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.
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“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.
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.”
A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.
The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.
A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.
Image: Pic: PA
French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.
Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”
Image: Pic: PA
Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.
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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.
“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”
So often they were only watching other nations making finals.
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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.
Image: England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image: Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters
Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.
Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.
Image: England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters
But this is Spain’s first Euros final.
And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.
Image: England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP
Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.
But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.
It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.
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Spain’s players struggle for respect
“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.
“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”
It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.
Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.
A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.
Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.
She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.
Image: Nicola Fairley
“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.
“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”
Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.
Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.
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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”
Image: Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product
It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.
Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.
Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.
It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.
The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.
The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.
The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.
There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.
But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.
Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.
Image: Dr Steven Land
‘It’s the Wild West’
Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.
He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.
“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.
“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.
“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”