Ashley John Crowder, 36, is accused of murdering 37-year-old Graham Cox at Barton Walk in Farnworth at some point before March 5, 2024 and of repeatedly stealing from him and assaulting him.

A trial that opened this week at Bolton Crown Court, more than two years after Mr Cox was found dead, heard how he had been in a “pitiful state” in the time leading up to his death.

Mukul Chawla KC, prosecuting, said: “The murder occurred in the days before Graham Cox’s body was discovered on the evening of March 5.

“He had been beaten and there were fractures of the laryngeal cartilages in the neck.”

The trial opened at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

He added: “The prosecution say that Mr Crowder beat and strangled Mr Cox to death.”

Mr Chawla said it had not been possible to establish the exact time of Mr Cox’s death but that it had happened at some point before March 5, 2024.

Mr Chawla told the jury of seven men and seven women that Mr Cox had been “extremely vulnerable”, because of his long-term drug use and from strokes he suffered in 2023.

Police on the scene around Barton Walk (Image: Newsquest)

He told jurors that Crowder had access to Mr Cox’s bank cards and phone and so was able to take money from him in the period leading up to the 37-year-old’s death.

Mr Chawla said: “The thefts alleged are that this defendant stole money from Mr Cox.

“Not in the usual way perhaps by picking his pocket or by taking his wallet but, by forcing Mr Cox to pass all the money that he received as benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions to the defendant when Mr Cox was, as you will see, in desperate need of it.”

Crowder, who wore a teal and blue North Face top and black trousers, listened from the dock as Mr Chawla told the court he had assaulted Mr Cox on February 22, just weeks before his death.

Officers investigating around Barton Walk in Farnworth (Image: Newsquest)

He said Mr Cox was left with bruising to his face and arms and that he had “suffered a beating” that damaged his ribs.

Jurors heard how on March 5 that year a woman called 999 and told the police she believed there was a dead man at a flat on Barton Walk.

On arriving, officers were let into Crowder’s flat by the defendant himself who told them “What it is, my mate’s passed away.

“I was about to phone the ambulance, I’ve just gone and checked on him, do you want to come in?”

A murder investigation was launched after Mr Cox was found dead (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Chawla said that Crowder told the officers Mr Cox had suffered a blood clot after hitting his head on a cabinet and that he had been “looking after him for four weeks”.

Crowder was arrested on suspicion of assault shortly after Mr Cox was formally pronounced dead and just after midnight that night was rearrested on suspicion of murder.

On being interviewed Crowder refused to answer most of the questions put to him but made it clear that Mr Cox had not been “locked in the flat” and had been able to leave if he wanted to.

But Mr Chawla told the jury that the investigation uncovered a “history of profound physical and financial abuse of Mr Cox by the defendant”.

Mr Chawla said: “The prosecution say that it is clear that Graham Cox had been fearful of the defendant for some considerable time.”

He told the jury that Mr Cox had made several complaints about Crowder over the last six months of 2023, not to the police but to medical professionals.

In one such case Mr Cox stayed over at hospital where a ward sister said that he told her that over the past 10 weeks a “friend” had stolen his bank card to buy drugs.

Mr Cox also told the nurse that this “friend” had taken the keys to his house, had been attacking him and that he was afraid to contact the police because he was fearful about “retaliation”.

Mr Chawla said it was clear that Crowder did in fact have Mr Cox’s bank cards during this time, including messages to his mother saying: “I’ve got Graham’s cards and phone”.

Later, on August 16 that year, before being discharged from hospital Mr Cox told an occupational therapist that he had previously agreed to move in with a “friend”.

But things “very quickly turned sour” and this man was a heavy drug user who was often involved in physical attacks.

Mr Cox told the occupational therapist that before coming to hospital he was “being chased with a knife and was fearful for his life”.

Mr Chawla said on October 26, Mr Cox showed a healthcare assistant text he had received saying “words to the effect like ‘you will get me the money today’ and ‘don’t f*** me over.’”

He told jurors how while staying at Royal Bolton Hospital Mr Cox “pleaded” with the healthcare assistant not to let Crowder into the ward to see him.

Crowder, of Barton Walk, Farnworth, denies murder, the alternative count of manslaughter, assault and four counts of theft.

The trial, before the Honorary Recorder for Bolton Judge Nicholas Clarke KC, continues.

One of the most striking features of the Iran war has been the resilience of the global oil market. Despite the disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, prices have generally hovered around US$100 (£75) per barrel – a lower level than many observers had expected.

A key reason for this resilience is the growing importance of oil production in the Americas. Even before the war, the International Energy Agency predicted that virtually all global oil demand growth in 2026 could be met by rising supply from North and South American countries such as the US, Canada, Brazil, Guyana and Argentina.

At that time, the Opec oil producers’ cartel was also preparing to increase output, raising expectations of a period of oversupply and weak prices. The war changed that picture dramatically. The closure of Hormuz has removed up to 14 million barrels a day from the market, propelling prices higher and triggering large global stock draws instead of the expected stock builds.

Yet high prices are often the best cure for shortages. Oil producers across the Americas have responded to the disruption by increasing output and exports. In the US, crude exports rose to a record 6.44 million barrels a day in April. It is also adding new export infrastructure, with nearly 800,000 barrels a day of additional dock capacity due to come online in 2026.

Meanwhile, Brazil has added eight new offshore floating oil production vessels in recent years, with a combined capacity approaching 1.5 million barrels a day. Its oil production is also expected to rise sharply again in 2026.

Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company, recently started a new production project at one of these vessels in the Búzios field off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Production began five months ahead of schedule, partly to take advantage of elevated global prices.

Elsewhere in South America, Guyana has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers. Guyanese oil output has already reached around 900,000 barrels a day and could almost double by the end of the decade. Even Venezuela, long associated with declining oil production and economic crisis, has substantially increased exports in response to higher prices.

Taken together, the Americas are expected to produce around 30 million barrels of oil per day later in 2026, approaching pre-war Opec production levels. The US alone remains the world’s largest producer, with its total production of liquid hydrocarbons reaching almost 22 million barrels a day in April.

Opec helped create this boom

This rise in western hemispheric production did not happen in isolation. Ironically, it was helped by Opec itself. For years, Opec’s de facto leader Saudi Arabia and its partners restricted oil output to support higher prices. Those elevated prices helped make more expensive projects in the Americas commercially viable, especially US shale production.

Saudi Arabia’s strategy of “higher for longer” prices was partly driven by domestic economic ambitions. To finance projects linked to its economic diversification plans, including the vast new Neom city development, the Saudis need oil prices of at least US$90 a barrel. The result has been a powerful incentive for producers outside Opec to expand.

Yet, despite this momentum, declaring a permanent shift in oil’s centre of gravity away from the Middle East would be premature. The economics of production still strongly favour Gulf producers, with oil extraction costs in the Persian Gulf remaining among the lowest in the world.

In some fields, Saudi Arabia and neighbouring producers can extract oil for less than US$10 a barrel. Across the Gulf region more broadly, average production costs are estimated at roughly US$27 a barrel. By contrast, much of North American shale production requires prices closer to between US$50 and US$65 a barrel to remain profitable.

That difference matters enormously during periods of lower prices. If markets weaken again, higher-cost producers in the Americas would come under pressure first. Gulf producers, with vast reserves and extremely low costs, would probably be able to outlast them.

Geography also favours the Middle East in many key markets. For growing Asian economies such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, importing oil from the nearby Gulf remains the cheapest option.

Many Asian refineries were designed specifically to process Middle Eastern crude grades, which are rich in middle distillates such as diesel and jet fuel – the hydrocarbons that typically drive economic development. Much of the shale oil exported from the US is lighter and less suitable as a direct replacement.

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At the same time, Gulf producers are investing heavily to protect their long-term role in global energy markets. The United Arab Emirates is expanding pipeline infrastructure that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, including upgrading its Habshan-Fujairah pipeline.

And Saudi Arabia already operates its vast East-West Pipeline, which is capable of transporting 7 million barrels per day of oil to the Red Sea. These projects are designed to reduce vulnerability to regional instability and secure export routes for decades to come.

The Americas are unquestionably transforming the global oil market. The region is now effectively what is known as a swing producer, providing some flexibility during supply crises and geopolitical shocks.

But long-term dominance in oil markets is determined not only by production volumes. Cost, geography, infrastructure and reserve size matter too. On those measures, the Middle East still holds a formidable advantage.

For as long as the world continues to consume large volumes of oil, the Gulf is likely to remain the industry’s core production and export hub – even if the Americas are becoming an increasingly important source of crude oil.

The former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star couldn’t give too much away about his appearance in the upcoming series, which could air on our screens towards the end of this year or early in 2027.

Speaking exclusively to Freebets.com, the home of the best slot sites, Anthony said: It was a phenomenal experience.

“Working with the cast and the crew, they were outstanding. The director Paul [Whittington] was brilliant. I can’t wait for it to come out; it’s very exciting.

“A bit of gritty material is what I like to get my teeth stuck into. More gritty roles in hard-hitting dramas, those are the ones for me.

“I’ve had a vast number of roles, obviously most recognised for Hollyoaks and Emmerdale. Gilly [Roach] in Hollyoaks was more of a hapless fool, unlucky in love, fun and outgoing, and took nothing too seriously apart from his love life. He was a great joy to play.

“Pete [Barton] on the other hand, pretty much lost his whole family; his mum, his dad, his brother Finn, with only him and Ross left of the brothers. He went through the mill, and was also unlucky in love.

“But I’ve done films and short films playing much more intense characters and those are the roles I really prefer.”

Anthony also spoke about the support that his partner and co-parent, Nikki Sanderson, has given him throughout his career, and he would welcome the chance to appear alongside the former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star.

“That’s something I’d totally embrace, and I’m hoping Nikki would too,” he added.

“There are many benefits to being with a fellow actor. We help each other out on audition tapes and it’s always nice to get a second opinion from someone who understands the craft.

“I’d fully embrace it 100 per cent. It’d be great to play a role alongside my partner.”

The 42-year-old revealed what had been the stand-out role of his career to date and cited a short film called ‘Asphyxiate’ released in 2020, written by Michaela McCormick, who also starred in the film.

“It was an abuse-based film about gaslighting, with some really quite heavy material. The character I was playing was the abuser.

“It was a really heavy role to play, but in terms of the research and the psyche behind the character, that was really interesting.

“There were long days filming, and it was quite hard to shake off in terms of how it made me feel.

“You just think how people can go about their daily lives in that way. It was harrowing to go through, but you fully divulge yourself into the role.

“It was one of my favourite roles for different and difficult reasons. You get into the psyche of the character, break it down, and understand the behaviour patterns. It was interesting, yet horrible at the same time.”

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday in another test of President Donald Trump’s power over his party after he handpicked challenger and ultimate winner Ed Gallrein to oust the incumbent.

The result showed the president’s persisting influence over GOP voters and added to a growing number of Trump-backed primary challengers to defeat Republican lawmakers who angered him in his second term, including Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and several Indiana state senators who defied him on redistricting.

Massie, who has served in Congress since 2012, is one of the last and most outspoken holdouts. He pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, criticized the war in Iran and voted against the president’s signature tax legislation last year. Still, he tried to convince voters that they could be for both him and Trump.

In the evening, after the primary result was known, Massie took the stage before a fired-up crowd that cheered and chanted throughout his speech, including slogans such as “no more wars” and “America First!”

“We stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party,” Massie said.

He also criticized unwavering fealty to Trump in Congress: “If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule,” he said. But if lawmakers follow the constitution, “we have a Republic.

Gallrein delivered a shorter, more muted speech at his victory party in Covington, where he first thanked Trump for his support and leadership.

Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, ran on his military service and loyalty to the president and accused Massie of forsaking Trump and the party. He is expected to win the general election against Democrat Melissa Strange in the deeply red district.

The president visited Kentucky to boost Gallrein in March.

The primary turned white hot in the final stretch of the campaign as Massie recruited a phalanx of other Republicans, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, in an attempt to show voters that they could support both him and Trump. Trump ratcheted up his social media attacks on Massie, calling him “an obstructionist and a fool,” and Gallrein shared a stage with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday.

The race was the most expensive U.S. House primary in history.

Also Tuesday, Republicans statewide chose U.S. Rep. Andy Barr as their nominee to replace Mitch McConnell, the longtime U.S. Senate leader. In a contest representing a generational changing of the guard for the party, Barr, who was endorsed by Trump, bested Daniel Cameron, a former state attorney general who leaned into his Christianity on the campaign trail.

Massie’s challenge

Massie’s challenge was to win over voters who generally think favorably of Trump, the same man telling them to vote for Gallrein. It was not the first Republican primary Trump has tried to sway, but Massie’s overt rebelliousness has been a particular challenge to the president.

Gallrein embraced the role Trump gave him and focused his pitch to voters on his personal history and unwavering loyalty to the president.

Some voters were fed up with Massie bucking the party.

George Scherzer, who lives in the small town of Crestwood, supported Massie in past elections but did not like his lack of support for some of the president’s agenda, including last year’s tax and spending bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill.

“Some of his votes just did not make sense to me,” Scherzer said.

Massie noted that he voted with his party the vast majority of the time. As for the remainder, he said those were on proposals that violated his America First principles such as adding to the national debt and getting into military entanglements like the war with Iran.

Massie has voted against U.S. aid to Israel and faced accusations of antisemitism. He has denied the charges, arguing that he is generally against all foreign aid. But the race drew in millions of dollars against him from pro-Israel interest groups, including from the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund.

That became a stump topic for Massie, who said the attempt to oust him was to send a warning to other lawmakers who oppose the president or aid to Israel.

In a last-minute pitch to Kentucky Republicans, Boebert posted photos of her with Massie and with Trump on the social platform X, saying, “I support both of these men.” Replying to that, Massie said: “she likes both Trump and me! Yes it’s possible!!”

Trump lashed out at Boebert on his Truth Social platform, asking for a Republican to challenge her — even though the filing deadline in her home state of Colorado has already passed. “Anybody that dumb deserves a good Primary fight!” he wrote.

Trump also influenced Senate primary

The president swayed the race not just through his endorsement but by offering a third challenger, Nate Morris, an ambassadorship just over two weeks before Election Day. Morris, who fashioned himself as the MAGA candidate, withdrew from the race and encouraged his backers to support Barr.

Barr was first elected in 2012 in the 6th Congressional District. As with Gallrein, he is expected to win the general election in the Republican-dominated state.

During the campaign both Barr and Cameron tiptoed around their relationship with McConnell, whom they previously called a mentor.

McConnell criticized Trump over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and more recently voted against some of his Cabinet picks. He is stepping down after becoming the longest serving Senate leader in American history, coinciding with a transformation of the party under Trump.

Many Republicans, while admiring McConnell’s achievements, see him as out of step with the Make America Great Again and America First movements spawned by Trump. Both Barr and Cameron took note, and while ingratiating themselves to the president, they put some distance between themselves and the senator.

___

Bedayn reported from Austin, Texas.

Symptoms of meningitis include high temperature, severe headache, vomiting and confusion

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A junior school pupil has become the fourth person to contract meningitis in Reading, following the tragic death of a child last week. The child is among a group of students who contracted Meningitis B (MenB), including teenager Lewis Waters, from The Henley College in Oxfordshire, who died last week.

The Mirror reports two further patients being treated for the infection are pupils at separate schools in the area. They are Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.

Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “A fourth case of meningococcal disease has been confirmed in Reading.

“This fourth case has links with the same wider social network as the other cases, where measures, including antibiotic prophylaxis, have already been implemented.”

The individual, whose age has not been revealed, is a pupil at Westwood Farm Junior School and is recovering well, Dr Mearkle added.

“The risk to the wider public remains low and this case is not linked to the incidents in Kent or Dorset,” she said.

Sixth form pupil Lewis Waters “fought hard” after catching meningitis but developed sepsis and tragically died last week “within a few hours of feeling a bit ill,” his father Sean said.

In a social media post on Sean Waters paid tribute to his son and wrote: “Words simply can’t describe the heartbreak and upset we’re going through.” He added: “[Sean] fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU [Intensive Care Unit] team, but they just couldn’t save him.”

He said his son was “funny, sociable and kind-hearted”, and “loved his sisters, friends and family dearly”, adding: “Life won’t be the same for many of us now that he’s gone.”

The latest cases of meningitis in Reading follow a major outbreak in Kent that killed two people and left more than a dozen others needing hospital treatment in March.

Eighteen-year-old student Juliette Kenny tragically died on March 14 following the outbreak in Kent – just a day after she first started showing symptoms of meningitis.

Juliette was a year 13 student at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham, and was described by her father Michael Kenny as “fit, healthy and strong” before her death.

An unnamed 21-year-old University of Kent student also died in the outbreak in March.

Meningitis can affect anyone but babies, young children, teenagers and university students are considered among the groups most at risk due to close contact in schools, nurseries and shared accommodation.

Symptoms can appear suddenly and in any order, according to the NHS, but some symptoms may not appear at all.

They include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain and a rash that does not fade under pressure.

Police have cordoned off an area in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens following reports of a suspected stabbing, with witnesses reporting multiple people allegedly injured

A major armed police operation has descended on Manchester City Centre following reports of a ‘suspected stabbing’.

Greater Manchester Police sealed off an area near Superdrug in Piccadilly Gardens on Tuesday evening, May 19.

A police helicopter was also hovering overhead for at least forty minutes, reportedly hunting for those involved.

Witnesses have claimed that multiple people had been stabbed, though this has yet to be confirmed by Greater Manchester Police.

A male was spotted being rushed into an ambulance as the city centre saw a massive emergency services presence.

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With roads shut and cordons established, medical debris can be spotted scattered on the ground with bloodied bandages visible inside the blue tape.

CID officers also arrived at the scene.

Manchester Evening News have contacted Greater Manchester Police for further comment.

Massie, who has been in office since 2012, broke with Trump by voting against his “big, beautiful” tax and spending legislation last year over concerns about the national debt. He has also voted to curtail Trump’s attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and his ongoing war in Iran.

However, Arsenal have since won four Premier League games in a row to fight back from that wobble and celebrate a title triumph for the first time since the famous ‘Invincibles’ side of 2003/04 under Arsene Wenger, with the Champions League final against holders Paris Saint-Germain to come in Budapest on May 30.

Police rushed to the scene to alleged reports of a ‘stabbing’

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A huge armed police response has rushed to Manchester City Centre after reports of a ‘suspected stabbing’.

Greater Manchester Police cordoned off an area near Superdrug in Piccadilly Gardens on Tuesday night, May 19.

A police helicopter was also circling for at least forty minutes, reportedly searching for those involved.

Witnesses have reported that multiple people had been stabbed, however this is yet to be confirmed by Greater Manchester Police.

A male was seen being rushed into an ambulance as the city centre gained a huge emergency services presence.

As the roads are closed and cordons are in place, medical debris can be seen left lying on the floor with bloodied bandages inside the blue tape.

CID officers also attended the scene.

Manchester Evening News have approached Greater Manchester Police for further comment.