Retired pharmacy currier Edwin Morrison chose his elderly victim who he believed would be vulnerable and having previously delivered medicines to her during his former job.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Morrison had already been diagnosed with incurable cancer when he tricked his way into the woman’s home in Little Hulton on January 27 this year.

Judge Peter Horgan said: “Your involvement in this serious offence beggars belief, but this will be no comfort to your victims.”

Morrison, who wore a plain grey top and a hearing aid in the dock, kept his head tilted right up to the glass separating him from the rest of the court to hear his sentence being passed.

The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

Judge Horgan set out how Morrison’s crime began with him “scoping out” the area, where he could find a vulnerable victim he could remember from his currier days.

He said that the 95-year-old woman “was a lady who had very kindly tipped you the princely sum of £2” for making deliveries during Morrison’s former role.

Morrison lied his way into the woman’s home by claiming to be there about the dust bins before putting his arms around her neck, telling her to shut up and give him her money.

Judge Horgan said: “In plain English, you were strangling her.”

Morrison then tied the woman up with cable tie he had brought with him to the house but was interrupted by a hairdresser who had arrived to cut the elderly woman’s hair.

The hairdresser then shut a glass door keeping Morrison out of that part of the lounge before would-be robber shut both of the women in the house as he ran off.

The police were called and Morrison was arrested the next day, responding “I did it? Who said that?” but from then on answered “no comment” to the questions put to him.

Morrison, of Manchester Road, Walkden, eventually pleaded guilty to attempted robbery when brought before the court last month.

Judge Horgan said that he had left his elderly victim scared to go outdoors.

He said: “She was trying to enjoy the bit of life she’s got left, you ruined that.”

But despite claims earlier that he committed his crime in a bizarre bid to pay for his own funeral Robert Smith, prosecuting, said Morrison’s ex-partner said this was not the case.

Mr Smith said: “Conversations with her confirmed to police that the arrangement had already been paid for.”

He said that Morrison’s ex-partner had produced a receipt to prove this.

Nick Clarke, defending, said it was always the case that Morrison had intended for the money to go to his ex-partner.

He said that Morrison’s actions were “meant to be altruistic” despite the fact he was aware he was “reaching for the quotation marks” in making this claim.

Judge Horgan said he was “afraid I do not agree” that there could be anything altruictic about Morrison’s behaviour.

He reminded him he had targeted a “frail and vulnerable” elderly woman who had been “alone in her home”.

Judge Horgan jailed Morrison for seven years and made him subject to 10 year restraining orders against both the elderly woman and the hairdresser.

He told Morrison, who had spoken only twice during the hearing to confirm his identity and that he could hear, that he was “very likely to pass away serving that sentence”.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from Greater Manchester Police’s Salford district, said: “When this job first came in, we were all shocked by the very nature of it, and we immediately launched a full investigation into the circumstances.

“It was a terrifying ordeal for the victim and Morrison’s actions of targeting a woman in her own home were shocking.

“Her resilience and strength following this vile crime have been truly inspirational and I am glad that the investigative team have been able to get her the justice she deserves.

“I also want to commend the brave actions of her hairdresser who arrived as the crime was happening.

“She prevented Morrison from doing anything further, got him out of the living room, and called 999 straight away.

“This investigation has seen countless of hours of work, from initial response to CCTV checks to door-to-door enquiries, from the start, the entire team have done their utmost best which has seen Morrison put behind bars today.”

CPS senior district crown prosecutor Rob Lancaster said: “Edwin Morrison tricked his way into the woman’s home and subjected her to a terrifying ordeal.

“He tied her up, strangled her and demanded money with no thought for the effect such an attack would have on her.

“Without the support of the victim and the woman who bravely intervened, the situation could have escalated, and Morrison may not have been brought to justice.

“I hope the fact that Morrison has been prosecuted within three months of committing this appalling offence reassures the victim, and wider community, that the CPS takes these types of cases extremely seriously.

“The strength of the prosecution case, including forensic evidence and CCTV from the surrounding properties, meant Morrison had little option but to admit his guilt at the first hearing.”

This month marks the 50th anniversary of a much-revered classic of American cinema, All The President’s Men.

The 1976 movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman was an adaptation of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s 1974 book of investigative journalism detailing their two-year unravelling of the Watergate conspiracy. The shocking scandal brought down a president and profoundly shook Americans’ trust in government.

On June 17 1972, operatives working for President Richard Nixon’s Committee for the Re-election of the President (often satirically referred to as CREEP) were caught breaking into the Democrat party’s national headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington. The subsequent attempted cover-up eventually led to the resignation of Nixon and many in his administration going to jail.

The book and film led to several words and phrases entering the popular lexicon, including “deep throat” as shorthand for informants, the expression “follow the money” and of course the use of the word “gate” tacked on at the end of a word to denote a scandal. The film is probably the most famous movie about journalism ever made and helped shape the public’s view of who journalists were and how they functioned.

In many ways it’s strange to see an America where the media were so trusted. At the time a significant majority of Americans held the view that if the Washington Post or New York Times printed something, then it must be true. This is in contrast to today where trust in the US media is at an all-time low.

Woodward and Bernstein’s success was partly helped by the fact that the news cycle was a lot slower. Newspapers only went to print once or twice a day, so journalists had valuable time to check sources, look at records and discuss what they were doing with colleagues and editors.

Crucially, if they weren’t sure of the merits of a story, it was easier to shelve it for the next day. The current 24-hour news cycle makes this much more difficult. Journalists are under constant pressure to publish as soon as possible, leaving far less time for verification and reflection. Speed is rewarded over accuracy and the competitive scramble to be first can mean stories go out before they are fully formed.

The funding model is also fundamentally different. Many local newspapers were owned by families who lived in the cities where they were based and had been there for generations (in the case of the Washington Post with Katherine Graham). They often had a personal stake in the community.

There were still press barons, for instance William Randolph Hearst. The Orson Welles film Citizen Kane was based on his life story. But even at their most powerful, these proprietors operated within a media ecosystem where credibility was the currency that kept readers buying.

The media was funded by sales and advertising, giving journalists the freedom to work on a story. Today, by contrast, there is a focus on chasing clicks with articles either made up of lists or with clickbait headlines designed to be shared across social media.

How the press shaped the national agenda

The early 1970s was a world where the press were just as important – if not more so – than TV in shaping the national agenda. While commentators and columnists such as Walter Winchell had always been celebrities, the film established the idea of journalists as household names in their own right.

This has arguably been problematic in some ways as it could be claimed that it encouraged a more ego-driven approach to reporting, where the journalist-as-hero narrative risks making the story about the person covering it rather than the subject itself.

It was also an environment where the media still focused on the idea of reporting the news rather than making it. Today many media platforms explicitly market themselves as investigative journalism and see their role as setting the agenda. More traditional outlets see this as the media becoming too activist and ideological. There are proponents on both sides of the debate; All The President’s Men seems to take the view that the media report the news and the public decide how to interpret it.

However, the film’s very existence complicates that position. Woodward and Bernstein did not merely report events – they led the debate. The question of whether the press should be a mirror held up to power or a force that actively shapes political outcomes is still ongoing.

It’s worth noting that 1976 also saw the release of Network. This movie was entirely fictional and told the story of a broadcaster, played by Peter Finch, who has a mental breakdown live on air. He becomes “the mad prophet of the airwaves”, telling his audience to shout out of the window: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!”

While All The President’s Men served as a monument to what the press had achieved and what it could and should be, Network, though billed as outrageous satire at the time, has proven a significantly more accurate prediction of the future.

In the film the TV network is owned by a vast corporation with financial interests in several other areas. While Woodward and Bernstein are professionals doing their job, they do it largely without animosity. Their goal is to uncover the truth of the Watergate conspiracy, not to bring down the president. Network predicted a world where profit is everything and media and politics are fundamentally adversarial, with reporters aiming to make their audience as angry as possible.

Fifty years on, the question is not which film got it right (all the evidence suggests Network). It is whether the world All The President’s Men celebrated was already vanishing, even as audiences and critics were praising it.

North Yorkshire Police is investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred in The Boat Yard, Bawtry Road, Selby.

It happened at about 11pm at the Boat Yard when unknown offenders causing “significant damage” to the front passenger side window of a white Bentley.

Recommended reads:

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Police are appealing for information of any suspicious activity or CCTV covering this area at the time in question.

Anyone with information to help the investigation is asked to email Molly.grace@northyorkshire.police.uk

Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for Molly Grace or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Please quote reference 12260066858 when passing on information.

Over 200 young people and 24 staff performed to audiences of over 300 people across two nights at Inveralmond Community High School in Livingston before the Easter break.

Talented musicians from schools across West Lothian hit all the right notes at the annual Spring Concert Series.

Over 200 young people and 24 staff performed to audiences of over 300 people across two nights at Inveralmond Community High School in Livingston before the Easter break.

The number of West Lothian schools represented increased to 33 this year, with the number of student performers also increasing.

Bands performing included the West Lothian Schools Big Band, West Lothian Schools Brass Band, West Lothian Schools Junior and Senior Pipe Bands, West Lothian Schools Concert Band, West Lothian Schools Wind Ensemble and the West Lothian Schools Junior and Senior String Orchestras.

READ MORE: Councillors agree to sale of ten acre site in the heart of West Lothian town

Both shows featured fantastic performances from all our young musicians, and lots of really positive feedback from the delighted audience.

The finale of each concert was joint performances of all the ensembles performing together, with the Brass Band, Big Band and Pipe Bands performed Carnival de Paris by Dario G on the first night, and the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and String Orchestras coming together for Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

Rehearsals will begin again in September, and parents/carers of current ensemble members should look out for an email early this term asking them to complete an existing members registration form for next session.

Any instrumental pupils not currently in an Area Ensemble should talk to their instructor if they are interested in joining one next session.

The Area Ensembles are open to any young person living in West Lothian who plays an instrument to the required standard for the ensemble. Please contact ims@westlothian.gov.uk for more information.

READ MORE: Affordable watersports for children on ‘West Lothian Riviera’

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A student opened fire on two classrooms at a middle school in Turkey on Wednesday, killing nine people and wounding 13 others, the interior minister said, in the country’s second such shooting in two days.

The 14-year-old gunman was killed. He arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. He was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The motive of the attack wasn’t immediately known. It was not clear whether the gunman was killed by police or killed himself.

Six of the 13 people wounded were in serious condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.

The attack came a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself.

The two men are the first to be sanctioned under the new law

Two footy fans have been issued a banning order after breaking a new tailgating law at last month’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

The new law on unauthorised entry to games came into effect during the match between Arsenal and Manchester City on March 22.

The legislation makes any attempt to enter a stadium without a valid ticket punishable by a fine and a Football Banning Order.

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Wembley Stadium have confirmed that Kamal McEwan, from London, had been given a three-year banning order and fined £471 for unauthorised entry, making him the first to be sanctioned under the new law.

Alex Clark, from Waltham Cross, became the second when he was also given a three-year banning order and a £1,862 fine for unauthorised entry and possession of a Class A drug.

Both rulings were confirmed at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on April 10, the stadium release said. A third man is due to appear in court on May 1.

Wembley Stadium Director Mark Lynch said: “The swift arrest and convictions of these individuals at the Carabao Cup final demonstrate this new legislation is already having a real and immediate impact.

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“Previously, there were no specific criminal penalties for those trying to enter the stadium without a ticket, placing significant pressure on our crowd safety teams. This new legislation now closes that gap and ensures offenders are dealt with appropriately.

“These cases send a clear message that any attempt to gain unauthorised access to football matches will not be tolerated and will result in firm action including large fines and lengthy Football Banning Orders.”

Chief Inspector Pete Dearden, of the Metropolitan Police Service, added: “Our officers acted quickly and decisively at the Carabao Cup final, and these convictions demonstrate that antisocial, dangerous and criminal behaviour at football matches will be met with firm enforcement action.

“We will continue to work closely with sport venues, the FA and other partners to ensure football matches remain safe environments for fans, families and staff, and to prevent the minority who seek to cause harm or disruption from doing so.”

Redrow Homes plans to submit a planning application for up to 170 new homes in Hauxton village, prompting residents to voice concerns about development on agricultural land

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Readers of CambridgeshireLive have been weighing in on proposals for new housing, with many expressing concerns over the local impact, loss of green spaces, and whether the development will genuinely serve the needs of the community. Others have questioned how such schemes gain approval and what obligations developers must fulfil if construction begins long after planning permission is initially granted.

Property firm Carter Jonas has been appointed by developer Redrow Homes South Midlands to submit a full planning application for land situated south of High Street in the village of Hauxton, with proposals for up to 170 new homes.

Hauxton is a small village lying approximately five miles from Cambridge. While a formal planning application is yet to be lodged, full planning permission will be sought for up to 170 homes, along with access routes, open space and associated infrastructure. A screening opinion request has already been submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required for the proposed development.

The new homes are earmarked for a 12.44 hectare site currently used as agricultural land. A significant proportion of the site is intended to be retained as open space, with new properties concentrated in development parcels across the central and western sections, while the eastern portion would be preserved as public open space. The proposed site sits adjacent to existing residential properties, allotments and Hauxton Primary School. According to a screening letter, pedestrian and cycle access would be provided via High Street, with a potential connection to Jopling Way currently under consideration.

One reader, Feelgood66 comments: “Right next to the line and east west rail will be, plus shutting off the road permanently. Like the road near me.”

Calumen Nomen says: “Ah, Hauxton’s turn to get ruined. Only fair that all should suffer.”

While over on our Facebook page, Tai S writes: “It feels that whatever developers propose, it seems to get rubber-stamped, under the last government and this one. One thing I learned from dealing with developers was this: they only need to build in accordance with the planning regulations in effect at the time the project was approved. So, if something was approved in 2014, but didn’t get built until now (as is often the case), the developers only need to apply the environmental/social features and conditions from 2014. This is how they get around installing solar, green spaces, providing lots of play areas, preserving nature and adding water-retention features and other blue/green building-infrastructure elements.

“I wouldn’t mind so many estates if they a) included long term, affordable family homes with gardens (like the 1930’s semi I was lucky enough to grow up in), b) included all modern eco fittings; heat pumps, solar panels, green roofs/walls, triple glazed windows etc and c) the developers were forced to create an adjacent conservation area equivalent to the size of the built-up area. The costs are high, but if the developers can’t afford to implement them, let them eat brick dust.

“Additionally, if buy to let, greedy landlords, second homes and housing bought up as capital were clamped down on, we would actually have enough existing housing stock for requirements, but that requires government will that doesn’t exist. Sadly, the ideal home-building scenario with people and the environment put first, as opposed to corporate profits, won’t happen and even if it did, without the government investing heavily on a national scale in energy, water, public transport and education infrastructure (which hasn’t happened in Cambridge while the developers concrete over everything) then the new urban areas are bound to fail as places worthy of being treasured as ‘home’.”

David M pleads: “Stop building on green fields – use other sites.”

Carolyn R adds: “Soon, there won’t be any green spaces left; the ones that are left will be covered in solar panels.”

Marvin H comments: “This is about private equity money flooding the property market. We have enough housing stock in this country; the majority of it is simply not accessible to the majority of people who desperately need it. House prices in places like Cambridge are out of reach for the majority of people. Rental properties in places like Cambridge are out of reach for the majority of people. “

Are you happy to see more homes being built? Comment below or HERE to join in the conversation.

Dawn Kerr, 56, was found dead at a property in Les Pequies on February 6 last year, with her husband’s body also found.

A grieving daughter has said she hopes to help create “a society free of domestic abuse” after her mum was murdered in France.

Dawn Kerr, 56, was found dead at a property in Les Pequies on February 6 last year, with her husband’s body also found. French authorities ruled there was no evidence to suggest another person was involved in their deaths.

The prosecutor in charge of the case ruled the investigation as a murder suicide. The couple married in 2023 after moving to France, and had been described as “normal, lovely people” by their neighbours.

Her daughter Amanda has now paid tribute to her mum, branding her “one of those rare people who made life better and brighter just by being it”. She will now hike Mount Etna in Sicily on May 16 as she raises funds for Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

Amanda, who is from Musselburgh, told Edinburgh Live: “My mum was one of those rare people who made life feel better and brighter just by being in it. She was kind, optimistic, and deeply caring and also the most organised person anyone had ever met. She somehow managed to hold everything together while giving so much of herself to others, because she loved doing that.

“As a mum, she set the standard for everything I hope to be, for my own daughter. As a friend, she had a way of making people feel like they were the only person in the room.

“She gave so much to the world around her. She fundraised constantly and did all of that while working two jobs and raising a family. People used to ask her if she had more hours in the day than everyone else.

“I honestly do not think it is possible to recreate the kind of person my mum was. She was rare, and I feel so proud and lucky to call her my mum and best friend. It’s an honour to me when people say I remind them of my mum.”

Amanda – who runs marketing firm The Popular Agency – feels she is very much ‘her mother’s daughter’, with Dawn’s qualities and ‘being’ passed down and she will now be doing the climb on her mum’s 58th birthday. She said: “Everything I am doing now is rooted in what she showed me was possible. I always find myself asking ‘what would Dawn do’.

“It never mattered where you saw my mum, she was always happy to chat, she always had time for people and was always, always smiling and laughing. I’m excited for this climb, I’ve been training for 10 months and documenting it all on social media to raise awareness of the fundraiser, which I have raised just over £7,500 on two donation platforms.

“There is still so much snow on Mount Etna so the hike might be more difficult than I had originally thought, but I’m up for the challenge.”

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Last year, Amanda and her brother Callum – who has appeared in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and One Piece on Netflix – urged people not to attend the funeral of Andrew Seale. In a statement shared online, the pair said: “In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide. Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head, and Andrew was found deceased by hanging.

“His injuries are consistent with self-hanging, and no defensive wounds were found on his body. There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party’s involvement at this stage. While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.

“For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew. Please do not share photographs of them together.”

You can support Amanda with her fundraiser here.

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The BBC is set to cut 2,000 jobs as part of a drive to reduce costs by 10 per cent over the next three years, sources have revealed.

It is understood staff were informed of the significant redundancies during an all-staff call held on Wednesday afternoon.

These cuts mark the largest reduction in BBC headcount in almost 15 years and coincide with former Google executive Matt Brittin preparing to take over as director-general next month.

The corporation has also recently unveiled plans to drastically downsize the team responsible for covering national occasions, such as royal events and State funerals, to a single staff member supported by freelancers.

The BBC has previously said: “Over the last three years we have delivered more than a half a billion pounds worth of savings, much of which we’ve been able to reinvest into our output across the BBC.

“In a rapidly changing media market, we continue to face substantial financial pressures. As a result we expect to make further savings over the next three years of around 10% of our costs.

“This is about the BBC becoming more productive and prioritising our offer to audiences to ensure we’re providing the best value for money, both now and in the future.”

More to follow…

Two Metropolitan Police officers face charges following collision in south-east London that resulted in deaths of 38-year-old woman and her unborn child

Two police officers have been charged in connection with the deaths of a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn baby after she was struck by a police vehicle in London.

The 38 year old woman lost her life after her car collided with an unmarked police vehicle on Eltham Road on October 17, 2024, and her unborn child could not be saved. The baby tragically died at the scene, while the woman subsequently passed away in hospital from her injuries, reports the Mirror.

PC Chris Johnson, 56, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and former PC Danny Tomkins, 35, has been charged with dangerous driving. The charges follow an investigation into the fatal collision carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

PC Johnson is attached to the Metropolitan Police Taskforce, while former PC Tomkins was assigned to the same unit at the time of the tragedy. Both officers are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, May 28.

Acting Detective Chief Superintendent James Derham, who oversees policing in Greenwich, said: “Our thoughts remain with the woman’s family and friends, who continue to grieve the loss of her and her unborn child. This was a truly terrible and heartbreaking incident.”

“The IOPC have conducted a thorough and complex investigation and we have worked closely with them as their enquiries have progressed. Following that process, an officer and former officer have now been charged.

“It is important that nothing is said that could prejudice the court proceedings that will now follow, so it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”