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A former worker at the UK’s intelligence agency GCHQ, who tried to murder a US spy, has been jailed for life.

Joshua Bowles, 29, was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years behind bars for the “premeditated, targeted and vicious” knife attack at a leisure centre.

Bowles, who had two knives, punched and stabbed the woman repeatedly at the centre three miles from the agency’s base in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 9 March.

The Old Bailey judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, found it was a “politically motivated attack” driven by “anger and resentment” towards GCHQ and women.

After the stabbing, the former computer software coding developer said he targeted his victim because he could not handle the “murky waters of ethics” and “the power that the American NSA [National Security Agency] have and the things they do”.

Bowles, of Welwyn Mews, Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the woman, referred to by the code number 99230.

He also admitted assaulting a man who attempted to intervene, causing him actual bodily harm.

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Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC said it was a “pre-meditated, targeted and vicious attack on an unarmed woman”.

He told the court: “That woman was a United States government employee working in the United Kingdom.

“She was attacked by a man who was carrying two knives, and she was stabbed three times outside, and in the reception area of, a leisure centre in Cheltenham.

“Her selection as the target for this attack was entirely and solely associated with her role as a US government employee in the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States.”

The woman had been at a leisure centre in Cheltenham playing netball on 9 March, and was followed as she left with her friend, who was a fellow US national known as 25869.

When she heard someone say “Excuse me”, she turned round and was punched repeatedly in the face. She then fought back, and her friend hit him with a bag and told him to leave her alone.

Alex Fuentes was on his way to play football and was punched in the face when he asked the defendant “what’s going on?”.

It was his intervention that meant the two women could run back to the leisure centre – pursued by Bowles.

A court artist sketch of Joshua Bowles appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court
Image:
A court artist sketch of Joshua Bowles appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

Mr Penny said: “The CCTV footage shows the defendant holding a knife and lunging towards 99230, who was trying to back away. She describes that ‘It felt like he hated me… his focus was me’.”

The victim of the attack was left with a 6cm cut to her lower abdomen, a 2cm wound to the front of her chest and a 2cm wound to her right thigh.

She had to spend a week in hospital and told the court in a victim impact statement that she did not remember ever encountering or speaking to her attacker before.

She described how she had been studying for a master’s degree, planned to learn windsurfing with her boyfriend and had entered a half-marathon.

“He has had a profound effect on me and completely changed my life. It is very difficult to explain to people just how awful it has been,” the victim added.

“I went from being in the best shape I have ever been in, to the weakest I have ever been. I felt like my organs had been rearranged. I was hunted by him and I don’t know why.”

Bowles, who has Asperger’s syndrome, said in a statement to police he targeted her because she was a US spy.

He said: “Due to the size and resourcing, American intelligence represents the largest contributor within the intelligence community so made sense as the symbolic target. I consider GCHQ just as guilty.”

His lawyer said his client expressed “profound regret, remorse and shame at what he has done”, adding he rejected any connections to terrorism.

A GCHQ spokesperson said: “This was a shocking, unprovoked attack and its isolated nature does not make it any less upsetting. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. GCHQ has been working closely with police during their investigation, and we welcome justice being done.”

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.

“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”

Police said a man in his 60s had been arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.

Sky News has contacted Mr Norris for comment.

Mr Norris, 65, defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.

He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons and has stepped down from his role as chair of the League Against Cruel Sports.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.

“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.

“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.

“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.

“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.

“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”

Mr Norris first entered Parliament when Tony Blair came to power in 1997 and served as the Wansdyke MP until 2010.

He was an assistant whip under Mr Blair and served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown.

Mr Norris has also been West of England mayor since 2021 but is due to step down ahead of May’s local elections.

A spokesman for the League Against Cruel Sports, a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to end sports such as fox hunting and game bird shooting, confirmed he had stepped down from his role.

“The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a statement said.

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Jaguar Land Rover to ‘pause’ US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

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Jaguar Land Rover to 'pause' US shipments over Donald Trump tariffs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has said it will “pause” shipments to the US as the British car firm works to “address the new trading terms” of Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The US president has introduced a 25% levy on all foreign cars imported into the country, which came into force on Thursday.

JLR, one of the country’s biggest carmakers, exported about 38,000 cars to the US in the third quarter of 2024 – almost equal to the amount sold to the UK and the EU combined.

Follow live updates: Trump’s baseline 10% tariff kicks in

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the company behind the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands said: “The USA is an important market for JLR’s luxury brands.

“As we work to address the new trading terms with our business partners, we are taking some short-term actions including a shipment pause in April, as we develop our mid- to longer-term plans.”

The company released a statement last week before Mr Trump announced a “baseline” 10% tariff on goods from around the world, which kicked in on Saturday morning, on what he called “liberation day”.

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JLR reassured customers its business was “resilient” and “accustomed to changing market conditions”.

“Our priorities now are delivering for our clients around the world and addressing these new US trading terms,” the firm said.

Trading across the world has been hit by Mr Trump’s tariff announcement at the White House on Wednesday.

All but one stock on the FTSE 100 fell on Friday – with Rolls-Royce, banks and miners among those to suffer the sharpest losses.

Read more: A red wall on Wall Street – but Trump seems to believe it will work out

Cars are the top product exported from the UK to the US, with exports worth £8.3bn in the year to the end of September 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

For UK carmakers, the US is the second largest export market behind the European Union.

Industry groups have previously warned the tariffs will force firms to rethink where they trade, while a report by thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research said more than 25,000 car manufacturing jobs in the UK could be at risk.

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

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Two people die after caravan fire at holiday park in Lincolnshire

Two people have died following a fire at a caravan site near Skegness, Lincolnshire Police have said.

In a statement, officers said they were called at 3.53am on Saturday to a report of a blaze at Golden Beach Holiday Park in the village of Ingoldmells.

Fire and rescue crews attended the scene, and two people were found to have died.

They were reported to be a 10-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man.

The force said the victims’ next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.

Officers are trying to establish the exact cause of the blaze.

“We are at the very early stages of our investigation and as such we are keeping an open mind,” the force said.

Two fire crews remain at the scene.

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