Champions League pitch invader banned from games after ‘£250k Belarusian vlogger prank’

Published

6 months ago

June 4, 2024

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A man who tried to invade the pitch at the Champions League final at Wembley as part of a prank to win £250,000 from a Belarusian vlogger has been handed a three-year ban from UK football games.

Ukrainian Yevhenii Lubnenko, 29, was wearing a T-shirt with the vlogger’s name on it when stewards stopped him from getting on the turf less than three minutes after kick-off on Saturday, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday.

The Uber driver – who was unable to give a UK address, saying “I do not remember, I am here for a few days” – pleaded guilty to going on to the playing area at a football match contrary to Section 4 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

Lubnenko, who had been in custody since Saturday’s match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, said the challenge had been set by a vlogger reportedly based in Moscow.

The vlogger, Mellstroy, had offered the cash to people who invaded the pitch while wearing a T-shirt with his name on it.

Photos from the game captured two intruders with Mellstroy written in black and white across their chests running onto the field.

District Judge Michael Snow told Lubnenko: “The real villain is the Russian who is offering around $300,000 in the UK to do what you regard as a prank. I cannot punish him because he is not here.

“You recognise that this was a major sporting event for the UK. It was an important club football match in Europe that takes place in any year. The eyes of Europeans and many people around the world are on the match and they want to watch the match uninterrupted.

“The players taking part in that match are taking part in an important match in their career.”

The judge told Lubnenko that “your behaviour, you being one of three [people], may have affected their concentration in what was one of the most important matches of their career”.

Lubnenko was fined £1,000 which was cut to £660 as credit for his guilty plea, along with £85 costs and a £264 witness surcharge.

Judge Snow ruled the fine and costs were covered by his time in custody and Lubnenko was ordered to pay the surcharge.

Lubnenko, a Manchester City supporter, had told the court he had travelled to England to watch the match, and do some shopping or see the capital as he “had never been to London before”.

But the judge told him: “I appreciate that you did not manage it [to get on to the pitch]. You did not really come to watch the match because you would be kicked out before the game got going, so you came here for the money.”

The judge said the banning order means Lubnenko cannot attend any football matches in the UK for three years, warning him: “So don’t go, even if it is to see Manchester City.”

Lubnenko apologised “to everyone in the stadium and the players” saying he was “very sorry about what I tried to do”.

He said the banning order was “fair” and that being questioned in a police station was one of the worst days of his life, adding: “That was big punishment for me.”

Lubnenko, who arrived in England on Friday and was due to leave on Monday, is set to fly out of the country within days to see relatives in Germany.

The Metropolitan Police earlier said that two others – David Carneckij, 28, and a 16-year-old boy – have also been accused of going on the playing area at a football match contrary to Section 4 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is set to appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court on 24 June.

The force said inquiries continue into two other people arrested in connection with the incident.

Police made 56 arrests around the game – most of which were for attempts to breach security.

UK

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

Published

6 hours ago

November 17, 2024

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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.

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.”

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”.

UK

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

Published

6 hours ago

November 17, 2024

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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.

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”.

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

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

UK

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

Published

6 hours ago

November 17, 2024

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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.

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.

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.”