We were officially knocked out of the tournament on Saturday night after finishing third in Group C behind Brazil and Morocco.

The Tartan Army footsoldiers still out in Miami were left heartbroken as our World Cup dream finally ended last night before manager Steve Clarke handed in his resignation.

We were officially knocked out of the tournament on Saturday night after finishing third in Group C behind Brazil and Morocco, after days of waiting to see if our nations could do us a favour.

After claiming three points in the opening game against Haiti, we crashed out after Croatia’s 2-1 victory over Ghana saw us failing to finish among the top eight third-placed teams who progressed to the last 32 to join the 24 first and second-placed countries.

Shortly before the tournament, Clarke had penned a new four-year deal that would have taken him through to the next World Cup in 2030, as well as the home European Championships in 2028, and it would have seen him clock up 11 years in the job.

But in a bombshell statement in the early hours of Sunday morning, the 62-year-old penned a heartfelt farewell to his players, staff, and the Tartan Army.

Supporters who had travelled across the pond were left shocked at the news as they spoke to the Record after coming to terms with our elimination from the tournament.

Rio Carson, 19, who is from Glasgow but now lives on the Isle of Wight, travelled across to Miami with his dad Alan, 53, and his brothers Sol, 21, and Tao, 16.

Rio, who runs a window cleaning business, said: “I can’t deny Clarke has been a success but it is time for some fresh ideas. We were just on flight waiting to fly back to UK from Miami when the news broke.

“It quickly spread around the flight as the plane was full of Tartan Army. Most of us seemed relieved he had stepped down.

“We won’t ever forget those nights at Hampden which got us to the tournament. But after watching Scotland on the biggest stage it was obvious that change was needed.

“His interviews after the Brazil game gave the impression he was done with it. We have a lot to be grateful for – he got us back to the big stage three times and gave us all memories that will last a lifetime. He masterminded some massive qualifying wins v Norway, Spain and Denmark – but the time is right for change.”

Lee Barron flew out to Florida on Monday and the 38-year-old, from Perth, echoed those sentiments. He said: “I was shocked to hear the news, but after the Brazil game, hearing his reaction, it was maybe on his mind about throwing the towel in.

“I think he’s been successful – seven years, three tournaments qualified for. I’ve liked him throughout his term as manager, but I think it’s the manner of the defeat. In all three we haven’t performed well. We’re not wanting to be a country that’s just there to have a party and make up the numbers.

“I don’t think the players have helped him much either. They haven’t stepped up to the mark. Some of the responsibility has to land there too.

“I would have kept him in for longer. He’s been given a four year deal – but maybe he thought the time feels right. He’s been there for seven years, he’s done what he can with the players he’s got. He’s built a squad.

“A lot of them won’t see another tournament either because of their age, so he’s maybe looked at it and said it’s time to move on. But I’d just like to thank him, because he’s gave us some amazing opportunities – so cheers Steve!”

Speaking after our elimination from the competition was confirmed, Kian Halbert, a 25-year-old banker from Kilbirnie, and his brother Conor, a 21-year-old forklift driver, said the performance in this summer’s tournament wasn’t good enough.

Kian said: “I’m gutted. We’ve had a great time in America, but we should have performed better. After the Haiti game, we were happy we got the three points, but looking back we probably should have created more. I’m just gutted that we only got one goal in the whole tournament. It’s not good enough.”

Conor said: “We’ve had a great time here, except for Wednesday. You could see that, when we created chances, we looked a threat – but we never did that enough and we paid the price.

“That 1-0 win against Haiti never seemed like enough. Haiti scored more than us in the group. That says a lot. We didn’t deserve to go through. But we’ve never seen us in a World Cup in our lifetime, so we have to thank Steve for that. It has been an amazing trip.”

Aimee Ronnie, 19, and her sister Kaitlin, 21, are both from Glasgow and work for Next. Aimee said: “It’s been a pretty disappointing campaign. It’s a bit of a downer, but what can you do? We’re here, we’re having a party, we’re having a laugh. It’s still been great.

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“The Scots have really taken over, but it’s really disappointing to go home this early. I was really hoping we were going through. I really thought we were going to do enough for the first time ever, so that’s disappointing.”

Meanwhile Hector Macleod, a 36-year-old who works for Scottish Water and is from Skye, has travelled across to America with his wife, 28-year-old wife Alex, who manages restaurants.

The pair had hoped to stay out longer if Scotland had got through, and Hector said: “I still had hope up until late on Friday night, but when the final whistle went against Egypt and Iran had got a draw, I knew that was it.

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“We had booked to be out for another week or two. We had tickets up until the last 16, so we’re really disappointed. We’re going to extend our holiday to Puerto Rico for a few days then go home.

“It’s been a big let down. I was optimistic and thought we could top the group at the start. It’s probably our best ever chance to, so I just feel really let down.

“I don’t think Clarke was completely to blame. I don’t think the players have done enough when it’s got to the important games – it was the same with the Euros. When it matters they haven’t shown up. It’s still very raw, but we’ve had an amazing time. It’s been the trip of a lifetime. I didn’t think we could ever top Germany but this has been unreal.”

Innes Matheson, 13, has travelled over from Airdrie with his sister Eilidh, 9, and Lyle Randall, 12. Innes said: “I was expecting this, to be honest. 1-0 against Haiti was disappointing. I never thought we’d beat Brazil but we were unlucky against Morocco.

“I just hope we aren’t waiting too long to qualify for another World Cup because we’ve had a great time in Miami, but the football wasn’t good enough.”

Sandy Gray, a 72-year-old roofer, from Arbroath, and Duncan Pirie, a 32-year-old social worker, from Aberdeen, were sitting at the Bayfront Park area in Miami as they reflected on the news.

Duncan said: “It has just been incredible to be in Miami with my family. We are feeling deflated. We are devastated but we are still partying hard.

“I was four years old last time we made a World Cup, so this has been a huge moment for all of us. We have to thank Clarke for that.”

Sandy added: “We waited for 28 years, and it was gone in a heartbeat. I feel sorry for Clarke – and everyone else too – but hey-ho, we lived the dream. It has still been the trip of a lifetime.”

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That Iran came as close as they did to progressing remarkable in itself given the unique hurdles they have had to overcome.

Iran have been competing at the World Cup against the backdrop of the country’s conflict with the United States and Israel.

Their World Cup training base was switched from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico before the tournament began, and they faced travel restrictions throughout.

Iran were only permitted to enter the United States the day before their first two matches and had to leave again on the same day as the game, under the terms of their visas.

Subsequently, Ghalenoei described his side as the “most oppressed” team at the tournament.

He said the squad had been “robbed” of preparation time and given “less than half” the training window it needed, while other teams had enjoyed normal conditions.

Those travel restrictions were eased for the game in Seattle, allowing them to arrive two days early, but they had to return to Tijuana after the match.

After the match, Ghalenoei again expressed his frustration: “To my players and the team, I want to say to them I’m proud of them.

“What these young people, these players have done, it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly.

“Despite all of these problems, we’ve been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team.

“I urge Fifa: don’t let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups.”

Courteney Cox has separated from her long-term partner, Snow Patrol guitarist Johnny McDaid, according to new reports.

The Friends star began dating the Northern Irish musician back in late 2013, having met at a party.

News of the separation was first reported by the Daily Mail, with People magazine later confirming the claims.

Cox, 62, and McDaid, 49, had not been seen together in public since last year, when they attended the US Open tennis tournament in September.

The Independent has contacted representatives of Cox and McDaid for comment.

It was singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran who first brought McDaid into Cox’s orbit, owing to the two musicians being housemates. Speaking to E! News, Sheeran said at the time: “My housemate who I’ve lived with for a year, I introduced him to Courteney Cox. They started dating and [are] crazy about each other.”

In 2019, Cox reflected on her first kiss with McDaid, saying it was the best of her life. “I, actually, was the person who kissed first,” she said. “Ed Sheeran brought him over to my house one Sunday.”

The couple were briefly engaged, just nine months after they met, though called off the engagement in 2015.

They remained separated for six months at the time, with McDaid relocating to England.

“Three years in, we broke up, and it was really intense,” Cox told the Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver podcast in 2024. “We broke up in therapy. I didn’t know it was coming, whether I should have or not. He just broke up within the first minute. And I was like, what? We were engaged, and I was so shocked. I was in so much pain.

“He wasn’t trying to surprise me. He was in that much pain in the relationship,” she continued. “There was that much that needed to be dealt with that he had to protect himself around his heart.”

They later reconciled, though retained their separate homes, alternating between continents.

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During the Covid pandemic, the couple were forced to live separating, something that Cox spoke about during a virtual appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I just miss his physical touch,” she said. “It’s been hard. This is the longest time.”

Cox was 12 years older than McDaid, and opened up about the age gap in a 2017 interview with NewBeauty. “He’s younger than me and with any other guy that would be the hardest thing in the world,” she said.

Leading players at Wimbledon will stage a week of protests as the row over prize money at the grand slam tournaments continues.

Top players from the men’s and women’s tours, including defending champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, will limit their contractual media commitments to a symbolic 15 minutes per match day during the first week of the tournament. This will include post-match press conferences and interviews with TV rights holders. The action will begin at across the pre-tournament press conferences on Saturday and Sunday.

Earlier this month, the All England Club announced record prize money for this year’s tournament, confirming their biggest ever uplift in prize money and increasing the overall prize pool by 20 per cent. Wimbledon’s prize money now stands at an overall £64.2m; the breakdown of which sees the singles champions win a record £3.6m each and first-round losers receiving £80,000.

The players, who are represented by Larry Scott, the former chief executive of the WTA and an experienced sports administrator, initially welcomed Wimbledon’s announcement as a “genuine and significant step forward” – but it has not stopped collective action. The players’ representatives estimate that their share of Wimbledon’s projected revenues for 2026 stands at 14.4 per cent (hence the 15 minutes), and say that ratio is less than their share from 10 years ago – despite revenues growing over that period.

The players have been pushing for a greater share of revenues for well over a year, and want a revenue-sharing formula to be established and written into any future prize money announcements. The players want their share of revenues at the grand slams to reach 22 per cent, the figure they receive at some events on the ATP and WTA Tours, by 2030, and had written to Wimbledon to propose a 16 per cent cut for this year. That would have seen their prize money increase further, to £71m.

But tying prize money to revenues is not seen as realistic by the grand slams. Speaking earlier this month, Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said that establishing prize money as a ratio of projected revenues makes “no sense”. Jevans said Wimbledon runs as a not-for-profit, operating differently from Tour events, and has a duty to support the wider infrastructure of British tennis by contributing 90 per cent of surplus funds at the end of the tournament to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

Wimbledon are said to be “surprised and disappointed” by the collective action, are were shocked that the record increase in prize money did not prevent protests from the players.

The grand slams argue that the players’ representatives underestimate the costs of running tournaments and staging important warm-up events. There has also been multi-million-pound investment into player facilities at the All England Club, including the renovation of the Millennium Building this year.

Additionally, Wimbledon have asked Larry Scott and the players’ representatives for financial records of tour events to understand where the 22 per cent revenue-sharing ratio comes from, but it is understood those details have not yet been provided.

Wimbledon believe they are fully transparent with their financial records and publish them every year. Wimbledon’s revenue last year was £427m and the All England Club account for this to grow by five per cent to around £444.8m this year, based on their previous records.

A spokesperson for the All England Club said: “Wimbledon puts the players at the heart of all our decisions and we invest significantly in them every year. This year’s total prize money fund has increased by 20 per cent to £64.2 million, which is the largest increase in our event’s history.

“This is alongside investing hundreds of millions of pounds in upgrades to our player facilities as part of a three-year transformation to create a world class player performance environment.”

Players ‘reserving all options’ for future strike action

In their demands to the grand slams, the players’ group – which does not include 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic – have also proposed greater contributions to a player welfare fund, the formation of a player council and for more consultation on tournament matters such as scheduling. The world No 1s, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, went on record in calling for more prize money late last season, and many have expressed a desire for a “fairer” share of the revenues they help create. Defending Wimbledon champion Sinner saying the proposals were about “respect”.

The players are advocating for “positive change”, Britain’s Jack Draper told The Independent last year, and have also argued that increasing prize money at grand slams would help support lower-ranked players who can struggle to make a living from tennis given the costs of travelling around the world, but whose existence is vital to the sport’s ecosystem. The prize money for Wimbledon qualifying alone now stands at £6.2m, after a 25 per cent increase this year.

The players’ representatives also expressed frustration at what they said was “no substantive response from Wimbledon” following their proposals regarding player welfare and the formation of the player council. This claim was swiftly rejected by the All England Club, who proposed establishing a player council late last year and were surprised when an invitation to a meeting at Indian Wells in order to discuss those matters was turned down.

During Wimbledon, the players’ representatives will also hold meetings with both the French Open and US Open. Last month, the players expressed their “deep and collective disappointment” at the prize money on offer at the French Open after organisers announced a 9.5 per cent increase, and the tournament will present their response to the players over the next fortnight. The US Open will also announce their prize money for the 2026 tournament in the coming weeks.

The expectation from the players’ side is that both tournaments will announce further increases, closer to the 22 per cent share, with the US Open likely to offer record prize money later this summer. But the players have warned they are “reserving all options” when it comes to future strike action. The players’ group are understood to have been angered by the suggestion that creating a revenue-sharing formula is a non-starter.

So what can we expect at Wimbledon? At the French Open, players limited their media appearances only across the pre-tournament press conference, before returning to normal during the first week.

But despite escalating their protests at Wimbledon to the entire first week, the players are still ensuring they remain within the rules.

Players can be fined up to £50,000 if they don’t turn up to press conferences, with the grand slam rule book stating that players are required to participate in interviews before and during the tournament “in order to help drive engagement with the sport”.

BBC weather forecasters have shared their verdict on whether we will experience any more heatwaves in the coming months across Wales and the rest of the UK.

Simon King and Sarah Keith-Lucas, the broadcaster’s lead weather presenters, said that the early forecasters suggest it’s not the last time we’ll see hot weather this summer.

Mr King and Ms Keith-Lucas said the forecasts suggest “an increased chance of heatwaves and heat-related impacts” later in the summer and that “above-average temperatures” are expected for each month of July and August, and “significant bursts” of heat are expected in the UK, and across Europe.

Wales got their summer campaign off to a winning start with a 33-31 victory over the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Tries from Kieran Hardy, Dan Edwards (twice), Reuben Morgan-Williams and Ellis Mee, along with a combined eight points from the boots of Edwards and Sam Costelow, got Wales over the line.

Here are your winners and losers.

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Winners

George North

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a phenomenal career and will quite rightly be considered one of Welsh rugby’s modern-day greats.

Tandy could do a lot worse than persuade North to delay his retirement for another year because he could still do a job for Wales at Test level.

The north Walian caused havoc as soon as he took to the field with his size, pace and explosive power proving too hot to handle for Wales at times.

North finished his international career in the same manner as it started against South Africa 16 years ago with two tries.

He even kicked a conversion at the end of the game.

A class act.

Aaron Wainwright

Wainwright was a class apart again and thoroughly deserves his player-of-the-match award.

The Wales No 8 carried well and made significant post-contact metres while he also made two linebreaks.

Wainwright has developed into arguably Wales’ most important player and is a leader within this side.

If Wales are to beat Fiji next Saturday they will need Wainwright to be at his best.

Kieran Hardy

The Ospreys scrum-half was outstanding and played a pivotal role in Wales’ victory.

Hardy did the basics well but was hugely influential throughout and was a significant threat with ball in hand.

The 30-year-old looked dangerous, scoring a try after just four minutes.

He also had a hand in two other tries with his long pass putting Edwards over for his first before his kick into space resulted in the outside-half’s second try.

We all know Tomos Williams will start the big games but Hardy has done his chances no harm at all.

Dewi Lake

The Wales captain had a fine game and carried extremely well throughout while also winning the majority of collisions.

Wales’ lineout also functioned extremely well which in large part is down to the accuracy of Lake’s throwing.

Lake will be a key player if Wales are to continue to improve this summer.

Rhys Barratt

The 24-year-old made a big impact upon coming onto the field with one very explosive carry which scattered the Barbarians’ defence.

Barratt was a bundle of energy around the park, getting through a huge amount of work.

The Cardiff loosehead is certainly a player who impressed Tandy and it will be interesting to see whether he makes the final squad for the Nations Championship.

Rhys Carré and Nicky Smith are nailed on for the 23 against Fiji but it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if Tandy decided to retain Barratt in the squad.

Losers

Wales’ scrum

Wales’ scrum was one area of the game which came off second best, especially in the first half.

Georgian tighthead Giorgi Kharaishvili shoved Dillon Lewis backwards at a couple of scrums while Gareth Thomas got penalised twice.

The scrum did improve slightly after the break but Wales must improve in this aspect of play if they are to get their Nations Championship campaign off to a winning start.

Allianz Stadium attendance

Tandy’s side needed a hitout to blow away the cobwebs before facing Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium next Saturday.

But the decision to play this game in London is a real head-scratcher.

With swathes of empty seats and little sense of occasion, the Allianz Stadium hardly provided the backdrop the fixture deserved.

Taking the game to Cardiff City Stadium or the Swansea.com Stadium would almost certainly have delivered a bigger crowd and a far more vibrant atmosphere.

Before anyone suggests this was the Barbarians’ home fixture, it is worth remembering that the Barbarians do not have a home.

As an invitational team, they are perpetual visitors, playing wherever they are invited. Whether the venue is Twickenham, Durban, Buenos Aires or Auckland, they are always the away side.

Wales’ defence

In his post-match press conference Tandy did admit Wales need to be better if they are to start turning promising performances into victories.

This was Peter Murchie’s first game as defence coach and he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to stamp his authority on proceedings.

But Wales will need to tighten up in defence against a dangerous Fiji backline which will include the likes of Josua Tuisova, Jiuta Wainiqolo and Kalaveti Ravouvou.

Wales missed 26 tackles and that will need to be better next Saturday or Fiji will punish Tandy’s severely.

Murchie has a lot of work to do.

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Wimbledon is the only grand slam tennis tournament where there are rules against late-night finishes due to the tournament’s strict 11pm curfew.

Andy Murray’s 4am finish against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open remains the latest grand slam match on record, while singles matches concluding well after midnight is not uncommon at the French Open and US Open, either.

The All England Club operates on a different set of rules, however, and has done so since the construction of Centre Court roof in 2009. A roof over Court No 1 was then completed in 2019, allowing play on two courts to be staged under the lights.

Wimbledon is based in a residential area, so the curfew exists out of consideration for local residents as fans travel home at the end of the day’s play.

So although the roofs on both Centre Court and No. 1 Court allow extra tennis to be played into the evening, there can still be disruptions of matches approaching the curfew.

When is the Wimbledon curfew?

The Wimbledon curfew is at 11pm local time (6pm ET) and has been in place since 2009 when Centre Court’s roof opened, introduced by Merton Council in order to obtain planning permission for the roof.

A statement from Wimbledon in 2018 read: “The 11pm curfew is a Planning Condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area.

“The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration.”

What are the curfew rules?

The rules state that a match is not permitted to go beyond 11pm (6pm ET).

Matches that have been paused include Novak Djokovic against Rafael Nadal in their 2018 semi-final after the third set, having started at 8pm. Andy Murray’s last ever singles match at Wimbledon, against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023, was also held overnight due to the curfew.

Last year, Alexander Zverev’s match on Centre Court was paused after two sets while, more controversially, Taylor Fritz’s first round clash against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was suspended at 10:18pm with one final set left to play.

Fritz was furious to be dragged off court, and appeared to place the blame at the feet of his opponent afterwards: “They would’ve let us play if my opponent agreed to, I said I wanted to, he didn’t,” Fritz posted on Instagram.

Is there any exception to the curfew?

The curfew was pushed slightly back in 2012. Andy Murray beat Marcos Baghdatis with the clock striking 11:02pm local time. Murray was just one game from victory at 11pm.

Merton Council’s leader Stephen Alambritis commented at the time, stating: “flexibility and common sense prevailed”.

“We were in touch with the All England Club from 10pm onwards and there were discussions between our planning officers and the tournament director,” he said.

“We have always said these prearrangements were to be used with discretion, so I was pleased flexibility and common sense prevailed, because we have a duty to both the residents as well as the tennis.”

The next latest match to finish was in 2010 when Novak Djokovic beat Olivier Rochus with two minutes to spare, finishing at 10:58pm.

Here is your round-up of cases heard before courts around Northern Ireland from June 22-26

This week the Northern Irish courts saw one of the most high profile cases in decades as former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of child sex offences.

Alongside this, a man admitted a number of offences connected to a firearms incident linked to an off-duty police officer and two men were sentenced for a “terrifying” home invasion on the “wrong house”.

A man was jailed for series of sectarian and racist outbursts in Belfast City Centre and another was jailed for a violent assault at a Co Antrim bowling club.

Here is your round-up of cases heard before courts around Northern Ireland from June 22-26

Jeffrey Donaldson guilty of 18 historical sex offences including child rape

Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was convicted of 18 historical sexual offences against two women who were minors at the time the abuse took place on Monday, June 22. A jury at Newry Crown Court found the 63 year old guilty of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency, following a trial spanning several weeks.

Throughout the proceedings, two women, identified as Complainant A and Complainant B, provided testimony claiming they had been subjected to abuse by him during their childhoods. The former MP spent two days in the witness box, consistently denying the allegations levelled against him

His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, Co Down, faced separate allegations of aiding and abetting her husband. She underwent a trial of the facts on mental health grounds. The court determined that she had carried out the acts relating to the charges of aiding and abetting.

Man jailed for spitting at shop mannequin dressed in Celtic kit

A man was jailed on Tuesday for spitting at a shop mannequin dressed in a Celtic football kit as part of an “appalling” sectarian and racist outburst in Belfast city centre. Neil Henry, 32, also subjected a group of black teenagers and hospital staff to a tirade of offensive abuse.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he began causing drunken disturbances outside a sports store on Castle Place. PSNI officers called to the scene observed him spitting on the shop window where a mannequin was wearing a Celtic strip.

The defendant admitted having spat at the dummy, with a security guard also targeted. As officers spoke to Henry he stated that he “f***ing hated Celtic” and declared himself “the biggest f***ing Rangers supporter”.

Henry also directed racial invectives at a group of up to seven teenagers in nearby Castle Junction.

A Crown lawyer said he pointed at the youths, all believed to be around 16 years old, and shouted: “Black Fenian Arab b******s.”

Man who said he was ordered to store cocaine to pay off a drug debt avoids jail

A West Belfast man who said he was ordered to store cocaine at his home to pay off a drug debt narrowly avoided immediate custodyon Wednesday.

Dylan Kelly was handed an 18-month prison sentence suspended for three years after he pleaded guilty to possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. He further admitted possessing small quantities of cannabis and Ecstasy tablets and £1,350 in criminal property.

A prosecution lawyer said officers went upstairs to a front bedroom and seized a number of items, including £1,350 in cash in a bedside drawer. Police also uncovered ‘deal bags’, white powder which was suspected Class A drugs and cannabis grinders. “There was a black revolver, weighing scales and a further handgun,” said the prosecutor.

During subsequent interviews, Kelly told police that he lived in the front upstairs bedroom, he didn’t work and was in receipt of Universal Credit. He said he owed a drug debt of around £1,000 but refused to say who he owed the debt to.

Judge Philip Gilpin said he had decided not to send Kelly into jail immediately as he had no previous convictions for drug offences and he is also the father of a young child.

Teen shouted sectarian abuse, exposed his genitals and tried to hijack car while in ‘cannabis-induced psychosis’

A Co Antrim man who committed “bizarre” offences after he “lost his mind due to the effects of cannabis” was made the subject of a two-year Probation Order on Wednesday.

Joel Moore, who is from a Protestant background, shouted sectarian abuse and exposed his genitals to a jogger wearing a Linfield top and tried to hijack a moving car.

The court heard that around 5pm on May 23, 2024, a male wearing a Linfield raincoat was running along the path between Hazelbank and Lough Shore in Co Antrim when he was accosted by Moore. Moore asked the jogger, Do you know this country is Catholic?’ then said to him ‘This country is supposed to be Catholic, you orange b*****d, you’re full of s**t.’

He then shouted, ‘Do you want to see my d**k?’ and proceeded to drop his tracksuit bottoms and expose himself.

Following this, he then encountered a male and female, asked them whether they believed in God, then made off down the Shore Road, where he was almost knocked down. At this point Moore approached a grey Nissan which was in slow-moving traffic, grabbed the handle of the door and tried to pull it open.

Man accused of leaving threats to kill messages about Jamie Bryson refused bail

A man accused of issuing new threats to kill loyalist campaigner Jamie Bryson must remain in custody, a High Court judge ruled on Wednesday.

Robert Beck, 63, was refused bail amid claims he left “sinister” messages about the high-profile activist at a Co Down business premise s. Beck, of Bloomfield Crescent in Belfast, also allegedly stated that he planned to destroy vehicles belonging to the firm.

He is charged with six counts of threats to kill, along with making threats to damage property and breaching a restraining order earlier this month.

Beck was on release at the time while facing prosecution over separate allegations of harassing BBC broadcaster Stephen Nolan and pestering Mr Bryson.

Man convicted of sending menacing message to family of Bloody Sunday victim jailed

A Belfast man convicted of sending a menacing message directed at the family of a Bloody Sunday victim has been jailed for six months.

Dean Portis, 42, faced prosecution over a social media posting seen by the three brothers of William McKinney, one of those shot dead by the British Army in Derry. He was also banned from intimidating or harassing them as part of a two-year restraining order.

Police were alerted to a Facebook posting allegedly attributed to Portis, who also uses the name Dean Martin, early on in Soldier F’s trial last year.

Above a newspaper report and photograph of Mr McKinney’s three brothers, Joe, Mickey and John, attending the hearing in Belfast a message stated: “If yous continue to target the British Armed Forces including the PSNI the consequences will be swift and deadly.” The posting added: “Yous have been warned.”

Portis insisted the message was not directed at or about the brothers, instead claiming his intention was only about creating a platform for debate.

Sentencing Portis today, Deputy District Judge John Rea imposed three months custody for the offences. He also activated a previous suspended term and ordered the defendant to serve a further three months behind bars.

Adventure Park volunteer who allegedly exposed himself to young girls said it was ‘unfortunate accident’

An adventure park volunteer who allegedly exposed himself to a group of girls said it was an “unfortunate accident” involving a damaged zipper, the High Court heard on Thursday.

Owen Lindsay, 23, is accused of targeting four members of a youth club attending the activity centre in Co Antrim earlier this month. Prosecutors claimed he deliberately sought out a role at the facilities to give him access to children.

Lindsay is accused of exposing himself to the girls while working on a coffee stand at the site on June 13. He also allegedly asked them to take off their bibs following an activity, helping one of them to remove her apron while saying, “I bet you can get undressed quicker than that”.

During interviews, he accepted being at the centre and helping to organise equipment used by the children. He denied intentionally exposing himself or any sexual motivation for his behaviour.

Claiming his trousers were faulty, he told police he does not wear underwear and had removed tracksuit bottoms due to the heat. Lord Justice Treacy described the account provided as “very unusual”.

Granting bail, Lord Justice Treacy indicated there were issues which need to be addressed outside of a custodial environment.

Co Antrim man who ‘has a serious problem with temper’ jailed over bowling club attack

A Co Antrim man who “clearly has a serious problem with temper” was jailed for 16 months on Thursday for assaulting another man in Carrickfergus Bowling Club.

David Hilditch, 43, of West Street in Carrick, admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the injured party and was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court by Judge Patrick Lynch KC.

The charge arising from an incident in Carrick Bowling Club on January 15, 2023 where both Hilditch and the injured party were socialising.

The two men did not know each other and during the course of the evening Hilditch approached the other male, who was sitting with his son. Words were exchanged between the injured party and Hilditch, who walked away.

Hilditch then returned to where the father and son were sitting and after further words were exchanged, the injured party stood up and grabbed Hilditch. Hilditch responded by punching the injured party in this face, which caused him to fall backwards into his seat and resulted in a fracture injury to his right leg which required multiple surgeries.

The incident was captured on the Club’s CCTV and Hilditch was identified from the footage.

Man pleads guilty to firearm offences linked to incident with off-duty police officer

A Co Antrim man pleaded guilty to firearm offences linked to an incident with an off-duty police officer last year.

Kyle Knell was produced from custody for an arraignment hearing after his bail was revoked last week for drug offences. In court on Thursday, defence counsel Barry Gibson KC said following discussion with the prosecution, the matter had now been resolved by both parties.

After he was formally identified by the clerk of the court, Knell pleaded guilty to two counts of causing grievous bodily harm, possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances, false imprisonment and trespassing a Co Antrim dwelling with a Glock 17 firearm. On the new ninth count, Knell entered a guilty plea to possessing the Glock 17 handgun in suspicious circumstances.

Mr Gibson said the defence had already commissioned a psychiatric report on the defendant which he intended to share with the prosecution.

Following the hearing, Judge Gilpin listed the plea and sentence hearing for September 3, 2026 and remanded Knell back into custody.

Bangor man found with indecent images after being stopped by police for defective light, court hears

A Co Down man was found with indecent images on his phone after police stopped his car for having a defective light, a court heard on Wednesday.

Thomas Windrum, 43, of Bryansford Meadow in Bangor, was handed a two-year probation after he admitted 17 charges of making indecent images of children. Belfast Crown Court heard on May 31, 2021, police stopped Windrum’s car in east Belfast as the vehicle had a defective light.

A prosecution lawyer said Windrum was arrested for a separate matter and his phone was seized for examination. A triage of the phone found 37 indecent images of children. Seven were in the highest category A, nine in category B and 21 in the lowest category C.

He told police that no one else had access to his phone and he didn’t remember downloading the images. Windrum said he was “ashamed” and for what happened he described it as “wrong”.

Belfast Recorder Judge Philip Gilpin said he was satisfied that there was “culpable delay” of around four-and-a-half years in the case and this delay would be reflected in his sentencing. Windrum was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of five years but Judge Gilpin said he did not believe a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was proportionate to impose in the case.

Men ‘caught red-handed’ after drunken and “terrifying” invasion on wrong flat

Two West Belfast men were sentenced on Friday over a drunken and “terrifying” flat incursion while armed with knives.

Conor Patrick Bradley, 35, of Altan Park, Dunmurry, was jailed for a year and he was told by Judge Gordon Kerr KC that he will spend a further 12 months on supervised licence on his release from custody. Co-accused Michael Valliday, 27, of Albert Street, received a combination order of 60 hours unpaid work along with a two year probation order.

Prosecution barrister James Johnston said that at 9.10 am three “intoxicated” individuals entered the store and were verbally abusive towards staff and customers while stealing various items valued at £30. The three males – which included Paul Valliday who is now deceased – made their way to The Mill apartment block also on the Crumlin Road.

A man told the court he saw the defendants with knives dragging a tarpaulin before they attempted to open a security door.

The court was told a female was in her mother’s apartment and heard loud banging from outside their door.

She looked out the peep hole and saw the three men on the landing. She described them as the ‘skinny one’ (Michael Valliday), the ‘fat one’ (Bradley) and the ‘scruffy one’ (Paul Valliday). She told police that she could see Michael Valliday had a kitchen knife in his hand and he was kicking her door and shouting: “Open the door. Where’s Shorty? Where is f***ing Shorty?”

The court was told the victim’s mother came out of her bedroom to see the three males with their hoods up standing in the hallway. Her appearance startled the intruders and this caused Bradley to say to his accomplices: ‘We’ve got the wrong house”.

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The former Verve frontman arrived on the Yorkshire coast on Saturday (June 27) with the clear intention of giving his adoring fans what they wanted: a hit-laden set. And he duly obliged!

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Richard Ashcroft at Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026 (Image: Cuffe and Taylor)

Opening with Weeping Willow, Sonnet and Space and Time, he then followed with such solo hits as A Song For The Lovers and C’mon People (We’re Making It Now) and a range of hits from his solo work and The Verve days, before a finale of The Drugs Don’t Work, Lucky Man and the iconic Bitter Sweet Symphony.

Richard was supported on the night by former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan and Leeds’ very own indie stars Apollo Junction.

TK Maxx presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre 2026, which sees a record 26 headline shows from some of music’s best-known stars, continues on Sunday (June 28) with Billy Ocean and special guest Marti Pellow.