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Sunday, June 14, 2009
US DNA help to catch fawn killers - Update
The University of California in America has offered to analyse DNA to help catch three hooded teenagers who stamped a new born deer to death. Beth Whitton, director of veterinary forensics, saw an article about the attack in Upton Country Park, Poole.
She said any clothing found that was worn by the offenders at the time of the incident on Wednesday could be matched to DNA found on the fawn.
Ms Whitton said: "It really touched me, because you think of a new born fawn it is so innocent and vulnerable.
"We have to protect the most vulnerable people of society. If they could locate items of clothing, shoes, trousers and so forth that were worn by suspects at the time, we could test those items for deer blood and match them with that specific individual deer.
"Study after study has shown the type of people who brutalise innocent animals will go on to have violent criminals activity histories. It is important to get to these people and either help them or bring them into the criminal justice system."
Ms Whitton is awaiting contact from the officer in the case, who is off until tomorrow, before DNA can be taken from the fawn.
Previously.
She said any clothing found that was worn by the offenders at the time of the incident on Wednesday could be matched to DNA found on the fawn.
Ms Whitton said: "It really touched me, because you think of a new born fawn it is so innocent and vulnerable.
"We have to protect the most vulnerable people of society. If they could locate items of clothing, shoes, trousers and so forth that were worn by suspects at the time, we could test those items for deer blood and match them with that specific individual deer.
"Study after study has shown the type of people who brutalise innocent animals will go on to have violent criminals activity histories. It is important to get to these people and either help them or bring them into the criminal justice system."
Ms Whitton is awaiting contact from the officer in the case, who is off until tomorrow, before DNA can be taken from the fawn.
Previously.
Ukuleles to play Beethoven at the "proms"
The unlikely sound of ukuleles will take over one of Britain's largest classical musical festivals this summer, with an orchestra of the mini guitars performing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" in a play-along special.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, sporting tuxedos and brandishing "bonsai guitars," will perform on a stage usually reserved for the world's greatest symphony musicians.
They are calling on other 'uke' players to come to the concert and play along in a performance likely to be more reminiscent of George Formby than Beethoven.
The audience can look forward to "an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and singing (and a bit of whistling)".
The performance on August 18 will be part of the BBC proms season at the Royal Albert Hall. Music and online lessons for the piece can be found here.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, sporting tuxedos and brandishing "bonsai guitars," will perform on a stage usually reserved for the world's greatest symphony musicians.
They are calling on other 'uke' players to come to the concert and play along in a performance likely to be more reminiscent of George Formby than Beethoven.
The audience can look forward to "an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and singing (and a bit of whistling)".
The performance on August 18 will be part of the BBC proms season at the Royal Albert Hall. Music and online lessons for the piece can be found here.
Patient died after having buttock fat injected into her face
A woman died after cosmetic surgery when fat from her buttocks was injected into a vein in her face. Rachel Soanes underwent the procedure to plump out her face but died from a 'phenomenally rare' complication when the fat got into her lungs.
The 37-year-old suffered from the condition lupus profondus, which left her with an usually thin face.
She had undergone the plumping treatment twice before and was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London as an out-patient on February 12. But shortly after a second re-injection of fat from her buttocks she complained of dizziness and vomited.
Photo from here.
Her oxygen levels plummeted but there was a 50-minute delay before a specialist crash team got her and almost two hours before Miss Soanes was admitted into intensive care, Southwark Coroners' Court heard.
Pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas said Miss Soanes, of Windsor Road, Norwich, died of a fat tissue embolism - one of the first ever documented cases. This arose from an injection of fat into a vein of her face, he said. The fat travelled into her lungs and resulting in the embolism, or blockage in the arteries.
Prof Lucas said:'Once the fat got into the lungs there was nothing anyone could have done. It happened within seconds. There was no way anyone could dissolve or remove the fat. It was all the way through the lobes of the lungs.'
The 37-year-old suffered from the condition lupus profondus, which left her with an usually thin face.
She had undergone the plumping treatment twice before and was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London as an out-patient on February 12. But shortly after a second re-injection of fat from her buttocks she complained of dizziness and vomited.
Photo from here.
Her oxygen levels plummeted but there was a 50-minute delay before a specialist crash team got her and almost two hours before Miss Soanes was admitted into intensive care, Southwark Coroners' Court heard.
Pathologist Professor Sebastian Lucas said Miss Soanes, of Windsor Road, Norwich, died of a fat tissue embolism - one of the first ever documented cases. This arose from an injection of fat into a vein of her face, he said. The fat travelled into her lungs and resulting in the embolism, or blockage in the arteries.
Prof Lucas said:'Once the fat got into the lungs there was nothing anyone could have done. It happened within seconds. There was no way anyone could dissolve or remove the fat. It was all the way through the lobes of the lungs.'
Lance Armstrong fan faked cancer to marry girlfriend
A policeman who hero worshipped Lance Armstrong, the Tour De France winner who beat cancer, faked having the disease to persuade his girlfriend to marry him. Michael Matts, 34, described as a Walter Mitty character, lied to his family, friends and work colleagues about his disease to impress them, grab the limelight and to bring "glory" to his life, it was said.
He went as far as to allow friends to give him lifts to the hospital for radiotherapy and persuaded his fiancée with whom he now has two children to bring forward their wedding because of his illness. During the day he even excused himself from the ceremony on several occasions because he said he was tired by the disease.
But all the time there was nothing wrong with him and he was using his sick leave to build up a cycling business. However his fantasy world came crashing down this week after he was jailed for 12 months for the series of deceptions and frauds.
Matts has been divorced by his 30-year-old wife Emma, who is said to be "devastated" and is refusing to let him see their children. Her father, John Heighton, 78, said afterwards: "He's a conniving cheating liar and a sick fantasist. He's put my family through hell."
Leicester Crown Court heard that Matts hero worshipped Lance Armstrong, the American cyclist who successfully fought testicular cancer and came back to win a record number of Tour De France races. He used the world famous cyclist, Lance Armstrong, as a "template" to bolster his lies about having cancer.
Matts, who was perfectly healthy, told the stream of attention seeking lies to grab the limelight, gain sympathy and to impress.
He went as far as to allow friends to give him lifts to the hospital for radiotherapy and persuaded his fiancée with whom he now has two children to bring forward their wedding because of his illness. During the day he even excused himself from the ceremony on several occasions because he said he was tired by the disease.
But all the time there was nothing wrong with him and he was using his sick leave to build up a cycling business. However his fantasy world came crashing down this week after he was jailed for 12 months for the series of deceptions and frauds.
Matts has been divorced by his 30-year-old wife Emma, who is said to be "devastated" and is refusing to let him see their children. Her father, John Heighton, 78, said afterwards: "He's a conniving cheating liar and a sick fantasist. He's put my family through hell."
Leicester Crown Court heard that Matts hero worshipped Lance Armstrong, the American cyclist who successfully fought testicular cancer and came back to win a record number of Tour De France races. He used the world famous cyclist, Lance Armstrong, as a "template" to bolster his lies about having cancer.
Matts, who was perfectly healthy, told the stream of attention seeking lies to grab the limelight, gain sympathy and to impress.
Wedding couple on the run
Police are hunting a cash-strapped couple who got married in an elaborate wedding costing £10,000 - and then ran off without paying. The couple, named by local businesses as Alan Bennett and Lorraine Vickery, from Exeter, Devon, were married in Jersey on February 5.
Guests drank champagne and were entertained by a local band but once the party was over, the pair vanished without settling the bill. All the cheques they left in payment bounced.
Jersey Police have launched a criminal investigation into the alleged fraud after at least six businesses on the island remain unpaid.
The couple had a traditional church ceremony, decorated with elaborate flower arrangements, before hosting an extravagant marquee reception for their 15 guests. Their luxury three course meal, flowing Moet and Chandon champagne costing £70 per bottle, and entertainment from a local band cost a total of £2,000 which remains unpaid.
David Bridges, owner of the Bleu Soleil campsite, where the couple held their reception, said: "There weren't many guests but it was a pretty flash do and the best man came from Australia. "They had the time of their lives and didn't pay a penny for it. The bit that really gets me is that they didn't even pay the rector who married them."
Businesses who provided flowers, a marquee, wedding cake, hotels rooms and suit hire all claim to have been left out of pocket, with a total value of around £10,000. Det Insp Kevin Molloy, of Jersey's Criminal Investigation Department, said: "Following complaints from members of the public, a police investigation is ongoing."
Guests drank champagne and were entertained by a local band but once the party was over, the pair vanished without settling the bill. All the cheques they left in payment bounced.
Jersey Police have launched a criminal investigation into the alleged fraud after at least six businesses on the island remain unpaid.
The couple had a traditional church ceremony, decorated with elaborate flower arrangements, before hosting an extravagant marquee reception for their 15 guests. Their luxury three course meal, flowing Moet and Chandon champagne costing £70 per bottle, and entertainment from a local band cost a total of £2,000 which remains unpaid.
David Bridges, owner of the Bleu Soleil campsite, where the couple held their reception, said: "There weren't many guests but it was a pretty flash do and the best man came from Australia. "They had the time of their lives and didn't pay a penny for it. The bit that really gets me is that they didn't even pay the rector who married them."
Businesses who provided flowers, a marquee, wedding cake, hotels rooms and suit hire all claim to have been left out of pocket, with a total value of around £10,000. Det Insp Kevin Molloy, of Jersey's Criminal Investigation Department, said: "Following complaints from members of the public, a police investigation is ongoing."
Bird wins 20-minute battle with 4ft eel
A hungry bird was seen struggling to eat a 4ft long (1.2m) eel for 20 minutes before swallowing it whole on the banks of a city river.
Eyewitnesses said the eel was almost twice the size of the cormorant which was fishing in the River Taff near the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
One woman said the eel coiled itself round the bird's neck causing it to drop and re-catch it four times. The RSPB said the incident proved that nature's wonders can be seen in cities.
Eyewitness Antonia Jennings, 18, said at first the cormorant versus eel battle seemed "an unfair fight".
"The eel was bigger, more powerful and looked a lot more dangerous than a bird not much bigger than a duck," she said. "The cormorant let go each time the eel cleverly coiled itself around its neck. But it caught it again four times until eventually the eel gave up.
"I couldn't believe it when the eel went down in one gulp - you could see a sort of S-bend in the bird's gullet as it swallowed it alive."
Eyewitnesses said the eel was almost twice the size of the cormorant which was fishing in the River Taff near the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
One woman said the eel coiled itself round the bird's neck causing it to drop and re-catch it four times. The RSPB said the incident proved that nature's wonders can be seen in cities.
Eyewitness Antonia Jennings, 18, said at first the cormorant versus eel battle seemed "an unfair fight".
"The eel was bigger, more powerful and looked a lot more dangerous than a bird not much bigger than a duck," she said. "The cormorant let go each time the eel cleverly coiled itself around its neck. But it caught it again four times until eventually the eel gave up.
"I couldn't believe it when the eel went down in one gulp - you could see a sort of S-bend in the bird's gullet as it swallowed it alive."
'Stupid' driver blocked ambulance
A judge told a driver she displayed "moronic stupidity" by deliberately and repeatedly blocking an ambulance which was carrying a dying patient. Annika Avery, 20, of Leicester, was given a five-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She had already admitted dangerous driving.
The court was told that Avery overtook the ambulance at speed and slowed down, causing the vehicle to brake suddenly. She did this even though the siren was on, Leicester Crown Court heard.
In the back of the ambulance a paramedic was giving heart compressions to an elderly patient. Such was the force of the braking that the paramedic was flung the length of the vehicle, the court heard.
The driver of the ambulance said at one stage Avery pulled alongside him and she was travelling at 60mph (96km/h) in a 40mph (64km/h) area. The paramedic said he looked across and saw Avery and a male passenger laughing and making obscene gestures.
Judge Howard Morrison called Avery's driving "disgusting and dangerous". The patient in the ambulance died and the judge said if Avery's driving had played any part in that death, she would have been facing a very different sentence.
Avery, of Tatlow Road, Glenfield, was said to be under stress at the time of the incident in July 2008, although no other reason was given for her behaviour.
The court was told that Avery overtook the ambulance at speed and slowed down, causing the vehicle to brake suddenly. She did this even though the siren was on, Leicester Crown Court heard.
In the back of the ambulance a paramedic was giving heart compressions to an elderly patient. Such was the force of the braking that the paramedic was flung the length of the vehicle, the court heard.
The driver of the ambulance said at one stage Avery pulled alongside him and she was travelling at 60mph (96km/h) in a 40mph (64km/h) area. The paramedic said he looked across and saw Avery and a male passenger laughing and making obscene gestures.
Judge Howard Morrison called Avery's driving "disgusting and dangerous". The patient in the ambulance died and the judge said if Avery's driving had played any part in that death, she would have been facing a very different sentence.
Avery, of Tatlow Road, Glenfield, was said to be under stress at the time of the incident in July 2008, although no other reason was given for her behaviour.
Talking CCTV camera tells couple to stop having sex
A couple were caught having sex in a town centre by a talking CCTV camera - and ordered to stop by operators.
The embarrassed pair, who had been drinking earlier, heard the booming command and immediately stopped before fleeing the scene in Northampton.
Northampton Borough Council has talking cameras trained in three town centre streets to issue warnings about littering, fighting and street drinking.
Most messages are taped recorded but they can also be used by the CCTV operators to issue specific warnings.
Andrew Simpson, Northampton Borough Councillor responsible for CCTV said he was shocked to hear camera operators had spotted people having sex in the street. He said: ”I certainly wasn’t expecting them to pick up that kind of thing.
”Clearly, I would imagine these people must have had too much to drink and had fairly low inhibitions. But at least they stopped when the camera operators told them too.”
The embarrassed pair, who had been drinking earlier, heard the booming command and immediately stopped before fleeing the scene in Northampton.
Northampton Borough Council has talking cameras trained in three town centre streets to issue warnings about littering, fighting and street drinking.
Most messages are taped recorded but they can also be used by the CCTV operators to issue specific warnings.
Andrew Simpson, Northampton Borough Councillor responsible for CCTV said he was shocked to hear camera operators had spotted people having sex in the street. He said: ”I certainly wasn’t expecting them to pick up that kind of thing.
”Clearly, I would imagine these people must have had too much to drink and had fairly low inhibitions. But at least they stopped when the camera operators told them too.”
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