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Christmas Day girlfriend killer convicted of manslaughter
A man who beat his girlfriend to death on Christmas Day as she watched TV has been found guilty of manslaughter. Yahya Aboukar, 27, was in a relationship with 29-year-old Kirsty Louise Ashley when he “violently” assaulted her on Christmas Day 2021 as they watched TV in bed.
Just before midnight on Boxing Day, police were called to the address in Earlham Grove, Newham, east London. Inside the
property, officers found signs of struggle in Aboukar’s bedroom, including a barbell weight, a claw hammer and clothing all stained with blood. Aboukar had fled officers by jumping out of a bedroom window. He was eventually caught and arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Officers found Ms Ashley’s body in a black bag in the garden, leading to Aboukar’s further arrest on suspicion of murder. The injuries were mainly to her face and head, causing fractures and haemorrhages. At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday, the jury found him not guilty of murder but convicted him of manslaughter. He will be sentenced next Friday.
Peta says King has stopped serving foie gras in royal residences
Animal rights group Peta has said it has received confirmation that the King has put a stop to foie gras being served in all royal residences. The King previously removed the controversial pate from his royal residences while still the Prince of Wales.
Now Peta says it has received a letter from the royal household confirming that this policy has been extended to Buckingham Palace and all other royal residences. As a gesture of gratitude, the group is sending the King a hamper of “faux gras” made by vegan chef Alexis Gauthier.
Elisa Allen, Peta vice president, said: “Peta encourages everyone to follow the King’s lead and leave foie gras off the menu this Christmas and beyond.” Buckingham Palace declined to comment, but it is understood the policy has been in place at the palace for a number of years. Foie gras can be imported and sold in the UK, but its production is banned.
Top university urged to cap intake amid housing crisis
The University of Glasgow is being urged to cap its intake because of fears students are sleeping rough due to a lack of housing. The Glasgow University Students’ Representative Council (SRC) demanded a public commitment to capping
numbers for the next five years, and claimed the institution was considering doing so, student publication The Tab reported.
A housing crisis described as “unprecedented” by letting agents has seen students unable to find accommodation this year, with the university recommending dropping out if housing cannot be found. In October, 70 students were reported to be homeless, with the university paying for hotel accommodation in some instances. The SRC claims students are “couch surfing or even sleeping rough” because of the lack of accommodation.
The university said student numbers had grown by nearly a third in the past five years, but the SRC claimed it was more than 40 per cent or an additional 10,000 students. The SRC’s Cap Student Numbers campaign, announced on Wednesday, has been established to “hold the university accountable for the unsustainable growth of student numbers” by imposing a cap until 2027.
Council bans flying rings from its beaches to protect seals
A coastal council has voted to ban flying rings from all of its council-owned beaches after at least three seals got the plastic toys stuck around their necks. The animals each poked their heads through the hole of a flying ring around the Norfolk coast and then could not take it off, with the rigid plastic cutting into them as they grew bigger.
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk borough council has now resolved to ban the plastic rings from its beaches, following a campaign launched by a member of the Friends of Horsey Seals volunteer group. The first seal to get its head wedged in a flying disc, nicknamed Mrs Frisbee, was rescued at Horsey beach in east Norfolk in 2017 and taken to an RSPCA centre, where the ring was cut off.
Retired social worker Jenny Hobson, who volunteers at an RSPCA animal hospital in East Winch, launched a campaign against flying rings after a second seal got a disc stuck around her neck in 2018. A pink plastic ring became embedded in the
animal’s neck, causing a deep wound that became severely infected. Ms Hobson said she believed the authority was the first council to take such action and she hoped that others would follow suit.
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