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A violent abuser who murdered his partner by bludgeoning her to death with a tyre iron has been jailed for at least 27 years.

Unemployed Mark Campbell killed Jane Fitzpatrick, 48, in the Cable Road area of Glenrothes, Fife, on 9 August 2021.

The 37-year-old was also found guilty of 13 other offences against women, including rape, assault and domestic abuse. His crimes occurred in the Fife area between 2003 and 2021.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, Judge Lady Poole jailed Campbell for life and ordered he serve at least 27 years behind bars before being eligible for parole. He has also been added to the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Lady Poole said society would “not tolerate domestic abuse against women”.

She said: “You hit, headbutted, strangled, kicked and spat on women.

“You used not only your body to assault women, but also things close to hand that could be used as weapons, such as scissors, an iron, a belt, a hoover and knives.

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“Your victims were hurt by you. Some were severely injured, to the danger of their lives, and some left with permanent markings.

“Your victims found it hard to escape you. One even moved as a teenager with a new baby to a country where, when she arrived, she didn’t speak the language and had no network, to get away from you.”

The court heard how grandmother Ms Fitzpatrick had been controlled, threatened and abused by Campbell during the course of their relationship.

The jury was told Campbell launched his murderous attack hours after inducing Ms Fitzpatrick to discharge herself from hospital following a head injury.

The pair travelled to a secluded yard in Glenrothes where Campbell tried to source drugs.

After carrying out the fatal assault, he then attempted to avoid detection by driving off with Ms Fitzpatrick’s body. She was found dead in his car the next morning with dozens of injuries to her body, head and face.

Lady Poole said: “Your car was covered with her blood, and there was blood on the wall of the nearby garage.

“Your attempts to blame somebody else were rejected by the jury.”

Campbell, whose criminal record began at 17 years old, was said to have had a troubled upbringing and faced struggles with alcohol and illicit substances.

David Green, Scotland procurator fiscal for homicide, branded Campbell’s behaviour towards women “contemptible”.

He added: “Jane Fitzpatrick’s life was controlled by him and ultimately ended by his violence. Her family and friends are left to try and cope with their terrible loss.

“I commend the brave women who came forward to give evidence against this man. Their courage helped prosecutors bring Campbell to justice.

“Our thoughts are now with those women who spoke out against Campbell, and with the loved ones of Jane Fitzpatrick.”

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

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Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman shot dead in Talbot Green, South Wales

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 40-year-old woman was shot dead in South Wales.

The woman was found with serious injuries just after 6pm on Sunday and died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.

She was discovered in the Green Park area of Talbot Green, a town about 15 miles west of Cardiff.

A 42-year-old local man is in police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector James Morris said: “I understand the concern this will cause the local community, and I want to reassure people that a team of experienced detectives are already working at pace to piece together the events of last night.”

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South Wales Police said a number of crime scenes have been set up and road closures are in place.

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Drivers ‘confused’ by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

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Drivers 'confused' by transition to electric vehicles, ministers warned

UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.

Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.

In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.

Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.

More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.

The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.

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What you can do to reach net zero

In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.

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Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.

Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.

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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.

Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.

There are more EVs – but will people buy them?

In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.

But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.

The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.

It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.

“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.

Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.

“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.

“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.

“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.

“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower

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Man charged after climbing Big Ben's Elizabeth Tower

A man has been charged after climbing up the tower of Big Ben, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Daniel Day, 29, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, faces charges of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today.

Police were called to reports of a man climbing up Elizabeth Tower at 7.24am on Saturday.

The man was carrying a Palestinian flag and remained barefoot on a ledge for more than 16 hours before being lifted to the ground in a cherry picker just after midnight.

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Westminster Bridge was forced to close to traffic during the morning, as tourists in central London stood around watching the spectacle.

Police said specialist officers worked with the fire brigade “to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life”.

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