moonbuggy

‘Police in Blackpool are hunting a man who sexually assaulted a woman who was performing as a living statue.

The attack happened during a corporate event in a marquee in the grounds of the De Vere Hotel on 18 July.

Police said the victim was indecently assaulted by a drunk, rowdy man after she tapped him on the shoulder.

After checking the list for the event police do not believe he was invited and are appealing for anyone who remembers the incident to come forward.’

‘Elijah Horne told a judge Thursday that one of his friends shot him in the face after an argument about a messy room.

Elijah, 13, testified that his 15-year-old friend was upset with him July 10 when he walked into his Walnut Hills bedroom and found it in disarray. Elijah, who was spending the night, had said he didn’t do it.

But he said his friend pulled a gun from under the mattress and shot him.

The bullet went through his cheek and remains lodged in his neck.

“He just came in kind of crazy,” Elijah Horne said.’

‘Pennsylvania inmate Shakira Staten says she was left alone screaming in her cell for four hours while she went into labor and gave birth to her daughter.

Despite her constant pleas, Staten said it wasn’t until she gave birth, the baby fell on the cell floor and she held her child up to the cell bars that she finally got the attention of a guard, who cut the umbilical cord with her fingernails.

Staten, 22, filed a civil rights lawsuit Monday claiming she and her newborn baby were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment when the staff at the Lackawanna County Prison left her alone in her cell without providing medical care or transporting her to a hospital. [..]’

‘Images captured by a surveillance camera inside the store show the woman lose her footing in one of the aisles and take a nasty fall. A store worker comes to her aid and helps her up. The woman then loses her footing again and falls to the floor.

But store manager Luis Diaz noted there was something strange about the ‘accident’ after viewing the tape.

Diaz decided to do a little investigating on his own and rewound the surveillance tape back even more, and what he found surprised him. On the tape, the same woman, in the same aisle, minutes before her ‘slip and fall’ accident. On the tape, the woman appears to be trying to open a bottle of olive oil unsuccessfully. The woman puts it back on the shelf, leaves the aisle only to return a few moments later and pick up a new bottle. The tape shows her opening this bottle and pouring some of the oil onto the floor, then she puts the bottle back on the shelf and leaves the aisle.’

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‘A gang of children killed a father-of-two by stoning him as he played a makeshift game of cricket with his son, a court has heard.

They surrounded a tennis court where Ernest Norton and his teenage son had set up a wicket and hurled bricks and debris in a “completely unprovoked attack”.

Mr Norton, 67, collapsed in a pool of blood after being hit by a piece of rock and died from heart failure, the Old Bailey was told. [..]

Five boys, all aged 13 or under at the time of the onslaught last year, are accused of unlawfully killing Mr Norton, a retired engineering draughtsman. None can be named for legal reasons.’

‘Oshkosh Police have a 17-year-old teen in custody in connection with the robbery of a lemondade stand.

Police arrested the boy Wednesday night on pending charges of robbery and physical abuse of a child.

Oshkosh Police say the teen punched and robbed 11-year-old Austin Cundy of $20.00 and his wallet while he was running a lemonade stand Tuesday afternoon.’

‘Two men have been charged with attempting to smuggle 16kg of the illicit drug ice into Australia hidden in two marble tables. [..]

Customs officers at Sydney Air Cargo discovered the drugs on July 10 after selecting for examination two packages which had arrived from Vancouver, Canada.

An X-ray of the packages aroused suspicion of a possible concealment and prompted Customs officers to drill a hole in the marble slab.

They found white powder inside.’

‘Two news helicopters covering a police chase on live television collided and crashed to the ground Friday, killing all four people on board in a plunge that viewers saw as a jumble of spinning, broken images.

Both helicopters went down in a park in central Phoenix and caught fire. No one on the ground was hurt.

TV viewers did not actually witness the accident because cameras aboard both aircraft were pointed at the ground. But they saw video from one of the helicopters break up and begin to spin before the station abruptly switched to the studio. [..]

Rick Gotchie, an air conditioning contractor, was working nearby when he noticed the helicopters overhead. He said they began circling closer as he continued watching, and one appeared to get too close to the other.’

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‘Three men who dug up a young woman’s corpse to have sex with it after seeing her obituary photo cannot be charged with attempted sexual assault because Wisconsin has no law against necrophilia, an appeals court ruled Thursday.

A judge was correct to dismiss the charges against twin brothers Nicholas and Alexander Grunke and Dustin Radke, all 21, because lawmakers never intended to criminalize sex with a corpse, the District 4 Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 ruling.

The three men went to a cemetery in Cassville in southwestern Wisconsin on Sept. 2 to remove the body of Laura Tennessen, 20, who had been killed the week before in a motorcycle crash.’

‘A Kenmore man told Buffalo police that his pants and wallet were stolen while he was in a Johnson Park apartment late Sunday night for a sexual encounter with a woman.

The man said he thought it would be free of charge, but a second woman entered the apartment and took his pants and wallet, demanding that he pay for “services rendered.”

When the man pursued the second woman out of the apartment to get his wallet back, he was confronted by a man who threatened him, police were told. All three suspects then fled in a four-door maroon sedan. The wallet contained debit and credit cards as well as the man’s house and car keys.’

‘A man from Ohio is accused of offering a Florida mother hundreds of dollars to “dunk” and torture her children under water in order to satisfy a bizarre sexual fetish.

Jeff Doland, of Uniontown, Ohio, was arrested by authorities after he flew to Miami, believing he was going to meet a mother of two girls, ages 9 and 12 years old, to pay her $550 to forcibly submerge the children under water until they became unconscious, officials said.

During multiple Internet conversations, Doland told the woman, an undercover agent with the U.S. Secret Service, that “dunking” was his particular form of sexual gratification. [..]

Doland claimed online that he “liked watching the bubbles” [..]’

‘Daisy Valdivia is annoyed that someone stole her backyard pool — and baffled at how they did it without leaving behind a splash, drip or trace of the 1,000 gallons of water it contained.

Valdivia awoke to find her family’s hip-high, inflatable, 10-foot diameter swimming pool gone from her back yard Wednesday.

Valdivia told The Record of Bergen County the theft must have occurred between 1 a.m., when her husband went to bed, and 5 a.m., when she awoke.

She’s amazed someone could steal the pool that quickly and just wanted to know “what the heck they did with the water,” she said.’

‘The mail-order minister of a Hollywood church that burns marijuana during services and allegedly sells it to members says that’s protected under federal law because the drug is a religious sacrament.

But Judge Mary Strobel has ruled that the Reverend Craig X. Rubin can’t use federal law as a defense because he faces only state charges.

Rubin, who’s representing himself at his drug trial, says members of his Temple 420 believe that marijuana is the tree of life mentioned in the Bible. [..]

The 41-year-old Rubin has no legal experience, and says he spent last weekend praying and smoking marijuana with Indians in a sweat lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.’

‘People dont realize that being in handcuffs greatly reduces your ability to scratch an itch. While that isn’t a major problem for a lot of people, it is for this guy.’

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‘Whether it’s screaming brats at the pool, impossibly long lines, or stolen luggage, summer vacations rarely deliver the stress-free escape you’ve been hoping for. But stop your bitching. It could be much worse. From Salmonella smeared BBQ pits to amusement park rides that sever limbs (as one did in June to a 13-year-old girl at Six Flags), the season is full of perils most of us are lucky enough to avoid. Then again, the most rewarding experiences always come with a little risk. If you’re tired of the same old sanitary, injury-free, cookie-cutter holiday routine, we recommend the following itinerary from hell. Strap yourself in. It’s going to be a terrible trip.’

‘NASA is investigating sabotage of a noncritical computer due to be flown to the International Space Station aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, which was cleared to lift off on August 7, the U.S. space agency said on Thursday.

NASA revealed the sabotage a day ahead of releasing studies that the publication Aviation Week reported had found astronauts were allowed to fly on at least two occasions despite warnings they were so drunk they posed a flight risk.

The damage to wiring in an electronics box was intentional and obvious, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, Bill Gerstenmaier told reporters at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.’

‘A Plymouth Township police officer was threatened by three 8-year-old boys, and one even came at him with an ax, according to police.

“He said he was going to kill him. He made a threat toward the officer,” Plymouth Township Deputy Chief Joseph Lawrence said. [..]

“They’re only 8 years old so the officer is in a real bad situation because they’re children, they’re 8 years old. They can harm you as much as an adult can,” Lawrence said.

In fact, police said they repeatedly asked the boy to put down the ax, but instead he hurled it at the officer, missing him, but hitting the police cruiser.’

‘It’s safe to make love while parked in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Police officers aren’t allowed to walk up and knock on the window. Any suspicious officer who thinks that sex is taking place must drive up from behind, honk his horn three times and wait approximately two minutes before getting out of his car to investigate. [..]

Biting someone with your natural teeth is “simple assault,” while biting someone with your false teeth is “aggravated assault” in Louisiana. [..]

Women aren’t allowed to wear patent-leather shoes in Cleveland, Ohio – a man might see the reflection of something “he oughtn’t!” [..]

You can’t use elephants to plow cotton fields in North Carolina. [..]

In the quiet town of Connorsville, Wisconsin, it’s illegal for a man to shoot off a gun when his female partner has an orgasm. [..]

A law to reduce crime states: “It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the Chief of Police as he is entering the town in the state of Washington.”‘

‘The social networking website MySpace has reported a four-fold increase in the number of convicted sex offenders using its service.

The company found more than 29,000 convicted sex offenders in the United States had profiles on MySpace – up from a figure of 7,000 given in May.

MySpace said it was pleased it had identified and removed the profiles of the offenders.

Critics of MySpace call for new laws to make such sites safer for children.’

‘A woman is accused of dropping mothballs into a vat of soup at an Austin grocery store deli.

Lea Suzan Sechler, 44, faces a felony charge of tampering with a consumer product. She was released on bail after her arrest Thursday.

Sechler had been a regular customer at the Randall’s supermarket where at least three times customers and employees noticed the soup had the scent of mothballs.

Randalls Food Markets said no illnesses related to the tainted soup were reported.

The second time the soup smelled like mothballs, a manager sent the batch for testing. It tested positive for dichlorobenzene, a primary ingredient in many mothballs and a chemical that can contribute to a range of ailments.’

‘Two years ago, Russell Tavares was a clean-cut 25-year-old entrusted with “very high clearance” in missile and fire control in the U.S. Navy, officials say.

Now he’s the subject of a bizarre, tragic story — one that McLennan County investigators say would be a fitting plot for a television crime drama about short tempers, long-distance vendettas and the Internet’s ability to bring various personalities into conflict.

Tavares was involved in an Internet chat room squabble with John Anderson, a 59-year-old Elm Mott resident. Anderson said he called Tavares “a nerd.”

Tavares’ response: He took a leave of absence from the Navy. Drove from Virginia to Waco. Set fire to Anderson’s trailer home.’

‘Drunk but intent on driving, Jesenia Vega fought off her boyfriend as she left a Centereach block party and got into her car, Suffolk police said.

“You’re going to get arrested,” Louis Wiederer, 26, of Westbury, warned his girlfriend, a witness heard them arguing late Saturday. “You can’t drive like that!”

“Leave me alone!” she said.

With that, Vega, 27, of Carle Place, put her key in the ignition and drove off – as Wiederer hung onto an open window. She continued north, dragging him on the pavement, then underneath her car, before coming to a stop three blocks later, police and witnesses said.

Jay Steiner, 60, a retired nurse, who lives near the scene, rushed to the man’s aid.

“Oh, my God,” Steiner recalled Vega telling him. “Don’t tell me I just killed my fiance.”‘

‘A former heavyweight boxing champion was shot after asking three men to stop smoking in a wine bar.

James Oyebola, 47, was having a drink in the garden area of the venue when a dispute erupted over the new smoking ban.

One of the men pulled out a gun and fired at point-blank range into his face and leg.

Mr Oyebola, a father of two, was critically ill last night on a life support machine. His partner of 15 years and their children are keeping a vigil at his bedside.’

‘Jason Shenfeld’s parents noticed their 26-year-old son was acting nervous, locking his bedroom door every time he left.

He wouldn’t give his mother his complete set of bedsheets to wash. When his father went in to retrieve them Friday night, he saw why: Shoved into Shenfeld’s bedroom closet, stuffed among sheets and clothing, was 18-year-old Amanda Buckley’s body.

Shenfeld told his father that the teen overdosed on drugs and he panicked, a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report states. Then he fled.

Investigators found duct tape in Buckley’s hair, bruises on her body and evidence of rape, according to the report. They also found a garbage bag filled with duct tape and rope.

An autopsy Saturday revealed that the college-bound softball star was strangled, beaten in the head and sexually abused.’

‘A woman whose purse was stolen and the thief who took it inadvertently stood next to each other at a Prescott bookstore – she to complain about the unauthorized use of her credit card, he to get some cash.

The 59-year-old victim went to Hastings Books and Music on Tuesday to tell the store that someone had stolen her purse and used her credit card to buy $200 in DVDs.

Minutes later, while the woman was standing there, a man came up to the counter and tried to return eight DVDs in exchange for cash. The two didn’t recognized each other, and the woman even politely made room for the man when he walked up.

When the manager came to handle both transactions, she connected the dots.’

‘Druken yobs are roaming towns and cities like “an occupying army”, MPs claimed yesterday.

But ministers have no idea whether the £3.4billion a year spent tackling yobs is effective.

Anti-social behaviour is turning many places into no-go areas, with a small number of families causing “misery and despair” to their communities, the Commons Public Accounts Committee said. [..]

He said: “No civilised country should have to put up with what can seem like an occupying army loose in the streets.”‘

‘A woman in Seffner is accused of attacking her roommates with a hammer and a turkey.

Police say Jackie Baird was arguing with her two roommates Monday morning when she threw the turkey, hitting one of the roommates in the face. She then reportedly chased the two with a hammer.

No one was injured.’

‘Charges against a man accused of raping and repeatedly molesting a 7-year-old girl have been dropped because the court took too long to find an interpreter fluent in his native West African language.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Katherine D. Savage dismissed the nearly three-year-old case against Mahamu Kanneh last week, saying the delays had violated the Liberian immigrant’s right to a speedy trial.

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in a long time,” Savage said from the bench Tuesday. She said she was mindful of “the gravity of this case and the community’s concern about offenses of this type.” [..]

Prosecutors at first maintained Kanneh could understand the proceedings without translation into his native Vai, a tribal language that linguists estimate is spoken by about 100,000 people mostly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.’

‘A man rammed a pool cue into the rectum of a drunken friend with such force it snapped off, leaving 31 centimetres stuck inside his bowel, the Tasmanian Supreme Court in Hobart has been told.

Roofer Matthew Noel Triffett, 21, who’d previously pleaded guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm, was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to perform 140 hours of community service. [..]

He said Triffett had used considerable force to thrust the cue into the man’s anus, including lateral force, because it snapped in two. [..]

In crippling pain, the complainant went home and removed the cue from his rectum.

Unable to tolerate the agony any longer, he went to Royal Hobart Hospital three days later and underwent immediate surgery for a perforated colon.’