Parents Murder: 'Monster Son' Jailed For Life

A man who killed his parents to get his hands on a £230,000 inheritance has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.

Stephen Seddon was told he would never be paroled after being convicted of the murders of his father Robert, 68, and mother Patricia, 65 - and their attempted murders four months earlier.

They had made the 46-year-old the sole beneficiary of their estate in their will - and paid with their lives.

They had already gifted Seddon £40,000 in cash and bought him his home in Benevente Street in Seaham, Co Durham.

During the trial, prosecutor Peter Wright described Seddon as the ultimate "ungrateful son".

The convicted fraudster, who was said to have had an "insatiable thirst for cash", had tried to kill the elderly couple by driving into the Bridgewater Canal in Timperley, south Manchester, with them strapped in the back seats in a faked road accident.

Seddon then "played the hero" and boasted of his rescue attempts after he was forced to abort his murder plan when bystanders went to their aid in the submerged hired BMW.

He had taken his parents - and his disabled nephew Daniel, who also managed to get to safety - out on March 20 last year on the pretext of a surprise belated Mother's Day meal.

Undeterred, on July 4 of that year he shot his parents dead with a sawn-off shotgun at their home in Clough Avenue in Sale, Greater Manchester.

Seddon had taken three shotgun cartridges with him. Police believe he also intended to kill his nephew, who he did not realise was in respite care that day.

Mr Justice Hamblen told him: "In effect you have executed your own parents. You have done so by the barbaric act of shooting them at point- blank range with a sawn-off shotgun."

He added: "One can only imagine the horror of your parents' last moments in this life, when they realised what a monster their son, whom they loved, had become. Mercifully their deaths were swift."

He went on to say that, in Seddon's case, life should mean life and he ordered that he serve a whole-life term - which means the father-of-three will never be released.

Seddon had denied the shooting and said it was "ridiculous" to claim he had tried to kill his own mother and father and "sick" to suggest he had intended to murder his nephew as well.

As he was sentenced, Seddon continued to protest his innocence, shouting from the dock: "No, not at all, they were not murdered by me at all. I'm an innocent man."

A jury had convicted Seddon of all four counts on Wednesday after a five week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

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Weather: Easter Will Be Cold And Sunny

The Easter weekend is set to be dry in many areas and there should also be some sunshine following the heavy snowfalls that hit much of the UK recently, forecasters say.

But the cold weather is expected to stay between Good Friday and Easter Monday with temperatures remaining well below the average for late March/early April with sharp frosts during the night.

As the Premier League calendar resumes after the international break and the annual boat race takes place in west London, there will still be a wind chill especially in eastern and also southwestern parts.

Some snow flurries are still possible, with rain in the far southwest on Friday.

However, Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said there would be high pressure moving in and "with the sun gaining strength and warmth at this time of year it should feel much more pleasant despite the below average temperatures."

She said today will be cold again across the UK with some snow showers in Scotland and Ireland, while in England and Wales, temperatures should reach 5C, and may be 7C in the southwest.

The Easter weekend should be mostly dry wilth sunshine

Lang added: "Friday will see some changes in the southwest with cloud, patchy rain and a strong east wind setting in. The rain should peter out and clear later but it will remain windy across the southwest and southern Ireland.

"Elsewhere expect a largely dry and bright but cold Friday.

"Between Saturday and Easter Monday the weather should remain cold, frosty and mostly dry with some cheerier sunnier spells. The wind chill will be most noticeable along eastern and southwestern coastal counties."

Also, the clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on Sunday, so there will be longer, lighter evenings.

A cold Easter is not unusual. Back in 2008, there was snow for many, including in eastern England, and it was the coldest since 1983.

The snow has hit large parts of the UK

However, in 2011 there was plenty of sunshine with a temperature of 27.8C recorded in Surrey and it was the warmest Easter since 1949.

The recent unseasonably cold weather has led to many Britons deciding to head overseas for warmer climates this Easter.

Some 1.7 million UK holidaymakers are expected to go abroad over the weekend, with Spain, Egypt and Tunisia being the most popular destinations.

But some travellers may be swapping the cold UK for somewhere rainy rather than warm.

Lang said: "Areas of low pressure will bring unsettled wet and often rather windy weather to Iberia, France, the central Mediterranean, Italy and across the Adriatic.

"Snow is likely further north across Germany, the Alps, Poland and the Baltic States where it is set to stay very cold throughout.

"The best of the warmth and sunshine? Probably Crete, Cyprus and southern Turkey where temperatures should climb into the low-twenties Celsius, around 70F, and it will become even warmer there after Easter."

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Berezovsky Found With 'Ligature' Around Neck

What We Know About Berezovsky

Updated: 1:09pm UK, Monday 25 March 2013

The suspicious deaths of a number of Russian exiles who had fallen foul of the regime meant that rumours swirled almost instantly that Boris Berezovsky had been killed. But so far the police have been unable to find any evidence of foul play.

Here's what we do know about Boris Berezovsky:

:: Political Exile

Mr Berezovsky was a key figure in former president Boris Yeltsin's inner circle and was also close to current president Vladimir Putin during his early years in power.

He left Russia in 2000 after a falling out with Mr Putin and became a vocal critic of the Kremlin from London, where he sought political asylum.

But in recent weeks, he is said to have written to Mr Putin suggesting that he could return to Russia, which had frequently sought his extradition on a variety of charges.

On the eve of his death, Mr Berezovsky was quoted as teling a journalist from Forbes Russia: "There is nothing I would like more than to return to Russia. I did not realise Russia meant so much to me I could not live as an emigrant."

He apparently added that he now believed he should never have left Russia and said he no longer wanted to be involved in politics.

The oligarch is believed to have survived a number of assassination attempts, including a bomb attack on his car that decapitated a chauffeur.

However, a radiation scare at his home after his body was found turned out to be a false alarm and the bodyguard who discovered him was the only person at home at the time.

:: Financial Problems

It is thought the former billionaire was facing serious financial difficulties.

He had fought a number of expensive legal battles since 2011 and reports suggest that defeat in a High Court battle with Chelsea FC owner and former business associate Roman Abramovich alone cost him tens of millions of pounds.

After losing the case, Mr Berezovsky told the widow of murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko that he could no longer afford to pay her legal fees ahead of an inquest into her husband's death from radiation poisoning.

Mr Berezovsky also paid out Britain's largest divorce settlement, worth more than £100m, to ex-wife Galina Besharova last July.

Then in January, former partner Elena Gorbunova reportedly won a court order freezing £200m of assets following their split.

In recent days, The Daily Telegraph reported he would attempt to sell Red Lenin, an Andy Warhol screen print valued at between £30,000 and £50,000 by Christie's.

The artwork sold on Wednesday for £133,875 including the buyer's premium, according to the auction house's website.

Friends have been quoted as saying the oligarch was depressed by his financial troubles.

Aleksei Venediktov, the editor of Ekho Moskvy and a friend and colleague of Berezovsky, was quoted as saying: "After losing in court to Roman Abramovich he was in a serious depression. He was undergoing treatment."

:: Ill Health

Mr Venediktov is also quoted as saying Mr Berezovsky had been suffering heart problems.

"It was a heart attack," he was reported as saying late on Saturday. "For the last two weeks, he had had several."

Other reports have suggested he had been undergoing treatment in Israel.

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House Explosion Puts Pensioners In Hospital

Two pensioners have been taken to hospital after a suspected gas blast flattened their home and prompted the evacuation of neighbouring houses.

Police said the home had been "totally demolished" by the blast and that 77-year-old Robin Cunningham and his wife Marianne, 74, had been taken to hospital.

He is said to be in a stable condition, while Mrs Cunningham has now been released.

The explosion happened in Callander, central Scotland

Neighbours said they could hear her calling for help from under the rubble, while her husband had become trapped under debris in the kitchen.

Nine houses around the scene of the explosion in Murdiston Avenue, Callander, in central Scotland, had to be evacuated and the council has set up a rest centre in the town for those who have been asked to leave their homes.

Neighbour Alistair Allan, who lives across the road, told STV News: "We were all woken up at 6.30am by this almighty bang. I looked out the window and the house across the road was on fire. I ran across and the elderly gentleman was under rubble, I think in the kitchen, and his wife was in another part of the house.

"I could hear her calling out for help. She was saying 'I can't take it any more'.

The home was "totally demolished" in the explosion

"The firefighters were there very quickly. They got the woman out through a window and I think the man was out after about 15 or 20 minutes.

"My daughter came in last night about 8.30pm and said there was a strong smell of gas in the street but we didn't think anything of it at the time."

Claire Luti, a partner in nearby Dreadnought Garage, said: "I live at the other end of town so I didn't hear the explosion, but I heard the helicopter that was sent to take them (the man) to hospital. They are an elderly couple in their 70s who are quite well known in the town."

Chief Inspector Russell Penman, of Central Scotland Police, said: "The house has been totally demolished as a result of the explosion.

"We are treating this as a suspected gas leak and inquiries are at a very early stage to establish the cause. Scotland Gas Networks are in attendance and working with us."

Emergency services were called at around 6am.

The Mrs Cunningham was taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary with minor injuries while her husband was airlifted to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Eric Brown, proprietor of the nearby Roman Camp Hotel, said: "I heard a loud bang at around 5.45am this morning.

"The hotel is set quite far back from the road so it wasn't particularly loud from where we are, but it was enough to wake me up.

"I understand that a lot of houses have been evacuated."

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Bogus Lawyer Di Stefano Jailed Over Fraud

A self-styled lawyer has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for a series of frauds on "desperate and vulnerable victims" whom he tricked into thinking he was a bona fide legal professional.

Giovanni di Stefano, 57, who became known as the Devil's Advocate for taking on "unwinnable" cases, was convicted on 25 charges including deception, fraud and money laundering between 2001 and 2011 at London's Southwark Crown Court.

The court had earlier learned how he conned clients out of millions of pounds by setting himself up as a lawyer when he had no legal qualifications and was not registered to work as a lawyer in Italy or the UK.

He used the Italian word "avvocato" on business cards, letterheads and identification documents to give clients - and the judiciary - the impression he was an advocate.

Judge Alistair McCreath, the Recorder of Westminster, noted there were many offences over significant periods of time.

The fact that the victims, who included a disabled man seeking damages for the loss of an arm, were all "desperate and vulnerable" and faced losses which were not just financial but also included the "raising and dashing of false hope" were aggravating factors, the judge said.

"I recognise that you did not actively seek out those whom you defrauded," Judge McCreath told di Stefano. "They came to you. You did not approach them but there is more than one kind of predator.

"Some predators hunt down their victims, others lie in wait for them.Your victims in this case were all desperate people and people who, because of their desperation, were vulnerable."

The judge also noted that, while the case was about money, "it is also about something different and great - it is about the real distress you caused to so many people".

"You had no regard for them nor for their anguish. Your only concern was to line your own pockets."

After the sentencing, di Stefano thanked the judge in a loud voice saying: "I am obliged, my Lord" as he stepped out of the dock.

During the trial, the court about his links to former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and ex-Serb president Slobodan Milosevic.

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Care Home Murder Arrest: Employee Held

A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 73-year-old private care home resident in Manchester.

Ivan Campbell died in hospital

Ivan Emmanuel Campbell was admitted to hospital on April 16 last year from Victoria Nursing Home in Rusholme.

He died from "internal injuries" the following day, according to a Home Office post-mortem examination.

A 34-year-old staff member was arrested in connection with his death and in relation to another assault on a resident at the home, which cares for people with complex mental health needs.

Officers were called by staff to the home on March 19 and found a 72-year-old man with a fractured rib.

The arrested worker has been suspended.

Senior Investigating Officer Andy Tattersall said: "Due to the complex needs of those at the care home this has and continues to be an extremely difficult and protracted investigation.

"From the outset we were determined to establish what happened to Ivan and who was responsible for causing his injuries and that remains as true today as it did then.

"We are continuing to work closely with partner agencies in health as well as the home and I want to reassure the relatives of residents there that their welfare is, collectively between us and our partners, a top priority."

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Abu Qatada Stays As Theresa May Loses Appeal

Timeline: Qatada Legal Battle

Updated: 1:54pm UK, Wednesday 27 March 2013

Abu Qatada has challenged and ultimately thwarted every attempt by the Government to detain and deport him since 2001.

Here is a timeline of the legal battle.

1993: Abu Qatada claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.

1994: Allowed to stay in Britain.

1995: Issues a "fatwa" justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.

1998: Applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.

1999: April - Convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.

October - Speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.

2001: February - Arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him with £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya".

December - Becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in west London.

2002: Arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.

2005: Freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order but arrested again in August under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.

2008: April: Court of Appeal rules deportation would breach is human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan might have been obtained through torture.

May - Granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.

June - Released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves into a four-bedroom house in west London.

November - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.

December - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.

2009: Five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments and it is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face a retrial on the terror charges.

He is awarded 2,800 euro (£2,500) compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.

2012: January - European judges rule he can be sent to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but not while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him".

February - He is released on strict bail conditions.

April - Rearrested as the Government prepares to deport him after Jordan gives assurances it will "bend over backwards" to ensure he receives a fair trial.

March - Qatada's legal team loses its bid to have the case heard by the Europe's human rights judges, clearing the way for deportation proceedings to continue.

May and August - Siac rejects Qatada's applications for bail.

October - Siac holds appeal hearing.

November - His appeal is granted and he is granted bail.

December - Qatada is moved to a larger residence in the greater London area.

2013:

:: March 9 - It emerges Qatada has been arrested for allegedly breaching his bail conditions. He is ordered to stay in custody and sent to Belmarsh.

:: March 21 - Police reveal the cleric is being investigated over extremist material.

:: March 27 - Home Secretary Theresa May loses her appeal over Siac's decision to allow Qatada to stay in the UK. The Home Office vows to appeal.

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Domestic Abuse: Victim Shows Graphic Images

A victim of domestic violence has released images of the horrific injuries she suffered from her abusive former partner.

Derrick Robinson has been jailed for 13 years after he attacked Sinead Noone at their Coventry home last February.

Ms Noone, who suffered a fractured cheek, broken nose and black eyes, has chosen to release the pictures through police to help others leave abusive relationships.

"Don't let this happen to you," was the message from the 26-year-old.

Leicester Crown Court heard that on February 14, 2012, Ms Noone quizzed Robinson after he returned home late and spoiled their romantic dinner plans.

"He came home late and drunk … the next day I asked where he'd been and he exploded, repeatedly hitting and kicking me," she said.

Ms Noone was hospitalised after the attack

"I curled up in a ball on the floor and tried to protect myself."

After the attack, police said Robinson bullied Ms Noone into saying she suffered the injuries after falling on their coffee table.

But with the encouragement and support of officers and her family, she reported the attacks and Robinson was charged.

Robinson, who has a previous conviction for manslaughter, denied grievous bodily harm, but was found guilty.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Noone, who now works for domestic violence services, said she wished she had left Robinson earlier.

"I'd brushed previous incidents under the carpet: he put emotional pressure on me and each time convinced me it wouldn't happen again or that I was somehow to blame.

"I wish I'd walked out then and moved on but it's easy to say in hindsight.

"I'd urge anyone caught in a violent relationship to look at the photos of my injuries and understand that unless they report abuse there's a chance that could one day be them.

"It's hard to push charges against someone you love and hope will change … but the time comes when you have to move on as life is too short."

Elaine Yates, from the women's support centre Coventry Haven, said: "Many women don't seek help because they feel they're to blame - this is not the case.

"What's happening is not their fault and they can do something to change the situation."

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Dog Attack: 'No Warnings' Before Jade Killed

There were no previous complaints about dangerous dogs at a house where a 14-year-old girl is thought to have been killed by a pack of "aggressive and out-of-control" dogs, police said.

Jade Lomas-Anderson's body was discovered with wounds consistent with a dog attack shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, following reports she was unconscious.

Superintendent Mark Kenny of Greater Manchester Police said: "The most likely scenario is that Jade was attacked by four dogs, that is still part and parcel of the investigation. That clearly is the most likely scenario of what's happened but we're looking obviously at all options."

He said the attack would have happened between 1pm and 2pm.

Jade was described as 'shy' by friends (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

A post-mortem examination is due to take place later.

The teenager was visiting the house in Chaucer Grove, Atherton, near Wigan, and was alone with the dogs, believed to include two bull mastiffs and two Staffordshire bull terriers.

Four animals were shot dead by police marksmen and a fifth was contained.

Supt Kenny said: "We have had no contact or reports, Greater Manchester Police, regarding reports for example of dangerous dogs at this location. We've certainly not had any incidents here.

Two dogs were believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers (file picture)

"This is the first incident of this nature we have attended at this location."

Officers have spoken to the owner of the dogs, the owner's family and neighbours since Jade was found.

Friends have paid tribute to the "quiet" and "timid" teenager, who is thought to have returned to the property from the shops with a meat pie when she was attacked.

Flowers were laid at the backyard where Jade was attacked. A sign on the gate read: "Beware of the Dog."

Locals said Jade was there to see a friend, Kimberley Concannon, 16, who lives there with her twin Catrina and mother Beverley Concannon.

One 15-year-old said of Jade: "She goes to my school in the year below.

"She's shy, quite timid, if you didn't know her you wouldn't recognise her around and about. It's horrible what's happened.

"She picks her little sister up Sienna from school, every day and walks past my house.

"She had a pie in her hand and has gone to bite it, she moved the pie and the dog's gone for her throat and then they have all gone for her."

Another friend said the dogs at the house were large and aggressive animals.

Friends are said to be 'deeply shocked' (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

"Every time you walk past the house they would be barking and barking and going mad," she said. "You would jump out of your skin."

Jade was a pupil at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, which open to help pupils affected by the death.

Headteacher Janet Garretts said: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened by Jade's tragic death. She had only been a pupil at the school since the summer but had made a real impact in that short time.

"Jade was a lively student who always had a smile on her face. She loved music and dance and was a regular at our after school dancing club.

"At what turned out to be her last day at school, Jade was given a progress report by her teachers and told everyone was delighted with the progress she was making."

More than 11,000 people joined a Facebook group created to pay tribute to Jade, including the aunt of a four-year-old boy who was killed by a banned breed of dog.

A policeman stands guard outside the house in Atherton, near Wigan

John-Paul Massey died at his grandmother's house in Liverpool after suffering "massive injuries" inflicted by a pitbull.

Tricia Massey wrote on Jade's page: "Such a tragic thing to happen. I know what your poor family must be going through and how they are feeling, I lost my four-year-old nephew three years ago.

"He was killed by a dangerous dog in Liverpool. Something needs to be done about these aggressive animals.

"Sleep tight Jade, I'm sure my John-Paul will look after you."

Natasha Hunt posted: "RIP my beautiful baby girl! Don't know what I'm going do without you!

"Love you loads, you will never be forgotten, you will always be in my heart."

Norman Bradbury, a local councillor, told Sky News the whole community was in shock.

He said: "We need to establish what occurred with this horrible incident and how it an be avoided in future but we have to wait for the police to investigate what happened, how Jade died and the circumstances."

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Missing April Jones: Police To End Search

By David Crabtree, News Correspondent

Police are preparing to call off their search for the body of missing April Jones by the end of next month.

The five-year-old vanished while playing on her bike near her home in Machynlleth, Wales, on October 1 last year.

Since then a massive search operation has been under way with police scouring some 300 points in a 60sq km area.

Mark Bridger denies murdering the schoolgirl

A Dyfed Powys spokesperson said: "The terrain is extremely challenging. The mountains, gorges, streams and waterfalls in the area mean extra care has to be taken and specialist safety equipment has to be worn.

"The force made a commitment to search until all viable lines of enquiry were complete.

"During April officers will searching specific areas of land with a view to all search areas identified being completed by the end of April."

Police added that a reactive team of specialist officers would be available to respond to any new information.

Mark Bridger, 47, is facing trial charged with abducting and murdering the schoolgirl and of unlawfully disposing of and concealing her body with intent to pervert the course of justice.

He pleaded not guilty on January 14, when his barrister Brendan Kelly QC told Mold Crown Court that Bridger is "probably responsible" for her death.

On the day she went missing, Mr and Mrs Jones had allowed April to play out late as a treat after she received a glowing report from school.

Bridger was arrested the following day.

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