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Nov 12 2024

Police apologise for ‘flawed’ probe that ‘failed’ family of murdered showjumper | UK News

Police in Northern Ireland have apologised to the family of a murdered showjumper after a watchdog found their initial investigation had “failed” them.

Officers originally believed 21-year-old Katie Simpson had tried to take her own life after an incident in the village of Lettershandoney, Co Londonderry on 3 August 2020.

Ms Simpson, from Tynan, Co Armagh, died a week later in hospital.

It was not until March 2021 that Jonathan Creswell, the partner of Ms Simpson’s sister, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The trial of Creswell, 36, for the murder of Ms Simpson ended in April following his sudden death.

Now, a Police Ombudsman probe concluded the investigation was hindered by a misleading working assumption adopted by several officers that Ms Simpson’s injuries were self-inflicted.

They criticised a “lack of investigative mindset” taking into account police had received intelligence Ms Simpson may have been the victim of controlling behaviours, that the attempted suicide was suspicious, and medics had also expressed concerns about the circumstances of her injuries.

Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume said although this intelligence was viewed and logged by police, it “did not change the direction of the police investigation”.

Police also knew in the early phase of the investigation that Creswell had been convicted for assaulting his former partner in 2009.

Ms Simpson’s mother Noleen Mullan said the family felt “empty” and nothing had been achieved after reading the report.

She has called for more accountability among the senior ranks of police.

The investigation also found there were no effective searches carried out at Ms Simpson’s address and no supervisory officer attended the house at the initial stages of the probe.

Among the other investigative failings identified by the Ombudsman was the lack of consideration given to gathering potential physical evidence from Ms Simpson herself, including blood samples and photographs of her injuries, despite police being aware at an early stage that she was unlikely to survive.

Police also did not take action to locate Ms Simpson’s mobile phone, which was found hidden in a field after Creswell’s arrest.

Assistant chief constable Davy Beck apologised on behalf of the PSNI following the release of the report and acknowledged there were “shortcomings in various stages of the investigation into Katie’s death”.

“I unreservedly apologise for this,” he said.

The Ombudsman investigation identified breaches of the PSNI code of ethics in respect of professional duty, the conduct of police investigations and the duty of supervisors.

As a result, disciplinary recommendations were made to the PSNI in respect of six police officers. No action was taken against three officers, two of whom had retired and one for whom no misconduct was proven.

One police officer received a written warning, another received action aimed at improving performance and one received management advice.

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The family’s solicitor Kevin Winters described the Ombudsman’s findings as a “stepping stone on what’s still a long, tortuous road to justice for the Simpson family”.

“Today’s findings help provide much-needed answers but equally there are unresolved issues arising from new complaints, one of which involves a serving member of police,” he said.

“As part of the accountability process the family feels strongly about taking legal action and a number of family members have indicated that they want to do that because ultimately they were already deeply traumatised by what happened to Katie and retraumatised by the recorded policy failings, and there has to be accountability for that.”

It is understood the family has submitted further complaints to the Police Ombudsman.

An inquest is also due to be held to examine the circumstances of the death of Ms Simpson.

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Apr 21 2024

Liz Truss refuses to apologise for sparking mortgage rate rise – but admits one failing as PM | Politics News

Liz Truss has acknowledged she and her government lost the confidence of financial markets following the mini-budget of October 2022 – but has refused to apologise to homeowners for higher interest rates.

Talking to Sky News, the former prime minister blamed her downfall on the Bank of England, primarily governor Andrew Bailey. However, she said she did not meet Mr Bailey once during her time in office.

“I actually had a meeting set up – I wanted to meet him,” she said. “But I was advised that would be a bad idea. And perhaps I shouldn’t have taken that advice.

“But that advice came from the cabinet secretary and what I didn’t want to do is further exacerbate the [market] problems.

“In retrospect, yes, I probably should have spoken directly to the governor of the Bank of England at the time.”

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Asked about the aftermath of the mini-budget, at which her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a series of unfunded tax cuts, without presenting evidence of how he would pay for them, Ms Truss said: “It’s fair to say that the government did not have the confidence of the markets…

“But if you have organisations within the state, like the Bank of England, like the Office of Budget Responsibility, who are pretty clear to people they don’t support the policies that are being pursued and are essentially undermining those policies, then it is difficult to command the confidence in the markets – because the markets look to the government for that leadership.”

During Ms Truss’s short time in office, the expected path for the Bank’s interest rate a year ahead rose from below 4% to around 6%.

While those rates were increasing before the fiscal event, they shot up dramatically in the wake of the mini-budget, rising even further when, a few days later, Mr Kwarteng promised even more tax cuts.

That sharp increase in interest rates precipitated a short-lived crisis in UK financial markets, which triggered the near collapse of liability-driven investment (LDI) funds which underlie the pension market.

Asked whether she would apologise for the sharp rise in interest rates during her time in office, Ms Truss said: “I question the premise of what you’re asking me, because mortgage rates have gone up across the world.

“The issues that I faced in office, were issues of not being able to deliver the agenda because of a deep resistance within the establishment.”

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She continued: “I think it’s wrong to suggest that I’m responsible for British people paying higher mortgages. That is something that has happened in every country in the free world.

“I’m not saying that I got everything absolutely perfect in the way the policy was communicated. But what I am saying is I faced real resistance and actions by the Bank of England that undermine my policy and created the problems in the market.”

Ms Truss was talking to Sky News in Washington DC on the US leg of her publicity tour for her new book, Ten Years To Save the West.

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Since publication it has emerged that one of the quotes she used in the book, attributed to Mayer Amschel Rothschild, is in fact a fake quote, often used in an antisemitic context.

Ms Truss said: “I’m very sorry about that. It was a complete mistake. It was something I found online and I’ve said I’m very sorry to the British Board of Deputies for that.

“It will be removed from all future editions of the book and removed from the Online Edition.”

Asked whether she feels more at home in the US than in the UK these days, she said: “Well, I do like aspects of American politics. I believe that on economics the US has got it more right than the UK has.

“My heart’s in Britain. But I think you’ve got to be prepared to learn from other countries that have that success.”

You can watch the full interview with the former prime minister on Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme from 8.30am this morning. Trevor is also joined by Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Claire Coutinho, shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood and Reform UK leader Richard Tice.

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Feb 8 2024

Sunak declines to apologise for transgender jibe despite calls from Brianna Ghey’s family | Politics News

Rishi Sunak has declined to apologise for his joke about transgender people, despite Brianna Ghey’s father calling for him to say sorry.

The prime minister was criticised for aiming the political dig about transgender people at Sir Keir Starmer, saying the Labour leader had broken promises on “defining a woman” while Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, was in parliament.

Speaking to Sky News yesterday, Brianna’s father Peter Spooner called Mr Sunak’s remarks “degrading” and “absolutely dehumanising” and said the prime minister should apologise.

Asked whether he would do so today, Mr Sunak said: “If you look at what I said, I was very clear, talking about Keir Starmer’s proven track record of U-turns on major policies because he doesn’t have a plan.

“A point only proven by today’s reports that the Labour Party and Keir Starmer are apparently planning to reverse on their signature economic green spending policy.

“That just demonstrates the point I was making. He’s someone who has just consistently changed his mind on a whole range of major things.

“I think that is an absolutely legitimate thing to point out and it demonstrates that he doesn’t have a plan for the country.”

He added: “Like everyone, I was completely shocked by Brianna’s case. To have your child taken from you in such awful circumstances is almost impossible to come to terms with, and for Brianna’s mum to talk with such empathy and compassion about that, I thought, was inspiring and it showed the very best of humanity.

“I’ve nothing but the most heartfelt sympathy for her entire family and friends.

“But to use that tragedy to detract from the very separate and clear point I was making about Keir Starmer’s proven track record of multiple U-turns on major policies, because he doesn’t have a plan, I think is both sad and wrong, and it demonstrates the worst of politics.”

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Dec 26 2023

Justin Trudeau petitioned to apologise for Canada’s past treatment of British child migrants | World News

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is being petitioned to apologise to British child migrants who suffered “shame and isolation”.

It is the latest move by campaigners demanding an official apology for the treatment endured by youngsters shipped to Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The petition, initiated by the group Home Children Canada, states child migrants were subjected to abuse and stigmatisation, and that many died “ashamed of their history and deprived of their family”.

About 115,000 youngsters, so-called British Home Children, were shipped to Canada from the UK between 1869 and 1948.

Typically, they were used as cheap labour and put to work on farms or as domestic servants and many have told stories of overwork and mistreatment.

They were transferred from orphan homes in the UK but campaigners for the Home Children say that many were only temporary residents of the orphanages and had families who were unaware they made the trip to Canada.

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Now, those campaigners have submitted a petition calling on Justin Trudeau to follow the example of the UK and Australia in issuing a formal apology, something the Canadian government has resisted.

Presented to Canada’s House of Commons, the petition states: “Home children/child migrants were, as a result of the system, thrust into difficult and inappropriate personal living circumstances exacerbated by a belief that they were unwanted by parents and, as a result, denied access to siblings and/or other relatives.”

“We… call upon the prime minister to sincerely apologise to Home Children/child migrants who suffered in shame and isolation, to those who died while being ashamed of their history and deprived of their family, to elderly survivors burdened by their past, and to descendants grappling with the inter-generational impacts of a system that mistreated and separated their families.”

One of the last surviving British Home Children, George Beardshaw, supports the campaign for an apology.

In an interview with Sky News in September 2023, George, aged 100, said: “People thought that Britain was sending over some of the scum from off the streets of London, they all thought we were thieves.

“Some got pitchforks through them. Some slept in the barn with the cattle.”

The UK and Australian governments have issued official apologies for their parts in child migrant schemes.

In 2017, Canada’s House of Commons passed a motion of apology, but there has been none from the government itself.

In September 2023, Sky News asked Mr Trudeau if his government owed an apology to British Home Children. He didn’t address the question, saying only: “Good to see you.”

In response to the latest petition, the Canadian government told Sky News: “The government of Canada is committed to keeping the memory of the British Home Children alive so that we can all learn from past mistakes.

“As adopted by the House of Commons in February 2018, the government of Canada supports the designation of 28 September as British Home Child Day in order to raise awareness and ensure the recognition of the many contributions British Home Children have made to Canada.

“The government has supported a number of outreach, commemorative and educational initiatives to recognise the experience of the Home Children.

“These include the designation of the immigration experience of former Home Children as a national historic event; and the establishment of a commemorative plaque at the site of a former receiving home in Stratford, Ontario.”

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Oct 2 2023

Tory London mayor candidate urged to apologise for suggesting Jewish people are ‘frightened’ by Sadiq Khan | Politics News

The Tory candidate for London mayor has been urged to apologise after she claimed that Jewish communities were “frightened” by Sadiq Khan.

Susan Hall, who was selected as the Tory candidate in July, made the comments at the Conservative Friends of Israel event on the fringes of the Tory Party conference in Manchester.

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She told the audience that one of the “most important” things she would do for Londoners would be to make the city “safer” – particularly “for our Jewish communities”.

She asked for “as much help as [she] can get in London” because Mr Khan “needed to be defeated”.

“I know how frightened some of the community is because of the divisive attitude of Sadiq Khan,” she said.

“One of the most important things that I will do when I become mayor of London is to make it safer for everyone, but particularly for our Jewish community.

“I will ask for as much help as I can get in London, because we need to defeat him.”

Her comments immediately drew criticism from politicians and Jewish groups.

Labour’s shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, said her remarks were “divisive and disgusting”.

“Sadiq Khan has repeatedly stood by London’s Jewish communities in the fight against antisemitism,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Susan Hall’s dog whistle politics have no place in London. Will decent Conservatives ever call this out?”

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Mike Katz, the chair of Jewish Labour, said Ms Hall was “vile, ignorant and wrong” and urged her to apologise.

“Sadiq has consistently gone out of his way to work with the Jewish community. He stood with Jewish Labour when we spoke out on antisemitism in Labour.

“For Susan Hall to try to use this as a dog whistle is beneath contempt. She should apologise.

The Jewish Labour Movement accused Ms Hall of “gutter divisive politics that seeks to use the Jewish community as political pawns”.

“We had quite enough of this from Jeremy Corbyn and saw him off – and have no patience for it from Susan Hall,” it said.

Sky News has approached Ms Hall for comment and the Conservative Party has declined to comment.

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Jul 19 2023

Metropolitan Police apologise and agree settlement with family of private detective Daniel Morgan | UK News

The Metropolitan Police have agreed a settlement with the family of Daniel Morgan – the investigator killed with an axe in a pub car park in 1987 – and apologised over its botched investigation.

The settlement includes an admission of liability over officers’ response to the murder.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised “unequivocally and unreservedly” for failing to bring the killers to justice and said the family had been “repeatedly and inexcusably let down”.

Mr Morgan was a partner in Southern Investigations and it was rumoured he was about to expose corruption at Scotland Yard when he was found with an axe in his head.

His family have endured four failed murder investigations, several smaller queries and two failed prosecutions.

Sir Mark said: “This case has been marred by a cycle of corruption, professional incompetence, and defensiveness that has repeated itself over and over again.

“Daniel Morgan’s family were given empty promises and false hope as successive investigations failed and the Metropolitan Police prioritised its reputation at the expense of transparency and effectiveness.”

His statement said “no words can do justice” to the family’s suffering and their campaigning had shown “multiple and systemic failings” in the Met.

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Jul 2 2023

Ashes: ‘Emotions were running high’ – Lord’s bosses apologise as fans clash with Australia players after controversial Bairstow stumping | UK News

Lord’s bosses have apologised after England cricket fans clashed with Australia players during the second Ashes Test.

As Australia players walked through the Long Room of the stadium during lunch, they appeared to exchange heated words with several Lord’s members.

Australia’s Usman Khawaja and David Warner both stopped to hit back at criticism the team were receiving, and were separated from the crowd by match officials.

The incident followed the controversial stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow, which was met with chants of “same old Aussies, always cheating” by the home crowd.

Bairstow had ducked under a bouncing delivery which made its way through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, before wandering out of his crease as he thought the ball was dead.

Carey threw the ball at the stumps and the run out was given following a check – prompting claims of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Bairstow’s unusual dismissal was met with fury by England’s players, with Stuart Broad taunting Carey and telling him: “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for”.

Cricket Australia called on Lord’s bosses to investigate the confrontation in the Long Room, alleging that Aussie players had been verbally abused with some “physically contacted”.

In response, Marylebone Cricket Club said “emotions were running high” and “words were unfortunately exchanged” by a small number of members.

A spokesperson said: “We have unreservedly apologised to the Australian team and will deal with any member who has not maintained the standard we expect through our disciplinary processes.

“It was not necessary to eject anyone from the ground and I am pleased to say that there was no repeat of this as the players resumed the field for this afternoon’s session.”

Former England player Eoin Morgan said: “I’ve never seen scenes like that. Particularly in the Long Room, never mind all the way around the ground.

“There is a huge sense of frustration but I can understand why, it was complete naivety around what has happened with Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal.”

Despite a spirited England comeback, Australia eventually won the second Test by 43 runs.

An inspired Ben Stokes hit 155 to move England 70 runs away from victory, but his dismissal effectively ended hopes of an incredible comeback.

Australia now have a 2-0 lead in the series and will retain the Ashes should they win at Headingley next week.

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