Delroy Grant denies offences including rape and sexual assault of elderly people in Surrey, Kent and south London The jury has retired to consider the case against Delroy Grant, accused of being the notorious “night stalker” who raped, sexually assaulted and burgled elderly people over a 17-year period in Surrey, Kent and south London. Grant, 53, is accused of having attacked 18 women and men, the oldest of whom was 89 years old, in their homes between 1992 and 2009. The former minicab driver is accused of having raped or sexually assaulted a total of nine people. The true number of victims, however, is believed to have reached 200. Dismissing the jury at Woolwich crown court to consider their verdict, judge Peter Rook QC acknowledged the horror of the crimes committed. He asked them, however, not to let their “understandable disgust and revulsion” taint their deliberations. Rook pointed to the “distinct pattern” of Grant’s crimes. The perpetrator would wait until night to break into the homes of his elderly victims, all but one of whom lived alone. Wearing gloves and a balaclava, he shut off his victims’ electricity and phonelines, and removed lightbulbs. Only then would he wake his victim. The first rape he is accused of committing, in 1992, was so brutal that the 89-year-old female victim nearly died. Grant’s DNA evidence was found at 10 of the crime scenes. He maintains, however, that his ex-wife, 53-year-old Janet Watson, arranged for a friend to plant his semen and saliva. He argued that she had collected the body fluids during their four-year relationship as part of a plan to frame him. Their relationship ended in 1979, 11 years before DNA evidence was used as an investigative tool. Rook told the jury that the combination of the DNA evidence and the similarities between the “nature and manner” of the offences, meant the jury must be “led to the sure conclusion it was one person” who committed all the crimes. In his four-hour summary, Rook said that if the jury found Grant guilty of one offence, they were obliged to find him guilty of all other counts. He said that a unanimous decision was required. The father of seven has denied a total of 29 offences, including three rapes, one of attempted rape, one sexual assault, six indecent assaults, 16 burglaries and two attempted burglaries. The nationwide manhunt for the night stalker cost £10m and lasted nearly two decades. A police inquiry has been launched into whether Grant could have been identified earlier. Officers fear there may have been earlier opportunities to identify him as a key suspect. None of the elderly victims appeared before the court. But the three-week case was distinguished by the harrowing and detailed statements from all the victims that were read out by prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC. The statements were taken by police who feared that many of Grant’s victims, based on the age of those attacked, their ill-health and the trauma of the attacks, might not be able to give evidence if he was ever caught. Some of the victims have died from natural causes in the years since they were attacked and assaulted. Crime Amelia Hill guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Ex-Bury North MP, who was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to falsely claiming expenses, in bid to reduce sentence The former Labour MP David Chaytor has launched a high court bid to reduce his 18-month prison sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses. A panel of three judges was told that the 61-year-old former lecturer, who represented Bury North, should have received a more “appropriate” sentence of 12 months because if he had claimed the money in a “legitimate way”, he would have been entitled to “all of it”. Chaytor, of Todmorden, west Yorkshire, was jailed in January after pleading guilty to forging tenancy documents and invoices to claim false expenses for rent and IT work. He received £18,350 of the amount he claimed. He is in Spring Hill open prison in Buckinghamshire, but could be released with a tag as early as the end of May. But the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Mr Justice Henriques and Mr Justice Foskett, were told by Chaytor’s lawyer that the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Saunders, had been “too simplistic” in imposing an 18-month jail term. James Sturman QC said if his client had designated his home in Todmorden, on which he had a mortgage, as his second home, he would have been entitled to more than he actually claimed for. Instead, between 2005 and 2008 Chaytor had submitted bogus documents to claim rent for a London flat, which he actually owned, and a Bury cottage, which was owned by his mother who had moved into a care home with dementia. It was “regrettable” and a “stupid thing to do”, said Sturman. “It can only be explained by the truism that decent people sometimes do stupid things.” At the time Chaytor had a “complex” and “challenging” family situation, with both an ill mother and mother-in-law, which made it difficult for him to know which property was best to stay in. The judge had failed to assess what money Chaytor would have been entitled to when handing down the 18-month sentence, said Sturman. Sturman also argued that his client was not given “full credit” for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. The former MP had initially denied the charges but changed his plea after failing to have the case thrown out, citing parliamentary privilege and arguing that he could not receive a fair trial because of media scrutiny. Saunders had reduced the sentence by a quarter for the guilty plea and not one third, which the MP should have been entitled to, said Sturman. The sentence also failed to take into account the public vilification Chaytor had been subjected to in some quarters of the media, and particularly in the blogosphere. “Calls for his death, pictures of him mocked up being hung – it really was quite a horrendous time,” said Sturman. The judge’s panel will give their decision on Wednesday. David Chaytor MPs’ expenses House of Commons Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Ex-Bury North MP, who was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to falsely claiming expenses, in bid to reduce sentence The former Labour MP David Chaytor has launched a high court bid to reduce his 18-month prison sentence for fiddling his parliamentary expenses. A panel of three judges was told that the 61-year-old former lecturer, who represented Bury North, should have received a more “appropriate” sentence of 12 months because if he had claimed the money in a “legitimate way”, he would have been entitled to “all of it”. Chaytor, of Todmorden, west Yorkshire, was jailed in January after pleading guilty to forging tenancy documents and invoices to claim false expenses for rent and IT work. He received £18,350 of the amount he claimed. He is in Spring Hill open prison in Buckinghamshire, but could be released with a tag as early as the end of May. But the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Mr Justice Henriques and Mr Justice Foskett, were told by Chaytor’s lawyer that the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Saunders, had been “too simplistic” in imposing an 18-month jail term. James Sturman QC said if his client had designated his home in Todmorden, on which he had a mortgage, as his second home, he would have been entitled to more than he actually claimed for. Instead, between 2005 and 2008 Chaytor had submitted bogus documents to claim rent for a London flat, which he actually owned, and a Bury cottage, which was owned by his mother who had moved into a care home with dementia. It was “regrettable” and a “stupid thing to do”, said Sturman. “It can only be explained by the truism that decent people sometimes do stupid things.” At the time Chaytor had a “complex” and “challenging” family situation, with both an ill mother and mother-in-law, which made it difficult for him to know which property was best to stay in. The judge had failed to assess what money Chaytor would have been entitled to when handing down the 18-month sentence, said Sturman. Sturman also argued that his client was not given “full credit” for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. The former MP had initially denied the charges but changed his plea after failing to have the case thrown out, citing parliamentary privilege and arguing that he could not receive a fair trial because of media scrutiny. Saunders had reduced the sentence by a quarter for the guilty plea and not one third, which the MP should have been entitled to, said Sturman. The sentence also failed to take into account the public vilification Chaytor had been subjected to in some quarters of the media, and particularly in the blogosphere. “Calls for his death, pictures of him mocked up being hung – it really was quite a horrendous time,” said Sturman. The judge’s panel will give their decision on Wednesday. David Chaytor MPs’ expenses House of Commons Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Chinese authorities have dismissed Google claims that they are to blame for technical problems with the country’s Gmail service China has dismissed Google’s allegation that Beijing is hampering access to its email service as “unacceptable”. The internet provider said it believed government blocks were responsible for technical problems using Gmail from China. The problems arose amid a tightening of internet controls that has made it increasingly difficult to use several popular virtual private networks. VPNs allow people to access material hosted overseas even if it is blocked by the Chinese government. The new restrictions appear to be part of a security clampdown sparked by anonymous online calls for a “jasmine revolution” akin to the recent uprisings in the Middle East. Those messages were posted on an overseas website, but scores of Chinese activists and dissidents have been questioned, harassed and in some cases detained by the authorities for weeks . A Google spokesman told the Guardian this week: “Relating to Google, there is no [technical] issue on our side. We have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail.” Users have reported frequent problems with basic tasks such as sending and searching emails or opening their address books. But Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, told a regular news conference: “This is an unacceptable accusation.” She declined to comment further. The ministry of commerce and ministry of industry and information technology did not respond to faxed questions. This month WiTopia , one of the most popular VPNs, asked users to report problems via email rather than its live support service because of an ” extraordinary volume [of issues] from China shenanigans “. The architect of the online censorship system had previously said it was “lagging behind” in a battle against VPNs and that further tightening was needed . “It’s grim. The reality is they can shut off all access if they want to,” said Bill Bishop, a Beijing-based internet specialist. He added: “You are heading into a two-internet world.” One Beijing-based industry source – who, like many, did not want to be identified in connection with the subject – said he hoped controls might ease in time. He pointed out that in the past sites such as Wikipedia had become available after having been blocked for years and suggested that blocks might be a temporary measure to encourage Chinese users to switch to local alternatives. Many users are largely oblivious to the tightening of restrictions, preferring to use domestic email and social media services. But a growing number of activists and dissidents have embraced services such as Twitter, which is blocked and available only with the use of a VPN or other censorship-evasion technology. Richard Buangan, spokesman for the US embassy in Beijing, said: “As part of our ongoing dialogue with China, we have emphasised to the Chinese government our view on the importance of an open internet. The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a modern society and economy. “The United States believes that freedom of expression, including on the internet, is a universal right that should be available to all people, whether they are in the United States, China or any other nation.” Google angered the Chinese government when it announced last year that it was no longer willing to censor search results in the country and moved its Chinese search service to Hong Kong . It cited increased censorship and a cyberattack which it said appeared to have targeted human rights activists. Separately, Google reported this month that it had seen “some highly targeted and apparently politically motivated attacks against our users”, exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser . It did not identify the subjects, but journalists in China reported suspicious messages from users such as “moli hua” – Chinese for “jasmine” – at the same time. Greg Walton, of cyber intelligence company MetaLab Asia, who analysed those messages, said users were invited to click on links that led to malware hosted on a Hong Kong server. It was apparently designed to download Gmail cookies and email them to several addresses, enabling access to the targets’ Gmail accounts. One piece of malware appears to have been designed to connect the target computer to a command and control server in Heilongjiang, northern China. Chinese officials have repeatedly said their laws ban hacking and that the country is itself a victim of cyber-attacks. China Google Gmail Email Search engines Internet Social media Twitter Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Chinese authorities have dismissed Google claims that they are to blame for technical problems with the country’s Gmail service China has dismissed Google’s allegation that Beijing is hampering access to its email service as “unacceptable”. The internet provider said it believed government blocks were responsible for technical problems using Gmail from China. The problems arose amid a tightening of internet controls that has made it increasingly difficult to use several popular virtual private networks. VPNs allow people to access material hosted overseas even if it is blocked by the Chinese government. The new restrictions appear to be part of a security clampdown sparked by anonymous online calls for a “jasmine revolution” akin to the recent uprisings in the Middle East. Those messages were posted on an overseas website, but scores of Chinese activists and dissidents have been questioned, harassed and in some cases detained by the authorities for weeks . A Google spokesman told the Guardian this week: “Relating to Google, there is no [technical] issue on our side. We have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail.” Users have reported frequent problems with basic tasks such as sending and searching emails or opening their address books. But Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, told a regular news conference: “This is an unacceptable accusation.” She declined to comment further. The ministry of commerce and ministry of industry and information technology did not respond to faxed questions. This month WiTopia , one of the most popular VPNs, asked users to report problems via email rather than its live support service because of an ” extraordinary volume [of issues] from China shenanigans “. The architect of the online censorship system had previously said it was “lagging behind” in a battle against VPNs and that further tightening was needed . “It’s grim. The reality is they can shut off all access if they want to,” said Bill Bishop, a Beijing-based internet specialist. He added: “You are heading into a two-internet world.” One Beijing-based industry source – who, like many, did not want to be identified in connection with the subject – said he hoped controls might ease in time. He pointed out that in the past sites such as Wikipedia had become available after having been blocked for years and suggested that blocks might be a temporary measure to encourage Chinese users to switch to local alternatives. Many users are largely oblivious to the tightening of restrictions, preferring to use domestic email and social media services. But a growing number of activists and dissidents have embraced services such as Twitter, which is blocked and available only with the use of a VPN or other censorship-evasion technology. Richard Buangan, spokesman for the US embassy in Beijing, said: “As part of our ongoing dialogue with China, we have emphasised to the Chinese government our view on the importance of an open internet. The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a modern society and economy. “The United States believes that freedom of expression, including on the internet, is a universal right that should be available to all people, whether they are in the United States, China or any other nation.” Google angered the Chinese government when it announced last year that it was no longer willing to censor search results in the country and moved its Chinese search service to Hong Kong . It cited increased censorship and a cyberattack which it said appeared to have targeted human rights activists. Separately, Google reported this month that it had seen “some highly targeted and apparently politically motivated attacks against our users”, exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser . It did not identify the subjects, but journalists in China reported suspicious messages from users such as “moli hua” – Chinese for “jasmine” – at the same time. Greg Walton, of cyber intelligence company MetaLab Asia, who analysed those messages, said users were invited to click on links that led to malware hosted on a Hong Kong server. It was apparently designed to download Gmail cookies and email them to several addresses, enabling access to the targets’ Gmail accounts. One piece of malware appears to have been designed to connect the target computer to a command and control server in Heilongjiang, northern China. Chinese officials have repeatedly said their laws ban hacking and that the country is itself a victim of cyber-attacks. China Google Gmail Email Search engines Internet Social media Twitter Tania Branigan guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Afghan contractor Shir Ahmad was hired to provide security at an Afghanistan military base, but on Saturday—just 10 days after he was hired—he instead walked up to a group of soldiers and opened fire with an AK-47, killing two. Cpl. Donald Mickler Jr of Ohio, 29, and Pfc….
Continue reading …
Government to close fake colleges, bar students with poor English skills and bring in new rules on staying after courses end The number of foreign students and their dependants coming to Britain could be cut by around 100,000 a year under plans unveiled by the government. Theresa May, the home secretary, said the “radical” clampdown would close fake colleges and block entry for those who cannot speak English adequately. There will also be tougher restrictions on non-EU students staying in the UK after their course finishes – including a rule that they must find a job that pays at least £20,000 a year. May told MPs that while the coalition wanted to attract the “brightest and best” to the UK, the visa system became “broken” under the Labour government. “This package will stop the bogus students, studying meaningless courses at fake colleges,” she said. “It will protect our world-class institutions. It will stop the abuse that became all too common under Labour. “And it will restore some sanity to our student visa system.” She said she expected the measures would reduce the number of student visas issued by 70,000-80,000 annually – equivalent to a 25% decrease. Officials indicated the number of dependants coming to the UK was likely to go down by around 20,000. International students Higher education Students Immigration and asylum Theresa May guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Government to close fake colleges, bar students with poor English skills and bring in new rules on staying after courses end The number of foreign students and their dependants coming to Britain could be cut by around 100,000 a year under plans unveiled by the government. Theresa May, the home secretary, said the “radical” clampdown would close fake colleges and block entry for those who cannot speak English adequately. There will also be tougher restrictions on non-EU students staying in the UK after their course finishes – including a rule that they must find a job that pays at least £20,000 a year. May told MPs that while the coalition wanted to attract the “brightest and best” to the UK, the visa system became “broken” under the Labour government. “This package will stop the bogus students, studying meaningless courses at fake colleges,” she said. “It will protect our world-class institutions. It will stop the abuse that became all too common under Labour. “And it will restore some sanity to our student visa system.” She said she expected the measures would reduce the number of student visas issued by 70,000-80,000 annually – equivalent to a 25% decrease. Officials indicated the number of dependants coming to the UK was likely to go down by around 20,000. International students Higher education Students Immigration and asylum Theresa May guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Latest onslaught on Libyan rebel strongholds comes amid growing signs of splits in international community Muammar Gaddafi’s armed forces are continuing to attack Libyan towns and cities despite three nights of western air strikes and another day of missile strikes. Gaddafi’s troops shelled rebels regrouping in the desert dunes outside the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya, as well as civilians in the rebel-held western city of Misurata. The onslaught came amid further wrangling over who should spearhead the western air campaign and the news that a US fighter jet had crashed in Libya , apparently because of mechanical failure. People in Misurata said four children had been killed when the car they were travelling in was hit, bringing the death toll in the city to at least 44 in the last two days. Residents painted a grim picture of the situation in the city, which Gaddafi loyalists have besieged for weeks , saying doctors were operating on people with bullet and shrapnel wounds in hospital corridors, and tanks were in the city centre. “The situation here is very bad. Tanks started shelling the town this morning,” a resident called Muhammad told Reuters by telephone from outside the city’s hospital, adding: “Snipers are taking part in the operation, too. A civilian car was destroyed, killing four children on board. The oldest is aged 13 years.” Al-Jazeera reported that Gaddafi’s forces were trying to seize the western rebel-held town of Zintan, near the Tunisian border, in an attack using heavy weapons. Residents had already fled the town centre to seek shelter in mountain caves. Rebels in eastern Libya were positioned just outside Ajdabiya, making no further advance on the town despite the continuing air strikes. At the frontline, in desert scrub about three miles outside the town, which marks the gateway to the rebel-held east, rebels said air strikes were helping cripple Gaddafi’s heavy armour. But there was no sign of a swift drive forward. When asked why rebel units had not advanced towards their objective – which is, eventually, Tripoli – Ahmed al-Aroufi, a rebel fighter at the frontline, told Reuters: “Gaddafi has tanks and trucks with missiles.” Meanwhile, two US airmen were forced to eject from their F-15E fighter jet over Libya on Monday night after an apparent mechanical failure, the US military said. The wreckage of their F-15E Strike Eagle jet was found near Benghazi, and both men were safely retrieved. A Marine Corps Osprey search-and-rescue aircraft picked up the pilot, while the second crew member, a weapons officer, was recovered by rebel forces and is now in US hands. Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the Africa Command, said the crash was likely to have been caused by mechanical failure rather than hostile fire. It has also emerged that US and British submarines have launched 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan command-and-control sites in the last 24 hours, bringing to 160 the total number of Tomahawk strikes. With anti-Gaddafi rebels struggling to create a command structure that can capitalise on the air strikes, western nations have still to decide who will take over command once Washington pulls back. The US will cede control within days, President Obama said, even as divisions in Europe fuelled speculation that Washington would be forced to retain leadership of air patrols that will replace the initial bombardment. “We anticipate this transition to take place in a matter of days and not in a matter of weeks,” Obama told a news conference while on a visit to Chile. The British prime minister, David Cameron, said the intention was to transfer command to Nato, but France said Arab countries did not want the US-led alliance in charge of the operation . Nato officials resumed talks in Brussels after failing to reach agreement at heated talks yesterday. Underlining the differences in the anti-Gaddafi coalition, Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, said if agreement were not reached on a Nato command, Italy would resume control of the seven airbases it has made available to allied air forces. A Nato role would require political support from all the 28 states. The Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a Nato member, said today the UN should be the umbrella for a solely humanitarian operation in Libya. In a speech in parliament, Erdogan said: “Turkey will never, ever be a side pointing weapons at the Libyan people.” Rifts are also growing in the world community over the UN resolution, with the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, comparing the mandate to a call for “medieval crusades”. China and Brazil have also urged a ceasefire amid fears of civilian casualties, while the Algerian foreign minister, Mourad Medelci, described the western military intervention as “disproportionate” and called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities and foreign intervention”. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest United Nations Middle East Sam Jones guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Latest onslaught on Libyan rebel strongholds comes amid growing signs of splits in international community Muammar Gaddafi’s armed forces are continuing to attack Libyan towns and cities despite three nights of western air strikes and another day of missile strikes. Gaddafi’s troops shelled rebels regrouping in the desert dunes outside the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya, as well as civilians in the rebel-held western city of Misurata. The onslaught came amid further wrangling over who should spearhead the western air campaign and the news that a US fighter jet had crashed in Libya , apparently because of mechanical failure. People in Misurata said four children had been killed when the car they were travelling in was hit, bringing the death toll in the city to at least 44 in the last two days. Residents painted a grim picture of the situation in the city, which Gaddafi loyalists have besieged for weeks , saying doctors were operating on people with bullet and shrapnel wounds in hospital corridors, and tanks were in the city centre. “The situation here is very bad. Tanks started shelling the town this morning,” a resident called Muhammad told Reuters by telephone from outside the city’s hospital, adding: “Snipers are taking part in the operation, too. A civilian car was destroyed, killing four children on board. The oldest is aged 13 years.” Al-Jazeera reported that Gaddafi’s forces were trying to seize the western rebel-held town of Zintan, near the Tunisian border, in an attack using heavy weapons. Residents had already fled the town centre to seek shelter in mountain caves. Rebels in eastern Libya were positioned just outside Ajdabiya, making no further advance on the town despite the continuing air strikes. At the frontline, in desert scrub about three miles outside the town, which marks the gateway to the rebel-held east, rebels said air strikes were helping cripple Gaddafi’s heavy armour. But there was no sign of a swift drive forward. When asked why rebel units had not advanced towards their objective – which is, eventually, Tripoli – Ahmed al-Aroufi, a rebel fighter at the frontline, told Reuters: “Gaddafi has tanks and trucks with missiles.” Meanwhile, two US airmen were forced to eject from their F-15E fighter jet over Libya on Monday night after an apparent mechanical failure, the US military said. The wreckage of their F-15E Strike Eagle jet was found near Benghazi, and both men were safely retrieved. A Marine Corps Osprey search-and-rescue aircraft picked up the pilot, while the second crew member, a weapons officer, was recovered by rebel forces and is now in US hands. Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the Africa Command, said the crash was likely to have been caused by mechanical failure rather than hostile fire. It has also emerged that US and British submarines have launched 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan command-and-control sites in the last 24 hours, bringing to 160 the total number of Tomahawk strikes. With anti-Gaddafi rebels struggling to create a command structure that can capitalise on the air strikes, western nations have still to decide who will take over command once Washington pulls back. The US will cede control within days, President Obama said, even as divisions in Europe fuelled speculation that Washington would be forced to retain leadership of air patrols that will replace the initial bombardment. “We anticipate this transition to take place in a matter of days and not in a matter of weeks,” Obama told a news conference while on a visit to Chile. The British prime minister, David Cameron, said the intention was to transfer command to Nato, but France said Arab countries did not want the US-led alliance in charge of the operation . Nato officials resumed talks in Brussels after failing to reach agreement at heated talks yesterday. Underlining the differences in the anti-Gaddafi coalition, Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini, said if agreement were not reached on a Nato command, Italy would resume control of the seven airbases it has made available to allied air forces. A Nato role would require political support from all the 28 states. The Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a Nato member, said today the UN should be the umbrella for a solely humanitarian operation in Libya. In a speech in parliament, Erdogan said: “Turkey will never, ever be a side pointing weapons at the Libyan people.” Rifts are also growing in the world community over the UN resolution, with the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, comparing the mandate to a call for “medieval crusades”. China and Brazil have also urged a ceasefire amid fears of civilian casualties, while the Algerian foreign minister, Mourad Medelci, described the western military intervention as “disproportionate” and called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities and foreign intervention”. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest United Nations Middle East Sam Jones guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …