Man guilty of murdering schoolboy with sword

Marcus Monzo will be sentenced on Friday

A man has been found guilty of murdering 14-year-old schoolboy Daniel Anjorin with a samurai sword in Hainault last year.

Marcus Monzo has also been found guilty of three counts of attempted murder, wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

He showed no emotion as the verdicts were passed at the Old Bailey, from a jury of eight women and four men.

Monzo will be sentenced on Friday.

'End point to my life is much sooner than it should be' Video, 00:02:31'End point to my life is much sooner than it should be'

'He's just killed that boy': Police video shows how Hainault attack unfolded

22 minutes ago Share Save Lucy Manning Special correspondent James Bryant BBC News Share Save

Watch: BBC’s Lucy Manning talks through the police video which shows how they used Tasers and pepper spray to apprehend the Hainault attacker

Daniel Anjorin walked out of the front door of his family home in Hainault at about 07:00 BST, rucksack on his back and headphones on as he headed to school. Moments later the 14-year-old was murdered by Marcus Monzo, who struck him with a 60cm sword causing devastating injuries to his face and neck. Warning: this story contains details some may find distressing

The 37-year-old has been found guilty of his murder at the Old Bailey. The Brazilian-Spanish national was also found guilty of attempting to murder local residents Donato Iwule and Sindy Arias, as well as PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield in a 20-minute rampage on 30 May 2024. He was convicted of wounding with intent against Inspector Moloy Campbell and Ms Arias's husband Henry De Los Rios Polania. Body-worn camera footage from the police officers showed the extraordinary bravery they displayed as they tried to disarm Monzo, suffering serious injuries as a result.

Metropolitan Police handout Daniel Anjorin wearing his school uniform

Monzo had started his rampage by driving his van straight into Donato Iwule, who was walking to work, his trial heard. This was captured on a doorbell camera. Mr Iwule was "catapulted" into the air, his piercing screams shattering the quiet morning. Mr Iwule shouted that he did not know his attacker as Monzo, armed with the sword, chased him down the street telling him: "I don't care, I will kill you." Monzo "moved quickly, like a predator", the court heard, moving behind Daniel before lifting the sword above his head and swinging it downwards towards his head and neck area. As his body lay in the middle of the road, Monzo was seen to drag it. A woman exclaimed in shock "he's just killed that boy". As an ambulance arrived to try to treat the schoolboy, Monzo attacked the vehicle with his sword, causing the paramedics - who described it as "extremely frightening" - to retreat. Police officers rushed in screaming "drop the sword, drop the sword" as they stood toe-to-toe with him. Pepper spray proved ineffective and, as Monzo shouted "does anybody here believe in God?", they chased him down an alleyway.

'Don't let me die here'

Armed with a Taser, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield led the pursuit, which was captured on police-worn body cameras. But as she got to the end of the alleyway, Monzo jumped out and slashed her three times with the sword. She fell to the ground bleeding as her colleague, PC Cameron King, screamed "police officer stabbed, police officer stabbed, Yas has been stabbed". PC King said he was "petrified", while PC Mechem-Whitfield told her colleague "don't let me die here". Henry De Los Rios Polania was asleep with his wife and four-year-old daughter when Monzo burst into their bedroom. In a terrifying conversation, he repeatedly asked them if they believed in God and then slashed Mr De Los Rios Polania with the sword as he raised his arm to protect his wife. When their daughter started crying, Monzo said he would spare their lives and walked out of the house leaving Mr De Los Rios Polania with serious injuries to his hand.

Metropolitan Police Inspector Moloy Campbell fought Monzo with his baton as shown by this bodycam footage

Despite the injury to their colleague the police officers ran towards Monzo as he appeared to be cornered by a set of garages. In remarkable police video, which resembles hand-to-hand combat, Inspector Moloy Campbell raised his baton as Monzo brought down his sword trying to slash him. The police baton and Monzo's sword clashed twice as Inspector Campbell tried to defend himself and disarm Monzo. "Monzo was slashing at me with a large sword," Inspector Campbell said. "I saw my hand was open - I could see the inside of my hand." Eventually officers fired a number of Tasers at Monzo and managed to arrest him, removing the sword that had caused so much bloodshed.

Flat earth and ayahuasca

During a police interview, Monzo claimed his personality had switched and he compared the events to the movie The Hunger Games. He also told police that he had "many personalities" and that one of them was a "professional assassin". Monzo, who grew up in Brazil and moved to England in 2013, gave evidence in court. He spoke in a calm manner - occasionally weeping - and while he admitted attacking people with the sword in Hainault he insisted he could not remember doing so, claiming everything about the day was confused in his mind. Monzo was a martial arts enthusiast who believed in conspiracy theories - including that the earth was flat. He denied the 9/11 attacks on New York and, posting on X, claimed they were antisemitic and promoted conspiracy theories. His brother said he had changed after attending retreats in India and the Amazon where he drank ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic tea.

Marcus Monzo unboxes katana sword used in attack

After a visit to India in 2018, Monzo said he began to engage in some "very extreme" practices, including drinking and washing himself with his own urine. He said he became distant from his family and followed various practices, including sleeping and eating as little as possible. Both the prosecution and defence agreed Monzo's had a psychotic disorder. However, prosecutors said his behaviour was triggered "by self-induced intoxication in the form of drugs" through his use of cannabis, which led to the psychosis. The defence claimed he was "most likely suffering from a pre-existing condition". He had bought the sword two months before the attack, videoing himself with his cat, unboxing it and calling it "freaking sexy" and simulating "ninja stuff". On the day of the attack he strangled his cat and tried to eat it. That morning, Monzo said he had felt the onset of "something like Armageddon" and he believed "the world was collapsing".

Julia Quenzler In court Monzo accepted attacking people with a sword but said he did not have a clear memory of it

Tears in court

Eurostar passengers face severe delays after cable theft

Eurostar said there was already knock-on disruption on Wednesday after two people died in separate incidents on the LGV Nord line on Tuesday, but services were further impacted after cable was stolen on the same line.

Eurostar said passengers should postpone their journey, after the disruption saw services cancelled and delayed in both directions on lines connecting London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

The high-speed rail operators says repairs are complete and the railway line is open again, but delays will last until the end of the day.

Eurostar passengers are facing a second day of severe delays after two people died on the railway track in France and then cables were stolen.

The theft near Lille, which French media said was of around 600 metres of copper cables, caused trains to be rerouted, leading to extended journey times.

Further cancellations are not expected on Wednesday now that the railway line is repaired.

Eurostar said that so far, five trains between London and Paris have been cancelled.

It added that impacted passengers can change their travel plans for free or request a full refund.

"We're very sorry for the impact this is having on our customers," Eurostar said in a statement.

"Our teams are working closely with the French authorities and infrastructure teams to manage the situation and restore services safely."

The operator earlier said one track had reopened, allowing some trains to run in both directions until full repairs were completed.

Water is being handed out to passengers onboard delayed trains, and stations are also very busy.

Hundreds of people are queuing at London's St Pancras International railway station trying to access the service centre to rebook onto other trains.

Elizabeth Romijn, a yoga teacher from the Netherlands, told PA news agency at St Pancras that the situation was "very chaotic" and people were having to sit on the ground because there were not enough chairs.

The 75-year-old was planning to travel home to Brussels after visiting friends in Surrey.

"My plan is to just wait. Maybe I should go and be more proactive and go to ask one of the staff but nobody seems to know anything," she said, adding that "it's quite horrible long queues."

The railway line in France was closed for much of the afternoon and evening on Tuesday after the two fatalities between Lille and Paris.

Services were cancelled on routes to and from Paris while trains between London, Brussels and Amsterdam ran with delays.

Eurostar said disruption continued into Wednesday as trains and crew were displaced.

Smashed windscreens and knife threats: We're living in fear of our neighbours

31 minutes ago Share Save Tarah Welsh Housing correspondent Share Save

BBC

Over the past year, Dilara's next-door neighbour has threatened her father with a knife and damaged their property. Dilara says she also smashed her sister's car windscreen with a hammer. "I'm just scared," says the 17-year-old beauty therapy student, who lives with her family in south London, "it doesn't feel like a home to me anymore". She says she struggled when doing her GCSEs last year as noise from the neighbour kept her awake - and the issue is still affecting her college studies. "I'm really tired," she says, adding that sometimes she can't make it to school because she's so exhausted. Sixty-six people have contacted Your Voice, Your BBC News telling us how they have dealt with relentless noise, vandalism, death threats and even physical assaults by neighbours. It comes after we reported on a couple plagued by anti-social behaviour earlier this year. Meanwhile, the housing ombudsman told us complaints about such issues had doubled over the last five years and authorities needed to work more collaboratively to protect people.

Knife-threat neighbour still living next door

Dilara's father Ecevit, 50, says when he told their neighbour to turn the music down at 04:00 one morning in January, she came out with a knife. The incident left him "shaking". The neighbour was arrested but released on bail and was back home the next day. The neighbour pleaded guilty to threatening "a person with a blade/sharply pointed article in a public place" and will be sentenced in July. But the anti-social behaviour has continued. Last month, she allegedly smashed the car windscreen of one of Ecevit's other daughters. The neighbour has now been charged.

Supplied Doorbell footage of Melissa's car being hit with a hammer

Melissa, 25, who needs the car to get to work, says she was in "shock" when she discovered what had happened. The family believe their housing association, Wandle, has failed to act over the numerous cases of anti-social behaviour, despite much of it being recorded on cameras. "What is it going to take for them to actually take action and do something to safeguard us and to protect us? Do they expect her to kill us? How is it not enough?" Melissa asks. Dilara says the windscreen incident has "really affected" her and that, along with other members of her family, she now suffers with anxiety. Cihan, 29, the eldest daughter in the family says: "There's no real action. There's no real urgency, it's just brushed under the carpet."

Ecevit says he was left shaking after being threatened

Anne Waterhouse, chief executive of Wandle, said the housing association was "deeply sorry about the distress caused to the resident enduring this unacceptable level of anti-social behaviour". "Our community safety team has been working with the impacted family, the police, the local authority and several external agencies to resolve the serious anti-social behaviour issues being experienced." Ms Waterhouse added that Wandle was currently assessing whether the family's property would "benefit from enhanced security during this difficult time". But the family say their neighbour has also been failed by the system. "It's also a failure for someone who is clearly very vulnerable and is struggling with their mental health. And you know she deserves all the help that she needs, as well as considering my family's safety," Cihan says. A Met Police spokesperson said the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team was aware of a "pattern of behaviour" and was working to support the family, as well as liaising with housing associations and mental health services.

Cihan says her neighbour deserves the help she needs

Exclusive data from the housing ombudsman shows the number of complaints about how social landlords have dealt with anti-social behaviour in England have increased by 119% over four years - from 552 in 2020, to 1,207 in 2024. The watchdog found many social landlords were failing to protect tenants from anti-social behaviour. Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman for England, says in about "two out of three cases" he looks at involving anti-social behaviour "something has gone wrong". "In some of the most serious cases, really losing sight of the issues, losing sight of the victim, and the impact of that is deeply shocking," he says.

'I don't sleep'

Others contacted us with similar stories - including Cheryl, in Shoreham-by-Sea, who says four years of complaints about her neighbour have resulted in little action from the authorities. She says loud music, shouting, abuse and other forms of disquiet have made her life a misery. "I don't sleep. It's like sharing a house with these people, and it affects every part of everything. I can't go out," she adds. "My routine revolves around them, so I sneak in and out when it's quiet, because it's been dangerous if I don't." Cheryl says she installed cameras around her house because she feels unsafe. Another neighbour of Cheryl says anti-social behaviour is impacting her life too. They both say they have been let down by the woman's landlord, Adur & Worthing Councils. Cheryl says she has been told not to contact them anymore, with the council calling her claims "vexatious". The council tells us recent complaints from Cheryl are "unfounded" and "hundreds of hours of officer time have been put into understanding the situation and providing support where it is required". This has led to an "improved situation", it says. In a statement, the council cited "two independent ASB [anti-social behaviour] Case Reviews led by two other councils, both of which have supported the actions we have taken in this case." The BBC has seen video footage showing multiple instances of shouting, swearing and drinking outside Cheryl's flat, which is above the woman's. We put all of Cheryl's allegations to her neighbour, who did not want to be interviewed but disputed Cheryl's claims and said she felt harassed because she was being filmed. She also told us she was vulnerable.

Cheryl says anti-social behaviour has made her life a misery

Sussex Police said it had received "multiple reports of anti-social behaviour between neighbours" since 2021. It said a 61-year-old woman had been issued with a Community Protection Notice, and in August 2024 was ordered to complete a community resolution for a public order offence. In a statement, the force told us it "understands the impacts of anti-social behaviour on victims and all reports are taken seriously". It said it had "engaged with all parties involved, including the local authority, to identify a satisfactory resolution". Cheryl says the impact of living in this situation has been devastating and she has spent time in hospital after a suicide attempt. "It's heartbreaking. It doesn't feel safe, life is hell. It's horrible. It's not a way to live."

Supplied Police say they have "received multiple reports of anti-social behaviour between neighbours beginning in 2021"

Many people who contacted us said they felt ignored by the authorities and isolated as no official body has taken ownership of the issue. Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said persistent anti-social behaviour caused "deep distress" but stressed housing associations treated it seriously. "Many have dedicated, specialist teams whose role it is to manage such cases, to liaise with victims and alleged perpetrators, and to mediate swift resolutions." Mr Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, said there were laws in place to protect people but there could be a "breakdown" in "cooperation between different agencies". In many of the cases we have heard about, we were told that people on both sides aren't getting the support they need. "Social landlords need more support from mental health services, who will be under their own pressures," Mr Blakeway said. "But then social landlords themselves also need to recognise that they need to develop skills to handle mental health issues effectively themselves."

Fraudster jailed for selling fake 'Scottish-grown tea'

38 minutes ago Share Save Paul Ward and Steven Godden BBC Scotland News Share Save

Rex/Shutterstock Thomas Robinson supplied high-end establishments such as Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel and the Dorchester in London

A fraudster who tricked luxury hotels and stores into buying "Scottish-grown tea" that was actually from abroad has been jailed for three-and-a-half-years. Thomas Robinson also conned aspiring tea growers by selling them plants he claimed had been "specially engineered" to grow in Scotland's climate - but in reality they had simply been bought in from Italy. The 55-year-old, who was known to his many customers as Tam O' Braan, spun an elaborate backstory claiming among other things that he was a former bomb disposal expert, had lived in the Amazon and had invented the "bag for life". Last month he was found guilty of the £550,000 scam that spanned five years from 2014.

He supplied high-end customers such as Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel and the Dorchester in London with varieties of tea with names like Highland Green, Silver Needles and Scottish Antlers Tea. Sentencing Robinson and Stirling Sheriff Court, Sheriff Keith O'Mahony said his crimes were not victimless and involved "significant and persistent planning".

Getty Images Thomas Robinson raked in hundreds of thousands of pounds in his elaborate scam

Trading as The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson claimed his brews had been grown on farmland in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway, but really the tea had been bought from a wholesaler in Oxford and resold at hugely-inflated prices. Concerns were raised with the authorities when genuine tea growers caught wind that Robinson had populated the Balmoral Hotel's Palm Court luxury tea menu with Scottish brands.

Richard Ross is a tea writer who helped expose Thomas Robinson's fraud

Richard Ross bought 500 plants from Robinson in 2015 but as the crop failed he followed stories of Robinson in the media. "I heard about the Balmoral tea list and decide to go and have a look," Mr Ross said. "He'd taken names of genuine plantations but no-one involved in the actual plantations had heard they were selling to The Balmoral and that's because none of them had produced any tea from their plants." In 2017, Perth and Kinross Council started to check if Robinson had a food processing licence. At the same time Food Standards Scotland (FSS) was alerted and Robinson's fraud began to unravel.

Stuart Wilson from Food Standards Scotland said Thomas Robinson made several false claims about the tea he sold

Lead investigator Stuart Wilson said: "It didn't take long to establish that the tea he was selling to the hotels was being bought from wholesalers, likely to have originated in Sri Lanka or India. "He'd created such a story that people were taken along. Once we started digging into it, it was quite clear that not only could the quantity of tea not be grown but the plants he sold couldn't have been grown either in the quantities claimed." Mr Wilson added: "It was quite clear there were a lot of false claims. "He claimed at certain points to be a chemist, a scientist and an agronomist. He claimed to have served in the Army as well as many other things. "Digging in to each aspect, it was quite clear that all of these were falsehoods and he built up his lies upon these falsehoods."

'Sincerest apologies'

The Balmoral said it was "shocked and devastated" when the fraud was discovered and has since tightened its procurement process. General manager Andrew McPherson said: "We work hard to support local Scottish food producers, providing them with a global platform to showcase their products. "To have been deceived in such a calculated manner left us all profoundly disappointed and embarrassed. "As the hotel general manager, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to everyone affected by this tea incident, particularly our loyal guests, who trusted in the authenticity and quality of our offerings." Robinson couldn't help but embellish his credentials when trying to defraud. He boasted that tea he had supplied to London's Dorchester Hotel in 2017 was "the Queen's favourite".

Getty Images Thomas Robinson claimed his brews had been grown on farmland in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway

The media was also taken in with numerous stories appearing about his tea "success", including on the BBC News website and in a BBC podcast. One magazine feature introduced Robinson as having previously lived "on a canoe in the Amazon, bitten by a deadly snake in Brazil and shot at on the Thailand-Burma border" before he turned to tea. During his trial, it was heard that he created the "CV of a fantasist" - claiming he was a multi-millionaire, a former bomb disposal expert and an inventor. He claimed to have developed a "special biodegradable polymer" that would make the tea plants grow in half the usual time. The court was told it looked just like a black bin liner.

Mr Wilson from the FSS investigation said Robinson was a unique character. "Fraudsters will do whatever it take to continue their lies but once caught they tend to diminish away into the background - but Tam O'Brann, or Thomas Robinson, was quite happy to stand up in court and continue his lies. "Clearly the jury didn't believe him."

Tea enthusiasts

Along with the hotels, high-end shops were also targeted, raking in £278,000 for Robinson. When a buyer from the prestigious food store Fortnum and Mason's wanted to visit his plantation near Loch Tay, he hurriedly bought in plants from a nursery in Sussex and put them on show. Robinson's scam also hit tea enthusiasts trying to build the industry in Scotland. He defrauded a dozen genuine tea growers in Scotland and one from Jersey by supplying them with 22,000 plants at £12.50 each. Robinson claimed they were "specially engineered" for Scottish conditions but he had actually imported them from a horticulturist in Italy at around £2 per plant. Many of the plants died or failed to thrive while Robinson made almost £275,000 from the sales.

Islay Henderson and her husband bought 1,500 plants from Thomas Robinson

Islay Henderson started growing tea at a plantation in Tighnabruaich, in Argyll and Bute, seven years ago, after hearing a radio interview with Hamilton. She and her husband bought 1,500 plants from him. "He told us we were buying tea (plants) that were selectively grown in Scotland for 11 years, so we thought we had Scottish seed that had already been trialled. "When we realised they weren't actually from Scotland, it was quite a worry. "We felt really lied to – he was promising so much with these plants and I guess that's when the suspicion became a bit more obvious." Robinson denied the fraud at his trial and claimed paperwork that would have proved his innocence had been destroyed in a flood. He said he was proud of his work and told the jurors: "I wanted to leave something that would stand in the history of tea."

'Honest toil'

Nato's secretary-general Mark Rutte appeared to approve of the language previously used by the US president about Israel and Iran.

During a press briefing in the Netherlands, Rutte and Trump discussed the conflict between the two countries.

Referencing Trump's use of an expletive on Tuesday, Rutte said: "And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language."

Read live updates on the Israel-Iran war.

Truth about UK nuclear veterans 'covered up', says Andy Burnham

1 hour ago Share Save Carys Nally and Samuel Kerr BBC Newsnight Share Save

BBC

The truth about tens of thousands British veterans who tested nuclear bombs has been "covered up for decades", the mayor of Greater Manchester has alleged. Andy Burnham told BBC Newsnight the government must act while the remaining survivors are still alive. In the 1950s and 60s, servicemen witnessed dozens of atomic and hydrogen bomb tests and radioactive experiments in Australia and the South Pacific as part of the UK's nuclear programme. Veterans claim the tests caused severe lifelong health problems, and that the government continues to conceal their health records. The Ministry of Defence has promised to "thoroughly examine" what information exists regarding veterans' medical tests.

Veterans, along with many others who were exposed, are preparing to launch civil legal action against the MoD to gain access to their own medical records. They say their records are being illegally withheld, and harm was done to them and their families by the MoD's failure to keep, maintain and release them. Survivors allege they have suffered cancers of the liver, bone, bowel, skin and brain, as well as leukaemia, heart disease, stillbirths and generational birth defects as a result of exposure to the nuclear tests. John Morris, 87, worked as a laundry operator "washing contaminated clothing" on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean in the 1950s, and said he witnessed tests of three atomic bombs and one hydrogen bomb. "If you've seen the film 'Oppenheimer', I sat 20 miles from a nuclear explosion that was a thousand times greater than that explosion," he told Newsnight. "People have reckoned it was like sitting in the centre of the sun," he said. "With a pair of trousers on, a shirt and sunglasses." Mr Morris believes the bomb tests caused him to develop pernicious anaemia - an autoimmune condition - and cancer; and caused his first-born son Steven to tragically die in his cot due to birth defects at four months old. John and his wife Betty were initially questioned on suspicion of Steven's murder, before being released without charge. It took John 50 years and a Freedom of Information Act request to produce the coroner's report which suggested their son's lungs may not have formed properly. "The MoD had the audacity to turn round and say they looked after us to the best of their ability," he said. "I'm sorry MoD, you've an awful lot to answer for."

John Morris believes the radiation he was exposed to is linked to his baby son's death

From 1952 and for the following 15 years, about 39,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen and scientists witnessed 45 atomic and hydrogen bombs, and hundreds of radioactive experiments, in the Australian Outback and Pacific atolls. As well as the military personnel, the tests also allegedly put at risk their children and indigenous communities. "This is a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale and only Parliament can overturn it," said Mr Bunham, who has campaigned on the issue before. He told BBC Newsnight's special programme: "Why has this one got the firmest of lids on it? I think it is because it goes to the heart of the British state."

Mirrorpix via Getty Images The UK became the third country to develop and test nuclear weapons in 1952 - here a 1957 hydrogen bomb test is seen from near Kiribati in the Pacific

Steve Purse, whose father David Purse took part in radioactive experiments in 1963, was born with a number of severe disabilities including a form of short stature, as well as curvature of the spine, a respiratory condition and hydrocephalus - a build-up of fluid in the brain. Mr Purse said his father would describe how contaminated sand would blow "everywhere", including into bedding, clothing and food, following the tests in Maralinga in South Australia. "Along come I, a few years later, and in my mind it doesn't take a genius to make a link there and say there has to be something in it. "My condition has never actually been diagnosed - doctors can't diagnose me so there's something genetically different there. There's something wrong."

His son, aged four, has a condition which results in his teeth crumbling. "One dentist said he's seen this before in the children who were in the fallout clouds of Chernobyl," said Mr Purse. Another veteran, Brian Unthank, who was stationed on Christmas Island, said he lost all his teeth and his first wife suffered 13 miscarriages and their children have suffered various health issues. Mr Unthank said he was never issued any protective clothing during the two hydrogen bomb tests he witnessed. He has had treatment for 92 instances of skin cancers, including another treatment this week.

Steve Purse Steve Purse, from Denbighshire, is unable to walk far without crutches

In May 2021, the National Radiological Protection Board said it had carried out three large studies of nuclear test veterans and found no valid evidence to link participation in these tests to ill health. The independent studies, commissioned by the MoD, said overall, test participants "had similar overall levels of aggregated mortality and cancer incidence" to the control group. It said records indicate that "relatively few test participants received any measurable radiation dose as a result of the tests". Veteran's blood and urine samples taken from them as young men at the Cold War weapons trials have been reclassified as "scientific data" and placed out of reach at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, an MoD agency. The government said the database where those records are held – known as Merlin – "has not been declassified" and "contains information ranging from unclassified to Top Secret, with the majority being unclassified". "Plans are under way to release unclassified records at the National Archives with the appropriate privacy redactions, while classified records are being reviewed for potential publication with necessary security redactions," the MoD said in a statement.

Andrew Tate civil trial moved forward by judge 'keen to get on' with case

1 hour ago Share Save Matt Spivey BBC News Share Save

EPA Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan at Fort Lauderdale Airport following return from Romania

The civil case against Andrew Tate will take place months earlier than planned after a High Court judge said she was "very keen to get on" with the case. A 16-day trial had been listed to start on 22 February 2027, but the case has now been moved forward to 22 June next year. Four women are suing Tate over allegations of sexual violence, including that he grabbed one of the women by the throat on several occasions in 2015, pointed a gun in her face and assaulted her with a belt. Tate has previously denied the claims in a written defence submitted to the High Court, calling them a "pack of lies" and "gross fabrications".

Mrs Justice Lambert told the court in London: "We just need to make this happen really. Its not in anyone's interests that this case goes into the long grass of 2027." The claimants welcomed the judge's decision to bring the case forward, they said: "We've already spent years waiting for justice, and so it's of some comfort to hear that Andrew Tate will face these allegations in a court earlier than the original plan of 2027." The trial could last up to five weeks, with a further preliminary hearing expected to take place at a later date.

Allegations previously described in court documents, seen by the BBC, contain detailed accounts of rape, assault and coercive control. One woman claims Tate threatened to kill her, another says he made clear he would kill anyone who spoke to her, and a third claims Tate convinced her he had killed other people. A spokesperson for Tate previously said: "He denies ever threatening anyone with a firearm, engaging in non-consensual acts or subjecting any individual to physical or psychological harm. "These are civil claims, brought years after the alleged events and following a CPS decision not to pursue criminal charges. "It is deeply troubling that such graphic and one-sided accounts are being publicised before any judicial assessment has taken place."

Welfare vote will go ahead says Rayner, despite rebellion

2 hours ago Share Save Kate Whannel Political reporter Share Save

UK Parliament

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said a vote on the government's welfare bill will go ahead on Tuesday, despite a huge number of Labour MPs opposing the measures. More than 130 MPs, including 120 Labour backbenchers, have signed an amendment calling for the proposals to be scrapped, making an embarrassing defeat for the government possible. Senior ministers, including the chancellor and health secretary, have been ringing round MPs trying to persuade them to drop their opposition. Speaking in the Commons, shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride asked Rayner if she could defend the bill and explain why she thought so many of her own colleagues were "wrong".

Rayner replied that the bill would help people into work, and end eligibility reassessments for the severely disabled. "We won't walk way and stand by and abandon millions of people trapped in a failing system left behind by him and his colleagues," she said. She accused the Conservatives of having "no plans and no idea" on welfare policy. Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, a Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir recognised the strength of feeling but said leaving millions of people in a failing system was "not the moral or progressive thing to do".

The government's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill changes who would qualify for certain disability and sickness benefits. Ministers have said the bill is crucial to slow down the increase in the number of people claiming benefits. However, Labour critics of the bill have argued there has not been sufficient assessments of the impact of the measures, which they say will push large numbers into poverty. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party could be prepared to back the bill providing the government can guarantee it would reduce the welfare budget and get more people into work, without raising taxes - a list of conditions which the government would be unlikely to accede to. The bill was raised at Prime Minister's Question where - because the prime minister is at the Nato summit in the Netherlands - Rayner and Sir Mel were standing in for their respective leaders. Given the level of opposition to the bill from the Labour ranks, there has been speculation the government will be forced to pull the vote in order to avoid a defeat. Asked by Sir Mel if this was the case, Rayner replied unequivocally: "We will go ahead on Tuesday." Stride said Labour backbenchers had "heard that before" with the winter fuel payment, making reference to the government's U-turn last month. He then repeated his leader's offer to the government to back their bill and save them from defeat, as long as ministers could commit to reducing the overall welfare bill. Rayner responded with an attack on Sir Mel, who served as work and pensions secretary in the previous Conservative government. "He demands a programme to help people into work - exactly what this bill does - after he left one in eight young people out of the economy. "He demands further welfare savings, from the man who was in charge, as the welfare bill absolutely ballooned. They say cut welfare bill - they failed." Sir Mel said the government's bill would fail to stop the number of claimants from rising and that tax rises in the autumn were "inevitable". He asked Rayner if she could rule out tax increases. She said the criticism was "a bit rich" coming from a party that had introduced "the biggest tax rises".

Rayner is the latest in a series of ministers insisting that they will push ahead with the welfare changes. However, as it stands, the numbers look difficult for the government and over the last few days senior ministers have been ringing round Labour MPs convincing them to back the bill. So far, only one Labour MP, Samantha Niblett, has taken her name off the list of MPs supporting the amendment.

Arsenal are interested in Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard amid uncertainty over Thomas Partey's future.

Sources have indicated the Gunners are exploring a deal worth an initial £10m, with a possible £5m in performance related add-ons for the 31-year-old Denmark international.

Norgaard, who has not been a long-term target for the Gunners, is now on the club's radar as they seek experience in midfield with 32-year-old Partey having so far failed to agree terms over extending his contract.

Ghana midfielder Partey's contract expires next week and if a deal cannot be reached, he will leave the club.

Norgaard, whose contract with Brentford expires in 2027, moved to the club in 2019 and became a key player for them under Thomas Frank, who has now taken over at Tottenham.

Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this week by paying his £5m release clause and are close to finalising the £51m signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.