Man ‘decapitated and dismembered’ couple before moving remains in a suitcase, court hears

Published

3 months ago

April 30, 2025

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A man “decapitated and dismembered” a couple in London before freezing their severed heads and carrying the rest of their remains to Bristol in a suitcase, a court has heard.

Yostin Andres Mosquera is on trial accused of the murders of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, in July last year, in the flat the couple shared in Shepherd’s Bush, west London.

Mr Alfonso was stabbed to death while being filmed and footage shows Mosquera – described by the prosecution as a “pornographic performer” – singing and dancing in the aftermath of the attack, the Old Bailey heard.

Mosquera admitted the manslaughter of Mr Alfonso at a hearing on Tuesday but denies, and is being tried on, both murder charges.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer told jurors Mosquera “could hardly deny” killing Mr Alfonso and said the attack took place while the defendant and victim were having sex.

But Mosquera blames Mr Alfonso for the death of Mr Longworth, the court heard.

Mr Alfonso liked “extreme sex” and engaged in acts with other men, which Mr Longworth knew about and accepted but had “nothing to do with”, jurors were told.

The defendant is said to have visited the UK more than once, spending time with the couple and engaging in sex acts with Mr Alfonso in exchange for payment. The couple also visited him in his home country, Colombia.

When Mosquera visited the UK in June last year, he “had other matters on his mind,” the prosecutor said.

Analysis of his computer allegedly showed that shortly before his trip to the UK, the defendant searched for the value of the couple’s west London home, browsed for a chest freezer and copied spreadsheets with Mr Alfonso’s online banking passwords.

He is alleged to have killed Mr Longworth – who was “attacked with a hammer to the back of the head,” the prosecution said – and later Mr Alfonso, in their home on 8 July 2024.

“Albert Alfonso had been repeatedly stabbed, suffering multiple wounds to his torso, his body, and his face and to his neck,” Ms Heer said.

Jury shown footage of victim’s death

Footage of Mr Alfonso’s killing was shown to the jury, who were warned it is “not an easy watch”.

Prosecutor Ms Heer said Mosquera appears “unconcerned” after the “violent assault”.

“As Mr Alfonso lies on the floor dying, the defendant starts singing and breaks into a dance and then makes his way directly to the desktop computer in Mr Alfonso’s room and starts using it… to look at information about Mr Alfonso’s finances,” she said.

The court heard examination of the computer showed Mosquera accessed a spreadsheet containing the couple’s online banking passwords and attempted to access Mr Alfonso’s accounts to move money – including trying to send £4,000 to his own account.

He made numerous cash withdrawals, obtaining at least £900 before the transactions started being declined, the court heard.

Cyclist’s encounter with defendant

At around 11.30pm two days later, a cyclist on the Clifton Suspension Bridge saw Mosquera standing next to a large suitcase and stopped to see if he was OK, the jury heard.

The witness also saw a large silver trunk a few metres away from the defendant, who said the luggage contained car parts.

The prosecutor said: “In fact, the suitcases contained the decapitated and dismembered bodies of Paul Longworth and Albert Alfonso, which the defendant had transported to Bristol from their home in London where they had been killed two days before.”

Police found the couple’s decapitated heads at their flat in a chest freezer, the court heard.

Mr Alfonso, a swimming instructor, and Mr Longworth, a retired handyman, were described by neighbours as a “friendly couple who seemed happy together and who were genuinely fond of one another”.

They entered a civil partnership in February 2023.

The trial continues.

UK

Sentebale war of words continues as charity calls for clarity on commission’s probe into Prince Harry claims

Published

1 hour ago

August 7, 2025

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Sentebale war of words continues as charity calls for clarity on commission's probe into Prince Harry claims

The war of words over Sentebale is continuing, with the charity calling on the Charity Commission to provide clarity that its recent report did not specifically investigate claims of racism and misogyny against Prince Harry.

Sources close to the Duke of Sussex claim they are “rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more”, describing their latest move as not “just provocative, it’s pitiful”.

A source at Sentebale has told Sky News: “We have written to The Charity Commission stating that the onus is on the commission to restate for the record that individual allegations of bullying have not been investigated or addressed in the commission’s report.”

It comes after the Charity Commission report stated that “based on the evidence provided and reviewed by the commission, it found no evidence of: widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity”.

However, the commission added that it “acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally”.

But sources at Sentebale believe the reporting around this statement – that Prince Harry has been cleared of bullying – has been inaccurate, as the charity watchdog did not specifically look at allegations made by the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, including during an exclusive interview on Sky News.

A source close to Prince Harry and the former board of trustees has hit back, and said: “It’s remarkable, just yesterday Ms Chanduaka was applauding the Charity Commission’s findings, yet today, after a flurry of unflattering headlines, she’s back on the warpath.

“Issuing yet another media statement only reinforces the commission’s criticism about using the press to air internal disputes.

“Rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more, which the commission found no evidence of and dressing them up as veiled threats isn’t just provocative, it’s pitiful.

“If Ms Chanduaka has genuine concerns, she should spell them out plainly or, better yet, redirect her energy toward something truly worthwhile, like raising money for the children Sentebale exists to support.”

It’s understood Prince Harry and his supporters have also been left unsatisfied by the scope of the report, including their concerns about money spent on consultants that was authorised by Dr Chandauka.

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Responding to Sky News, the Charity Commission said: “We have issued the charity with an action plan which sets out steps the current trustees need to take to improve governance weaknesses and rectify findings of mismanagement.

“We now urge all involved to put their differences behind them and allow the charity to focus on its work and beneficiaries”.

Their report, released on Wednesday, was highly critical of all parties for allowing their disagreement to play out so publicly and allowing it to severely impact the charity’s reputation.

UK

Bromley burglary: £500,000 worth of gold stolen from home

Published

1 hour ago

August 7, 2025

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Bromley burglary: £500,000 worth of gold stolen from home

Police have launched an appeal after £500,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from a house in southeast London.

The incident took place at a home in Bickley Road, Bromley, on 30 December last year.

Footage showed three men entering the property through a forced bathroom window.

The group, who entered the home at 5.40pm and left at 6.25pm, carried out the theft while the owners were home.

The Metropolitan Police have now shared images of the stolen jewellery in a new appeal for information.

No arrests have been made in connection with the burglary so far.

Detective Constable Jamie White, of the Met’s South Area Command Unit, said: “While the monetary value of this theft is enormous, the sentimental value is priceless – with many of the pieces being passed down through generations of the family.

“Helpfully, a number of the pieces stolen are unique, so we are hoping that releasing these photographs will jog someone’s memory.”

UK

Three charged with showing support for Palestine Action

Published

1 hour ago

August 7, 2025

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Three charged with showing support for Palestine Action

Three people have been charged with showing support for Palestine Action after the group was banned as a terror organisation.

Two women and a man were arrested in Westminster following a protest in central London on 5 July, the Metropolitan Police said.

Jeremy Shippam, 71, of West Sussex, Judit Murray, also 71, of Surrey, and Fiona Maclean, 53, of Hackney in London, were charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation, under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The trio are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 September.

The charges come ahead of a planned protest in support of the group on Saturday afternoon in Parliament Square in London, which organisers expect more than 500 people will attend.

Defend Our Juries, which is organising the demonstration, said protests will continue until a High Court challenge over Palestine Action’s ban in November.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “Anyone who displays public support for Palestine Action, a proscribed organisation, is committing an offence under the Terrorism Act and can expect to be arrested and, as these charges show, will be investigated to the full extent of the law.

“These charges relate to three people arrested in central London on 5 July.

“We are also planning to send case files to the Crown Prosecution Service for the other 26 people arrested on the same day.

“I would strongly advise anyone planning to come to London this weekend to show support for Palestine Action to think about the potential criminal consequences of their actions.”

The latest charges bring the total number of people charged with offences under the Terrorism Act related to Palestine Action to 10 across England, Wales and Scotland, Counter Terrorism Policing said.

Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Prevent and Pursue at Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “Our role is to enforce the law where we suspect offences to have been committed and we will continue to do so, without fear or favour.

“At this time, it remains illegal to be a member of or encourage support for the group Palestine Action. This legislation is specific to that group and does not interfere with the right to protest in support of the Palestinian cause.

“Operational plans are in place to ensure this right can be preserved over the coming days with protests expected in several major cities, including London.

“As well as robust plans to respond to activity in support of this proscribed group, resources are also in place to investigate offences that may be identified or reported following such events.”

More than 220 people have been arrested at protests across the UK in response to the proscription last month, as part of the campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries, including on suspicion of membership of, inviting support for and showing support for Palestine Action.

The ban on the group came after two Voyager aircraft suffered around £7m worth of damage at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June.

Three days later, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action, calling the vandalism “disgraceful” and saying the group had a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage”.