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A woman has been sentenced to 34 years for murdering and decapitating her friend in a row over money.

Jemma Mitchell, 38, became the first woman in England and Wales to be sentenced live on television for killing Mee Kuen Chong, 67, also known as Deborah, and dumping her headless body in some woodland more than 200 miles away in Salcombe, Devon.

Jemma Mitchell sentencing – as it happened

Sentencing her on Friday, Judge Richard Marks KC described her as “extremely devious”.

“You have shown absolutely no remorse,” he told her at the Old Bailey. “It appears you are in complete denial as to what you did, despite the overwhelming evidence against you.

“The enormity of your crime is profoundly shocking, even more so given your apparent religious devotion as well as the fact that Deborah Chong was a good friend to you and had shown you good kindness,” he said.

Judge Marks said Mitchell and her mother were living in a house in Willesden, northwest London, and had been cheated out of most of the £230,000 they paid two builders to add another floor to the property.

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“This proved to be your undoing,” he said.

Mitchell, an alternative therapist, was given £200,000 by her victim, but decided to kill her and fake a will to inherit the rest of Ms Chong’s estate.

Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Jemma Mitchell who has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of the murder of Mee Kuen Chong. Issue date: Thursday October 27, 2022.
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Jemma Mitchell
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Mee Kuen Chong. Jemma Mitchell has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of her murder. Issue date: Thursday October 27, 2022.
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Mee Kuen Chong, who was also known as Deborah

Mitchell denied having anything to do with her death and declined to give evidence during the trial.

Jurors viewed CCTV footage of Mitchell arriving at Ms Chong’s home in Wembley, northwest London, carrying a large blue suitcase on the morning of 11 June last year.

More than five hours later, she emerged from the property with the suitcase appearing bulkier and heavier.

Judge Marks said: “That large suitcase contained Deborah Chong’s body. I have no doubt that you killed her when inside her house.”

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CCTV of Mitchell with the blue suitcase in London

After Ms Chong’s lodger reported her missing, Mitchell claimed she had gone to visit family friends “somewhere close to the ocean”.

The prosecution said Mitchell stored her remains in the garden of the house she shared with her retired mother until 26 June when she put the suitcase in a car she had hired and drove down to Devon.

The hire car was booked with a phone stolen from her dead neighbour’s house, the court heard, whose signature she also used to witness the fake will she wrote.

Jemma Mitchell on Chaplin Road, north west London dragging a blue suitcase on 11 June 2021. Pic: Screen grab taken from CCTV issued by Metropolitan Police
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CCTV of Mitchell with the blue suitcase in London
Undated Metropolitan Police handout photo of the site in Salcombe, Devon, where it is alleged that Jemma Mitchell deposited Mee Kuen Chong's body, after driving a rental car and from London. Jemma Mitchell has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of the murder of Mee Kuen Chong, whose headless body was dumped in Salcombe, Devon. Issue date: Thursday October 27, 2022.
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Woodlands in Salcombe, Devon where Ms Chong’s remains were found
Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of the suitcase used by Jemma Mitchell who has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of the murder of Mee Kuen Chong. Issue date: Thursday October 27, 2022.
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The blue suitcase used to transport Ms Chong’s body

Headless body found by holidaymakers

On her way to Salcombe, Mitchell was forced to drive into a service station after the car blew a tyre. A repairman who changed the wheel described an “odd musty smell” inside the vehicle, jurors heard.

After the delay, she dumped her body and her head near Bennett Road in Salcombe.

Ms Chong’s headless corpse was found by holidaymakers the next day. Her skull was recovered a few metres away from the body following a police search.

A post-mortem examination confirmed that Ms Chong had suffered a skull fracture along with other injuries consistent with an assault.

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Moment woman arrested for murder of friend

Experience of dissecting bodies

The court heard Mitchell and Ms Chong, who met through church, had exchanged several messages about renovating Mitchell’s home.

They were both “devout Christians”, the judge added.

Mitchell decided to murder her victim after she pulled out of giving her the £200,000 to pay for the refurbishment of her £4m home.

The judge said Ms Chong had a “serious history of mental illness”, was on anti-psychotic medication and was “particularly vulnerable, both mentally as well as physically” before she died.

He also said as part of her degree in human sciences from King’s College London, Mitchell “was taught anatomy” and “had experience in the dissection of human bodies”.

“That no doubt stood you in good stead,” he said.

Judge Marks said there were three aggravating factors to Mitchell’s crimes – her planning, her victim’s vulnerability and “the chilling aspect” of what she did to the victim’s body after she died.

She had a previous conviction for breach of a non-molestation order, but was of “effective previous good character”.

Following her conviction, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who led the investigation, said: “Mitchell has never accepted responsibility for Deborah’s murder so there are questions which remain unanswered.

“Why she kept her body for a fortnight, why she decapitated her, why she deposited her remains in Salcombe.

“What we do know is that these were evil acts carried out by an evil woman and the only motive clearly was one of financial gain.”

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UK weather: Amber warning for snow issued – and temperatures could drop to -16C this week

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UK weather: Amber warning for snow issued - and temperatures could drop to -16C this week

An amber warning has been issued for snow in a part of the UK, likely to cause travel delays and “stranding some vehicles and passengers”.

The warning, which covers south west England, also warns some rural communities could become cut off and is in place until 2pm this evening.

Pic: Met Office
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Pic: Met Office

There is also a yellow weather warning for snow covering the southern counties of England until midnight on Wednesday.

The warning stretches from Kent to Cornwall and up to south London and the Met Office said between 2cm and 5cm of snow could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 10cm over higher ground.

This week is expected to see the coldest nights of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching -14C on Wednesday night and -16C on Thursday night, both in the North East of England and Scotland, the Met Office said.

Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.

The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads.

Members of the public walk through heavy snowfall on the high street of Saddleworth.
Pic: AP
A woman walks through heavy snowfall on the high street of Saddleworth.
Pic: AP
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Pics: AP

Meanwhile the Environment Agency has said at least 300 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve. It estimates more than 41,000 properties have been protected.

Heavy rainfall over the New Year caused significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire and snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly the Midlands, the agency said.

Read more from Sky News:
Terrifying firestorm rips through home of film stars and billionaires
Homes destroyed – how people are coping with floods

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Man says flooding ‘came out of nowhere’

Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.”

Flood warnings

Some 100 flood warnings were in force across England on Wednesday, with people urged to remain vigilant over the coming days.

A danger-to-life warning was issued on Tuesday morning for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, but was later removed.

People living in caravan parks in the area were urged by the Environment Agency to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.

Firefighters have rescued dozens of people across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Hundreds of schools were closed across the UK, with road and rail links blocked, as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports suspended flights because of the conditions.

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UK Athletics and former games head of sport charged with manslaughter over Paralympian’s death

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UK Athletics and former games head of sport charged with manslaughter over Paralympian's death

UK Athletics Ltd and a former head of sport for a major London games have been charged with manslaughter following the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

United Arab Emirates athlete Mr Hayayei died aged 36 after a metal throwing cage fell on him while he was shot put training at Newham Leisure Centre in London in 2017.

The Paralympian was pronounced dead at the scene after he was struck by a metal pole in the incident.

He was training in preparation to represent his country in the shot put, discus and javelin at the World Para Athletics Championships which began in London later that week.

Teams and coaches from several nations were present at the time of the tragedy.

Keith Davies, 77, the former head of sport for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

UK Athletics has been charged with corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence.

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Both UK Athletics and Davies are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 31 January.

Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that criminal proceedings are active and both UK Athletics Ltd and Davies have the right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Read more:
Why are there wildfires in January
Body found in search for missing British hikers
British tourist dies in Thailand motorbike crash

The Met Police launched an investigation following Mr Hayayei’s death on 11 July 2017, with the Crown Prosecution Service saying today that it has authorised charges following a review of evidence provided by the force.

Mr Hayayei made his Paralympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and was set to feature in his second World Championships in 2017.

Ed Warner, who was co-chair of London 2017, said after Mr Hayayei’s death: “This is a devastating event and everyone within the London 2017 Organising Committee is shocked and saddened.

“We will be working closely with all the competitors and teams over the days ahead to offer support wherever it is needed.”

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Boy, 14, stabbed to death on London bus named as Kelyan Bokassa

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Boy, 14, stabbed to death on London bus named as Kelyan Bokassa

The 14-year-old who was stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London yesterday has been named as Kelyan Bokassa.

He was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm on Tuesday.

The teenager died at the scene shortly after medical help arrived.

No arrests have been made so far but officers are appealing for witnesses who were on the 472 bus.

Police called the stabbing a “horrific attack”.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who is leading the investigation, said: “Following Kelyan’s tragic death yesterday, specialist officers are now leading the investigation which is progressing at pace.

“If anyone saw this horrific attack or was in the area then I urge them to come forward and speak to officers.

“We’re particularly interested in any mobile phone footage that captured this incident or any dash cam or doorbell footage from around the surrounding area at the time of this incident.”

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