Author: James Whitmore

Judge Orders 29-Year Minimum Term for Man Who Pursued Colleague to Railway Station A hotel worker finished her Sunday night shift shortly before midnight and walked to catch her train home, talking on the phone with a friend. She never completed that journey. Deng Chol Majek, 27, pursued Rhiannon Whyte from their shared workplace to Bescot Stadium station on October 20, 2024, where he carried out a fatal knife attack on the platform. Whyte sustained severe injuries and succumbed to a catastrophic brain injury three days later while hospitalized with family present. The sequence of events was captured on surveillance…

A single message in a private online forum shattered years of silence in 2019, ultimately bringing down a children’s mentor who spent two decades evading accountability for sexually exploiting students under his care. That digital confession—posted by one woman describing troubling encounters with a former school employee—resonated immediately with others in the closed group. Multiple women recognized the same pattern of behavior, privately comparing experiences that mirrored their own trauma. By January 2020, three had contacted authorities. Two more followed by year’s end. The collective testimony led to Thursday’s sentencing of Emem Udaw, 51, of Knollmead, Tolworth, who received eight…

More than four years after losing their daughter, the family of Gunner Jaysley Beck has finally secured criminal charges against two senior officers they hold responsible for catastrophic failures in responding to her sexual assault complaint.Major James Hook and Colonel Samantha Shepherd, both part of Beck’s military chain of command, will stand trial at court martial on charges of conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline under the Armed Forces Act. The prosecution follows a lengthy investigation by the Defence Serious Crime Command.Both officers had knowledge of the 19-year-old soldier’s assault allegations before she died by suicide at Larkhill…

A former nursery worker from north London has pleaded guilty to 30 additional sexual offences as part of what the Metropolitan Police has described as one of its most complex child sexual abuse investigations. Vincent Chan, 45, of Stanhope Avenue, Finchley, appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 29 January for his first appearance on the new charges. He admitted 12 counts of taking and making indecent images of children, one count of sexual assault, 11 counts of voyeurism and six counts of outraging public decency. The offending relates to 16 victims, 10 of whom were children at the time.…

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a series of fires in north London last year that are linked to a high-profile public figure.The man was detained on Wednesday, 28 January in Harlow, Essex, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson. He was taken to an Essex police station and subsequently released under investigation pending further enquiries.The arrest forms part of an ongoing investigation into various fires that took place in the NW5 area in May 2025. According to the Metropolitan Police, the case is being led by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing London due to the incidents…

Commuters face widespread service changes across London’s transport network this weekend, with several lines affected by planned engineering works.Transport for London has issued guidance covering closures and alterations from Friday 30 January to Sunday 1 February, urging passengers to check live information via the TfL app or website before travelling.Two long-running projects continue to affect services throughout the period. Barons Court station remains impacted by works running from Monday 19 January to Sunday 7 June, with eastbound District and Piccadilly line trains not stopping there. The station itself remains open and westbound services continue to call.Cutty Sark DLR station is…

Lidl has recalled chicken burgers from its shelves due to a labelling failure that could pose serious health risks to customers with celery allergies. The supermarket chain has issued an urgent recall for Red Hen Gastro 2 Southern Fried Chicken Thigh Burgers after discovering that celery is not highlighted in bold on the ingredients list as required by food safety regulations. The 330g packs carrying all use-by dates are affected. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert for the product. Lidl GB stated: “If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to celery, we advise…

King Charles Reflects on Environmental Backlash in New Documentary King Charles has spoken candidly about the criticism he faced for decades of environmental campaigning, reflecting that he was determined not to be diverted from his course despite sustained public backlash. The monarch’s remarks appear in a new 90-minute film, Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, which Amazon MGM Studios will release next week. The documentary explores Charles’s lifelong commitment to green issues and his Harmony philosophy connecting humanity with nature. In the film, Charles watches footage of his past speeches on environmental matters. “I just felt this was the approach that…

A predatory sex offender from north London has been found guilty of four additional sexual offences following a complex Metropolitan Police investigation that began in 2019. Ross Davidson, 37, of Station Road, Finchley, was convicted at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday of one count of sexual assault, one count of attempted rape and one count of rape. He had pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism on the first day of the trial. The offences relate to two victims. The convictions follow an earlier trial in July 2024, when Davidson was found guilty of one count of rape, two…

A 63-year-old man has been convicted of causing an explosion that damaged cars and properties up to 100 metres away after planting a home-made bomb at a fallen ULEZ camera in south-east London. Kevin Rees, of Harcourt Avenue, Sidcup, was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of causing an explosion likely to endanger life and three counts of possessing prohibited weapons. The incident occurred on the evening of 6 December 2023 in Willersley Avenue. According to Counter Terrorism Policing London, the device consisted of a metal cylinder filled with black powder explosive. The explosion was so powerful that a piece…