The news service heard by 26 million listeners to commercial radio in the UK
Top Stories

Man jailed for religiously aggravated rape of Sikh woman
A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of nearly 14 years after the religiously aggravated rape of a Sikh woman.

John Ashby, 32, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court, where he had faced charges of rape, robbery, intentional strangulation and religiously aggravated assault in connection with the incident in Walsall last October.

The trial opened on Monday, where prosecutors said Ashby "targeted" the woman after they were riding on the same bus, before he followed her and entered her home.

He changed his pleas to guilty on Tuesday after being told to "sort your s*** out" in a confrontation in court.

Passing sentence on Friday, High Court judge Mr Justice Pepperall told Ashby that remarks made during the offending "reveal you as a deeply unpleasant racist and Islamophobe".

He also addressed the victim and her partner in court, telling them: "I have nothing but admiration for your bravery. I hope that with time, love and support you are able to rebuild your lives."

Ashby told victim he was 'British master'

The court heard extracts from "harrowing" body-worn police footage that showed the young woman, who has a legal right to anonymity, being comforted by a female officer after the assault.

She said her attacker had called her a "bloody Muslim b****", and that she had been raped in a bathroom by the intruder, who claimed to be a "British master".

In a video interview played to the trial, the victim told police: "He had a stick in his hand. I said 'who are you' and I started screaming.

"He switched off the light. He said 'I just want fun with you'. He said 'you are a f****** Muslim b****', I said 'I am not a Muslim, I am a Sikh'."

Prosecutors told the court there could be no doubt that Ashby was the man who attacked the woman, citing DNA evidence, fingerprints found on a vape and the fact the victim pointed him out at an identity parade.

Confrontation in court and change of plea

On Tuesday, Ashby appeared to say "this is bulls***" during the proceedings.

A man, believed to be a member of the Sikh community not known to the victim, then walked to within 3ft of the glass-fronted dock, and told Ashby: " You're the bulls***. You need to sort your s*** out."

The defendant responded by telling the man to "get the f*** out of my face," and also shouted at another member of the public who had remained seated in the public gallery.

Trial judge Mr Justice Pepperall adjourned the case, sending the jury away for a lunch break.

Around an hour after the incident, Ashby asked to see his barrister and changed his pleas.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.


Man charged with murder of headteacher who was knocked off bike
A man has been charged with murder after a headteacher was knocked off his bike.

Simon Richardson, 34, faces charges of murder, manslaughter, dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without insurance after a collision in Altrincham, Cheshire, at around 6.10pm on Monday.

Headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, from nearby Northwich, was treated at the scene but died shortly after.

Richardson, of no fixed abode, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court later today.

Officers have since made an appeal for CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage from around the area at the time of the incident.

Mr Mullins, headteacher of Stretford Grammar School, was described as a "loving dad, husband, brother-in-law, 'Diddy', uncle, son-in-law" by his family.

Read more from Sky News:
Ex-policeman stripped of UK citizenship speaks to Sky News
World Cup final tickets go on sale for $2.3m

They said he "passed away after being knocked off his bike."

The tribute went on: "He was devoted to his family, and our lives will never be the same.

"Our dad gave us fantastic memories growing up including a trip getting lost at night around Washington DC but it was in his role as a grandad where he truly excelled.

"Our love and memories of Michael will know no limits.

"We will love him forever, to Saturn and beyond."


Transgender prisoner charged with sexually assaulting inmate at Scottish jail
A transgender prisoner has been charged with sexually assaulting a fellow inmate at a Scottish jail.

Alexandra Stewart, previously known as Alan Baker, is alleged to have carried out the attack at the mixed-sex HMP Greenock in Inverclyde.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A 38-year-old prisoner has been arrested and charged in connection with a sexual assault within HMP Greenock.

"A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal."

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) told Sky News it is yet to receive a report.

A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said: "As this matter is subject to proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment further."

The alleged incident comes amid an ongoing legal battle between For Women Scotland (FWS) and the Scottish government over the management of transgender prisoners.

FWS is challenging the SPS guidance, arguing that only those born biologically female should be held in the women's estate.

It follows the campaign group's landmark win at the UK Supreme Court last year, which ruled the definition of a "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refers to "a biological woman and biological sex".

Current SPS guidance allows for a transgender woman to be admitted into the female estate if the inmate does not meet the violence against women and girls criteria, and there is no basis "to suppose" they could pose an "unacceptable risk of harm" to those also housed there.

FWS is arguing the policy is "inconsistent" with the Supreme Court judgment.

Read more from Sky News:
Ex-policeman stripped of UK citizenship speaks to Sky News
'African tribe' leader deported after eviction from Scottish woods

During three days of hearings earlier this year, lawyers acting on behalf of the Scottish government argued it is right for ministers to take a "case-by-case" approach to transgender prisoners.

Gerry Moynihan KC cited case law and article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in relation to the rights of trans people to live in their acquired gender.

Both parties are now awaiting Lady Ross' ruling on the judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.


Kingdom of Kubala: 'African tribe' leader deported from UK after eviction from Scottish woods
The leader of a self-styled "African tribe" that set up camp in the Scottish Borders has been deported from the UK, the Home Office has confirmed.

Kofi Offeh, who crowned himself King Atehene, set up the self-proclaimed Kingdom of Kubala with Jean Gasho - who called herself Queen Nandi.

The couple were later joined by "handmaiden" Kaura Taylor, who went by the name Asnat.

Local media reported Mr Offeh's arrival at Ghana's Accra International Airport on 22 April.

The group made headlines across the globe when they set up a camp in woodland near Jedburgh in May last year, claiming to be reoccupying land that was stolen from their ancestors 400 years ago.

The group's social media accounts, which included videos of them dancing, singing and chanting, garnered tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Facebook.

In September, the owners of the land took legal action to evict them, on the basis they had "no right of title" to it.

A sheriff issued a warrant for their removal and they were eventually evicted - only to set up a new camp in a neighbouring plot of land owned by Scottish Borders Council.

Read more from Sky News:
New image of what missing boy could look like now 50 years on
Ex-policeman stripped of UK citizenship speaks to Sky News

Following further legal action, the group was eventually removed from this second camp in October when sheriff officers, police and officers from Immigration Enforcement swooped in on the site.

At the time the Home Office confirmed a Ghanaian man and an American woman had been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.


Giant octopus, likened to mythical creature capable of dragging down ships, once roamed the seas
A giant octopus, likened to a mythical creature said to be capable of dragging ships to their doom, roamed the seas during the age of the dinosaurs, according to researchers.

Fossils of its jaw structure indicate it ranged from seven to 19m long and lived during the Cretaceous period, about 86 to 72 million years ago.

The species - Nanaimoteuthis haggarti - was an apex predator and is one of the largest invertebrates ever recorded.

Researchers compared the creature to the mythical kraken, a legendary, colossal sea monster from Scandinavian folklore.

"These animals were remarkable. With their large bodies, long arms, powerful ​jaws and advanced behaviour, they represent what could be described as a real Cretaceous kraken", said palaeontologist and lead author Yasuhiro Iba of ‌Hokkaido University.

The body of a modern giant squid can reach 12m in length, but Nanaimoteuthis haggarti would have been even bigger.

Mr Iba said his work showed "giant invertebrates, namely octopuses, also functioned as apex predators in the Cretaceous sea".

"These giant octopuses likely occupied the same ecological tier and may have competed with marine reptiles and sharks within the same ecosystem," he added.

Read more from Sky News:
The robot that can outplay elite table tennis players
Mars rover finds predecessor to DNA

The fossils studied came from Japan and Vancouver Island in Canada and showed intense wear on the creature's "beak", the only rigid part of an octopus's body.

This indicates repeated crushing of hard ⁠structures such as bones and shells, suggesting it hunted large fish, shelled tentacled creatures, clams and other large prey.

Seafarers can rest easy, however, Nanaimoteuthis haggarti died out in the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.

The full study is published today in the journal Science.


News Awards

The Commercial Radio News Awards aim to recognise the talent, hard work and dedication of commercial radio news teams and in the process reward and encourage the very best in radio journalism.
Read more...
Newslink

Newslink is Independent Radio News. Broadcast to an attentive audience of over 26 million every week; it is the perfect space to effectively engage listeners.
Read more...