Ilias Chair: QPR midfielder signs new three-year contract
QPR midfielder Ilias Chair has signed a new three-year contract.
Chair, 21, has impressed since being given a run in the Rangers side by manager Mark Warburton.
He has made eight appearances this season and 21 in total for the Championship club since being signed from Belgian outfit Lierse SK in 2017.
The Morocco Under-23 international spent the second half of last season on loan with Stevenage, scoring six goals in 16 appearances.
Jodie Chesney: Teenager ‘murdered in drug turf war’
Jodie Chesney was fatally attacked in a park near Romford, east London
A 17-year-old girl was killed in a “terrible and cowardly” stabbing during a drug turf war, a court has heard.
Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the back while playing music and smoking cannabis with friends in a park in Harold Hill, east London, on 1 March.
She may not have been the intended target of the attack, the prosecution told the Old Bailey jury.
Manuel Petrovic, 20, Svenson Ong-a-kwie, 19, both from Romford, and two boys, aged 16 and 17, deny murder.
The jury was told two people came out of the dark in the park and the taller of them swung his right arm at Jodie’s back.
She suffered a deep wound to her back and was left bleeding heavily as her attackers disappeared seconds later.
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PA
Jodie suffered a deep wound to her back and was bleeding heavily after the attack in a park
Jodie’s boyfriend Eddie Coyle, 18, caught her as she fell and eased her to the ground, crying and screaming at Jodie to stay awake while holding her hand.
But by the time an ambulance arrived, Jodie showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead en-route to hospital.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told jurors none of Jodie’s friends had any idea who was responsible for the “terrible and cowardly” attack.
Jurors were told the four defendants were involved in the supply of drugs and one or more of Jodie’s friends had bought cannabis from those accused in the past.
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Julia Quenzler
Manuel Petrovic admitted driving to Harold Hill with a friend and two others
“There is, however, nothing to suggest that Jodie was involved in the supply of drugs or that she might have upset anyone,” Mr Aylett said.
The prosecution suggested “Jodie is unlikely to have been the intended target; more likely is that the intended target was somebody else altogether.”
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Facebook/Family photo
Jodie’s father described his daughter as “a beautiful, well-liked, fun, young woman”
Following national publicity, police got a breakthrough when a witness reported two males getting into a stationary black Vauxhall Corsa.
Mr Aylett said Jodie’s murder might have gone unsolved if not for the chance sighting.
‘Entirely blameless’
A couple of hours after the killing, a black Corsa registered to Mr Petrovic was found abandoned about two miles away, he said.
Following his arrest, Mr Petrovic, of Highfield Road, Romford, east London, admitted driving to Harold Hill with a friend and two others who had gone into the park to collect money and drugs.
He denied knowing the pair were armed beforehand, the court heard.
Mr Aylett said: “If the prosecution are right in saying that Jodie Chesney was an entirely blameless individual who got caught up in some quarrel between drug dealers then her murder was the terrible but predictable consequence of an all-too casual approach to the carrying and using of knives.”
The trial continues.
WSL: Brighton 1-1 Chelsea – Adelina Engman rescues point for visitors
Chelsea needed a stoppage-time equaliser from sub Adelina Engman to rescue a point at Brighton in the Women’s Super League.
With an uneventful match set to end goalless, Aileen Whelan put the hosts in front with six minutes to go with a well-placed shot.
However, the hosts could not hold on and Engman levelled from close range after a Millie Bright knockdown.
Chelsea pushed for a late winner but Brighton held out.
Edgware Road stabbing: Boy, 17, killed in street attack named
The teenager was found fatally injured on Edgware Road near the junction of Church Street
A 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death on a street in central London, has been named as Josiph Beker.
The teenager, also known as Yousef, was with friends outside a KFC on Edgware Road when a fight broke out between two groups on Tuesday, police said.
He was stabbed during the confrontation and died in hospital later.
Police said they were keeping an “open mind concerning motive” and urged any witnesses to come forward. No arrests have been made.
A post-mortem examination concluded Josiph died from a stab wound to the chest.
No arrests have yet been made
Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge said: “Lots of people were in the area at the time and may well have seen what unfolded.
“We need them to do the right thing and get in touch with what they saw along with any images or moving footage captured before, during or after the attack.”
Serial killer’s dealer jailed for Grindr murder
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Met Police
Gerald Matovu was found guilty of 39 offences, including murder, following a trial
A drug dealer who supplied serial killer Stephen Port has been jailed for at least 31 years for the murder of a businessman.
Gerald Matovu, 26, killed Eric Michels, 54, with a fatal overdose of GHB – the same drug his former customer used to kill four men.
He was one of 12 men targeted by Matovu and lover, Brandon Dunbar, 24, over a 19-month period, The Old Bailey heard.
Sentencing, judge Anne Molyneux QC said Matovu was an “experienced poisoner”.
Matovu had previously admitted selling GHB to Port, but had denied killing Mr Michel, who was found dead in bed by his 14-year-old daughter.
The pair met through the Grindr app and took a cab back to Mr Michels’ flat on 18 August 2018.
Passing sentence, the judge said Matovu, who now identifies as female, was a “highly dangerous predator”.
He was jailed for a total of 39 offences relating to 14 victims.
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Met Police
Eric Michels was found dead at his home in Chessington in August 2018
Mr Michel’s ex-wife, Diane Michels, said the two men had a “callous disregard” for his life.
“We have to live with the knowledge the last person Eric saw was the person who took his life”, she said.
The court heard Matovu and his partner Dunbar targeted victims through gay dating apps, carrying out a string of thefts and frauds.
They drugged their victims, calculating they would be “too embarrassed to report what happened”, said the judge.
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Met Police
Brandon Dunbar admitted using Mr Michels’ card and taking £300 from his account
Co-defendant Dunbar, of Forest Gate, east London, was jailed for 18 years and told he must serve at least two-thirds in prison.
The judge also imposed an extended sentence of five years, to be served on licence.
Jurors were not told about Matovu supplying drugs to Port, who was given a whole-life term for the murders of four young men he poisoned with GHB.
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Met Police
Matovu and Dunbar were filmed on CCTV using their victim’s bank card
Worcester Park fire: Four-storey block of flats destroyed
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Many families have lost their homes after a huge fire destroyed a block of flats in south-west London.
Flames quickly spread to all four floors of the building in Sherbrooke Way, Worcester Park, after fire crews were called just before 01:30 BST.
Some 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines tackled the blaze, which took five hours to get under control.
No injuries were reported but London Fire Brigade (LFB) said crews would remain there throughout the day.
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London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade said it was a “challenging” blaze to tackle
A collection has been set up for residents who have lost their homes
Dean Fowler, who lives with his family on the top floor of the building, said he was woken in the night by someone banging on his door.
“I then heard someone screaming ‘there’s a fire, get out’, and I just got my boys and went,” he said.
He said he had only been living in the building for three weeks and had lost “everything” in the blaze, but added: “we’re alive, we’re breathing, that’s all that matters”.
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Jack Woods/PA Media
Lauren Woods and Jack Edwards escaped from the building with their twin daughters
Lauren Woods and Jack Edwards escaped from the top floor with their two six-month-old daughters Mia and Grace.
Louise Anns, Ms Woods’ friend and colleague, said the family had been left “devastated” having had to abandon their two cats, while their car was expected to be written off due to flooding in the building’s basement.
“Everything they have is in that flat, and it’s gone,” said Ms Anns, who has set up an online donation page to raise funds to help them.
Another crowdfunding page has been set up for all affected residents by Worcester Park councillor Jenny Batt, who said the “amazing” response from the community meant they had already been donated large amounts of items such as clothing.
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London Fire Brigade
All four storeys of the block were ablaze
The building is made up of 23 flats and based in The Hamptons estate, an American-style complex made up of social and private housing which was built on a former sewage treatment works.
Residents from the block and a nearby building were taken to a nearby community centre and a collection is being organised for the affected families.
One of those, Darren Nicholson, said he woke up to the sound of “crackling” and when he opened the curtains he “saw the flames and got myself and the family out”.
He said fire alarms were going off in the community areas but not in his own flat and he believed the blaze began “on the balconies”.
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At the scene
Greg McKenzie, BBC Radio London correspondent
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PA Media
What was once a four-storey building is now just a shell.
You can hear the block falling apart and black and white smoke continues to billow from it.
The closest building, which has also been evacuated, is quite far away so it is not possible that the fire could spread.
However, the thick smoke is going into these houses and covering the entire block.
Residents from other parts of the estate have been bringing bags of clothing and bedding to the community centre to donate to those people who have lost everything.
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London Fire Brigade
No injuries were reported
The building is made up of 23 flats
Fire investigators have begun work to look into “all aspects of the this fire”, LFB said.
LFB Group Manager Rick Ogden said fire crews had faced “a well developed and intense fire” which had engulfed all four floors of the building.
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Google
The estate is made up of 645 mixed-tenure homes built in a US style beside a nature reserve
Metropolitan Thames Valley, the housing association which manages properties in the block, said it was “supporting emergency services on the ground and our priority is ensuring that residents are safe.”
Sutton Council said it had officers on the site “supporting anybody that needs help”.
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Boy charged with murder over knife attack in London
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Met Police
Santino Angelo Dymiter was found injured on 26 August
A 14-year-old boy accused of a stabbing murder has been remanded to a secure unit.
The teenager, from Barking, appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning over the killing of Santino Angelo Dymiter, from Plaistow.
Eighteen-year-old Mr Dymiter was found injured on the afternoon of 26 August by emergency services at Chadd Green, east London.
The judge remanded the 14-year-old to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also accused of having a knife in a public place.
Door open on moving Southend train for 23 minutes
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Tim Neobard/RAIB
The door of the carriage was open for 23 minutes
A door on a passenger train was open for 23 minutes while the vehicle travelled at 80mph (128km/h).
A passenger reported it to the driver at Hockley station, in Essex, at 07:20 BST on the Liverpool Street to Southend line on 22 August, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.
The train travelled in traffic for 16 miles (26km) with the door open.
Train operator Greater Anglia said the carriage had immediately been taken out of service.
The RAIB has conducted an investigation and will release a “safety digest” at a later date.
Martin Moran, Greater Anglia commercial and customer service director, said: “Safety is our highest priority.
“We immediately took the train out of service when this happened and carried out our own investigation into the incident.
“We have also carried out checks on every single door on that type of train that we have.
“No-one was injured in this incident and there have been no further incidents since.”
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Geograph/Andy Vaughan
The train stopped at Hockley station while the incident was dealt with
A witness who was not on the train, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had seen Greater Anglia staff shouting and a technician working on the door.
He said: “All of a sudden there was a technician there looking at the door at the side. It must have been loose because they were able to slide it back.”
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Derek Monnery, chairman of the Essex Rail Users Federation, said it was an unusual incident and it may have been down to recent refurbishment work on Greater Anglia’s rolling stock.
He said: “It could be a dangerous situation if the train is crowded and a lot of people are standing there, which fortunately it doesn’t sound like it was in this case.
“It should never have happened.”
Greater Anglia confirmed the carriage was one of those which had been refurbished but said it was unable to say if this had been a factor in the incident until its investigation had been completed.
The operator has unveiled a £1.4bn plan to replace its trains.
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Paul Stirling: International commits future to Ireland and will leave Middlesex
Paul Stirling has committed his future to Ireland and will leave Middlesex at the end of this season.
Stirling has signed a new contract with Cricket Ireland and will depart Middlesex after 10 years with the English county side.
The 29-year-old has played almost 200 games and scored more than 6,000 runs for the club.
“It’s been a real privilege to represent Middlesex Cricket over the last decade,” Stirling said.
“It has been an unforgettable journey for many reasons. Winning the Championship in 2016 was undoubtedly the highlight on the field, while also receiving my county cap will be something I will cherish for a very long time.”
He added: “I am looking forward to the next chapter with Ireland. With a busy year in 2020 and the T20 World Cup Qualifier coming up, it is an exciting time to be a part of.”
The draw for next month’s T20 World Cup Qualifier was made on Tuesday, with Ireland placed in a group with United Arab Emirates, Oman, Hong Kong, Canada, Jersey and Nigeria.
The tournament, which will be played between 18 October and 2 November in the UAE, will see six of the 14 competing teams progress to the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.
Two groups of seven teams will compete in a round robin with the top team in each group automatically qualifying for the World Cup.
Teams finishing second to fourth in each group will enter a play-off series to determine the final four qualifying teams.
French air traffic control ‘outage’ hits UK flights
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EPA
Some flights to and from the UK are facing delays and cancellations due to problems affecting French airspace.
British Airways said an air traffic control “outage” had hit flights going through French and Spanish airspace.
EasyJet said it was experiencing disruption due to a “partial failure of French air traffic control systems”.
Paris Airport tweeted that a “national computer failure related to the centralisation of flight plans” on Sunday morning was now resolved.
But it warned that delays were still expected.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said it does not know how many flights have been affected but it is working with airlines in the UK to try to minimise disruption.
Gatwick Airport said passengers should check with airlines on the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
EasyJet said it has been forced to cancel 94 flights out of just under 2,000 scheduled to take off on Sunday.
Affected passengers were contacted directly and given the option of transferring their flight for free or receiving a refund, it said.
The airline added it was seeing significant delays and recommended all its passengers, regardless of their destination, check the status of their flight at www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker for real time information before going to the airport.
British Airways also urged customers to check the status of their flights online and said it expects disruption to services to France and Spain, as well as those which fly over these countries on the way to other destinations.
Some passengers told the BBC their British Airways flights had been cancelled.
The airline said it would not release any cancellation figures but added any affected customers had been notified directly.
It said it would offer flexible rebooking options for anyone who wants to change their dates of travel as a result of the disruption.
Ryanair advised customers on its website there had been a “serious French ATC [air traffic control] equipment failure” early on Sunday morning.
It said delays of “up to three hours are being suffered”.
Travel expert Simon Calder said: “France is absolutely at the heart of European air traffic control – some 60% of all EasyJet flights to anywhere go over French territory.
“This appears to be some kind of malfunction which has greatly reduced the flow rate [of flights] so there’s reports of pilots in Lisbon, for example, trying to get to the UK telling passengers we could be five hours late.”
He said affected passengers will not be eligible for compensation, explaining: “It’s not the airlines’ fault.”
But he said the airlines have a strict duty of care, which means they must provide meals and if necessary accommodation to passengers.
He added: “They also have to rebook you on the first available flight, ideally on the same day, even if it means paying money to a rival to get you home.”
The disruption is having a wider knock-on effect in the UK, with some flights from Scotland to England cancelled.
Richard Martin was due to fly from Edinburgh to London Stansted when EasyJet texted to say his flight had been cancelled.
“We are booked on another flight tomorrow but I’m due to be back at work,” he said.
“The queues at the airport and everything are crazy and we’ve had some family members say something similar has also happened to them.”
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