He bombarded the young woman with texts, videos and messages over the course of 2020

A young farmer who became infatuated with a young woman sending her more than 1,000 messages has been charged with harassment.

Matthew Smyth pleaded guilty to harassing the young woman when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court.

Garda Tómas McMahon told the court that Smyth, of Dunross, Culdaff, Co Donegal bombarded the young woman with texts, videos and messages over the course of 2020.

When the woman ignored all the messages, Smyth finally took to Facebook and named her publicly.

In the message, Smyth said he used to like the woman but that he now hated her.

When asked by Judge Emile Daly what the 29-year-old accused had said specifically, Garda McMahon revealed the message read “F**k xxxxxxxx and everything she stands for.”

Garda McMahon said the young woman, who is from Buncrana, never engaged with Smyth online.

The text messages began in January 2020 and the last one was sent on December 12, 2020, but stopped when gardai became involved.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, told the court that his client’s understanding of life may not be as advanced as others.

He put it to Garda McMahon that the messages to the victim were not malicious and the garda agreed.

Garda McMahon also told the court that a victim impact statement on behalf of the woman was canvassed but that she did not provide one.

Solicitor Mr Gallagher stressed that there was no physical aggression on his client’s behalf and there was actually no physical contact between the accused and his victim.

“I would suggest this was a case of immature infatuation gone wrong, consistent messaging to the extreme,” he said.

Mr Gallagher added that his client comes from an isolated background and works on the family farm.

Garda Inspector Johnny Sweeney said the accused had three previous convictions which centred around the production of an article in the course of a dispute on the family farm.

Judge Daly asked the court if there had been any issue after gardai had intervened and she was told there hadn’t.

She adjourned the case until September 3 for a Probation Report and sentencing.

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The former school caretaker was serving life with a minimum term of 40 years for the murder of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002.

The crime shocked the nation and led to questions about how a man with a history of sexual allegations against him could end up working in a school.

Huntley, living with Maxine Carr, who was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica’s primary school, lured the best friends into his home in Soham, Cambridgeshire.

Dressed in Manchester United shirts, the girls had left a family barbecue on August 4 to buy sweets, and by chance their paths crossed with Huntley’s when Carr was away for the weekend.

Holly Wells, left, and her best friend, Jessica Chapman (Image: PA/PA Wire)

For reasons only he knew, Huntley murdered the girls and dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away.

They were not found for 13 days.

Their disappearance sparked a search involving hundreds of police officers.

The nation’s media descended on Soham and it was not long before Huntley drew suspicions about his agitated demeanour.

Reporter Brian Farmer, who worked for the Press Association in East Anglia at the time, interviewed Huntley and was so concerned afterwards he went to the police.

Mr Farmer, who initially hoped to speak to Carr, was surprised when Huntley began to tell him how he imagined the girls would react to a stranger approaching them, despite not knowing them or working in their school.

The reporter later recalled: “The main thing that struck me when he answered the question was, well, how can he possibly know how they would react?”

Huntley was also reluctant to be photographed – which implied that he did not want to be recognised.

Indeed, in subsequent TV interviews, someone from the Grimsby area, where he grew up, recognised Huntley and told police about him facing a number of accusations of rape in the late 1990s.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, Huntley trying to convince the jury that Holly had suffered a nosebleed and that she drowned in the bath, and he killed Jessica as he tried to silence her screams.

They did not believe him and he was convicted of two counts of murder.

Mr Justice Moses told Huntley: “Ian Kevin Huntley, on the 4th of August 2002 you enticed two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, into your house.

“They were happy, intelligent and loyal.

“They were much-loved by their families and all who knew them.

“You murdered them both. You are the one person who knows how you murdered them, you are the one person who knows why.

“You destroyed the evidence, which showed no mercy and no regret.”

The girls’ bodies had been found by a gamekeeper in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath.

Carr gave Huntley a false alibi and was jailed for 21 months for perverting the course of justice.

She is now living under a new identity.

After the trial, Jessica’s father, Leslie Chapman, said: “I think he was a time bomb waiting to go off and both our girls were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I hope the next time I see him, it will be like we saw our daughters – and it will be in a coffin.”

The case prompted an inquiry into how Huntley slipped through police vetting procedures.

The report from the inquiry revealed a “deeply shocking” catalogue of errors across all organisations that had contact with Huntley before he murdered Holly and Jessica.

Huntley was a marked man in prison, surviving repeated attempts on his life, and was kept under close protection along with other notorious killers.

In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed him with a home-made weapon, causing a “severe, gaping cut to the left side of his neck” with a 7in (18cm) wound which required 21 stitches.

Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

Reports in the media since he was jailed said Huntley was known as a loner, arrogant and a moaner, and that he tried to keep close relationships with guards.

In a leaked conversation, Huntley reportedly said: “Every prison you go in is very, very dangerous, there’s no safe place in prison.”

As he clung to life, his only daughter, Samantha Bryan, told The Sun on Sunday: “There’s a special place in hell waiting for him.”

Wales fell just short of defeating Ireland in Dublin on Friday night, losing 27-17

Wales once again took a big step forward in terms of performance, even if they came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard in Dublin.

Few had expected victory over Ireland in their fourth Six Nations fixture, but a defensive masterclass gave them hope heading into the final quarter. In the end, it wasn’t quite enough as the wait for a win in the tournament goes on.

But, as was the case with the Scotland game, there was certainly more good than bad.

With that in mind, here are the winners and losers…

Winners

Rhys Carre

There’s nowhere else to start but the loosehead prop.

You cannot escape where Rhys Carre’s Test career had been – with Warren Gatland selling shares in him in the most humiliating fashion.

Yet where Gatland failed, Tandy has succeeded.

Three tries in as many games has more than justified Carre’s reintroduction to Test rugby. A 50-metre effort against Italy wouldn’t go amiss.

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Alex Mann

James Botham was tireless in Dublin, while Aaron Wainwright once again showed he’s Wales’ best carrier and perhaps their most important player.

But it was perhaps Alex Mann who produced the most impressive performance in the back-row. The stats show he made 32 tackles – a Six Nations record.

He was just tireless, throwing himself into green jerseys – while his intercept on the line saved a certain try.

Continues to grow at Test level.

Dewi Lake

Just crucial to this Welsh team. At the start of this tournament, there were some concerns over his form.

He perhaps wasn’t at his best for the Ospreys – as much down to the burden he has carried for club and country over the last couple of seasons as anything else – while he had a tough afternoon in Twickenham.

Yet he has responded superbly.

Made the most dominant tackles by a Welsh player, while he carried more than anyone else in a white jersey.

Steve Tandy

When Wales were conceding an average of 50 points per game, many were quick to point out that head coach Steve Tandy had a distinguished reputation as a defence coach.

It wasn’t always paired with the fact that Tandy, as Wales’ new head coach, didn’t have a full-time defence coach in his staff yet. But the implication was always that you’d expect Wales’ rear-guard efforts to be better under the Tonmawr product.

So, now they are, give Tandy his dues.

This defence is starting to be shaped in his image. As a result, Wales look a much more competitive outfit.

Ben Carter

The Dragons lock is going to end this Six Nations as a part of Wales’ first-choice second-row pairing and it is thoroughly deserved.

Before the Scotland match, the criticism of Carter would have been that he’s shown brief moments for Wales, but rarely warranted a starting place.

How that has changed. Up there in the tackle count once again, while the lineout was fairly solid.

Eddie James

Is he a 12 playing 13? Perhaps. Would he be better off at inside centre? You can make that argument.

But give James credit where it’s due. He’s quickly learning the ropes at outside centre and looking good for it.

Ireland did a good job of wrapping him up with ball in hand compared to Scotland, but he relished the defensive work – pressing high and making some good reads.

Losers

Welsh half-backs

Tomos Williams and Dan Edwards were both OK in Dublin. Not amazing, but not awful either.

The problem in Welsh rugby is that you can rarely be OK – instead you have to be either a hero or a villain.

When it comes to both of them, people tend to go overboard with their opinions. With Williams, there’s probably an element of tall poppy syndrome that is just inherent in Welsh rugby.

Having been one of two Welshmen on the Lions tour last year, some seem ready to write off the 31-year-old. Just as he’s not the Messiah when scoring highlight reel tries for Gloucester, he’s not a silly boy when trying to make a mark at Test level.

Scotland showed that when Wales’ attack is clicking, he’s usually the one pushing the tempo. People seem to ignore the fact Wales’ red-zone efficiency is built upon his range of passing.

Dublin saw him less impactful around the fringes – with Ireland making enough of a mess of the breakdown to put pressure on him.

And, obviously, the yellow card blotted his copy book.

It’s a similar tale for Edwards. The Welsh 10 jersey only tends to attract extreme ends of the spectrum when it comes to opinions – more so when it’s flitting between playmakers from the Scarlets and Ospreys.

Edwards is still early in his career and there’s plenty to learn. He’s had a tough break in this tournament in terms of the games he’s started.

Long term, he’ll be better for all this.

Louis Rees-Zammit

There was an early 50:22 to give Wales territory, but it was a difficult match for Louis Rees-Zammit to get involved in.

He made just five carries in Dublin – never looking like he was about to cause any problems for the Irish defence. Defensively, he’s perhaps looking a little fallible at full-back, too.

There’s an argument the 15 jersey doesn’t get the Bristol flyer into the game as much as it should. But he had more carries than both of Wales’ wings, Josh Adams and Ellis Mee.

So the answer probably isn’t as easy as shifting him back to the position he’s played most often for his country.

How Wales will get the best out of him remains to be seen.

Kieran Hardy

When Tomos Williams was sin-binned, Kieran Hardy might have been hoping he’d be brought on for another of Wales’ backs – so Wales could at least end the game with a scrum-half on the pitch.

However, that wasn’t how it panned out for the Osprey halfback.

Instead, he watched on from the bench as Wales’ hopes of victory slipped away.

The Soham murderer was attacked in prison with a makeshift weapon last month

Ian Huntley, the former school caretaker who murdered two 10-year-old girls, has died following an attack in prison. The 52-year-old suffered significant head trauma after being attacked with a makeshift weapon, understood to be a metal bar, by another inmate at HMP Frankland on February 26 and had been on life support in hospital.

He had been serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for murdering best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 in Soham, east Cambridgeshire.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said their thoughts were with Holly and Jessica’s families.

It is reported that Huntley’s life support was switched off at lunchtime on Friday, March 6, after brain tests showed he was in a vegetative state. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

The attack left Huntley blind, according to the Sun, and it quoted a source saying: “Huntley never recovered from the battering and never stood much of a chance of doing so.”

Murderer and rapist Anthony Russell, 43, reportedly shouted, “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after Huntley was attacked in the recycling area of the prison.

Durham Constabulary has not identified the suspect but it said on the day of the attack that a man in his mid-40s had been detained.

The brutality of Huntley’s crimes made him a target in prison and he had been attacked several times previously.

After his death in hospital was confirmed, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.”

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Timothée Chalamet has sparked outrage in Hollywood after making a series of disparaging remarks about ballet and opera.

The Marty Supreme actor, 30, had been taking part in a live Town Hall debate with Interstellar co-star Matthew McConaughey when talk turned to modern audiences.

Bemoaning the poor attention spans of cinemagoers these days, McConaughey suggested that many studios seemed to be cutting the first act of their films to get to the ‘conflict’ faster.

Chalamet countered, citing Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation as an example of a slower-paced film which still managed to hook audiences.

He went on to say how he understood both sides of the debate but ‘[didn’t] want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, “Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.”‘

Needless to say, those from the opera and ballet industries didn’t take too kindly to catching strays from the one-time Willy Wonka.

Perhaps anticipating the controversy to come, Chalamet quickly backtracked, laughing: ‘All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.’

He added: ‘I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.’

After the clip was posted online by Variety, stars of both ballet and opera united to condemn the Dune star for his atttude.

This included American opera singer Isabel Leonard, who described herself asshocked that someone so seemingly successful can be so ineloquent and narrow-minded in his views about art while considering himself as [an] artist as I would only imagine one would as an actor…

As per The Independent, she continued: ‘Only a weak person/artist feels the need to diminish in fact the VERY arts that would inspire those who are interested in slowing down, to do exactly that.’

Meanwhile, artist Franz Szony dismissed Chalamet’s opinion, highlighting ballet and opera as arts which ‘take a massive amount of talent and discipline this man will never possess.’

‘I hope he finds his way into a theatre,’ commented choreographer Martin Chaix, who also described ballet as ‘very much alive.’

Reposting the video to her Instagram story, Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis asked: ‘Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?’

New York City ballet dancer Megan Fairchild echoed the sentiment, adding: ‘artists supporting artists matters.’

‘He’s gonna be singing a different tune when the live arts are all that’s left after AI takes over. Oh wait. He’s above singing a tune,’ joked actress and singer Laura Benati in the comments section – to which Jordan Fisher and Sarah Hyland responded with clapping emoji.

Calling Chalamet out personally, the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Instagram account shared a video with the caption: ‘Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera.

‘For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance. If you’d like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open.’

And it wasn’t just professionals who were fuming at what the Call Me By Your Name star had said, with commenters on YouTube and X also adding to the backlash.

YouTube commenter adasusaatci described his words as ‘uneducated’ and ‘disrespectful,’ while deemaria123 asserted that he’d ‘spent too much time with the Kardashians’ – in reference to his high-profile romance with socialite Kylie Jenner.

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‘As an artist he should be more aware of what he says about other artists who work so hard to keep their own kind of art alive,’ agreed isabellecastro1898.

However, others were quick to come to his defence, pointing out that what Chalamet had said was his waving the flag for the film industry, however poorly worded.

Slackstarfish8133 suggested that he may have been ‘so passionate about acting that he stutters translating it into words sometimes.’

Chalamet is currently hoping to take home the gold at this year’s Oscars for his performance in Marty Supreme.

The film, directed by Josh Safdie, has already scored nine nominations, including Chalamet for Best Actor.

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This comes after Chalamet lost out to Adrien Brody at last year’s Oscars for his performance as Bob Dylan in Call Me By Your Name.

Talking to Vogue about his visible disappointment at not winning the trophy, Chalamet said: ‘If there’s five people at an awards show, and four people go home losing, you don’t think those four people are at the restaurant like, ‘Damn, we didn’t win?’”

He added: ‘People can call me a try-hard, and they can say whatever the f**k, But I’m the one actually doing it here.’

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From Friday March 6, selected fixed rates for first-time buyers, home movers, remortgages, switchers, and additional borrowing products will rise by up to 0.25%.

Brokers warn this is “more bad news for borrowers,” with other lenders expected to follow in the coming days.

Energy bills add to the squeeze

The news comes as energy supplier Octopus Energy has introduced temporary exit fees for customers leaving fixed tariffs. An Octopus spokesperson said: “Wholesale energy prices have risen considerably this week, and we can no longer absorb the full cost of the energy we buy in advance for new fixed‑tariff customers if they choose to leave us during the period of the fix.

“We’ve had to introduce exit fees temporarily.”

The move highlights how geopolitical tensions are affecting household budgets beyond mortgages, with rising oil and gas costs expected to feed into inflation.

Why rates are rising

Mortgage rates are closely linked to swap rates, which determine the pricing of fixed mortgages. Swap rates have climbed in recent days as markets price in potential inflation from the conflict.

On Thursday, the 2-year swap rate rose 7.5 basis points to 3.56%, and the 5-year swap rate increased 7.9 basis points to 3.70%. Brokers warn that continued volatility could push more lenders to raise rates.

Babek Ismayil, CEO at homebuying platform OneDome, said: “Seeing three big lenders increase rates in a day is not the news borrowers want.

“The conflict in the Middle East could prove inflationary, meaning the Bank of England rate cuts many expected may not materialise for now.”

Adam Stiles, Managing Director of Helix Financial Partners, added: “The events of the past week have spooked the markets, driving swap rates higher.

“More lenders are likely to increase rates until things settle, though the timeline is uncertain.”

Unlike most co’s, Octopus rarely has exit fees.

We are introducing now only for *new* fixed tariffs

This is because when you buy a fixed tariff now we are buying a year’s worth of energy for you, in a very challenging market. Other co’s aren’t offering fixed tariffs at all.
1/n https://t.co/AHXzQN03ZD

— Greg Jackson (@g__j) March 5, 2026

What borrowers should do

Experts stress that rates, while rising, remain competitive. Justin Moy, MD of EHF Mortgages, said: “Shop around and use a broker — your rate isn’t secured until your full application is submitted. Acting quickly is key in this volatile market.”

Katy Eatenton, mortgage and protection specialist at Lifetime Wealth Management, added: “Other lenders are likely to follow suit. Just as the market was gaining momentum, the outlook has changed dramatically. Borrowers need to be aware and prepared.”

Richard Davidson, mortgage advisor at onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk, noted: “This is likely cautious repricing in the face of uncertainty rather than a definitive shift.

“Rates are still lower than the peaks seen in 2023.”

Mike Staton, director at Staton Mortgages, warned: “This is how a war thousands of miles away affects your monthly mortgage payments. Oil and gas prices rise, pushing inflation up, which keeps borrowing costs higher.”

Even small rate increases can affect monthly repayments for millions of homeowners. Combined with rising energy bills, many households could feel the pinch over the next few months.

Recommended reading:

Energy and mortgage pressures combined

Greg Marsh, household finance expert and CEO of AI money-saving platform Nous.co, said: “Gas and electricity bills are set to fall in April thanks to the Ofgem price cap, but higher wholesale costs could push bills up later this year.

“Households shouldn’t panic, but should watch fixed deals closely.”

The Middle East conflict has injected fresh uncertainty into both the mortgage and energy markets, reminding UK households how global events can directly hit their finances.

Nationwide’s rate rise is a sign that borrowers must stay vigilant. With other lenders likely to follow, now is the time to review mortgage deals, consult brokers, and plan for higher monthly costs – while keeping an eye on energy bills that may also be creeping up.

Officers are appealing for information after the break-in in Beech Glade, Huntington, on Thursday (March 5).

North Yorkshire Police said the burglary happened between 12pm and 9.20pm.

It “involved a suspect breaking a window of a bungalow and ransacking all the rooms before leaving via another window”, a force spokesperson said.

Police are now urging nearby residents and anyone in the area at the time to come forward with any information about the burglary.

“We’re particularly appealing for information from anyone who lives or was in the area between the above times, or anyone with CCTV footage of the area,” the police spokesperson said.

“Please email lewis.appleby@northyorkshire.police.uk if you have any information that could help our investigation.

“Alternatively, you can call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and ask for collar number 1074, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

“Please quote reference 12260040426 when passing on information.”

Arsenal take on Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon in the third round of the FA Cup but the Gunners are once again set to be without star defender William Saliba

William Saliba’s ankle injury looks likely to keep him out of Arsenal’s FA Cup clash with Mansfield Town. The Gunners travel to the League One side on Saturday afternoon in the fifth round of the competition.

Mikel Arteta is expected to make a number of changes to his starting XI for the game. One man who may not feature though is French defender Saliba.

The centre-back was ruled out of the win vs Brighton with an ankle issue and Arteta is pessimistic that he will appear over the weekend. Asked pre-match if his injury was the same as his previous one, Arteta replied: “No, it’s the other one.

“We thought the same straight after the game because he wasn’t comfortable to finish the game. After straightaway he didn’t have a good feeling so let’s see if he recovers quickly.”

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Asked if Saliba could be in contention, Arteta then added: “I doubt it.” The Frenchman has been key to Arsenal’s hopes of lifting silverware this season, having made 34 appearances in all competitions.

While he might be sidelined, one player who could be handed an opportunity is Max Dowman. The teenager has recently recovered from his own ankle issue and was handed a place on the bench vs Brighton.

Asked what he has learned from being injured, Arteta said: “A lot. First of all, you miss playing, that’s the first thing, so don’t take it for granted because it can be taken away from you when you don’t expect it, and for a long time as well.

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“He had different routines, he starts to understand more the rehab coaches, the physio, the doctor, the importance of the scan, the discipline that you need to maintain yourself fit when you have an injury because if not, it’s going to take a long time to get back to your levels.

“But he’s done so well. He’s been looking really good in training and hopefully we can give him chances to play.”

Following their clash with Mansfield, Arsenal will then turn their attention back to the Champions League and their showdown with German giants Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16. The first-leg of that tie takes place in Germany on Wednesday evening.

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Arteta’s side will then host Everton at the Emirates Stadium next Saturday as they continue their push for the Premier League title.

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