Liam  Rodgers, 33, sexually assaulted the woman and while under investigation for that stabbed the man several times in an unrelated attack.  

Both had to wait more than two years to see justice and endure many delays and postponements in the court system.

Confining him in a secure psychiatric unit under the Mental Health Act, Judge Simon Hickey told Rodgers: “You are not likely to be released for many, many years, if ever”.

As The Press reported yesterday, had he not been schizophrenic, Rodgers, of no fixed address, would have been jailed for 16 years after he pleaded guilty to two sexual offences against the woman and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the man.

Detective Constable Karen Everitt of North Yorkshire Police, who led the investigation into the sexual assaults that happened in September 2023, said: “The victim of these horrific sexual assaults was targeted by Rodgers who is a highly dangerous and manipulative man.

“Throughout the police investigation, she has shown remarkable strength and resilience. Her determination was driven by a desire to ensure that Rodgers could never treat anyone else in the same way again, and that he would finally be held accountable for his actions.

“This has been an extremely long and difficult journey for her, made even harder by the fact that Rodgers refused to take responsibility until the eve of the trial. As a result, she had to endure the full length of the police and CPS processes. Despite this, she has come through it and is now in a much stronger and happier place in her life.

“I hope she feels proud of herself for her courage in bringing Rodgers to justice and for ensuring that the public is now aware of him and his despicable behaviour. This outcome would not have been possible without the extraordinary strength she has shown throughout.”

Investigator Corrina Graham-Merrett of North Yorkshire Police said about the stabbing in January 2024: “Rodgers carried out a sudden and extremely violent attack on the victim, giving him no opportunity to defend himself or escape.

“The determination and courage shown by the victim throughout this investigation has been remarkable, especially given the fear and trauma he endured.

“Witnesses were clear that the nature of Rodgers’ actions made them believe he intended to kill, and today’s sentence reflects the gravity of that behaviour. I hope this outcome brings the victim some sense of justice as he continues to rebuild his life.”

A North Yorkshire Police statement said: “We never underestimate how difficult it is for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out and report what has happened.

But we hope cases like this one provide reassurance that victims will be listened to, treated with dignity and respect, and will be supported throughout the judicial process.

If you have been sexually abused, and you are not yet ready to report to police, please don’t suffer in silence.

Further information and details of support services can be found on our website: Support after rape and sexual assault | North Yorkshire Police.”

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to send more British fighter jets to the Middle East in a bid to bolster the UK’s military presence in the region as the conflict continues to escalate.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Thursday, the prime minister rejected criticism from opponents and allies that Britain had not acted fast enough when fighting began, and said he “stands by” his decision not to join the initial strikes on Tehran over the weekend.

Announcing the extra military assets being sent to the region, Sir Keir said: “I can announce today that we’re sending four additional Typhoon jets to join our squadron in Qatar to strengthen our defensive operations in Qatar and across the region.”

Two Wildcat helicopters armed with drone-busting missiles will arrive in Cyprus on Friday, as the warship HMS Dragon is unlikely to arrive in the Mediterranean until next week.

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The move comes on the sixth day of a conflict between Iran and the US, which has dragged in countries across the Middle East and beyond.

Britain did not join the initial strikes on Iran, but has since allowed US forces to use British bases to strike in a defensive capacity.

Sir Keir called for de-escalation on Thursday, as he reiterated the need for a negotiated settlement with Iran over their nuclear ambitions.

It comes as Britain has been facing criticism for failing to have enough military assets in the Middle East after RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone over the weekend.

The prime minister has faced harsh words from the US president, who said he is “no Winston Churchill”, while Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said a British military presence to defend the island was “the least we expect”, in a criticism of the UK’s approach to managing the war.

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But Sir Keir rejected such criticism, insisting the UK had been preparing for the possibility of conflict “long before” Israeli and US strikes began, by deploying “additional military capabilities to the region to defend our interests”.

He also said the special relationship between the US and the UK had not been fractured by the disagreement, telling reporters: “Look, the special relationship is in operation right now.

“We’re working with the Americans in the deployment from our bases. We are working together in the region, the US and the British, working together to protect both the US and the British in joint bases where we’re jointly located, and we’re sharing intelligence on 24/7 basis in the usual way.

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“That is the special relationship. That is a special relationship in operation, and clearly, it’s for the president to take decisions that he considers in the national interest the right decisions for the US.”

Sir Keir said he had not spoken to Mr Trump since Saturday evening, but added: “We’re sharing intelligence on 24/7 basis in the usual way. That is the special relationship.”

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Sir Keir also announced that the first government-chartered flight from Oman to Britain had finally taken off, after it was delayed from doing so overnight.

He said more than 4,000 people have now arrived back in the United Kingdom on commercial flights from the UAE, and that a further seven flights are due to leave the UAE for the UK on Thursday.

Sir Keir revealed he had chaired a Cobra meeting on Thursday, and acknowledged that people across the UK are “worried sick about their family and friends who are caught up in this”.

He added: “I want to reassure the British public about the action that we are taking while the region has been plunged into chaos.

“My focus is providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest.”

Zelensky made clear Ukraine would help only on the condition that its own defence was not weakened and that there were diplomatic gains for Kyiv – suggesting, in particular, that Ukraine would be willing to swap its interceptor drones for more US Patriot air defences to protect against Russian ballistic missiles.

Paul Quinn, 51, is on trial at Manchester Crown Court accused of raping the woman at an isolated embankment off the M61 between Little Hulton and Farnworth in 2003.

The jury of seven women and five men heard a statement given by the woman at the time about the lead-up to the assault as she was walking alone in the early hours of the morning.

The statement, read by Abigail Husbands, prosecuting, said: “I heard a male voice coming from the wooded area: ‘I think you should come into the bushes, I have a gun pointed at your head’.

“The voice sounded very close and was a local accent. I could not see anyone.”

The trial was opened at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss)

The woman’s statement described how she had continued walking after telling the unseen voice that she was going to call the police before feeling an “almighty force”.

She described how she was then dragged down the embankment and horrifically assaulted.

Her statement said: “I was constantly thinking he was going to kill me, I was so frightened.”

A description that the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave of her attacker at the time said that he was white, with olive or tanned skin and dark brown to black hair.

She also said he had been wearing an open white shirt.

The trial heard security guard Andrew Malkinson was wrongly identified as the rapist in the police investigation and was convicted and jailed for 17 years for a crime he had not committed.

The court heard that Andrew Malkinson wrongly spent 17 years in jail (Image: GMP)

Quinn was not interviewed by police until 2022, by which time Mr Malkinson had already been released.

John Price KC, prosecuting, told the jury how analysis of Quinn’s internet history after news broke in 2022 showed his level of interest in the case.

He said that Quinn, by then living in Devon, searched the website of the Manchester Evening News 249 times between August and December 2022.

Mr Price also told jurors the defendant had provided a DNA specimen to be kept on the national database in 2012.

And after news headlines about the new DNA link,  the court heard how Quinn appeared to have begun researching the subject.

Mr Price told jurors in August 2022 he searched Google for “how long is DNA kept in database?”, and “why do I keep sweating all the time?”

Other searches included “Can you refuse to give a DNA sample to the police UK? Is my DNA in a database UK?”

Quinn, of Whipton Barton Road, Exeter, denies two counts of rape, one count of attempt to strangle, and one count of assault, intending to cause grievous bodily harm.

The trial, before Mr Justice Robert Bright, continues.

The British Government will boycott the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Paralympics in Milano-Cortina in protest at Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to compete under their own flags

The UK Government will snub the Winter Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies in protest at Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to compete under their own flags.

Six athletes from Russia and four from Belarus will be directly representing their nations rather than competing as neutrals at the Games in Milano-Cortina. This comes after the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) lifted a partial ban and Russia and Belarus successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against a ban imposed by FIS, the worldwide governing body for skiing and snowboarding.

Russia has been ostracised from international sport since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with this participation at the Paralympics marking the most significant step back since then. Ukraine and other countries had already signalled their intention to boycott the opening and closing ceremonies, and now the UK has followed suit.

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A spokesperson for the British Government said: “We strongly oppose the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

“We have been clear that the Russian and Belarusian states should not be represented in international sport whilst the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine is ongoing.

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“Therefore, no Government ministers or officials will attend the opening or closing ceremonies of the Paralympics.” The UK Government statement further noted that Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock would be in Cortina solely to back British athletes.

The statement added: “They have worked tirelessly over the last four years to be ready for the biggest moment of their sporting lives and deserve to have the nation behind them.”

The Winter Paralympics begins on March 6 and lasts until March 15. The closing ceremony of the able-bodied Winter Olympics only finished on February 22.

One of the most contentious moments of the competition was the decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from competing in Milan and Cortina. He was banned from competing for refusing to not wear a helmet which was emblazoned with the faces of Ukrainian athletes killed as a result of Russia’s invasion of his homeland.

While he was allowed to remain in Italy for the Games, he was forbidden from competing, after the IOC said his helmet violated rules against political speech in competition. They also said his helmet went against IOC’s guidelines on athlete expression.

However, Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller was allowed to compete, despite a Russian flag, which are forbidden along with the Belarusian flag, appearing on his helmet.

The seven-time Olympian had multiple flags on his helmet representing the countries he has competed in, with the Russian flag understood to represent the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

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A man was violently thrown to the ground, leaving him inches from being crushed after an elevator in India malfunctioned.

The incident happened in a building in the Gujarat Housing Board residential complex in the city of Valsad, in the Indian state of Gujarat.

CCTV footage showed resident Vatsalbhai Panchal standing inside the lift and beginning to step out as the doors opened.

But after placing one foot outside the lift, it surged upward without warning, flinging him to the ground.

He narrowly avoided being trapped between the moving lift and the wall by seconds.

According to reports, Panchal suffered internal injuries but survived the incident.

Following the incident, the property management said the lift company had been contacted to carry out repairs.

Reports said there had been no major complaints about the lift before the accident.

In 2021, a seven-year-old boy in America was crushed to death in a home elevator accident.

The boy was found stuck between the bottom of the elevator car and the upper door frame of the home in Outer Banks, North Carolina.

The boy’s family, from Canton, Ohio, had arrived at the beach rental home for their vacation earlier that day, Corolla Fire Chief Rich Shortway said.

It appeared that the boy was stuck between the moving elevator’s inner accordion door and an outer door, crushing his neck.

First responders tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the boy, according to WAVY, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cuttrick County Sheriff’s Office ruled his death an accident.

‘We are not sure exactly how it happened,’ Currituck County Fire-EMS Chief Ralph Melton told The Coastland Times.

‘The child was entrapped in the doors. We were able to free him, but his head and neck were crushed by the elevator. He died of traumatic injuries sustained in the elevator mishap.’ 

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Little Punch, a seven-month-old Japanese macaque living in the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan, has captured hearts on the internet.

Abandoned by his mother in the first few days of his life and raised by the keepers at the zoo, he has had some trouble integrating into the group of around 60 Japanese macaques.

The keepers gave him a stuffed orangutan, which he carries with him — grooming its plushy fur the way monkeys usually care for one another.

Some monkeys in the group were pushing Punch away, dragging him and reacting negatively to him.

The internet is demanding to know why. And why would his mother abandon him?

As primate researchers who have spent thousands of hours scientifically observing Japanese monkeys like Punch, we wanted to provide a bit of Japanese monkey-world context.

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Wild monkey mothers don’t abandon infants

Japanese macaques or snow monkeys — Macaca fuscata to scientists — are a highly social and intelligent species.

In the wild, these monkeys do not abandon their infants.

We won’t say it has never happened, but it would be an extreme behaviour if it occurred. We have also not seen it in more than 25 years of studying Japanese monkeys at the Awajishima Monkey Center on Awaji Island, Japan, where the monkeys live in free-ranging groups.

Quite the contrary, we have observed mothers caring for their infants and providing extra care for infants with physical disabilities that prevent them from clinging to their mother, and for injured or ill infants.

We have witnessed macaque mothers at Awajishima hold their disabled infants up to nurse and walk on three limbs, using an arm to support the baby, sometimes carrying them for years longer than a mother usually would.

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If an infant dies in the wild, a mother will often carry the body for days, presumably a reflection of her deep attachment.

This also makes sense from an evolutionary perspective because, in rare cases, an unresponsive infant may regain consciousness.

To be a Japanese mother monkey is to be a dedicated mother.

Dedicated, sometimes bewildered, mothers

This is not to say that every wild Japanese monkey mother is immediately good at it. We have seen bewildered monkey mothers holding their infants upside down or becoming distracted while their infants wander into trouble.

We have seen them looking at the new squirming creature they have birthed with expressions of mystified dismay that would be recognizable to any human mother at one time or another.

But in a wild group, those first-time mothers have relatives to help them and to learn from. They usually stay in the same group for their whole lives, and they have a dominance rank order that they pass down to their offspring.

Male Japanese monkeys are usually not directly involved with infants. As the infants get older, though, and gain more independence, the males help out too by socializing with them.

Abandonment in captivity

Punch’s mother either lacked the skills to look after her infant, was stressed by captivity and its associated conditions, or both. We don’t know her full story; she may have been raised by humans herself or experienced other difficulties.

Infant abandonment does happen sometimes in captivity — 7.7 per cent of cases according to one study — primarily in first-time or low-ranking mothers. Human caretakers do their best to raise infants, but it causes challenges.

Adoption can happen in captivity too. But the environment is different in a zoo: groups are not necessarily composed of female relatives the way a wild group would be; the males can’t leave as they would in the wild. Also some zoo monkeys are raised by humans or come from the entertainment industry.

These monkeys may “speak” a different social language. Punch wasn’t able to learn how to “speak Japanese macaque” from his human caregivers.

A behaviourally flexible species

The good news for Punch (and his devoted human followers) is that Japanese macaques are behaviourally flexible and can learn from the monkeys around them, and he is already learning to communicate with other monkeys and to find a place in his group.

In the wild, infant Japanese monkeys will nurse for up to two years. When they are orphaned, they can survive at Punch’s age — especially if they are adopted, or even just befriended, by others.

When Punch was approaching another monkey to play, he may have been inadvertently sending signals such as, “I’m afraid of you,” or “I’m dominant over you.”

The more time Punch spends in his group, the more he will learn how the other monkeys interact. He will learn what behaviours are okay, socially. For Punch, this is the best outcome. Monkeys should not be kept as pets — they are wild animals and need to be part of the rich and stimulating social world of other monkeys.

Punch is part of an intelligent, social and behaviourally flexible species that relies on learning social cues from their mothers and relatives. Punch will likely integrate into his new social circumstances.

Research on wild and free-ranging Japanese macaques helps us understand Punch’s story and demonstrates the importance of research on animal welfare in zoos, on wildlife behaviour and in conservation science.

India beat the West Indies by five wickets in a tense winner-takes-all contest to just make it through the Super 8 stage, having lost to South Africa and beaten Zimbabwe after topping their initial group without losing a game. England, meanwhile, mostly failed to impress in the groups but continued to show impressive resilience in the Super 8s as they stunned Sri Lanka before battling to hard-fought victories over both Pakistan and New Zealand.

Going for a wee in central London just got a whole more luxurious.

Westminster Council has unveiled newly-refurbished toilets in Piccadilly Circus Tube station; loos so pristine and unique, they’ve been described as ‘London’s newest tourist attraction’.

The colourful new bogs are the third of eight public toilets in the borough to be upgraded as part of a £12.7 million council scheme.

Piccadilly Circus follows Victoria Embankment and Parliament Street, whose freshened-up facilities were reopened in 2025.

The ones at Green Park Station are then set for the next makeover, with Carnaby Street, Westminster Bridge, Covent Garden and Leicester Square scheduled after.

However, just know that to enjoy their bold and bright designs (or, you know, use the toilet) you’ll have to cough up 80p.

Opened by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Paul Dimoldenberg, in an official ribbon cutting ceremony, the new loos have been in the works for four years now.

The project first commenced back in 2022, when Westminster City Council commissioned Hugh Broughton Architects to refurbish the eight central London public toilets.

Wanting to combine ‘architecture, engineering, and art to deliver a holistic vision for equitable space in the heart of the capital,’ the firm’s instructions were to ensure residents and visitors had access to new and improved conveniences.

At the same time though, the council were after some statement loos — and let’s just say the architects filled the brief.

Each set of toilets was given its own design flair, with one of the prominent elements at Piccadilly Circus being Anteros’ arrow; an homage to the winged statue of the Greek god.

Tying this ‘vibrant, immersive space that reflects the creativity and cultural energy of the area’ together is a mural by London-based artist James Lambert, while other design features symbolise the area’s rich entertainment heritage, from theatres and cinemas.

Fun decor aside, they also feature upgraded male and female toilets, a family changing facilities, and baby-changing amenities within both areas.

While sprucing up the place, the refurbishment also improved the historic subterranean structure of the station too, with part of the budget going towards drainage improvements and waterproofing to extend the site’s lifespan.

Sara Hassan, Westminster Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Ecology, Culture, and Air Quality, said: ‘Providing clean and accessible public toilets makes a real difference to people’s experience of our city.

‘By restoring this historic site and enhancing it with contemporary design and public art, the council is improving essential infrastructure and ensuring it reflects the unique character and cultural heritage of the West End’.

What’s been the public’s reaction to the new loos?

Considering public toilets in London aren’t always the cleanest or most inviting (given the number of people using them) these refurbishments have been welcomed on social media.

On X, @MichaelBoltonA wrote, ‘I approve of this initiative!’ while @hardy_lass added: ‘Absolutely stunning decor, I’d visit just for the pink columns!’

However, some hinted that we shouldn’t become too attached to the clean floors and sparkling sinks, including one user who claimed the colour scheme might not be as pretty with ‘the s*** that will be smeared up the walls by the end of the week.’

On top of this, a number of people expressed upset at the 80p charge, with @chunkyboyjames writing: ‘Nobody should have to pay to take a piss.’

Currently, most major Network Rail stations, including Paddington, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Victoria, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and Waterloo, have free public toilets.

Additionally, the Community Toilet Scheme — an initiative introduced in 2008 that encourages local businesses to allow public access to their toilet facilities — has been a crucial help for countless folks stuck in central London desperate for a wee.

Small charges are generally enforced to help with the cost of maintenance and upkeep, and oftentimes to deter vandalism or anti-social behaviour.

However, given it’s become more and more contentious over the years.

So will the 80p charge put tourists and locals off? Or will our Instagram feeds soon be filled up with selfies in front of those iconic pink and blue tiles?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Pupils from Barnard Castle Preparatory School chose to study a cast of famous people, from cinematic and music greats to explorers and scientists, as they celebrated World Book Day in style.

Elton Johns galore vied for attention with Lewis Hamiltons, David Attenboroughs, Queen Elizabeth, and Audrey Hepburn.

On the same page L-R, Francesca Lau, Max Smith and Harry Quaintrell (Image: Supplied)

The ‘Little People Big Dreams’ themed day began in the hall with a catwalk spectacular as pupils of all ages and staff showcased their costumes.

They then returned to class to study their chosen character, stopping randomly to read a book when they heard music over the radio.

Prep School reading lead Katie Shearn said: “It has been a lovely day, from striking a pose onthe catwalk to taking part in character themed sports activities and a big quiz.

Albert Einstein gets his teeth stuck into a World Book Day quiz (Image: Supplied)

“Pupils also took home something new to read after a book swap and it’s been great hearing them talk abouttheir books and characters.

“Reading is at the heart of everything we do; it covers every subject. We strive to inspire alove of reading in children as it is something that opens up new worlds to them.

“There is asbook for everyone, it is escapism and fabulous for mental health and wellbeing.”