Latest news with #EastSussex
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Donald needed family love - not a baton and Taser
"You could see just by his eyes, that wasn't Donald," said Jason Pye, who watched footage of his great uncle Donald Burgess being sprayed with Pava, hit with a baton and Tasered by police played repeatedly in court."It was shocking. How does a 92-year-old know what a spray or a Taser is?"Mr Burgess, a wheelchair user who had one leg, was reportedly brandishing a cutlery knife when police arrived at his care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex before Tasering Pye said the family could have calmed Mr Burgess if they were contacted by care staff - but the home told the BBC they gave them a full update as soon as they were able to. Care staff waited four hours until contacting Mr Burgess's family about the Pye said the family, who lived 10 minutes away, could have resolved the situation without the police, and should have been called immediately."That one room was his home. No one introduced who they were," he said Mr Burgess may have put down the knife if his family had sat with him for an hour or two. "We could have been talking to him to say 'don't be silly' and he would have recognised our voices," he said."They phoned family members before just for general updates, so I don't understand on this occasion why didn't they think of calling someone on the list to see if someone could go up there." The following video contains distressing scenes. Sussex PCs Stephen Smith and Rachel Comotto were found not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm when jurors returned their unanimous verdicts at Southwark Crown Court on 28th court heard Mr Burgess was acting out of character and threatening to murder the care home had a urinary tract infection (UTI), which can make sufferers jury heard how care home staff tried for more than 30 minutes to get Mr Burgess to put down his knife, before police arrived at about 13:15 Burgess was taken to hospital after his arrest and died 22 days later after contracting Covid-19. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said PC Smith and PC Comotto should face a gross misconduct hearing for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour, with PC Comotto facing a further misconduct allegation relating to comments she made on social media after the asked if the officers would deny or admit to the allegations, Sussex Police Federation declined to comment because of the ongoing live misconduct Pye, who described his great uncle as funny and gentle, said his family were now waiting for the hearing, and for the inquest into his great uncle's death to resume."If Donald didn't go into hospital, he may not have caught Covid, and he may not have died when he did," he said. Jodie Anderson, a senior caseworker at the charity Inquest, which is supporting the family, said she hoped the inquest would look at whether the care home's decision to call the police was appropriate."I sincerely hope the care home staff have reflected on how they responded that day, " she said. In a statement, Regal Care Trading said: "We understand the family's concern regarding the timing of the call, and we recognise how important timely communication is in such circumstances. "However, staff must first ensure that the situation is stabilised before contacting family members."It said that while it valued the involvement of families, its primary responsibility was to ensure the welfare and safety of all residents and staff."In crisis situations, our policy is to promptly involve the appropriate professionals who are trained to manage complex and potentially high-risk behaviours," it said."Once the situation is under control, we inform families as soon as possible about any incidents involving their loved ones."
The Sun
10 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Migrant and his dog are rescued from Channel after spending three days adrift in a dinghy after its motor failed
A MIGRANT was rescued with his dog after surviving for three days in a rubber dinghy adrift in The Channel. The Afghan man, who gave his name as Barry, told rescuers he found pet Bella in a French refugee camp while fleeing the Taliban. 2 2 They set sail on the dangerous 21-mile journey earlier this week but the boat's engine failed before they reached Britain. Emergency services spotted a red distress flare fired at sea around 6.30pm on Wednesday off the coast of Brighton, East Sussex. A HM Coastguard helicopter helped bring Barry and Bella to shore an hour later alongside rescue teams and RNLI lifeboats. They were met by Sussex Police officers who transferred them to Border Force. The dog, believed to be a Lancashire Heeler, is the sixth pooch known to have entered the UK by small boat. Others were a mixed breed, Jack Russell, pomeranian, Yorkshire terrier and chihuahua, as previously revealed by The Sun. Due to not having correct documentation, they are quarantined for up to four months to prevent spreading infectious diseases like rabies. A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'Police assisted HM Coastguard following a report of a man in a boat off the coast of Brighton on Wednesday. 'The man and a dog were safely brought to shore and passed to Border Force officials.' A HM Coastguard spokesman added: 'HM Coastguard has responded to reports of a person in the water in waters between Brighton Marina and Pier. 'A man was located safe and well in a vessel that had reportedly experienced engine issues.'
BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
London to Brighton rail line closed by 'severe disruption'
Rail services between London and Brighton in East Sussex are being severely disrupted, with the Gatwick Express Govia Thameslink said no services will be running between Brighton, Preston Park, Haywards Heath and Three Bridges for the rest of trains can run to or from Southampton, while some services in Surrey are also being operator said this was due to "a number of incidents". Anyone travelling to Brighton will have to use services via Lewes or Horsham, adding at least an hour to their between Brighton and Cambridge have also been suspended.A fault with signalling at Wivelsfield means drivers are having to be talked through the signals.A faulty signal at Salfords in Surrey means delays to services between Redhill and East Croydon, while another signal fault is affecting trains running between Purley and Gatwick Airport.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Predator, 66, who posed as an Uber driver and had a 'rape kit' with a balaclava and Viagra in his car is found guilty of kidnapping and sex crimes
A predator who posed as an Uber driver to pick up 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women he could abuse has been found guilty of kidnapping and sex crimes for a second time. Graham Head, 68, was found with a 'rape kit' consisting of latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his car when he was arrested in November 2022. At his home, police found business cards advertising him as a 'N-Uber driver' with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable - For All Occasions' emblazoned underneath one of his phone numbers. Head kidnapped and attempted to rape a 25-year-old woman after he offered her a free ride home in his silver Mercedes in the early hours of November 18, 2022. He also assaulted a 19-year-old woman by penetration in a separate attack. In July 2023, Head from Pevensey, East Sussex, was handed a 23-year sentence for sex crimes and kidnapping. The Court of Appeal later overturned the conviction in November last year following a complaint from Head relating to the judge who presided over the original trial. Now, today he has been convicted of all the charges again by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. 'He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements. He therefore kept them on flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19, 2022, in Hove Park and on November 18, 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. 'When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19, 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton, where the victim left Monarch Bar, to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- The Independent
Fake Uber driver guilty of kidnapping, attempted rape and sexual assault
A driver has been found guilty for a second time after posing as an 'unofficial Uber' to pick up 'vulnerable and intoxicated' women he could abuse. Graham Head, 68, had latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his silver Mercedes estate when he was arrested in November 2022. In his home, business cards advertising him as a 'N- Uber driver' were emblazoned with the slogan 'Safe and Reliable – For All Occasions' underneath one of his phone numbers. In July 2023, Head, of Pevensey, East Sussex, was handed a 23-year sentence for the kidnap and attempted rape of a 25-year-old woman, along with assault by penetration of a 19-year-old woman. In November 2024, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction following a complaint from Head relating to the judge who presided over the original trial. On Thursday, he was convicted of all charges again by a jury of seven men and five women after eight hours of deliberation at Lewes Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard that Head was a 'sexual predator' who 'slipped up' the night he was arrested by police. He claimed that he offered the 25-year-old a lift home but did not touch her and never met his other alleged victim. Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC said: 'The defendant is a sexual predator. Basing himself in Pevensey and ostensibly working as an unofficial Uber driver or taxi driver. 'He was also looking for vulnerable young women who he could sexually abuse. 'He carried Viagra and condoms with him, either on his person or in his car, as well as latex gloves. He would use the latex gloves to minimise the risk of leaving traces of his DNA on his victims.' Head had two mobile phones and was 'savvy enough' to know that if he kept them on while he was driving, the network provider could record his movements so kept them in flight mode while he was searching for victims, the court was told. The two attacks are said to have taken place in the early hours of August 19 2022, in Hove Park and November 18 2022 outside the alleged victim's home. Mr Jarvis said: 'Now in August 2022, she (the first victim) was 19 years old. When she was, we say, intoxicated and vulnerable in the early hours of the morning the defendant sexually assaulted her in Hove Park.' 'In November 2022, she (the second victim) was 25 years old. When she was also vulnerable and intoxicated in the early hours of the morning, Mr Head kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her in his car and then drove off leaving her distressed on the roadside. 'On both occasions, the defendant was driving his grey Mercedes estate motor vehicle with the registration number L21 GRH.' The 25-year-old was able to remember the 'L21' portion of Head's number plate, which led to police pulling his car over and arresting him the same night, jurors heard. 'He slipped up on November 19 2022 in two respects. First because his victim was alert enough to be able to memorise part of the licence plate for the police to be able to identify his car when they saw it,' said Mr Jarvis. The 25-year-old had been on a night out and had consumed alcohol and cocaine on the night in question, the court heard. Her account is that a man pulled up alongside her and told her he was an Uber driver who had just finished his shift but would give her a free ride home. Journeys from Middle Street, in Brighton to the victim's home address were found after analysis of the satnav in Head's Mercedes. Mr Jarvis continued: 'He offered to give her a life home but his real plan was to drive around until he was satisfied she was fast asleep so he could sexually assault and rape her. 'He drove close to her home address and tried to rape her in the back seat of his car but she came to and kicked him away.' The 25-year-old has since died and did not give evidence at the trial. Head will be sentenced on August 22 2025.
