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A Scottish Tory leadership candidate has said he still does not support gay marriage because of his religious beliefs, 10 years after voting against it.

However, Murdo Fraser told Sky News that he is now “quite relaxed” about same-sex adoption, having previously voiced opposition to it.

Politics live: Rising energy costs ‘deeply worrying’ for families

Mr Fraser, a Scottish MSP, added that personal religious beliefs “should not be a barrier to standing for office”.

The Scottish parliament overwhelmingly voted to allow gay couples to marry in 2014.

At the time, Mr Fraser was one of 18 MSPs to oppose it, saying it could threaten the charitable status of faith-based groups and providers that do not recognise same-sex marriage.

Mr Fraser also opposed same-sex couples being able to adopt, saying during a debate on the issue in 2006 that “children need male and female role models” and “people who express such views are not homophobes, extremists or, as some suggest, ‘religious nutters'”.

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“They have genuine concerns that should not be dismissed with name calling and abuse”, he had said.

Mr Fraser told Sky News he has since changed his opinion and is “quite relaxed” about same-sex adoption.

However, he said he is still opposed to same-sex marriage because of his religious beliefs.

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Kate Forbes on why she attends Free Church

Asked about criticism from some other MSPs that he is “stuck in the past”, he said: “Most people are understanding that politicians are entitled to have personal religious views and that should not be a barrier to them standing for office.”

Mr Fraser was speaking after his campaign launch to replace Douglas Ross as the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, with Russell Findlay and Meghan Gallacher also in contention for the top job.

According to the Daily Record, which first reported on the story, he was joined on stage by MSP colleague Jamie Greene, who is openly gay.

‘Stuck in the past’

Mr Fraser told the newspaper they disagreed on some issues but could work as part of the same team.

But Green MSP Maggie Chapman said Mr Fraser’s voting record is “truly woeful, even by the standards of the Scottish Tories”.

“He has opposed almost every progressive change our parliament has passed while trying to block almost every step towards equality,” she said.

“The fact that he’s doubled down on this only shows that Scotland may have changed but Murdo Fraser is still stuck in the past.”

This issue has previously been contentious in Scottish politics.

Read more from Sky News:
Gender recognition reforms ‘cannot be implemented’
Three in race to replace Douglas Ross

Pics: PA
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MSPs Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher. Pics: PA


Last year, Kate Forbes’s leadership campaign to replace Nicola Sturgeon de-railed when the then-Scottish finance secretary admitted she would have voted against gay marriage had she been a politician when it was legalised.

She subsequently told Sky News that her faith, as a member of the Free Church of Scotland, means having children outside of marriage is “wrong” and something she personally would “seek to avoid”.

She also opposed her party’s now-dead gender legislation and failed to fully commit to banning all forms of conversion therapy.

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Although she insisted she was progressive and people could “do what they want in a free society”, the scrutiny of her beliefs led to many of her colleagues dropping support for her and she ultimately came in second behind Humza Yousaf.

When Mr Yousaf resigned a year later she did not enter the race to succeed him, but was made deputy first minister by his replacement John Swinney.

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level – as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

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Mental health cases at A&E reach crisis level - as waits get longer and specialised beds dwindle

“We’ve got two,” explains Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital, as she walks inside a pastel coloured room. 

“If I had my time back again, we would probably have four, five, or six because these have helped us so much in the department with the really difficult patients.”

On one wall, there’s floral wallpaper. It is scored through with a graffiti scrawl. The words must have been scratched out with fingernails.

There are no other implements in here.

Patients being held in this secure room would have been searched to make sure they are not carrying anything they can use to harm themselves – or others.

A nurse in a special mental health A&E room
Image:
Emer Szczygiel wishes the hospital had more of the ‘ligature light’ mental health rooms

Scratched words on floral wallpaper

There is a plastic bed secured to the wall. No bedding though, as this room is “ligature light”, meaning nothing in here could be used for self harm.

On the ceiling, there is CCTV that feeds into a control room on another part of the Ilford hospital’s sprawling grounds.

“So this is one of two rooms that when we were undergoing our works, we recognised, about three years ago, mental health was causing us more of an issue, so we’ve had two rooms purpose built,” Emer says.

“They’re as compliant as we can get them with a mental health room – they’re ligature light, as opposed to ligature free. They’re under 24-hour CCTV surveillance.”

CCTV security screens
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The rooms have a CCTV camera in the ceiling that feeds through to the main control room

There are two doors, both heavily reinforced. One can be used by staff to make an emergency escape if they are under any threat.

What is unusual about these rooms is that they are built right inside a busy accident and emergency department.

The doors are just feet away from a nurse’s station, where medical staff are trying to deal with acute ED (emergency department) attendances.

The number of mental health patients in a crisis attending A&E has reached crisis levels.

Some will be experiencing psychotic episodes and are potentially violent, presenting a threat to themselves, other patients, clinical staff and security teams deployed to de-escalate the situation.

A mental health nurse on a hospital ward
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The team were already dealing with five mental health cases when Sky News visited

Like physically-ill patients, they require the most urgent care but are now facing some of the longest waits on record.

On a fairly quiet Wednesday morning, the ED team is already managing five mental health patients.

One, a diminutive South Asian woman, is screaming hysterically.

She is clearly very agitated and becoming more distressed by the minute. Despite her size, she is surrounded by at least five security guards.

She has been here for 12 hours and wants to leave, but can’t as she’s being held under the Mental Capacity Act.

Her frustration boils over as she pushes against the chests of the security guards who encircle her.

“We see about 150 to 200 patients a day through this emergency department, but we’re getting on average about 15 to 20 mental health presentations to the department,” Emer explains.

“Some of these patients can be really difficult to manage and really complex.”

Emer Szczygiel, emergency department head of nursing at King George Hospital
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Emer Szczygiel says the department gets about 15 to 20 mental health presentations a day

“If a patient’s in crisis and wants to harm themselves, there’s lots of things in this area that you can harm yourself with,” the nurse adds.

“It’s trying to balance that risk and make sure every emergency department in the country is deemed a place of safety. But there is a lot of risk that comes with emergency departments, because they’re not purposeful for mental health patients.”

In a small side room, Ajay Kumar and his wife are waiting patiently by their son’s bedside.

He’s experienced psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018 and his father says he can become unpredictable and violent.

A man and woman sit by a hospital bed
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Ajay and his wife were watching over their son, who’s been having psychotic episodes

Ajay says his son “is under a section three order – that means six months in hospital”.

“They sectioned him,” he tells us.

“He should be secure now, he shouldn’t go out in public. Last night he ran away [from hospital] and walked all the way home. It took him four and a half hours to come home.

“I mean, he got three and a half hours away. Even though he’s totally mental, he still finds his way home and he was so tired and the police were looking for him.”

Ajay Kumar, whose son has been experiencing psychotic episodes since starting university in 2018, speaks to Sky News
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Mr Kumar said his son ran away from hospital and walked for hours to get home

Now they are all back in hospital and could be waiting “for days”, Ajay says.

“I don’t know how many. They’re not telling us anything.”

Matthew Trainer, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, is at pains to stress nobody is blaming the patients.

“We’ve seen, particularly over the last few years, a real increase in the number of people in mental health crisis coming into A&E for support,” he says.

“And I don’t know if this is because of the pandemic or wider economic pressures, but what we’re seeing every day is more and more people coming here as their first port of call.”

Matthew Trainer, Chief Executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
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‘More and more’ people in mental health crisis are showing up at A&E, says Mr Trainer

The hospital boss adds: “If you get someone who’s really distressed, someone who is perhaps experiencing psychosis etc, I’m seeing increasing numbers of complaints from other patients and their families about the environment they’ve had to wait in.

“And they’re not blaming the mental health patients for being here.

“But what they’re saying is being in a really busy accident & emergency with ambulances, with somebody highly distressed, and you’re sat there with an elderly relative or a sick child or whatever – it’s hard for everyone.

“There’s no blame in this. It’s something we’ve got to work together to try to fix.”

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing shows that over the last five years, more than 1.3 million people in a mental health crisis presented to A&E departments.

New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing ONE

That’s expected to be a significant underestimate however, as only around a quarter of English trusts handed over data.

For these patients, waits of 12 hours or more for a mental health bed have increased by more than 380%.

Over the last decade, the number of overnight beds in mental health units declined by almost 3,700. That’s around 17%.

The Department for Health and Social Care told Sky News: “We know people with mental health issues are not always getting the support or care they deserve and incidents like this are unacceptable.

“We are transforming mental health services – including investing £26m to support people in mental health crisis, hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, also told Sky News: “While we know there is much more to do to deal with record demand including on waits, if a patient is deemed to need support in A&E, almost all emergency departments now have a psychiatric liaison team available 24/7 so people can get specialist mental health support alongside physical treatment.

“The NHS is working with local authorities to ensure that mental health patients are given support to leave hospital as soon as they are ready, so that space can be freed up across hospitals including A&Es.”

Patients in a mental health crisis and attending hospital are stuck between two failing systems.

A shortage of specialist beds means they are left untreated in a hospital not designed to help them.

And they are failed by a social care network overwhelmed by demand and unable to provide the early intervention care needed.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

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Greg Monks: Body found in search for missing Scottish man in Portugal

A body has been found in the search for a missing Scottish man who disappeared while on a stag do in Portugal.

Greg Monks, 38, was last seen in Albufeira during the early hours of Wednesday, 28 May, while enjoying the first night of a five-day stay.

A major search was launched for the Cambuslang man, with his parents and girlfriend flying out to Portugal to also provide assistance.

Greg Monks with his girlfriend
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Mr Monks and his partner. Pic: Family handout

His sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, previously spoke to Sky News about the family’s devastation at his disappearance.

Speaking to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee before the police’s announcement, they described their brother as a “big part of our family”.

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Mr Monks’ sisters spoke to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee

Local police confirmed on Wednesday that a body had been found in the Cerro de Aguia area, where Mr Monks was believed to have been last seen.

A statement by Portuguese police said the body was located on a vacant and uneven lot.

The force added: “After the competent judicial inspection has been carried out, the body will be removed to the area’s legal medicine office for an autopsy to be performed.”

Read more from Sky News:
Man jailed for murdering wife after remains found under stairs
Two men charged with murder after boy, 4, died in crash

Greg Monks on holiday with a burger and fries in front on him
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Pic: Family handout

Mr Monks was earlier described by his sisters as a “real family man”.

When his family arrived in Albufeira, police told them they had spotted Mr Monks twice on CCTV footage walking around the residential area.

The area where he was last seen – more than an hour’s walk from the Albufeira Strip – had a lot of rough terrain, including rocky outcrops and cliffs.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting Mr Monks’ family and was “in contact with the local authorities”.

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

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Truck driver Richard Satchwell jailed for murdering wife Tina after her remains were found under stairs

A truck driver found guilty of murdering his wife, whose remains were found under the stairs at their home in Ireland, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Richard Satchwell, originally from Leicester, had denied the murder of Tina Satchwell on a date between 19 March and 20 March 2017.

Her skeletal remains were discovered at the Co Cork property in October 2023, six years after her husband reported her missing.

During his five-week trial, jurors heard from more than 50 witnesses, including police officers involved in the investigation.

Police had discovered Mrs Satchwell’s remains buried under the stairs in the living room of their home. Her badly decomposed body was wrapped in a soiled sheet and covered with black plastic.

She was wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown, with the belt of the gown wrapped around her.

A state pathologist said she could not establish the exact cause of death because of how decomposed the body was.

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During police interviews, Satchwell, 58, said that on the morning of 20 March 2017 he found his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs with a chisel in her hand, scraping off the plasterboard, and claimed she came at him with the object and he fell back on to the floor.

He said Mrs Satchwell tried to stab him multiple times with the chisel and he grabbed her clothing and restrained her by putting the belt of the dressing gown against her neck.

Satchwell said that in a very short period of time she went limp and fell into his arms.

He said he put her body on the sofa in the living room, before moving her to the chest freezer and then burying her under the stairs.

Relatives of Mrs Satchwell wept as the guilty verdict was returned on Friday 30 May.

Satchwell did not react as the unanimous verdict was read to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Following the sentencing, the family of Mrs Satchwell described her as a kind and gentle woman who loved animals.

Tina’s cousin, Sarah Howard, said that Mrs Satchwell was murdered “by someone who claimed to love her”.

“The emotional toll of her loss is something I will carry with me always,” she said.

Tina Satchwell..
Pic; Family Handout/PA
Image:
Tina Satchwell. Pic: Family Handout/PA

Her half-sister Lorraine Howard said the way Mrs Satchwell was buried in plastic in her own home “sends shivers down my spine every time I think about it”.

“I will never be able to forgive Richard Satchwell for what he has done.”

Satchwell’s barrister Brendan Grehan SC told the court that Satchwell intends to appeal, and that he “never intended to kill Tina”.

Mr Grehan also said that Satchwell said “despite anything he said in the trial, Tina was a lovely person”.

Read more from Sky News:
British man goes missing on stag do
Two men charged with murder after boy dies in crash

The court was told the couple married in the UK on Tina’s 20th birthday, and later settled in Co Cork, first in Fermoy before moving to Youghal in 2016.

The trial heard that on 24 March 2017, Satchwell went to Irish police and claimed his wife had left their Youghal home four days ago because their relationship had deteriorated.

Satchwell had also claimed Mrs Satchwell had taken €26,000 euros in cash from savings they kept in the attic, which the court later heard they did not have the capacity to save.

He formally reported his wife missing in May 2017 and claimed to investigators that his wife was sometimes violent towards him.

In the following years, he made over a dozen media appearances in which he spoke extensively about the morning he claimed Mrs Satchwell left the house and never returned.

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