Two bodies have been found by divers searching for six missing people who were on the superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily, Italian media is reporting.
British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his daughter are among those who remain unaccounted for after the Bayesian went down as a result of being hit by a tornado on Monday morning.
Twenty-two people were on board the vessel, 15 of whom were rescued – including Briton Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter Sofia.
The body of the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas, has been recovered already, the Italian coastguard has confirmed to Sky News.
Divers have been looking for survivors in the hope that some might be trapped in air pockets inside the ship, but experts believe the chances any are left alive are slim.
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 @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
A dad-of-three who broke into a mortuary and defiled two bodies has been jailed.
Damon Tingay “violated and defiled” bodies after he broke into the mortuary of the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, in the early hours of the morning on 17 March
Grimsby Crown Court heard Tingay rummaged through numerous fridges and disturbed the shrouds covering the dead before he performed sex acts on two male bodies.
Tingay was in the mortuary for around four minutes undisturbed before being discovered by hospital staff and attempting to flee.
Behind him, he left a “horrifying scene” the court was told, as the 30-year-old pled guilty to the sexual penetration of a corpse and trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.
On Friday, Tingay was sentenced to six years in prison and an extended licence period of four years by a judge who called his actions “perverted and utterly grotesque”.
The court heard statements from the mum and aunt of one of the patients who Tingay attacked.
They described the “incredible pain when they discovered what had happened to a dear and precious loved member of their family”.
Prosecutor Jeremy Evans said it was “something they will remember for the rest of their lives” and the man’s aunt had suffered a flare-up of multiple sclerosis due to the stress “caused by discovering a family member had been violated in such a manner”.
A statement from the brother of a man who was disturbed when his drawer was opened said he suffered nightmares and had been “traumatised” by the fact his brother’s body “had been disturbed in a place where he trusted he would be safe and at peace”.
Read more from Sky News: 27 Just Stop Oil supporters arrested Flights cancelled at Gatwick Airport after runway closes Moment man arrested over Holly Willoughby ‘kidnap plot’
The court was told how Tingay cycled onto the hospital grounds at around 2.50am and spent about two hours on site – trying to keep away from security guards.
Sentencing the defendant, Judge John Thackray KC told him: “When you thought you had evaded them you entered the mortuary by forcing an external door.
“What happens thereafter is shown on CCTV.”
Footage played in court showed Tingay drinking from a bottle, before entering the mortuary – the door had no lock and was only held closed by a magnet.
CCTV from inside the mortuary was shown to the judge privately.
Mr Evans said 10 bodies were disturbed by Tingay opening the fridges or removing their shrouds before he committed his horrific acts.
At one point Tingay attempted to lift one patient out by their blanket, and appeared to strike another with his fist, the hearing was told.
After being disturbed by hospital staff, he was detained by security guards when he tried to flee the mortuary.
In a statement, one member of staff said: “I have seen a lot in my career. This was one of the worst things I have seen in my life.
“It was the indignity, the lack of respect. I couldn’t stop crying.”
Mr Evans said that when Tingay was arrested he was shouting and screaming he had done nothing wrong and at one point claimed he had been blamed for a friend’s suicide and was seeking answers.
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap here
In an interview with police, he said he had no memory of the incident.
Craig Lowe, defending, said Tingay wanted to “offer a wholehearted apology” and said the offending was “clearly out of character for this friendly, kind, considerate man”.
The judge warned if Tingay had not been disturbed there would have been even more victims, adding: “There is undoubtedly a very, very dark side to you.”
As well as the prison sentence, Tingay was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.
Two bodies have been found in the search for a man and his son who went missing during a hike in the Scottish Highlands.
Tom Parry, 49, and his son Richie, 12, were due to return to their Cheshire home on Wednesday after visiting Glen Nevis and Glencoe.
Their car was found in the Three Sisters car park in Glencoe where they stopped the day before to go hillwalking.
In an update on Thursday, Police Scotland said two bodies had been found during a search in the area on Wednesday evening.
A force spokesperson said: “They are yet to be formally identified. However, the family of father and son Tom Parry, 49, and Richie Parry, 12, from Cheshire, who had been reported missing in the area, have been made aware.”
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Tap here
Police said enquiries are ongoing, but there are “no apparent suspicious circumstances”.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Read more from Sky News: ‘Bad breath rapist’ finally trapped after 17 years on the run Child among four people shot near restaurant
Inspector Craig Johnstone said: “Our thoughts are with all those involved. I would like to thank all emergency services and mountain rescue volunteers.”
Boris Johnson said he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than impose another lockdown in September 2020, according to one of his most veteran aides – despite the former prime minister denying making the remark several times.
Edward Udny-Lister made the revelation to the COVID inquiry today – and also told Lady Hallett that Mr Johnson asked to be injected with COVID live on TV in March 2020 to show the virus was not a threat.
The bodies comment backs up reports in The Daily Mail and allegations made by Dominic Cummings in 2021.
Mr Johnson denied making the remarks on numerous occasions – both on television and in the House of Commons.
Politics latest: Johnson wanted to be injected with COVID on TV
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge
Sky News Monday to Thursday at 7pm.
Watch live on Sky channel 501, Freeview 233, Virgin 602, the Sky News website and app or YouTube.
Tap here for more
Misleading the House of Commons was at the centre of Mr Johnson’s resignation from the Commons as an MP.
Lord Udny-Lister worked with Mr Johnson when he was mayor of London, as well as when he was the foreign secretary.
He was one of the most senior aides to Mr Johnson in Downing Street – alongside Mr Cummings – and ultimately replaced Mr Cummings as chief of staff.
Lord Udny-Lister’s statement to the inquiry said: “In September 2020, the R number was rising. A circuit breaker was proposed in response to this increase and the health secretary was pushing hard for this to take place.
“However, the opposition to any form of lockdown was intense.
“I recall the PM saying in September 2020 that he would rather ‘let the bodies pile high’ than impose another lockdown.
“Whilst this was an unfortunate turn of phrase, it should be born [sic] in mind that by this point the government was trying to avoid a further lockdown given the already severe impact on the economy and education.”
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said the former prime minister would be giving evidence to the inquiry in due course.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:55
2021: PM asked about ‘bodies pile high’ comment
Unlike Mr Cummings, Lord Udny-Lister is a long-term ally of Mr Johnson.
His evidence was given on another illuminating day at the official COVID inquiry.
As well as the above claims, Lord Udny-Lister laid out the dysfunctionality of Downing Street – especially in the early days of the pandemic.
The adviser – who had a desk opposite Mr Cummings – said: “Some of the personalities made it very, very toxic… Dominic Cummings’s relationship with other people had become very strained.”
And messages released to the inquiry revealed that Mark Sedwill – then the head of the civil service – said in July 2020 that “it’s hard to ask people to [march] to the sound of gunfire if they’re shot in the back”.
Simon Case – who is now the head of the civil service – responded by saying: “I’ve never seen a bunch of people less well-equipped to run a country.”
Image: Lord Udny-Lister was a senior adviser to Boris Johnson
Read more: Final message between Johnson and Cummings revealed The moments you may have missed at the inquiry last week
He added that “top-drawer” potential recruits had refused to work in Downing Street because of the “toxic reputation” of the setup.
Lord Udny-Lister also spoke of a distrust or dislike within Downing Street for including devolved administrations within decision-making, as it was felt that that decisions would be briefing or introduced early by Scotland for “political” reasons.
Before the political appointee gave evidence, Simon Ridley – who was head of the COVID-19 taskforce within Number 10 – was before the lawyers.
At one point, he confirmed that the taskforce – which coordinated COVID policy – was “blindsided” by Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out announcement. He said the decision was instead made by the then chancellor and Mr Johnson.
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
Another point to come out of Mr Ridley’s evidence was an email sent by Alexandra Burns, a Number 10 official, in April 2020. This asked if there was an “overall strategy” for care homes – adding that looking at Europe made it seem like one was necessary as “once someone gets [COVID] in one of these places many die”.
A diary extract from Sir Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser, wrote in his diary in October 2020 that he had a “very bad meeting” in Downing Street, in which Mr Johnson called for a “whisky and a revolver” and Mr Sunak was “using increasingly specific and spurious arguments against closing hospitality”.
A man has been charged with the murder of a married couple in Newhaven.
The bodies of a 33-year-old man and 30-year-old woman were discovered at a house on Friday night.
Derek Martin – a 64-year-old also known as Derek Glenn – is due to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: “Our thoughts remain with the families of the two victims at this extremely difficult time.
“While our work to establish the exact circumstances of what happened are ongoing, we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the matter.
“I’d like to thank the public for their understanding and remind them not to speculate or comment on anything which could jeopardise our investigation in the meantime.”
Two bodies have been found close to where a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jersey last week, police have said.
A major search and rescue operation was launched when the L’Ecume II sank after colliding with a ship called the Commodore Goodwill at around 5.30am last Thursday.
All three people on board – skipper Michael Michieli and crew Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat – died.
The States of Jersey Police confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that two bodies have been discovered near the wreckage.
Recovery work had been ongoing since Sunday morning to locate the bodies of the three sailors.
Image: Larry Simyunn (left) and Jervis Ramirez Baligat (right)
In a statement, the force said: “The States of Jersey Police can confirm that two bodies have been located in the area of L’Ecume II.
“The search and recovery operation is ongoing and will continue while the weather permits.
“Family members continue to be supported by specially trained police family liaison officers.”
On Sunday, a large offshore support vessel commissioned by Ports of Jersey began using an underwater robot to conduct a detailed search.
A maritime exclusion zone is in place for the collision site and surrounding area.
A spokesperson for the Ports of Jersey said on Monday that two parallel investigations into the collision are continuing and likely to take several weeks to complete.
