Takaichi took office last October and rumours of a snap election began circulating almost immediately but observers expected the government to first pass the 2026 budget by March. Takaichi decided not to wait.
“I’m putting my future as prime minister on the line,” she said at a press conference after dissolving the lower house of parliament and calling the general election for 8 February. “I want people to decide directly whether they can entrust the management of the country to me.”
Analysts said the call for a snap election was mainly intended to use Takaichi’s strong popularity to bolster the LDP and reinforce the new coalition’s grip on power.
According to a new opinion poll released by The Asahi Shimbun over the weekened, the LDP is likely to surpass the 233-seat threshold needed for a majority on its own, improving on its current 198 seats. The ruling bloc together is projected to get over 300 seats.
Ahead of the election, however, the yen this week fell to near a two-week low, signalling distress in the economy that could affect the outcome.
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Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on 19 January 2026 (AFP via Getty)
Why does this election matter?
Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister. Her approval ratings have been strong since she took power, averaging above 70 per cent. She stands apart from her predecessors by commanding exceptional backing among younger voters, with more than 90 per cent of Japanese voters aged 18 to 29 showing support for her in several polls.
The LDP currently holds 198 of the 465 seats in the lower house after a poor showing in the 2024 general election under Shigeru Ishiba, making it overly dependent on Ishin. Analysts say Takaichi is seeking to win the LDP-Ishin coalition a clearer majority.
A big win for Takaichi may mark a major shift in Japan’s politics, Prof Margarita Estevez-Abe from Syracuse University, who specialises in Japanese politics and political economy, tells The Independent.
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“It will break the political ‘conventional wisdom’ that the LDP needs the electoral cooperation of Komeito to win. The LDP will learn that right-wing populism is the correct winning strategy. Any push toward the centre will vanish from within the LDP,” she says.
Komeito, Estevez-Abe notes, is “the political wing of the Soka Gakkai, which functions as an extremely well-organised political machine” and the LDF relied on it for decades to win elections.
Japanese Communist Party chair Tomoko Tamura, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki, Centrist Reform Alliance co-leader Yoshihiko Noda, Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi, Japan Innovation Party co-leader Fumitake Fujita, Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya, Reiwa Shinsengumi co-leader Akiko Oishi pose during a panel discussion at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on 26 January 2026 (AFP via Getty)
It was long believed the LDP would not be able to win in urban regions without the help of Soka Gakkai, she says. “It was primarily for this reason that the LDP kept Komeito as a junior coalition partner for so long.”
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If Takaichi can turn personal appeal into votes for her party, the LDP will more than offset the losses from cutting ties with Komeito.
But this will come at a price: the loss of a moderate partner will likely weaken Japan’s centre-left forces.
“Cutbacks on welfare benefits for the elderly and increased defence spending will be much easier in a political environment where the centre-left loses much significance,” Estevez-Abe explains.
There are other risks. Any loss of ground could damage the prime minister’s agenda and her standing at home and overseas.
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“Despite Takaichi’s popularity, support for the LDP remains in the 30 per cent range, reflecting ongoing public concerns,” Yuko Nakano, associate director of the US-Japan Strategic Leadership Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says.
“Additionally, if the public perceives that Takaichi is prioritising politics over policy, this could have negative effects at the ballot box. Opposition parties, including Democratic Party for the People, which previously agreed to cooperate with the LDP on the timely passage of the budget, have already begun criticising her decision as putting economic priorities on the back burner.”
Sanae Takaichi speaks at an election campaign rally in the Akihabara area of Tokyo on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
What do the main parties stand for?
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Liberal Democratic Party:Japan’s ruling party was formed in 1955 by the merger of two conservative parties and quickly became the country’s dominant political force, promoting political stability and a pro-US orientation during a period of uncertainty following the Second World War.
In recent years, a funding scandal has weakened its standing and cost it majorities in both chambers of the parliament. Under Takaichi, the party has attempted to regain public trust with economic relief proposals including a temporary suspension of the consumption tax on food.
LDP supporters attend a campaign rally with Sanae Takaichi in Himeji, Japan, on 29 January 2026 (Getty)
Japan Innovation Party: The right-wing Ishin, as it’s popularly known, presents itself as a “reformist, next-generation party” focused on breaking with traditional Tokyo-centric politics.
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When Komeito quit the ruling coalition, Takaichi brought in Ishin, the third-largest force in the parliament, to form the government.
Headed by Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura alongside businessman Fumitake Fujita, the party sits to the right of Komeito ideologically. As a partner in the ruling alliance, the party has backed a distinctly conservative agenda: strengthening Japan’s military, maintaining male-only imperial succession, and speeding up the restart of offline nuclear reactors.
Centrist Reform Alliance: Started on 22 January by former rivals Komeito and Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, it positions itself as an alternative to Takaichi’s conservative government, campaigning on cost-of-living relief led by a permanent zero consumption tax on food, tighter rules on political funding, and support for low- and middle-income earners. While ideologically mixed and widely seen as a pragmatic, temporary alliance, it promotes more moderate policies on nuclear power, social issues and governance than the ruling coalition.
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Sanae Takaichi waves during an election campaign rally in Himeji on 29 January 2026 (Getty)
Democratic Party for the People: The centre-right party, headed by Yuichiro Tamaki, positions itself somewhere between the conservative LDP and the opposition left. Formed in 2018 by the merger of the Democratic Party and the Party of Hope and reorganised again in 2020, it argues for “policy-first” politics.
“We’ve sought a new form of politics that prioritises policy over political manoeuvring, placing the lives of the people and the economy first,” Tamaki claimed after the election was announced.
Japanese Communist Party: The left-wing party promotes economic equality, a robust welfare state and pacifism, while rejecting military expansion and nuclear energy. The party traces its origin to 1922 when it functioned underground and outside the law. It was formally legalised after the World War.
Now led by Tomoko Tamura, the party argues that Japan should loosen what it sees as an overly dependent relationship with the US and roll back the disputed security laws.
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Yoshihiko Noda of Centrist Reform Alliance greets supporters at an election campaign rally in Yokohama on 28 January 2026 (REUTERS)
Sanseito: The right-wing populist party is campaigning on a “Japanese First” agenda, combining strong nationalism with opposition to globalism, immigration, and what it sees as elite-driven policies. The party led by Sohei Kamiya rose to prominence by tapping into public anger against economic stagnation, inflation, overtourism, and rapid social change.
It’s pushing for stricter immigration controls, tougher defence policies, tax cuts, and selective welfare focused on Japanese citizens, using anti-establishment messaging and social media to mobilise younger, disillusioned voters.
Conservative Party of Japan: After Japan passed the LGBT Understanding Promotion Act in 2023, novelist Naoki Hyakuta and journalist Kaori Arimoto launched the party in opposition.
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The party says that it seeks to “protect Japan’s national polity and traditional culture”, and is defined by a far-right nationalist outlook, including a tendency to downplay the country’s wartime actions, notably the Nanjing Massacre in China.
Reiwa Shinsengumi: The left-leaning, anti-establishment party was founded in 2019 by former actor-turned-lawmaker Taro Yamamoto. It focuses on social justice and inclusion, advocating policies like scrapping the consumption tax, opposing nuclear power, raising wages, introducing basic income, rolling back Japan’s 2015 security laws, and strengthening protections for people with disabilities as well as animals.
It also strongly opposes constitutional changes that it says will expand the powers of the state.
The party gained attention by electing lawmakers with severe disabilities, prompting accessibility reforms in the parliament.
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Hirofumi Yoshimura, Osaka governor and leader of the Japan Innovation Party, delivers a campaign speech in Kobe on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
How many candidates are in the fray?
More than 1,200 candidates are contesting for the 465 lower house seats, with 289 decided in local districts and 176 through a proportional representation system that sees voters cast a separate ballot for a party in larger regional blocs, allowing smaller parties to win seats based on their overall support.
The LDP is fielding the most candidates followed by the Centrist Reform Alliance, Ishin, and Democratic Party for the People.
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Tetsuo Saito, leader of Komeito, at an election campaign rally in Kobe on 27 January 2026 (Getty)
What might a victory for Takaichi signal?
A recent Kyodo News poll suggested that Takaichi’s coalition was on track to secure a majority in the lower house. The survey projected the coalition to win 233 or more of the 465 seats, strengthening the mandate for the prime minister to press ahead with her fiscal and policy agenda.
Analysts warn that a victory for Takaichi may usher into a “new hawkish, anti-welfare and xenophobic era”.
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Takaichi will need allies in the upper house and, without Komeito out of the coalition, her only options are right-wing parties such as Ishin and Sanseito, Estevez-Abe notes. These partners are likely to push for hawkish, nationalist, and anti-welfare policies, meaning there may be few checks on extreme or risky government actions, she says.
“In sum, if Takaichi wins,” she argues, “the market might become the only brake left to stop her government from engaging in follies.”
Will you be seeing the movie in cinemas? (Paramount/X)
Video game movies are certainly more authentic nowadays, but are films like the new Street Fighter too obsessed with looking like their source material?
After debuting at last year’s The Game Awards with a teaser trailer, the upcoming Street Fighter movie has just received a full trailer, ahead of its October 16 release.
It offers a little more insight into the actual plot, with the focus being on series mascots Ryu and Ken (both looking a lot worse for wear than usual) as they’re recruited by Chun-Li to partake in a fighting tournament.
The movie looks to be the most faithful and authentic adaptation of the Street Fighter games so far, but we’re still left unsure about its quality as an actual movie.
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For what it’s worth, this new Street Fighter movie can’t be any worse than past attempts. The original 1994 film was a mess that only half-resembled the source material, but it’s fondly remembered for its campy charm, unlike the 2009 The Legend Of Chun-Li, which was a boring slog with even less ties to the games.
This new effort, directed by Eric André collaborator Kitao Sakurai, is explicitly billed as an action comedy and isn’t afraid of leaning into the more fantastical elements of Street Fighter, with the trailer proudly showing off Ryu throwing a fireball, even if it does joke about how ridiculous it is.
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Early glimpses of the action also look very impressive, and the movie clearly isn’t too concerned with keeping things realistic. Fireballs aside, you have yoga master Dhalsim stretching his limbs à la Mr Fantastic and Zangief defying physics to suplex Ken.
What’s more, not only is the film focusing on the street fighting part of Street Fighter, Ryu and Ken, who’ve been the main faces of the games since the beginning, finally get to be the stars.
Combined with the costume design – with every character from the games being instantly recognisable – there’s no denying that the new movie looks very authentic, which has increasingly been the case with video game movies of the last few years.
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However, we’re getting the sense that this desire for authenticity has become too much of a priority; that video game movies are trying too hard to please diehard gamers, that they forget to be actual movies.
This was an issue we brought up with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Street Fighter, at this early stage, looks to be making similar mistakes. The trailer doesn’t offer that much insight into the general plot, focusing on highlighting key set pieces and how many fan favourite characters are appearing.
You’ve also got the car destruction mini-game, a gag line about Chun-Li’s thighs, the use of sound bites from the old games; it’s a lot of style over substance made for fans to point at in recognition, as opposed to telling a cohesive story. Especially with the stacked cast threatening to make things feel overcrowded.
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It almost seems like it’s overcompensating for the early days of video game movies, which were embarrassed of their source material and typically earned fan ire for deviating so much. We’re glad to be long past those days, but perhaps we’ve swung too far the other way, with newer movies unwilling to take any real risks to avoid upsetting fans.
The movie looks to be capitalising on nostalgia for Street Fighter 2 specifically (YouTube)
None of this may matter, though, as authenticity appears to be the winning formula. The Super Mario and Minecraft movies were slated by critics but are the highest grossing video game movies ever made, because they so closely resemble their source material; they feel like the games brought to life on the big screen.
As such, this new Street Fighter movie stands to go the same way. The trailer has had a mostly positive reception among fans, with 63,000 likes on YouTube at time of writing.
Even fans who don’t expect the movie to be any good are looking forward to it, if some of these Reddit comments are anything to go by.
‘This looks both amazing and awful. I’m in,’ says MurDoct.
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‘It has a ‘so bad it’s good’ kinda vibe,’ says Rakyand.
‘This looks like the dumbest most mindless nonsense I have ever seen in a while. I will be sat for opening night,’ says UrienOptics.
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Perhaps the bigger question is whether the Street Fighter community alone will be enough to ensure the movie turns a profit or if this adherence to authenticity will move general audiences. Street Fighter’s one of Capcom’s biggest franchises but it lacks the same widespread appeal of something like Super Mario.
This isn’t even the only Capcom related movie out this year, as there are plans for yet another live action Resident Evil in September. Simply titled Resident Evil, it’s directed by Zach Cregger of Weapons fame, although it aims to tell an original story.
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A new trailer was shown recently behind closed doors and though it sounds like it’ll lack any familiar characters from the games, descriptions of the trailer say it’s suitably gory and full of zombies. So, it’s not going to divert too much from the source material.
Cregger is hot stuff in Hollywood at the moment, which may have earned him more leeway to make his film however he wants, but with less famous directors it seems the instruction now is authenticity at all costs.
Guile’s hair looks ridiculous in live action but fans would be mad if it didn’t (YouTube)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge who halted construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom clarified on Thursday that the administration can proceed with below-ground construction of a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington issued his latest ruling in a lawsuit over the ballroom project several days after an appeals court instructed him to reconsider the possible national security implications of stopping construction.
Government lawyers had argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.
Leon had barred work from proceeding without congressional approval, but he suspended enforcement of that order for two weeks. The appeals court extended that stay until Friday.
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Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, said he is ordering a stop only to above-ground construction of the planned ballroom, apart from any work needed to cover or secure that part of the project. Otherwise, the Trump administration is free to proceed with construction of any excavations, bunkers, military installations, and medical facilities below the ballroom.
“Defendants argue that the entire ballroom construction project, from tip to tail, falls within the safety-and-security exception and therefore may proceed unabated,” the judge wrote. “That is neither a reasonable nor a correct reading of my Order!”
The Prime Minister is facing renewed calls for his resignation over the scandal.
17:27, 16 Apr 2026Updated 17:32, 16 Apr 2026
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of misleading MPs over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, after it was reported the peer failed his security vetting but was still handed the Washington job.
Security officials initially denied Lord Mandelson clearance, but the Prime Minister had already named him as Britain’s top diplomat in the US, and the Foreign Office took the rare step of overruling the recommendation, according to The Guardian.
Sir Keir has previously insisted due process was followed in the appointment, and that Lord Mandelson had lied about the extent of his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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The Labour leader has also said the vetting carried out independently by the security services “gave him clearance for the role”.
But the peer was not granted approval following the secretive process by the Cabinet Office’s UK Security Vetting (UKSV) last January, the newspaper reported.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said on X: “Last September, Keir Starmer told Parliament three times that ‘full due process’ was followed over the appointment of Lord Mandelson.
“We now know the Prime Minister misled the House.
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“The Prime Minister must take responsibility.”
Paul Hutcheon
Paul Hutcheon
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Keir Starmer had already made a catastrophic error of judgment. Now it looks as though he has also misled Parliament and lied to the British public. If that is the case, he must go.
“Labour came into government on a promise to clean up politics. Instead we’re seeing the same old sleaze, scandal and cover-ups as we did under the Conservatives.”
The Green Party also called for Sir Keir to resign.
Lord Mandelson, a political appointment rather than a career diplomat, was sacked from his Washington role last September when more details emerged about his relationship with Epstein, who died in 2019.
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Sir Keir has been under fire over the decision to give Lord Mandelson the job despite it being known that his dealings with Epstein continued after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences.
Questions over his judgment intensified after the first batch of documents showed he was warned before announcing Lord Mandelson’s ambassadorship of a “general reputational risk” over the Epstein ties.
That warning stemmed from the first part of the checks, carried out by the Cabinet Office, which was based on information in the public domain at the time.
The second was the highly confidential background vetting by security officials, which followed the announcement but before Lord Mandelson took up his role in February 2025.
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Information unearthed in this process – including any concerns – is never shared with ministers, and the result is binary, either clearing the candidate or barring them.
Foreign Office officials deployed a rarely used authority to override the decision to deny Lord Mandelson clearance, and he was told days later that he had passed, according to The Guardian.
More documents are yet to be released at the behest of MPs.
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The Guardian reported that senior Government officials have been weighing whether to withhold documents from Parliament that would show Lord Mandelson failed the security vetting.
Some material is expected not to be published either because it relates to a police investigation into Lord Mandelson, or because Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee believes it could jeopardise national security or diplomatic relations.
But keeping documents from the committee could amount to a breach of the Conservative motion to release “all papers relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment”.
Sir Keir said in February that Lord Mandelson was cleared by security vetting, which he criticised for failing to disprove the former Labour grandee’s lies.
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He said: “There was a due diligence exercise that culminated in questions being asked because I wanted to know the answer to certain issues.
“That’s why those questions were asked. The answers to those questions were not truthful.
“There was then, I should add, security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave him clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post.
“Clearly, both the due diligence and the security vetting need to be looked at again.
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“I’ve already strengthened the due process. I think we need to look at the security vetting because it now transpires that what was being said was not true. And had I known then what I know now, I’d never have appointed him in the first place.”
Taking questions from journalists following a press conference on 5 February in Hastings, Sir Keir said that “security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave [Lord Mandelson] clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post”.
The cage, which stars Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, was partly shot in the picturesque village of Tockholes as part of a wider production across the North West and is set to air April 26.
It was also filmed in Le Mans Crescent, the go to location for many producers of hit television dramas.
The five-part series, written by BAFTA-nominated Tony Schumacher, follows casino cashier Leanne, played by Smith, who turns to stealing from her workplace to save her family home.
Her actions put her on a collision course with her boss Matty, played by Socha, who is hiding secrets of his own.
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The Cage (Image: BBC)
Filming in Tockholes saw road closures in place last year, with Tockholes Road shut between the Royal Arms and Belmont Road during evening and overnight shoots.
(Image: Henry Lisowski)
Production crews were based in the area for two days, using locations including a pub car park for equipment.
Residents were warned to expect disruption, including changes to their usual routines, while scenes featuring actors in police uniform and vehicles with flashing blue lights were also recorded.
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Filming in Le Mans Crescent (Image: NQ)
The drama has also been filmed in and around Liverpool and Merseyside, with Element Pictures producing the series.
The BBC has released the trailer for the high-stakes drama, which will air on BBC One at 9pm, with all episodes also available on BBC iPlayer.
The Cage features a wider cast including Barry Sloane, Geraldine James and Sue Jenkins, and promises a tense story of crime, loyalty and survival.
All five hour-long episodes will be released at once on BBC iPlayer, alongside weekly broadcasts on BBC One.
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Coronation Street have been filming storylines in the old Bolton Magistrates Court all week.
Liam Rosenior’s side have won just one of their last six games in all competitions, slipping to sixth in the Premier League and crashing out of the Champions League.
Merson believes United’s winless run to continue at Stamford Bridge, backing Chelsea to clinch a crucial 2-1 win to boost their hopes of Champions League qualification.
The Arsenal legend expects Enzo Fernandez to come back into the Chelsea team following his recent absence but says Sesko should be dropped and allowed to ‘make an impact from the bench’ as he has does effectively in the second-half of the season.
Chelsea are struggling under Liam Rosenior (Picture: Getty)
‘Chelsea were atrocious of the highest level in the second half against Manchester City,’ Merson told Sportskeeda.
‘Luckily for them, they now face Manchester United, who were also terrible in the loss to Leeds!
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‘This is a must-not-lose game for United and a must-win game for Chelsea. After this, Chelsea face Brighton away, Nottingham Forest at home, Liverpool away, Spurs at home and Sunderland away.
Manchester United summer signing Benjamin Sesko (Picture: Getty)
‘If they lose this game, I don’t see them playing Champions League football next season.
‘As long as Manchester United avoid defeat, they are at an advantage for Champions League qualification because Chelsea will play Liverpool.
‘I would be shocked if Enzo Fernandez is not back in the line-up for this game.
Man Utd were stunned by Leeds last time out (Picture: Getty)
‘I still can’t get my head around the fact that Chelsea banned him for two matches! They were crying out for someone like him to get on the ball and pass to break lines during the defeat to City.
‘Manchester United were poor against Leeds and have a few injuries to deal with.
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‘I don’t know why Bryan Mbeumo did not start that game though. And Casemiro is nowhere near the same player without Kobbie Mainoo next to him!
‘I would probably leave Benjamin Sesko out of the line-up against Chelsea. He’s someone who they can bring on to make an impact off the bench.
‘The other day against Leeds, they had no one who could do that as a substitute because Sesko was in the starting XI.
‘Chelsea could be ninth in the league by the end of the week, if they don’t win this game. But I actually think they can trouble United. I’m backing Chelsea to get a 2-1 win.’
The actress, who is originally from York, said the proposal would mean replacing a “living, growing woodland created through patience, care and public spirit” with industrial development.
A final decision on Harrogate Spring Water’s (HSW) plans- which has received more than 1,000 objections – will be made by North Yorkshire Council on Friday.
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The scheme would require the removal of hundreds of trees from Rotary Wood, a community woodland planted 20 years ago by children and volunteers.
In a letter addressed to councillors and officers, Dame Judi said: “I am sorry not to be with you in person, but I wanted my support for Rotary Wood and for the local community defending it to be heard clearly at this planning meeting.
“Rotary Wood is not an empty plot waiting for a better use. It is a living, growing woodland created through patience, care and public spirit.”
Other public figures who have voiced opposition include Sam West, and environmentalist Sir Jonathon Porritt, and Dame Joanna Lumley – who called the decision to potentially cut down the trees ‘dreadful in so many ways’.
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Dame Judi added: “Local families, volunteers, schoolchildren and community supporters helped plant it and watch it take root. Over the years it has become part of Harrogate’s natural fabric and part of the area’s shared sense of place.”
“At a time when the country is talking so urgently about biodiversity loss, climate pressure and the need to protect nature close to where people live, it is deeply troubling that a healthy community woodland could be treated as disposable.”
“I respectfully urge the committee to recognise Rotary Wood for what it is: a meaningful community woodland, a haven for wildlife and a symbol of what local people can achieve when they invest in nature. It deserves protection, not destruction.”
North Yorkshire Planning officers have recommended that the scheme be approved.
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Danone – the company behind HSW – said only 500 trees would be affected by the expansion, not the 1,000 claimed by campaigners, and has pledged to plant 491 new trees nearby and a further 3,000 across the district.
It said it had originally planned to plant around 1,500 trees in its new community woodland, next to Rotary Wood, but reduced this to 491 after advice from North Yorkshire Council’s arboriculturist.
A spokesman for HSW said: “Throughout the planning process, we have worked constructively with council officers and listened closely to community concerns.
“These plans are consistent with Danone’s commitments globally to sustainable, responsible development, including its Renewed Forest Policy.
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“Ultimately our goal remains to balance sustainable development and economic growth with care for the local environment and community.”
Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, the trade union which represents vetting officers at UKSV, said: “It is deeply unfortunate that following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Downing Street allowed the impression to circulate that the vetting of Peter Mandelson had not been done correctly by UK Security Vetting.
The judge said he was not prepared to sentence the defendant until he knew his true age and demanded he attend court and confirm his age on oath
16:24, 16 Apr 2026
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A judge told a defendant he must attend court and go into the witness box to testify on oath as to his true date of birth.
Anthony Maughan was due to be sentenced for a spree of burglaries of cafes, restaurants, and shops across Swansea, Neath, Bridgend and Cardiff, but the judge said he was not prepared to pass sentence on a “persistent offender” with 26 different dates of birth recorded on his antecedent record without knowing his true age.
The judge adjourned the hearing and ordered Maughan, who was appearing in court via a videolink, to be brought to court in person so he could go into the witness box.
Matthew Comer, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that over an 18-day period in January and February this year Maughan burgled 10 business premises, namely the Giggling Squid restaurant, a Tesco Express shop, Castle Welsh Crafts shop, Total Asia restaurant, and Cote Brasserie – all in Cardiff – Costa Coffee in Bridgend, Kumar Stores in Neath, and an Aldi supermarket, Fresco Cafe, and Green Room restaurant all in Swansea.
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The barrister said that over the same period Maughan also committed theft from a vehicle, an offence which saw him entering the cab of a lorry while the driver was making a delivery in Cardiff.
The court heard that a number of burglaries saw the defendant entering staff only areas while the businesses were open, but that on a number of occasions he had forced entry to premises through rear doors or fire exits while they were closed.
Among the haul of items stolen by Maughan during the spree were bank cards, North Face jackets, keys, iPhones, meats and cheeses, bottles of Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff vodka, and champagne, and a pair of new Adidas trainers.
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He also took various quantities of cash.
Anthony Paul Maughan, of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to 10 counts of non-dwelling burglary and one count of theft from a vehicle when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Judge Huw Rees said that, looking through the defendant’s antecedent record, it was clear he was a “persistent offender” and he noted that over the years he had provided 26 different dates of birth.
He said he was not prepared to pass sentence until the true date of birth was established, and he directed the prosecution to make its own enquiries.
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And he told the defendant that he would be required to attend court in person and to testify as to his true date of birth on oath.
Sentencing was adjourned to April 29 and Maughan was further remanded into custody.
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Frank Lampard played down speculation linking Coventry with Chelsea’s Jesse Derry (Picture: Getty)
Frank Lampard has distanced himself from rumours linking Coventry with a loan move for Chelsea’s Jesse Derry, insisting his focus remains on the club securing a return to the Premier League.
Coventry are within touching distance of sealing automatic promotion from the Championship, with a draw away to Blackburn Rovers enough to send Lampard’s men up on Friday night.
The Sky Blues have been dominant in the English second tier under Lampard and hold an imperious ten-point lead over second-placed Ipswich with three games remaining of the campaign.
But while promotion is all but confirmed, the club’s hierarchy recognise it will take a monumental effort to survive next season given the strength and financial might of those teams competing in the top flight.
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With summer recruitment set to be key, Lampard is said to have identified Chelsea youngster Derry as a loan target in preparation for Coventry’s first appearance in the Premier League following a 25-year hiatus.
According to talkSPORT, Lampard plans to utilise his deep Stamford Bridge connections to get a temporary deal over the line for the highly rated 18-year-old forward, who can play on the left and through the middle.
Derry, the son of former QPR and Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun, made his senior Chelsea debut as a substitute in the side’s FA Cup victory over Hull City in February and has been tipped for a bright future with the Blues.
Derry has emerged as a possible target for Coventry (Picture: Getty)
The teenager has made two appearances for Chelsea this season (Picture: Getty)
Asked about the rumours surrounding Derry and, more generally, how far along Coventry are in planning for next season, Lampard told reporters: ‘Not that far, if I’m honest, because of the jeopardy of the season.
‘I know it feels like in the last week or so things have felt more apparent but at the same time, me personally, I’ve been focusing on the job in hand.’
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‘I’m not stupid. I know that this may happen and there’s a lot of work to do at the football club, whether it be things at the training ground to try and get the levels to what I know is the Premier League, because I’ve been there in different forms.
The England U19 international has been tipped for a bright future (Picture: Getty)
‘So those are all things that the football club has to really broach quickly, and we’re all aware of that.
‘But in terms of individual players, I’m not saying all those rumours [regarding Jesse Derry] are false, but they’re definitely not true as a fact.
‘And that’s one of the difficult things now in football, recruitment, because you’re as good as it, to a degree, because you need good players. And I think the club has done a really good job in terms of that at where we are in the Championship because you can see where we are in terms of what we spend etcetera.’
Coventry will go up should they avoid defeat at Blackburn on Friday (Picture: Getty)
Lampard urged both supporters and those in the media not to give too much weight to rumours linking Coventry with potential incomings and outgoings at this stage.
‘It’s not a parachute team but we’ve had our way of doing it and that’s going to change this summer, if we get to where we want to get to because the level will go up,’ he added.
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‘So there’s a lot of work to be done but the rumours that are whirling around now, I wouldn’t hold too much to them, with respect.’
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Derry, who has scored eight times in 15 appearances for the England Under-19s, is tied into a contract with Chelsea until June 2029.
The teenager joined Chelsea on a four-year deal from Crystal Palace last summer and has played the vast majority of his football in Premier League 2 this season.
Facing the media prior to Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round victory win over Wrexham last month, Liam Rosenior revealed how Derry had ‘really impressed’ him with his application on the training ground.
‘Ryan [Kavuma-McQueen] and Jesse will travel with the group, so they will be part of the squad for Wrexham,’ Rosenior told reporters.
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Derry has shone for Chelsea in Premier League 2 this season (Picture: Getty)
‘Jesse has really impressed me, Ryan’s impressed, but it’s not just those two. There have been a few that I’ve got to see in training when they’ve been brought up that I’m really happy with.
‘Reggie Watson has trained with us a few times, he’s really impressed me. It’s scary the age that he is. Young Mahdi [Nicoll-Jazuli] has been up a few times, he’s an outstanding talent as well.
‘There are some outstanding young players in the group. We just need to make sure we put them in at the right time and they get the experiences that they need to continue their development.’
Derry is a ‘ridiculous’ talent, according to Manchester United great Ferdinand (Picture: Getty)
A month earlier, Rio Ferdinand named Derry as one of four young English talents to keep an eye on in the Premier League, along with Rio Ngumoha, Max Dowman and JJ Gabriel.
‘You know the four, right now, if I was going to put money on and going these four, and you know what, it probably won’t even be these four that go and dominate the Premier League and do crazy things,’ the legendary ex-Manchester United defender said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
‘If you were going to put your money on four kids right now, in the Premier League to do their thing, based on what you’re seeing now, you’ve got Rio at Liverpool, you’ve got Max Dowman, you’ve got JJ Gabriel at Manchester United and Jesse Derry at Chelsea.
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‘Jesse Derry, I know his dad, Shaun, he’s an ex-player, but I know the kid, wow, ridiculous, not only a talent, but an actual, like, as a kid who loves, loves the game.
‘You know, certain kids, they just love football and live and breathe. All the time, he makes that and the balls that you see, like, still, one of those kids.’
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