Ghislaine Maxwell forced to crawl ‘on her hands and knees’ to get in prison van on way to court
Ghislaine Maxwell was forced to crawl “on her hands and knees” while wearing leg shackles to get into a prison van and attend a pre-trial hearing, her lawyer has claimed.
Bobbi Sterheim said Ms Maxwell was woken at 3.45am and arrived at the courthouse at 5.38am but was prevented from looking at her legal materials.
She was offered “very little food” and given no utensil to eat it with.
The hearing began at 11am.
Ghislaine Maxwell made a sketch of court artists while seated between defence attorneys Bobbi Sternheim and Jeffrey Pagliuca
Ms Maxwell, 59, who was brought into court shackled and wearing a blue prison jumpsuit and a black mask, has long complained about her treatment in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre.
She appeared exhausted as she sat listening to proceedings and conferring with her legal team.
Her lawyers have previously claimed their client has lost hair and over 15 pounds in body weight during her incarceration.
On Saturday, Ms Maxwell’s brother, Ian Maxwell, told Sky News he believed prison officers have “physically abused” his sister.
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‘I don’t see her administering black eye to herself’
In the pre-trial hearing, Judge Alison Nathan ruled the term ‘victim’ and ‘minor’ could be used in the trial to describe accusers.
The defence had argued the terms were “inherently prejudicial” but Judge Nathan ruled banning them would be “unnecessary and impractical”.
The judge also agreed to a prosecution request to allow the four alleged victims and four other witnesses to use pseudonyms.
A photo of Ghislaine Maxwell with a ‘black eye’ was released by her lawyer in April
Ms Nathan told the court the alleged victims would be giving “highly sensitive and personal testimony” and it was important they were protected from harassment and embarrassment.
In contrast to UK law, in the US, alleged victims of sexual offences are not automatically guaranteed lifelong anonymity.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. Pic: Sky UK
Judge Alison Nathan also ruled that no evidence on the government’s decision to charge Ms Maxwell will be allowed in court.
The defence had wanted to use statements from former attorney general Bill Barr to suggest there was a political motive behind the prosecution.
Ms Nathan told the court that such evidence could “substantially confuse and delay the trial”.
The court was told Ghislaine Maxwell has not been offered a plea deal by prosecutors and has not requested one.
The British socialite, and former girlfriend of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking, which she denies. She is accused of procuring teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.
Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, took his own life in jail in 2019. He was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The opening arguments of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial are expected to begin on 29 November.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
Donald Trump says he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the “appropriate regions” in a row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
It comes after Mr Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of Russia‘s Security Council, told the US president on Thursday to remember Moscow had Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort.
On Friday, Mr Trump wrote on social media: “Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.
“Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump-Russia live: Follow Ukraine war latest
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Trump: ‘We’re going to protect our people’
Speaking outside the White House later in the day, Mr Trump was asked about why he had moved the submarines and replied: “We had to do that. We just have to be careful.
“A threat was made and we didn’t think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful. So I do that on the basis of safety for our people. A threat was made by a former president of Russia and we’re going to protect our people.”
The spat between Mr Trump and Mr Medvedev came after the US president warned Russia on Tuesday it had “10 days from today” to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face tariffs, along with its oil buyers.
Moscow has shown no sign that it will agree to Mr Trump’s demands.
Read more:
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On Thursday, Mr Medvedev reminded Mr Trump that Russia possessed a Soviet-era automated nuclear retaliatory system – or “dead hand”.
Mr Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was referring to a secretive semi-automated Soviet command system designed to launch Russia’s missiles if its leadership was taken out in a decapitating strike.
He made the remarks after Mr Trump told him to “watch his words” after Mr Medvedev said the US president’s threat of hitting Russia and its oil buyers with punitive tariffs was “a game of ultimatums” and added that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war” between Russia and the US.
Dmitry Medvedev. Pic: Reuters
Mr Medvedev served as Russia’s president from 2008 and 2012, when Mr Putin was barred from seeking a third consecutive term, but then stepped aside to let him run again.
As deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, he has become known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.
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