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A look at troubled history of Darlington thug ‘Chop Off’

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A look at troubled history of Darlington thug 'Chop Off'

Shaun O’Connor is no stranger to the court system and his latest spree of offending resulted in him being branded a dangerous offender as he was jailed for four years with a further three on extended licence.

The notorious offender, who is well known throughout the town, left his mother fearing for her life after he choked her with a towel after he flew into a violent rage in her home.

However, it’s not the first time he has landed himself in court for harassing his mother.

In 2015, he was spared jail after he had repeatedly shown up to her Darlington home on July 13 and shouted for her to let him in.

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When he refused to leave, O’Connor got some thick tape and said he was going to kill himself before approaching his mother and wrapping it around her head, nose and mouth.

Shaun O’Connor (Image: Durham Constabulary)

O’Connor was sentenced to a community order with rehabilitation at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court. He was also fined £295 and a restraining order was granted banning him for visiting his mother’s home for three months.

But then in September 2022, O’Connor’s mental health was again causing him difficulty and his erratic behaviour culminated in his arrest.

On this occasion, he sexually assaulted two women, exposed himself to another, assaulted an innocent man and carried out a sickening sex act in a police station cell after his arrest.

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Teesside Crown Court heard how he grabbed a woman in the post office on Coleridge Gardens, Darlington, before gyrating in a sexual manner against her and making lewd remarks.

He then grabbed hold of the same woman again when she was outside after he had been asked to leave by staff before he dropped his shorts and exposed himself to another woman shortly after the assault in the post office.

O’Connor was arrested and taken to Darlington Police Station where he performed the sex act in front of a custody officer.

He was jailed for two years for all offences in March 2023.

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The troubled drug addict who suffers from mental health problems was arrested again in May last year for the violent attack on his mother.

The 43-year-old launched the sustained attack on his mother after he flooded her bathroom and shouted, he was going to “kill her” when she called the police.

O’Connor, whose address was given as HMP Holme House, pleaded guilty to attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm, intentional strangulation and two charges of criminal damage.



He also admitted breaching his criminal behaviour order when he was spotted talking to children through the fence at Stephenson Way Primary School in Newton Aycliffe on May 2 last year.

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Paul Rooney, mitigating, said client’s mental health had improved significantly during his time on remand and psychiatric reports concluded that he did not require a hospital order.

Judge Peter Armstrong branded the defendant a dangerous offender as he passed a seven-year extended prison sentence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order to protect his mother.

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Tesco F&F releases sleeveless jacket perfect for spring that shoppers love

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Cambridgeshire Live

The gilet has a cinched waist to create a “flattering silhouette”

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While the weather should improve as we get further into spring and summer, it can still be quite unpredictable. It is good to have a few versatile pieces in your wardrobe to throw on when the weather takes a turn.

Tesco’s clothing brand, F&F, has just released the F&F Cinched Waist Utility Gilet in Neutral that would be ideal for those colder spring days. The sleeveless jacket has a “cinched waist” to help create a “flattering silhouette”.

The jacket has a “utility-inspired edge” with “a high neckline and concealed zip up fastening”. The gilet is currently being sold for £35 with Clubcard holders being able to get an extra 25% off the piece.

The jacket was posted to the Tesco F&F Instagram page, which currently has 890K followers. The post was captioned: “This sleeveless jacket is your new wardrobe hero—think bold structure, oversized pockets, and endless styling potential. Who else is obsessed? Jacket, £35. Trousers, £25. #FandFClothing #StyleItOut.”

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Fans of the clothing brand have already started to share their opinions on the chic item on social media. One commenter said: “Loveeeee,” and another said: “Smashed it.”

If you want to get your hands on the gilet, you can go to the Tesco website to browse all of its items. You can also go in person to a Tesco store with a clothing department.

If this jacket is not quite what you are looking for, you could check out what Boden has. There is this Short Sleeve Linen Blazer, which could be a good option for summer, or this V-neck Linen Waistcoat that reviews say “looks so stylish on”.

New Look also has plenty of options for the spring in stock. There is this Green Cotton Floral Longline Shacket, which you can also get in cream, or this stylish Light Blue Cropped Blazer that you can get in a range of spring colours.

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Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 WNBA draft pick again, Azzi Fudd among options

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Dallas Wings hold the No. 1 WNBA draft pick again, Azzi Fudd among options

NEW YORK (AP) — A $500,000 payday awaits the No. 1 WNBA pick as the Dallas Wings go on the clock again.

Whoever Dallas chooses at No. 1 will see a huge salary bump her first year thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified last month. That’s nearly seven-times what last season’s No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers made. The No. 2 and No. 3 picks will get $466,913 and $436,016, respectively.

Second- and third-round picks will make $270,000 — which is more than the previous maximum salary in the old CBA.

The Wings could take guard Azzi Fudd from UConn, Spanish forward Awa Fam Thiam or UCLA center Lauren Betts on Monday night to complement a talented roster led by Bueckers.

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Bueckers and Fudd were teammates at UConn and helped the Huskies win the national championship in 2025. Fam Thiem, who is 19, is a talented Spanish player currently playing in her country’s domestic league.

Betts is one of six UCLA players in the draft. The 6-foot-7 center helped the Bruins win their first national championship eight days ago. UCLA has a chance to break UConn’s record of having four players drafted in the first round, a mark the Huskies set in 2002. They also could top Tennessee (2008), Notre Dame (2019) and South Carolina (2023), which all had five players drafted in total.

Minnesota picks second with Seattle, Washington and Chicago rounding out the top five. Expansion teams Toronto and Portland pick next. The Tempo chose to have the higher pick in the college draft after winning a coin toss, giving the Fire the top choice in the expansion draft earlier this month.

Golden State is next with Washington owning the ninth and 11th picks. Indiana chooses between them. Connecticut, Atlanta, Seattle and the Sun close out the first round.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

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Sam Smith’s Blacksmith Arms in Skelton calls last orders

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Sam Smith's Blacksmith Arms in Skelton calls last orders

Last orders were called at The Blacksmith Arms in Skelton just north of York on Sunday (yesterday).

The closure follows the recent closures of the Cottage Inn at Haxby, plus that of the Blacksmith Arms in Huntington due to the retirement of the latter’s landlord.

Over the weekend, customers told the York Press that the Skelton venue was running out of beer and wine when they visited on Friday night, with them told the pub was about to close again.

Today, the Press rung the pub on Shipton Road and a recording said: “Voicemail disabled for this extension.”

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Samuel Smith’s Blacksmiths Arms in Skelton finally reopens

The Blacksmith Arms, situated by the A19, a few miles north of York’s Outer Ring Road,  re-opened last August to the delight of villagers after it shut in 2020 following a major revamp.

The previous year, City of York Council had awarded the pub Asset of Community Value status to give it some protection against redevelopment for other uses. The move was backed by Skelton Parish Council, who applied to the city council to award the status.

Parish council chair Cllr Julie Watson confirmed the closure took place on Sunday, leaving villagers with the option of going to Hickory’s, Mercure York Fairfield Manor Hotel, or the York FootGolf course, if they want a drink in the village.

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Cllr Watson told the Press: “The management couple Wayne and Holly were lovely. The pub is an asset to the community. Let’s hope Sam Smith’s Brewery can find someone very soon.”

Sam Smith’s Brewery still has many vacancies (Image: NQ)

Google awarded the Blacksmith Arms 4.3 stars out of five stars, based on 53 reviews.

Recent reviews included: “Lovely small pub with chatty friendly manager.”

Another said: “What a lovely welcoming pub, log fire, nice friendly customers, and Wayne and Hollie that run the pub are so friendly, nothing is too much trouble, love the fact no mobiles are allowed to be used, people actually talk to one another, we went in as customers and left as friends, keep up the good work. Looking forward to our next visit.”

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The closure adds to a large tally of empty pubs, owned by Tadcaster-based Sam Smith’s Brewery.

Over Christmas, the Press reported the company, which operates more than 200 pubs nationally, had 121 management couple vacancies listed on the Gumtree website.

The Angel and White Horse at Tadcaster (Image: Danny Law)

The salary was advertised at £55,180 for a management couple (£27,590) each.

In addition, the couple would receive a rent-free management flat and have their utility bills paid for by the brewery.

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At present, Sam Smith’s Brewery does not appear to be advertising roles on Gumtree, but its own website says it has vacancies.

They include The Angel and White Horse at Tadcaster, The Jolly Sailors at Whitby, New Inn at Stamford Bridge, Agar Arms at Warthill, Crown Inn at Bolton Percy, Shoulder of Mutton at Appleton Roebuck and the Wellington Inn at York.

The website added that it did not list all the vacant pubs and if applicants had a specific pub not listed that they were keen on, to still apply online.

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Kerry Katona rushed to hospital over stroke fears while watching daughter’s play

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Belfast Live

Kerry Katona was rushed to hospital in an ambulance over fears she was having a stroke while watching her eldest daughter Molly in a new play in London

What should have been an enjoyable family outing descended into a nightmare for Kerry Katona after she was taken by ambulance to hospital amid concerns she was suffering a stroke.

The former Atomic Kitten star, who had travelled to London to watch her eldest daughter Molly perform in a new play, began feeling ill halfway through the show. Following the performance, she noticed she couldn’t smile normally – a key warning sign of stroke.

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Kerry, accompanied by her daughter Heidi and partner Ryan Mahoney at the time, reveals: “As the day went on, I didn’t feel well. I went to the toilet and noticed my face wasn’t right. And Heidi was like, ‘Mum, what’s wrong with your face?’ I started panicking. I discreetly left, went to my hotel and asked to see a doctor. I told the staff, ‘Something’s not right.’”

With no doctor available for four hours, the mother-of-five hailed a taxi to St Thomas’ Hospital. “I got there, and they said, ‘We’re treating this as a stroke,’ so they blue-lit me in an ambulance from St Thomas’ to King’s College Hospital,” Kerry explains. “They were shining lights in my eyes while my face and speech were getting worse.

“An hour ago I was watching our Molly in a play and now I’m being treated for a stroke. What the actual f**k? It just shows how quickly things can change.” The gravity of the situation led Kerry, 45, to message all five of her children – Molly, 24, Lilly, 23, Heidi, 19, Max, 18, and 12 year old Dylan-Jorge – worried it might be her last chance to communicate with them.

“It really, really scared me,” she recalls. “I texted all my children and told them I loved them. I’ve never been so scared in my life.” Upon arrival at hospital, Kerry underwent numerous tests, including CT scans, before doctors identified what was behind the alterations to her speech and facial movements, reports the Mirror.

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“It was a suspected stroke, but luckily that was ruled out after my scans. Instead the CT scans showed there’s a part of my brain that’s broken and isn’t able to send signals to my face due to stress,” she explains. “I’ve spoken to Anna Williamson from Celebs Go Dating about it since, and apparently it can also happen when you’re feeling content. It’s like delayed stress hitting you suddenly because you feel at peace. Every now and then, I’ll get a shooting pain in my head. And I’m noticing my speech – even though I think I’m saying something properly in my head, it doesn’t sound right out loud.”

While Kerry cannot identify precisely which stressor may have triggered the condition, she acknowledges feeling exhausted. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m run down from balancing family life, but I don’t have a social life. I don’t go out drinking. I don’t socialise with anybody outside of my circle, which is Paolo and my kids,” she reveals.

Armed with this knowledge, Kerry has been revisiting old home videos, attempting to spot when the changes began. Reviewing the footage, she notes she can detect her speech deteriorating gradually over time. “The doctors said it will come back. But I want to have speech therapy and get the right exercises for my face,” she says. “I’m getting a bit panicky with it.”

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For Kerry, the frightening episode must have brought back painful memories of her late husband George Kay, who was admitted to hospital in 2015 while displaying similar stroke-like symptoms. The former rugby league player experienced facial paralysis and speech difficulties, mirroring Kerry’s current condition. Kerry had pleaded with her followers to pray for him at the time. It was subsequently revealed that George, who sadly passed away from a drug overdose in 2019, had been diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, a condition causing sudden temporary weakness or paralysis of facial muscles on one side.

Attempting to distract herself from her medical concerns, Kerry travelled to Spain to mark Dylan-Jorge’s 12th birthday and soak up some sunshine with Paolo and their combined family. However, she acknowledges the trip’s timing isn’t particularly convenient.

“I genuinely feel like s**t,” she says. “Because we had to fly out to Marbella, I haven’t had any follow-up checks. But I’ll do it as soon as I get back to try to get my speech and face sorted.”

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Currently, Kerry’s face remains tight on one side, though she remains optimistic that exercises and speech therapy will help restore everything to normal. This recent complication adds to a series of health challenges Kerry has encountered over the past 12 months. In 2025, she endured the devastating loss of two pregnancies with Paolo. Then in January this year, she was admitted to hospital experiencing acute abdominal pain and received a diagnosis of colitis – a long-term condition causing inflammation of the rectum and colon. She was forced to avoid her cherished spicy dishes to aid her recovery.

However, this most recent challenge could prove to be Kerry’s most difficult health struggle to date.

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Leeds stun harebrained Man Utd at Old Trafford to boost survival hopes

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Leeds stun harebrained Man Utd at Old Trafford to boost survival hopes

Both sides emerge from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick-off at Old Trafford. Here is a reminder of how the sides line up this evening:

Manchester United: Lammens, Mazraoui, Martinez, Fernandes, Cunha, Yoro, Amad, Casemiro, Shaw, Ugarte, Sesko.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Dalot, Mount, Zirkzee, Malacia, Mbeumo, Heaven, Fletcher, Lacey.

Leeds United: Darlow, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Struijk, Calvert-Lewin, Aaronson, Bijol, Okafor, Tanaka, Justin.
Substitutes: Perri, Longstaff, Piroe, Nmecha, Bornauw, Byram, Gnonto, Buonanotte, Gruev.

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Strait of Hormuz blockade comes into effect as Starmer rejects Trump’s plan

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Strait of Hormuz blockade comes into effect as Starmer rejects Trump's plan

Shortly after the blockade came into force, President Trump said on Truth Social: “Iran’s Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated – 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat.

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Why Jimmy Nail is returning to touring after 25 years

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Why Jimmy Nail is returning to touring after 25 years

He spoke to Cultured. North East’s Sam Wonfor.

“Let’s put half a dozen gigs on and see what the response is like…”

Jimmy Nail is recounting the pitch from veteran promoter Tony Denton, suggesting the 72-year-old singer and actor take his back catalogue of music and memories on tour.

“He was too polite to say, ‘to see if anybody still remembers you!’”

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Jimmy Nail will appear at the Glasshouse in Gateshead for five showsJimmy Nail returns to touring after 25 years away with Stories and Songs, a show built on music and memory as he reflects on a career spanning decades (Image: SUPPLIED)

Cracking on for 50 dates later – including an unprecedented fifth performance just announced in The Glasshouse’s Sage One – it was Jimmy who put the brakes on.

“I had to say ‘look, I don’t want to do more than 50 – I’m a pensioner! Where would it stop.

“But I mean, going from six to 50…. It’s incredible, really.. and they’re still trying to sneak them in.”

The proposal came during a recent sell-out run at Live Theatre in Newcastle, where Jimmy revisited songs from his 1990s TV series, Crocodile Shoes, with a full band.

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Jimmy NailJimmy Nail (Image: SUPPLIED)

“I’d been chatting to Jack (McNamara, Live’s artistic director) about doing something and I said I could maybe do a few gigs to blow the cobwebs off.”

As it turned out, they couldn’t put extra dates on fast enough, resulting in 19 nights – including a run of 13 consecutive performances.

“I was on my knees at the end of that – sounded like a frog, but it went really well.”

But while the new tour was prompted by a look back at Crocodile Shoes, the resulting show, Stories and Songs, will cast the net much wider.

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Jimmy NailJimmy Nail returns to touring after 25 years away with Stories and Songs (Image: SUPPLIED)

Kicking off on July 4 in Basingstoke, it’s Jimmy’s first national tour in 25 years.

“That sounds like I don’t like touring,” he smiles.

“And that’s not the case.

“I love it – but I tend to only go out if there’s a good reason to.

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“When I started thinking about it, I thought I’m at a point in my life where I can still put on a decent show.

“I can still sing, I can still recall stories and I’ve got a career which goes back over seven decades, so I’ve got plenty to talk about.”

More than plenty if his last touring mash-up of music and memoir is anything to go by.

“I got so carried away with telling the stories that I had to instruct my drummer, Geoff Dugmore, to give me a double bass-drum kick when I was talking too much!”

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This time around, it’ll be longtime collaborator Tony Davis who keeps things on track.

Despite his enthusiasm for sharing stories, Jimmy doesn’t court attention.

For someone whose stellar career has taken him from the North East music scene of the 1970s to chart-topping success, television icon status via his portrayal of Oz in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and international film and theatre work including a pivotal role opposite Madonna’s Eva Peron in Alan Parker’s Golden Globe-winning Evita – he remains instinctively wary of the spotlight.

“I didn’t want to become famous – I didn’t want everybody in the country to recognise me.

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“But once it happened, that genie, once it’s out the bottle, you can never get it back in.

“And I struggled with it.

“I still struggle with it.”

And yet, he’s heading back out in front of audiences across the country.

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“I’ve always been happier on a stage than I am on a pavement,” he says simply, “but I have tried to lean into it a bit more.

“When we did the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet 40th anniversary concerts at Newcastle City Hall a few years ago, it was impossible not to be affected and moved by how much people really love that show.

“So instead of pushing against it, I’ve been trying to go with it… although I’ll never get used to selfies.”

In the North East alone, demand has been extraordinary, with multiple dates added across the region.

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“It’s gratifying and it’s humbling… You never really know what’s going to happen.

“You never know if people are gonna think you’re still worth the price of a ticket.”

That uncertainty is something he learned a long time ago.

Travelling with George Harrison on the way to the Royal Albert Hall and what would become the former Beatle’s final full concert performance in 1992, Jimmy was surprised to hear him admit to nerves.

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“I said to him, ‘George, you were a Beatle…’ but what he was saying was, ‘don’t ever take the public’s support for granted, because you don’t ever know if somebody’s going to put their hand in their pocket come out on a wet Tuesday’.”

Moments like that are just scratching the surface.

There are stories of how a chance meeting turned into what Jimmy still calls an “unfathomable” friendship with George, and the time Steven Spielberg offered him career advice backstage on Broadway – the kind of encounters you wouldn’t dare make up, but which have all played their part in the paths he’s taken.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the setlist, there is plenty to choose from too.

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“I did sit down and make a list… and there were about 50 songs on there, so that’s no good.

“I’ll have to get it down to 20 or so.”

Alongside material from across his seven studio albums, he’s also looking back to the songs which first shaped him… starting with a still vivid memory from primary school, and a baritone-voiced teacher.

“He introduced us to the music of Owen Brannigan and he would sing to us – traditional folk songs.

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“I can still see him at the front of the class singing.”

For all the global success, the through-line of Jimmy Nail’s story begins, and continues, in the North East.

He’s been back living in Newcastle for the past decade, something he clearly treasures.

And while acting has brought him fame, it’s music that remains closest to his heart.

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“You know, you get in the shower and you sing in the shower, you’re happy… You don’t ever hear of anybody acting in the shower… one’s a craft and the other’s a feeling,” he says.

“How could you ever not want to do that?”

Jimmy Nail’s Stories and Songs 2026 tour will be playing the following North East dates: July 8 – Princess Alexandra Auditorium, Yarm, July 9 – Middlesbrough Town Hall; July 10 and 21 – The Witham, Barnard Castle and August 1 – Alnwick Playhouse.

The tour will also play at The Glasshouse Gateshead, from October 11-13 (including a matinee on Oct 11) and November 3.

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Sam Wonfor is the editor of Cultured. North East, a website and newsletter spreading the word about North East culture.

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Man City striker Erling Haaland drops two-word reaction to Man United’s defeat vs Leeds

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Manchester Evening News

The Manchester City star kept a close eye on Man United’s home defeat to Leeds United, prompting a reaction from him at full‑time

Erling Haaland responded to Manchester United’s defeat to Leeds United with a two‑word message on social media. Noah Okafor scored both goals for the visitors, while Lisandro Martinez was also sent off.

Casemiro pulled one back, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome, with United suffering just their second defeat under Michael Carrick. After the match, Manchester City striker Haaland posted on Snapchat, sharing a picture of Okafor at full‑time alongside the caption: “Get in.”

The striker, who was born in Leeds, appears to be celebrating the win of the club his father Alf‑Inge once played for. The Whites earned their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981.

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Okafor seemed to get a little carried away as he celebrated, swearing into the TV camera. As the camera focused on him, the Switzerland international shouted: “Let’s go! For f****’s sake, come on!”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

There will be more to follow. We’ll bring you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.

For the latest news and breaking news visit our Manchester City page. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @‌ManCityMEN – the MEN’s City Twitter account – for all the latest football news as it happens in real-time.

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We’re at facebook.com/ManCityMEN where we’ll bring you breaking stories and images, plus you can chat with United fans around the world. We’re also on Instagram here.

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Controlling thug threw girlfriend out 40ft window in jealous rage

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Daily Record

Jordan Herring, 22, threw Bobbie Goodman, 18, from a fourth-floor window in Solihull after a cannabis-fuelled jealous rage in November 2022

A man who hurled his girlfriend from a fourth-floor tower block window in a jealous fury before telling police she had jumped has been sentenced to five years behind bars.

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Despicable Jordan Herring, 22, threw Bobbie Goodman, 18, from the window of his mother’s high-rise flat in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, West Midlands. Chilling CCTV footage captured the harrowing moment the teenager plunged almost 40ft (12.2m) to the ground from Merton House at 11.22pm on November 12, 2022.

Bobbie sustained a collapsed lung, shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a smashed spine, spending a month in intensive care and several more in a wheelchair – but remarkably pulled through.

A court heard Herring flew into a cannabis-fuelled rage after interrogating Bobbie about Snapchat messages on her phone with other men. Prosecutor Jamie Scott said that prior to the horrific fall, Herring had assaulted Bobbie on two separate occasions while also quizzing her about messages from other men on her phone.

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“It appears that this offence was provoked through Herring’s cannabis consumption and his violent jealousy,” he said, reports the Mirror.

The court was told Herring had taken Bobbie to Merton House, where his mother Kerrie-Anne Grogan lived, to evade the teenager’s worried family who had been searching for her. On arrival, she was already “battered and bruised” with two black eyes and marks to her neck.

Herring forced her to hide her injuries by wearing two hoodies. She informed officers Herring held her close to the window and threatened ‘I will throw you out, I will kill you’ but she couldn’t recall what took place directly after that.

Herring was subsequently captured on CCTV “strolling” down the staircase, with his mother behind him, lifting the teenager from the grass verge where she’d landed, wrapping her in a blanket before carrying her back upstairs. It took more than an hour before emergency services were contacted and Bobbie was airlifted to hospital in a critical state where she needed a blood transfusion.

Herring had insisted his girlfriend had climbed through the window herself and fell following an argument about allegations of infidelity.

Herring, from Solihull, was previously found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm but acquitted of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court. He had earlier been convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour against the same victim after a separate trial.

During sentencing, Judge Simon Drew KC, described Herring as a “dangerous offender” and additionally extended his licence period by a year. He stated: “You started a relationship with the victim in February 2022. At the time she was 17 and you were 18.

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“You had recently been released from a prison sentence and you were living with your grandmother and in April 2022 she moved in to live with you. From the evidence I have heard she became increasingly withdrawn from her family.

“It is clear you began to exercise increasing control over her and her life. She had become dependent on you. In October 2022 you started to check her mobile phone. There were suspicions both ways in relation to contact with others. You were repeatedly verbally and physically abusive towards her.

“It seems her family by early November had become increasingly concerned about her.”

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Judge Drew stated that on the evening in question, the accused had locked the teenager inside a bedroom at the flat, and that he’d been smoking cannabis which had triggered paranoia. He continued: “You were at times arguing about cheating. She has no recollection of you throwing her out of the window.

“I have seen the CCTV footage and it is a pretty shocking piece of footage. She falls something in the order of 40ft from the fourth floor. She was fortunate to hit the grass area and not the pavement only a few feet away from where she landed. You can see her bounce.

“You made no attempt to give her first aid and you tried to cover up what had taken place. You tried to coerce her into lying about what had happened.”

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In a victim impact statement, Bobbie, now 21, said: “What Herring did to me has affected me in many ways. I am extremely lucky to be alive. To be honest I have no idea how I survived what happened to me.

“I am lucky to have a loving family around me to help me with my injuries and rehabilitation. I realised I was constantly controlled. I am in constant pain with my back and pelvis. He made me feel worthless and empty and had total control of my life. I woke up in hospital not knowing what had happened. I have always been afraid of heights.”

Nicholas Berry, defending, said: “He had a significantly difficult childhood. He was exposed to considerable parental trauma, drugs and alcohol. He has struggled with anger, paranoid thoughts and drug use and an inability to process his emotions.”

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House Ethics panel opens investigation of Rep. Eric Swalwell

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Swalwell is urged to quit California governor's race, resign from Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into whether Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, the panel announced Monday.

The announcement comes one day after Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor after the emergence of allegations that he continues to deny.

Democrats quickly abandoned support for Swalwell after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. The reports published in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN came as Swalwell began to emerge as a leading contender in the crowded race.

“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell said in a social media post.

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The Ethics Committee said the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.

A growing number of lawmakers, from both political parties, have called on Swalwell to resign from Congress. Conversations have even moved toward a potential House vote to expel the congressman, but no floor action has been scheduled.

The Ethics panel’s decision to launch its own probe could potentially stall, for now, any other immediate action in Congress.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said over the weekend that she would be filing a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress, but that could prompt Democrats to force similar votes against Republicans.

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The most likely target would be Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who acknowledged an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Many Democrats sought to distance themselves from Swalwell after the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024. The newspaper reviewed text messages about the alleged 2024 assault and spoke to people whom she had told about it. She told the newspaper she did not go to police because she was afraid she would not be believed.

The woman worked for Swalwell in 2019 when the first alleged assault occurred, and the 2024 assault allegedly occurred after a charity gala, the newspaper reported. She said in both cases she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said she believes both Gonzales and Swalwell should resign from Congress.

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“I think that this is very important that we believe women, and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior,” Jayapal said on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

On the same show, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he would vote to expel Swalwell and Gonzales if such a vote were presented on the House floor.

“These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home,” Donalds said.

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