Leon Beagan fatally punched popular amateur footballer Andrew Lees outside Renfrew Leisure Centre.

A thug who killed a popular amateur footballer with a single punch has been jailed for seven years. Leon Beagan, 29, punched Andrew Lees outside Renfrew Leisure Centre on November 5, 2023.

The 27 year-old – known as Panda – suffered a fatal rupture of an artery in his neck and sadly passed away in hospital. Beagan was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier been convicted of a charge of culpable homicide.

Judge Douglas Brown told the killer the death was “a tragedy” and that it had left Mr Lees’ grieving mother “completely shattered”.

The victim – described as a “big friendly giant with a heart of gold” – played for local team Glynhill Moorcroft AFC. He had been at a game before going to Davidson’s Bar with a friend.

The other man left around 11.30pm – Mr Lees stayed and ended up in the company of the killer’s half-sister Skye Beagan. Mr Lees and Miss Beagan were later in Renfrew town centre before they met Beagan in the car park of the sports centre.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor William Frain-Bell said: “It is not clear as to what the problem was between Skye Beagan, Andrew Lees and Leon Beagan.

“Things seemed to have kicked off when they came across each other.”

CCTV footage captured the men appearing to confront one another. This continued before Beagan landed a blow on Mr Lees’ head.

The victim did not expect the punch and was heard to state: “What did you do that for?” Mr Lees soon collapsed to the ground.

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Beagan walked off before others called for help. Beagan was said to have shown a “callous disregard” for what he had done to the man.

Paramedics tried to revive him – he was rushed to hospital, but never recovered. The artery tear had resulted in bleeding around the brain.

This type of injury was typically caused by a blow to the side of the head.

In his speech, Mr Frain-Bell added: “Leon Beagan accepts that he punched Andrew Lees.

“He told you that Panda was swinging a punch at him but he missed.

“However, this is not what Mr Beagan told his girlfriend when he got back to her flat.

“She said that Mr Lees pushed Mr Beagan – Mr Beagan pushed him back and then punched him.

“There was no mention of a punch by Andrew Lees.”

Beagan – also known as Gibson -had been on bail during the trial, but was remanded in custody.

Judge Brown told him: “Andrew Lees was plainly popular and much loved by many who knew him.

“The greatest impact will be on those close to him in particular his mother Angela Lees.

“He was her only child. He was loving, kind and protective.

“When he was killed her life was completely shattered. She will never recover from her devastating loss.”

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In the five years since Raducanu stunned the world by winning the US Open, a question has often been posed by those seeking answers about her progress – or lack of it – since.

Why did she not continue with the guy who guided her to that unfathomable victory?

At the time, the split was often portrayed as a natural parting of the ways at the end of Richardson’s contract – as he wanted to focus on his job at the Ferrer Academy.

Richardson later disputed that narrative,, external indicating he would have been happy to carry.

It was also suggested Raducanu wanted a coach with greater experience of the WTA Tour.

Wherever the truth lies, enough water has passed under the bridge for the pair to attempt to revive their spectacular winning formula.

Raducanu played with an aggressive fearlessness during that unforgettable run at Flushing Meadows, taking returns early and hustling her opponents as she did not drop a set.

She has rarely played with the same intent, belief and freedom since.

After a dismal Australian Open second-round exit in January, she discussed at length how she yearned to play in “a way more similar to how I was playing when I was younger”.

Raducanu feels more relaxed – and therefore plays better – when she is surrounded by long-time confidants who she trusts implicitly.

Therefore, it seems natural that the carousel nature of her appointments – having gone through several full-time coaches, as well as a series of ad hoc guidance – goes back to almost the very start.

After previously turning to Nick Cavaday and Mark Petchey, who have both known her since she was a child, Richardson is the latest familiar face who will attempt to help her kick-start a career which has failed to live up to its early promise.

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The ex The Smiths singer is often called ‘one of the greatest lyricists of his generation’ and now he’s coming back to Cardiff

Morrissey is coming to Cardiff on his live tour during late 2026. The shows are in support of his new album, Make Up is a Lie, and he’ll be at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on Thursday, December 10.

Presale tickets go on sale from May 20 at 9am, while general sale tickets are live from May 22 at 9am – visit Ticketmaster for tickets and more information.

You can also get your tickets via gigsandtours.com. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here

It will be Morrissey’s first gig in the Welsh capital since 2015 when he also played the arena.

The live dates around the UK follow the former The Smiths singer’s sold-out show at The O2, London, earlier this year, and also include dates in Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow and Leeds,

Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in British pop as well as one of the greatest lyricists of his generation, Morrissey has achieved 25 top ten album placings in the UK: 15 solo, and 10 with The Smiths. His 1992 concert at the Hollywood Bowl broke The Beatles record as the fastest-ever sell out at the Bowl. He has received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.

Morrissey’s live UK dates 2026

• 06 December @ Brighton Centre
• 10 December @ Cardiff Utilita Arena
• 12 December @ Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
• 16 December @ Glasgow OVO Hydro
• 19 December @ Leeds First Direct Bank Arena

West Ham are staring down the barrel of relegation from the Premier League and responsibility for their plight lies squarely with the club’s ownership, who now need a favour from David Moyes

The crowd at the London Stadium was fantastic. You would never have known West Ham are on the brink of relegation – and an impending financial disaster.

The supporters were loud, proud and really got behind a team which gave everything and came so close to snatching something from Premier League leaders Arsenal. Ultimately, it was not to be and now West Ham have two games to save themselves – at Newcastle and then against Leeds on the final day – and then hope Tottenham slip up in their run-in.

It is a straight fight between West Ham and Tottenham now. The only two teams that can go down. Incredibly, Everton boss David Moyes, the former West Ham boss, might be able to do his old club a favour because the Toffees go to Spurs on the final day.

What an irony that would be. The manager who gave West Ham one of their finest hours – the Europa Conference League trophy – saving them again. He did a few red Adair missions to keep West Ham up in the past.

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And you can be sure that even if Everton cannot do West Ham a favour there will be plenty of people saying: “told you so. Should have stuck with Moyes.” Yes, they probably should. Moyes is a brilliant manager. And West Ham should have spent the proceeds from the £105million sale of Declan Rice better.

And the owners should take the blame. What an absolute car crash the club has become. Badly run, sinking fast and Karren Brady even jumped ship before the end. Let’s not take any more lectures from her about football, please.

Nuno Espirito Santo has given it a good go. He has actually improved their home form, made them better to watch and harder to beat. I thought he was a pragmatist of a manger but he has better than that. But you can be sure there will be a lot of soul searching from the outside and a lot of people ready to knock West Ham fans and their craving for good football. Playing the West Ham way. That is what probably did for Moyes in the end.

But should they apologise for wanting to be entertained and wanting good football? Absolutely not. I think it is absolutely brilliant that a set of fans wants good football, sees it as a huge part of the club’s identity and takes pride from that.

Jarrod Bowen is a terrific player. One of West Ham’s best. He wears his heart on his sleeve and typifies this team. He is attacking, always looks forward and must go to to the World Cup. He is one of the players they will surely lose if they go down. Mateus Fernandes will be another. They will have to have a fire sale to survive.

But don’t blame the fans for that. Don’t blame a set of fans who are as passionate and brilliant as they come. Blame the hierarchy, the people in charge, the people who have run one of English football’s greatest clubs into the ground.

West Ham are showing spirit and a fight to survive. It’s not unthinkable they can stay up. It would have been had Tottenham beaten Leeds on Monday night.

But Spurs slipped. West Ham might just take advantage. They are going down fighting and sticking to their footballing principles. And in an age where football has become more like a wrestling match, that is something they should be very proud of.

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Coleman has struggled with injuries in recent years and featured only three times in the Premier League this season – lasting only 10 minutes on his only start because of injury in November.

If he does play some role against the Black Cats at the weekend, he will go ninth in Everton‘s all-time appearances list, above former players Dixie Dean and Leon Osman, with 434 appearances in all competitions.

Coleman has earned his Uefa B License coaching badge, which allows him to coach amateur teams, youth teams up to the age of 16 and serve as an assistant coach.

In early 2025, when ex-Everton boss Sean Dyche was sacked, Coleman took interim charge of the first team alongside former team-mate Leighton Baines for an FA Cup tie against Peterborough United.

Coleman, who has captained the Merseyside club 140 times, continued: “I want to thank the fans for their unbelievable support. You’ve helped me in more ways than you could imagine.

“I live in the city – I see you all daily – and I’ve taken your love of the football club back into the dressing room to explain to the lads how much Everton means to the people.

“I also thank my managers, team-mates and all the staff. They’ve seen me happy, sad, angry, emotional, but the greater cause has always been Everton.

“Thank you for making me a better captain and team-mate. It’s an incredible football club with incredible people.”

Gloria Stephenson, 86, was on a Zebra crossing when e bike rider Billy Stokoe, 19, hit her at high speed. Stokoe couldn’t brake because he held his mobile phone in his left hand.

The family of the devoted grandmother killed by a drugged-up e-biker slammed him for leaving her dead ‘in the gutter’ as he was jailed today.

Gloria Stephenson, 86, a mum-of-four, was on a Zebra crossing near her home when Billy Stokoe, 19, hit her at high speed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Stokoe couldn’t brake because he was looking at his mobile phone in his left hand. After spending the day weaving dangerously in and out of traffic, his bike collided with Gloria, killing her instantly. Stokoe then fled the scene on the high-powered e-bike.

Gloria was a widow who had lost three husbands to cancer. She had thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren..

Gloria’s family told how she had been out walking her daughter’s dog and was planning an overseas holiday with friends.

In their tribute, they described her as an ‘amazing mum’ who had devoted her life to her family and her local community.

She once managed to make fly tippers drive off when she pretended to take a picture of them – even though she could not use the camera on her phone.

In contrast, Stokoe thought of no one but himself after the horrific crime, asking to change his bail so he could go on holiday and to a football match as his victim’s family planned her funeral.

Gloria’s furious daughters Julie Francis and Janine Murphy told how Stokoe asked to travel to Wembley to see Sunderland 10 days after he caused their mother’s death by dangerous driving.

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Julie said: “He is just a coward, thinking about himself. He left her alone to die like she is a bit of rubbish in the gutter. We had to go to Crown Court three times before he admitted his guilt, which I find disgusting.

“Obviously, it is traumatic for us but it wastes public money and police time. There is no consideration for the community or for people suffering.”

She added that Stokoe deserved to go to prison for a “for a very long time.” “They need to set an example,” she added. “We need justice.

“Ten days after he killed my mother, he actually applied to have his bail changed so he could see Sunderland in the play-offs at Wembley. And then he applied to go on holiday as well.

“So this young man showed no remorse whatsoever. And that just adds to our trauma and our anger really.

“We have all seen these bikes on the streets and they are a menace. So the law needs to be changed.”

“They are terrorising people, making you feel unsafe and threatened. I feel that as soon as I see one.

“As a community and as a society, we need to act. It is no good just sitting there moaning. We need to report it. Then they can come and confiscate the bikes.

“We are not going to get over what happened. We are not going to get our mum back.

“Hopefully we will be able to move on. We have not been able to grieve because we have been holding it back for the court case.”

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Janine spoke of her mother’s ‘zest for life’ and stressed that ‘it was not her time to go.’ Gloria had a holiday booked in Lanzarote and was due to travel three weeks after the tragedy.

Janine said: “She was an amazing mum. She had such a zest for life. She still had time. People cannot go out on the road, be reckless, drive while high or on the phone and not expect an accident to happen.

“This has been a nightmare. It has been like something you watch on TV. You never think that it is going to happen to your family.”

Julie described he mum as a “clever and aspirational woman” who was devoted to her grandchildren.

“We did not have much money growing up and she got a job as a cleaner at the hospital doing the tea time shift when my mum came in from work,” she added.

“Her boss recognised something in her and they sent her to Newcastle Polytechnic and she became the domestic services manager for Sunderland Health Authority.

“She was a clever woman and really well respected. She loved her children and grandchildren.

“She would treat them all equally and from being young she would take them to a caravan in Hamsterley Forest and build dens with them. She just loved it. She loved being with her family and we just loved being with her.”

Her children and grandchildren spent days with Glenda in Newcastle, shopping and drinking cocktails together. They will ‘never get over’ the loss of such a loving mum and grandmother but hope the end of the court case will bring ‘some kind of closure’.

Gaelic footballer Sean Fitzgerald has been nominated as a potential participant on the popular reality TV programme Love Island.

The 25-year-old has been selected on a shortlist for the hugely successful series, which is set to launch on ITV on 1 June.

He has amassed a significant following on TikTok, where his account Fitzy has attracted an impressive 94,100 followers. He posted a video to the platform in February in which he expressed his ambition to take part in Love Island.

Fitzgerald was absent from Galway’s Connacht Final loss to Roscommon last Sunday, having most recently appeared for Padraic Joyce’s team in the semi-final win over Leitrim.

The footballer made his senior debut for Galway in 2022 and also featured in the 2024 All-Ireland final against Armagh, complementing his haul of four Connacht SFC championship medals.

When asked about the greatest love of his life by RSVP in March of last year, Fitzgerald replied: “Coppers, Boojum and the chicken wings from Seven, in that order.”

During the same interview, the primary school teacher was questioned about which characteristics he finds most disagreeable in others.

The Bearna clubman responded: “It would have to be cockiness or people who are two-faced. There’s a fine line between confidence and cockiness and when people are on the side of cockiness, it’s very off-putting.

“With regard to two-faced people, I can’t stand them. If I find out someone who I’m friendly with is bad mouthing me behind my back, I won’t talk to them again.”

He is represented by the Irish talent and influencer management agency Marvel, whose profile describes him as follows: “Fitzy isn’t afraid to give his opinion on topical subjects in his humorous way on TikTok.

“His content is very much Gen Z in its approach. He loves travelling, music, sport and fashion.”

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The event is being promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and will be broadcast live on Netflix.

It also features former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou taking on Philipe Lins and fan favourite Nate Diaz facing Mike Perry.

Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded MVP alongside Paul, compares the event with Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson in 2024, which was the first boxing contest broadcast live on Netflix and laid the foundations for future events on the platform.

Not only is Rousey headlining the card, she has played a key role in shaping it, playing the role of promoter and matchmaker behind the scenes.

This isn’t just a Ronda Rousey fight, it is the Ronda Rousey show.

“Her quote was, ‘I can’t be your Conor [McGregor], but I can be your Dana [White]’,” said Bidarian.

“She has demonstrated an ability to own the promotion, to deliver unbelievable, engaging content, and most importantly, she loves the game.

“She’ll text me 20, 30 times every other day around specific fighters, or specific fights, and why this match-up would be great.”

Rousey has criticised how much the UFC pays its fighters, saying she wants to help “challenge the monolith” it has become.

In the UFC, under 20% of revenue goes to fighter pay while in boxing, fighters can expect to receive as much as 60% of event revenue.

Bidarian says the minimum payment for every fighter on the card will be $40,000 (£28,800), before performance-based bonuses.

In comparison, the UFC pays about $12,000 (£8,960) to $20,000 (£14,900), plus performance-based bonuses, to its entry-level fighters.

“It’s so much more meaningful now because previously it would have just affected our careers but now it’s affecting the sport’s future,” said Rousey.

“It has become bigger than us.

“It’s about giving them their power back and reminding people it’s about the fighters.”