Stephen Lawrence Murderer Drops Appeal

One of the two men jailed for the racist murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has dropped his appeal against the conviction.

Surveillance footage of Dobson used in the trial

Gary Dobson was handed a life sentence for his part in the 1993 killing at the Old Bailey in January last year.

The second man, David Norris, is continuing his attempt to have the conviction overturned.

A spokeswoman for the Judicial Office said: "Gary Dobson has abandoned his renewed application to appeal his conviction for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

"David Norris's renewed application seeking permission to appeal his conviction will be heard on a date to be fixed."

Last summer, applications for permission to appeal by both men were rejected by a single judge who considered the papers from the case.

But Dobson and Norris, who are both in their thirties, still had the right to renew their applications before a panel of judges sitting at the Court of Appeal.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Treacy, described the murder as a "terrible and evil crime".

David Norris will continue his fight for a reversal of his conviction

He urged police not to "close the file" on catching the rest of the killers after the Old Bailey heard that a gang of five or six white youths set upon A-level student Stephen in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993.

He said the murder was committed "for no other reason than racial hatred".

Mr Justice Treacy told the pair: "A totally innocent 18-year-old youth on the threshold of a promising life was brutally cut down in the street in front of eyewitnesses by a racist, thuggish gang."

The breakthrough in the investigation came when a cold case team of forensic scientists was called in.

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Belfast: Mortar Bomb Found Near Police Station

The criminals behind a suspected failed bomb attack on a police station in Northern Ireland had a clear intent to murder, a senior officer has said.

Army bomb disposal experts are still examining the device, which was found near New Barnsley police station in north Belfast.

It is believed to be a type of mortar bomb.

Temporary Superintendent Emma Bond branded the incident a "despicable act".

With many homes and two primary schools close by, she said there could have been multiple casualties if a mortar had been launched.

"Those who are behind this attack had very clear and I believe murderous intent," she said. "This is a very reckless attack."

The suspected mortar and launcher were found on waste ground around 500 metres to the rear of the police station at 7.15am.

Temporary Superintendent Emma Bond: 'A despicable act'

They were reported by a police officer on the way to work and a passing taxi driver.

It is thought the suspicious items were planted some time between Thursday night and early Friday morning.

Two primary schools were forced to close and a funeral was disrupted after the alarm was raised.

Many residents are still waiting to return to their homes while the operation to make the area safe continues.

The mortar is thought to be the work of dissident republicans, who are engaged in a campaign of violence against the security forces.

The latest incident comes after officers intercepted a van carrying mortars and launchers close to a police station in Londonderry earlier this month.

Army bomb disposal experts search for more devices

Last weekend three police officers escaped injury when an explosive device went off just yards away as they patrolled a coastal path on the outskirts of Belfast.

North Belfast Assembly Member William Humphrey said: "It is utterly appalling and disgusting that terrorists should put lives at risk by preparing such an attack.

"If this device had been deployed it could have caused indiscriminate slaughter, whether in the police station or among people living in houses on either side.

"The fact that it was discovered close to two primary schools only adds to their recklessness.

"This is a reminder of the terror which some deranged people want to drag us back to.

"They will not succeed and I call, in the strongest possible terms, for anyone who can assist the police to catch those responsible and bring them to justice, to pass on whatever information they have."

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Jockey JT McNamara In Medically Induced Coma

By Nick Powell, Sports Editor

Cheltenham. That one word conjures up for millions a special week in March, a mixture of sport and noise and comradeship, pints and predictions, dreams realised and crushed.

But there was a different perspective as dawn broke over Cleve Hill in the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside today - Gold Cup Day of all days.

The first thoughts of everyone were for JT McNamara, and all were forced to remember what risks a jump jockey takes, each time he or she dons the silks and goes into partially airborne battle amid tons of horseflesh.

McNamara, an experienced Irish amateur rider, spent the night in a specialist hospital unit after falling from Galaxy Rock in the penultimate race of the festival's third day.

Aged 37, he has "a serious neck injury", according to Dr Adrian McGoldrick, chief medical officer for the Irish Turf Club.

McNamara was put in a medically induced coma before being transferred into an air ambulance as the normal exuberance of the crowd subsided into concern, and dread.

Former England rugby captain Mike Tindall, husband of Zara Phillips and the owner of a Gold Cup hopeful today, tweeted: "Thoughts & best wishes go out to JT McNamara."

"Praying he's OK," added fellow rider Sam Thomas.

Tony McCoy, champion jockey for the past 17 years, spoke of a sombre mood among his colleagues.

"We're a small community," he said, "we stick together."

The riders all know the risks, they have all felt the pain.

"I've broken bones in my ankle, I've broken my tibia and fibula, I've broken my wrists," McCoy has recounted.

"I've fractured a couple of lower vertebras, I've broken both shoulder blades, both my collar bones, my cheekbones and all my teeth are not mine anymore."

This is the day most in racing look forward to more than any other.

This afternoon's Gold Cup will still be a tense sporting occasion, sparking joy and tears - so long as McNamara is okay.

But the crowd will be more aware than usual of what the stars of the show go through to provide their entertainment.

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MP Arrested After House Of Commons 'Bar Fight'

The MP Eric Joyce has been arrested after an alleged fight in a bar at the House of Commons, Sky sources say.

The independent Member of Parliament for Falkirk was held after the incident at the Sports and Social Club bar.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Police were called shortly before 10.30pm this evening to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons.

"Officers attended and a man aged in his 50s was arrested in connection with this incident.

"He remains in custody and inquiries continue."

Joyce resigned from the Labour Party after butting Tory rivals Stuart Andrew and Ben Maney in a previous incident in a Commons bar last February.

The 52-year-old also punched Tory councillor Luke Mackenzie and Labour whip Phillip Wilson while going berserk and insulting officers.

After leaving Mr Andrew with a bloodied nose, Joyce told police: "He deserved it."

Joyce, who accepted he was "hammered" on red wine during the brawl, launched into a frenzied attack after shouting that the Strangers' Bar "was full of ******* Tories".

The former soldier walked away from Westminster Magistrates Court with a fine and pub banning order after admitting four counts of common assault.

He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,400 to victims after he entered early guilty pleas.

Joyce was also given a 12-month community order - banning him from entering pubs and licensed premises for three months - and imposed with a curfew order from Friday to Sunday.

After the hearing, Joyce admitted he was lucky to avoid jail and said he was "deeply apologetic".

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Philpott House Fire Trial: Father Breaks Down

By Darren Little, Nottingham Crown Court

A father accused of killing six of his children in a house fire slumped in the dock as his frantic 999 call was played to a court.

A sobbing Mick Philpott put his head in his hands and almost disappeared from view as a jury at Nottingham Crown Court listened to the recording.

Once the phone call finished Philpott was asked if he wanted a break, but got back to his feet and insisted on continuing to give evidence.

"I was hysterical," he said.

"How do you explain not being able to get to your babies?"

He wept as he said he was "screaming for his daughter" after climbing a ladder and trying to break her bedroom window.

Giving evidence at the start of his defence, the 56-year-old insisted he had nothing to do with the blaze - but that he had his suspicions about who did.

Anthony Orchard QC, defending Philpott, asked him: "Did you set the fire?"

"No," Philpott replied.

"Are you connected to the setting of the fire?" the counsel continued. Philpott responded: "No."

Floral tributes outside the Philpott home in May last year

Mr Orchard then asked the defendant if he knew who did start the blaze, to which Philpott replied that he did not.

Asked by the counsel: "Do you have your suspicions?" - Philpott answered: "I do."

Philpott admitted he, his wife and their co-accused Paul Mosley had engaged in sexual activity just hours before the fire.

After Mr Mosley had left in the early hours of the morning, Philpott said he and his wife had gone to bed and were woken by the fire alarm.

He said he tried to get up the stairs to his children but could not get through the smoke and fire.

When asked again about whether he was responsible for the fire Philpott said: "It's impossible for me or my wife to do. They (the children) are my life, my heart. They're everything to me."

He said that in the aftermath of the fire the three of them had another three or four sexual encounters together.

Philpott also said he was an occasional user of cannabis and had smoked after the deaths of the children.

He told the court: "I was finding it very difficult to cope with what was going on. Having sex or smoking cannabis was one way of blocking it out."

Jade, 10, and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all perished in the blaze on Victory Road in Allenton in May last year.

Their brother Duwayne, 13, was taken to Derby Royal Hospital but died three days later after being transferred to a Birmingham hospital.

Mick Philpott, 56, and his wife Mairead, 31, deny killing their six children after a "plan" to frame his ex-mistress Lisa Willis went wrong. A third defendant, Paul Mosley, 46, also denies six counts of manslaughter.

Miss Willis, 29, lived with the Philpotts and her five children, four of whom were fathered by Mick Philpott, until she left with the youngsters in February last year.

Asked about their relationship, he said: "At that particular time I thought that me and Lisa had this bond that was inseparable."

Philpott told the court he spent a lot of time with his wife and slept with Miss Willis in the evenings.

The court heard he openly discussed his desire to divorce his wife and marry Miss Willis, but said his wife would never leave him.

"She was not going anywhere," he told the jury. "Mairead will always be my wife, even if we got divorced."

Whilst giving evidence, Philpott became emotional while talking of his wife's attempted suicide after Miss Willis moved out.

Philpott told the court he was "distraught" when he realised his wife had taken an overdose.

He admitted the suicide attempt was a "wake up call", and admitted he had "made mistakes and had not been the best husband".

Jurors also heard of the family's appearance on television on the Jeremy Kyle Show - a move Philpott said he regretted because his children were bullied and the family received death threats afterwards.

Asked why he decided to go on the chat show by Mr Orchard, Philpott replied: "We all decided. At that time we needed a bigger house."

In response to claims that the fire was set last year because the family wanted a bigger house, Philpott told the court: "The house was quite sufficient."

The trial continues.

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Potholes: AIA Fears 'Crumbling Road Crisis'

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

England and Wales are facing a "crumbling road crisis" according to a report that says the cost of repairing all the countries' potholes would be £10.5bn.

The road survey carried out by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) has found one in five local roads is in 'poor condition', which is defined as having five years or less life remaining.

Lack of funding for road repair work is blamed by the group, with local authorities in England reporting a shortfall in their annual budgets of £829m.

Rosemarie Dutton broke her leg after tripping up on a pothole while crossing the road in Middlewich, Cheshire, last month.

She told Sky News: "I was checking on the lights that they weren't going to change on me and before I knew it I was down on the floor due to one of the large potholes on the pedestrian crossing.

"Obviously I was in excruciating pain and no-one came to help me - I was amazed."

Mark Morris' son wrote off his car after he hit a pothole and lost control of the vehicle.

He told Sky News: "He hit a pothole which appears to have disconnected the steering of the car.

"As he came down the hill and turned into the bend his steering just hasn't been engaged with the wheel - and the wheel's turned left straight into a lamp post."

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on Whitehall to free up money and invest it in resurfacing roads.

Councillor Peter Box, the chairman of the LGA, said: "Keeping roads safe is one of the most important jobs councils do and over the past two years they have fixed almost four million potholes - one every 16 seconds.

"Almost half a billion pounds is being taken away from us and our general fund is being reduced by some 30%.

"Now, something has to give. It's no good anyone saying 'well, actually, you should be doing this despite the fact that your budget's being cut'."

But the AIA report says there is a mounting cost to councils of not repairing roads. Last year £32m was paid out in road user compensation claims.

It is estimated that poorly maintained roads are costing small and medium sized businesses £5bn a year in reduced productivity, increased fuel consumption, damage to vehicles, and delayed deliveries.

Andy Jennings runs a taxi firm in Sandbach and has recently had to spend £400 repairing the suspension on two of his vehicles

He told Sky News: "Obviously we can't afford to do this at the moment. In times of recession every penny counts."

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "We are providing councils with more than £3bn between 2011 and 2015 to maintain their roads and pavements.

"In December 2012 we announced an extra £215 million to help councils get the best out of their road network.  This is on top of the additional £200 million we gave to councils in March 2011 to repair local roads damaged by the severe winter weather in 2010.

"It is ultimately up to local highway authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding, but we want to help them get the best value for money.

"That is why we are funding the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme, which helps councils work together to deliver a first-class service to their residents, at the same time as saving money."

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Danny Nightingale: SAS Sniper Awaits Ruling

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

An SAS sniper jailed for having an illegal weapon and ammunition he claimed to have "forgotten about" is due to learn whether his conviction will be quashed.

Sergeant Danny Nightingale, who has spent 11 years in the Special Forces and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military custody after pleading guilty to illegally keeping a pistol.

He had been given the weapon as a present by Iraqi forces he had been training, but had no recollection of owning it after suffering a brain injury.

His sentence was cut to 12 months and suspended by the appeal court last November after a campaign by his wife Sally which gathered huge public support for a man described by the appeal court judge as an "exemplary soldier".

Sergeant Nightingale pleaded guilty to the original offence in a military hearing because he says the judge there told him he would get a lesser punishment.

He and his legal team wrongly believed this meant he would receive a non-custodial sentence.

Since his release the highly trained elite soldier has been at home in Cheshire, unable to re-join his regiment whilst awaiting the outcome of his appeal.

Sergeant Nightingale and his wife, Sally, upon his release

"It's very frustrating wanting to do something (but having) no routine," he said.

"And yes, being paid to do not what I'm supposed to do.

"You're trained up to do stuff, and you want to do stuff. You can't stand the futility of not doing it. To be told 'that's it, go and do nothing, you can't do anything'. That's hard."

The situation has meant he has spent a lot of time with his two young daughters, Mara, five, and Alys, two.

"I've probably had more time with my family in the last 18 months than regiment (SAS) guys will have in seven years," he said.

Nightingale is desperate to get back to work and said: "I still love it. It was the proudest day of my life when I passed (the notoriously tough SAS selection course)."

Mrs Nightingale is more circumspect about the possibility of her husband rejoining the SAS as a frontline soldier after his brain injury, which she believes still affects him.

For the time being though, her main concern is winning the court appeal.

"I feel quite nervous, our life is in their hands," she said - while adding that the lawyers are "quite confident" about their chances of success.

Mrs Nightingale feels her husband has been made a scapegoat by the Army and wants to know why, but acknowledges she will probably never get the answers to the questions she wants.

If he does win his appeal and returns to work then it will be more upheaval for his young girls according to Sally

"At some point in the near future he will be going back to work," she said.

"So they've got to get used to that again because they have had dad to take them to school, to pick them up from school, do clubs with them, take them swimming," she said.

"You know, he does all those extra bits while I'm working and doing other things. So they've had a really good time with dad."

All that will stop if the appeal is successful.

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No Smoking Day: Charity Launches 'Hijacking' App

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has pledged to hijack cigarette packs from today - No Smoking Day - by virtually transforming them in smokers' hands into items they could afford if they quit.

The charity is encouraging smokers to "swap fags for swag" by thinking about how much money they could save if they quit.

Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day could save £7 a day, £49 a week, £210 a month and £2,555 a year if they kicked the habit, the BHF said.

The charity has developed a new smartphone app, Blippar, which virtually transforms a cigarette pack into a puff of smoke, before revealing items they could afford with a week, month, or year's worth of smoking savings.

This year's BHF No Smokiing Day campaign

Betty McBride, director of policy and communications at the BHF, said: "The tobacco giants are notoriously protective about their slick cigarette packaging - here's a bit of slick that does some good for once.

"We need to up our game if we are going to help people beat their addiction to tobacco by finding new ways to reach out to them."

The new app comes on BHF's 30th annual No Smoking Day. A survey conducted for the 2013 campaign found that 11% of smokers are desperate to kick the habit.

And 82% of 2,000 UK smokers surveyed had tried and failed to quit.

Around one in five people smoke, according to the charity, and the latest data from the World Health Organisation shows that smoking prevalence in Europe is higher than the rest of the world.

A separate poll, conducted on 2,000 ex and current smokers by Pru Health, found that the average smoker spends 11% of income on tobacco.

:: Smokers who want help in quitting are encouraged to visit wequit.co.uk or call 0800 434 6677

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Danger As Electrical Product Recalls Ignored

Millions of potentially deadly electrical appliances are sitting in homes around the country despite attempts to recall the products, consumers are being warned.

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) says one person is killed every seven days by an electrical accident and 350,000 people are injured annually, partly because of a "shockingly low" response to product alerts.

The charity found the average success rate of a product recall is just 10%-20%.

With 266 product recalls in the last six years and manufacturers making hundreds of thousands of items, it is thought millions of dangerous items stay in people's homes.

Research by the ESC shows almost two million adults have knowingly ignored a recall notice and a further one million admit owning an electrical item that has been recalled.

The researchers also found many consumers would jeopardise their safety if sending back a recalled product was too inconvenient or meant going without a luxury item such as a television or hair straighteners.

The ESC is launching an online tool that will allow users to quickly and easily discover if they own an electrical product that has been recalled.

The charity's Emma Apter said: "The small inconvenience of returning a recalled item is worth it when you consider that faulty products can electrocute or cause a fire.

"We firmly believe that there is more that retailers and manufacturers can do to help ensure customers are aware when a product has been recalled, and what to do if they need to return an item."

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Falkland Islanders Vote To Remain British

Falkland Islanders have voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a British oversees territory.

Around 92% of the islands' 1,672 eligible voters turned out to deliver a 98.8% "yes" in favour of staying an internally self-governing British territory.

Just three votes, or 0.2% of the ballot, were against the referendum, which asked: "Do you wish the Falkland Islands to retain their current political status as an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom?"

It was designed to send a strong message to Argentina, which earlier derided the poll as illegal.

Following the referendum result Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "We have always been clear that we believe in the rights of the Falklands people to determine their own futures and to decide on the path they wish to take.

"It is only right that, in the 21st century, these rights are respected.

"All countries should accept the results of this referendum and support the Falkland Islanders as they continue to develop their home and their economy. I wish them every success in doing so."

More follows...

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Belfast Bomb Attack: Police Officers Targeted

Three police officers were targeted by a bomb attack in Northern Ireland, authorities have confirmed.

All three escaped unhurt but police are treating the incident near the M5 motorway in Belfast as attempted murder.

At around 9.15pm on Saturday, officers responding to a call out in the Hazelbank area made their way along the Duncrue towpath near the motorway.

A blast went off close to the officers, prompting a security alert.

The area was sealed off for more than 24 hours as searches were carried out by police and Army bomb disposal experts.

A spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) described the search operation as "lengthy and complex".

"Police can confirm that an explosive device detonated," she said.

"It is believed that the target was police officers and police are now treating it as attempted murder."

While not injured, the spokeswoman said the officers were left badly shaken.

PSNI commander for the district Chief Superintendent Henry Irvine condemned those responsible.

"This is a well-known area that is used every day by members of the local community," he said.

"It is only by good fortune that police officers and members of the public were not killed or seriously injured last night.

"Those who carried out this attack have shown complete disregard to the safety of the local community and the police officers serving this community."

He appealed for anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity or vehicles in the area from Friday morning to 9pm on Saturday night to come forward.

The remains of the device have been removed from the scene for further forensic examination.

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Antibiotic Resistance 'A Ticking Time-Bomb'

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

The Government's Chief Medical Officer is warning of "a dreadful future for our children and grandchildren" unless global action is taken to prevent diseases from becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said diseases are evolving faster than the drugs we have to treat them.

In the second volume of her annual report, she described the problem as a "ticking time-bomb" and calls for it to be put on the Government's National Security Risk Assessment register, alongside terrorism and severe weather.

She said routine operations such as hip replacements or organ donations could pose deadly risks in just 20 years' time if we lose the ability to fight infection.

Dame Sally has made 17 recommendations to politicians and policy makers including better hygiene in schools, hospitals, care homes and public places.

Professor Dame Sally Davies

She also called for better protection of our current stock of antibiotics and is urging GPs to prescribe antibiotics only when absolutely necessary.

"We all have a role to play. And as a public we need to accept that many infections that take us to GPs or keep us at home, don't need antibiotics," she said.

"So if a GP says 'no you don't need an antibiotic', please don't demand an antibiotic and put ridiculous pressure on GPs.

"All it's doing is building antimicrobial resistance and we're giving a dreadful future to our children and grandchildren."

A new infectious disease has been discovered every year for the last 30 years but there have been almost no new classes of antibiotics discovered since 1987.

The plan is to "incentivise" pharmaceutical companies to plough resources into research but no decision has been taken on how to do that.

"We have been waiting for the next new antibiotic to come along and treat those resistant cases but the pipeline is drying up," Prof Davies added.

"There are no new classes of antibiotics in the pipelines across the world and there are very few in development.

"That's because we have not, as a global society, incentivised producing antibiotics. We have market failure and we really need to do something about this."

The Chief Medical Officer said the issue should also be considered by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs because around 50% of antibiotics used in the UK are given to animals.

The Department of Health said it will soon publish the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy setting out a five-year action plan aiming to address the issue.

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Mummy Tax: David Cameron Under Fire Over Cuts

By Tadhg Enright, Business Correspondent

David Cameron will have a mother's day card delivered to his door by campaigners for new mums whose benefits are about to be capped.

Labour has accused the Government of imposing a "mummy tax" and said the welfare reforms are part of a series of austerity measures which unfairly target mothers.

Shadow minister for women Yvette Cooper MP told Sky News: "It's like David Cameron and George Osborne have a blindspot about women because they're paying three times more than men in tax and benefit and pay and pension changes.

"That is so unfair when women earn less and own less than men.

"It shows that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor just don't get it and it's outrageous that new mums are hurt hardest."

Yvette Cooper says the changes are unfair

Around 340,000 women claim either statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance every year.

Until now their benefits have gone up in line with inflation which currently stands at 2.7% according to the Consumer Price Index.

But from next month new mothers' benefits will go up by just 1% every year as part of a three-year cap on welfare increases.

So by 2015 critics have calculated the benefits will be effectively cut by £180 because they will not increase by as much as the cost of living will.

Conservative MP Amber Rudd said: "The fact is there are so many good things we are doing to try to help mothers.

"What mothers really want is welfare that works, improved education and jobs.

"That's what they talk to me about on the doorstep and I feel this Government is doing a lot on that front.

"And it's rank hypocrisy of labour to accuse us on this front when they have made no suggestions about how to reduce the deficit."

Single mum-to-be Helen Mockridge has one clear suggestion for a better way to reduce the deficit.

"Taxing really rich people, obviously, that's where the money should come from," she said.

"For me it's a real no-brainer and it makes me really angry that certain parts of society are very, very wealthy and the gap between rich and poor is getting bigger.

"That's where the money should be coming from, not from single mothers or the disabled or any other vulnerable group."

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Sex Trafficking Victims 'Failed' By Authorities

Full Interview With Sophie Hayes

Updated: 1:53am UK, Sunday 10 March 2013

Sophie Hayes speaks to Sky's Richard Suchet about her life as a sexual and domestic slave at the hands of the man she thought was her boyfriend.

SOPHIE: "I'd known my trafficker for five years before I was actually trafficked, from the UK to Italy. We'd become friends. Very good friends. Then I went on holiday ... and ... just that it would be a holiday ... until three days in, he told me that he hadn't waited five years for me to just leave and that actually I was there to work for him as a prostitute, and if I didn't there would be severe consequences."

SUCHET: "So you did?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah I did. The first night I thought 'this isn't real, this can't happen' and really believed that maybe the next day I could say 'actually, I just want to go home now' until ... I saw that he just wasn't the person that I thought he was. Everything that he was, everything that I knew had completely changed.

"He'd become aggressive, violent. Threats against me, threats against my family. My younger brother was only thirteen at the time and he was the one that had all of the death threats ... and ... the night that he told me, he strangled me, pinned me up against the wall, and told me that if I didn't do as I was told, I would be punished."

SUCHET: "Mentally, how do you cope with that? What goes through your head the first day, the second day, the third day? Where does your mind take you?"

SOPHIE: "Total disbelief. So ... going from a world where I had a good job, a relatively happy life, to another world with someone who had pretended to be something that he wasn't ... it just didn't feel like that was possible or that that could really happen. There's no way I could have done what he expected me to do.

"But as the days went on, I knew that actually there was no way out because he told me that he had friends in the police, that if I tried to run then someone would be there to catch me and ... the more .... the more time past ... I knew. I knew I would never escape him, I couldn't run anywhere ... until a few weeks later I just ... I just switched off.

"There was nothing left anymore. I wasn't me anymore and ... the best thing to do was ... just ... pretend it wasn't happening, that it was happening to someone else and ... just accept it."

SUCHET: "So you just switch off inside, do you?"

SOPHIE: "Completely. To begin with, I tried to hold on. I would look in the mirror and just ... want to scream. And I'd see bruises which I'd never had before.

"Until one night everything changed, with one of the men that came. After that night, I just let go. To the point that I stopped caring. Because nothing I could do or say, no matter how many tears, how many screams, nothing would change the situation ... because I was too afraid to run.

"Many people have asked me: 'Why? Why would you not run away? Why would you not ask for help?' ... but he was the person who kept me from asking anybody to help me, knowing that my family were at risk - my younger brother could be taken.

"He'd already taken me to a lake to show me that if I did something wrong, that's where he would take me. He would put a knife to my neck, a gun in my mouth, a gun inside of me. I knew there was no boundary for him. All I was to him was money. Other than that he didn't care."

SUCHET: "Was it always sexual? Or were there other things you had to do, like chores round the house, or looking after him in some other way? Or was it purely a sexual thing?"

SOPHIE: "It's always more than just sexual when someone holds you in that way. I was only allowed to speak when he said that was ok. When I cleaned, it had to be cleaned in a certain way. If I didn't do it properly, he would ... hurt me again. 

"If I cooked in the wrong way, there would be consequences. For example, I tried to make pasta one night and he told me there was too much sauce. So he smashed the plate ahead of me, and cleaned the floor up with my hair and then told me he was going to shave my hair off in punishment because I couldn't clean properly, I couldn't cook properly and what kind of a person was I that couldn't even do the most basic things?"

SUCHET: "I don't think people can really imagine how you end up in a situation like that. I mean, people might think you would see it coming?"

SOPHIE: "The general perception is that this happens to girls from a different country, from poor backgrounds, and that they perhaps should see it coming, when actually it's the opposite.

"The traffickers are professional businessmen. They have been doing this for years. How to groom a girl. How to make somebody feel completely isolated so that you don't see it coming. And then you're at the point that you're so frightened of them that you can't think about anything anymore, you can't do anything anymore and ... there's no other choice. No way of escape. They have you as a total prisoner."

SUCHET: "So how did you get out?"

SOPHIE: "During the time, I'd lost quite a lot of weight, so I'd gone down to about six stone. I was only allowed to eat once a day. I'd had pneumonia twice, a broken shoulder blade, and at the point I came out I'd been really ill.

"I couldn't have sex anymore. Because some nights I would have sex with up to 35 different men and it was just so painful. So I managed to go to a hospital. The hospital kept me there for a week. But they told me I had no passport, no ID, and that I would have to pay 10,000 euros.

"I managed to steal a moment to call my mum and they drove over to come and collect me, and drove me back from Italy, back to the UK."

SUCHET: "So, effectively, you became useless to him? That's how you managed to get out of his sight?"

SOPHIE: "I was still with a client when I managed to go to the hospital. I didn't tell him where I'd gone. He told me after three days of being in hospital that he was taking me out because he'd actually met some Russians, and he was going to take some girls. And ... I don't know whether or not I would have been sold to the Russians.

"And when I did come back to the UK, he took my credit card off me, and booked me a ticket to go back to Italy, and that I had to go back to work. He was never willing to just let me go. He would have just carried on. To him, he said I was a gold mine, and that because I was British I was actually the perfect person because I could stay freely in [Italy], and people paid more for me, so I was the perfect person for him."

SUCHET: "What was the reaction from the authorities when you got back to the UK?"

SOPHIE: "I had quite a challenging time with the authorities when I came back because at that time no one really knew - or understood - actually what is human trafficking and, because they'd never dealt with cases of somebody being British being taken out of the country and then back in, there wasn't really anywhere for me to go, or any real understanding.

"One policeman actually told me: "Well, you won't do that again," which ... just .... again made me lose all faith ... and ... I had no one. I was on my own. I had my mum, and my mum helped me through it. And I just .... had to pick myself up and carry on and try to live a normal life again."

SUCHET: "How did you finally extricate yourself from him?"

SOPHIE: "It turns out he was wanted in this country for an attempted shooting, years back. The police had him under surveillance and had an arrest warrant out for him. In 2008, when he returned to the UK, they performed a stop and search on him - but made it look completely random.

"They obviously knew he'd have fake documents and that they could arrest him on those grounds. And they knew that his fingerprint would then link him to other crimes. They sent me abroad for a week while all that happened so it would look as if I had nothing to do with his arrest. Anyway, he went to prison and was eventually deported back to Albania."

SUCHET: "You seem to me like the most stoic and normal person, if I may say. No one would ever be able to tell what you've been through. But is there a part of you that feels a little bit damaged? Do you ever get over something like that?"

SOPHIE: "This is something that I will never get over. But can I manage it? Yes, it has become more manageable. Although many people still don't know who I really am.

"I still have a lot of physical problems. After he broke my shoulder blade, I still have therapy and I need a lot of treatment on my back. And also ... mentally I have to stay really strong ... because ... something like that can't happen for no reason.

"And this is why I feel I have to try and help other women and other girls who are in the same situation, or could be at risk of that situation. I tell myself a lot that I can't let my past steal my future. And no matter what happened, I am still alive. And regardless of how painful it is, how many memories I have, how many times I cry ... actually it's the future, and the hope, and the hope I bring to others, that keeps me strong."

SUCHET: "Do you still cry about it?"

SOPHIE: "Yeah, if I see things or hear things and generally when I can see another women being abused or beaten - that brings it all back to me. Every day I can still picture how much he hurt me and how much he frightened me. What he made me do, hurts me. What he did to me and what he said to me is the memory that stays with me and the echoes that I can still hear."

SUCHET: "Do you trust men? Do you have problems trusting men anymore?"

SOPHIE: "I ... I would like to believe that I can still have trust in people because I can't allow one person to take over how I feel and how I behave in the future, and dictate how I have relationships. So I really try and make sure it doesn't, again, take over me, and absorb, and change my perception on men."

SUCHET: Where is the man who trafficked you? And do you now feel safe?

SOPHIE: "I don't know where he is. We've tried to locate him and police have markers on him so to speak. Potentially he's in prison (abroad). But no, I will never feel 100% free and safe. He will always be on my shoulder.

"So on a mental level, there's always a part of me that won't be free, that can't escape. But setting up the Sophie Hayes foundation has made me feel like he can't dictate my future. I can take a grip of my future, and, in that sense, I'm now free."

'Sophie Hayes' is not her real name. There are only a handful of people who know both her real name and her dreadful story and she says it's important that she remains anonymous: "Who is Sophie? Almost nobody knows. She could be anybody.

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