The State Pension age is rising from 66 to 67 for people born in the early 1960s, with the gradual increase starting in April 2026

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Millions of workers are being encouraged to verify their State Pension age as the long-anticipated increase from 66 to 67 commences next month. The adjustment means individuals born in the early 1960s may not retire at 66 as many anticipated.

Instead, their State Pension age will incrementally rise depending on their precise date of birth. Under the current schedule, the State Pension age will rise from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and March 2028.

Those born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961 will see their retirement age extended beyond 66, with the exact age contingent on when they were born. For some, this could mean waiting several additional months before they can begin receiving their State Pension.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging people nearing retirement to check their State Pension age so they know precisely when they will become eligible for payments, reports the Daily Record. Officials highlight that many still presume the State Pension automatically starts at 66, but this will no longer be the case for those impacted by the latest increase.

Another crucial point is that the State Pension does not commence automatically – individuals must actively claim it when they reach State Pension age. The Pension Service typically sends an invitation letter around four months prior to someone reaching their State Pension age, explaining how to make a claim.

However, the DWP emphasises the importance of individuals checking their own retirement age to plan ahead and avoid any confusion about when they will start receiving payments.

Determining your State Pension age is straightforward and can be done online by inputting your date of birth into the UK Government’s official State Pension age calculator.

The current full rate of the New State Pension stands at £230.25 a week – set to increase to £241.30 from 6 April – although the precise amount someone receives is dependent on their National Insurance record.

To receive the full New State Pension, most people require approximately 35 qualifying years of National Insurance Contributions (NICs), whilst those with fewer years may receive a reduced amount. A minimum of 10 years of NICs is needed to qualify for any State Pension payments.

The rise in the State Pension age is part of the UK Government’s long-term plans, designed to reflect increasing life expectancy and the escalating cost of pension provision.

Further increases are already scheduled, with the State Pension age anticipated to rise again to 68 in the mid-2040s, although the exact timetable for this change remains under review.

For now, officials state that the priority is ensuring people nearing retirement understand when they will become eligible for the State Pension and how to claim it.

Anyone uncertain about when they will receive their State Pension can verify their exact retirement age through the government’s online service by entering their date of birth.

Fragrance entrepreneur Jo Malone is facing legal action from Estee Lauder’s parent company over the use of her own name.

Ms Malone, who sold her eponymous fragrance brand to Estee Lauder in 1999, later established her new venture, Jo Loves, in 2011.

The businesswoman recently developed perfumes for high street giant Zara.

High Court records show an intellectual property claim was filed on Wednesday by Estee Lauder Europe and Jo Malone Limited against Ms Malone personally, Jo Loves and ITX Limited, which trades as Zara.

No documents are currently available in the case brought over alleged trademark infringement, passing off and breach of contract.

A spokesperson for the Estee Lauder Companies, the group behind beauty brands including Estee Lauder, MAC and Clinique, said the group has “invested significantly” in the Jo Malone London brand.

They said that after Ms Malone sold her brand in 1999, she agreed to “clear contractual terms” which included not using her name “in certain commercial contexts, including the marketing of fragrances”.

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The spokesperson continued: “She was compensated as part of this agreement, and for many years, she abided by its terms.

“Ms Malone’s use of the name ‘Jo Malone’ in connection with recent commercial ventures goes beyond that legal agreement and undermines Jo Malone London’s unique brand equity.

“We respect Ms Malone’s right to pursue new opportunities.

“But legally binding contractual obligations cannot be disregarded, and when those terms are breached, we will protect the brand that we have invested in and built over decades.”

Last year, Estee Lauder revealed it would make up to 7,000 job cuts worldwide as part of a cost-saving overhaul as it braced for tariff increases amid fears of a global trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump.

It said the figure was on a net basis, after taking account of some staff it is looking to retrain and redeploy in other roles.

The crash happened just before 6pm and involved two cars on Deane Road near the education zone.

Police and ambulance were called to the scene.

The road remained open, although it caused congestion in the already busy area.

Deane Road has been the scene of a number of crashes.

Although the cause of this smash is not known and subject to an investigation, there have been a number of operations and campaigns to tackle the number of crashes in the area.

This includes proactive police operations, including monitoring speed.

It was the centre of a hard-hitting campaign, ‘No more flowers’, last summer.

No More Flowers is a campaign to end deaths on the region’s roads, and a powerful installation was placed on the road where there have been a number of crashes in the area.

The campaign, targeted roads across Greater Manchester aims to highlight the harm that speeding can cause.

The display of “154” reflects the number of people across Greater Manchester killed or seriously injured by speeding between 2020 and 2023.

Of these, seven people were killed on the roads in Bolton in 2023 and nine people in 2022.

Pictures by Phil Taylor

The firm said it is optimistic as talks continue with another prospective buyer but wages will be paid late for March

Staff at Welsh company Brace’s Bakery will be paid a week late this month after the sale of its Pen-y-Fan site fell through. The bakery said it has been in talks with the Welsh Government and financiers to bridge a funding gap while talks continue with a second prospective buyer for the site.

Brace’s director Jonathan Brace has assured staff their jobs are safe. But instead of being paid on March 25 bosses have told the 250 workers that salaries will go into their bank accounts on March 31.

Brace’s confirmed plans to shut its manufacturing plant on the Pen-y-Fan Industrial Estate in Blackwood and axe jobs last October. It comes amid rising costs and pressures in the bread market. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

The bakery directors wrote to staff in October saying that as a result of “increasingly difficult” market conditions the only “viable option” was to close Brace’s manufacturing plant.

Jonathan Brace, the director of Brace’s Bakery, said at the time that the company envisaged fewer than 20 redundancies and the majority of staff were expected to move to the Croespenmaen site, which is located around a mile away. But now the hoped for Pen-y-Fan sale has fallen through, the company confirmed.

An initial letter sent to staff warning them of delayed salaries for March, seen by WalesOnline, cites “unforeseen circumstances” and says the delay is temporary and that the company had not taken the decision to take such action lightly.

The letter, from Brace’s finance director Leon James, also assured staff that Brace’s would cover any fees staff may incur for late payments as a result of salaries not going into bank accounts on time.

Asked about the late salary payments Mr James shared a second letter that has now gone out to staff explaining the reasons and details behind the delay.

The letter, from Mr Brace, says although one prospective buyer for the Pen-y-Fan site “has fallen by the way”, another is still in talks with Brace’s.

“The management team have been in discussions with the Welsh Government and other financiers to get funding to bridge the gap between the end of March and the sale date,” it reads.

“One of our customers has come up trumps and bridged the funding gap which secures our position long term,” the letter sent on March 5 reads.

“This does not mean we should relax; the success of the business is always dependent on sales growth, cost control and the managing of waste numbers.

“Mark, I, Craig and Leon do apologise that we had to move the payroll date out until the 31st for this month, but we had to be secure that the monies were in our bank account in time.

“There is more good news, as we have secured more business which should be coming in the next few months. Please take from this we have been working hard to make sure the business is secure and your jobs are secure.”

The Brace family has been baking in the Welsh valleys since 1902 after George Brace started his own bakery in the mining village of Pontllanfraith.

The business, which now supplies bread, Welsh cakes, rolls and other artisanal products to major supermarkets, is still run by the Brace family.

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WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) — An attacker armed with a rifle rammed his vehicle into one of the nation’s largest reform synagogues Thursday, driving through a hallway as security opened fire, fatally shooting him, The Associated Press has learned.

The vehicle caught fire after crashing into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, just outside Detroit, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP.

None of the synagogue’s staff, teachers or the 140 children at its early childhood center were injured, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

The attacker drove through a set of doors and into the hallway where something in the vehicle ignited, Bouchard said. “He was traveling with purpose down the hall, from my look at the video,” Bouchard said.

Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive, said the person who could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The person cautioned that the investigation was still in the early stages.

In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue. One security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, the sheriff said.

The synagogue has multiple security officers, he said, and at least one fired at the suspect, who was found dead inside his vehicle.

“We can’t say what killed him at this point but security did engage the suspect with gunfire,” the sheriff said, adding that it was possible the attacker killed himself or died some other way.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the synagogue praised its security personnel “who are truly heroes” for neutralizing the gunman.

“Our teachers followed their training and kept the children safe and calm,” it said.

Parents raced to retrieve children who were in the synagogue

About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children soon after authorities cleared the building. Other families were reunited at a nearby Jewish Community Center.

Allison Jacobs, whose 18-month-old daughter is enrolled in Temple Israel’s day care, said she got a message from a teacher saying the children were OK even before she knew what happened.

“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she told the AP. “I was hoping that it was a false report.”

Jacobs, whose family is Jewish, said she tries not to think about all that’s going on in the world.

“You never think that this is actually going to happen to you,” she said. “But I know that it’s — it’s just terrible. This morning I was mourning the loss of the school that got hit in Iran.”

Synagogues increased security since the start of Iran war

Synagogues around the world have been on edge and have been ramping up security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on Feb. 28.

The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men brought explosives to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.

And an assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.

President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the attack, calling it a “terrible thing.”

Attack brings back memories of prior massacres

Oakland County is Michigan’s second-largest county with roughly 1.3 million people. The majority of Detroit-area Jewish residents live there.

“This is heartbreaking,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace.”

It was the second attack at a house of worship in Michigan within the past year. Last October, a former Marine fatally shot four people at a church north of Detroit and set it ablaze. The FBI later said he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Temple Israel has 12,000 members, according to its website, which says the synagogue is “passionate about helping Jewish communities across the globe” and that its mission is to “create a community building through the lens of Reform Judaism.”

The Jewish Federation of Detroit briefly advised all Jewish organizations in the area to lock down.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, said in a statement that the Michigan attack demonstrates yet again the consequences of hatred.

“We lose our humanity when we seek violent means as a solution,” said Myers, rabbi of the Tree of Life Congregation, where 11 worshippers died in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. “No one should dwell in fear because of who they are.”

___

Durkin Richer reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit; Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., contributed.

Igor Tudor has failed to make an impact at Tottenham and Wayne Rooney believes the club now need a boss in the mould of Roy Keane to improve their chances of survival

Wayne Rooney reckons Tottenham need to get someone like Roy Keane into the manager’s hotseat if they are to survive relegation this season.

Spurs are embroiled in a Premier League relegation battle after a calamitous season and concerns are growing with their interim head coach, Igor Tudor, losing all four of his games since succeeding Thomas Frank last month.

The Croatian’s position is already starting to be questioned with some pundits suggesting Tottenham will need to make another managerial change if they are to retain their top-flight status.

And Rooney feels the club need a no-nonsense character like Keane who is ready to ‘go in and batter’ Spurs’ underperforming players.

READ MORE: Harry Redknapp reveals private phone call with Daniel Levy over Tottenham jobREAD MORE: Gary Neville delivers brutal Tottenham relegation statement – ‘very good for Premier League’

“Those players need to look at themselves, I think they have been an absolute disgrace, I do, Rooney said on the Stick to Football podcast. “The performances, the attitude, the lack of desire, the lack of fight, the lack of anything in them.

“I was watching the Palace game the other day and I really felt sorry for Tottenham fans, they are not even angry anymore they are disappointed and sad.

“Them players need to look at themselves, this is a disgrace. I think they need someone to go in, like Roy, and batter them. They need some fear put into them.”

Harry Redknapp, the former Spurs manager, is another name who has been touted to go in and perform a rescue act. And the 79-year-old revealed on Thursday that Daniel Levy, the club’s ex-chairman, would try to get Redknapp in if he was still at Tottenham.

“I got a phone call last week from Daniel, funnily enough,” Redknapp told talkSPORT.

“I think I spoke to him once since I left all that time ago, and I was in the car last week and suddenly the phone goes, it’s Daniel Levy.

“I thought ‘that’s strange’ and I was on the phone to him for about half hour, chatting to him and he was explaining what happened to him, and how he got marched out of there, which was really strange.

“And he did say to me: ‘If I was there now, and I’m not just saying it, I would bring you back in until the end of the season, Harry’, so it would have been interesting.”

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Paul Parker believes Harry Maguire’s time at Manchester United must come to an end this summer, also urging his old side to offload Mason Mount while they still can.

Maguire has been a rock at the back since returning from injury at the start of the year, playing a central role in the club’s return to form under Michael Carrick.

The England international has started every game since the interim boss took the reins in January but with just three months left on his contract at Old Trafford, his future is uncertain.

Talks have taken place to extend his stay but with Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro waiting in the wings, United may choose to look to the future.

With injuries resurfacing, Lisandro Martinez’s future has also come into doubt with Matthijs de Ligt another who has struggled this season, not playing since the end of November due to a persistent back problem.

United have big decisions to make at the back this summer with former right-back Parker believing Martinez could still have the chance to prove he can be a long-term option.

And while Maguire has proven his critics wrong over the years, he suggests it would be ‘foolhardy’ for United to let sentiment cloud their judgement when it comes to planning for the future.

‘I just think at the end of it all, he’s done his time, he’s been through a lot of managers. I think it’d be foolhardy to keep him on,’ Parker told Metro via Live casinos in Ireland.

‘You’ve got two centre-halves. You’ve already got Yoro and Heaven, you’ve got de Ligt, you’ve got Martinez.

‘Keeping Maguire is like stopping two young players maturing. That’s what you’re going to go and do.

‘And as well, this rubbish they say, “oh it’s good to have him around”, he’s seen off too many managers. Now he’s played under Carrick, there’s a good chance there’s another manager coming in. I just think at the end of it, you can’t let sentiment get in the way of progression of a team.’

On Martinez, Parker added: ‘United need to invest in a centre back. But if he was to get back and get a few games in before the end of the season and then get a decent pre-season behind him, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to get someone who’s going to want to play.’

Mount meanwhile has managed just one minute of playing time under Carrick – late on against City back in January.

The former Chelsea star has been plagued by injury since his move from Stamford Bridge in 2023, scoring just seven goals in almost three seasons in Manchester. He has made 66 appearances in that time with only 29 of those in the starting XI.

Even when fit, Parker questions where the 27-year-old features in the current set-up and believes United should take any offer they can get this summer.

‘If you’re going to look at a starting XI for Manchester United, would they pick him to start next season? The answer would be no,’ Parker said.

‘I don’t think people know where you would pick him to play. He’s not someone you start out wide. He’d be someone you start through the middle, and the middle is the main bit of it, the spine of the team.

‘I look at it and if someone comes in and offers you money, you’ve got to take it.

‘He hasn’t played a lot of football and then he’s gone missing again. He’s finished games, he’s come off as a sub and you can’t see anything, the reasons why it works, if anything tactical has come off.’

MORE: Wayne Rooney makes Tottenham relegation prediction ahead of Liverpool vs Spurs

MORE: Man Utd’s Premier League run-in – Wes Brown predicts where points will be dropped

MORE: Bryan Mbeumo makes JJ Gabriel claim after training with Manchester United academy star

Maggie Driscoll (Pauline McLynn) has been hiding a major secret in Coronation Street, and tonight’s episode saw it finally catch up with her.

It was the day of Jim McDonald’s funeral, and Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker) was keen to support new friend Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson).

However, it was clear that Maggie wasn’t comfortable with Ben’s attendance at the funeral, and it was later confirmed why.

Steve and Ben were joined in the Rovers after the service by two of Jim’s former army friends, which immediately set Maggie on edge.

Wanting them out of her pub, she tried to urge Ben to get them to leave by pointing out that he had a hospital appointment early the next morning, but he wasn’t having any of it.

This led to her fears being confirmed when one of Jim’s friends found her outside, and made it clear that he recognised her.

Though he promised not to rock the boat, Maggie was clearly rattled when he revealed that he knew she had once lived in Belfast and had an affair with Jim.

Maggie has clearly kept this a tight secret for many years, but how far will she go to continue to keep it hush hush?

There is a lot at stake for Maggie, as it is set to be revealed in due course that Jim McDonald was actually Ben’s father, making him Steve’s half-brother.

Already, Maggie has realised the dangers of keeping her secret, having witnessed grandson Ollie Driscoll (Raphael Akuwudike) take Steve’s daughter Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) on a date.

However, it certainly isn’t below Maggie to meddle, and she threw up obstacles wherever possible to sabotage Ollie and Amy’s budding incestuous romance.

Though at first she disapproved of Ollie’s interest in barmaid Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton), Maggie has now taken to pushing them together, managing to orchestrate it so that Amy walked in on the pair kissing and promptly ended things with Ollie.

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Maggie likely breathed a sigh of relief after that, but now her guard is back up after tonight’s confrontation.

Will she be able to keep her secret from her loved ones for much longer? Or could someone be set to expose her lies?

MORE: Dangerous Coronation Street outcome confirmed as Megan’s abuse blows up Will’s family

MORE: Maggie could be a Coronation Street legend – but only one vital thing can save her

MORE: Maggie’s wicked new plot confirmed in Coronation Street as unsuspecting target falls into her trap

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since starting a war with Iran caused oil and gasoline prices to spike, President Donald Trump has pivoted from a focus on keeping energy prices low to painting high oil prices as a positive.

The about-face comes as Trump’s team has struggled to offer a clear plan for opening up the critical Strait of Hormuz so that tankers full of oil and natural gas are no longer stranded.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Trump said Thursday on his social media site.

It was only last month, in his State of the Union address, that Trump had bragged about gas prices at $2.30 a gallon, a figure that has since soared more than 50% to a national average of $3.60 a gallon, according to AAA.

The flip-flop shows Trump’s political interests at home are suddenly at odds with his desire to flex America’s muscles on the global stage. It comes at a precarious time for Trump’s party, ahead of November midterm elections. Trump has said that high gas prices helped him defeat his predecessor, Joe Biden. But he told reporters on Saturday that he had no worries about the rising costs that could influence voters this year, and create pressure for him to end the conflict prematurely.

The investment bank Goldman Sachs on Thursday said that based on its forecasts and historic experience, higher oil prices would cause inflation to be higher, growth to be slower and the unemployment rate to increase by the end of the year.

Benchmark oil prices have swung violently with Trump’s shifting statements and as most tankers avoid traversing the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, the global crude oil benchmark price jumped to $100 a barrel.

“The swings in Brent crude oil prices over the past several days are eye-catching and odds are volatility will remain because of the absence of a timeline for when the conflict will deescalate and when the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed, will see traffic begin to recover,” analysts at the consultancy Oxford Economics concluded on Wednesday.

The president has given a series of contradictory messages about his plans to address this issue. He said in a Monday news conference that the Strait of Hormuz “is going to remain safe” well after it was identified as a danger zone, claiming that the presence of the U.S. Navy and insurance for tankers would keep things secure.

By Tuesday, he said on Truth Social that Iran would face “Military consequences” that would be “at a level never seen before” if it placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, later stressing that the U.S. military was blowing up Iran’s mine-laying ships.

On Wednesday, Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright briefly posted that the U.S. Navy had escorted a tanker through the strait — later deleting the false claim.

After initially downplaying the need to tap strategic reserves, Trump by Wednesday said the U.S. would join with other countries and release oil to lower prices, with the administration later saying it would draw down 172 million barrels. The coordinated release among countries is unlikely to bring down oil prices, so much as stabilize the market.

“Such a move will slow rather than stop rising oil prices and offer a temporary salve to the searing burn of rising gasoline prices,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy RSM.

The White House also said it may waive Jones Act requirements to use U.S.-flagged ships to move goods between U.S. ports, a temporary move that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said could “ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports.”

Wright, the energy secretary, took to television on Thursday to acknowledge the conflict was causing “a significant disruption” in short-term gas prices, but sought to emphasize the long-term benefits of an Iran that no longer poses a threat to the U.S. and Middle Eastern nations.

Trump on Wednesday had said “the straits are in great shape” and said he thought oil companies should use them. But on Thursday, Wright could not provide a timeline on when the U.S. Navy might escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the bottleneck causing the price spike.

“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now,” Wright told CNBC. “We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities.”

___

Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed to this report.

The woman told police that on the night Ms McNally was murdered, she and her partner had spend the evening together in his flat and that he fell asleep watching the World Cup Final on TV

A witness in the Natalie McNally murder trial told a jury today that her and her former partner “did not sit down and plan out any sort of alibi.”

The woman, who can’t be named due to a reporting restriction, spend a second day giving evidence at Belfast Crown Court.

The jury of six men and six women have already heard that the man charged with murdering 32-year old Ms McNally has denied it was him and has instead pointed the finger of blame at a former boyfriend of hers.

Ms McNally was 15 weeks pregnant when she was beaten, stabbed and strangled in her Silverwood Green home in Lurgan on the evening of Sunday December 18, 2022.

The father of her unborn child, 36-year old Stephen McCullagh from Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, has been accused of and has denied her murder.

Ms McNally’s ex-partner gave evidence at the trial earlier this week and flatly rejected suggestions he was involved in her murder.

Also called to give evidence was his now ex-girlfriend who was living with him in his flat in December 2022.

She spend a second day being cross-examined by defence barrister John Kearney KC who asked her about statements she made to the PSNI.

The woman told police that on the night Ms McNally was murdered, she and her partner had spend the evening together in his flat and that he fell asleep watching the World Cup Final on TV. She also told police she went to bed and that he followed her into the bedroom at some point later.

Asked why she didn’t tell the police about watching a Harry Potter film after the football or getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet in a statement made on December 20, 2022, she replied: “I really didn’t go into that much detail because I didn’t understand what was going on.

“I didn’t even know someone was dead at this point.”

Mr Kearney also questioned the woman about a second statement she made to police two days later and “differences” in the two.

The witness said the second statement to police was made “in the middle of the night” and just after her partner had been arrested on suspicion on murdering Ms McNally.

She said she was “not in a good state at this point” and her memory “wasn’t great.”

Asked if she and her partner had discussed the Sunday evening and had “sat down and compared notes” prior to his arrest, she replied: “No.

“I knew he had not done this, so in my brain I did not think there was any chance of him coming and getting arrested. He asked me ‘do you think they are accusing me of doing this?’ and I said ‘no, don’t be ridiculous, you didn’t do this, there’s no chance of you getting arrested’ so I was very much in shock when he was arrested.

“There was no talk of what went on that night between us. I did not think he was going to get arrested. We did not sit there and plan out any sort of alibi.”

The witness also confirmed she told police she had deleted Ms McNally’s number from her partner’s home.

Asked why she had done this, the witness said “I didn’t want him talking to other women.”

She said she was initially told Ms McNally was a “platonic friend who he had lived with in the past, like a flatmate-type situation” but that over time she felt “there was a bit more to the relationship than he originally told me.”

The witness also confirmed that on the evening of Sunday December 18, 2022, while her boyfriend slept on the sofa she checked his phone and found “a very small amount” of messages between him and Ms McNally.

She said she never saw any messages between the two “of a sexual nature” but felt there was more to their relationship than she had been told.

The witness was then shown a document which detailed a series of messages between her now-ex partner and Ms McNally which were exchanged on December 18, 2022 and were retained on Ms McNally’s phone.

Asked by Mr Kearney if those were the messages she saw, the witness said her partner deleted messages “so I may not have seen all of this.”

Mr Kearney then asked her to read through the messages and at this point the clearly upset witness said “I don’t remember reading all of these and I don’t really want to read these.”

After the defence barrister continued referencing messages in the document, Mr Justice Kinney intervened and said: “Mr Kearney, this witness has made it clear that she finds these messages distressing.”

She was then asked if she was “sitting beside him” when he was messaging Ms McNally that Sunday and she said: “I saw him texting someone turned away from me and that’s why I ended up going through his phone.”

At that point, the witness said “can we not talking about these text messages” then asked if she could set down the document.

The witness was also asked about a statement she made to police on March 1 this year claiming her partner had been abusive during their relationship.

She refused to answer any of these questions on the grounds she could incriminate herself but did say “I feel current events have nothing to do with things that happened three years ago.”

At hearing.

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