A man has narrowly avoided prison for threatening to kill a woman after she posted a message on social media in support of migrants entering the country.

Jack Adamson, 26, sent messages saying he would slit her throat and that of her partner.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court heard the threats followed a Facebook post on September 19 in which she expressed her backing for migrants coming to Britain.

Adamson, of Castle Hill, Beccles – who was already banned from contacting her partner – then sent messages both to him and his girlfriend.

As well as the threatening to kill both of them, he also wrote that: “All Muslims should have their head hung from a tree.”

Adamson pleaded guilty to three charges: breaching a restraining order, using a public communication network to cause annoyance, and sending a communication threatening death or serious harm.

Magistrates imposed a 26-week jail term, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay a £154 victim surcharge.

The restraining order was also reimposed for a further two years.

EDP24

Paul Woodmass, of Lemington, tracked down and attacked the elderly stranger after meeting her a few weeks earlier while they walked their pets

A dog walker who raped a dementia suffering pensioner in her own home has been branded dangerous as he jailed for nine years for the shocking attack.

Paul Woodmass hunted down the elderly stranger after chatting to her while they walked their pets a few weeks earlier.

The married grandfather then raped the vulnerable victim after tricking his way into her home. As police spoke to the woman hours later, Woodmass turned up outside her house, refused to give his name to police until he was arrested and was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms, having gone back hoping to strike again.

The 66-year-old, of Linnel Drive, Lemington, Newcastle, had denied rape and said they only chatted and had a cup of tea, despite his saliva being found inside her underwear. Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted him after a trial in July and he has been remanded in custody since then.

Now he has been jailed for nine years plus an extended licence period of a further three years after a judge branded him a dangerous offender. He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life and was given a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order, which are both indefinite.

As he was sentenced, the court heard the victim “mercifully has no real recollection of what happened” as a result of her dementia. Judge Andrew Smith said: “She knows something happened that was not pleasant. She doesn’t fully understand and to some extent thinks she might be responsible. It’s knocked her confidence going forward.”

Passing sentence, the judge said: “You undoubtedly met her on an earlier occasion when she was out walking her dog. You would have identified her as elderly and forgetful with a degree of confusion.

“You entered her house, she can’t remember how you got in – if you were invited in it was as a result of a degree of trickery. Your purpose was not to have a cup of tea (as he had claimed), your purpose was at least to take advantage of any sexual opportunities which arose.”

The judge said he could not be sure he intended to rape her when he went there. But he did rape her and the judge said his actions showed he was “forensically aware”.

He added: “I think you went there to chance your luck and when you got there you realised the position she was in and took advantage of it. I take the view you are a dangerous offender.”

It was just after 3pm one afternoon that the pensioner called her son and said someone had been in her house and raped her. The son and his wife rushed to her home, where she repeated the claim, saying someone had had sex with her and she didn’t want it. She said he he had left his two dogs outside during the attack.

Earlier that afternoon, Woodmass had gone to a nearby house asking for the victim but he had gone to the wrong address.

The court heard police arrived at the woman’s home around 3.30pm. While she was struggling to recall certain details, she gave some details of what had happened.

Police spoke to neighbours and had identified the man with the two dogs as Woodmass after he was caught on ring doorbell footage. Later that day, police were still with the pensioner when they saw Woodmass at the bottom of her driveway.

His behaviour was immediately suspicious. He refused to give his name, saying he would only provide information if he was accused of committing a crime.

After being arrested, Woodmass said he had gone to the woman’s home “to have a cup of tea”. When he was searched, he was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms. Judge Smith said his account to jurors that he had found the condoms on the street was “frankly unbelievable”.

He added: “I’m quite sure you went back to the house intending to have sexual intercourse with her again, regardless of whether she consented or not. You knew what you could get away with and went back having obtained condoms because you were forensically aware.”

Woodmass’ saliva was found on the inside of the pensioner’s underwear, which jurors were told “is not consistent with having a cup of tea and giving her a hug”.

Jurors were told about a previous incident with another woman Woodmass met while dog walking in 2021. She said they got talking, had a shared interest in music and he offered to share some of his music with her. When he attended her house with a device with some music on it, the woman said he asked her for a hug and she agreed but during the “prolonged” embrace, he kissed her twice on the neck, which she said she was not happy about.

The woman said he then turned up at her home another day out of the blue in a drunken state. She said he told her he had not had sex with his wife for 20 years and that he “needed intimacy”. She told him he was making her feel uncomfortable and she believed he was asking for sex. She said he asked for a hug and she closed the door and locked it.

The woman said she got a family member to call him and they left a message telling him to leave her alone and she never saw him again. She reported her concerns to the police.

The court heard Woodmass has only one previous convictions, for drink driving in 2020. Jane Foley, defending, said character references from friends “demonstrate there’s another side to Mr Woodmass”.

The Chronicle

Thanks to Kirklees Unity for the info.

He had written a letter addressed to his mum before he died

A Liverpool dad was found dead in Spain. Paul Hepplestall, from Dingle, was found dead in his Spanish prison cell, aged 45.

An inquest into his death on Thursday (September 25) heard how Paul was found dead while awaiting trial in Alicante. Following his death on February 28, 2023 his mum Sheila Hepplestall had received a note addressed to her saying he could no longer continue with life in prison. The note came from another inmate and not from officials, however it was later confirmed to be in Paul’s handwriting.

The ECHO previously reported in May 2023 how a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Paul, who had no occupation, after he failed to answer a postal requisition charging him with possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs and possession of criminal property, namely £13,125 and €50 in cash.

On April 24, 2023, the warrant for his arrest was formally withdrawn at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court as, according to a register of the hearing, “defendant is now deceased”.

The charges related to an incident on April 14, 2020 and were part of Operation Hammer, Merseyside Police’s long-term ongoing operation to tackle drug dealing related offending.

A post mortem was carried out in Spain and the cause of death was ruled hypoxic anoxia caused by hanging.

Despite asking the Spanish authorities Coroner Anita Bhardwaj confirmed today that no further evidence was provided to the Coroners Court.

Mrs Bhardwaj said the note left by Paul suggested that he was going to self harm and she accepted the cause of death however gave a narrative conclusion.

She said Paul “self-ligatured” however due to the circumstances of his death being unclear she couldn’t rule suicide.

n a funeral notice posted in the ECHO his family said: “He was beloved son of Sheila and Sheila’s partner Les, (who Paul described as his ‘mate’).

“A loving dad to Flyn, Ethan and Mason and much loved brother of Jason and Jeff. Dear nephew of Mary, Joe and Trish and a special uncle, cousin and a friend to many. ‘You’ll never walk alone Son’.”

Mr Hepplestall was laid to rest on April 21 at Our Lady Mount Carmel Church in Dingle. His family asked for donations to the mental health charity MIND in lieu of flowers.

Liverpool Echo

Previous conviction is here

A woman armed with three knives threatened to kill migrants at a hotel after consuming far-right content online, a court heard.

Nina Manley, 51, had watched videos from far right social media figures such as Tommy Robinson before travelling to a Premier Inn in North Petherton, Somerset in August.

However, the hotel was not housing any migrants in its rooms and the police were called.

Manley, who was said to be drunk and stoned, told officers: ‘I’m pissed off and I’m going to f***cking kill someone.’

Recorder Matthew Cannings told her at Taunton crown court: ‘You watched videos of extreme far-right social media personalities like Tommy Robinson.’

Her defence lawyer Anjam Arif said Manley had come from a military background and lost a brother serving in Afghanistan.

He added: ‘Her actions were born out of bravado rather than a real threat to kill.’

Manley, of Bridgwater, admitted threats to kill and got a 12-month suspended jail sentence.

Her arrest came amidst a string of protests over the summer against hotels housing asylum seekers in different parts of the country.

The Bell Hotel in Epping became the focal point of several protests and counter-protests after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was later found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl days after arriving in the UK.

On August 29 three Court of Appeal judges ruled that asylum seekers could continue to be housed at the site.

Protests against a different hotel, the Crowne Plaza hotel on Stockley Road in West London, saw masked men attempt to break in to the migrant accommodation.

Metro

Violent brute John Watt was outed by Perth Against Racism online after he was spotted at protests in the town outside the Station Hotel on August 23.

A violent thug who attacked his ex partners has been slammed for ‘masquerading as a women’s saviour’ at asylum seeker protests.

Brute John Watt – who was convicted of abusing two former girlfriends in 2018 – was spotted at a number of gatherings across Scotland in recent weeks while filming for his podcast, ‘Bring the Noise’.

In a series of clips, he can be seen speaking to women about concerns for their safety.

On August 9, 40-year-old Watt was present at a demo outside a hotel in Aberdeen where he ended up in a heated exchange with a female pro-immigrant protestor.

Watt is heard telling a woman he had been speaking to a girl who is 25 years of age who is afraid about walking the streets of Aberdeen at night.

He says to the camera: “The people in the hotel are coming out, they are touching her and they are acting strange.”

At another protest in Perth in August 24, he speaks to a woman who tells him she was confronted by an asylum seeker whilst leaving from her work one evening.

In the same clip, Watt asks an elderly woman at the rally “are you scared in your local town?”.

On September 2, Watt posted a video of a protest held outside Falkirk MP Euan Stainbank’s office on August 30 where he spoke to members of the Pink Ladies Group who were out in force to talk about women’s fears in the town.

Watt listens as concerned mums tell how they aren’t allowing their teenage daughters to go near the area’s Callander Park.

But the fiend was outed as anti-racism campaigners blasted him over his ten-year campaign of violence against women he had previous relationships with.

Perth Against Racism said: “The false narrative of abusers masquerading as women’s saviours has to stop.

“A jury convicted John Watt of assaulting 2 ex-partners during a campaign of violence and abuse.

“Sheriff Paul Crozier told Watt his behaviour towards the women was “quite appalling”.

“In his ‘Bring the Noise’ podcast, he likes to travel around various protests and interview people including women discussing how asylum seekers have made them feel unsafe amongst other things.

“We ask anyone who organises these protests, are they happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with a convicted abuser of women? Are you able to say you truly believe in protecting women and girls?”

A jury found former Butler in the Buff Watt guilty of assaulting his ex Laura Shearer on various occasions between September 2010 and February 2015 during their decade long relationship.

This included holding a terrified Miss Shearer by the neck after snooping in her phone, and throwing water over as she lay in bed her after a night out.

He was also convicted of abusing Amanda Reilly on various occasions between August 2015 and January 2016. The jury heard that during that time, he grabbed Miss Reilly by the hair and dragged her from a house before hurling her down a set of stairs.

In evidence, Miss Reilly described one argument. She said: “John was getting angrier and angrier and he kicked my shoes off my shin, I do not know where he was aiming for but they hit my shin, they cut my leg.

“I said ‘leave me alone, why are you doing this?’ and that I was going home, he shoved me full force and I stumbled back.”

Miss Reilly said after an argument during another night out, Watt “grabbed her by the neck and hair and dragged her” from the flat and “threw her” down stairs outside.

Watt was also convicted of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards both women.

He was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and a three-year non-harassment order was also granted to prevent him contacting either of his victims.

The Record attempted to contact John Watt for comment.

Perth Against Racism said they extend “solidarity to all women that have suffered from domestic abuse. From mental coercion to physical abuse.”

They added: “We ask anyone that organises these protests if they are happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with a convicted abuser of women, anyone that gets interviewed by him, appears on his channels, anyone that attends his protest. Are you able to say you truly believe in protecting women and girls?”

Daily Record