, having access to the training area, and knowing that there is the potential for a threat that exists in that area does increase the level of training, and it makes everybody a little bit more excited.' Article content The group will be working with a variety of armoured vehicles, including the armoured engineer vehicle, which Stregger said is a variant of a Leopard II tank that has a bulldozer blade and excavator arm. Article content Article content Article content 'It's one of its own over there. So it'll be a very unique experience,' said Stregger. Article content Of the roughly 100 soldiers headed to Latvia, McHugh guessed that maybe only 20 had been deployed previously, making it an entirely new experience for the rest. With so many being deployed for the first time, McHugh said part of his job will be keeping the soldiers grounded. Article content 'We're going over there to do our job, to focus on the job first. There's going to be bonuses, you know, being over there, getting to see another country and interact with other nations, but focus on our core mandate and our core task, which is fighting tanks, and being better at that, and integrating into our battle group and being a confident fighting force,' said McHugh. Article content With the ongoing war in Ukraine and recent fighting between Iran and Israel having ramped up, military activity has been on the rise across the Atlantic. But McHugh said it doesn't change the mentality of the group heading into its deployment. Last deployed in Latvia himself in 2020, McHugh said the main difference for him is a growing Canadian presence.
