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Woman sentenced to life for murdering parents and living with their bodies

A British woman, who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday and is not eligible for parole for 36 years. When Essex Police raided Virginia McCullough's house in Great Baddow last September, the 36-year-old confessed that her parents' bodies were in the house and that she had killed them. She admitted to poisoning her father, John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication that she put into his drink, and then a few days later, beat her 71-year-old mother Lois McCullough with a hammer and fatally stabbed her. “I did know that this would kind of come eventually,” she said while handcuffed in body cam footage released by police on Friday. “It’s proper that I serve my punishment.” After McCullough was arrested, she told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy,” adding that “I know I don’t seem 100 per cent evil.” Further body cam footage showed her at the police station telling officers where to find the tools she used to kill her mother. She had pleaded guilty to murdering her parents at a previous hearing in June 2019. In the words of the prosecution, McCullough kept her father in a “homemade mausoleum” in his bedroom and study, in a structure that was “composed with masonry blocks stacked together.” She wrapped her mother's body in a sleeping bag and put it in a wardrobe on the top floor of the property. In the four years after the murder, she ran up £149,697 ($AU289,792) on credit cards in her parents’ names and continued to spend their pensions. The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and told doctors and relatives that her parents were unwell or away on a trip. Statements from her three unnamed siblings were also read in court, and one said: “our parents were completely blameless victims”. “Virginia always said Mum and Dad were fine and made up lie after lie about their daily activities," another said. Judge Jeremy Johnson said at the sentencing hearing on Friday that McCullough’s actions represented a “gross violation of the trust that should exist between parents and their children.” Judge Johnson said that she had maintained an “elaborate, extensive and enduring web of deceit” over months and years and that he was sure there was a “substantial degree of both pre-meditation and planning," that went into the murder. Essex Police said documents found in the home showed that McCullough was trying desperately” to keep her parents from discovering the poor state of her finances, and gave “false assurances” about her employment and future prospects. “She is an intelligent manipulator who chose to kill her parents callously, without a thought for them or those who continue to suffer as a result of their loss,” said Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby. "The details of this case shock and horrify even the most experienced of murder detectives, let alone any right-thinking member of the public.” Image: Essex Police/ 7NEWS

Legal

Property tycoon sentenced to death over $27 billion fraud

A Vietnamese billionaire was sentenced to death on Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, an estimated $27 billion in damages - a figure equivalent to six percent of the country’s 2023 GDP. Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, was found guilty of embezzlement, after looting from one of the country's biggest banks, Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) for over a decade. “The defendant’s actions... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the (Communist) Party and state,” the verdict read at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After a five-week trial, 85 others were also charged for their involvement in the fraud, with charges ranging from from bribery and abuse of power to appropriation and violations of banking law. Four were given life imprisonment, while others received jail terms ranging between 20 years and three years suspended. Lan's husband was Hong Kong billionaire Eric Chu Nap Kee, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Lan and the others were arrested as part of a national corruption crackdown. Lan was initially believed to have embezzled $12.5 billion, but on Thursday prosecutors have said that the total damages caused by the fraud now amounted to $27 billion. The property tycoon was convicted of taking out $44bn in loans from the bank, according to the BBC, with prosecutors saying that $27 billion of this may never be recovered. The court ordered Lan to to pay almost the entire damages sum in compensation. It is also <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68778636" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that she is one of very few women in Vietnam to be sentenced to death for a white collar crime. “In my desperation, I thought of death,” Lan said in her final remarks to the court, according to state media. “I am so angry that I was stupid enough to get involved in this very fierce business environment -- the banking sector -- which I have little knowledge of.” Police have identified around 42,000 victims of the scam, and many of them were unhappy with the verdict. One 67-year-old Hanoi resident told the AFP that she had hoped Lan would receive a life sentence so she could fully witness the devastating impact of her actions. “Many people worked hard to deposit money into the bank, but now she’s received the death sentence and that’s it for her,” they said. “She can’t see the suffering of the people.” The resident has so far been unable to retrieve the $120,000 she invested with SCB. Police have said that many of the victims are SCB bondholders, who cannot withdraw their money and have not received interest or principal payments since Lan’s arrest. Authorities have also reportedly seized over 1000 properties belonging to Lan. Image: Twitter

Legal

Kathleen Folbigg pardoned after 20 years behind bars

Jailed in 2003 and considered at the time to be Australia’s most prolific female serial killer, Kathleen Folbigg has now been pardoned over the death of her four children and will be released without delay. Folbigg, 55, was convicted of killing her three children Patrick, Sarah and Laura, and was also found guilty of the manslaughter of her firstborn Caleb between 1989 to 1999. Her babies were aged between 19 days and 19 months. The historic convictions have not been quashed as that can only be done through the Court of Criminal Appeal. Folbigg has always maintained her innocence, insisting that her children had each died of natural causes, and as a result she has served 20 years of a minimum 25-year prison sentence. NSW Attorney General Michael Daley announced the pardon, saying Folbigg had endured “a terrible ordeal” and there was a possibility she could sue the government if the convictions were quashed, a legal step which goes beyond a pardon. "What is the difference between today and what has transpired in the past? New evidence has come to light," he said, referring to new scientific evidence submitted in an inquiry into the death of the babies. Former NSW Chief Justice Tom Bathurst KC is leading the inquiry and is now writing up a final report for the NSW governor. Daley said he had received a phone from Chief Justice Bathurst last week that "he had come to a firm view" about what the outcome of his report would be. Prosecutors argued Folbigg smothered her children during periods of frustration and insisted that some of her diary entries were admissions of guilt. New scientific evidence has now cast sufficient doubt on her guilt. Folbigg and her two daughters were found to carry a rare genetic variant, CALM2-G114R, which can cause cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. According to cardiology and genetic experts, the genetic verity was a “reasonably possible cause” of Sarah and Laura’s death. The variant was not found in Caleb or Patrick. Images: Facebook

News

Russian guard sentenced after doodling eyes on exhibit painting

A Russian security guard has been found guilty of vandalism after doodling eyes on an abstract painting by avant-garde artist Anna Leporskaya last December. According to the <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/08/29/russian-museum-guard-yeltsin-centre-doodles-sentenced">Art Newspaper</a>, he must serve 180 hours of “compulsory labour” and undergo “psychiatric evaluation”. The painting, titled Three Figures (1932–34), was on loan to the Yeltsin Centre from Moscow’s State Tretyakov Gallery and valued at 75 million rubles (US$1.2 million). News of the vandalism broke when visitors alerted gallery staff of two crude eyes drawn on the painting’s faceless figures in a ballpoint pen. A police investigation revealed the culprit was 64-year-old Aleksandr Vasiliev, a security guard employed by a private company who was on his first day on the job. After the damage was deemed “insignificant”, it was restored and has since been returned to the Tretyakov Gallery. Vasiliev’s lawyer, Aleskei Bushmakov, shared a letter on his Facebook page that he sent to Zelfira Tregulova, the general director of the Tretyakov Gallery. He wrote that “taking into account the circumstances of the criminal case, the damage inflicted to the painting Three Figures” and “the high level of public attention in connection with the incident,” the museum considered closing the case “via reconciliation” but ultimately decided that it “does not regard it as possible to take such an appeal to the magistrate.” In an interview with Russian news site E1, Vasiliev said he believed the 20th-century work by Leporskaya was a “children’s drawing” and claimed he was goaded by teenagers to deface it. “I’m a fool, what have I done,” he said. Image credits: State Tretyakov Gallery / The Art Newspaper Russia

Art

News of Bali bomb-maker's sentence cut short sparks fury

The bomb-maker behind the devastating 2002 Bali bombings has been released early from Indonesian prison only days after his sentence was reduced by a further five months. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared this decision will add trauma to the victims’ families and says his diplomats are lobbying the Indonesian government regarding the reduction. This decision means that Umar Patek, the man who made the explosives that killed 200 people, including 2 kiwis and 88 Aussies in 2002, will have served only half of his original 20-year sentence. Indonesian authorities insist he has been ‘deradicalised’ but Mr Abanese has described him as ‘abhorrent’. The sentence had already been reduced by 18 months on a previous occasion, meaning his total reduction is now one year and 11 months. He would have been eligible for parole in January 2023 after serving two thirds of his sentence. Patek admitted making the suicide vests that went off at Sari Club and Paddy's Pub in Kuta but claimed he did not know what they would be used for. After nine years on the run in the Philippines and Pakistan, he was caught in 2011 and spared the death sentence after co-operating with police and apologising to victims' families. This coming October marks the 20th anniversary of the bombings. Images: Australian National Museum / Getty

Legal

Fresh heartache as Oatlands killer wins appeal

The drunk and drugged driver who ran over a group of children in Sydney’s north-west over two years ago has had his sentenced reduced on appeal. The Abdallah siblings Antony, Sienna and Angelina and their cousin Veronique Sakr died in February 2020 when Samuel Davidson ran them over on a footpath as they were walking to get ice cream. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of the four children, as well as a raft of other charges. He was sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 21 years. Following an appeal, the maximum sentence was reduced by eight years taking it to 20 years, with a non-parole period of 15 years. Making him eligible for parole in January 2035. At the time of his initial sentence, Judge James Bennett said Davidson’s dangerous and aggressive driving showed a complete lack of care and concern for the safety of others. “The magnitude of the tragedy extended to the unimaginable” said Judge Bennett. Image: Instagram

Legal

"You opened the door to hell": Epstein victims address Ghislaine Maxwell as she is sentenced

Content Warning: This article discusses Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting and grooming four teenage girls who were sexually abused by her then-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. At her sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court, the 60-year-old showed no emotion as she was sentenced early Wednesday (Australia time). Before learning the sentence, four of the survivors read out victim impact statements, describing the abuse they faced at the hands of Maxwell and Epstein, as well as the long term emotional impacts they have experienced as a result. “For a long time I wanted to erase from my mind the crimes that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell committed against me … but I’ve had to acknowledge the long-lasting effects,” Annie Farmer, the fourth victim to take the stand, said, breaking into tears during her statement. “One of the most painful and ongoing impacts of Maxwell and Epstein’s abuse was the loss of trust in myself.” Sarah Ransome, Elizabeth Stein, and the accuser known as “Kate” also shared their statements, while the attorney for Virginia Giuffre read out her statement in court. Standing up at a Plexiglass-enclosed lectern, Maxwell described Epstein as a “manipulative, cunning and controlling man” who fooled everyone around him and said she was “sorry” for the pain his victims experienced. “It is my greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein,” she said. “I also acknowledge that I have been convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein commit these crimes. “And despite the many helpful and positive things I have done in my life and will continue to do … I know that my association with Epstein and this case will permanently stain me.” However, she attempted to shift the blame onto Epstein, emphasising that he “should have been here before all of you”, echoing arguments her lawyers made that she had been scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes. This is despite her involvement as the person to introduce the victims to Epstein and statements from victims describing her abusing them as well. During sentencing, US Circuit Judge Alisan Nathan said Maxwell didn’t appear to express remorse or take responsibility for her actions. “Maxwell directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein,” Judge Nathan said. “The damage done to these young girls was incalculable.” The sentencing comes after Maxwell was convicted of five of six charges laid against her in December 2021, which followed a month-long trial and 40 hours of deliberation by jurors. Maxwell was convicted of: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> sex trafficking, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, and, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. </li> </ul> Prosecutors last week called Maxwell’s conduct “shockingly predatory” and said she deserved to spend at least 30 years behind bars, based on their interpretation of sentencing guidelines. Maxwell’s lawyers argued that she should be sentenced for no more than five and one-quarter years, due to her being scapegoated and the time she has already spent in prison since her arrest in July 2020. However, her official sentence is far lower than the maximum possible sentence of 55 years that she could have received. Judge Nathan calculated that the sentencing guidelines called for 15.5 to 19.5 years in prison, but delivered a higher sentence due to the victims’ disturbing testimony and Maxwell’s “direct and repeated participation in a horrific scheme”. “Miss Maxwell is not punished in place of Epstein,” she said. “Miss Maxwell is being punished for the role that she played.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

How to Murder Your Husband author sentenced to life in prison

The author who once penned an essay “How to Murder Your Husband” was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband at his workplace. Nancy Crampton Brophy, 71, was found guilty of second-degree murder for shooting dead her chef husband Daniel Brophy, 63, back in June 2018. Following the seven week trial, Nancy was sentenced to life in prison on June 13 and will only be eligible for parole after serving 25 years in custody. Prosecutors told the court that Crampton Brophy killed her husband to claim her husband’s $1.4 million life insurance policy. They said that she was collecting gun pieces in the moments leading to Daniel’s death before killing him at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Footage presented to the Multnomah County courtroom showed that Crampton Brophy in fact owned the same make and model of the gun that killed her husband. She was also seen driving to and from the culinary institute when Daniel was killed and found by his students. Her defence team argued that she was collecting them for a new book she was writing - about a woman who slowly collected gun parts to complete a weapon and get back at her abusive husband. They said that Crampton Brophy and Daniel were in a loving relationship for almost 25 years. The jury of five men and seven women deliberated the case for eight hours before delivering the guilty verdict. One of Crampton Brophy’s attorneys, Lisa Maxfield said they are looking to appeal. Crampton Brophy is due to be sentenced on June 13. Images: Twitter

Legal

Three men handed jail sentences after careless, drunken act in a national park

Three tourists who were filmed getting too close to feeding brown bears in the wild have been handed prison sentences and the additional punishment of thousands of dollars worth of fines. David Engelman, 56, from Sandia Park, New Mexico, and Ronald J. Engelman, 54, and Steven Thomas, 30, both from King Salmon, Alaska, pleaded guilty to leaving the trail in Alaska’s Katmai Park to get closer to the animals. The men were identified after they were captured on a park webcam as they waded out into a salmon run to take selfies as the bears were feeding. All three men were fined $US3000 each ($A4260) and given a year probation. David and Ronald Engelman were sentenced to one week in prison, while Steven Thomas received a 10-day sentence. In addition, each man is prohibited from entering any national park for one year. Judge Matthew Scoble called their behaviour “drunken capering, and a slap in the face to those who were there”. The proceeds from the fines would go towards the Katmai Conservancy, a non-profit that looks after the running of the park. The incident happened in Autumn of 2018, causing outage. The men were eventually identified by the National Park Service Investigative Services, with help of the livestream footage. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8qkHl18xf0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> “The conduct of these three individuals not only endangered other visitors and wildlife officers at Brooks Falls, they also potentially endangered the life of the bears,” lawyer S. Lane Tucker said. Had the incident resulted in death or injury, Mr Tucker argued it would have had a huge impact on tourism to the area and the animals would have had to be killed. The National Park Service were alerted to the incident by viewers of their ‘bear cam’ which was being broadcast live to YouTube. Images: YouTube

Legal

Marvel actress and husband sentenced to 8 and 14 years jail

Content warning: This article includes descriptions of child sexual abuse. Actress Zara Phythian, who appeared in Marvel’s 2016 film Doctor Strange, has received an eight-year prison sentence for child sexual abuse offences. The 38-year-old was <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/doctor-strange-star-and-husband-found-guilty-of-child-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> by a jury last week of historical sexual abuse of a girl, aged between 13 and 15, and sentenced in the UK on Monday. Her 59-year-old husband, Victor Marke, was also found guilty of jointly abusing the same girl, as well as indecently assaulting a second, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Both Phythian and Marke will be on the sex offender’s register for life and will be referred to the disclosure and barring service to prevent them from working with children ever again. Judge Mark Watson, who presided over the proceedings and handed down the sentences, said he believed Marke and Phythian’s abuse of the victim was pre-planned. “I regard you as the driving force behind the abuse,” Judge Watson told Marke. “Most people have held, and continue to hold you in high esteem. That’s due to the positive impact of your work [as martial arts instructors]. “Whilst that may help in mitigation, that is also why you were able to groom and corrupt the victims in this case and why you got away abusing them for so long.” Marke reportedly cried during the sentencing and paced the court in a tracksuit, while Phythian reportedly smiled and waved to someone in the public gallery, though her face was said to be pale and tear-streaked, per <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-doctor-strange-actress-zara-26975792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mirror</a>. Judge Watson also said Phythian’s “deviance” was influenced by the hold Marke had on her from an early age - with the couple marrying when she was in her 20s after Marke had been her martial arts instructor from when she was a young teen. During the trial, the couple denied the accusations they were jointly convicted of, and the survivor, who they abused before Phythian found acting fame, gave testimony from behind a curtain in the witness stand. She said what happened to her, which the couple repeatedly told her not to tell anyone about, was her “deepest, darkest secret”. “I think they saw a vulnerability in me and preyed on that,” she said in a police interview. The second survivor of Marke’s assaults, said that he touched her leg after she accidentally touched his leg, before kissing her on the lips and neck and causing her feelings of confusion, according to her police interview. At other times, Marke also kissed her, before having sex with her when she was 16. Though the age of consent in the UK is 16, under section 15.3 of the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/44/notes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000</a> a person over the age of 18 who is in a “position of trust” to someone under 18 - such as being a martial arts instructor - would be committing an offence by having sex with them. Prior to sentencing, prosecutor Ahmed Hossain QC read out victim statements, where the survivor abused by Phythian and Marke said they “corrupted my development” and “robbed me of my innocence”. “You showed you liked a very advanced naughty side that satisfied your urges,” she said in the statement via Hossain. She also spoke of feeling intimidated and scared by the couple and stated that she didn’t want to keep being “[their] puppet”. “I have become an adult now. All the pain, anger and disgust and shame I felt is now on you. Both of you.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

Oatlands killer appeals severity of sentence

The drug and alcohol-riddled driver who killed four children after crashing into them on their way to the local shops has launched an appeal to decrease the severity of his sentence. On Monday, Samuel Davidson appealed the minimum 21-year sentence he was given for the manslaughter of Veronique Sakr, 11, and her cousins, siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 8, when they were struck by his car as they walked to get ice cream near Oatlands golf course in February 2020. When the accident occurred, Davidson was under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and driving erratically before he mounted the footpath and struck the group of children. Davidson pled guilty to a host of charges around the deaths in October 2020, and was sentenced in April 2021. Davidson had no criminal history before the accident, a point his barrister Stephen Odgers used in Monday’s appeal to argue that his sentence was unreasonable. He also argued that Davidson’s diagnosis of ADHD, which he said made him prone to reckless behaviour, was not properly considered by the sentencing judge. At the time he was sentenced, Davidson was 30 years old and is not set to be released until he is at least 51. “That is a crushing sentence,” Odgers said. The parents of the Abdallah children were not present at the appeal hearing, however Veronique’s mother Bridget Sakr was in attendance at the court. “Our sentence is for the rest of our lives. Our suffering is every day,” she said. Bridget Sakr’s husband David Mackenzie said on Monday that the sentence sent an important message. “There are no comparable cases to our case, sadly,” Mackenzie said. “That’s why our case is so important. Because it sets a benchmark.” Image credits: Instagram / 7News

News

Tourist sentenced to eight years in prison over a drone flight

Image: News.com.au A French tourist has been sentenced to more than eight years in a notorious Iranian prison after he was arrested on spying charges, all because of a drone. Benjamin Briere, 36, was arrested in May 2020 after taking pictures in a national park near the Iran-Turkmenistan border with a recreational drone. This week, the French citizen was sentenced to eight years in prison and was handed an additional eight-month sentence for propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system, his Paris-based lawyer Philippe Valent said in a statement. Mr Briere’s family and his lawyer have accused Iran of holding him as a political “hostage”. “This verdict is the result of a purely political process and … devoid of any basis,” Mr Valent said. Calling the trial a “masquerade”, Mr Valent said that Mr Briere “did not have a fair trial in front of impartial judges” and noted he had not been allowed to access the full indictment against him. The French foreign ministry described the verdict as “unacceptable”, saying Mr Briere was a “tourist”. He is one of more than a dozen Western citizens held in Iran and described as hostages by activists who say they are innocent of any crime and detained at the behest of the powerful Revolutionary Guards to extract concessions from the West. Mr Briere is being held in Vakilabad Prison in the eastern city of Mashhad. A prison which has reportedly undertaken hundreds of secret executions within the facility. In September last year, an unidentified political prisoner in the same prison, described life in the facility, saying it is “overcrowded” and “full of bedbugs and lice” with poor hygiene and terrible food. The unnamed prisoner said: “If coronavirus does not kill me, the fights inside the prison will kill me.” The verdict against Mr Briere comes as Iran and world powers seek to reach agreement at talks in Vienna on reviving the 2015 deal over the Iranian nuclear program. Nationals of all three European powers involved in the talks on the Iranian nuclear program – Britain, France and Germany – are among the foreigners being held. “It is not tolerable that Benjamin Briere is being held a hostage to negotiations by a regime which keeps a French citizen arbitrarily detained merely to use him as currency in an exchange,” Mr Valent said. Mr Briere’s sister Blandine told AFP her brother is a “political hostage” subjected to a “parody of justice”. Iran insists all the foreigners held are tried in line with domestic law but has repeatedly expressed readiness to prisoner swaps.

Travel Trouble

Peter Andre's ex-wife sentenced after horror smash

Image: Getty UK reality TV star Katie Price – the former wife of Peter Andre – has been handed a 16-week suspended prison sentence for drink-driving with a disqualified license and without car insurance. The 43-year-old will need to meet certain conditions as part of her sentence, which has been suspended for 12 months. These conditions include 100 hours of community service and a driving ban. The sentence was handed down on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) at Crawley Magistrates’ Court. Price, who has had previous driving convictions, crashed her car near her Sussex home in the early hours back in September and was pulled out of the vehicle by a witness. No one else was injured in the crash, but Katie was arrested and taken to hospital. In September, she pleaded guilty to charges of drink-driving, driving while disqualified and operating a motor vehicle without insurance. She's become a staple in British unscripted television, taking part in a season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2004, where she first met Peter Andre. The couple went on to have their own reality shows together. Price and Andre were married from 2005-2009 and share two children together.

Legal

North Korean man sentenced to death for distributing Squid Game

A man in North Korea has been handed the death penalty after smuggling in copies of the hit Netflix show Squid Game and illegally distributing them. Sources in the North Hamgyong province told Radio Free Asia that the man brought in the copies on USB drives from China and sold them to high school students. The operation was foiled when authorities caught seven students watching the hit South Korean drama. The perpetrator has been sentenced to death by firing squad, as North Korea tightens its laws on letting capitalist media into the country. One student that purchased the show has been sentenced to life in prison, while six others who watched Squid Game have been sentenced to five years hard labour. The students were punished under North Korea’s new Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture law, which keeps a firm grip on outside media. Penalties were extended to the school too, with reports teachers, the principal and other administrative staff were dismissed. The nine-part fictional Netflix drama sees 456 bankrupt contestants compete for a multi-million dollar cash prize. The contestants take part in a series of children's games to win the money, and those who lose the games end up paying with their lives. After being released in September, Squid Game has quickly become the most popular show in Netflix's history. Image credits: Netflix

Travel Trouble

The world is a safer place”: Couzens given UK’s most severe sentence

Warning: This story contains graphic content which may disturb some readers. Wayne Couzens, the former policeman responsible for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 33-year-old English woman Sarah Everard has been sentenced to life behind bars, with no chance of parole. Lord Justice Fulford handed down a whole life order, the most severe sentence in the UK, on Thursday, describing Everard’s murder as “devastating” and “tragic”, and Everard herself as an "intelligent, resourceful, talented and much-loved young woman". Lord Fulford said, "First and foremost, Sarah Everard was a wholly blameless victim of a grotesquely executed series of offences that culminated in her death and the disposal of her body.” Lord Fulford went on to Couzens’ actions in kidnapping Sarah, by using his position as a police officer to provide him with a pretext for stopping and questioning her. “I have not the slightest doubt that the defendant used his position as a police officer to coerce her on a wholly false pretext into the car he had hired for this purpose. It is most likely that he suggested to Sarah Everard that she had breached the restrictions on movement that were being enforced during that stage of the pandemic.” Sarah was walking home from a friend’s house in south London on March 3 when Couzens pulled over his rental vehicle and stopped her. Couzens then falsely arrested her for breaching COVID-19 restrictions and handcuffed her before putting her in the car. Couzens proceeded to rape and strangle Sarah before burning her body and clothes in an old refrigerator on land he owned before dumping her body. She was found in Ashford, Kent, roughly 100km south-east of London, a week later, following a dedicated search. Sarah’s family released a statement following the sentencing, saying, "We are very pleased that Wayne Couzens has received a full life sentence and will spend the rest of his life in jail. Couzens held a position of trust as a police officer and we are outraged and sickened that he abused this trust in order to lure Sarah to her death. The world is a safer place with him imprisoned." <img style="width: 500px; height: 328.2710280373832px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844538/screen-shot-2021-10-01-at-91204-am.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/25e57405cf404a3fb800b60cf3229b05" /> Her family had previously <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/i-can-never-forgive-you-sarah-everard-s-parents-face-her-killer-in-court">shared victim impact statements with the court</a>, with Sarah’s mother Susan, expressing profound grief, saying, "Sarah died in horrendous circumstances. I am tormented at the thought of what she endured. In her last hours she was faced with brutality and terror, alone with someone intent on doing her harm. The thought of it is unbearable – I am haunted by the horror of it." Sarah’s father Jeremy said he would never forgive Couzens for what he did to her. "The horrendous murder of my daughter, Sarah, is in my mind all the time and will be for the rest of my life. Sarah was handcuffed and unable to defend herself. This preys on my mind all the time. I can never forgive you for what you have done, for taking Sarah away from us." In handing down the sentence, Lord Fulford said of Couzens, “Notwithstanding your guilty pleas, therefore, I have seen no evidence of genuine contrition on your part as opposed to evident self-pity and attempts by you to avoid or minimize the proper consequences of what you have done.” Image: Metropolitan Police

News

Man sentenced to 30 years after murder of wife on cruise ship

A Utah man was sentenced to 30 year in prison for the violent death of his wife on an Alaskan cruise in 2017. The federal judge who presided over the court case of Kenneth Manzanares has labelled the murder of his wife as violent and brutal. The man plead guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Kristy Manzanares last year, but prosecutors sought for life in prison. Manzanares' attorneys, who wanted just seven years for Kenneth, claimed he had brain abnormalities which was backed by a defence expert. The man, who had injuries caused by playing contact sports, along with an undiagnosed bipolar disorder and “a problematic combination of prescribed medication and alcohol resulted in an aberrant episode of violence,”. But Burgess said there was competing evidence offered about Manzanares' culpability and that experts had failed to show what factors led to the crime. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841848/utah-man-murders-wife-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/445b0ca5b56e489b83a5d2518af1212e" /> Prosecutors had disputed the defence’s medical claims and in court documents described Manzanares’ actions as intentional, “triggered by his wife telling him she wanted him to leave the cruise ship and that she wanted a divorce.” The same night of her death, Kristy told her husband that she wanted a divorce, which led to an argument about his behaviour. Kenneth reportedly had issues with anger and that he had acknowledged restraining his wife in the past and punching holes in walls, prosecutors said. Defence lawyers said the couple had a “long and happy marriage.” Jamie McGrady, who is a federal public defender representing Manzanares, accused prosecutors of selectively parsing details from statements Manzanares made to try and paint him as someone who was abusive. Kristy Manzanares’ life was “viciously ended” by her husband. The attack was partly witnessed by two of the couple’s children. Kristy Manzanares’ brothers and father were also on the cruise and responded to and witnessed the scene afterward. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841850/utah-man-murders-wife.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c0fa9fd3672e41079dfe17e7bdb07094" /> McGrady told The Associated Press that an appeal would be filed after he received 30 years in prison. She called the sentence a tragedy and said the judge ignored scientific evidence. Manzanares children said in an emotional speech that their father should be held responsible but also asked the judge to “understand that his impairments played a major factor in the events that occurred, and they have already lost one parent.” A statement released by Kristy Manzanares' family said the ruling “brings us neither joy nor anger. Rather, simply a sense of resolution". "We believe that the court made a fair and just determination. However, the legal system does not and is not intended to fill the emotional void of our loss," the statement said. “While this marks the end of another chapter of this unimaginable ordeal, the fact is that Kristy’s three girls are still without both of their parents, and our focus now is to support them as best we can."

Cruising

Child-stealing scam artist awaits sentencing

A woman who has been running bizarre scams - including dressing as a schoolgirl and stealing children - can’t find anywhere to stay after she gets out of jail. Samantha Azzopardi was set to be sentenced at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 27, after pleading guilty earlier this week to three counts of child stealing, and obtaining property by deception and theft. But, her lawyer Jessica Willard told the court they had been unable to reach the aunt Azzopardi wants to live with following her release. “She’s very reluctant to give the name of the person she wants to live with,” Ms Willard told the court. She said Azzopardi wanted to leave Victoria and stay with an aunty in northern NSW. Mrs Willard also said other family members had reached out on Tuesday and that a cousin had written a letter about Azzopardi’s childhood. But, prosecutor Kristie Churchill questioned the authenticity of the letter and there was no proof confirming the woman’s relationship with Azzopardi. Ms Churchill was also concerned Azzopardi would be “set up to fail” if she was released without some kind of mental health treatment, and a report found she was not a suitable candidate for a community corrections order. “There’s a pattern of offending where she moves from location to location, assumes new identities and creates sophisticated backstories,” Ms Churchill said. The 32-year-old was caught during her latest scam when she was found dressed as a schoolgirl with a ten-month-old and four-year old girl in a Myer at Bendigo in 2019. She had convinced the children’s French parents she was a professional au pair and told them she was taking them for a picnic. Instead, she took the children to a mental health clinic, telling staff she was a pregnant 14-year-old who had been abused by her uncle. After a staff member recognised her and called the police, Azzopardi was later found and arrested in the cosmetic section of Myer. She refused to give her details to police officers, answered cryptically, and locked her phone to prevent access. Other bizarre scams saw her steal an iPad, pretend to be a talent agent, and use an alias to work as a live-in nanny for basketball star Tom Jervis. Listing herself as a 17-year-old coming from a “rich American family” on Facebook, Tom Jervis and his wife Jazze hired Azzobardi as an au pair in 2018. After working for them in Brisbane and moving six months later when they moved to Melbourne, Ms Jervis became suspicious of Azzopardi in June 2019 and fired her. She was paid $6500 while working for them in Victoria and was later charged with obtaining property by deception. Image credit: news.com.au Her former employer also discovered that her driver’s licence and iPad had disappeared after Azzopardi left. While working for the couple, she also posed as a talent scout and met up with a girl who responded to an agency ad looking for people to be in a cartoon movie. Though she told the girl she wasn’t right for the role, Azzopardi flew her to Sydney for an audition for a show called Punk’d. But, after they arrived in Sydney, Azzopardi took the girl to Centrelink and told her to “write on a piece of paper that she was stealing ghosts”, and was later charged with child stealing. In 2013, she was found in Dublin, where investigators believed she was a teenage victim of the sex slave industry until a family member contacted the police to confirm it was Azzopardi. A year later, she walked into a health clinic in Canada claiming to be a 14-year-old victim of sex trafficking and using the name Aurora Hepburn. She was then charged with causing public mischief. Following her most recent scam, Ms Azzopardi will be sentenced on Friday, May 27, after spending upwards of 570 days on remand.

Legal

120-year prison sentence for cult leader

Keith Raniere, who ran a cult-like group that kept women as virtual sex prisoners to service him in upstate New York was sentenced to 120 years prison on Tuesday. Reniere was convicted on federal sex trafficking, racketeering and possession of child pornography charges last year for his role in the alleged sex cult called NXIVM (pronounced “nexium”). The sentence was issued by the US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who presided over the six-week trial last year that ended in Raniere convicted on all counts. Acting US Attorney Seth DuCharme said he hopes the sentence will serve as a warning to any aspiring cult leaders. “When justice catches up to you, as it did today, it is severe," DuCharme told reporters outside court in Brooklyn. "Keith Raniere will not be able to victimize people anymore after today's sentence and we’re very grateful for that." Marc Elliot, a former NXIVM member and supporter of Raniere's, said the defendant didn't get a fair trial. "We all should be fighting for due process no matter how much you don't like it or how inconvenient it is," Elliot said. "Because if someone or society ever turns on you, you better hope to God that due process and laws are still standing to protect you." Appearing on Dateline NBC from jail, Raniere apologised for the “tragedy” and “hurt” he caused the victims but also claimed he was not guilty. "I am innocent," Raniere said. "This is a horrible tragedy with many, many people being hurt," he added. "There is a horrible injustice here. And whether you think I'm the devil or not, the justice process has to be examined." NXIVM is the subject of the HBO docuseries “The Vow”, which is set to feature Raniere in its second season next year.

Legal

New Zealand mosque gunman sentencing begins

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> The sentencing of an Australian white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand and live-streamed the massacre on Facebook is set to begin on Monday. Tight security is around a court in Christchurch, where Brenton Tarrant, the shooter, will hear statements from 66 survivors. The court building was sealed off with large orange barriers as armed police stood guard. Lawyers expect Tarrant to be the first person to be jailed for life without parole in New Zealand. The hearing is set for four days with survivors and Tarrant making submissions before High Court judge Cameron Mander announces his sentence. Tarrant is representing himself and is reportedly being held in a cell deep within the court complex to avoid transporting him to and from jail. On March 15th, 2019, he armed himself with a semi-automatic rifle and stormed into two mosques and opened fire on worshippers at Friday prayer. He was quickly arrested and initially pleaded not guilty to 41 murders, 40 attempted murders and committing a terrorist act. In March 2020, he changed his plea to not guilty. Prominent Christchurch lawyer Nigel Hampton said the "terrifying" crime probably "needs an extraordinary sentence", while law professor Chris Gallavin said "he'll never see the light of day again". Judge Mander has said the sentencing process was important for the victims, and "finality and closure is considered by some as the best means of bringing relief to the Muslim community". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that this week would be difficult for many. "I don't think there's anything I can say that is going to ease how traumatic that period is going to be," she told reporters. Increased police will be around the courthouse and victim support workers will also be present. Local mental health specialists will also be on standby for referrals. </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

“I am a liar. I stole valour”: Judge's creative sentencing for two criminals who posed as war veterans

A judge in Montana has laid down the law and ordered two men to be publicly shamed to learn a lesson after they pretended to be war veterans to attempt to get a lesser sentence for their crimes. Ryan Morris, 28, and Troy Nelson, 33, both pretended to be veterans in a bid to get their cases moved to a Veterans Court, where they would receive a lighter sentence for their crimes. This plot backfired and the two men now have other tasks to complete as well as serving their sentences. Judge Greg Pinski gave Morris 10 years for violating his felony burglary probation and gave Nelson 5 years for drug possession. Three years of both of their sentences were suspended. However, before each man is eligible for parole, Pinski ordered that they must hand write each name of the 6,756 Americans killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The men must also write out the obituaries of the 40 Montanans killed in these conflicts and send handwritten letters to a number of veterans’ groups apologising for their actions. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A8aPzrlN7VA"></iframe></div> On top of that, during every Memorial and Veterans Day, the two must stand at the Montana Veterans Memorial in Great Falls for eight hours wearing a sign that reads: “I am a liar. I am not a veteran. I stole valour. I have dishonoured all veterans.” The men also have to perform 441 hours of community service, which is equal to the number of Montanans killed during the Korean war.

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“I am a liar. I stole valour”: Judge's creative sentencing for two criminals who posed as war veterans