Double murderer Christopher Halliwell spoke of strangling a woman during sex and asked how many victims he would have to kill to become a serial killer.The taxi driver had sex with Becky Godden, 20, then strangled her after becoming possessive of her and resenting her work as a prostitute in Swindon, Wiltshire.He left her body in a hedge at Oxo Bottom field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire – later returning to bury her naked in the shallow grave where she lay undiscovered for eight years.Read...
↧
Double killer's sex perversions revealed at Dartmoor prison
↧
Do you recognise this man? Police investigate alleged sex assault...
Police are keen to trace this man following an alleged sexual assault of a woman.Investigators say the incident is alleged to have taken place at around 3.30am on August 14 in Chapel Street, across the road from the Esso garage. A woman in her 30s was sitting on the wall when she claims she was approached by a man who attempted to engage her in conversation.A few minutes later a sexual assault was alleged to have taken place. Police believe there may have been a number of people in the area at...
↧
↧
New hope in case of teenager raped and murdered in India
The mother of murdered Devon teenager Scarlett Keeling has extended her stay in India after being given fresh hope the verdict could be overturned – due to a legal loophole. Determined Fiona MacKeown, 52, said she was "floored" after hearing the only two suspects were cleared. But just days after Friday's verdict, Ms MacKeown blasted the fifth judge to have dealt with the trial – and announced she is planning to launch an appeal.Read more: Mother of teen murdered in Goa reveals...
↧
Man accused of ram-raiding Plymouth shop to face trial
A MAN accused of ram-raiding a city shop is to face a judge and jury.Karl Wood, aged 30, appeared at court charged with damaging a convenience store at the wheel of Vauxhall Astra estate.He admitted taking the car without the consent of the owner on June 2.But Wood denied aggravated vehicle taking, which included a claim that he drove the vehicle dangerously in Wolseley Road.Appearing at Plymouth Crown Court over the videolink from Exeter Prison, he also pleaded not guilty to attempted...
↧
Man took car from Plymouth garage and crashed into three other...
A prolific offender faces jail for taking a car from a garage and crashing into three other vehicles.Simon Davis, aged 20, burgled the motor dealer and stole the keys to a Renault Megane, a court heard.He took the car and crashed it into a BMW Z4, a Volkswagen Golf and Suzuki Alto in Tamerton Foliot.Davis, of Hastings Street, in the city centre, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and burglary on August 21.He entered Hartley Garage as a trespasser, the court heard.Appearing at Plymouth...
↧
↧
Plymouth man accused of repeatedly attacking ex-partner
A MAN has appeared in court accused of repeatedly attacking and seriously injuring a former partner.Steven Watson-Weir, aged 41, is to face a judge and jury after denying five assaults in just over a year.Watson-Weir appeared at Plymouth Crown Court over the videolink from Exeter Prison.He pleaded not guilty to two counts of maliciously wounding the woman, causing grievous bodily harm without intent; two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of common assault.Watson-Weir, of...
↧
Plymouth raids net fake designer handbags worth £13k
Fake designer handbags worth more than £13,000 have been seized by Trading Standards officers in Plymouth.In all, 27 fake handbags were retrieved in two raids by Trading Standards officials in the city during 2015-16. Fakes included bags claiming to be made by Louis Vuitton, Mulberry, Armani, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.Read more: Double killer's sex perversions revealed at Dartmoor prisonResearch by Handbag Clinic estimates they would have been worth upwards of £13,000 if...
↧
Plymouth man 'set fire to partner's clothes with baby in flat'
A man set fire to the clothes of his partner after a row while her baby slept in the flat, a court heard.Ashleigh Cook, aged 25, used a lighter to start a fire in the wardrobe in a bedroom, a jury was told.His partner, Katarzyna Gruchala, escaped the smoke and flames with her baby when an alarm sounded.Cook used an extinguisher to put out the fire, Plymouth Crown Court heard.Cook, of Raglan Gardens, Devonport, is on trial after denying arson on March 1 this year.He said that Miss Gruchala...
↧
Plymouth's 'slumhouse millionaires' could be about to repair home
Plymouth's so-called "slumhouse millionaires" look like they are ready to repair their tatty home after years of legal action.The owners of the property at Grand Parade on the Hoe have bought new windows and doors, the city council confirmed today.Nigel Healy, aged 66, has already been handed a suspended prison sentence for failing to repair the home, with an estimated value of £1 million if sold.But Plymouth City Council has dropped proceedings against his partner Karen Chan...
↧
↧
Plymouth woman charged with stealing £20,000 from pensioner
A woman has appeared in court accused of stealing more than £20,000 from a pensioner.Milene Delicata, aged 58, has been charged with taking the money from a woman in her late 80s over three years.She appeared at Plymouth Crown Court to deny stealing £20,704 from the woman between January 2011 and 2014.Judge Ian Lawrie set down a trial to last up to two days, starting on January 30 next year.Delicata, of Melville Terrace Lane, was released on unconditional bail.READ NEXT:Plymouth's...
↧
Locked up in September: Criminals taken off our streets this...
Thugs, liars, sex offenders and drug dealers have all appeared at Plymouth Crown Court in September, and some of them have been taken off our streets.Judges at the city's court have sent away a number of people who will be spending the next few months or years in prison for their crimes.This is a list of some of those who have been locked up in Plymouth in September.Two men jailed after they threatened to shoot man's knees if he did not give them moneyTwo men who attacked and menaced a man in...
↧
Family pay tribute to "big hearted" motorcyclist who...
Tributes have been paid to "big hearted" motorcyclist who died after his bike was in collision with a car in Newton Abbot.Jerry Daniell has been named by police as the rider of a black Yamaha V-Max motorcycle who lost his life following the collision with a red Mercedes B180.Investigators are still looking for witnesses to the collision which took place by the Milber service station in Shaldon Road at 2.10pm on September 22. The 53-year-old, from Torquay, suffered life-threatening...
↧
How South West businesses can combat cyber crime
Devon & Somerset Trading Standards Service is hosting a free event in October to help businesses protect themselves against digital threats.Digital crime can affect any business which uses a computer or communicates digitally with customers or suppliers.If your business uses email, online banking and internet marketing your business could potentially be at risk from cyber rogues.Trading standards wants to give local businesses the tools to protect themselves against online scammers by...
↧
↧
Plymouth man found guilty of setting fire to clothes as baby...
A MAN has been found guilty of setting fire to the clothes of his partner after a row while her baby slept in the flat.Ashleigh Cook, aged 25, tried to blame the woman for taking a flame to her clothes in her wardrobe at her home.His partner, Katarzyna Gruchala, escaped the smoke and flames with her baby when an alarm sounded.Cook, who was previously involved in a bizarre dispute when he claimed he was assaulted on board a Royal Navy ship, used an extinguisher to put out the flames himself.The...
↧
Fears for victims after fall in domestic violence prosecutions
Fears have been raised for victims of domestic violence after prosecutions in Devon and Cornwall fell by 13% last year.Figures released by the force under the Freedom of Information Act showed 787 cases were pursued in 2015-16 compared to 902 the previous year.The fall of 13% was more than double the national average decrease of 5% – based on responses from 31 policing areas.They also significant variations in levels of prosecutions across forces with more than half recording a fall in...
↧
Remains found in Cornwall not those of missing father, Chad...
The family of missing Chad Gibson must continue their agonising search after DNA results revealed a body found in Newquay is not that of the fatherHuman remains were found in the area of Tregurrian, Newquay on August 11 and as initial formal identification proved inconclusive the remains were then sent off for specialist DNA testing.The laboratory has since confirmed that the human bones found in the area of Newquay are not those of Chad Gibson, who has been missing from St Austell since last...
↧
Apology after police official calls man a 'git' in e-mail blunder
A police official has apologised after accidentally sending an e-mail to a member of the public referring to him as a "git".Natalie Hatswell, communications manager for the Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Unit, sent the message to Gregory Lake last week.It followed a lengthy string of messages between the pair relating to Mr Lake's Freedom of Information (FOI) request about mobile speed cameras.In the final e-mail in the chain, which can be seen on the WhatDoTheyKnow website, Ms...
↧
↧
Hypnotist's records sought by 'cold case' detectives
Detectives are trying to trace the records of a police hypnotist as part of probe into historic sexual abuse.
Officers investigating a historic case of sexual assault are trying to trace friends or relatives of the hypnotist, who has since died, who may have paperwork or evidence which could help with their cold case inquiry.
The assault happened in 1983 in the Newquay area and the man, Dennis Seger or Seager may have been employed as a consultant to obtain evidence by hypnotising the...
↧
Prison at last for arsonist who torched his own flat as baby...
An alcoholic who was spared jail after setting fire to his Plymouth flat is today starting a prison sentence after top judges ruled his original punishment was too soft.Paul Harby torched his third-floor flat in South View Terrace, St Judes, while a couple with a young baby and an elderly man were on the floors below.The Court of Appeal, in London, heard the 58-year-old started the blaze on April 28 last year.He was motivated by "resentment" after being handed an eviction notice by his...
↧
'Dangerous' paedophile has jail term cut on appeal
A "dangerous" paedophile who was caught out by a police sting operation – then tried to blame his victims – had his jail term cut by appeal judges today.Daniel John Hendra, 29, was accused of trying to pay a 14-year-old boy for sexual services, telling him he could earn money any time he wanted.The pervert, of Coronation Close, Helston, Cornwall, also met up with a 17-year-old, giving him money to strip and take part in a sex act.But he was caught out when police set up a fake...
↧