Connect with us

Published

on

The families of two men killed in a triple stabbing have paid tribute to their loved ones.

The men were found dead, and a third was injured with stab wounds last week in Bedfordshire.

Officers were initially called to reports of one man being struck by a vehicle on Tithe Farm Road in Houghton Regis at 1.20am on Sunday.

But they found three men with stab wounds – Adam Fanelli, 39, and 27-year-old Patrick Howard, both of Houghton Regis, were pronounced dead at the scene, while the third was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Two men have been charged with murder, while a third has been arrested over the “brutal attack”.

In a tribute, Mr Fanelli’s family said: “Words could never explain the impact this tragedy has had, and will forever hold, over our family and this community.

“Our thoughts and prayers of strength are with the other families involved.

More on Bedfordshire

“Adam was undoubtedly a loving and devoted dad to his three wonderful children. For someone small in stature, he had an extremely larger than life character and a heart bigger than a house.

“He was a person that emulated ‘once met, never forgotten’ in every way possible. He’s going to be missed eternally, leaving a void that could never be filled.

“The family would like to thank everyone for their messages of support and beautiful tributes to both Adam and Pat.”

‘Community’s heart and soul’

Mr Howard’s family said: “Patrick was the most lovable, cheeky chap you could meet.

“He would have done anything for anybody and had the biggest heart of gold. He was the heart and soul of the community, with not a person who didn’t love him.

“Patrick will be missed immensely and has left such a hole in too many hearts. If love could have saved Patrick, he would have lived forever.

“Adam’s family will forever be in our hearts and prayers.”

Nicholas Papworth, 31, and 32-year-old Curtis Long were charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, three counts of conspiracy to murder and three counts of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

Papworth was also charged with one count of perverting the course of justice.

Detectives also arrested a third man in his 40s on suspicion of two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Attackers ‘will be brought to justice’

Detective Superintendent Carl Foster, from the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said the force was still keen to hear from anyone who has information about the crime.

He added: “Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of both Adam and Patrick. We also wish the third victim a full and speedy recovery.

“This is an extremely violent incident that has taken place in a community that has been greatly affected.

“We are committed to ensuring anyone involved in this brutal attack is brought to justice.”

Continue Reading

UK

Harshita Brella: International manhunt under way for husband after woman’s body found in car boot

Published

on

By

Harshita Brella: International manhunt under way for husband after woman's body found in car boot

An international manhunt is under way for the husband of a murdered woman, whose body was found in the boot of a car.

The body of Harshita Brella was found in east London on Thursday, tens of miles away from her home in Corby.

On Sunday, Northamptonshire Police said they were looking for Pankaj Lamba – who they believe has left the country.

Sky News understands she had been under the protection of a court order designed for victims of domestic abuse.

“Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba,” said chief inspector Paul Cash.

“We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car.”

“Fast track” enquires were made after the force was contacted on Wednesday by someone concerned about Ms Brella’s welfare. After she failed to answer the door at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, a missing person investigation was launched.

Her body was found inside the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road, Ilford, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

A post mortem – conducted at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday – established she had been murdered.

Harshita Brella, 24, from Corby. Her body was found in a car in east London.
Pic: Northamptonshire Police
Image:
Harshita Brella, 24, from Corby. Her body was found in a car in east London. Pic: Northamptonshire Police

More than 60 detectives are working on the case, with lines of enquiry including going house to house and property searches, as well as looking at CCTV and ANPR.

“We are of course continuing to appeal for any information that will help us piece together exactly what happened as we work to get justice for Harshita,” said chief inspector Cash.

“I urge anyone listening to or reading this statement, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”

Pankaj Lamba.
Image:
Pankaj Lamba. Pic: Northamptonshire Police

Force referred to police watchdog

On Saturday, Northamptonshire Police said it had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to previous contact between the force and the victim.

Northamptonshire Police previously said officers had been conducting investigations at three locations: Skegness Walk and Sturton Walk in Corby and Brisbane Road, Ilford, where Ms Brella’s body was found.

East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU) and Northamptonshire Police said they were working “around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place”.

Continue Reading

UK

King Richard III given Yorkshire accent using state-of-the-art technology

Published

on

By

King Richard III given Yorkshire accent using state-of-the-art technology

State-of-the-art technology has been used to create a voice for King Richard III – giving him a Yorkshire accent.

A digital avatar of the medieval king’s head went on display in front of excited history fans at York Theatre Royal.

Richard III was king of England from 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32.

His remains were found in a car park in Leicester in 2012 by historian Philippa Langley.

Speaking about the recreation, she said: “We’ve got leading experts in their fields who have been working on this for 10 years and so everything has been meticulously researched, meticulously evidenced, so you are seeing the most accurate portrayal of Richard III”.

A team based at Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University created the avatar based on the reconstruction of Richard III’s head with the help of a craniofacial expert.

Experts from various fields helped put the pieces of the puzzle together, including speech and language therapy, dentistry, forensic psychology and archaeology.

More on Royal Family

His voice has been created by Professor David Crystal, a leading linguist in 15th-century pronunciation. He admitted that it’s impossible to know exactly how he spoke, but this is as close as they will get.

The king was born in Northampton but spent a lot of his life in Yorkshire. His parents were also from the north of England.

Vocal coach Yvonne Morley-Chisholm spent a decade researching how the monarch would have sounded. She worked with the actor Thomas Dennis who was chosen as his body and face were such a good physical match.

Speaking to Sky News, she said people will be shocked at how different he sounded compared with traditional portrayals of the king on stage and screen.

The coach and actor also examined the king’s letters and diary so that “as you pronounced a word that’s how you would write it”.

Read more from Sky News:
Frozen sabre-toothed kitten studied for first time
King to open two food distribution hubs to mark birthday

The voice shows the change in pronunciation over the centuries – from regional variations to the Queen’s English.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

History fans at the unveiling were delighted with the accent, with one telling Sky News: “Northerners are known to be happy, positive, all those lovely qualities.”

Born in Northampton but a northerner through and through, technology has brought the king’s speech back to life

Continue Reading

UK

South Yorkshire Police warning after 13 dangerous dog reports in 48 hours

Published

on

By

South Yorkshire Police warning after 13 dangerous dog reports in 48 hours

South Yorkshire Police have warned pet owners to “step up before someone dies” after receiving 13 reports of dangerous dogs in less than 48 hours.

One man was attacked by his own American bulldog in Sheffield on Thursday afternoon, the force said, when he attempted to separate it and a pocket bully inside a property.

The owner suffered lacerations to his face, neck and head, and was taken to hospital, while his dog was seized and remains in police kennels.

Warning: Distressing images below

Another incident saw a woman walking home with her baby in a carrier on her chest, when she was approached by a loose XL bully who began to show aggression and jump up to her baby.

An elderly woman and her grandchild were attacked by another loose dog in Sheffield.

“As dogs causing harm and fear in our communities continues to place significant demand on our force, we’re urging owners to step up, before someone dies,” South Yorkshire Police said in a statement.

More on Dogs

Some of the injuries caused by the American bulldog attack. Pic: South Yorkshire Police
Image:
Some of the injuries caused by the American bulldog attack. Pic: South Yorkshire Police

The warning comes after 10-year-old Savannah Bentham was killed at her family’s home in North Yorkshire by their dog on 1 November.

Read more:
Murdered woman found in car boot ‘may have been ‘targeted’
How victims of road accidents are being forgotten and failed

Chief Inspector Emma Cheney, leading the work on dangerous dogs across South Yorkshire, said: “Recently we have sadly seen another fatal incident in the UK of a dog causing death.

“People think it won’t happen to them, that their dog won’t cause harm, but it can happen to anyone. Any dog can cause fear and harm and owners who do not step up and prevent harm to our communities will not be tolerated.

“You are responsible for your dog’s actions, and we continue to put people before the courts.

“We only have a limited number of resources, attending dangerous dog incidents takes officers away from other calls. If every owner steps up and makes small changes, we can make a difference.”

Continue Reading

Trending