Paul Joseph Smith was found dead in a wheelie bin after he is believed to have overdosed in a bath

A man suspected of carrying out an arson attack which killed an elderly couple was found dead in a wheelie bin a week later, an inquest has heard.

Paul Smith, 40, known as Smigger, is believed to have started the fire at the home of Sheila Jackson, 83, and her partner, Eric Greener, 77, in St Helens, Merseyside, last July.

The couple were rescued from the blaze but died in hospital from burns and smoke inhalation.

Smith’s body was discovered seven days after the attack, in a bin where it had been moved after he died in a bath, having taken a cocktail of drugs, an inquest heard on Wednesday.

The hearing at the Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool was told police were called on July 22 by Steven Wales, who told them a man had either drowned or overdosed in the bath at a property at Coniston Street, Everton, two days earlier.

Senior coroner for Liverpool Andre Rebello said: “Merseyside Police were deployed and located a male, deceased, in a wheelie bin at the rear of derelict properties on Thirlmere Road, which backs on to Coniston Street and is separated by an alleyway.

“The deceased male was identified by police as Paul Joseph Smith.”

Mr Smith, who lived on Lower Breck Road, had last spoken to his family on July 19 and was reported missing by his brother Michael on July 21.

In a report, Home Office pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall said toxicology results showed Mr Smith had taken heroin close to the time of his death, as well as a “relatively large amount of cocaine” and a number of sedatives.

Dr Lyall said drowning could not be proved or excluded.

He added: “Neither can it be entirely excluded that the deceased was held under water by a third party, but pathological findings cannot prove that occurred.”

He recorded the cause of death as mixed drug toxicity.

The court heard that police were satisfied the death was not caused by criminality.

Mr Rebello said it was understood there were criminal proceedings ongoing regarding the disposal of the body.

Recording the death as drug-related, the coroner said: “He died from taking illicit and and sedative drugs which caused respiratory failure.”

Earlier this year Kevin Weetman, 34, Kylie Maynard, 37, and Lee Owens, 46, were jailed for the manslaughter of Mr Greener and Ms Jackson.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mr Smith had travelled with Owens to the home in South John Street just after 12.30am on July 15.

Weetman was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years for planning the attack after Mrs Jackson’s son George Jackson, 48, refused to sell drugs for him.

Maynard, said to be the “trusted lieutenant” in Weetman’s drugs line, was jailed for 23 years and Owens was sentenced to 13 years and six months.

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

IRFU and David Humphreys might have been onto something, giving themselves a direct line of communication to Schmidt with just over a year to go the World Cup

There was a lot to digest in the revelation that Ulster had snagged Joe Schmidt as Coach Development Advisor.

But there was a niggling feeling the headline was the main course and that the actual meal, oncee digested, wasn’t quite as substantial as it initially appeared.

It is good work to have added Clermont’s former Top 14 winning boss, the Heineken and URC winning Leinster boss, and Ireland Grand Slam winning coach.

The almost-insomniac, inveterate e-mail sender to all and sundry from World Rugby to referees groups, rules groups, anyone he has ever worked with, has always been an ideas’ mine and sounding board

And despite his newly created title, Coach Development Advisor, there is no doubt Richie Murphy will confide in him.

While I’d imagine there will be an Ulster function or two on the likely two/three visits here where he will be speaking.

Schmidt, understand, is always worth the plate-money.

His much nuanced and thought out views on leadership roles and responsiblities were highly prized on the Irish business circuit while his neat self-depracting humour sure helps to delivery.

Moreover, while there is a lot in it for Schmidt to get a couple of visits to Ireland where his son Tim is a ‘finance buisness’ advisor at Leinster.

While it is also likely dad will reconnect with some of the charities he worked with during his time here – there may well be a function or two in a rugby club near you.

Ulster will still be easy-up winners here even if Schmidt won’t be at training, sitting in a coaching box and will only have a minimal presence at a few games.

But the IRFU and David Humphreys might have been onto something, giving themselves a direct line of communication to Schmidt with just over a year to go the World Cup.The 60 year-old has just spent a year as part of the All Black set-up (2022-23) and three years as Australia coach.This means he has up to date dossiers on the top dozen teams in the world, not the All Blacks, Wallabies and the players that made up the 2025 Lions.

Watch this space as Andy Farrell will most likely use Schmidt as a distraction before the November internationals or the 2026 Six Nations.

But here is the real bet: Joe Schmidt to be given an ‘advisor’ or ‘consultant’ role with the Ireland RWC 2027 squad – think of Ulster as a retainer.

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox

A planning application was submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council for 44-46 York Road, proposing a new shop front at ground level and the conversion of upper floors into “HMO for up to six occupants.”

The applicant describes the scheme as providing high-quality, well-managed, shared accommodation in a sustainable location, contributing to local housing need, “particularly for young professionals and key workers.”

However, Hartlepool Councillor Karen Oliver has raised concerns about the density of HMOs in the area and the lack of outdoor space.

Councillor Karen Oliver said she is concerned over both the “over supply of HMO in York Road – both small and large” and “no outside facilities.”

Despite this, the application insists that the building is “suitably sized to accommodate six occupants without resulting in overdevelopment” and is in an “established residential area with good access to local services, public transport, and employment opportunities.”

The proposed layout includes two en-suite bedrooms on the first floor and four bedrooms with two off-suites on the attic floor.

There would also be a communal lounge and a combined kitchen and dining area on the first floor.

Developers have given assurances that the property will be properly managed to “minimise noise, waste, and anti-social behaviour” and maintained to “a high standard.”

A separate design and access statement says the proposal would introduce “much-needed commercial/office use and a six-bedroom HMO,” delivering “excellent accommodation within the York Road area.”

The plans also note that two parking spaces would be available from York Road, with a dropped kerb to be provided.

A decision will be made after the completion of public consultation.

Adam Peaty kissed his pregnant wife Holly Ramsay’s baby bump as he celebrated winning a silver medal for the 4x100m medley relay at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday.

The influencer, 26, watched from the stands as the three-time Olympic champion came second alongside teammates Oliver Morgan, Edward Mildred and Jacob Mills.

Holly, who is expecting her first child, a daughter, with Adam, was ever the supportive wife as she cheered him on at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow.

Holly looked stylish in a plunging black lace dress for the sporting event and looked delighted to greet her husband.

It comes as Adam hinted his family rift is weighing on him as he said he has been feeling ‘off this week and doesn’t know why’ after failing to secure gold earlier in the week.

Hours before his 50m breaststroke final, Adam’s mother Caroline Peaty declared she will ‘always support him from afar’. 

Holly looked stylish in a plunging black lace dress for the sporting event and looked delighted to greet her husband

Caroline, 60, claimed she and her husband Mark expect nothing back from her Olympian son, who is embroiled in a bitter family rift with her.

Throughout his life, his parents have sat poolside during his competitions, and the games marked the first major competition since their public fallout.

It was agony for Adam as he missed out on gold once again, finishing in third place to earn another bronze medal, with South Africa‘s Michael Houlie storming to victory.

Speaking after the race, Adam admitted he’s already struggled with ‘ups and downs’ during his swimming career, and he’s felt ‘off’ throughout his time in Glasgow.

Reflecting on a difficult couple of years, Adam said: ‘The harder you try the slower you go. The last two years have been tough to get the speed back.’

When asked what his ‘main takeaways’ from the games have been, Adam said: ‘Quite a lot, too many. 

‘For me, just getting back to enjoying my training. I’m not going to be too hard on myself. 

‘I think my whole career there has been a lot of ups and downs, two thirds of it was very good and then I lost my way, lost my purpose. 

‘I don’t even know what tomorrow looks like really, there’s a lot of learning. I’ve felt ‘off’ this week and I don’t know why. We are trying new things.’

Speaking over the weekend, Adam seemed to blame his estrangement from his family on his inability to secure a gold medal so far at the Commonwealth Games.

Holly, who is expecting her first child, a daughter, with Adam, was ever the supportive wife as she cheered him on at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow

Advertisement

The influencer, 26, watched from the stands as the three-time Olympic champion came second alongside teammates Oliver Morgan, Edward Mildred and Jacob Mills 

It comes as Adam hinted his family rift is weighing on him as he said he has been feeling ‘off this week and doesn’t know why’ after failing to secure gold earlier in the week

Adam looked focused as he competed in the relay race 

Hours before his 50m breaststroke final, Adam’s mother Caroline Peaty declared she will ‘always support him from afar’ 

Advertisement

And just before the race, Caroline seemingly responded to Adam’s statement as she said she expects nothing back from her Olympian son.

The former nursery manager penned: ‘He’s our son whom we love, whom we supported to reach his aspirations.

‘Our love, our time, our sacrifices were given freely with no expectation or financial reward, just genuinely given with the love any mother and father would do for their child.’

Caroline revealed that she and her family had been subjected to cruel abuse from online trolls who have been ‘vile’ and ‘truly evil’.

It comes after he failed to win a predicted gold medal in the 100m breaststroke on Saturday, finishing third, and appeared to blame his lacklustre performance partly on his family feud, saying it ‘has taken its toll’.

While Holly, who is expecting the couple’s first child in December, has been a high-profile spectator cheering her husband on at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, his parents have not been poolside for the first time to support their son in person.

Caroline fears there is ‘something or someone at play wanting to destroy our family completely’.

But the defiant mum posted: ‘I have news for you. We are strong, we love and we are always there for each other.’

She stated on Facebook: ‘It has taken a lot of thought and deep strength to write this post.

‘There are many trolls on social media and making comments about us, which are truly evil and very untrue.

‘The very nature of our strength as a family has helped us move past the nastiness, the lies that have been told about us.

‘We have nothing to prove, we just want to be left alone.’

Caroline, who told the Daily Mail she hit rock bottom when Adam banned her from his life and had even contemplated suicide in the depths of her despair, pleaded with people to leave her alone to ‘move on with our life’.

The grandmother of seven, who now has two more grandkids on the way, is said to ‘live for her grandchildren’.

Adam and Holly are expecting a daughter in five months, while her daughter Bethany, a mother-of-two, recently revealed she is also pregnant with a new baby due in January.

Caroline wrote: ‘I’ve taken this for over eight months and enough is enough. Leave us alone to move on with our life and enjoy growing our family.’

Her post is alongside a carefully chosen but cryptic saying entitled: ‘Truth is so important to me.’

It states: ‘I forgive people but that doesn’t mean I accept their behaviour or trust them. I forgive them for me so I can let go and move on with my life.’

These Games represent the first time Adam’s parents have not been poolside cheering him on at a major event, with them reportedly being excluded from watching him compete.

Adam’s remarks, apparently blaming his former loved ones for his bronze, also caused a backlash against him on social media.

In the interview after his defeat, a visibly upset Adam acknowledged the family feud and said the fallout ‘has taken its toll’.

‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked,’ he said. ‘I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll.’

The roots of the family conflict go back to 2024, when Adam and Holly snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party and wedding.

His mum Caroline, who spent years ferrying her son to early-morning training sessions, was also not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen do.

Then, months later, Adam broke his silence on the feud as he insisted there are ‘two sides to every story’ in a statement he posted on Instagram.

A US man who is already serving 25 years in prison for attempting to kill Sir Salman Rushdie has been convicted of additional charges, including providing material support to a terrorist group.

Hadi Matar was convicted in a New York federal court on Wednesday of providing assistance to Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed faction which is designated as a terrorist group by the US, UK and many other countries.

Prosecutors argued that Matar was motivated by a fatwa, a religious edict, issued by Iran’s religious leader in 1989 for Rushdie’s death.

The award-winning author testified during the trial, describing the attack and crediting a firefighter with saving his life by providing medical care.

The jury convicted Matar of engaging in an act of transnational terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah.

During the trial in the New York city of Buffalo, prosecutors argued that he was motivated by a 2006 speech by the then-leader of Hezbollah, calling for the fatwa against Sir Salman to be enforced, and that he plotted the attack for two years.

“The defendant decided no one was going to do it, so he had to do it,” Assistant US Attorney Timothy Lynch said in his closing statement, according to The Buffalo News, external.

“The defendant is the one who answered that call.”

They also played videos made by Matar, 28, and interviewed Sir Salman on the witness stand about being stabbed 15 times, including to his cheek, chest, eye, neck and thigh.

“I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me,” he testified, adding: “It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood.”

He also lifted the darkened lens on his glasses to reveal the wound to his eye, which has left him partially-blinded, saying the attacker’s knife came “within millimetres from my brain”.

Defense attorneys argued that Matar’s attack was not motivated by terrorism, and questioned the author about whether he should have expected a backlash to his controversial 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.

“I don’t believe the book is on trial,” Rushdie responded. “Somebody else is on trial.”

Matar is already serving a 25-year year sentence after being convicted of attempted murder by a state court in 2025. He could now face life in prison in the federal conviction.

Angharad Evans scooped her second gold of the Games in the women’s 200m breaststroke final.

The First Minister has congratulated the Scottish swimmers who competed in the Commonwealth Games finals after they bagged four medals on Wednesday night, including a gold.

Angharad Evans scooped the gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke final with a time of two minutes, 23.79 seconds. This comes after her 100m breaststroke gold earlier in the week.

Toni Shaw took the bronze medal for the women’s 100m freestyle. Keanna Macinnes bagged a silver medal in the women’s 200m butterfly final – and Team Scotland later won another silver in the women’s 4x100m medley relay, narrowly missing out on first place against Australia.

Following the finals, Scotland’s athletes earned a total of 12 medals for swimming and Para swimming, with five gold, five silver and two bronze all in. John Swinney, who attended the event, said the athletes had “inspired a whole new generation to take up the mantle”.

Advertisement

Mr Swinney, who previously met Team Scotland swimmer Duncan Scott when he brought the King’s Baton to Scotland on July 1, said: “It was brilliant to attend the swimming tonight to see our Team Scotland athletes perform and achieve on the world stage.

“Every one of our athletes, across every sport, has done Scotland proud at these Games – and they’ve inspired a whole new generation to take up the mantle.

“Winning a medal for Scotland on home soil is truly special and I want to congratulate Angharad Evans, Keanna Macinnes, Katie Shanahan, Evelyn Davis and Toni Shaw on their success.

“This is a moment the whole country will remember. The Team Scotland athletes are brilliant ambassadors for Scotland.

“Moments like this are exactly why we are investing in our £20 million Summer of Sport programme to inspire young people across the country to get active and participate in sport.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE

Texas community college leaders are bracing for cuts because they’re missing out on millions that the schools earned but the state can’t afford to pay.

The administrators spoke publicly for the first time about the stress that the state funding shortfall puts on their budgets during a Texas Senate committee hearing Tuesday. They said it will be hard to sustain the investments that state officials asked the colleges to make to improve students’ success.

“When I put that (shortfall) into our budget, it turns into faculty salaries. … It’ll definitely affect advising,” said Brenda Hellyer, president of San Jacinto College. “For us, it’s going to be a hard budget year.”

Schools surpassed state projections on student outcomes, which is primarily how community colleges are funded. In response, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board officials prorated the dollars each college will get to stay within the budget. That contributes to a more than 15% drop in state funding for nearly a dozen colleges.

Colleges don’t have a lot of options to make up for the shortfall, especially since state schools have kept tuition and fees flat in recent years, Hellyer said. She expects to recommend to her board spending more money than the school takes in this year.

Legislators could fund the dollars colleges are owed during the next legislative session. They did that last year when the gap between earnings and payouts for that biennium was nearly $90 million. THECB hasn’t put a price tag on how much the gap is this biennium.

The challenges with the community college funding formula comes three years after House Bill 8 created financial incentives for the schools to get more students to complete certificates or degrees, transfer to a university, and participate in dual credit.

During a separate Senate finance committee meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers questioned how forecasts are so off for the funding model.

“Was that a mistake of your projections?” Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, asked THECB officials.

“This is a new program, and the growth really vastly exceeded even our pretty significant growth expectations,” responded Andy MacLaurin, assistant commissioner for funding and resource planning for THECB. As Texas gathers more data on community college outcomes, MacLaurin said forecasting will become more accurate.

A new Texas 2036 analysis released the same day suggests tying dollars to outcomes is showing early signs of success, which then directly increases the amount of money schools are owed.

From fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2025, students enrolling in dual credit increased by 20%, and students completing credentials, from short-term certificates to associates degrees, increased by about 22%, according to the nonprofit think tank’s findings.

“The first two years show incredible growth in student outcomes,” said Grace Atkins, postsecondary and workforce policy advisor at Texas 2036. “The next phase is ensuring this change reaches more students and that state funding keeps pace with the outcomes colleges earn.”

In a move to lower the amounts colleges are owed, THECB changed the funding formula at a board meeting last week, trimming the incentives that trigger additional dollars when schools educate high-need students. Colleges will now see smaller bonuses for getting low-income students and adult learners to graduation.

__

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Open Campus, San Jacinto College and Texas 2036 have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

__

This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

And Florence Pugh looked sensational as she posed up a storm at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere in London on Wednesday night.

The actress, 30, stunned in a silver tassel dress with a statement structured neckline for the star-studded event. 

She will reprise her role as Yelena Belova in the film alongside other leading stars Zendaya and Tom Holland.

She boosted her height with strappy heels and accessorised with dangly silver earrings, while her blonde tresses were swept back. 

Elsewhere Zendaya continued her stylish press tour alongside husband Tom.

The actress, 29, who portrays MJ in the film, turned heads as usual in a plunging white gown from Tamara Ralph with a silver sequin web design.

The actress, 30, stunned in a silver tassel dress with a statement structured neckline for the star-studded event

The stunning dress featured sparkly straps and cinched her in at the waist before flowing out into a chiffon train. 

The pair put on a typically loved-up display as they posed together at the premiere after confirming last month that they were indeed married. 

Meanwhile Tom, 30, – whose performance in Christopher Nolan‘s $250million epic The Odyssey was recently roasted by critics as ‘comic book basic’ – wore a dark purple Anderson & Sheppard suit and bespoke Pragnell spider brooch.

Tom steps back into the iconic suit as Peter Parker for the latest installment – which is already impressing fans – taking on the role once played by Tobey Maguire. 

A host of other stars were also at the premiere and all stuck with a mostly black theme including Myleene Klass, Laura Whitmore, Cat Burns, Lottie Moss and Nadiya Bychkova.

The new film was released in cinemas on Wednesday and the fan reviews are already very positive.

Fans penned on X after wasting no time in heading to the cinema: ‘I’ve just returned from watching Brand New Day, it’s genuinely one of the best Spider-Man movies ever, and if we’re talking about Tom’s, this one takes the crown alongside No Way Home. I also wanna add this, marvel is SO back.,’

She will reprise her role as Yelena Belova in the film alongside other leading stars Zendaya and Tom Holland 

She boosted her height with strappy heels and accessorised with dangly silver earrings, while her blonde tresses were swept back

The new film was released in cinemas on Wednesday and the fan reviews are already very positive

Advertisement

L-R: Florence Pugh, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Marisa Tomei all posed together at the premiere 

The new film follows the ending of No Way Home, in which a spell cast by Dr. Strange caused everyone in the world to forget the existence of Spider-Man’s secret identity, Peter Parker

‘Just came out of Spider-Man Brand New Day… I can’t lie I enjoyed it very much. I loved it. Spider-Man is still my GOAT superhero and Tom Holland has done a great job. Super excited for the future.’

Zendaya and Tom famously met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016.

Fast forward ten years, and the pair are now married and back on the promotional trail for their latest Spider-Man film.

The new film follows the ending of No Way Home, in which a spell cast by Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) caused everyone in the world to forget the existence of Spider-Man’s secret identity, Peter Parker (Holland).

Brand New Day picks up four years later, after Parker has largely given up on his connection to the world around him and has devoted himself entirely to fighting crime as Spider-Man, even as his former girlfriend MJ (Holland’s real-life wife, Zendaya, who stunned in a black arachnid-themed gown at the film’s premiere on Monday in Los Angeles) has moved on with a new love interest after forgetting that they were ever a couple.

Amid the turmoil in his life, Parker’s superpowers begin to undergo a sometimes disturbing evolution, which several critics compared approvingly to the direction taken by the popular original trilogy starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinger.

Critics have called it one of the best of the iconic web-slinger’s films – and a return to form for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Warrendale Wagyu, based near Pocklington in East Yorkshire, received a three-star award at the 2024 Great Taste Awards—run by the Guild of Fine Food—for its British Wagyu brisket.

The award is the highest given by the scheme, which is the world’s largest accreditation scheme.

Tom Richardson, managing director at Warrendale Wagyu, said: “We are thrilled to have won this award that reinforces our goal to produce Britain’s best tasting beef.

RECOMMENDED READING:

“It’s great news for everyone across our quality supply chain, from our farmers working to the highest welfare standards to our highly skilled butchery team; we are making superior products everyone is proud of.”

Judges praised the meat as “rich, with a pleasing depth of flavour,” and described it as “a stunning piece of meat with a long finish, a great example of brisket.”

More than 15,000 products were judged in this year’s competition, with only around 1.8 per cent achieving the sought-after three-star rating.

The Pocklington-based producer also received one-star awards for its Flat Iron (227g), Wagyu Picanha and Wagyu Sirloin (227g).

Its British Wagyu brisket is particularly well-suited to slow-cooking methods such as roasting, braising or smoking, which allow the finely marbled fat to melt through the meat and create a “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.

Three-star winners are offered an opportunity to enter the Great Taste Golden Fork awards, which celebrate the best food and drink products from around the world. Warrendale Wagyu will find out if it has secured a Golden Fork in September.

The success follows last year, when Warrendale received one-star honours for both its Wagyu Brisket and Wagyu Flat Iron Steak.

In 2024, the Wagyu Denver Steak received two stars, while the Beef Bourguignon Dine in Meal and Warrendale fat-washed WA-GYN each received one star.

The company supplies wagyu beef to Aldi and Waitrose, as well as some of the UK’s top steak restaurants.

The award-winning brisket is also available for home delivery through its website at warrendale-wagyu.co.uk.

The Great Taste judging panel is made up of more than 500 experts, including chefs, buyers, critics and food writers.