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Iran’s parliament speaker, Qalibaf, floated as US contact

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Iran's parliament speaker, Qalibaf, floated as US contact

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long before he became Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went on a charm offensive for almost two decades, portraying himself as a hard-liner the West could do business with in the Islamic Republic.

“I would like the West to change its attitude to Iran and trust Iran, and rest assured that there’s an attitude in Iran to advance issues through dialogue,” he told The Times newspaper of London in 2008.

With the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran in its fourth week, the 64-year-old pilot and former Revolutionary Guard commander has denied there have been talks with the United States amid reports that he was floated as Washington’s negotiating partner in talks.

Questions also remain as to what power Qalibaf has within Iran’s theocracy, shattered after the Feb. 28 Israeli airstrike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, now Iran’s new supreme leader, has backed Qalibaf through his repeated and failed presidential campaigns. Still, multiple centers of power within Iran’s theocracy now likely vie for control of the Islamic Republic — and uncertainties remain over Mojtaba Khamenei’s status as he has yet to be seen after reportedly being wounded.

Meanwhile, Qalibaf has been tied to the crackdown against protesters calling for change within Iran’s government and has seen corruption allegations swirl around him during his time in office.

U.S. President Donald Trump may just be looking for an Iranian version of Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who took over as the U.S. military seized former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.

“Many Iranians despise Ghalibaf; diplomats see him as pragmatic,” wrote analyst Michael Rubin, using a different transliteration for the politician’s last name. “Those diplomats confuse pragmatism with opportunism. Ghalibaf is a survivor. He sees in Trump someone who can help him achieve what late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied him: the presidency or some equivalent interim leadership role.”

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Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency, believed close to the Guard, on Tuesday described reports in Western media as a “political bomb” meant to put the country’s leaders in disarray.

“Qalibaf was introduced as a negotiating party in order to present a contradictory and non-unified image of Iran,” Tasnim said. “The mention of Qalibaf’s name was clearly intended to create internal divisions within Iran and to provoke conflict among political forces.”

Qalibaf’s rise within Iran’s theocracy

Qalibaf was born in the city of Torqabeh in Iran’s northeastern Razavi Khorasan province to a father who was a shopkeeper — not a member of the Shiite clergy that seized power in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Like many young men of his generation, he joined the paramilitary Guard during the country’s bloody 1980s war with Iraq, quickly rising through the ranks. After the conflict, he served as the head of the Guard’s construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, for several years leading efforts to rebuild.

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Trained as a pilot, he then served as the head of the Guard’s air force. In 1999, he co-signed a letter to reformist President Mohammad Khatami amid student protests in Tehran over the government closing a reformist newspaper and a subsequent security force crackdown. The letter warned Khatami the Guard would take action unilaterally unless he agreed to putting down the demonstrations.

Violence around the protests, the first in a string of widening demonstrations over the last decades, saw several people killed, hundreds wounded and thousands arrested.

Qalibaf then became the head of Iran’s police, modernizing the force and implementing the country’s 110 emergency phone number. However, a leaked recording of a later meeting between Qalibaf and members of the Guard’s volunteer Basij force, had him claiming that he ordered gunfire be used against demonstrators in 2003 and praising the violence used in Iran’s 2009 Green Movement protests.

Iran’s then-President Hassan Rouhani hinted at the the 2003 incident when the two sparred in a 2017 presidential election debate.

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“There was an argument that you were saying that the students should come then we can pincer attack to them and finish the job,” Rouhani said at the time.

Qalibaf offered himself as alternative to Ahmadinejad

As Tehran’s mayor from 2005 to 2017, Qalibaf faced corruption allegations, including over some $3.5 million being donated to a foundation run by his wife.

However, he also used his prominence to travel to the World Economic Forum and even praised New York City in an interview with The Financial Times, undoubtedly raising eyebrows among other hard-liners. His opponents claimed Qalibaf was like Reza Pahlavi, a hard-charging soldier who became shah in 1925 and rapidly pushed to Westernize Persia and rename it Iran before handing power to his son Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Qalibaf didn’t outright reject the comparison.

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“If authoritarianism means when collective sense reaches a plan and decision, I’m very determined and firm in carrying it out,” Qalibaf told The Financial Times in 2008, casting himself as an alternative to the hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “When the expediency of the society is in carrying a project, then I’m very firm and show little flexibility and don’t let that collective sense be marred or disarrayed.”

Qalibaf ran in presidential elections in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2024 but despite the failures of those campaigns, U.S. diplomats suggested he enjoyed the support of Mojtaba Khamenei, according to diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.

“Mojtaba reportedly has long maintained a very close relationship with Tehran Mayor and presidential hopeful Mohammad Baqr Qalibaf; Mojtaba was reportedly the ‘backbone’ of Qalibaf’s past and continuing election campaigns,” an August 2008 cable read. “Mojtaba is said to help Qalibaf as an advisor, financier, and provider of senior-level political support. His support for and closeness to Qalibaf reportedly remains undiminished.”

With Khamenei now Iran’s new supreme leader, Qalibaf’s position may be significantly boosted.

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Qalibaf’s name floated as a possible negotiator

Trump pulled back from a 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, media reports suggested Qalibaf may be a possible Iranian contact for the U.S. government. Qalibaf himself has denied any talks are ongoing.

“No negotiations have been held with the US, and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he wrote Monday on X.

Surprisingly, unlike many officials within Iran’s government, Qalibaf’s name is not on any U.S. bounty.

It remains unclear whether the Israelis view Qalibaf as a target. As parliament speaker, Qalibaf praised the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, saying that it showed the “Zionist regime will never have peace until the day it is annihilated.”

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Trump as well apparently appeared concerned Monday that his unnamed negotiating partner could jeopardize the safety of any talks.

Asked why he wouldn’t name the Iranian negotiator, Trump told journalists: “Because I don’t want them to be killed, OK? I don’t want them to be killed.”

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‘My heart almost stopped’: David Raya’s six best saves as Arsenal FC close in on Premier League title

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'My heart almost stopped': David Raya's six best saves as Arsenal FC close in on Premier League title

Another Arsenal clean sheet and with it another Golden Glove for David Raya to put on the mantelpiece.

The goalkeeper will be hoping to have some more important silverware alongside it by the end of the month, with Arsenal closing in on the Premier League title and a Champions League final just a few weeks away.

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“I missed my husband’s final phone call” Grieving wife shares unimaginable pain after husband’s death

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Daily Record

Lisa Marshall, 34, was left devastated, when her husband Alan went to work one day, and never came home.

A mum who missed her husband’s last call before he took his own life age 37 was left unable to work and forced to go on Universal Credit.

Lisa Marshall, 34, was left devastated, when her husband Alan went to work one day, and never came home. The dentist, from Glasgow, had tried to call her but she had missed it as her son was using her phone to play Roblox.

He had no history of mental illness, and left her with no note. Lisa, who is also a dentist, but hasn’t been able to work since Alan’s death after being diagnosed with Complex PTSD, struggled with raising three small children, Henry, nine, Matthew, seven, and Sofia, four, whilst coping with her grief.

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The family were even left on Universal Credit for three months – after Alan’s accounts were frozen. She said she is worried her children will think they weren’t good enough for him to stay, and is raising awareness of the fact, that suicide can affect anyone.

She said: “Alan had no mental health issues, he’d never been to the doctors, or spoken to me about any struggles. We were just a normal family; there were no warning signs at all.

“It could happen to anybody. I missed a call from him an hour before it happened, but I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. “Nothing can prepare you for it. When the police came to my door, I was trying to put the kids to bed and they were all clinging to me. “It was horrendous, I don’t think you ever get over that.

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“The police asked lots of questions about our marriage, they said usually these things happen because of debt, or a breakup, or not getting access to kids, but there was nothing like that. There wasn’t even a note.

“I felt like my life was over, but I still had three kids to look after, they gave me strength every day. My children keep asking me why he did it, I don’t want them to think they weren’t good enough for him to stay.”

Lisa and Alan met in a nightclub in Glasgow in 2011, before falling in love and getting married in 2016. They welcomed three children together, and were a happy loving family, leading normal, busy lives.

Alan had no mental health issues, that Lisa was aware of, and had never opened up to her, about any sort of struggle, during their relationship.

“He had a huge passion for Glasgow Rangers, and we spent lots of time going to see them all over the world”, she said. One morning in March 2023, Alan went to his job as a dentist as normal, and Lisa chatted to him throughout the day over text.

“I had a chest infection at the time, and I often wonder, if I’d been 100% myself, would I have noticed something was up?”, she said. “I’d felt anxious a few days before, and I wonder if it was my body telling me something bad was going to happen.”

During the evening, Lisa got a call from Alan, but she missed it as her son was using the phone to play Roblox. An hour later, there was a knock at the door, but as it was the time Alan usually came home from work, she assumed it was him.

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However, when she opened the door, two police officers were standing outside, and informed her that they had found Alan’s car, a body, and his wallet. Devastated, Lisa told her children that their dad had had an accident, and the next morning, did the school run as normal.

“Parents were absolutely shocked to see me out and about as normal”, she said. The police launched an investigation, and asked Alan had any issues such as debt, but Lisa could think of nothing.

As the children were settled in school, she chose to stay in the local area, meaning she has to walk past the location where her husband ended his life, every day. Following her husband’s death, Lisa struggled with grieving whilst still having to take care of her three kids but said the routine of having to take them to school every day, helped her to be able to get through each day.

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“They were the only reason I got up and brushed my teeth every day, without them I would have just stayed in bed”, she said. “They were so anxious, I didn’t want this to damage their childhood.”

Two years after Alan’s death, Lisa decided to tell her oldest two children, that he had taken his own life. “I felt that at eight and six, they would be able to understand it a bit, and I felt so much better for telling them the truth“, she said.

After revealing the truth to her sons, Lisa said it was like they were going through the loss again, and they kept questioning why he had done it. Following Alan’s death, Lisa was diagnosed with complex PTSD, leaving her unable to go back to work, and as her husband’s bank accounts were frozen after he passed away, she had to go on Universal Credit.

“I never thought I’d be on benefits, but they really helped me for the first few months after he died,” she said. She also had to get close family members to help pay her mortgage, and although she now receives Alan’s pension, and had a life insurance payout, finances are a huge worry for herself and many widows.

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She said: “The life insurance payout took over a year, but I know for some widows, it can take three or four years, or they don’t get anything at all. I get messages from widows everyday, who have had to sell their house, or move back in with their parents. “

Lisa is urging people to make sure they have policies such as life insurance and Death in Service in place, to help with the financial burden, should anything happen to their spouse. “Make sure you have financial security, because the financial burden of being widowed adds a whole other layer of stress”, she said.

Lisa is currently campaigning to have the government’s bereavement support payment extended beyond 18 months. You can sign her petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/752501 She is now preparing to return to work, to show that it is possible to get back on your feet again.

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Driver reported after three car crash on Halliwell Road

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Driver reported after three car crash on Halliwell Road

Police say that one driver has been ‘reported’ for suspected driving offences.

The smash happened just before 3pm on Sunday with emergency services called to the road in Halliwell.

A Peugeot, a Mercedes and a BMW were involved in the crash.

(Image: Phil Taylor)

The crash, at the junction of Elgin Street and Wordsworth Street, left one vehicle on its roof.

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The crash caused significant disruption, with the road closed for several hours.

Passers-by rushed to help those in the car as police and ambulances arrived.

Police taped off the scene.

Crash in Halliwell (Image: PHIL TAYLOR)

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that three people, including two children, suffered minor injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

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A spokesperson for the force said: “At around 2.45pm yesterday (10 May 2026), officers responded to reports of a collision involving three cars on Halliwell Road, Bolton.

“Three people – including two children – received minor injuries, not believed to be life-threatening or changing.

“A driver of one of the vehicles has been reported for driving without due care and attention.”

Images from the scene showed a grey Peugeot overturned in the road, with a BMW and Mercedes also sustaining heavy damage.

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Debris from the vehicles, along with personal items, could be seen scattered across the carriageway.

Paramedics from North West Ambulance Service attended alongside police officers, while recovery teams worked to clear the vehicles.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area while the road remained closed, with drivers advised to seek alternative routes.

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Disgraced ex-SNP council leader Jordan Linden to appeal conviction and sentence

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Daily Record

Jordan Linden has told his lawyers to appeal his conviction and sentence.

A disgraced former SNP council leader who was jailed for sexually assaulting young men has launched a bid to clear his name.

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Jordan Linden, 30, was convicted of the attacks as well as directing unwanted sexual communications towards seven teenagers. He was sentenced to 18 months behind bars at Falkirk Sheriff Court last week.

It has now emerged that he has told his lawyers to appeal his conviction and sentence. Linden, who was once leader of North Lanarkshire Council, sent youngsters sexual communication which included photos of him in a bath and shots of his genitalia.

The offences took place over a 10-year period from 2011 until 2021. He repeatedly denied any wrongdoing but was convicted by jurors following a seven-day trial in March.

Linden, who also chaired the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP), had denied all the charges against him and claimed that they either did not take place or were consensual.

His lawyer, David Moggach KC, said Linden has been ‘bullied’ in his teenage years because of his sexuality and suffered ‘social isolation’ as a result. He added that Linden was now aware that his behaviour ‘simply was unacceptable and he overstepped certain boundaries’.

Sheriff Christopher Shead ruled that there was no alternative to a prison sentence and placed Linden on the sex offenders’ register. Linden blew a kiss to his dad as he was led away to the cells and was later seen in handcuffs being loaded into a prison custody van.

Shamed Linden became a councillor for the SNP in 2017 and rose to become council leader in North Lanarkshire in 2022. He resigned from the post a few weeks later following the allegations and was arrested in 2024.

The court heard from an SNP party official who said Linden locked him in a bathroom and tried to get him to urinate while he watched. The man, who was 18 at the time, said the incident took place after a Dundee Pride parade when Linden was very drunk and being ‘very handsy’ with people.

Another man, who joined the SYP at the same time as Linden as a teenager, said Linden’s touching, on the face or the cheek or the neck, was ‘relentless’.

First Minister John Swinney said he was ‘very sorry’ to anyone who suffered because of Linden. Swinney ordered an independent review of the SNP’s complaints process after some witnesses claimed complaints about Linden were ignored by the party.

The Appeal Court in Edinburgh confirmed that an ‘intention to appeal’ had been lodged for Linden.

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Best dosa in London: where to find authentic Tamil cuisine

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Best dosa in London: where to find authentic Tamil cuisine

Formerly known as Saravana Bhavan, this South Indian vegetarian institution can be found in various locations across the city, and across the globe. They have a site in Leicester Square, Wembley and Southall to name a few, and they offer a wide variety of dosa on their menu. Prices start at £6.95 for dosa, and they all come served with sambar, coconut chutney and spicy red chutney. Highlights include the paper roast dosa and the chef’s special aloo masala cheese dosa.

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Barcelona win La Liga: How Hansi Flick’s side dominated Real Madrid

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Marcus Rashford celebrates a goal for Barcelona

Under Flick’s management Raphinha, despite a season interrupted with injuries, has developed into a more consistent and influential attacker.

Flick has increased the Brazilian’s attacking responsibility and refined his role, encouraging quicker decision-making in transition and a more direct style of play that suits his strengths.

Pedri has remained a central figure in midfield, thriving in a system built around quick progression.

Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, has rediscovered his sharpness within Flick’s system. With better service and more structured attacking patterns around him, the veteran Poland striker, 37, once again looks decisive. His future at the club is still unknown with his contract expiring in June.

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Eric Garcia has emerged as one of the season’s most valuable tactical players, filling multiple positions seamlessly, while Gerard Martin has exceeded expectations after being placed into a key defensive role.

Even in defeat, Barcelona consistently responded. Following losses to Girona and Real Madrid in October, they immediately launched long winning streaks in the league, rather than allowing setbacks to spiral.

Flick has also shown a strong willingness to rotate and trust squad players, which has helped Barcelona maintain intensity and consistency across a demanding season. Marcus Rashford has been one of those players.

Although he has not been a guaranteed starter, Flick has regularly used him off the bench in key moments and statistics show he ranks among the best forwards at the top-three Spanish clubs – Barca, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid – if you measure goals and assists per minute across La Liga this season.

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Rashford scored the most important goal of his Barcelona career on Sunday, a phenomenal free-kick that opened the score in El Clasico.

It was a fitting moment for the 28-year-old, who could be signed by the Catalan club on a permanent basis for 35m euros (£30m) – although whether they turn Rashford’s loan into a permanent signing remains to be seen.

Flick has also been praised for showing care for his players.

The manager granted Ronald Araujo a leave of absence in December to prioritise his mental health, describing it as a private situation. Flick did not share further details about the situation and asked the media to respect the defender’s privacy.

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Richmond Castle ‘unexpectedly’ closed to visitors on Monday

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Richmond Castle 'unexpectedly' closed to visitors on Monday

Richmond Castle, one of England’s most complete Norman fortresses, announced on social media on Monday (May 11) that it will be shut for the day.

The historic site said: “We’ve had to unexpectedly close Richmond Castle at short notice today.

“If you have a booking for when we’re closed, we will automatically cancel any bookings and make any necessary refunds within 10 working days.”

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It is currently unclear for the reason behind the closure, but organisers have confirmed the castle will reopen as normal tomorrow.

The post added: “We always do everything we can to avoid unexpected closures like this, and we’re really sorry to disappoint you.

“We will reopen tomorrow as normal on Tuesday, May 12.

“Thank you for understanding.”

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The Norman stronghold stands above the River Swale in the heart of Richmond and was built from the 1070s by Alan Rufus to secure his new lands after the Norman Conquest.

The castle features a 12th-century keep and served as a detention centre for conscientious objectors during the First World War.

English Heritage describes it as the best-preserved early-Norman castle in England.

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BBC tours the World Cup training homes of England and Argentina

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BBC tours the World Cup training homes of England and Argentina

The BBC’s Will Grant has been taking a look around the base camps that England and defending champions Argentina will call home during the FIFA World Cup.

England will be based at Swope Soccer Village, while Argentina will train at the Sporting KC Training Center, both located in Kansas City.

The Netherlands and Algeria have also chosen to stay in the area.

The training sites will serve as hubs for match preparation, including practice sessions, player workouts, team meetings and day-to-day staff operations.

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Video produced by Blanca Estrada

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Philippine House votes to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte

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Philippine House votes to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — An overwhelming majority of the Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and threats to have the president assassinated.

The House, which is dominated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s allies, voted 255-26 with nine abstentions. The two impeachment complaints against Duterte now move to the Senate, which will convene into a tribunal for her trial.

The vice president, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has generally denied any wrongdoing without answering the criminal allegations against her in detail.

Last year, she was also impeached by the House but survived the attempt and was not tried on orders of the Supreme Court due to a constitutional technicality.

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David Campbell defends reference for convicted paedophile teacher

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Belfast Live

David Campbell told the Nolan radio show that he provided the reference on the basis of his knowledge of Lloyd-Lavery for over 30 years, and his fear that a custodial sentence could result in his death or a serious stroke

Former Ulster Unionist Party chairman and current chair of the Loyalist Communities Council, David Campbell, has continued to defend providing a character reference for convicted paedophile teacher, William Lloyd-Lavery.

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William Lloyd-Lavery, 77, of Richmond Avenue in Lisburn, was found guilty in January of six counts of indecent assault against four girls at a South Belfast school in the 1970s. He also worked as a speech writer and press officer for a number of UUP MLAs until his retirement in 2017.

In a statement to the BBC’s Nolan Show, Mr Campbell said: “You can’t pick and choose which aspects of our judicial and sentencing process we like and those we don’t.”

David Campbell also told the Nolan radio show that abuse or attempted abuse of any child is “completely unacceptable and abhorrent,” and that he provided the reference on the basis of his knowledge of Lloyd-Lavery for over 30 years, and his fear that a custodial sentence could result in his death or a serious stroke.

This comes days after Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows told Belfast Live that he is “disgusted” that Mr Campbell provided the reference.

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Also appearing on the Nolan Show on Monday morning, Justice Minister Naomi Long told the programme that she would like to see the law reformed to remove character references for those convicted of sexual crimes and domestic abuse, and that this is currently being considered as part of the sentencing review which is currently ongoing at Stormont.

“I f someone is in ill health, that is something that the judge will take into account anyway, there will be medical reports and so on that can be provided to the judge by the defendant’s legal team, so there’s no need for an unqualified person to come forward and give a view on medical issues, and healthcare in prisons are more than capable of looking after people with complex medical needs and do it on a regular basis, so I don’t think that that necessarily stacks up,” she said in response to Mr Campbell’s justification.

“I also think that it has to be considered in the round, I mean, I am aware of previous interviews that David Campbell has given on this, where he referenced the limited scope of the offending, I think that was the phrase that he used, and again, it feels to me like it minimised in some way the suffering of the individuals who were affected.

“It’s up to the trial judge to decide how they will apply these, and as I’ve said already, there are already indications, there are already guidances and directions in terms of how that should be, and it says that in cases of rape and sexual assault, they should carry less weight, than in other cases, and I think actually in it with rape in particular, they’re said to be a very limited value.

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“So that is, I think, already a good starting point, but my point fundamentally is, how will what David Campbell said, however well intended, how will that ring in the ears, of Nicola and Lynn and the other women who were abused by Lloyd Lavery and have had to live with that trauma for their entire adult lives before being able to have the courage, the confidence and ability to seek justice.”

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