WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A ‘gentle and wondrous’ couple who loved the outdoors and were veteran hikers tragically died after an aggressive bear attacked their camp, also leaving their beloved border collie for dead.

One “special” couple sent a tragic final message before they were mauled to death by a grizzly bear alongside their dog on a camping holiday.

The two campers sent a desperate final message before dying of their injuries. It simply said: “Bear attack bad.” Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, as well as their beloved border collie Tris were found dead in 2023.

The grim message was sent over a Garmin inReach satellite communicator last and it was received along with an SOS signal, triggered by someone holding the device’s emergency button for three seconds, as per NPR.

“So one of them had entered that text into the inReach” manually, according to Doug’s uncle Colin Inglis.

He also explained that when their bodies were found, “Jenny and Doug were close by each other not far from the tent in their stocking feet”. This was heartbreaking information relayed to him by Parks Canada, Colin explained this was unusual as it was wet outside.

“Their boots and booties were in the tent, which suggests that something happened that one or both of them exited the tent,” he added.

However, what remains a mystery is the two were veterans in the game and were more than equipped and prepared for any encounters with bears.

“This incident is the first grizzly bear caused fatality recorded in Banff National Park in decades,” Parks Canada said in a statement.

The couple did everything they were told to do and still did not survive. A Wildlife Human Attack Response Team found a bear-proof food bag hanging in a tree and a used can of bear spray at the backpacker’s campsite, implying the pair had put up a good fight.

The 62-year-olds knew Banff’s Red Deer Valley very well. “They hiked in this area several times a year on an extended trip,” Inglis said. “They’d been in this area in the spring.”

They started a week-long trail through Banff, sending regular updates to Colin, and to Gusse’s mother. The agricultural research laboratory workers were meticulous planners and cautious by nature.

“Doug and Jenny were highly experienced. They did everything right,” Colin said. “This is an unusual circumstance — they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

On the day of the attack the pair told Colin they had hit a small delay, but that it was nothing to worry about. They later told him they made it to camp and were cooking just before 5pm. Then their peaceful holiday took a horrible turn.

Doug and Jenny Gusse made camp in a spot with no active bear warnings or area closures in place, according to Parks Canada. The agency said it received the same message from an inReach device that Colin did, alerting them to a bear attack at approximately 8pm.

It took hours to reach the site of the violent attack as the rescue team were forced to travel on ground as using a helicopter was rule dout due to bad weather. Parks Canada said the area is very remote and there were no witnesses to the attack.

“We will never know the full details of what led to the attack and will not speculate,” it said.

The response team arrived after 1am to find the couple dead. They also spotted the bear, which “displayed aggressive behavior, and proceeded to charge towards the response team,” Parks Canada said.

The bear was shot and killed. A necropsy found it was a “non-lactating older female” of more than 25 years old. The bear’s teeth were in bad shape and she “had less than normal body fat for this time of year,” according to Parks Canada.

The bear wasn’t tagged or wearing a collar. The park maintained attacks are rare. It said: “Over the last 10 years, there have been three recorded non-fatal, contact encounters with grizzly bears in Banff National Park.”

Doug’s uncle said of the couple: “These were real special human beings. I’ve known Doug since the day he was born. He is more like a little brother than a nephew.”

“They have been together almost entirely since they went to university. They’ve been a team, completely, in all aspects of their lives, whether it be work, at home, gardening, or canoeing or hiking.”

“They were wonderful people. They were very gentle people. Being outdoors people ourselves, it’s a nightmare that doesn’t go away, you know? That’s just the reality.”

A stocky, battle–scarred man who lived through one of the most dramatic periods in English history has been brought back to life nearly 1,000 years after his death.

Scientists have digitally reconstructed the face of a man who survived the Norman Conquest and was buried with unusual honours in a church linked to one of William the Conqueror’s knights.

Named ‘Conquest Man’, he was between 50 and 60–years old when he died in the late 11th century.

Researchers say he stood just over 5ft (152cm) tall and had a muscular build, with evidence of several healed fractures.

His DNA suggests he had significant ancestry from continental Europe, while his burial included Scandinavian traditions and scientific tests indicate he may have spent part of his youth in a colder region before ending up in northern England.

‘I’ve been fascinated by this individual – this man of the Conquest – for 20 years,’ Kevin Booth, English Heritage Head Curator of Collections said.

‘Who was he, what did he experience, could he have been at the Battle of Hastings, what sort of person might he have been?

‘With this new analysis, it feels like we can really get close to him. To be able to now look at his face is to feel we can almost speak to him.’

Scientists have digitally reconstructed the face of a man who survived the Norman Conquest 1,000 years ago

The man was first discovered at St Peter’s Church in Barton upon Humber, Lincolnshire – the private church of one of William the Conqueror’s knights – 50 years ago.

He had been laid to rest in a coffin made from an oak tree felled around 1079, with his head carefully supported on a grass pillow and secured with two pieces of local chalk.

Three apple–wood staffs were placed beside him in a burial custom associated with Scandinavian traditions.

For the recreation, experts combined DNA testing, isotope analysis and facial reconstruction technology.

The results suggest his ancestry was far more complex than historians could have imagined.

Ancient DNA revealed the man had substantial roots in continental Europe, while chemical signatures locked within one of his teeth suggest he spent at least part of his adolescence in a colder climate before ending up in northern England.

Scientists say the findings challenge the traditional idea of a simple divide between Saxons and Normans after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Instead, they suggest that many people in 11th century England had mixed backgrounds and connections stretching across northern Europe.

English Heritage Head Curator of Collections Kevin Booth lays out the skeleton, which was first found 50 years ago

St Peter’s Church, in Barton–upon–Humber, North Lincolnshire, where the skeleton of ‘Conquest Man’ was buried

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Conquest Man lived through one of the most turbulent periods in English history.

In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England and defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, bringing Anglo–Saxon rule to an end.

The victory transformed the country. Norman nobles seized control of vast swathes of land, castles sprang up across England and French became the language of the ruling elite.

For ordinary people, the conquest brought sweeping political, social and cultural change as a new foreign–born aristocracy took power.

Historians estimate that within two decades almost all of England’s major landowners had been replaced by Norman lords loyal to William.

‘The classic way of understanding the Battle of Hasting is binary – them and us,’ Mr Booth said. ‘But what Conquest Man illustrates is so much richer than that.

‘We don’t know if he was Saxon or Norman. He may have been neither – a man of continental, Scandinavian influences.

‘He’s a fascinating survivor of a cataclysmic period in history. Born in the reign of Viking King Cnut, he survived the Norman Conquest to be buried with honour next to a pre–Conquest church, part of the new Norman world.’

The man had been laid to rest in a coffin made from an oak tree felled around 1079, with his head carefully supported on a grass pillow and secured with two pieces of local chalk

Dr Sarah Stark, Human Skeletal Biologist at Historic England, said: ‘The science does not point to one simple homeland for this individual.

‘Instead, his skeleton, burial, ancient DNA and isotope results suggest a man connected to the wider continental world.

‘He may have travelled to Barton, or he may have been born locally into a community already shaped by those connections.

‘In either case, his burial suggests that the traditions associated with him were meaningful and recognisable within the Barton community, reminding us that identity in 11th–century England was far more complex than simple categories like Saxon or Norman.’

Conquest Man’s skeleton will be on display at St Peter’s Church in Barton-upon-Humber on September 20.

Rescue efforts are continuing for a vessel in distress in the English Channel as two crew members remain missing, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said.

A coastguard rescue helicopter, fixed wing plane and two RNLI lifeboats began searching an area south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth shortly after 18:00 BST on Saturday night.

In an update early on Sunday, HM Coastguard in Falmouth confirmed three of the five people aboard the boat had now been accounted for. It did not share further information about the vessel or the nature of the emergency.

A large number of civilian vessels were assisting the “intensive search”, the coastguard added.

On Sunday morning, a spokesperson for HM Coastguard said they maintained the intensive search during the night.

“It is continuing today with multiple assets sent to help,” they added.

Lifeboat crews from Newlyn and Salcombe took over the search from the Plymouth and Falmouth RNLI crews, who had worked through the night.

Sir James Cleverly has announced he plans to run for Mayor of London – while mocking Labour incumbent Sir Sadiq Khan as having ‘lost the passion for the job’.

The top Tory revealed on Saturday he was stepping down as leader Kemi Badenoch’s shadow housing secretary in order to kick off the bid.

In an interview with the Times, he said the Conservatives needed a ‘credible big hitter’ to bag the capital at the next mayoral election, which will take place in 2028.

Boris Johnson is the only Tory to have held the position, securing two victories over Labour’s Ken Livingstone in 2008 and 2012.

But Khan has decisively beaten three successive Conservative candidates in the past three elections: Zac Goldsmith in 2016, Shaun Bailey in 2020, and Susan Hall in 2024.

He has not ruled out running in the next election too, which would extend his record-breaking tenure in the position.

Cleverly said it ‘wouldn’t surprise me if [Khan] bows out for 2028’, accusing him of being ‘asleep at the wheel’.

He told the Times: ‘Sadiq has been trying to get out of that job for quite a while. He went in with the intention of doing what Boris did, using it as a high-profile platform to get him his next big job in government.

‘There has been lots of posturing, very little delivery. Lots of picking rows with the president of America, less focus on bringing down street crime.’

His comments were a reference to long-running beef between the Sadiq Khan and Donald Trump, who has described the Mayor as ‘grossly incompetent’ and a ‘horrible representative for the UK’.

Following those comments in June, Khan told Metro: ‘Another day, another example of President Trump’s obsession with me. He’s clearly got a man crush on me.

‘I am living rent-free inside his head, and you can see why.’

James Cleverly previously served as foreign secretary under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, before being moved to the Home Office for the final nine months of the Conservative government.

When Sunak stepped down following the 2024 general election, he ran to become party leader but came third behind Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, who is now Reform’s Treasury spokesman.

Cleverly will still need to win the Tory nomination for the election before he becomes the party’s official nominee.

In a post on X, Reform leader Nigel Farage suggested Cleverly’s move was prompted by nerves over the prospect of losing his seat at the next election.

He wrote: ‘James Cleverly will not be the first Tory MP to give up any hope of winning their seat in Essex. They are done for.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Julia Roberts said she’d never forget Dolly Parton’s response to her complaining on the set of the 1989 movie Steel Magnolias.

Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, appeared with Roberts, now 58, on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1989 to promote the movie. In a clip from that appearance that has resurfaced in the wake of Parton’s death, Roberts shared that Parton had given her a crucial piece of advice during a sweltering day filming in the Louisiana summer heat.

“Everyone had ice on their wrist and was doing the whole thing, everyone was like, ‘It’s hot, can I get some water?’ And I finally just had to say, ‘Dolly, I mean, you’ve got a wig and the wool. Come on, it’s hot, sweat a little, you know? Just say ‘I’m hot,’ you know. ‘This is a drag!’” Roberts recalled to host Winfrey.

She continued: “And she said — I remember we were sitting on the porch, do you remember this? And she said to me, ‘When I was a little girl, I wanted to be famous and I wanted to be rich, and now I’m both those things. I’m not going to complain about it.’”

Roberts said that she took the advice to never complain very seriously and that she’s “never forgotten it.”

“I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to be quiet for the rest of the day,’” she said at the time.

“It was the way she said it, and I didn’t really do it her way, or else it’ll choke me up, but it was this thing and I’ve never forgotten it. And every time I go to complain or just kind of moan, I always hear Dolly sitting on the porch and saying that, and it kind of keeps you quiet.”

In the film, Parton played the Louisiana beauty salon owner Truvy Jones, while Roberts, who was only two years into her acting career at the time, played Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie, a young, headstrong bride.

The movie, which followed the lives of a group of women supporting each other through life’s ups and downs, also starred Sally Field, Daryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Tom Skerritt and Sam Shepard.

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After the news of Parton’s death, Roberts paid tribute to in a statement, saying: “Dolly was a magical and joyous human. I hold knowing her as a treasure in my life. The sun has dimmed today.”

MacLaine, 92, wrote, “God sent her to us, and she has returned home.”

“Without exaggeration, Dolly Parton was one of the sharpest, funniest, and warmest people I’ve ever met,” Hannah wrote in her tribute.

“She is just the best example of how to be a great human. I’m sure we will all continue to discover more about her humble, important, and generous altruistic charity work which, she would barely ever mention.”

Field said: “If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one. Dolly Parton. There will never be another.”

“I adored her with all my heart and will always cherish our time together. Forever. Rest in peace beautiful Dolly,” the tribute continued.

The movie was just one of Parton’s big-screen roles across her illustrious entertainment career. She also appeared in movies including 9 to 5, Rhinestone and The Beverly Hillbillies.

Parton’s death was announced Tuesday by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security. Her representative later confirmed that she had died in Nashville, following a “brief battle” with cancer, surrounded by loved ones.

Singer Miley Cyrus, Parton’s goddaughter, remembered her “Aunt Dolly” as an “angel,” saying, “I will always love her and want to make her proud.

By MATTHEW LODGE, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR and DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 07:22 BST, 30 August 2026 | Updated: 08:13 BST, 30 August 2026

PC Andrew Harper’s killers will be excluded from the prison early release scheme after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said anyone convicted of unlawful killing would be exempt.

The Prime Minister has been forced to keep hundreds more people behind bars who would otherwise be eligible for release to ensure Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole are not let out.

Bowers and Cole, two of PC Harper’s three killers, were passengers in the car that dragged the police officer down a country road after he got caught in a strap attached to the vehicle as they fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.

There has been a major public and political outcry at the possibility that under the scheme designed to reduce overcrowding they would be released next year, just halfway through their 13-year sentences for manslaughter. 

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Mr Burnham had wanted to exempt just killers of emergency service workers from the scheme but was told such a move would open the door to legal challenges that the government would probably lose.

Instead the PM today told the BBC all those in prison for unlawful killing would be exempted, meaning ‘hundreds’ will not now be eligible for release, alongside prisoners convicted of historic child sex offences.

Speaking today to the BBC, Mr Burnham said he shared the ‘concern and anger’ of the public about prisoners such as Bowers and Cole being released early.

Mr Burnham said: ‘I know how strongly people feel about this issue.

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PC Andrew Harper was killed in August 2019 when responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire

PC Harper’s killers Albert Bowers (left) and Jessie Cole (right), pictured outside court in 2020

‘That’s why I took action during my first weeks as Prime Minister to block some of the very worst in society being released before they should.

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‘We moved quickly to block vile criminals who commit rape, sexually abuse children and groom vulnerable young people.’

He continued: ‘But I always said I wanted to do more. We will now not only be keeping offenders serving time for indecent assault locked up, but also those in prison for manslaughter and death by dangerous driving.

‘This means that the awful criminals responsible for the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentence shortened.’

The Prime Minister ordered a review of the changes to the Sentencing Act, which is being undertaken by Justice Secretary Alex Norris and is set to be published when Parliament returns from summer recess this week.

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Labour’s early release scheme started in September 2024 with the aim of easing overcrowding in jails.

It allows certain prisoners to be released after serving 40 per cent of their fixed-term sentence, rather than the usual 50 per cent.

The 2026 Sentencing Act, which became law earlier this year, allows for an expansion of the early release scheme by reducing the threshold from 40 per cent of a fixed-term sentence to a third.

Labour’s early release scheme started in September 2024 with the aim of easing overcrowding in jails. A police officer and inmates are pictured outside Brixton Prison in London that month

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Since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Burnham has excluded rapists and child sex offenders from being eligible for the scheme following widespread condemnation.

Some 5,000 people are now expected to be released early under sentencing changes under the Government’s scheme, down from 6,000 after Mr Burnham’s two exemptions were put in place.

Unlawful act manslaughter is when a person causes the death of another while committing a separate illegal act.

Mr Burnham said extra space in prisons would be created by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing inmates who are serving indefinite sentences under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences (IPPs), which were given to offenders considered a significant risk to the public between 2005 and 2012.

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Full details of the latest changes are expected to be revealed by the Justice Secretary when Parliament returns.

Here is your round-up of the key cases that were heard before Northern Ireland courts during the week of August 24 -28

Cases before the courts this week in Northern Ireland include a man who appeared to tell a judge that he would shoot him after being accused of spitting at hospital staff.

Another case included a man being charged with carrying out a five day campaign of sexual violence against a woman in North Belfast and a man who threated to “box the head off” police at Belsonic music festival.

A former council chief executive was also convicted of two charges relating to a freedom of information request.

Here is your round-up of the key cases that were heard before Northern Ireland courts during the week of August 24-28

Noah Donohoe inquest jury set to resume deliberations next month

Jury deliberations in the long-running inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe are set to resume next month.

Proceedings were adjourned at the start of July after jurors had deliberated for 24 hours over three days and were unable to reach an unanimous verdict.

The naked body of the 14-year-old was found in an underground water tunnel in the north of the city after having been missing for six days in June 2020.

A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of Noah’s death was drowning.

The inquest into his death started in January and has heard evidence from 76 witnesses and statements from a further 42 people, and involved maps, video footage, photographs, police logs and expert reports.

Noah’s mother, Fiona, has been present for every day of the inquest.

Read the full story here

Man who threatened to ‘box heads off’ police after Belsonic ejection avoids jail

A self-styled trained boxer who kicked police and threatened to “bash their faces in” after being ejected from a Belfast music festival has avoided imprisonment.

James Mulholland, 19, was handed a three-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after he admitted attacking and directing homophobic slurs at officers called to the Belsonic event earlier this summer.

At one stage he squared up to two PSNI constables, declaring he would “box the heads off them”.

Mulholland, of Annadale Avenue in the city, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on police, resisting arrest and criminal damage to a watch worn by one of the officers.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard the officers intervened to assist security guards who had removed him from the Belsonic festival at Ormeau Park on June 27.

He tried to fight with staff before directing his violence at police called to the venue.

Read the full story here

Man, 59, who tried to groom young boy caught during undercover PSNI operation

A 59-year-old man who tried to sexually groom a child into meeting him during an undercover police operation was today handed a three-year probation order.

Nicholas Finton O’Brien, of Oakham Street, West Belfast, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

O’Brien, who is originally from Co Waterford, also admitted a charge of attempted communication with a child. The offences were committed on dates between November 19, 2024, and December 4, 2024.

Belfast Crown Court heard that a serving law enforcement officer called ‘Mandy’ posed on apps Grindr and Snapchat in what prosecutors described as an “authorised operation”.

She purported to be a 14-year-old boy named ‘Reece’ from Northern Ireland and the purpose of the operation was to identify persons committing offences of child sexual abuse and child exploitation.

Read the full story here

Man accused of spitting at hospital staff tells judge: ‘I hope you get shot’

A man accused of spitting in a staff member’s face during a sectarian tirade at a Belfast hospital appeared to tell a judge on Monday: “I hope you get shot dead.”

James Briers, 27, yelled fresh slurs as he was remanded into custody over the alleged weekend outburst of violence and threats.

Briers, of Kilmakevit Road in Cullybackey, County Antrim, is charged with two common assaults, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard he was arrested after being restrained on the ground in the Emergency Department of the Mater Hospital just before 2.30am on Saturday.

Police said he had initially threatened a triage nurse checking on his welfare by saying: “You can f*** off, I’ll get up and knock the c*** out of you’.”

He then allegedly called the nurse “a dirty Fenian b*****d”.

Read the full story here

Man with 99 previous convictions refused bail after new burglary charge

A Co Tyrone man with 99 convictions on his criminal record was refused bail due to concerns he may re-offend.

The application to release Padraig Anthony James Brolly from custody was made and refused at Belfast Crown Court.

From Castle Gardens in Dungannon, the 27-year old is awaiting trial on a charge of burglary.

Prior to reaching his decision on Tuesday on the bid for bail, Judge Philip Gilpin was addressed by both a Crown and a defence barrister.

The Crown barrister told Judge Gilpin the application was being opposed for two reasons – concerns that Brolly would re-offend and would not turn up for his trial.

Regarding the burglary charge denied by Brolly, the prosecutor said this dated back to June 24 last year when a house on Southview Street in Belfast was broken into and a TV and other items were stolen.

Read the full story here

‘F**k you and your Ma’ Woman’s community service revoked after Peelers notoriety

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A woman who appeared on BBC documentary ‘Peelers’ was unable to complete more than 10 hours of her community service order because of her notoriety, a solicitor claimed this week.

Defence solicitor Pearse MacDermott told Belfast Magistrates Court after Jacqueline Farrell was on TV, other people who were doing their community service alongside the 44-year-old were subjecting her to taunts and abuse.

In addition, the solicitor submitted that Farrell’s “notoriety resulted in a death threat.”

“Has that been confirmed by probation?” District Judge Steven Keown asked, and Mr MacDermott said the threat has been confirmed.

North Belfast woman Farrell, who previously served a jail sentence over drug offences, featured in Stephen Nolan ’s fly-on-the-wall documentary Peelers.

Police had been called to the Balmoral Hotel following reports of intoxicated guests causing a disturbance and, although initially jovial with Farrell high-fiving the journalist and asking after his mum, the incident ended with the 44-year-old being arrested.

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Anne Donaghy: Verdict reached in case of former council chief

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Former Mid and East Antrim Council chief executive Anne Donaghy has been convicted of two charges around deleting an email to prevent disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

Donaghy, 56, of Clonmore Road, Dungannon, was convicted of deleting an email and having procured the deletion of an email to prevent the disclosure of information through the Freedom of Information Act.

It concerned an email to then first minister Dame Arlene Foster, forwarding a letter she had sent to the Cabinet Office around the administering of the post-Brexit treaty, the Northern Ireland Protocol at Larne Port and alleged threats to council workers in 2021. She was cleared of a third charge of having attempted to delete a second email.

Aaron McClelland, the council’s former director of corporate services, was cleared of a single charge of having attempted to delete an email. Neither gave evidence during the two-day trial.

Donaghy was fined £750 for each of the two charges she was convicted of. It is understood she intends to appeal against the conviction.

Read the full story here

Man appears in court after woman held hostage, raped and assaulted for five days

A man appeared in court today accused of holding a woman prisoner as he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted her over a five-day period in North Belfast.

Jonathon White, 40, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 26, where he faced nine charges following incidents that allegedly took place from August 20 to 24.

The charges include, three counts of rape, grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment, sexual assault, possession of an offensive weapon and domestic abuse.

White appeared in the dock during the hearing where a police constable said they would be able to connect him to the charges.

Read the full story here

Man who stole watches and alcohol worth £2,000 in shoplifting spree sentenced

A West Belfast man who stole watches and alcohol worth £2,000 in a shoplifting spree was jailed for five months.

Daniel Paul Curley, 28, of Ross Road, will spend a further nine months on supervised licence on his release from custody.

Belfast Recorder Judge Philip Gilpin said he was departing from the normal 50/50 split between custody and licence as Curly had the offer of work with his uncle and the Probation Board said it had programmes which would help the defendant deal with his drug issues.

Belfast Crown Court heard that on October 22, 2025, Curley and a female entered the H Samuel’s store at Castlecourt Shopping Centre in Belfast city centre around 3.55pm.

Staff told police that the male asked to see watches and when he was shown one he snatched it. During the incident another watch fell to the ground and Curley fled the store with two stolen Citizen watches worth around £700.

Read the full story here

Former GAA club treasurer denies child sex abuse allegations

The former treasurer of Crossmaglen Rangers GAA club appeared in court on Thursday to deny child sex abuse allegations.

Thomas McKenna appeared in person at Newry Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, for a short arraignment hearing before Judge Patrick Lynch KC.

The 66-year-old from Crossmaglen in Co Armagh, stood in the dock dressed in a blue and white striped T-shirt.

When the first charge was put to him by the court clerk that he stood accused of indecently assaulting a male on dates between February 24, 1993 and February 25, 1994, the ex-postman, replied: “Not guilty.”

The clerk asked McKenna how he pleaded to a further 13 charges of indecent assault against the same complainant, he replied: “Not guilty.”

According to court papers, these alleged offences spanned dates from February 24, 1993 and February 25, 2000.

Read the full story here

Couple sentenced after dog found ‘underweight and living in dirty conditions’

A couple from Co Antrim have been sentenced for dog welfare offences after an underweight dog was found living at their property in “dirty conditions.”

Jason Gallagher and Aleshia McLaverty, both of Islandbawn Drive in Antrim, were sentenced at Antrim Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 26, having pleaded guilty to dog welfare offences. Gallagher pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the dog’s welfare, while McLaverty pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.

The criminal proceedings followed an investigation by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Animal Welfare Team after the PSNI reported that a dog had been seen living at the property in dirty conditions and appeared underweight.

Council officers attended the property that same day and found a terrier-cross dog which was severely underweight. Although the property had been cleaned before the Animal Welfare Officers arrived, police body-worn camera footage showed the dog living in a room where the floor and bedding were strewn with faeces, with no access to water.

Council officers removed the dog and took it to the Council vet who certified the animal as suffering.

Read the full story here

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GENEVA (AP) — A shooting at a rave in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau killed one person and left five injured early Sunday, local police and media reported.

Cantonal police wrote on X that one person was killed and five injured — some seriously — by a shooting at event in the canton’s capital Aarau, 46 kilometers (29 miles) west of Zurich.

Police spokesperson Pascal Wenzel told Swiss public broadcaster SRF that police were alerted around 2:30 a.m. about the shooting.

At the time of the incident, the “Aarau Rave VOL. 7” was taking place at the horse racing track in Aarau’s Schachen district, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported. The fire department cordoned off a large area around the site.

A major police operation was underway and locals were asked to stay away from the area.

Police are still looking for a suspect, they said.

Aarau has about 22,300 residents and is 46 km (28.5 miles) west of Zurich.

The former Duchess of York is said to have been inundated with requests as she maintains a tight friendship group in the UK despite the fallout from her Epstein associations

Sarah Ferguson is set to appear in a tell-all documentary and interview as she returns from exile to a tidal wave of requests, it has been reported.

The former Duchess of York left the UK amid fallout from hers and former Prince Andrew’s association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, and the latter’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. She is now said to have returned, having spent seven months abroad on mainland Europe.

Her return has not gone unnoticed, with a source claiming she has been “bombarded with requests” as she reportedly settles into a £10,000-a-month Home Counties property.

The source told The Sun that Fergie has been approached by “big streamers” to sit down for interviews and “tell her side of the story”. They said: “Fergie has been bombarded with requests from all over the world to do sit-down interviews, especially with the big streamers, to tell her side of the story.

“She is looking at her options. For her, it’s more about retaining editorial control rather than making money.” The former left the UK earlier this year after she was dropped by multiple charities and stripped of her honours.

The major shunning stemmed from fallout over her previous association with Epstein, revealed in the release of a tranche of three million emails from the US Department of Justice in January. In one email released amongst the trove from 2011, she privately apologises for publicly rejecting Epstein.

She says: “You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.” Another email indicated that she took her daughters to see the disgraced financier days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes.

The emails do not serve as an indication of any wrongdoing, of which Ms Ferguson has never been accused. Andrew has strenuously denied any wrongdoing stemming from his relationship with Epstein.

Despite the immense public pressure, and both former royals having been stripped of their honours and top positions, Fergie remains well connected in the UK, the source said. They claimed: “Sarah has a tight-knit group of friends and is extremely well connected.

“She would only allow someone she knew well to tell her story.” The news comes after another source said she had been eyeing her return to the UK for some time.

They said: “She’s had her eyes on a return for some time but it takes time to find the right new house. She hasn’t had to worry about accommodation for 20 years as she had Royal Lodge with Andrew. Now’s the right time to get back to her life. With everyone looking out for Harry and Meghan she thought she could slip back under the radar after seven months away.”

CambridgeshireLive readers have been sharing their views on parking enforcement and provision around Cambridge’s new railway station and nearby Clay Farm and Glebe Farm estates

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Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been weighing in on the debate surrounding parking and its enforcement near the new Cambridge South station and neighbouring estates.

Residents living close to Cambridge’s newest railway station are calling for improved enforcement to curb what they describe as a “surge” in parking. Clay Farm and Glebe Farm, both developed over the past decade, remain under the management of developer Vistry, which retains responsibility for the residential roads within the estates.

Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed it has agreed in principle to take over the roads at some stage, but no formal legal agreement has yet been reached.

One commenter, Pumpumdoggy writes: “Absolutely, more fines need to be handed out with bobbies on the beat arresting repeat offenders.”

Throatwobblermangrove quotes: “‘Enforcement must improve.’ No, parking provision must improve. With adequate parking provision – that is, enough spaces, at a reasonable price – these problems would go away. These issues are an inevitable consequence of following the ‘if we don’t accommodate cars, people will stop needing them’ myth, which has been proven time and time again to be a delusion.

“The same still happens around Cambridge main station, and the same will happen in Milton and Chesterton when all those new flats are built at Cambridge North. The problem can be easily avoided by providing enough parking spaces to meet current and future demand. But will our councils learn? Of course not.”

Calumen Nomen agrees: “Well said – nailed it.”

Freddly says: “The Clay Farm streets weren’t built as free car storage space for people who are too important to use public transport.”

Jim212 writes: “Residents haven’t been kept updated about BridgePam taking over parking enforcement, and there has been no communication about this or the new signs that were sneakily introduced. There is woefully insufficient visitor parking, and not all properties even have a parking space.

“Whereas I support measures to tackle commuter parking, BridgePam have been issuing PCNs incorrectly, not physically giving notice on cars and failing to send letters within 14 day timeframes to give a chance of appeal, before increasing fines and adding penalties.

“The road owner needs to be a lot more transparent and work with residents to find solutions. An area-wide parking scheme, like in Accordia off Brooklands Av, would solve the problem overnight. Basically: What do you expect if you build a railway station and imagine no one is going to drive to it? Only councillors are not clever enough to work this out.”

Prunesquallor feels: “Short-sighted anti-car council builds train station with no parking. Cars parked all over the place. Gullible electors suffer the consequences of their decision.”

Over on our Facebook page, David R comments: “Make a good car park for the new station! It’s not rocket science.”

Kate Lynne B says: “Great, now I know where to park for the station.”

Julian H writes: “The fact that the roads haven’t been adopted and there is confusion as to who is responsible for what seems to add weight to the argument in favour of a Cambridge Development Corporation. They can hardly do any worse in terms of achieving an outcome.”

What do you think is needed regarding this parking situation? Comment below or HERE to have your say.