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A man who made a racist remark about former Scotland cricket international Majid Haq at a match has been fined £400.

Club official Ronald McGregor uttered a racist remark while calling umpire Mr Haq a cheat during a game at Greenock Cricket Club on 12 August this year.

The 64-year-old previously admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress to Mr Haq.

Sheriff Neil Kinnear ordered him to pay a £400 fine plus a £20 victim surcharge when he returned to Greenock Sheriff Court for sentencing on Wednesday.

It comes after Cricket Scotland earlier this month handed McGregor a lifetime ban on attending cricket matches in the country.

Sentencing McGregor, Sheriff Kinnear said: “I note and accept that you have been a life-long cricket fan and that as a result of this incident that has come to an end and you have lost the ability to attend cricket matches, which was your passion for many years.

“At this cricket match you made a racial slur in relation to the umpire of a type which is completely unacceptable.

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“You are no doubt aware of the public outrage that such comments cause.

“Racist comments are not acceptable to society these days, and probably never have been.

“They are never acceptable in society so I have to mark this with a significant financial penalty.”

Read more:
Cricket Scotland failed on almost all tests of institutional racism, report finds

The sheriff said he recognises it was a one-off incident and that McGregor, from Greenock, has offered to apologise to the umpire.

He said he would have imposed a £600 fine but reduced it to £400 in recognition of McGregor’s early guilty plea.

But he said the sum would be a “significant” financial penalty for McGregor.

McGregor, 64, a well-known former player in Scottish club cricket, was acting as scorer on the day of the incident, which happened during a WDCU Premiership One match between home club Greenock and Stenhousemuir.

Aidan Gallagher, representing McGregor, told the court the incident was “out of character” for his client, who offered a “sincere apology” for what he said.

He said: “He regrets it wholeheartedly. He fully accepts it was inexcusable and it has had very significant consequences for him.

“He had been involved with Cricket Scotland for many years and that’s now at an end, he will have no further involvement in cricket.”

Previous allegations from Mr Haq and another former international, Qasim Sheikh, led to an independent review which last year concluded the governance and leadership practices of Cricket Scotland were institutionally racist.

Work has since been undertaken to address the findings and actions which were recommended by the Changing The Boundaries report.

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Boy, 16, charged after teenager stabbed in Nottingham city centre Primark store

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Boy, 16, charged after teenager stabbed in Nottingham city centre Primark store

A 16-year-old boy has been charged after another teenager was stabbed in the chest in front of shoppers at a Primark store in Nottingham.

The 17-year-old victim was seriously injured in the shop in Long Row at about 11.30am on Sunday, police said.

A boy, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested a few hours after the incident and has now been charged with wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place, Nottinghamshire Police added.

He has been remanded into custody and is due to appear before magistrates on Monday.

The victim is in a stable condition and his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Gould, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “We understand the alarm this incident has caused and I’d like to reassure the public we have been working at pace to build a full picture of what had happened – and why.

“I am pleased we have now been able to charge a suspect in this case.

“As we continue to progress with our investigation, we are still urging anyone who has information which could assist us with our inquiries, who hasn’t already come forward, to please contact us as soon as possible.”

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Rocks and scooter thrown at trains on 120mph line in ‘incredibly dangerous’ spate of attacks

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Rocks and scooter thrown at trains on 120mph line in 'incredibly dangerous' spate of attacks

Rocks and a scooter have been thrown at trains from a bridge above a 120mph railway line, an operator has said.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) said a train was damaged in the first recorded incident on 3 February when a large scooter was hurled off a pedestrian bridge near Loughborough station in Leicestershire.

Builders’ waste and masonry were dropped onto a track from the bridge – which connects Allsopp’s Lane with Little Moor Lane – and a rock was thrown at a train on 16 February.

Another object was thrown from the bridge, smashing a train’s windscreen, a day later.

The “incredibly dangerous” incidents impacted 21 services and caused more than three-and-a-half hours of delays, the operator said.

Pic: EMR/PA
 Rocks and a scooter have been thrown at trains in a spate of "incredibly dangerous" attacks from a bridge above a 120mph railway line, the operator said
Image:
Masonry has also been dropped on to tracks. Pic: EMR/PA

Danielle Clarke, EMR community safeguarding and security manager, said: “These acts are not pranks or a bit of harmless fun, but incredibly dangerous crimes that put customers and staff at serious risk of injury or worse.

“They also lead to trains being damaged, delayed, and services being cancelled.”

She said action was being taken to address the issue, and appealed to members of the public to report any similar incidents or suspicious behaviour on or around railways to British Transport Police.

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Dan Matthews, head of operations delivery at Network Rail, said: “These acts of vandalism not only put lives at serious risk but also cause significant disruption to our rail network.

“We work closely with train operators like EMR, and British Transport Police, to prevent such incidents and catch those responsible.”

He added: “The safety of passengers and railway staff is our top priority, and we will not tolerate actions that compromise this.”

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Teenager pleads guilty to murdering his mother and two younger siblings in Luton

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Teenager pleads guilty to murdering his mother and two younger siblings in Luton

A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to murdering his mother and two younger teenage siblings in Luton last year.

Nicholas Prosper, 19, appeared at Luton Crown Court over the deaths of Juliana Falcon, 48, Giselle Prosper, 13, and Kyle Prosper, 16.

Their bodies were found at a flat in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive, in September.

As he appeared in court on Monday, he spoke to confirm his identity and to plead guilty to three counts of murder.

Prosper also admitted a number of other offences, including purchasing a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life and possession of a kitchen knife in a public place.

He will be sentenced on 5 March and has been remanded in custody.

A friend of Prosper’s mother previously described her as someone who “lived for her children” and said she was “a positive person who will be so terribly missed”.

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A statement on X, from the headteacher at Lea Manor High School, said they were “deeply shocked” by the death of Giselle.

“Giselle was a beautiful soul and a model pupil, she excelled in all her subjects and will be sorely missed, particularly by her friends in Year 9.”

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