Latest news with #StephenBrown
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Met Police ‘bravest officer' award winner suspended over alleged sexual assault
A policeman once named the bravest officer in England and Wales has been charged with sexual assault. Sgt Stephen Brown has been suspended by the Metropolitan Police following the alleged incident at Biggleswade railway station in Bedfordshire in November 2019. The 47-year-old, who is reportedly a counter-terrorist specialist firearms officer, will appear at St Albans Crown Court on Sept 1. In 2014, he won a national Police Bravery Award for tackling and disarming a man wielding a samurai sword in north London. Sgt Brown stepped in to stop the man on Christmas Eve 2012, who had stabbed a woman earlier that evening. The attacker repeatedly swung the sword at his face and neck. The Met officer discharged his CS spray into the man's face, before quickly moving towards him and striking his arm with a baton three times while the sword was raised in the air. The man was forced to drop his weapon, with Sgt Brown immediately jumping on top of him to restrain him. The offender continued to struggle violently before backup officers arrived and he was arrested. Officers later discovered the bag he was carrying contained an arsenal of weapons. Not guilty plea Sgt Brown was presented with the bravery award, which is given annually to officers who demonstrate acts of heroism in the course of their duty, by Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the then commissioner of the Met Police, at a ceremony in London. Theresa May, the then home secretary, said: 'The actions of Sgt Stephen Brown are a powerful reminder of the commitment and courage that police officers bring to their role. 'Sgt Brown put his own life in danger to defuse a terrifying situation. His intervention protected the public and may well have saved the lives of others.' Sgt Brown, from Bedfordshire, appeared at Stevenage magistrates' court in November, when he entered a plea of not guilty to sexual assault. A Met Police spokesman said: 'We are aware that a serving Met officer has been charged with sexual assault following an alleged incident in November 2019. 'He is currently suspended.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Met terror cop winner of bravest officer in England award after he stopped a Samurai sword attack is suspended after being charged with sexual assault
A Met Police counter terror firearms officer once named the bravest officer in England and Wales has been suspended after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at a train station. Sergeant Stephen Brown, 47, is claimed to have sexually touched the woman without her consent at Biggleswade Railway Station on November 29 2019. The force said: 'We are aware that a serving Met officer has been charged with sexual assault following an alleged incident in November 2019. He is currently suspended.' Brown was previously the recipient of a national bravery award in 2014 after he tackled a samurai sword-wielding attacker. The knifeman repeatedly lunged at him with the weapon until the officer moved inside its arc and struck him with his metal baton. Ahla Timofei, then 26, dropped the sword and Sgt Brown leapt on top of him, holding him down until colleagues arrived. When they searched his rucksack they found a terrifying arsenal of weapons including a crossbow, mallet, machete and gas masks. Brown was named the overall winner of the Police Bravery Awards at a ceremony in Central London, recieving the award from then-head of the Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. Ex-Prime Minister Theresa May lauded the officer, saying his actions were 'a powerful reminder of the commitment and courage that police officers bring to their role'. Brown, of Sandy, Central Bedfordshire, appeared at Stevenage Magistrates Court in November, when he entered a plea of not guilty. He is set to appear at St Albans Crown court in September. British Transport Police, who charged Brown, said: 'Stephen Brown, aged 47, of Sandy, Bedfordshire, will appear at St Albans Crown Court on Monday 1 September charged with sexual assault. 'The charge relates to an incident that took place at Biggleswade station on 29 November 2019.' The dramatic confrontation involving Sgt Brown took place when he was called to an attack on a woman in Holloway Road, North London. Timofei, 26, was later found guilty of attempted murder and affray and a judge ordered that he spend the rest of his life in a secure mental health unit Witnesses heard the victim's screams after Timofei set upon her with his sword, severing her thumb and leaving her with wounds to her face, arms and legs. As his partner gave first aid to the bleeding 22-year-old Italian woman, Sgt Brown confronted the sword-wielding maniac alone. Describing what happened, Sgt Brown said: 'I was running full pelt at him and he turned around and raised the sword straight up in the air. 'He swung downwards and the sword missed my neck by about a foot. I stepped back and said 'put the sword down', but he didn't listen and took a few more swings. 'After spraying him he went to scratch his eye and I thought, I've got to do this now. I rushed in and he raised his sword again but I hit his arm as many times as I could and managed to jump on top of him and the cavalry arrived. 'I could see in his eyes he wanted to kill me. I wasn't going to see Christmas: I thought my luck had run out.' Sgt Brown was guided to the swordman by a passer-by who saw the original attack and followed him while on the phone to a police operator. The officer said: 'I have no doubt that he wasn't going to stop until he killed someone that night. I also have no doubt that any cop would have done the same. 'I'm not a hero: the real hero is the member of the public who went above and beyond and followed him, having seen what he had done.' Timofei, 26, was later found guilty of attempted murder and affray and a judge ordered that he spend the rest of his life in a secure mental health unit. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May said: 'The actions of Sgt Stephen Brown are a powerful reminder of the commitment and courage that police officers bring to their role. 'He put his own life in danger to defuse a terrifying situation. His intervention protected the public and may well have saved the lives of others. 'We should reflect on the bravery shown by all the officers nominated, and that displayed by all police officers in the course of their duties each day.' Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, added: 'I am constantly humbled and amazed by the selfless acts of bravery carried out by police officers on a day to day basis. 'For every act of courage and bravery recognised in the Police Bravery Awards there are hundreds more that occur in our communities every day that go unrecognised.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US producer prices rise modest 2.6% in May with inflationary pressures still mild
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices rose modestly last month from a year earlier, another sign that inflationary pressures remain mild. The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it its consumers — rose 2.6% in May 2024. Producer prices rose 0.1% from April to May after dropping 0.2% the month before. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, wholesale costs were up 0.1% from April and 3% from May 2024. The readings were slightly lower than economists had forecast. Wholesale energy prices were unchanged, although gasoline prices rose 1.6% from April after falling the month before. Food prices at the wholesale level ticked up 0.1% after dropping 0.9% in April. Egg prices, volatile because of the bird flu, rose 1.4% following 39.3% drop in April; they are up 125% from May 2024. The report came out a day after the Labor Department said that consumer prices rose a modest 0.1% last month from April and 2.4% from a year earlier. Since returning to the office, Trump has rolled out 10% tariffs on nearly every country in the world as well as specific levies on steel, aluminum and autos. Importers in the United States pay the taxes and pass them along to consumers via higher prices when they can. For that reason, economists expect inflation to pick up later this year. So far, his tariffs don't seem to have had much of an impact on prices overall. Still, Stephen Brown of Capital Economics noted that Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed. Economists also watch it because some of its components, notably health care and financial services, flow into the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, index. Inflation began to flare up for the first time in decades in 2021, as the economy roared back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns. That prompted the Fed to raise its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. The higher borrowing costs helped bring inflation down from the peaks it reached in 2022, and last year the Fed felt comfortable enough with the progress to cut rates three times. But it has turned cautious this year while it waits to see the inflationary impact of Trump's trade policies. The central bank is expected to leave rates unchanged at its meeting next Tuesday and Wednesday. 'There is no incentive for the (Fed) to debate hiking rates in today's figures,' Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote. "In fact, if the Fed did not know that tariff increases were in the pipeline, it might even contemplate cutting rates.''
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
VIEW Canada unemployment rate jumps to 6.9% in April
TORONTO, May 9 (Reuters) - Canada's unemployment rate rose to 6.9% in April and the employment number was largely flat with minimal gains of net 7,400 jobs, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday. Market reaction: Link: opens new tab COMMENTARY STEPHEN BROWN, DEPUTY CHIEF NORTH AMERICA ECONOMIST, CAPITAL ECONOMICS "Employment would have fallen again in April were it not for the boost from the federal election, which supports our view that the Bank of Canada will resume its loosening cycle next month and ultimately cut by a little more than markets have recently been pricing in." "Overall, we are seeing a job market that was weak heading into the trade war, now looking like it could soon buckle. Today's report supports the case for a Bank of Canada cut in June." "It was very weak excluding the election component ... We had pretty strong election related hiring but everything else was weak. I'm a little bit reserved on how to interpret that because it's the weakest seasonal adjustment factor on record for like months of April, so it's artificially tamping down job growth through that effect." "And so for the Bank of Canada, I think they're going to need more evidence and it's the same debate, how do they balance the growth risks and job risks versus their core inflation mandate and that's still yet to be informed in my opinion."
West Australian
08-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Zuri skipper Neil Worrell takes home swag of silver at Princess Royal Sailing Club trophy night
The Princess Royal Sailing Club held its annual trophy night on Saturday, despite unfavourable weather conditions forcing the cancellation of the last race of the season. Due to Saturday's weather not being conducive to sailing the Cock of the Harbour race, it was decided to hold the event on May 10. However, trophy night went ahead as planned and a full clubhouse of members and families watched on as dozens of coveted trophies were handed to the proud recipients. No prouder and very humble was division two skipper of Zuri, Neil Worrell, who scooped the pool by winning a table full of silverware, mainly on handicap wins. His faithful Zuri may not have been the quickest yacht in the fleet but always managed to sail to its handicap and reaped the rewards. Stephen Brown, another division two skipper who hardly missed a race also took home a heap of trophies with Mary Maitland and a dedicated crew, in particular Grant Tickell. Peter Bane, also from division two and skipper of Dunluce, was tickled pink with his winning the prestigious Dymes Cup and his only trophy of the night. Aileen and Simon Lucas shared most of the spoils in the Flying Fifteen fleet. Both skippers dominated in their fleet and have proved to be the ones to beat.
