Latest news with #RichardWright
BBC News
19-07-2025
- BBC News
Sycamore Gap prosecutor shares his story of the trial
The trial of the two men who felled the Sycamore Gap tree garnered global attention. What was it like for the prosecutor at the heart of the case? It felt like a murder trial. Day after day we heard of phones and cars being tracked, gloating messages swapped by the culprits in the aftermath and emotional statements about the devastation they had in this case, the weapon was a chainsaw and the victim was a tree. Richard Wright KC has worked on more than 100 murder cases in his 27 years as a an exclusive interview with the BBC, the prosecutor says the interest in trial of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers was on a scale he had never encountered before."It was the public expectation," he says, "the pressure of getting the right result.""The evidence was overwhelming so, in cases like that, if you don't get a conviction, something's gone badly wrong." The jury retired on a Thursday, spending four and a half hours out in discussions before being sent home for the day, eventually returning with guilty verdicts the following morning."I was climbing the walls," Mr Wright says of the wait."You start thinking 'Oh my God, could I have done it differently, what if I've got it wrong?'"He didn't - the jury agreed the evidence was overwhelming. During his opening speech, the video of the tree being cut down was shown for the first time. When the two-and-a-half minute long clip, filmed on Graham's phone, finished you could have heard a pin drop in Newcastle Crown Court's courtroom one."Some people might say it was 'just a tree', but the senseless nature of it was quite emotional," Mr Wright recalls. "It did have a greater power when it was presented in court than I thought it would. "Everybody was stunned in to silence. "I felt the same." The video wasn't the only piece of evidence that helped convict Graham, 39, and Carruthers, 32, who had travelled from their homes in Cumbria to fell the tree on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland in the early hours of 28 September news of the tree's felling rapidly spread, Graham and Carruthers were sending each other screenshots of news reports and outraged social media responses to what they had done."I couldn't believe they had recorded the video in the first place," Mr Wright says. "Equally, I thought their conversations the next day were significant, which frankly only the people who'd cut down the tree could be having." They described it as their "operation", talked about how good the cut had been and were getting palpable excitement from the fury."It was one of those cases where you had your absolute dream tick list of every single thing you'd want to prove a criminal offence," Mr Wright says."Admissions after the fact, evidence of them actually committing the crime, cell site and other circumstantial evidence. "The police did an excellent job." During the trial, Mr Wright described the pair as "the odd couple", best friends before falling out spectacularly as the public revulsion at their actions became clear to them."They were certainly unconventional," Mr Wright says."I thought the relationship between them was very strange, they'd had an intense friendship and now they were absolutely daggers drawn."In court, there were also heated exchanges between Mr Wright and Graham. During cross examination, the defendant raised his voice to the prosecutor and said "I've had enough of you calling me a liar. You're trying to wind us up." Was that what Mr Wright was trying to do? "I thought to myself he was trying to make the jury think I was bullying him and being unfair," Mr Wright responds, adding: "I've had worse." The question of "why" has been the big one for this case, what was the motive for what Mr Wright described to jurors as a "moronic mission".After being convicted, Carruthers went from denying any involvement to admitting being a part of it and attributing it to "drunken stupidity".Jailing them for four years and three months each, Mrs Justice Lambert gave that claim short had done too good a job for it to have been done while drunk, the judge said, adding "sheer bravado" and "thrill-seeking" were driving factors. Mr Wright has another theory, relating to the pair taking away the wedge of tree they had cut out and Carruthers having a newborn baby."I really do think the motive was to get some sort of trophy to celebrate the birth of Carruthers' child," the prosecutor says."I think it was probably something as pathetic as that." Does he think the wedge, which was photographed later that night in the boot of Graham's Range Rover, will ever be found?"I doubt it," Mr Wright says. "I think they would have got rid of it."Since the sentencing, the barrister has already been on two murder cases and spent time sitting as a judge, but he is very aware his name is still attached to the Sycamore Gap case."It's certainly a case I will never forget," Mr Wright says. "As a barrister you like to be anonymous. You go and you do your job, you don't really want to be in the public eye so I was quite pleased when it was over."As he moves on to his next cases, the men he prosecuted have been beginning their prison did he think of the sentence? "As far as I could tell, 50% of the public think it was too long and 50% think it was too short," Mr Wright says. "So that tells me it's about right." Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
North Kesteven bin lorries powered by recycled cooking oil
Nearly all the dustbin lorries in North Kesteven are running on recycled fuel, the council has but two of the fleet of 31 vehicles now use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in place of council said it reduces overall greenhouse gas emission in its waste collection operation by 90%, cutting around 800 tonnes of CO2 a is produced by recycling used cooking oils and similar products. Travelling around 400,000 miles (643,737 km) a year, the refuse fleet empties 55,000 bins a leader Richard Wright said waste collection was responsible for 41% of the council's carbon footprint."Our vehicles travel along every road in the district, servicing every home, clearing fly tipping and undertaking other vital environmental tasks right across the area," he said."Now as they do so, there will be greatly reduced atmospheric impact as climate damaging emissions direct from the exhausts will be 98% lower from vehicles using HVO over regular diesel."The council is also investing in electric-powered vehicles and fitting solar panels and air-heat pumps to its to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Alkaline Water Company Continues Midwest Expansion with Pete's Market
GLENDALE, Ariz., May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alkaline Water Company, Inc. (OTC: WTER -- hereinafter referred to as the "Company"), a leader in the beverage industry known for its purified alkaline water, enhanced with Himalayan rock salt, a leader in the premium bottled alkaline water industry, today announced another significant expansion in the Midwest market with its flagship Alkaline88 gallon bottles now available at Pete's Market, a premier family-owned grocery chain serving the greater Chicago area. The Company's products will be featured in all of Pete's Market's 19 current locations with 4 additional stores opening soon, further strengthening Alkaline88's growing presence in the important Midwest region. "We're excited to announce our continued expansion in the Midwest through placement at Pete's Market, a highly regarded family-owned grocery chain with over 50 years of history in the Chicago area," said Richard Wright, CEO of The Alkaline Water Company. "Pete's Market's reputation for delivering the highest quality and freshest products at an honest price aligns perfectly with our brand values, making them an ideal retail partner for Alkaline88." This placement builds on the Company's growing Midwest distribution footprint, introducing Alkaline88's distinctive 8.8 pH balanced water to the 9.4 million residents of the Chicago metropolitan area. With stores serving diverse communities across urban and suburban Chicago, Pete's Market provides valuable access to one of America's largest consumer markets. "The Midwest continues to be a key growth region for The Alkaline Water Company as we execute our national expansion strategy," added Wright. "Establishing shelf space with quality retailers like Pete's Market is a testament to the growing consumer demand for our products across the country. With their commitment to high-quality products and exceptional service, Pete's Market represents the type of retail partner we seek as we continue to build our brand presence in strategic markets nationwide." This expansion follows the Company's recent retail placements in Arizona and Southern California, reflecting WTER's ongoing commitment to increasing its national footprint. The Company's Alkaline88 gallon products continue to attract new retailers across multiple channels due to their distinctive 8.8 pH balance and clean ingredient profile. About Pete's Market Pete's Market is a family-owned and operated grocery chain with over 50 years of experience serving the Chicago area. Starting as a small produce stand in the early 1970s, Pete's has grown to 19 locations with 4 more on the way, while staying true to its core values: delivering the highest quality and freshest products at an honest price. Each Pete's Market features a full-service kitchen, bakery, and deli, along with in-house butchers and thousands of top-quality groceries and imports, including international, gluten-free, and organic products. Pete's Market remains committed to being a true neighborhood store, serving all income levels, generations, and ethnic backgrounds through its four pillars: Value, Quality, Aesthetics, and Service. About The Alkaline Water Company, Inc. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (OTC: WTER), is a leader in the premium beverage industry, committed to providing superior, clean, and pure hydration solutions to consumers nationwide. The company's flagship Alkaline88® brand has built strong recognition and consumer loyalty due to its simple, clean ingredient profile. Alkaline88® is crafted using a proprietary electrolysis process that infuses purified water with Himalayan rock salt, trace minerals, and electrolytes, achieving a perfectly balanced 8.8 pH, free of chemicals and additives. Under the leadership of returning co-founder Ricky Wright as CEO, the company is implementing disciplined strategies to drive operational improvements, market expansion, and sustainable profitable growth. The company is currently working toward achieving full SEC reporting compliance with the engagement of a PCAOB-registered auditor. Disclaimer Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are identified by the use of the words "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements and include statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its plans, objectives, expectations and intentions reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that these plans, objectives, expectations or intentions will be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Company's control), assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience and present expectations or projections. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements and the trading price for the Company's common stock may fluctuate significantly. Forward-looking statements also are affected by the risk factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. View original content: SOURCE Alkaline Water Company Inc 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
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Real estate talent honoured at Success Realty, Bayleys Awards
In the residential category, Residential Salesperson of the Year was awarded to Richard Wright (Bayleys Mount), while Individual Residential Salesperson of the Year went to Sharon Hall (also from Bayleys Mount). Commercial honours went to Brendon Bradley (Tauranga Commercial), who won both Commercial Salesperson of the Year and Greatest Number of Deals Settled, with Willem Brown (Hamilton Commercial) named Individual Commercial Salesperson of the Year. Top Office of the Year was awarded to Bayleys Mount, a reflection of their market leadership and strong results. Rookie of the Year was Arun Mehan (Tauranga Residential), Greatest Year-on-Year Growth went to Mark Frost (Hamilton Residential), Individual Auction Growth was won by Sarah Adams (Hamilton Residential) and Office Growth of the Year went to Bayleys Mount. The Marketing Campaign of the Year was awarded to Sarah Campbell for her standout campaign on 323 Plummers Point Rd in Tauranga Residential, a powerful example of strategic property storytelling. The Bayleys Way Staff Recognition Award was presented to Stephen Shale, while the Altogether Better Award was went to Peter Kelly (Hamilton Country), recognising both for their unwavering commitment and embodiment of the Bayleys philosophy. Bayleys said it also acknowledged those who upheld the company's values and made an impact – whether with clients, in the community or behind the scenes. Winner of the Big on Community Award were Nicki & Wayne Robb (Hamilton Residential), Property Management Excellence went to Brodie Thomas (Tauranga Commercial), Administrator of the Year was Jess Cleaver (Tauranga Country), PA of the Year was Grace Reid (Hamilton Country), and Realty Services Excellence went to Mary Derksen (Finance). Bayleys chief executive Heath Young said: 'The night was a testament to the calibre of people we have across our group. It was about celebrating not just numbers, but the attitude, care, and collaboration that drive our success.'
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Nasty Nick's' Hendrix tape sold for nearly double expected price
A recording of an interview with rock star Jimi Hendrix, made by a former EastEnders star, has been sold at auction for £3, recording was made backstage at a concert in Central Hall, Chatham, Kent, in December 1967 by John Altman, later to find fame as Nick Cotton in the BBC soap tape, which also contained an interview with Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, was expected to fetch between £1,000 and £2, was sold, along with several other items of Mr Altman's rock memorabilia, at Ewbank's in Send, Surrey, on Thursday. Then aged 15, Mr Altman had played truant to attend the gig, along with his two best collection included autographs and rare 7-inch the recording, the copyright of which was included in the sale, Jimi Hendrix talked about recently having to leave a US tour with the Monkees, while Richard Wright described the different reactions to Pink Floyd's music from UK and American Altman said he recorded the interviews in breaks between the afternoon and evening shows, after he and his friends helped the musicians unload their equipment.
