The 41-year-old has been charged with a number of offences

A man has appeared before court charged with several domestic abuse-related offences following the death of a woman in Newtownabbey.

Mary McAdorey was found at a property in the Old Mill Drive area in October 2025.

Belfast man George Paul Connor McWilliams, 41, of no fixed abode, has been charged with a number of offences including non-fatal strangulation, domestic abuse and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was also charged with being in possession of class A and class C drugs.

Police said McWilliams is also to be reported to the Public Prosecution Service for a manslaughter offence.

On Wednesday, a PSNI detective sergeant told Belfast Magistrates’ Court that he could connect McWilliams to the charges.

Appearing in the dock, McWilliams spoke briefly to confirm he understood the charges he is facing.

The officer said the accused had been Ms McAdorey’s partner and he had allegedly been involved in a “serious domestic incident” that took place prior to her death.

The detective sergeant said McWilliams had initially been arrested at the time of incident.

The officer said further investigations that had taken place since the death included searching the victim’s phone and conducting interviews with family members.

She said the examination of the phone indicated a “catalogue of abusive and controlling behaviour” throughout McWilliams and Ms McAdorey’s relationship.

District judge Stephen Keown granted legal aid to the accused.

A bail hearing for McWilliams was adjourned until Tuesday September 15.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The new Telegraph Fantasy Football season is finally here. The experts at Fantasy Football Hub will continue to bring you the very best in fantasy football knowledge, tips and tools to help you rise up the ranks and win your mini-leagues.

To join the Hub and get access to all their great resources and expert tips you can take advantage of its 50% pre-season discount here.

Telegraph Fantasy Football Tips: The Expert’s XI

The Telegraph Fantasy Football player list has been analysed ahead of GW1 and the season ahead and this is the best XI:

1. GK James Trafford (£3.0m)
   
   Highlighted in the Budget Gem picks, the new Elland Road shot-stopper should prove excellent value between the sticks.
2. DEF Gabriel Magalhães (£4.9m)
   
   The safest route into the champions’ backline, the Brazilian ought to guarantee defensive and attacking returns.
3. DEF Nico O’Reilly (£4.2m)
   
   The reclassification from midfielder to defender opens up more routes to points for the roaming left-back.
4. DEF Marco Palestra (£2.7m)
   
   A standout from the new additions to the league article, the summer acquisition offers a budget route into the Chelsea defence.
5. MID Antoine Semenyo (£4.9m)
   
   At under £5m, last season’s second-top scorer should be the first name in TFF managers’ XIs.
6. MID Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m)
   
   The Manchester United captain comes at a premium, but offers one of the most consistent streams of points in the game.
   
   
   
   
7. MID Enzo Le Fée (£3.3m)
   
   A great double header to open the season, the Black Cats midfielder combines tackle bonus potential with good attacking numbers.
8. MID Mamadou Sangare (£3.1m)
   
   The Brentford midfielder is expected to rack up the tackle bonuses this season.
9. FWD Erling Haaland (£8.3m)
   
   The biggest hitter of all, the Norwegian goal machine is worth the expensive price tag.
10. FWD Joao Pedro (£5.1m)
    
    The 24-year-old had a decent summer break and looks rejuvenated in pre-season.
11. FWD Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£3.9m)
    
    The forward looks to be over his injury woes and offers a consistent threat in the opposition box.
    
     

Pick your team for the 2026/27 season >

You can follow the latest Telegraph Fantasy Football news and discussions throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and Fantasy Football Content Hub.

A Toyota came off the A692 in Dipton close to Pontop High Stables around 2pm damaging a lamppost and bringing down the cables.

The female driver was uninjured.

Almost 400 homes in the area were left without power, according to Northern Powergrid.

The road was closed while engineers assessed the situation. It has since reopened and power has been restored.

A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “At approximately 2pm, police were alerted to an incident at Dipton in which a car left the carriageway close to Pontop High Stables and collided with a wall.

“The female driver of the Toyota was uninjured, however the collision also damaged a lamppost, which brought down power cables into the carriageway.

“The road has been closed to traffic while engineers assess the situation.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Northern Powergrid for comment.

Los Angeles four-piece untitled have a bad name but everything else about them is amazing. They’re all 18 or 19, but look about 13 (at least to middle aged rock critic eyes), complete with bumfluff ‘taches and a puppydog bounciness. But they sound ferocious: hardcore filtered through the quiet-loud dynamics of grunge, which basically means they have good songs underneath the racket. Choruses, that kind of thing.

Napoli, meanwhile, have now suffered back-to-back losses in Serie A after starting the season with a win over Genoa and will be without talisman Scott McTominay after he underwent minor heart surgery. Kevin De Bruyne, though, is available for selection as he aims to haunt the Gunners once again. Follow Napoli vs Arsenal LIVE below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, with expert insight and analysis from Matt Verri.

Exclusive – Paul Smith’s new memoir contains business advice and some incredible adventures he has had on his way to becoming Britain’s top menswear designer

He is a man who has earned his stripes in fashion, and then used them to his advantage. But British designer Sir Paul Smith can still be found on the shop floor most Saturdays in London, as he remains someone who loves chatting with his customers. And in his new memoir, the 80-year-old talks readers through some of the more famous people to wear his clothes.

But his first A-list friend was someone he didn’t dress, as he ended up befriending George Best in the early Seventies, whilst working for the company Lindcroft that was involved with a clothing range the footballer put his name to. Paul also helped to sort out stock in some shops Best owned which were piled high with clothes.

“I got to know George and sometimes he would stay with me,” he writes, explaining that the two-bedroom flat the company rented for him became a hiding place for Best away from the media.

On at least one occasion when Best was supposed to be playing for Manchester United, he was in Paul’s spare bedroom.

“I knew nothing about football. I talked to him about things nobody else talked to him about. They were mostly simple subjects, although I do remember having a conversation with him about astrology. I got on so well with him because there were no strings attached.”

Paul added to the BBC this week: “He famously used to get quite stressed out because he was the first superstar footballer and there was a lot of so-called friends that weren’t really friends. He said to me, ‘Nobody’s ever talked to me like this’. We used to have fish and chips.”

In his book Paul goes on to say he feels George was “exploited” by others “in the end it became a cautionary tale.”

Many years later he worked with another Manchester United legend in Sir Alex Ferguson, dressing his United squad and even wiping tomato soup of Fergie’s nose when they bonded over lunch.

But he got on less well with Glenn Hoddle when he was England manager. After kitting England out for the European Championships in 1996 in suits and describing Paul Gascoigne as “hilarious” and “really very funny” messing about in a photoshoot with a daffodil down his sock, Paul was asked back to design the suit for the 1998 World Cup.

Describing Hoddle and his background as a player, singer, then manager and born-again christian who believes in reincarnation, Paul writes: “So he was a man of many parts. What I hadn’t expected was that he also saw himself as a fashion designer.

“I wanted to put the players in navy blue suits and white shirts, something very smart and not flashy. But Glenn had a very clear view what he wanted, involving pale creamy beige, a cashmere blazer and shoes I didn’t particularly care for. He was asking for us to dress the team, but really he wanted to design the look himself.

“He was a nice enough man, and I was proud to have been given the job again, so we did what he wanted. Personally I thought the clothes didn’t look good at all.”

Aside from when dressing England’s footballers, Paul is someone who has always prides himself on all his outfits and products looking great. He turned to fashion after becoming interested in it alongside music and art after a bicycle crash aged 17 ruled out his dreams of becoming a professional cyclist.

After sourcing clothes and helping design a boutique called The Birdcage for friend Janet Campbell in the Sixties, he then launched his own tiny shop tucked behind a dark, damp corridor in his home town of Nottingham, opening just two days a week in 1970. In the beginning at the Birdcage, he would silkscreen his own T-shirts, make ties with offcuts of material on his mum’s sewing machine and handmade cufflinks.

But he turned 21 and met Pauline Denyer and his life changed forever. His life partner, she was teaching at Nottingham Art College and had previously worked as a pattern-room assistant so could help make clothes for him and also offer endless inspiration and encouragement. Whilst working to help finance his part time shop, Paul also took classes in tailoring and worked as a buyer for other stores, which helped build his contacts.

Soon the shop needed to be open for more hours and expanded. As the business grew he even threw small Menswear shows in Paris from 1976 in a friend’s apartment to help expand his name. And by 1979 he opened his first London store in Covent Garden. It was still seen as a dodgy area, and it was sadly broken into on the first night. But the one thing they couldn’t take away from him was the incredible raw concrete look of the shop, which was a one-off in Britain at the time.

And better luck was to come when architects like Norman Foster and Richard who loved its minimalist design helped spread the word about the shop. After Ringo Starr and George Harrison came to buy things, Paul McCartney was soon on the phone wanting to see some of the clothes too.

Too busy in a soundcheck to come to shop, Paul raced down to Hammersmith Odeon with 10 outfits he thought might work. He said ‘they’re great. Do you want a cheese sandwich?’. It was like £5000-worth which to me the was an absolutely amazing order. He didn’t try anything on. He just bought the lot.”

David Bowie began by buying suits and then when he moved to New York would be known to go into the store there and buy every shirt in his size. Paul designed a T-shirt for his final album and describes him as “a curious man” who was always very inquisitive.

One of Paul’s biggest successes was the ‘multistripe’ he first designed in 1992 for a shirt fabric. Meant as a one-off, Harrods called up and wanted it again as it sold so well and it then spiralled into a hugely popular design on many other items. Paul says it became a “bit of a burden” to him at one stage and so he stopped using it but it “cost me £5 million in lost revenue” so he reinvented it by changing the colours and scale of the stripes so it feels like it is not always the same.

Thanks to things like those stripes and his suits, Paul could have sold the business for many millions and it would have expanded into a global empire, but his name would still be on the door and the products which is one of the things which puts him off and why he continues to own the majority of the firm.

“Greed seems to be the point of the whole world at the moment,” he says. “Without me controlling Paul Smith in terms of aesthetic and size, it could be a billion dollar company.

“But Pauline and I would probably have split up and I’d be a bit of a prat and have a fat belly. Luckily because of a sense of discipline and standards she created, it is what it is. Greed had nothing to do with it.”

The company hit tough times in the covid lockdown which coincided with their fiftieth anniversary. It meant they made a loss in their anniversary year, and they had to make staff redundant and change the business style, but things have improved thanks to increased online sales and a divergence in the clothes collections as in lockdown and afterwards people wore less suits.

He was made a ‘Sir’ at a ceremony in November 2000 and married Pauline on the same day, having lived together since 1967.

Going back to his beloved cycling for a final business analogy, Paul concludes: “Running a company like mine is a bit like riding the Tour De France. You’ve got bits where you’re freewheeling quite happily, you’ve got rest days, the uneventful flat stages and the sudden sprints, and then you’ve got an enormous quantity of mountain stages. You’ve got exhilaration and pain.

“And through cycling, I learnt lessons about two things I can use in my business: teamwork and pacing.”

He says his wife – perhaps only half jokingly – tells him words to the effect of not to retire anytime soon as “I know you’ll end up dying on me”.

And it is this passion and drive that she sees in him, which explains why if you go into the flagship Paul Smith store in London, you may still buy your clothes from the man himself.

* Threads: My Life In Style by Paul Smith is out on September 10 published by Macmillan.

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The 28-year-old was identified as one of the main instigators ‘throwing rocks and metal poles’

A man from Co Antrim has been sentenced after “throwing rocks and metal poles” at police during disorder last summer.

Bradley Douglas from Ballymena appeared at Antrim Crown Court today, Wednesday, September 9, in connection with disorder in the town in June 2025.

The 28-year-old was sentenced to five years, with 30 months to be spent in custody, and 30 months on licence, after he was convicted of riot and burglary with intent to cause unlawful damage.

On June 10, 2025, at around 8.20pm, police systems captured footage of Douglas “throwing rocks and metal poles” at police in the Clonavon Terrace area. He was identified as one of the main instigators of this riot, police said.

Commenting, Detective Chief Inspector Michael O’Loan said: “On Monday, 9th June 2025 large scale disorder broke out on the streets of Ballymena involving a large crowd of rioters. Further violence then followed across other areas in Northern Ireland.

“Damage was caused to roads, homes, cars and local business premises with people left fearing for their lives. Our officers also came under attack and many left injured after petrol bombs, heavy masonry and fireworks were thrown at them.

“On 10th June 2025 at approximately 8.20pm police systems captured footage of a male, later identified as Douglas, throwing rocks and metal poles at police in the Clonavon Terrace area.

“He was identified as one of the main instigators of this riot – and was the first individual to attack police using masonry, metal poles and bottles. Other individuals joined in and began to act in a similar manner.

“Douglas also entered a property in the same area that had already sustained damage – throwing items from the home at officers.

“He was located by police on 22nd June and arrested for the offences of riot and burglary and subsequently charged.

“Our dedicated investigation team has worked tirelessly to ensure that those involved are prosecuted – today’s sentencing is one of many over this disorder – with a substantial sentence handed down in court.

“We would reiterate our appeal to anyone who has been the victim of, or has any information on, any crime to contact police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. We can assure you that we will always act on concerns and information we receive.”

Alternatively, a report can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals

Should you wish to make a report anonymously, you can do so by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Yesterday, the Israeli government’s decided to ban me – and 11 other British MPs – from entering their country. This offers a tiny glimpse into the kind of authoritarianism that Palestinians are subject to every single day. 

Over my lifetime, it’s been my privilege to visit Palestine on several different occasions. On these trips, I’ve witnessed what Palestinians endure – endless checkpoints, manned watchtowers, arbitrary arrests, expulsion from, and destruction of, their homes. 

The Israeli occupation dictates who can and cannot move freely, and denies any vestige of autonomy to the Palestinians. 

In Gaza, the Israeli occupation controls most of what goes in and out, most recently in illegal blocking of aid which has resulted in the mass starvation and displacement of Palestinians. 

As more and more people have woken up to what an independent UN commission recognises is a genocide in Gaza, Israel has also denied entry to UN investigators and international journalists – a transparent attempt to stop the world from finding out the full extent of the war crimes it has committed. 

On top of that, there are thousands of Palestinian refugees who are still denied the right to return. 

I do not lose sleep over the Israeli government’s disapproval of me.

However I do object, in the strongest possible terms, to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, UN investigators and journalists. I object to Israel’s routine degradation of Palestinians who are denied their freedom of movement. 

And I object to Israel’s attempt to shield itself from accountability for the crime of apartheid, occupation and genocide.

That is the real scandal. 

Israel’s decision to ban us, it seems, was made in response to the UK government’s welcome decision to impose sanctions on their illegal settlement goods. 

This decision is long overdue – and hysteria from those who oppose it proves just how much impunity Israel has enjoyed so far. International law is clear: Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful, as ruled by the ICJ in July 2024, which imposed obligations on the UK not to aid or assist the illegal obligation. 

Ultimately, this decision is a first step toward the government finally fulfilling its legal obligations. These obligations, however, should not be limited to a sanction on goods. 

Any meaningful package of sanctions would recognise how ‘settlement goods’ are subsumed into Israel’s wider economy. That means ending all trade, all military co-operation, and all forms of support that sustain Israel’s unlawful presence as a whole. 

I also re-iterate my demand for this government to recognise genocide in Gaza, end all arms sales – including F-35 components – to Israel, and heed my repeated calls for a public inquiry into British complicity.

What this ban is really about is preventing British MPs from visiting the occupied West Bank or Gaza, and witnessing the site of increasingly horrifying state-backed settler violence, which has grown since October 2023.

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The Israeli government’s decision tells us all we need to know. 

Israel does not want the world to know what is going on. It tells us that they are willing to use increasingly absurd and desperate measures to keep critics away, as it loses support across the globe. 

Above all, it tells us that we should not give up in our pursuit of truth, accountability and justice.

I have lost count of the number of demonstrations I have been on in solidarity with Palestine. Each time, I go with the memories of the people I have met at the forefront of my mind and I endeavour to quote at least one Palestinian in any speech I give. 

In my mind, it’s important to amplify the lived experiences of those enduring occupation, apartheid and genocide. It is their freedom which is egregiously curtailed – and it is their freedoms that we must defend. 

The Israeli government can ban me, but they can’t ban me from stating that they are committing genocide – and I will never stop campaigning until there is real justice, peace and freedom for the Palestinian people.

In our discussions of Palestine, we always emphasise the horror stories – but in my visits, I have experienced the humanity, the music, the art, the poetry, the joy, and the resilience of the Palestinian people. 

I have no interest in being given a tour of apartheid by the Israeli government. 

I do, however, have an unending determination to campaign for the only path to peace: the end of the occupation. 

It has been many years since I have visited Palestine. 

No matter what Israel does to intimidate us into silence and despair, I have not given up hope that one day, I may return to visit the children I once met – in a free and independent Palestine.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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The actor and author was clocked driving over the limit in Plymouth

Dawn French has been banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding.

The Vicar of Dibley and Delicious star, did not attend the sentencing hearing which took place at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on September 7.

Court records showed Dawn was caught by a speed camera as she drove on Mannamead Road in Plymouth on June 11, 2025 travelling in excess of the 30 mile an hour limit, reports CornwallLive.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Dawn was clocked at travelling at 36mph.

Dawn, whose address was noted as being in Calstock in south east Cornwall, was driving a Mini Clubman Cooper S Sport at the time of the incident.

The court heard that she had admitted the offence.

District Judge Stuart Smith said the 68-year-old’s driving record would be endorsed with three penalty points. However, due to repeated incidents of driving offences, this took Dawn over the 12 penalty point limit.

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As a consequence Dawn suffered an obligatory disqualification from driving for six months.

In addition she was handed a £600 fine.

She was also ordered to pay £240 victim surcharge and £90 court costs.

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The much-loved actor has a long history of driving offences

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Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French has been banned from driving after being caught speeding.

The author and actor did not attend the sentencing hearing which took place at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on September 7.

Court records showed Dawn was caught by a speed camera as she drove on Mannamead Road in Plymouth on June 11, 2025 travelling in excess of the 30 mile an hour limit, reports CornwallLive.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Dawn was clocked at travelling at 36mph.

Dawn, whose address was noted as being in Calstock in south east Cornwall, was driving a Mini Clubman Cooper S Sport at the time of the incident.

The court heard that she had admitted the offence.

District Judge Stuart Smith said the 68-year-old’s driving record would be endorsed with three penalty points. However, due to repeated incidents of driving offences, this took Dawn over the 12 penalty point limit.

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As a consequence Dawn suffered an obligatory disqualification from driving for six months.

In addition she was handed a £600 fine.

She was also ordered to pay £240 victim surcharge and £90 court costs.

Ensure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.