Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel has pleaded guilty to assaulting two teenage girls in Sydney, Australia, the night before the men’s World Championship road race. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was charged with two counts of common assault and fined 1,500 Australian dollars (£909) after a confrontation with the girls, aged 13 and 14. His lawyer said he will appeal against the conviction but has been allowed to leave Australia after being handed back his passport. Van der Poel, 27, alleged the teenagers “continuously” knocked on his hotel room door on Saturday night. “After a few times I was done with it,” he … Continue reading Cyclist pleads guilty to assaulting teenagers in Sydney

A 12-year-old Texas girl allegedly shot her father and herself after agreeing to a murder plot with another child, the Parker County Sheriff’s office shared. The 12-year-old, who police say agreed with the other girl that they’d kill their family members and pets, was found lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the head as her father, 38, was found in her home after having been shot in the abdomen on Tuesday. Both family members were found in Weatherford, Texas at around 11:30 p.m. The other child was from Lufkin, Texas, police share, and was in on the Weatherford child’s … Continue reading OMG: 12-year-old American girl allegedly shot father, herself in murder pact With another child

A fourth man has been arrested following a reported plot to kidnap the Belgian justice minister. The suspect, a 21-year-old Dutch man, was detained by police in the Netherlands, according to the National Public Prosecutor’s Office. Three other Dutch men were also arrested in Holland on Friday night. It comes after a car containing firearms was found outside Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne’s home earlier this week. The minister has since been placed under tighter police surveillance after a “serious threat”, federal prosecutors said Saturday. They said they were “informed last week of a possible threat” to the politician’s safety, which … Continue reading Four persons arrested over plot to kidnap Belgian minister Vincent Van Quickenborne

A court in northern China sentenced one man to 24 years in jail Friday for his role in a vicious attack on four women, as well as other crimes including robbery and opening an illegal gambling ring. The Guangyang Disrict People’s Court in northern Hebei province announced in a statement that the man, Chen Jizhi, was a ringleader of a criminal gang and had conducted criminal activities for years. The court also sentenced 27 others. The charges against them include opening casinos, robbery, assisting in cybercrime activities, picking quarrels and provoking trouble and sentences range from 6 months to 11 … Continue reading Chinese man gets 24 years for brutal group attack on women

A Malaysian businessman who scammed the US Navy in its biggest fraud scandal ever has been recaptured after he escaped house arrest two weeks ago. Leonard Glenn Francis, known as “Fat Leonard”, was captured in Venezuela attempting to board a flight to Russia. He had been on the run since 4 September, when he fled his California home by cutting off his ankle bracelet. A global Interpol warrant had been out for his arrest as US authorities tried to track him down. On Wednesday, the 57-year-old was arrested at Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía airport by Venezuelan authorities. Interpol says he … Continue reading Update: Malaysian criminal known as ‘Fat Leonard’ recaptured after jail break

A judge has quashed a Baltimore man’s murder conviction in a case that spawned hit true crime podcast Serial. Adnan Syed was 19 when he was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, whose body was found buried in the woods in 1999. Prosecutors last week asked the court to throw out his conviction, saying a year-long case review had turned up two “alternative suspects”. Syed will be released into home detention. Now 41, his shackles were taken off in court on Monday after nearly 23 years behind bars. Baltimore Circuit Judge Melissa … Continue reading Update: Conviction overturned in Serial podcast murder case of Adnan Syed

Prosecutors in Baltimore say they are re-examining the murder conviction of a Baltimore teenager in a case that spawned a hit true-crime podcast. Adnan Syed was 17 when he was sentenced to life in prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, whose body was found buried in the woods in 1999. Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby said an investigation now points to two other possible suspects. The 2014 podcast Serial raised doubts about Syed’s guilt. On Wednesday, Mrs Mosby asked the courts to throw out Syed’s February 2000 conviction and put him on trial again. “After a nearly … Continue reading Prosecutors seek new trial in Serial podcast case of Adnan Syed

New Zealand police say a woman in South Korea has been charged with the murder of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases last month. In a case that shocked the country, the remains were discovered by strangers who bought the suitcases from a storage unit in Auckland. The bodies had been stored for several years. Police say the victims had been aged between five and 10. New Zealand has applied for the woman’s extradition from South Korea. Police said they had worked closely with South Korean authorities over the past three weeks in the search for the woman, … Continue reading Woman arrested in S Korea over children’s deaths

Police in Tennessee say a body found on Monday is that of missing heiress Eliza Fletcher. The 34-year-old mother-of-two was a teacher in the area, and the granddaughter of a local billionaire. She was abducted while jogging early on Friday morning near the University of Memphis campus. Cleotha Abston, a 38-year-old man with a previous conviction for abduction has been charged with kidnapping and murdering Ms Fletcher. Her family issued a statement after the discovery of her body, saying they were “heartbroken and devastated”. “Liza was a such a joy to so many – her family, friends, colleagues, students, parents, … Continue reading Police identify body of millionnaire heiress Eliza Fletcher

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering three of his siblings in their home in the Republic of Ireland. Andy Cash, 24, of Rossfield Avenue in Tallaght in south-west Dublin, was charged on Monday night. Eight-year-old twins Chelsea and Christy Cawley and 18-year-old Lisa Cash died after they were attacked in the early hours on Sunday. The defendant appeared at a special sitting of Dublin District Court at about 21:00 local time on Monday. Garda (Irish police) Robert Whitty told the court that the accused replied “no comment” when he was charged with the murders. A defence solicitor … Continue reading Tragic: Andy Cash charged with murdering his three siblings

A Malaysian businessman at the heart of a massive bribery scandal involving the US Navy has escaped house arrest, the US Marshals Service has said. Leonard Glenn Francis, known as “Fat Leonard,” cut his ankle bracelet off before disappearing from his San Diego home and is now reportedly on the run. It comes three weeks before he was due for sentencing. He had pleaded guilty in 2015 for bribing US Navy officers in exchange for lucrative military contracts. The US Justice Department said the scheme was a colossal fraud that cost the Navy tens of millions of dollars. Supervisory Deputy … Continue reading Malaysian businessman linked to US Navy scandal escapes

Police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have arrested an influential Hindu religious leader for allegedly raping two minor schoolgirls. Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru from the Lingayat community, a dominant Hindu sect in the state, is accused of assaulting the girls at his seminary. He was arrested on Thursday night, six days after a complaint filed against him sparked protests in the state. Sharanaru has denied the allegations and called them a conspiracy. He was produced in court at 02:45 India time on Friday and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody. The 64-year-old seer has been charged under the Protection … Continue reading Hindu leader arrested for allegedly raping minors