Convicted killer ‘cut pensioner’s throat’ while released on licence

An Ealing man stabbed his 67-yr-old friend to death while out on probation from a previous killing, a court heard yesterday.

Mohammed Khaleel, 38, murdered Michael Zubrot in Perivale after he was released on licence for killing David Sheehan in 2003.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Sheehan was found stabbed to death in his flat in Boston Road, Hanwell. Khaleel was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter.

After he served his sentence, prison authorities released Khaleel on licence. He moved to the probation hostel in April 2010.

In May that year he met 67-year-old Zubrot near Walpole Park, the jury was told. Zubrot was last seen alive at a bus stop on Ealing Broadway, west London, with Khaleel, said prosecutor Duncan Penny.

The pensioner’s decomposing body was found at his home in Buckingham Avenue on 9th September last year after friends raised concerns about his welfare.

Khaleel pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial continues.

Second wallaby murder at Ealing animal park

A pair of wallabies have been murdered at Brent Lodge Park a month after one animal was found beheaded at the same location.

Slain: Two more wallabies were murdered in Ealing last week

It is not yet known if the attack, which happened last Wednesday, is linked to the October slaying.

Bassam Mahfouz, Ealing Council member for transport and the environment condemned the attack and vowed to find the people responsible. He said: “Three new wallabies were brought in this week to keep Rolph company after his companion died in the previous attack.  It’s awful to think that within days of arriving in their new enclosure they have been attacked.

“We are installing CCTV at the site and in the meantime we have introduced additional overnight security patrols. The surviving wallabies are being moved to an alternative location overnight to keep them safe.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We are increasingly concerned regarding the incidents in the Park.  It is visited by many families and they will be upset about this second attack. These sorts of incidents are very unusual and we are determined to find the person or persons responsible.”

If you have any information in relation to this incident, please contact wildlife officer PC Sara Lowe at Ealing Police on 020 8721 7135 or ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Update: Pint-of-whisky groper faces jail

Katherine Goldberg has been told by a magistrate that she could face 10 years in jail for her whisky-fuelled sexual assault on a male Virgin Atlantic steward.

The 25-yr-old teacher faces a prison sentence despite pleas from her lawyer that it would be in the “public interest” to let her off with a police caution.

Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court decided that Goldberg’s crime was too severe for the maximum 6-month sentence that magistrates can impose. Goldberg will be released on bail for a month before returning to Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing.

Mary Petley, the bench chairwoman, said: “If you were drunk on an aircraft and you were sleeping and snoring a bit we could sentence you here. But this is rather more serious.”

The case stems from an incident on a flight between Johannesburg, South Africa, and London Heathrow in August, when Miss Goldberg made “strong sexual advances” and grabbed “the groin and testicular area” of a male steward. Based on comments left on the Daily Mail website, many believe the jail term to be far too harsh for such an incident.

Previous headlines claimed that Goldberg drank a pint of whisky. While technically accurate, one pint is 568ml of liquid – the approximate contents of a hipflask-sized bottle of the spirit. It is highly unlikely Goldberg was served a pint glass full of whisky.

Ealing School express sympathy over sex abuse scandal

The headmaster of a school in Ealing has expressed his “real and genuine sympathy to anyone who has been subjected to abuse” while at the school.

Christopher Cleugh, Headmaster of St Benedict’s School in Ealing, has said the school will be implementing the recommendations outlined in a report by Lord Carlile.

The inquiry began last year as David Pearce, a former monk at the abbey, was imprisoned for eight years for sexually abusing young boys at St Benedicts over a period of 36 years. Some of his victims were under the age of 14.

Lord Carlile came to the conclusion in his report that the form of governance of St Benedict’s School is “wholly outdated and demonstrably unacceptable.”

The report recommends that the school should set up two trusts to “remove all power” from the Abbey over the school whilst keeping the Benedictine aspect to the school’s operation, which is of importance to the parents.  The trustees will be appointed by September 1^st, 2012.

The structure proposed by Lord Carlile leaves all ultimate control and governance in the hands of the trustees, all of whom are members of the Benedictine Community of Ealing Abbey.

The trustees of St Benedict’s must also include representatives from constituent parts of the school community, and from outside.

The trust owns the substantial property on which St Benedict’s School is situated and retains the power to control all aspects of the School’s activities within the overall charitable objects.

Headmaster Christopher Cleugh said: “We welcome the report and the school is totally set to implement what is set out in the report.”

“At St Benedict’s School we are committed to safe, happy, achieving and responsible students. We are not just about policy, we are about practise.”

When asked why the school had not been closed due to the seriousness of the allegations, Cleugh responded: “We are a school in high demand; we have over a thousand  students and are in high consumer demand. We don’t want to deprive students in the future.”

The report outlines 21 reported cases of sexual abuse, starting from the early 1970s, and goes on to say “there are many lessons to be learned from past mistakes.”

The Vatican has also requested a separate inquiry into the sex offence allegations.

Police are looking for Father Laurence Soper, 80, former abbot of Ealing Abbey, who failed to answer bail in March 2011 following arrest on suspicion of abuse. He taught at the school from 1991 to 2000.

Lord Carlile urged him to “be responsible for his absence and surrender himself to the police, he has a personal and ethical duty to answer questions put to him.”

Lord Carlile concludes his report by saying: “I believe that St Benedict’s School is an excellent place for boys and girls to be educated in safety today and the future. No school is perfect and ‘never’ is a dangerous word and a hostage to fortune.”

Trick or Treat?

According to a recent survey commissioned by Santander Insurance, 1 in 5 people would support banning Trick or Treating following the riots which swept across London earlier this year. 

Around 22%  of people surveyed believe that the yearly custom should have an outright ban, while 50% said that parental accompaniment should be compulsory in order to control the behaviour of children.

Furthermore, 43% of people would support a ban on people wearing masks which obscure the face over Halloween, and over a third of people asked would support a ban on people wearing hooded tops.

Andy Smith, head of media relations at Santander, said: “The summer’s riots resulted in a huge amount of innocent people becoming victims of crime. Our research would suggest that there is genuine concern about any more criminal damage or anti-social behaviour taking place in the period that surrounds Halloween and bonfire night – a period which many people already find intimidating”.

Are these fears founded or is it a lot of fuss about nothing? We want to know what you think: 

Vatican investigates sexual abuse at Ealing Abbey

The Vatican has ordered an inquiry following allegations of sexual abuse at a school and abbey in Ealing.

The  school, which admits pupils aged 4 to 18, came under scrutiny in 2009 when reports emerged of sexual abuse, some of which go back as far as the 1960s.

Father David Pearce, the former headmaster of St Benedict’s School, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of abusing five students.

A number of priests and lay teachers at the school in Eaton Rise, have been linked to the scandal, which has been subject of three previous inquiries.

They include Father Laurence Soper currently on the run after failing to appear at a police station for questioning in March. The 81-year-old taught at St Benedict’s between 1972 and 1984 and was abbot of the abbey, in Charlbury Grove, for nine years from 1991.

Following further abuse claims, a team sent in by the Vatican visited the connected Ealing Abbey where some monks, who have also been accused of abuse, still live.

The latest inquiry has been ordered by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It is led by Bishop Arnold, an auxiliary bishop of Westminster and Father Richard Yeo, president of the English Benedictine Congregation.

Supporters of the alleged victims have questioned the integrity of the Vatican’s internal inquiry, not least because its findings will remain secret. One campaigner went as far as to say that this latest inquiry is akin to ‘putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank’.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Carlile, has been conducting a separate inquiry into the abuse cases and is due to publish his findings later this month.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Westminster said: “The effective safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is a priority for the Catholic Church, and Ealing Abbey’s safeguarding policies and procedures formed part of the remit of the apostolic visitation”.

He added: “The Vatican will decide what actions, if any, need to be taken”.

 

MPs split over EU vote

David Cameron faced what can arguably be seen as the biggest test of his leadership yesterday as a backbench motion calling for a referendum on Europe caused a massive rift within the House of Commons.

The decision of Cameron and Miliband not to allow a free vote within Parliament, opting for a three-line whip in the hope of controlling MPs votes, was met with fierce criticism from both The Commons and the general public.

After a five-hour debate on the pros and cons of EU membership and why the public should or should not be allowed to determine our future within Europe, 483 MPs voted to reject the motion, with only 111 voting in favour leaving a majority of 372 out of a total of 650 MPs in the House of Commons.

This result has sparked uncertainty over the future of several MPs within their parties. Grassroots reaction from Twitter and other social media sources suggest widespread public dissatisfaction with the result of the vote.

Twitter user Edward Butler-Ellis, who tweets under the username @EdwardBE1 and describes himself as an ‘avid Conservative campaigner’ said: “how is the #eureferendum a distraction for parliament? The EU is the single largest influence over the UK, don’t insult us. #referendumNOW

charlotteahenry, a self-described liberal, said: “Fuming about today’s self indulgent antics in Parliament, given what’s going on in the real world. Do MPs still wonder why nobody cares?”

Meanwhile, Labour supporter Shereef Abdallah (@Sheik74Shereef ) said: “Cameron is sleep walking to disaster. Even after the Euro vote, what happens if UK has d.dip recession ? Govt won’t survive till 2015.”

The list of rebels is as follows:

Conservative

Stuart Andrew

Steve Baker

John Baron

Andrew Bingham

Brian Binley

Bob Blackman

Peter Bone

Graham Brady

Andrew Bridgen

Steve Brine

Fiona Bruce

Dan Byles

Douglas Carswell

Bill Cash

Christopher Chope

James Clappison

Tracey Crouch

David T.C. Davies

Philip Davies

David Davis

Nick du Bois

Caroline Dinenage

Nadine Dorries

Richard Drax

Mark Field

Lorraine Fullbrook

Zac Goldsmith

James Gray

Chris Heaton-Harris

Gordon Henderson

George Hollingbery

Philip Hollobone

Stewart Jackson

Bernard Jenkin

Marcus Jones

Chris Kelly

Andrea Leadsom

Jeremy Lefroy

Edward Leigh

Dr. Julian Lewis

Karen Lumley

Jason McCartney

Karl McCartney

Stephen McPartland

Anne Main

Patrick Mercer

Nigel Mills

Anne-Marie Morris

James Morris

Stephen Mosely

Sheryll Murray

Caroline Nokes

David Nuttall

Matthew Offord

Neil Parish

Priti Patel

Andrew Percy

Mark Pritchard

Mark Reckless

John Redwood

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Simon Reevell

Laurence Robertson

Andrew Rosindell

Richard Shepherd

Henry Smith

John Stevenson

Bob Stewart

Gary Streeter

Julian Sturdy

Sir Peter Tapsell

Justin Tomlinson

Andrew Turner

Martin Vickers

Charles Walker

Robin Walker

Heather Wheeler

Craig Whittaker

John Whittingdale

Dr. Sarah Wollaston

Labour

Ronnie Campbell

Rosie Cooper

Jeremy Corbyn

Jon Cruddas

John Cryer

Ian Davidson

Natascha Engel

Frank Field

Roger Godsiff

Kate Hoey

Kelvin Hopkins

Steve McCabe

John McDonnell

Austin Mitchell

Dennis Skinner

Andrew Smith

Graham Stringer

Gisela Stuart

Mike Wood

Lib Dem

Adrian Sanders

Democratic Unionist Party

Gregory Campbell

Nigel Dodds

Jeffrey Donaldson

Dr. William McCrea

Ian Paisley Jr.

Jim Shannon

David Simpson

Sammy Wilson

Green

Caroline Lucas

Independent

Lady Hermon

POSITIVE ABSTENTIONS (Went through both Aye & No lobbies) 2

Ian Stewart (Conservative)

Mike Weatherley (Conservative)

Decapitated wallaby found in Ealing animal park

A wallaby was found decapitated in its enclosure at an animal park in Hanwell, Ealing on Thursday, October 20.

Slain: A wallaby (similar to this one) had its head cut off on Thursday.

Keepers were shocked to find 7-year-old Parma wallaby Bruce left dead when they arrived at Brent Lodge Park, known locally as Bunny Park, on Thursday morning with the head removed. No other animals were injured but fellow wallaby Rolph was found visibly distressed.

Police confirmed an intruder gained entry by cutting through the perimeter fence to the enclosure at some time on Wednesday night. Once inside, they killed the wallaby.

Detective Inspector Tim Yates of Ealing CID said: “I know the families who use this park will be very concerned about this attack, but it is a very unusual incident and we are determined to find those responsible.”

A veterinary examination confirmed a knife had been used.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “I am completely sickened by this attack on a defenceless animal and I know the whole community is equally shocked.”

No arrests have been made. Police are appealing for witnesses and enquiries are ongoing.

As a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the centre houses a variety of animals including mongooses, goats, guinea pigs and rabbits, exotic birds and an indoor area with monkeys, reptiles and spiders.

Contact Ealing Police on 0208 721 7030 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with any information in connection with the incident.

Image credit wwarby, Flickr.

Teacher groped airline steward after drinking a pint of whisky

Katherine Goldberg, 25, from Ealing Common, has appeared in court for groping a air steward 33,000ft in the air and for being drunk aboard an aircraft.

The teacher demanded sex and grabbed the steward’s groin after drinking a very large amount of whisky.

It is thought she drank 500ml, which is the equivalent of ten double shots in a pub or bar.

Goldberg, who is originally from South Africa, was believed to be returning from Johannesburg after visiting relatives when the incident took place on the Airbus A340-600 at 5.30am British time.

A spokesman for the airline said: ‘Virgin Atlantic can confirm that the VS602 from Johannesburg was met by police on arrival at Heathrow and a passenger was arrested.’

She was granted unconditional bail yesterday at Uxbridge Crown court and is due to appear back in the same court next week.

Teens bailed after Southall nightclub stabbing

Three teenagers, two aged 18 and one aged 17, have been released on bail after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed in a nightclub in Southall on Thursday night.

The victim, who has not been named, was attending an under 21s night at the Tudor Rose, a Caribbean club, when he was attacked at around 23:30.

He was taken to hospital with a minor stab wound to the chest and was released the following day.

The victim’s mother claimed to be disgusted by the club’s lax security in a situation which could have turned fatal.

In a statement, she said: “My son went to a club in Southall and they allowed people to go in there with a weapon.

“He’s never, ever been in any trouble with the police – he’s a law abiding citizen, people can vouch for that. The doctors said luckily he moved in a certain way so it’s just a superficial stab wound, but I could’ve lost my son last night.

“He was a bit shaken up but he’s OK now, you’ve just got to move on. I can’t stop him going out but I won’t let him go there again.

“Councillors have been trying to shut the place down. The owners keep calling it racism, but I’m a black woman, it’s about protecting peoples’ children”.

The teens, who were arrested following the incident, have been bailed and are due to appear in court on November 18.