Connect with us

Published

on

Two people have been arrested in connection with the investigation into a funeral director in northern England.

A man, 46, and a woman, 23, have been arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position, Humberside Police have said.

They said 34 bodies have been “respectfully transported” from one of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors’ three branches to a mortuary in Hull for formal identification procedures to take place after concerns were raised about “storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased”.

The two people arrested remain in police custody.

Cordons are still in place at all three of Legacy’s branches – two in Hull and one in Beverley. The bodies, which are undergoing identification, were removed from their Hessle Road premises.

Police raided the three locations after concerns were reported on Wednesday.

Legacy Independent Funeral Directors' Hessle Road branch. File photo: Google Street View
Image:
Legacy Independent Funeral Directors’ Hessle Road branch. File photo: Google Street View

On Friday, they opened a dedicated phone line for concerned members of the public – which has since received more than 350 calls.

More on Hull

Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said: “Each call we receive is being carefully handled and delicately assessed by a specialist team to ensure we have a thorough understanding of each family’s circumstances.

“We will get back to each and every one of you as soon as we can.”

Staff and officers are working “around the clock to deal with the unprecedented inquiries,” he added. “Families affected continue to be supported by family liaison officers at what we appreciate is an extremely distressing time for all involved.”

More from Sky News:
First official photo of Kate since surgery
Eggs thrown as Holocaust museum opens

Acknowledging the timing of the arrests, Mr McLoughlin said: “On behalf of all of our police officers and staff, particularly today, on Mother’s Day, our thoughts remain with all families that have been affected because of this incident.”

Updates will be released as soon as possible, he added, “but cannot jeopardise the ongoing investigation in any way”.

“May I take this opportunity to remind the public to show the utmost respect and privacy for any bereaved families and their loved ones within our community,” he said.

Legacy Independent Funeral Directors is a family-run business established in 2010, according to its website. It has yet to comment publicly.

Continue Reading

UK

Alexander Zurawski: Mum sentenced for killing six-year-old son after hearing ‘demonic voices’

Published

on

By

Alexander Zurawski: Mum sentenced for killing six-year-old son after hearing 'demonic voices'

A mum has been sentenced for killing her six-year-old son after hearing “demonic voices”.

Karolina Zurawska, 42, previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility of Alexander Zurawski.

Alexander was found dead at a property in the Gendros area of Swansea on 29 August last year.

His mother was found next to him with a handsaw at her side.

At Swansea Crown Court on Friday, the judge also sentenced Zurawska for the attempted murder of her 67-year-old father, Krzysztof Siwi, earlier the same day.

She was handed an indefinite hospital order.

The court heard Zurawska had previously been the “best mother” to her son, who was recovering from a brain tumour which left him partially sighted and requiring a cane to walk.

More on Wales

In a tribute released after his death, Alexander’s family said he was a “very kind child” who was “very clever and very mature for his age”.

“Alexander was always well behaved and never naughty,” the statement added.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

UK

Cardinal Vincent Nichols: British cardinal who will be in the conclave says picking the next pope is ‘intimidating’

Published

on

By

Cardinal Vincent Nichols: British cardinal who will be in the conclave says picking the next pope is 'intimidating'

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has told Sky News it’s “intimidating” to be one of those responsible for choosing the next pope.

Vincent Nichols is among four UK cardinals in Rome for the Pope’s funeral on Saturday.

Following the funeral, and after nine days of mourning, cardinals from around the world will gather in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to cast their votes, with white smoke announcing to the world when a new pope has been elected.

Cardinal Nichols told Sky’s Anna Botting: “I hope nobody goes into this conclave, as it were, with the sole purpose of wanting to win. I think it’s very important that we go in wanting to listen to each other… It has to be together, trying to sense what God wants next. Not just for the church.”

Becoming emotional, he also said the final message he would like to have given Pope Francis is “thank you”.

The 88-year-old died peacefully on Easter Monday, the Vatican confirmed.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Pope’s cause of death confirmed .

Heads of state – including Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron – have all confirmed their attendance at his funeral, which takes place on Saturday at St Peter’s Square.

More on Liverpool

Prince William will attend on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace has said.

Cardinal Nichols explained that the funeral would be “exactly the same Catholic rite as everyone else – just on a grander scale”.

In a break from tradition, Pope Francis will be the first pope in a century to be interred outside the Vatican – and will instead be laid to rest at his favourite church, Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome’s Esquilino neighbourhood.

He will also be buried in just one simple wooden coffin, instead of the traditional three coffins which are usually used for pontiffs.

Born in Crosby near Liverpool, Cardinal Vincent Nichols hoped to be a lorry driver as a child – but as a teenager reportedly felt the calling to join the priesthood while watching Liverpool FC.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Where will Pope Francis be buried?

As cardinal, he is known for leading the church’s work tackling human trafficking and modern slavery, for which he received the UN Path to Peace Award.

He was criticised by the UK’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which said he “demonstrated a lack of understanding” of the impact of abuse and “seemingly put the reputation of the church first”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

3D map shows pope’s funeral route

Cardinal Nichols, responding to the findings, previously told Sky News he was “ashamed at what has happened in the context of the Catholic Church” and promised to improve the church’s response.

He has appeared to rule himself out of the running for pope, telling reporters he was “too old, not capable”.

Continue Reading

UK

Man shot dead by police had called 999 himself, preliminary report indicates

Published

on

By

Man shot dead by police had called 999 himself, preliminary report indicates

A man who was shot dead by police had called 999 himself, an initial investigation into the death has suggested.

David Joyce was killed by “a single gunshot wound to the abdomen” after officers shot him at close range outside Milton Keynes railway station on 1 April, according to preliminary findings.

The 38-year-old, who lived in the town, was given first aid by officers but died at the scene.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the circumstances leading up to the death and revealed its initial findings.

It said it had established that Mr Joyce was armed with a 12cm steak knife when he “ran at two officers” before being shot by an officer from a Thames Valley Police armed response unit.

The IOPC said police had been alerted to the incident following a 999 call “from a man reporting that ‘there is a man with a gun down at the train station in Milton Keynes'”.

“The call handler rang back after the caller hung up during the call and spoke to the man again who said the man with the gun was acting suspiciously, looked like he was about to do something bad and ‘definitely’ had a gun,” it said in a statement.

More from UK

“Records show that the mobile phone number used to make the 999 call had been used to call police before and was linked to Mr Joyce.

“CCTV footage shows Mr Joyce making a phone call at a time which matches with when the 999 call to police was made.”

Police at the scene of the incident. Pic: PA
Image:
Police at the scene of the incident. Pic: PA

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned at Milton Keynes Coroners’ Court earlier in April and a full hearing will follow after the IOPC investigation concludes.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “We again extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of David Joyce and all those affected by this incident. We continue to keep his family informed of our progress.

“Our investigators are working hard to piece together the circumstances leading up to Mr Joyce being shot by a police officer and have already carried out a significant amount of enquiries.”

He said the enquiries included accounts from the police officers involved, CCTV from inside and outside the station, footage from officers’ bodyworn cameras and police vehicle dashcam footage, and statements from members of the public who witnessed the shooting.

The IOPC added that, as is standard in investigations following a fatal police shooting, it would “look at the decisions and actions of officers prior to and during their interaction with Mr Joyce – including the medical care they provided at the scene; if the lethal force was necessary, justified and proportionate; and whether the officers followed policy”.

Continue Reading

Trending