At least 18 people have drowned while attempting to cross into Ceuta from Morocco as tens of thousands more poured into the Spanish enclave.

Soldiers and police have been deployed to the North African territory after local authorities pleaded for reinforcements from the Spanish government to manage the border crisis that boiled over late last night.

Some 49,000 migrants are estimated to have crossed into the enclave over the past 24 hours, Spain’s Interior ⁠Ministry said this morning.

Local authorities urged the government to declare a national emergency as overwhelmed border guards struggled to deal with the influx.

“It was very tough. The police tried to stop us. But our will and determination allowed us to come here,” Jadid Zacaria, his hair and shirt still wet from the ocean, said in an interview in Ceuta on Thursday afternoon.

Some of the shouted, “Long live Spain” as they entered the territory.

Footage circulating on social media shows hundreds of people desperately climbing the rocky shores of Ceuta as they exited the water.

Along with Melilla, another Spanish autonomous ‌city in northern Morocco, Ceuta represents ​the European Union’s ‌only land border ⁠with Africa. Both cities ⁠periodically experience surges in attempted crossings ‌by people ​seeking to ‌reach Europe.

Where is Ceuta?

Although the border crossing appeared blocked, groups of migrants moved along the coast seeking ⁠routes around the fence and some prepared to swim. “I was late,” said Brahim, 32, who gave ​only one ⁠name. He said he had arrived from ‌Tangier hoping to cross through the gate but found it effectively shut.

Among those hoping to cross into the enclave of 85,000 were women and children as well from Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Moroccan authorities deployed ‌water cannon trucks and reinforced security at the crossing-gates, repeatedly pushing back ‌migrants attempting to approach.

Nearby stood the charred remains of a bus and seven vehicles, left after clashes that erupted as authorities sought to stop the crowds, according to Reuters witnesses.

Another migrant said he had been caught in a stampede ⁠during an attempted crossing.

“I feared for my life,” said the migrant, who declined to give his name, as he described chaotic scenes of people pushing and stepping on one another along a narrow coastal route.

Traffic clogged roads into Fnideq as would-be migrants, including minors, continued to arrive. Some trudged along the highway into the city late into the night, while others took mountain paths to avoid checkpoints.

Security forces repeatedly turned back people making concerted rushes on the crossing through the night hours, while migrants regrouped on roads, hills and ‌open spaces across the city.

Spain’s Socialist government stands out in Europe for its pro-migrant stance, and ​has recently launched a programme to provide legal status for some 500,000 undocumented migrants, triggering an ‌influx of applications double that number.

Early on ⁠Friday, Fatima Mahli, 23, sat with her two daughters on a patch of grass beside the ⁠road to the crossing.

The resident of Morocco’s northern city of Tetouan said her husband had left before dawn to try to ‌swim to Ceuta.

“I thought I ​could cross by foot through the border. But ‌we are stuck here, unable to go back home,” ​she said.

“I was hoping to cross as a family but my husband woke up early and went first, swimming.”

Work on the long-awaited lifts at Todmorden Rail Station is set to begin in November 2026, with completion targeted for autumn 2027

Work on the long-delayed lifts at Todmorden Rail Station is set to begin in November. If the project stays on schedule, passengers could be using the new lifts as early as autumn 2027.

For many years, disabled passengers have struggled to access the Bradford and Leeds direction platform, which currently can only be reached by steps. While the Manchester platform does not require steps, it remains accessible only via a steep incline.

Funding for the upgrades has been secured for some time with the Department of Transport Access For All funding for the lifts being awarded for both platforms back in 2019. This followed a lengthy campaign, reports Yorkshire Live.

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However, repeated difficulties with contractors have continually pushed the scheme back, until Network Rail recently stepped in to take direct control of the project.

Network Rail has since updated Todmorden town councillors on progress, acknowledging their full understanding of the frustration surrounding the delays, while confirming the project is moving forward with Story Contracting and that funding remains in place.

“At present, work is expected to begin in November 2026,” they said.

Network Rail confirmed that an experienced team has been brought together to oversee the scheme.

“We are working to deliver it as quickly as possible, with the ambition of having it completed and available for passengers in autumn 2027,” they wrote. Calder Valley MP, Labour’s Josh Fenton-Glynn, who has campaigned and pushed for the lifts over a 12-year period, recently held discussions with Network Rail officials to advocate for the scheme once more.

Following the meeting, he stated on social media: “I was reassured to hear Network Rail’s commitment to getting the work going again and delivering the promised improvements as soon as possible.

“I know this is something that the community and councillors over the last few years have campaigned hard for, and it’s an issue I’ve raised with Transport Ministers in Parliament.”

During the spring months, Mr Fenton-Glynn and local activists including councillors gathered at the station to voice their exasperation over the hold-ups.

Local residents Paul Thompson and Meg Kennedy both outlined that while they can travel to Manchester, upon their return they must remain on the train until the subsequent stop beyond Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, which has accessible facilities.

Both explained that this then necessitates a taxi trip back home to Todmorden.

Paul recounted one occasion returning from Manchester, when he was forced to alight at Todmorden, leaving him with no alternative but to descend the platform steps on his backside during a winter’s day.

Annika Sands ‘couldn’t accept that their relationship was over’ and stalked her victim for almost a year

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A woman has landed in court for stalking and harassing a man she met via a dating app.

Annika Sands met Bradley McCreath in September 2021 where the pair had a “short lived” relationship which “lasted a matter of weeks”.

However, Liverpool Crown Court heard Sands “couldn’t accept that their relationship was over” and went on subject him to a campaign of “entrenched and obsessive behaviour” over the course of nearly a year where she stalked and harassed him across the Wirral in her gold BMW.

Sands was reportedly “angered” when the man started a new relationship and went on to harass the couple at Cheshire Oaks. The pair were even forced to flee their homes over fears for their safety, Liverpool Echo reports.

The 41-year-old had previously been handed a “warning” in the form of a court order after being reported to police by three other men who she had short term relationships with.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, told the court on Thursday: “While he made it clear that he was not looking for any form of long term relationship, Ms Sands wanted that relationship to develop. As a result, he ended it. She, however, was not prepared to accept that.”

Sands’ behaviour then led to Mr McCreath making an initial report to police in November of that year, although no further action was ultimately taken against her at this stage. But the 41-year-old, of Alfred Road in Birkenhead, was then subjected to a stalking protection order in January 2022 following complaints by three other men who she had short term relationships with.

Mr Gibson told the court: “By the end of January 2022, it must have been abundantly clear to Ms Sands what behaviour constituted stalking and that, when relationships ended, they ended. Mr McCreath did not want anything further to do with her.”

While “matters quietened down” for the next few months, he then bumped into Sands in a Morrisons Daily store near to his home in Upton on May 15, at which stage he “ignored her and ignored a message she sent him that night”. A week later, he was then visiting his parents in Irby and, upon leaving, was sitting in his parked car at around 12.45am when the defendant drove past him in her gold-coloured BMW M4, which bore a “distinctive” personalised number plate.

Having set off in his car, Sands then overtook Mr McCreath on Thingwall Road after “clearly turning around and driving after him”. He was subsequently travelling along Manor Drive when his ex again drove towards and past him while flashing her headlights.

‘Dropping off a friend’

Later the same day, Mr McCreath went shopping at Sainsbury’s in Upton before returning to his car and finding Sands parked next to him. She subsequently claimed that she had also been in the store and, having seen his vehicle while leaving, decided to wait outside for him.

Sands went on to state that she had been “dropping a friend off” the previous evening before repeatedly asking what his plans were. She was then said to have liked his picture on dating app Hinge on June 3 before he later saw her sitting in her car while he once again drove down Manor Drive.

Ten minutes later, Sands arrived at Mr McCreath’s home address holding her dog, at which stage she began “banging on his door and asking him questions about his personal life”. She then refused to leave despite repeated requests from him and his neighbours, whom she “stood smiling at” before eventually walking back to her car after being warned that the police would be called.

Another incident followed when Mr McCreath went for a walk with his personal trainer at Leasowe Beach, where Sands “chose to walk in front of him” before asking “are you going to call your parents again?” As he was later returning to his car, he spotted her driving away before turning around and returning to beside his vehicle, at which stage he “told her to stop harassing him and to f*** off”.

But Mr Gibson detailed how “matters escalated” further in the summer of 2022 when Mr McCreath began a new relationship with Corinne Roberts, adding: “It is clear that the defendant was angered by this. She also turned her attentions to Ms Roberts.”

This was said to have led to an incident at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet in Ellesmere Port in October of that year, when the couple were having a coffee at Pret-a-Manger on a table beside the window when Sands walked past. Upon leaving the premises, they “deliberately walked in the opposite direction” to that which his former partner had taken, although she then “walked past them, staring”.

Days later, Sands sent Ms Roberts a friend request on social media and was said to have searched for her former address using computer systems at Scottish Power, where she was then employed. However, she claims to have done so solely for work related purposes.

Sands was also said to have driven past Mr McCreath and Ms Roberts while “smirking” on Manor Drive on another occasion before “matters really worsened” in the New Year, beginning with her placing a call from an unknown number to the latter on January 25, 2023. While she “had no idea how the defendant managed to get her number”, she was then walking her dog near to her home, also in Upton, seven days later when “the defendant drove past her, staring”.

Two nights later, Mr McCreath was staying at Ms Roberts’ house when Sands was again seen driving around nearby streets. She was ultimately arrested on February 7, at which stage her phone was found to contain details of her ex-boyfriend’s phone numbers and social media accounts, as well as those of his family members and friends.

‘There is expressed remorse’

Sands was meanwhile evidenced to have searched for Mr McCreath’s car registration on Cazoo and looked up Ms Roberts’ past and present employers, as well as downloading pictures of her from social media. While there was said to have been a “strong suspicion” that she had placed a tracking device on her former partner’s vehicle, there was ultimately said to be “no actual evidence to support the allegation”.

Mr Gibson added: “As a result of this, both felt compelled to leave their homes. Ms Roberts owned her property and had an emotional attachment to it, because she inherited it from her late father. She has had to move well out of the area. She does not feel safe.”

Of the impact on Mr McCreath, Mr Gibson said: “Effectively, his whole working and social life was affected. He gave up the gym. His relationship with his father deteriorated. She would often appear at places where they were working.

“It was persistent over a long period. There were, we say, elements of planning and elements designed to cause distress. Clearly, very serious distress was caused to both victims. They have both had to make considerable changes to their lifestyles to avoid contact.”

Sands has no previous convictions. Keith Sutton, defending, said that the interactions between her and Mr McCreath and Ms Roberts in public were “chance encounters”, adding: “There is expressed remorse.

“There has now been three-and-a-half years since the last of these incidents. Gladly, for everybody, there has been no reported occurrence for a considerable period of time. This offending is now some considerable time ago. She is in full time employment.

“A suspended sentence here can properly mark these offences. It can provide a deterrent in order to prevent any further lapse. Even if she were to accidentally see Mr McCreath or Ms Roberts, she would know immediately to head in the other direction. By marking it in that way, this would be her first and last appearance in the crown court.”

Sands admitted two counts of stalking causing serious alarm and distress. Appearing in the dock wearing glasses and a black jacket over a blue shirt, she was handed an 18-month imprisonment suspended for two years and restraining orders banning her from contacting Mr McCreath and Ms Roberts for six years.

With Sands said to have a monthly income of £3,000 but expenditure of £2,907 due to debts totalling £16,000, she was told to pay court costs of £700 at a rate of £50 per month. Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray said: “I am told you had warnings in the past about your behaviour, which meant that you should have known better. I make it clear that I treat you as someone of previous good character.

“You could not accept that the relationship was over, and you misbehaved towards him in a significant way. He then formed a new relationship. You clearly felt jealousy towards her. She was in a relationship with the person that you wanted be in a relationship with. She was entirely an innocent party in all of this. Your behaviour towards her was worrying and lasted for about four months.

“It is made clear that some meetings were by chance, but you went on to make use of those meetings by harassing the complainants. Your actions in each case significantly affected your victims.

“Bradley McCreath says that what you did affected his quality of every day life. He was constantly on edge. He stopped going to the gym and became isolated from friends and family. Importantly, both felt it necessary to move house because of your actions. This was persistent over a long period. You intended to cause a lot distress.

“You could have accepted your guilt much earlier. Still, I have made a reduction for the delay. References say that there is a different side of you when not jealous, and you support and are kind to your friends and neighbours and are respectful and friendly. I am told that you express remorse.

“I accept that there is a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation, given you have been out of trouble for some time now. This is a case where I am able, just, to suspend the sentence, but you need to take great care.

“This was entrenched and obsessive behaviour. Restraining orders of significant length are needed to give you an incentive to stay away from the complainants. The principle necessity is to make sure this stops for good and that the complainants feel safe again.

“If you contact them in the next two years, you will be in breach of this order. It is almost certain that you will have this sentence activated. If you contact them in the next six years, you will be breaching the restraining orders, which is highly likely to result in an immediate prison sentence.”

Gifting money to your child or grandchild has become a hot topic. Many regard it as better to bask in the joys of generosity today, rather than hold on to money and risk the imposition of inheritance tax tomorrow.

But it can be emotive and problematic, exposing relationship tensions and issues of trust.

The level of interest in the issue – it is constantly coming up in our conversations with customers – suggests people are increasingly willing to overcome these complications to avoid inheritance tax.

The big driver is a change that kicks in next April, when pensions will become potentially liable for inheritance tax. Greater revenues are being collected on estates – June was a record month – and they are likely to balloon from next year. 

The Office for Budget Responsibility expects an increase of 67 per cent in the tax take between now and 2030, collected from around 65,000 estates – a doubling from the latest tally.

One common way of reducing a future inheritance tax bill is to make gifts at least seven years before your death – a variable that, admittedly, is unknown and uncontrollable. 

After seven years, the money should usually fall outside of your estate. And you can also freely gift £3,000 a year aside from this.

But gifting invites many emotionally tinged decisions and dilemmas. Common considerations include:

1. Will my son or daughter blow the money?

2. Will it undermine their work ethic or worsen their relationship with money?

3. Will your gifted money merely end up in the pocket of a poorly-chosen partner?

However, I believe there’s a way to gift that mitigates these risks, and also happens to be a super-charged tax-efficient route to building wealth: allocating some money into the recipient’s pension.

After all, many parents don’t actually want to make their children richer today. They want to make them more secure tomorrow. This is how it works.

Why pension gifting is safer  

Reason 1: The lock-in

Junior Isas are a common way forward-thinking parents try to give their kids a head-start. These accounts enable parents and grandparents to put away £9,000 per year, per child and that money should be free from UK tax. 

Control of the money swings across to the child at age 16 and at 18 it converts to adult Isa status and can be withdrawn.

Do they tend to blow it? Our data – for the Fidelity Personal Investing platform – is positive in this regard. Of 6,000 customers whose Junior Isa converted into an adult ISA after 2021, only 9 per cent cleared out the account. And 35 per cent have actually added money.

If a first property deposit is a priority, Junior Isas are a great option to get your teenager on the right track. 

Many parents would hope their child would follow this up by saving into adult Isas and also Lifetime Isas, which qualify for a Government top-up, albeit with some restrictions.

However, you may not want to run the risk that your hard-earned money is diverted from this, or other sensible options, once your child gets their hands on the money.

Gifting directly into a pension is effective in mitigating this risk. There is no access to this money for decades: the age of private pension access will rise from 55 to 57 on 6 April 2028 and will likely be higher by the time today’s teenagers and 20-somethings reach retirement.

Reason 2: The soured marriage mitigation

A pension may also provide greater protection if your child goes through a marriage breakdown down and assets are split. 

While pensions can be taken into account in divorce settlements, particularly after long marriages, the fact that they are long-term retirement assets means they can be treated differently from readily accessible savings or investments.

The outcome depends on the circumstances, and there is no guarantee they will be excluded, but there is the potential.

Reason 3: Pension gifting is super-charged

Stock markets, where pensions are invested,  offer great growth potential over the very long term. Longer timeframes increase the chances of better riding out the ups and downs, history suggests. Returns have also been higher than would have been achieved from staying in cash. 

It is a way to supercharge the gifts you make, as the growth compounds, earning returns on your returns year after year.

But you can give it a further super-charged boost through tax breaks – and this is especially powerful for children.

Pension tax relief is one of the biggest financial perks you’ll ever receive. This is explained further in This is Money’s guide to pension tax relief, but for most people, every £80 you put into your pension becomes £100 thanks to reduced tax. Higher-rate taxpayers should be able to claim even more. 

You should check the rules but for a child, it is simple. 

You can open a Junior Self-Invested Personal Pension (Sipp) and harness the boost of tax relief immediately. It is classed as ‘relief,’ yet the benefitting child doesn’t even need to have earnings or income to qualify. It is a gift on your gift.

A Junior Sipp allows you to contribute up to £2,880 a year, and the government automatically adds 20 per cent tax ‘relief’, turning it into £3,600. The money is locked away until the child’s minimum pension age, but that gives decades for investment growth to compound. 

It is one of the few opportunities to secure an instant, Government-backed return before a child has even earned their first pay packet.

We ran the numbers on two theoretical scenarios, comparing money into a Junior ISA and into a Junior SIPP.

How to turn £8,640 into £297,777

Let’s consider what happens if you took the maximum £2,880 Junior Isa allowance and invested it in a Sipp instead, each year for three years – from the time your child was 15 years old to adulthood.

A parent contributing £2,880 a year for three years would invest £8,640 into a Junior Isa. The same cash contribution into a Junior Sipp becomes £10,800 after HMRC tax relief. Assuming 7 per cent annual growth to age 65, that difference alone could add almost £60,000 to the child’s retirement fund.

This is because you’re earning those returns on a larger, HMRC-boosted sum and the difference continues to grow and compound over time. 

By the time your child reaches age 65, your £8,640 invested into a Junior Sipp could have grown into a retirement nest egg worth between £118,000 and almost £300,000, depending on returns.

Investment charges would trim these returns and the growth is not guaranteed, but it illustrates my point on the power of tax relief.

Of course, the inheritance saving on this scenario is small at £3,456 – 40 per cent of the amount gifted. But the gifting could continue through their twenties, with the child or grandchild channeling the money into their Sipp. Generally, you can put £60,000 into a pension each year or 100 per cent of your earnings – whichever is lower. 

There’s a certain elegance to all this. Not only are you avoiding one tax – on inheritance – but you are using tax efficiency to stretch that tax exemption further. It is a rare opportunity in an age when the tax squeeze only seems to tighten.

A word of warning  

Before making any decisions, consider the adapted idiom of not letting the tax tail wag the financial plan dog. Is it really affordable? Can you make the gift and keep your own plans intact?

You should also carefully consider whether you will even face a liability. For married couples who own property, the allowance is up to £1million if they pass on their main home to their children or grandchildren. A rate of 40 per cent is applied beyond that level.

The reality is that a small portion of estates are liable. The most recent statistics were published this week, for 2023/24 – and showed around 30,400 estates had to pay some inheritance tax, a fall of over 1,000 on the previous year. 

Only 4.7 per cent of estates pay any tax. And the numbers also show that, once tax-free allowances were accounted for, the average effective tax rate paid by estates was actually 13 per cent, compared to the headline marginal rate of 40 per cent. 

Of course, the tax net will widen after next April’s change in the rules.

The decision is not an easy one, and the dynamic changes at different life stages. It is certainly worth monitoring your child’s attitude and behaviour as they reach their 20s and 30s. It should sway the preference you state on whether gifts should channel to Sipp or Isa.

As with many difficult choices, perhaps the ‘bit of both’ option is a happy compromise – some to help near-term goals of buying a home, some for long-term financial security, and maybe just some for fun in the here and now. 

Few things are more rewarding than watching your generosity be enjoyed by others – and it perhaps especially important for a doting grandparent.

The pension choice, however, is the ultimate act of delayed gratification and forward thinking. You’re giving them options, dignity and financial independence in later life for which they may thank you. That it is meaningful legacy I would be happy to leave.

As some Hollyoaks viewers suspected, we haven’t seen the true side of newcomer Abigail Matthews – and the sordid nature of the character will send shockwaves through the village, deeply impacting grieving teenager Dee Dee Hutchinson (Chloe Atkinson).

Fans were delighted by the announcement of Coronation Street Sophie Webster icon Brooke Vincent in a new role for the show, and it was inevitable that they wouldn’t leave a big name actress on the sidelines for long at all.

Now Metro can exclusively reveal that Abigail has been brought in for a long-running and topical plotline that will explore the grooming of a child from a place of institutional authority.

Our soap source told me of the plot: ‘Brooke is playing a seriously dark, character – she’s complex, intelligent and manipulative and knows exactly what she is doing by using her power to draw in Dee Dee.

‘It’s poised to be one of the show’s most talked about stories of the year and was planned as a natural follow on from the tragic loss of Diane. Dee Dee in particular will find the struggle of losing her mum impossible to deal with, making her a terrifyingly easy target for the predator.

‘It might be that the dark story divides fans but Hollyoaks is known for not shying away from issues like this, so it will be no different this time.’

They added: ‘It will be fascinating for many who know Brooke solely for playing Sophie – Abigail is such a vastly different character and the material will really show how versatile Brooke can be. The performances are said to be pretty chilling and Chloe is really stepping up the mark as Dee Dee since her debut last year.’

The death of Diane – played marvellously by the much missed Alex Fletcher – has sent heartbreak through those left behind, with Tony (Nick Pickard) struggling to cope while also ensuring the welfare of his kids is okay.

Dee Dee fell through the cracks by getting involved with drugs, and it’s Abigail who is there to help her in a professional capacity as a counsellor.

But that professional facade will soon crack to show a much deeper and worrying reality.

With Abigail now working at the school, the coming months will see her pursue a ‘friendship’ with Dee Dee and will push to strengthen their bond when the school term starts in September. 

Vulnerable after the loss of her mother, Dee Dee, in turn will form an attachment to Abigail.  

Hollyoaks has worked with charities TDI (The Derwent Initiative) as well as the NSPCC to ensure this subject is handled with the utmost care and accuracy.  

TDI aims to prevent sexual offending by raising awareness and consulting with venues that could facilitate it through their Leisurewatch scheme which trains public spaces, like hotels and leisure centres to spot when abuse could be happening within their precincts.

The intention is to raise awareness and questions about safeguarding, grooming, the importance of understanding abuse of power, and encourage transparency with established friends and family members about new friendships. 

TDI says that cases like Dee Dee’s are common but frequently unreported, due to a lack of understanding about abuse of power, criminality and safeguarding. 

A spokesperson for the organisation said: ‘Young people, particularly teenagers, are at a pivotal age where making good choices is hard, while wanting to be independent. 

‘The Hollyoaks storyline will highlight that in order to do that, any ‘secret’ friendship or relationships should be questioned.  

‘Think about why someone would ask you to keep a healthy friendship a secret? Speak to a friend, or family member or anonymous helplines are available.’

MORE: Brooke Vincent shares big career update and it’s great news for soap fans

MORE: ‘She’s miles away!’ Brooke Vincent reveals how Hollyoaks newcomer differs from Sophie Webster

George McCulloch, 58, was reported missing this week after last being seen in his campervan on Monday.

A body has been found at a retail park in Stirling during the search for a missing camper.

George McCulloch and his Jack Russell dog were last seen leaving Oban in his motorhome at 9am on Monday, July 27. They were expected to be travelling home back to Hawick but failed to arrive.

The 58-year-old was driving a white Volkswagen campervan at the time. Police said George’s family were “growing increasingly concerned”.

Officers searching for George have confirmed a man’s body was found within a vehicle in Springkerse Retail Park on Thursday, July 30.The public were asked to call police if they knew the whereabouts of his white VW campervan he was driving.

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Formal identification is yet to take place, however George’s family have been made aware. The death is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious.

Police have not confirmed if George’s Jack Russell was also found.

A Police Scotland statement said: “Officers searching for missing man George McCulloch have found a body in Stirling.

“The body of a man was found within a vehicle in Springkerse Retail Park on Thursday, 30 July, 2026.

“Formal identification is yet to take place, however George’s family have been made aware.

“The death is being treated as unexplained, but not suspicious. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.”

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An innocent woman who spent months behind bars has opened up about how her ex-fiancée and his new wife framed her for crimes she never committed.

Michelle Hadley, now 39, was arrested in July 2016 for allegedly cyberstalking and threatening her ex Ian Diaz and his wife Angela Connell. She then spent 88 days in jail, and faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.

But authorities soon learned that Angela, herself, had sent the threatening emails and even posted an ad for a ‘rape fantasy’ on Craigslist – and blamed it on Hadley.

The charges against Hadley were then dropped and Angela was sent to prison in January 2017.

Yet federal investigators continued to suspect something was amiss with the story, and after a years-long investigation became convinced that Ian had been involved in the ploy as well.

He was ultimately arrested in 2021 and was convicted of stalking, perjury and obstruction of justice, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ian’s ploy is now laid bare in a new Netflix documentary, A Toxic Love Story, which premiered on July 23.

However, some key details of the case were left out of the film.

Ian and Angela made several calls to law enforcement in Anaheim, California beginning in May 2016, claiming Hadley was sending Angela threatening messages from an account titled LilithIsTruth

Hadley opened up about her false imprisonment in a Netflix documentary ‘A Toxic Love Story’

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The documentary details how Ian and Angela made several calls to law enforcement in Anaheim, California, beginning in May 2016, claiming Hadley was sending Angela threatening messages from an account titled LilithIsTruth.

The disturbing messages included: ‘You must be gone,’ ‘You have not heeded my warnings’ and ‘Watch your back.’

They soon became even more menacing with messages like: ‘Ian does not love you’ and saying Angela had ‘stolen my treasured home,’ apparently referring to the condo Hadley had bought with Ian while they were together.

As the messages continued, the couple obtained a restraining order against Hadley.

Yet the Diazes claimed they continued to receive messages – this time accompanied by pictures of dead fetuses, reading things like: ‘Drop the restraining order or you will continue to suffer’ and: ‘We will steal your child and watch as it dies’.

Another read: ‘You will die tonight while someone rapes you.’

Then in June 2016, the case took a dramatic turn when Ian claimed that Hadley had posed as Angela to respond to a post on Craigslist asking for a woman to help act out a rape fantasy.

The post had said: ‘I am looking for women who have fantasies about being raped or forced to perform.

‘I’ve done this before with a couple of ex-girlfriends and found it very intense and exciting’.

The man who posted it, who is identified in the film as ‘Rick’, says that he got a message from someone with the username, ‘Lilithistruth’, inviting him over.

Angela Diaz had claimed she had been physically threatened in her garage

Angela was ultimately arrested in January 2017, and pleaded guilty to charges including fraud, false imprisonment and falsely reporting a crime

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The response he got read: ‘I’ve been dying to have a rape fantasy occur while walking my dog, following me home, dragging me upstairs to the bed.

‘I am 30, tall, gorgeous and ready,’ followed by Angela’s full address.

The message went on: ‘Even if I scream, don’t stop.’

Angela later claimed she was physically threatened in her garage.

In the police bodycam footage from when detectives visited the condo, Angela pointed to a black mark on the wall and said it was a makeup stain from when a figure with a black ski mask over his face grabbed her.

Crying, she told the officers: ‘I just didn’t know what was happening. He grabbed me, he had me pinned by the hair at the neck. He told me, now you’re gonna get it, you’re finally going to get raped.’

Angela and Ian both blamed Hadley, who was finally arrested by the police on felony stalking charges that could have sent her to prison for life if convicted.

The new true crime documentary features bodycam footage from a police visit to Ian and Angela’s home after they complained about Hadley. Photo courtesy of Netflix

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But while she was in prison, law enforcement began to suspect something more was going on – and that Angela may have sent the threatening emails to herself and lied about the attempted rape.

They soon learned that Angela had previously lied to an ex-boyfriend, Jason Rayburn, about being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.

Rayburn describes in the documentary how Angela insisted on going to her chemotherapy ‘appointments’ alone until one day Rayburn insisted on accompanying her, and was shocked to find it was for removing a mole. 

Then Rayburn, a California highway patrol officer, got another shock: he claimed an image that Angela had sent him supposedly of her hospital room during chemotherapy was pulled from Google images.

That is when he said he realized her cancer was a lie.

She had also allegedly lied to him about being pregnant with twins, showing him a fake sonogram and doctored pregnancy tests. 

Angela was ultimately arrested in January 2017, and pleaded guilty to charges including fraud, false imprisonment and falsely reporting a crime.

She was then sentenced to five years in prison, and by April 2017, Ian had his and Angela’s marriage annulled.

Hadley was released from prison after 88 days and was cleared of all charges

Still, Department of Justice Special Agent Jason Higley said he continued to have suspicions.

He then reviewed body camera footage from Angela and Ian’s 911 calls and became convinced that Ian was coaching Angela on what to say.

As he then continued to investigate, Higley said he discovered fragments of a LilithIsTruth email on Ian’s computer that proved he had written at least one of the messages.

It is now believed Ian sought revenge on Hadley, who had paid the down payment on their condo.

After they split, Ian remained at the home and later moved Angela in. 

But Higley suggested in the documentary that Ian wanting to keep the condo was only part of Ian’s motive for framing his ex.

‘To me, it boils down to Ian wanting to control someone. He wanted to control Michelle and she got away and that made him angry,’ he claimed.

‘In my view, Angela Connell was a perfect partner because she craved empathy. Angela loved portraying herself as a victim, and Ian exploited that.’ 

The former US Marshal was then arrested in May 2021, and was later found guilty of stalking, perjury and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

He was later dismissed from the US Marshals Service in 2023. 

Ian was arrested in May 2021, and was later found guilty of stalking, perjury and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 10 years in prison

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But some key details about the case were noticeably left out of the documentary – including Angela’s larger web of lies detailed in divorce filings, court records and witness statements.

During her criminal case, Angela had also been accused of fabricating major parts of her personal history, including aspects of her education, employment and background, the US Sun reports. 

Prosecutors also alleged Angela regularly created false narratives involving pregnancies, illnesses and personal crises which she used to gain sympathy, financial support and gifts.

The documentary also failed to mention how Ian allegedly pressured Michelle into leaving her job as a marketing support manager for a risk services company in Orange County and instead accept a position at Disneyland Resort – even though it would pay $20,000 less.

The career move made Hadley feel more vulnerable in her relationship, she told Buzzfeed News in 2019, saying she believed her then-boyfriend wanted her working at Disneyland because his former colleagues could keep an eye on her. 

Hadley said she has now found her happy ending with her young daughter

Hadley went on to sue the Anaheim Police Department, noting that she had argued from the beginning that she had been framed as she denied sending the threatening messages and posts.

She sought more than $25,000 in damages, accusing investigators of overlooking evidence that could have cleared her name and failing to properly investigate whether she had been framed.

Police officials denied any wrongdoing and argued officers had probable cause for the arrest based on the information available at the time.

Still, the city settled the suit with Hadley in 2021 with no admission of liability.

Yet sources told TMZ this week Hadley settled for around $1.8 million.

Two years later, the former inmate gave birth to a daughter on the same day Ian was convicted.

‘Raising this beautiful little girl is my fairytale ending,’ she told the documentary. ‘I think it is “happily ever after.”‘

Meanwhile, Angela was released from prison in 2020 and completed her parole in 2021. She has since founded a nonprofit and now claims that she was ‘wrongfully convicted.’

But Ian remains behind bars to this day as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied his conviction appeal last year.

He is now due to be released on January 31, 2031. 

The extraordinary preparations come as police continue planning for Kinahan’s extradition from Dubai after he reportedly lost his final appeal against being returned to Ireland.

A section of Ireland’s highest security prison has been upgraded and a bomb-proof prison van purchased as authorities prepare for the expected arrival of crime boss Daniel Kinahan.

The Irish Mirror understands that one of the most secure areas of Portlaoise Prison has been refurbished with its own gym and library, with Kinahan expected to have exclusive access if he is remanded there following his return to Ireland.

The major security operation has seen the Irish Prison Service (IPS) create a dedicated secure unit where Kinahan would be held separately from the wider prison population.

Alongside the upgraded facilities, additional prison officers are expected to be deployed to guard the area around the clock following a security review carried out by the IPS in consultation with Gardaí.

It has also emerged that the prison service has acquired a new bullet and bomb-resistant escort van, first reported by RTÉ, which is expected to be used to transport Kinahan from the airport to prison.

The specially protected vehicle is understood to have been sourced from the UK and features ballistic armour capable of withstanding rifle fire, along with reinforced flooring and body panels designed to offer protection against explosives.

Despite its enhanced security, the van is designed to look identical to the rest of the Irish Prison Service fleet, making it difficult to distinguish from standard escort vehicles.

‘Loking forward to returning to Ireland’

The extraordinary preparations come as Gardaí continue planning for Kinahan’s extradition from Dubai after he reportedly lost his final appeal against being returned to Ireland.

The alleged cartel boss had previously delayed the process by pursuing a further appeal through the Dubai courts. However, that legal challenge has now concluded, clearing the way for his return.

Sources have indicated that Kinahan could be flown back to Ireland within weeks, with August now considered the most likely timeframe.

He is expected to be transported on a Government aircraft before appearing before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin, where Gardaí intend to charge him with directing a criminal organisation, an offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The operation is expected to rank among the largest and most complex security exercises ever undertaken by the State.

Earlier this week, podcaster James English claimed Kinahan was “looking forward” to returning to Ireland and suggested the extradition process had been “fast tracked”.

Writing on Instagram, English said Kinahan would be willing to give interviews after returning to Ireland. His claims have not been confirmed by authorities.

The case against Kinahan is understood to centre partly on encrypted communications recovered from so-called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) devices allegedly used by members of the Kinahan cartel.

Gardaí allege encrypted handles including “Bon Neww”, “Bon4” and “Cap” belonged to Kinahan and were used to direct senior cartel figures during the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud.

Evidence presented in previous Special Criminal Court proceedings included messages allegedly discussing the murder of Eddie Hutch following the Regency Hotel shooting in February 2016, as well as communications linked to an alleged plot targeting James Gately in 2017.

Investigators also believe Kinahan played a central role in directing cartel activities from abroad following the Regency Hotel attack, during which associate David Byrne was shot dead and Kinahan himself was among those targeted.

Kinahan has consistently denied involvement in organised crime and has not been convicted of any offence in relation to those allegations. Any charges brought following his return to Ireland would be subject to the criminal justice process.

The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond

These are your rugby headlines for the morning of July 31.

SRU sack Williamson after investigation

Scottish Rugby has confirmed it has sacked CEO Alex Williamson after a lengthy investigation into his personal conduct.

Williamson was placed on extended leave back in May amid an independent investigation, which has lasted over the course of several months.

The specifics of the investigation have not been divulged by the union, but Williamson has nevertheless been removed from his position permanently.

It’s understood the probe centred on claims Williamson had entered into an undisclosed relationship with an SRU employee.

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Chairman of Scottish Rugby Limited, John McGuigan, said in a statement: “The board of Scottish Rugby has today dismissed Alex Williamson from his position as chief executive with immediate effect. His dismissal follows the conclusion of an independent investigation into matters that were brought to the board’s attention earlier this year.

“In light of the investigation findings the board of Scottish Rugby concluded that the CEO’s conduct had fallen significantly below the standards we set as an organisation.”

Current chief financial officer David White looks set to become interim chief executive while the governing body begins the process of finding a permanent replacement.