Ben Murkin had committed multiple acts of physical violence against the cat.

A man has been banned from keeping all animals for life and given a suspended prison sentence after “astonishing cruelty” that resulted in the death of a ragdoll kitten. Ben Murkin, of Mill Lane, Fordham, Ely, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on March 6 to be sentenced in a prosecution brought forward by the RSPCA.

Om March 6, 2024, a veterinary practice was contacted by a family member who said Murkin’s cat Whisper had fallen and was struggling to breathe. By the time they arrived at the practice with Whisper, the kitten had already died.

Whisper’s death was reported to the RSPCA after concerns about the injuries. An independent post mortem found that Whisper had suffered injuries including a bruised head, a left eye haemorrhage, reddening and bruising of the tail area, and multiple injuries to limbs, consistent with a strong human grip.

Murkin claimed the injuries occurred when he was carrying out CPR. The post mortem also found evidence of current and old rib fractures and a fracture on the lumber vertebrae.

He had also ignored advice from the bet to bring the cat back on two occasions. These included after bringing in the kitten for limping after a supposed fall in December 2023 and in February 2024 after treatment for a fractured tooth and red gums.

Some of the specific acts of cruelty detailed in court included kicking Whisper against a wall, picking her up by the tail and throwing her down the stairs, and throwing Whisper against the door.

The expert vet concluded in their report: “It is my expert opinion that clearly Whisper suffered as a result of the injuries she sustained however they were caused. She sustained multiple and severe injuries both to her lip and upper canine, to her ribs on the right hand side and then to her face, chest and abdomen in the final incident.

“All of these will have caused her to suffer pain and distress. The final set of injuries the duration of the suffering will only have lasted as long as she remained conscious which is likely to have been a short period of time.

“It is my expert opinion that the injuries sustained by Whisper were the result of deliberate and intentional trauma inflicted upon her by a person with the intention of her causing her serious harm and suffering.”

The court heard he got Whisper with his girlfriend as emotional support as he was lonely. When the relationship ended, he started to resent the cat. The judge described Murkin’s actions as an “extraordinary response”.

The judge noted this had been “astonishing cruelty to an animal” and said Murkin had committed other acts of physical violence on the cat. The offence was placed in the highest category because the injuries were “prolonged and repeated, inflicted with significant force, and resulted in death”.

Murkin had pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to Whisper by inflicting trauma causing injury and for failing to provide prompt veterinary treatment, in respect of the injury to the cat’s gums and fractured canine tooth.

He was given a 22-month prison sentenced that has been suspended for 18 months. He has been ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. He has been banned for keeping all animals for life and was ordered to pay £500 court costs and £187 victim surcharge.

RSPCA Inspector Emily Astillberry said: “The actions in this case were of astonishing cruelty to a defenceless animal. It is heart-breaking to hear what Whisper – this small ragdoll kitten – had to endure such cruel and sustained suffering. She was still so young when she died and had to endure such pain and suffering during this short life.”

In mitigation the court heard the defendant had expressed genuine remorse for what he had done, was deeply ashamed and disgusted with himself, and was seeking to improve himself.

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Nicola Peltz appears to have taken a major swipe at her estranged in-laws, revealing exactly how close husband Brooklyn Beckham is to her family.

Actress Nicola, 31, married Brooklyn, 27, in a lavish ceremony at her family estate in Florida in 2022, with David and Victoria Beckham in attendance, plus a plethora of celebrity pals.

But when they renewed their vows last summer, the guest list was much smaller, as the Beckham brood had not been invited due to rising tensions with their eldest, the second nuptials having been arranged so Brooklyn and Nicola could ‘create new memories’.

Now, following Brooklyn’s scathing Instagram Story takedown in January, in which he accused his parents of ‘controlling’ him, Nicola has weighed in.

She’s shared that, since moving across the pond to be with the Peltzes indefinitely, Brooklyn and her siblings are incredibly close.

In contrast, he is reportedly only in touch with his own family now through lawyers.

Speaking to Elle, the Lola star said of her budding chef hubby: ‘He gets along really well with my brothers. They play soccer together a lot.’

Nicola, whose parents are billionaire tycoon Nelson, 83, and his wife Claudia, 71, also comes from a big family. She has one sister and six brothers: Brittany, Matthew, Will, Brad, Diesel, Zachary, and Gregory.

Asked how Brooklyn has been welcomed into the fold, she said he’s ‘like another son’.

Heaping praise on her other half, she added: ‘Brooklyn supports my dreams and is the sweetest when I get too hard on myself. 

‘He has the biggest heart in the world.’ 

But it seemingly didn’t take long for Camp Beckham to catch wind of her dig, as middle brother Romeo took to Instagram just hours later with his own subtle comeback.

On his Story, the 23-year-old shared a video of himself playing football with his mates, proving to Nicola that he can still enjoy the sport, even if his brother now plays with someone else’s siblings.

And in case there was any doubt, Romeo couldn’t have made it clearer that he was getting his own back, adding a giggling emoji to his post.

Nicola’s comments emphasising the distance between Brooklyn and his once-tight-knit family come after youngest brother Cruz, 21, said he ‘hopes’ to patch up their relationship.

The musician joined his parents in wishing Brooklyn a happy birthday earlier this month, although he did not respond publicly.

In fact, according to one source, both Brooklyn and Nicola were less than impressed with the gestures, saying that ‘these are the exact type of performative public actions that Brooklyn has been trying to put an end to, to no avail’.

Insiders have further claimed that Brooklyn wants his parents to stop attempting to contact him, full stop, requesting that any correspondence go through his legal team.

And while Brooklyn failed to make any declaration for Victoria on Mother’s Day last weekend, he’s repeatedly had nothing but good things to say about his in-laws.

For Claudia’s birthday on March 12, he shared a photo with the caption: ‘Happy birthday to the best mother-in-law. Love u so much and hope u had the most amazing day.’ 

The love is mutual, too, as businessman Nelson proved at the Wall Street Journal Live Event in early February.

Reporter Lauren Thomas broached the sensitive subject by connecting Nelson’s experience with ‘negotiating high-stakes situations, particularly playing out in public view’ to the recent public attention surrounding his daughter.

Chiming in on the rift for the first time, he initially joked: ‘Has my family been in the press lately? I haven’t noticed that at all.’

Asked if he had any advice on navigating ‘such situations,’ he responded: ‘I do. My advice is to stay the hell out of the press. How much good did that do?

‘My daughter and the Beckhams are a whole other story. That’s not for coverage here today, but I’ll tell you my daughter’s great, my son-in-law Brooklyn is great, and I look forward to them having a long, happy marriage together.’

Neither David nor Victoria has spoken about the feud with their son, but instead have maintained a united front and declared their love for him still via social media.

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And the same is true for our pets, who will be ready to soak up the sunshine by our side.

But spending more time among nature means a heightened risk of tick bites, which can, in some cases, result in Lyme disease.

Ticks are small, parasitic spider-like creatures that feed on mammals’ blood. As they’re active outdoors, primarily in grassy and woodland areas, they pose a particular threat to animals such as cats and dogs.

If ticks go unnoticed and pets are untreated, a tick bite could lead to further complications, including Lyme disease.

Pet owners are being warned about how they treat their dogs after a tick bite, with veterinarian Lily Richards teaming up with TrustedHousesitters to explain why you shouldn’t buy over the counter treatments.

While many products online and in shops claim to prevent parasites, you should only trust products available or recommended by your vet, as some unlegislated products can be dangerous.

“Pet owners can protect their pets with parasite-prevention products available from their veterinary clinic”, Lily explains.

“Over-the-counter products are available but generally are less reliable and, in some cases, not controlled by medical legislation.

“Therefore, they do not have the backing of extensive research and testing that veterinary products have, making them potentially unsafe for purpose and ineffective.”

How to protect your dogs from ticks

Check pets after walks

It’s good practice to do a tick check anytime your dog returns from outdoors. Run your hands over their body, making sure to focus on areas like their head and ears, belly, and armpits. Try to feel for any small bumps on their skin.

Never use tick control intended for cats on dogs, and vice versa

Tick treatment for dogs include chemicals that can be lethal for cats, and a treatment intended for cats may also be harmful to your dog. Your vet will recommend the right treatment for your specific pet.

Cut back the grass in your garden

While ticks are more common in woodland areas, they can also be found in your garden. Make sure to keep the grass and vegetation in your garden cut short to avoid harbouring ticks.

What are ticks?

Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures which feed on the blood of animals and humans, and are commonly found in woodland and moorland, particularly in areas with long grass.

They don’t jump or fly, but will climb on to you if you brush against something they’re on. The tick will then bite and attach to the skin, where they will feed on blood for several days before dropping off.

Ticks are most active between spring and autumn and are widespread across the UK, but the most high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.

Twenty-one-year-old Annabelle Mackay has spoken to the BBC about her experience of surviving a meningitis infection.

The University of Kent law student believes she may have contracted it on 5 March at Club Chemistry, or possibly on an evening before this when she was out at a different venue.

So far, there have been 29 cases of meningitis linked to the outbreak, with a vaccination programme being rolled out for students.

“I feel so grateful to be alive and to be here. I’m still dealing with the aftereffects now, but I think I just need to focus on my recovery and getting better and back to myself,” Mackay told the BBC.

Read more here about why this outbreak has spread so quickly, and read more here about the symptoms of the condition.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Federal prosecutors asked a judge Friday to dismiss the charges against two Louisville officers accused of falsifying the warrant that led police to raid Breonna Taylor’s apartment the night she was killed six years ago.

Prosecutors said in a court filing that their review of the case showed the charges against former Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany should be “dismissed in the interest of justice.”

Judges have twice reduced a felony charge against each officer to a misdemeanor, saying there wasn’t a direct link between the false information in the warrant and Taylor’s death. Prosecutors said after the second ruling that they had decided to drop the cases.

“We are elated with this development,” said Travis Lock, an attorney for Jaynes.

Meany’s lawyer, Michael Denbow, said he is “incredibly grateful for today’s filing.”

Meany “is looking forward to putting this matter behind him and moving forward with his life,” he said.

Taylor was shot to death by police when they broke down the door of her apartment while serving a no-knock drug warrant looking for a former boyfriend who no longer lived there.

Taylor’s boyfriend at the time fired at the officers, and Taylor was killed as police fired back.

Federal prosecutors under former President Joe Biden pressed charges against the officers. Under President Donald Trump, though, the Department of Justice asked that Brett Hankison, the only officer serving prison time related to Taylor’s killing, be let out of prison while he appeals his conviction.

Taylor’s mother, Tamkia Palmer, said in a Facebook post that she is extremely disappointed in Trump’s Justice Department.

“Their phone call today informing me that charges against the police are being dropped while implying they have helped me is utterly disrespectful,” Palmer wrote. “This is the first time I’ve heard from them since they took over and it’s clear they have not served me or Breonna well.”

A federal judge sentenced Hankison to 2 years and nine months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for blindly firing 10 shots into Taylor’s windows on the night she was killed. None of the shots hit anyone.

Neither of the two officers who did shoot Taylor was charged, after prosecutors deemed they were justified in returning fire into the apartment.

Police found no drugs or cash inside Taylor’s apartment. The city paid a $12 million wrongful death settlement to Taylor’s family.

The death of Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, led to months of protests in the streets of Louisville in 2020, the same year Ahmaud Arbery was killed while jogging in Georgia and George Floyd was choked to death by an officer in Minneapolis.

___

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

Fifa has implemented a landmark policy that teams in their tournaments must include female coaches.

Under the new ruling, at least two staff members on the bench of every team at matches must be women, with one in an assistant or head coach role.

The rules apply to international football and Fifa club competitions.

Looking across the top 10 nations in the world, six would already be compliant although only four of them have female head coaches.

But does action need to be taken in the English game?

In the Women’s Super League (WSL), BBC research suggests three teams would currently comply with Fifa’s rules. Only a third of WSL managers are female, while two clubs do not appear to have any female head coach or assistant coaches.

“To give equal opportunity, sometimes you need to inject,” said Arsenal manager Renee Slegers. “I’m very proud to be part of Arsenal where there are so many women working at a really high level.”

Fifa’s requirements come into effect for the under-17s and under-20s Women’s World Cup and Women’s Champions Cup competitions later this year.

The rationale is to spark a rapid increase in female representation in coaching roles.

The Women’s Super League says growing the number of female coaches is a priority and is taking a “thoughtful approach” in conjunction with the FA.

They point to a number of pathways already established such as the Coaching Initiative, mentoring and an elite female coaching programme, designed to improve access for women to the top levels of the English game.

Slegers added that anything the WSL could do, whether by regulations, influencing or role modelling, was “powerful”.

There was a huge response after concerns were raised over the ‘suspicious’ man

This is the moment that armed police swooped on a park in Salford and surrounded a man who was ‘exercising in a weighted vest.’

The drama unfolded at Mandley Park in Higher Broughton shortly before midday today (Friday, March 20). Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said they received a report of a ‘suspicious’ man in the park.

Dramatic videos filmed by an onlooker showed the extent of the response and seriousness with which the report was taken before it was eventually found to be a false alarm.

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In the series of clips, officers carrying guns can be seen entering he park and approaching the man from a more than one direction. Their weapons are pointed at him as he can be seen lying on the ground face down in the outdoor gym area of the park.

He then rolls over onto his back before eventually being allowed up onto his knees where he remained for a time with his hands in the air.

At one point he can be seen next to a tree, all the while under the watchful eye of the armed officers, some of whom were stood behind trees and some of whom had their faces covered.

A woman who was working in the nearby Cherrytrees care home, told the Manchester Evening News that helicopters could be heard flying overhead.

She described seeing armed police surrounding the man, with guns pointed towards him and said the man was seen lying on his front.

She added: “He didn’t protest. He was very calm, very quiet. He just laid there, rolled onto his back and police took him away. It was chaos.”

The videos show the man was being escorted from the park by officers. GMP are yet to confirm what happened to the man afterwards.

In a statement issued earlier, they said: “We received a report of a suspicious male on Bristol Street, Salford, at around 11:52am today

“Officers attended and quickly established that the individual was wearing a weighted gym vest and carrying a skipping rope while exercising at an outdoor gym. This was a false alarm and there is no threat to the wider community.”

Mandley Park is situated in the heart of Salford’s Jewish community, around one mile from the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, which was the scene of last October’s terror attack on Yom Kippur.

Large crowds of predominantly young, Jewish people were seen in attendance around Mandley Park after today’s incident unfolded.

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which protects Jewish communities in the UK, said: “The incident in Mandley Park has now been resolved. Police have confirmed there is no wider risk to the public. We thank GMP for their swift response to what appears to have been a false alarm.”

The small tab of paper, giving details of a fish burger, chips, apple pie and some sort of drink, tells the story of an afternoon on holiday in 1984.

Travelling around Italy with my sister, it proved difficult to find a café in Venice that wasn’t either outrageously expensive or sold nothing but sweet patisseries. We ended up trailing well off the beaten track – to the point where I worried about finding our way back in the maze of alleys – when, almost on the verge of giving up, a garish neon sign ‘BURGER’ appeared. It was like spotting an oasis while lost in the desert.

While making an album of the trip on our return, I stuck the receipt for our evening meal in with the pictures, writing beside it ‘Our salvation.’ I wish I had taken a photo of the small cafe itself, but I was delirious with hunger and it was getting dark.

It’s not the only receipt I have kept from my holidays. Tickets for entry to museums, train tickets, bus tickets, receipts from shops, paper bags, napkins and matchbooks – I’ve got so many my daughters despair. Some of them are in my photo albums and notebooks, alongside pictures taken at the time. I have my ski lift pass from a school trip to Austria, I have the beautiful tickets issued for entry to the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, to see Michelangelo’s David – they are works of art in themselves – and many Paris Metro tickets.

Tickets such as these, for the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, can enhance photo albums

I have even kept small napkins from hotels and sealed, refresher sachets handed out on airlines.They are all mementoes that bring back memories. And I have so many postcards I have bought on my travels, all carefully pasted in scrapbooks in the loft.

With the advent of technology, I thought that sort of thing had all but died out, but, to my delight, it’s on its way back.

According to Hellotickets, the online platform specialising in experiences and attractions in major cities around the world, instead of documenting everything on a phone, travellers are starting to keep the small physical traces of their trip to place in albums or journals.

On TikTok and Instagram, videos about travel journaling – notebooks where travellers collect small memories and snippets from their trips – are attracting millions of views under hashtags like #traveljournal and #traveljournaling.

Hellotickets say travellers are starting to keep items such as tube tickets, postcards, museum maps, shop receipts and even sugar packets from ‘a café where you lingered longer than planned’. The latter brought a smile to my face – I am relieved it’s not just me that squirrels away such things to take home.

People are hanging on to small objects that, together, make up of the story of a trip.

“We’re seeing a real return to tangible travel memories,” says Hellotickets. “Travellers want souvenirs that feel more personal, and small everyday objects often capture the atmosphere of a moment better than a photo.”

Items that travellers no longer throw away include metro tickets, tickets for events and shows, stickers, and maps.

My dad was an avid collector of tickets; they appear in all our family holiday albums – Snowdon Mountain Railway, entry to Portmeirion in North Wales, Keswick launch on Derwentwater, cliff lifts in various seaside resorts…I could go on.

Mixed in with photographs, I think ephemera such as tickets, receipts and postcards make an album all the more interesting. Like my burger bar receipt, they can sometimes tell the story far better than pictures.

Manchester United are looking to tighten their grip on third place when they take on Bournemouth in tonight’s Premier League action.

After that setback against Newcastle United, Michael Carrick’s side responded emphatically at home to Aston Villa last weekend with Bruno Fernandes again at the heart of things.

With Chelsea and Liverpool also dropping points last weekend, United can move six points clear of the chasing pack tonight – and move within four of second place Manchester City who are preoccupied with the Carabao Cup this weekend.

The reverse fixture between these two was a chaotic thriller at Old Trafford, finishing 4-4 in November. But be warned, three of Bournemouth last four games have finished goalless.

 Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will bring you all the build-up, confirmed team news and starting XIs, goal updates and minute-by-minute coverage.

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Pinned Update March 20, 2026 6:46 pm

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Manchester United line-up

Manchester United: Lammens, Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw, Mainoo, Casemiro, Amad, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbeumo.

Subs: Bayindir, Fredricson, Malacia, Yoro, J. Fletcher, T. Fletcher, Lacey, Mantato, Obi

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March 20, 2026 6:48 pm

Bournemouth line-up

Bournemouth: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Sensei, Truffert, Christie, Scott, Adli, Rayan, Tavernier, Evanilson

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Subs: Mandas, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Smith, Diakite, Kroupi, Unal, Toth, Milosavljevic

March 20, 2026 6:41 pm

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Score prediction

Alan Shearer gave Metro his Premier League predictions earlier today – here’s his verdict for Bournemouth vs Manchester United…

This is a really good game and a tough one to predict. Man United could keep their run going after they bounced back really well from their defeat at Newcastle.

I guess because of the situation that Michael Carrick has put Man United in, then they should go there with full belief and confidence. Away from home, they were really poor at Newcastle, but we’ll have to wait and see whether that’s something they need to look at. Michael Carrick has put them in a brilliant position for Champions League football, and I don’t expect them to get beaten against Bournemouth. I’m going to say a draw.

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Prediction – Draw

March 20, 2026 6:38 pm

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Form guide

Manchester United head into this game off the back of a 3-1 win at home to Aston Villa last Sunday.

Michael Carrick’s side have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six Premier League games.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, have drawn four Premier League games in a row and their most recent result was a goalless stalemate away to Burnley last Saturday.

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March 20, 2026 6:34 pm

Team news shortly…

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Team news should land at 6.45pm but we know Manchester United will be without Lisandro Martinez, Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs de Ligt are out due to injury.

Bournemouth will be without Tyler Adams, Julio Soler, Lewis Cook and Justin Kluivert.

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March 20, 2026 6:31 pm

How to watch Bournemouth vs Manchester United

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

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March 20, 2026 6:30 pm

Bournemouth vs Manchester United kick-off time

Bournemouth vs Manchester United kicks off tonight (Friday, 20 March) at 8pm.

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March 20, 2026 6:25 pm

Welcome

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Good evening and welcome to Metro’s live coverage of Bournemouth vs Manchester United – kick-off is at 8pm…

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HONOLULU (AP) — Thousands of residents in towns north of Honolulu were told to evacuate their homes early Friday morning as flooding from heavy rains intensified and water levels rose behind a 120-year-old dam.

Emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s famed North Shore, where rising waters damaged some homes and vehicles. Honolulu officials issued a “LEAVE NOW” evacuation order at 5:35 a.m. Friday for Waialua and Haleiwa: “Extremely dangerous flooding and Wahiawa Dam is high.”

Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes. After the worst of it, a similar but weaker storm was forecast to bring more rain through this weekend.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a social media post that the Hawaii National Guard has been activated to respond to the flooding. “The storm of course is very severe right now, particularly on the northern part of Oahu,” he said, describing chest-high flood waters. “It’s going to be a very touch-and-go day.”

As she prepared to evacuate to a friend’s home on higher ground, Waialua resident Kathleen Pahinui told The Associated Press in a phone interview that the aging dam is a concern every time it rains.

“Just pray for us,” she said. “We understand there’s more rain coming.”

Molly Pierce, spokesperson for the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, said the evacuation order covers more than 4,000 people, though the number could be higher.

Officials issued a warning for the dam during heavy rain last week, but the water level receded as rain subsided.

“The water is actively running over the spillway right now,” she said.

The state regulates 132 dams across Hawaii, most of them built as part of irrigation systems for the sugar cane industry, according to a 2019 infrastructure report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In 2006, seven people were killed when the Ka Loko dam on the island of Kauai collapsed and water rushed downhill.