Over the past five years, more than 540 fentanyl disappearances were reported by Canadian veterinary clinics, health centres, and hospitals, according to data obtained by The Toronto Star via freedom of information requests. Around 483 reports label such medicine disappearances “unexplained,” with the others designated “pilferage” (theft by authorized personnel), “theft,” and “break and enter and theft.” Such incidents put public and patient safety at risk, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists has warned, stating that hospital pharmacies aim “to make sure patients receive the medications they need at the right time and in the right combination.” Ontario saw 374 fentanyl losses reported from 2018 until March 2023.
Timothy Schofield, brother of the TV presenter Phillip Schofield, has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of a number of child sex offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a child. Schofield, who worked as a civilian police worker in Bristol, was suspended from his job following his arrest. During his trial, jurors were told that he had told Phillip Schofield that he had watched pornography with the complainant, but this had not been reported to the police. Schofield was convicted of all 11 charges by a majority of 10-2.
Edward Little, a 21-year-old Islamist terrorist, has admitted to plotting the murder of a Christian preacher at Speaker’s Corner in London. Little, who wanted to shoot Hatun Tash, arranged to buy a gun for £5,000. The young man hoped to kill any police officers or soldiers that were in the vicinity, as well as the camera crew following Tash. Little changed his plea and admitted the charge, but prosecutors have asked for seven days to review. Sentencing is set to occur on July 21.
A 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by hitting an attacker with a slingshot. When Owen Burns heard his sister scream from outside, he assumed she was playing with her friends until he heard another scream. Looking out of the window, he saw her being abducted by a person, and in a panic, grabbed his slingshot and pelted him with a marble and a pebble, hitting him in the chest and head. His sister was able to escape and the would-be kidnapper, who suffered visible wounds, has been charged with attempted kidnapping.
Stephen Tompkinson, an English actor who has appeared in films and television shows, has praised his Educating Rita co-star Jessica Johnson for supporting him during his grievous bodily harm investigation and trial. In May of 2021, Tompkinson faced accusations of punching an intoxicated man in the head, fracturing his skull. A jury found him not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm earlier this month. Tompkinson commended Johnson for helping him through the ordeal alongside her own traumatic events. Johnson’s parents were killed in 2021 after a lorry driver collided with their car while distracted by his phone. Despite personal tragedy, Tompkinson said it was Johnson’s strength and resilience that helped him through a difficult period. Tompkinson voiced his gratitude towards Johnson for helping him prepare for his upcoming play, Stumped, in which he plays playwright Samuel Beckett.
A judge has refused a plea from a woman with cerebral palsy and partial blindness to reduce her prison sentence from three years, imposed following a conviction for manslaughter. CCTV footage from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire showed Auriol Grey shouting and waving at 77-year-old retired midwife Celia Ward to “get off the f\*\*\*\*\*\* pavement”. Ward fell into the road and was hit by an oncoming car. Grey was subsequently found guilty of manslaughter. At an appeal hearing, Grey’s lawyer argued that her sentence was “excessive” and that an autism diagnosis secured after her trial may have made a difference. Judges concluded that the crime marked the gravity of the situation and that it was “not arguably manifestly excessive” whilst expressing their condolences to Ward’s family. Speaking after the hearing, Grey’s brother-in law stated that the law needed to change because “the perception of risk does not cater for people who are mentally challenged, as Auriol is”.
The UK's independent Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) may be suffering from "efficiencies" that are inhibiting justice, wrote Ian Acheson in The Telegraph. The CPS, which operates according to the two tests of whether there is a realistic prospect of a successful conviction and whether a case is in the public interest, is under increasing fire from front-line police who claim that many cases are over-engineered with risk aversion so as to prevent prosecution. Acheson suggested the CPS should adopt a European-style of collaboration, where a prosecutor could become involved far earlier and have greater authority.
Texas militia member Donald Hazard has been sentenced to almost five years in prison after admitting to attacking police officers during the January 6th Capitol riots. The sentence was the length suggested by federal prosecutors. The court heard how the 44-year-old, who was part of a militia group called the Patriot Boys of North Texas, was “eager for violence” and had a tactical vest and helmet adorned with the Confederate battle flag. During the riots, Hazard clashed with officers and grabbed one, pulling him down concrete steps and knocking him unconscious. Another officer's head was injured after Hazard fell on him. Hazard entered the Capitol building briefly before being pushed out by officers. Black pepper spray was used on some of the police. Over 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the attack, and Hazard is the latest person to be sentenced.
Donald Trump has taken to social media to call himself the "victim" of the claimed weaponisation of the federal government. Trump made the comment following the Jim Jordan-led House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government hearing. Two suspended FBI agents and a fired agent spoke about how the agency had retaliated against them for claims they had made about it. The hearing came after the release of Trump-era Justice Department special counsel John Durham’s report, which was critical of the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Danyal Khan has been charged with second-degree murder following the death of a 40-year-old father in Vaughan. Richard Sasaki, a local resident, died in hospital after being stabbed in an altercation between two men near Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. Police initially stated that the suspect "may have been in the area for some time prior to the altercation and may have been interacting with others in the area”. Toronto Police asked anyone with any information about the attack to contact them, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Far-right activists in Melbourne are turning to "breadcrumbing," a slow and steady process of introducing extreme ideas into a debate, in a bid to shape public discourse, according to Deakin University extremism expert Dr Josh Roose. The strategy involves gradually dropping chunks of information into online debates, in an attempt to increase the number of potential recruits to the far-right. The technique is used widely among members of anti-government group MyPlace, which has spawned more than 100 offshoots across Australia, despite not all members adhering to neo-Nazi or far-right beliefs. In a confidential briefing this week, Roose and other experts helped more than 100 Australian councillors deal with the far-right and hate speech.
The use of Tasers by police in New South Wales has again been questioned following an incident where a 95-year-old woman with dementia was tasered by an officer. Senior constable, Terry said the woman was armed with a steak knife and moving slowly with a walking frame, however, questions have been raised about the officer's decision to use such force. The incident comes after the death of Roberto Curti who was tasered by police officers 14 times, which led to criticism of the vague and confusing rules surrounding the use of Tasers in New South Wales. Tasers were first introduced as an alternative to lethal force and a way of reducing the threat of injuries to police and members of the public. However, they can cause considerable pain, trigger anxiety and stress, and put the heart at risk, particularly with people who are elderly or have an underlying heart condition. Since Curti’s fatality, four more people in New South Wales have died in Taser-related incidents, including Stephen Kline, who died in 2016 after a Taser ignited flammable liquid, causing an explosion and burns to his leg, and Jack Kokaua, a mental health patient who was Tasered three times despite having a heart condition.
Civil rights activists and veteran police have questioned the need to use Tasers in incidents involving mental illness, alcohol, or domestic violence. The National Justice Project’s George Newhouse has called for police not to be the first responders in mental health crises. “They’re the ones that get called out at 4am in the morning, but their responses are not attuned to de-escalation,” he said. Dementia Australia has called for better training for police in identifying new care-based approaches that don’t require police action in aged care homes. Tasers are mostly used in residential settings for incidents involving mental illness, alcohol, and domestic violence, and police officers receive training on their appropriate use and are required to document each time they draw their Taser.
The Melbourne police are investigating the stabbing of 16-year-old Pasawm Lyhym with knives in a western suburb by three teenage boys from another school. While two boys were brought in for questioning and subsequently released, the police continue their search for a third boy that they believe was involved. One of the boys alleged to be involved was spotted on CCTV running with a large knife through a dead-end laneway near Mann Place, the location where the incident occurred. This case follows the stabbing death of 17-year-old Solomone Taufeulungaki in June.The stabbing death in Melbourne is just one among many violent incidents that have taken place recently in the city and have led to an increased police presence. Authorities are considering implementing drastic measures to curb the rise in violence, including imposing mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of crimes related to gun violence.
Multiple opinion polls show that the residents of Toronto are eager to elect a progressive mayor after 13 years of the political centre and right. Although the results from different surveys have varied since April, all these surveys show former NDP MP Olivia Chow and City Councillor Josh Matlow, the most left-leaning prominent candidates, have significantly higher combined support than the rivals on the political right. The June 26th election is set to replace John Tory, who resigned in February.
Toronto is not an uninhabitable hellhole, but rather a great place to live despite its recent problems, writes Toronto Star columnist Edward Keenan. The city is significantly safer than other major North American cities and even the Crime Severity Index shows Toronto is safer than many smaller Canadian cities. It has a strong economy and an array of fantastic community organisations, Keenan notes. A key obstacle to Torontonian well-being is the expensive rent market leading to homelessness and subsequent social crises, he adds. Indeed, homelessness will remain an issue until housing affordability is increased, which is something all mayoral candidates agree on, and it's vital everyone's attention remains focused on it, Keenan says.
Two men have been arrested and one charged with murder after police found a metal cabinet containing the body of a 22-year-old man submerged in a creek in the Warrell Creek area of New South Wales. Officers acted following investigations into drug supply in Caringbah, a suburb of southern Sydney. The 22-year-old, who was charged with murder, was arrested in Peakhurst and refused bail. Last week, a 33-year-old was arrested in Brisbane and will be extradited to NSW.
Minnesota’s Senate has passed a measure that would legalise recreational marijuana use by people over the age of 21, and make it the 23rd US state to do so. The bill, which has already been approved by the House, will go to Democratic Governor Tim Walz for final approval. Supporters of the measure have argued that it will improve public health and safety, as well as social justice, while opponents maintain that safety issues will deteriorate. Legal possession, use and home growth of the substance will be permitted from 1 August 2022, with retail sales at dispensaries set to be established in time.
Police in Brisbane, Australia shot a man in response to a domestic violence incident in the city’s north, on 3 March. Officers were called to the scene where a man was said to have stabbed another person, known to him. The Queensland Police Service said in a statement: “As a result of the incident, one man was fatally shot by police.”
The driver of an A-double road train narrowly missed a car on a highway east of Perth before his vehicle overturned in a harsh swerve, causing the second trailer to roll over. Footage recorded by the camera truck shows the other vehicle heading towards the road train just as the bend appears, prompting the driver to abruptly swerve to avoid a collision. Police later charged the 27-year-old male driver with one count of dangerous driving and the case has been adjourned until 23 May.
A UK woman and her husband who put her father into a care home, sold his house and stole his life savings of £49,354 have been jailed for three years and three months. Fherisia Dougall and David Dougall were both convicted of fraud after her father died in a care home where he had been abandoned. They convinced him to move from South Africa with them, where they trapped him in their home and tricked him into transferring his life savings into their joint account. They spent his money on themselves and also sold his house without his consent or knowledge.
