Twitter Trolls Jailed For Sending Abusive Tweets

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Two people who sent abusive and menacing tweets to banknote campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez and Labour MP Stella Creasy have been jailed.

Isabella Sorley, 23, and John Nimmo, 25, posted dozens of abusive tweets against both women before they were arrested.

Senior district judge Howard Riddle jailed Sorley for 12 weeks and Nimmo for eight weeks as well as ordering them to pay £400 compensation to each victim.

Earlier this month the pair pleaded guilty to sending the menacing tweets, admitting they were among the users of 86 separate Twitter accounts from which Ms Criado-Perez had received abusive messages.

Passing sentence at Westminster Magistrates Court, Judge Riddle said that both victims had suffered substantially as a result of the abuse.

He said Ms Criado-Perez had faced "panic, fear and horror" adding that she feared the "abusers would find her and carry out the threats. She felt hunted."

She responded to the sentencing on Twitter, saying: "I feel immensely relieved that the judge clearly has understood the severity of the impact this abuse has had on me." She said the compensation would be given to charity.

Of Ms Creasy the judge said: "She became concerned for her safety to the extent that she had to alter her behaviour. She had a panic button installed in her home."

As he passed sentence Sorley shook her head and looked to the floor while Nimmo stared straight ahead, showing no emotion.

Sean Caulfield, defending Sorley, told the court his client was "articulate and intelligent" and there was "disconnect" between her and the person that sent the messages.

He said they were sent in a half-hour window between 2.25am and 2.55am last July 30 when she was under the influence of alcohol and she was "horrified and appalled" at what she had done.

Nimmo and Sorley arrive separately at Westminster Magistrates Court

The court also heard how she had 25 previous convictions, mostly for being drunk and disorderly but she had also been convicted twice of assaulting police.

At the time of the Twitter abuse last summer Ms Criado-Perez was leading an ultimately successful campaign to have women featured on British banknotes.

Police launched an investigation after both she and Walthamstow MP Ms Creasy complained about the vile tweets.

Sorley used Twitter to tell Ms Criado-Perez to "f*** off and die you worthless piece of crap", "go kill yourself" and "rape is the last of your worries".

She also deluged Ms Criado-Perez with menacing messages claiming that she had just been released from prison, writing: "I will find you and you don't want to know what I will do when I do, you're pathetic, kill yourself before I do."

Sorley, from Newcastle upon Tyne, has a 2:1 degree in creative advertising from Leeds College of Art and was working in an Asda supermarket in Newcastle at the time. She has since lost her job.

Unemployed Nimmo told Ms Criado-Perez to "shut up bitch" and "Ya not that gd looking to rape u be fine" followed by "I will find you (smiley face)".

In an attack on Ms Creasy, Nimmo, from South Shields, said:"The things I cud do to u (smiley face)", calling her "Dumb blond bitch."

Ms Creasy responded to Nimmo's message of "Dumb blonde bitch" with the message "That's dumb Dr blonde bitch to you".

"Love it at least u can have a laugh," Nimmo responded, to which Ms Creasy said: "I'm not having a laugh, I'm cataloguing your vile conduct #takebacktwitter".

In court his solicitor Paul Kennedy described him as a "recluse and sad individual" adding that he had no previous convictions and was sorry for what he did.

Sorley's brother, who was in court with two holdalls carrying her belongings in the hope his sister would not be jailed, left without making any comment.

Before the early hearing, Sorley posted a picture of herself on her Twitter page posing outside Buckingham Palace with the message "just chilling at the queens".

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Ukraine: Barricades Burn As Concessions Fail

Sporadic clashes between police and protesters have spread across Ukraine despite President Viktor Yanukovych announcing concessions to demonstrators to try to restore calm to the country.

Mr Yanukovych offered to reshuffle his government and to grant an amnesty to dozens of activists arrested during weeks of rioting that has left four protesters dead and dozens of police injured.

But within hours of his offer, the sky in Kiev was filled with black smoke as protesters set fire to barricades built with bags of ice, car tyres and furniture as opposition leader and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said only Mr Yanukovych's resignation would mollify the protests.

President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko

Protesters wearing ski masks and armed with sticks hurled firebombs, rocks and fireworks at riot police while officers retaliated with tear gas and baton charges in a repeat of violent scenes earlier in the week that subsided after Mr Yanukovych began talks aimed at a truce.

"We will force the authorities to respect us," 27-year-old protester Artur Kapelan said. "Not they, but we will dictate the conditions of a truce."

The rallies in Kiev began in November last year after Mr Yanukovych scrapped a treaty with the European Union in favour of a bailout loan from Russia, following lobbying by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Political activists began by calling for stronger unification with Europe rather than a new alliance with Russia but the protests have since evolved to call for Mr Yanukovych's resignation and the scrapping of harsh anti-protest legislation.

The fighting stopped earlier in the week after opposition and religious leaders began talking with Mr Yanukovych to find a political solution to the unrest.

The protest map tweeted by Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt

The president had offered to meet some of their demands as thousands of protesters laid siege to government buildings in several cities in the country.

But Mr Klitschko declared the protests would continue until Mr Yanukovuch offers to resign.

Reporting from Kiev, Sky's Katie Stallard said the protesters intend to hold their ground.

"The protesters insist the police fired first, they say that means this truce is off and they're returning fire with whatever they can find.

"They're sending fireworks up to the police lines and throwing Molotov cocktails towards them. The police lines are 40 metres in front of them, (the protesters) are up on top of burnt-out buses and waving the national flag.

"All the time tyres are being taken through to put on these flames. They're trying to build up as much smoke as they can to obscure their view.

"Behind them there are hundreds more here cheering them on behind the barricades, beating on whatever they can find. They're shouting 'glory to Ukraine' and they're determined to hold their ground."

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt suggested Mr Yanukovych was losing control over his country. He posted a map of Ukraine on Twitter showing which regions had succumbed to protests.

"If Kiev regime tries a military solution to this situation, it will be very bloody and it will fail," he tweeted.

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Philpott Fire Killings 'Could Not Be Predicted'

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The six Philpott children killed in a house fire started by their parents were victims of "a criminal act no one could have predicted", according to a Serious Case Review.

The Derby Safeguarding Children Board concluded that their deaths could not have been prevented.

Mick and Mairead Philpott, and their friend Paul Mosley, were jailed last year after being convicted of manslaughter.

Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne died after their home was set alight in May 2012.

A statement from the board said that while their "tragic" deaths could not have been foreseen.

"Given the notoriety of the father, the incidents of domestic abuse and visibility of the children, there were some opportunities to get to know the family better although this would not have led to professionals becoming aware that there were plans to deliberately set fire to the house when the children were sleeping."

Mick and Mairead Philpott were jailed last year

Mick Philpott lived for some time with his wife and former mistress, along with their 11 children.

The review found that the living arrangements at Victory Road were "unorthodox" but stated: "Although professionals recognised the arrangements as unusual they did not appear to affect the children and there was no evidence of difficulties between the adults."

The report considered a number of issues relating to the children including adult relationships, overcrowding at the house, Mick Philpott's previous convictions, domestic abuse, and media coverage.

"There were not concerns about the care of the children," report author Glenys Johnston told Sky News.

"In fact the children presented as happy, healthy, who formed good relationships with others around them.

"They were not malnourished, there were no concerns about the welfare of the children."

The Derby house has been demolished

In 2005 and 2006, Sure Start staff "commented positively on the family atmosphere and the father's engagement with his children".

In 2011, after one child told school staff she had been slapped at home, investigations found the "family continued to appear well adjusted and happy".

The report highlighted areas for improvement however, including the sharing of information of past convictions going back decades.

Several agencies did not know of Mick Philpott's violent past, a conviction for attempted murder on an ex-girlfriend in 1978.

Workload pressures also meant more thorough checks on the children's files did not happen.

There were also opportunities to get to know the family better due to Mick Philpott's notoriety and various incidents of domestic abuse.

Paul Mosley also received a 17-year sentence for the deaths

The report stated: "Information that has emerged after the deaths of the children have described some tensions between the father and the women who lived in the house due to his controlling manner, but this was not apparent at the time.

"The relationship between the two mothers was always viewed as supportive and caring with neither of them having any difficulty with the partnership arrangements or any jealousy."

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue advice forms part of the review's 10 recommendations, for example continuing to encourage the installation of sprinklers into new houses.

As a result of the Philpott children's deaths research was carried out by the service into why they did not hear the smoke alarms.

Area manager Gavin Tomlinson, said: "Obviously children are developing their hearing at a younger age and they may not be woken by the smoke alarm.

"That said, the smoke alarm is there to alert all occupants and obviously there will be responsible people in the house - adults with children."

Mick Philpott was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years after being described as a "disturbingly dangerous" man.

His wife, who is likely to be released after serving half of her 17-year term, took part as part of a plan to frame his former mistress who had left the family.

Their friend Paul Mosley was also jailed for 17 years.

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Justin Bieber Leaves Jail After DUI Charge

Justin Bieber has left jail after being bailed on charges including driving under the influence of drink or drugs and resisting arrest.

The teenage pop star was earlier stopped by Miami police after apparently drag racing where he was clocked in a rented yellow Lamborghini doing around 60mph in a 30mph zone.

Bieber admitted he had been drinking, smoking marijuana and taking prescription medication, police say.

Justin Bieber pictured after he was arrested. Pic: Miami Beach Police

He was arrested and taken to jail from where he made his first court appearance via videolink.

He was also charged with driving with an expired licence and bail was set by a judge at $2,500 (£1,500).

After he was released from jail, Bieber, wearing a hooded black top, sat on top of a waiting SUV for a few seconds and waved to his fans.

Bieber's booking form after his arrest

Bieber failed a sobriety test during his arrest, authorities claimed, and he swore at officers when he was stopped, according to a copy of the arrest report.

An officer claimed the Canadian singer had "bloodshot eyes" and added he could smell alcohol on his breath.

The singer waves to fans after he was released from jail

Police said two SUVs had blocked the road in a residential area of Miami Beach so the 19-year-old star could race a friend, identified as R&B singer Khalil Sharieff, who was driving a rented Ferrari.

Miami Dade state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle told Sky News: "We take cases like this very seriously. It could have been the recipe for a tragedy."

Bieber told police he was returning from a studio recording session and repeatedly asked why he had been stopped and arrested.

The van transporting Bieber to jail

"Why did you stop me?" he asked, according to the report. "Why do you have to search me?"

Speaking at a press conference, Miami Beach Chief of Police Raymond Martinez said the singer had resisted arrest although he had done so "without violence".

Mr Martinez said the 19-year-old Canadian had been "belligerent" and had used some "choice words" when he was arrested.

He said Bieber had been very cooperative once he got to the station.

Bieber posted this graffiti photo on Instagram just hours before his arrest

The star, who reportedly earned $58m (£35m) last year, arrived at Miami-Dade County Jail where he had his mugshots and fingerprints taken.

The van transporting the singer, with blacked-out windows, was trailed by squad cars.

Miami-Dade Police spokesman Sergeant Bobby Hernandez told WSVN in South Florida that officers saw two cars racing at 4.09am.

Mr Hernandez said two vehicles apparently had been used to block off an area on Pine Tree Drive and 26th Street for the race.

Khalil Sharieff was also charged with driving under the influence

He said the second car was a red Ferrari, and that the driver, Khalil, was also arrested. Khalil was later charged with driving under the influence, and his bail was set at $1,000 (£600). Both cars were towed away.

Bieber was pictured in the car with a woman, named in some reports as model Chantel Jeffries, in the driving seat before his arrest.

The teenager has been in Florida for the past few days and has been spotted in nightclubs and at a skate park.

He posted photos on Instagram of him performing tricks on his skateboard and spraying his initials onto a wall at the park.

He is also alleged to have spent thousands of dollars at a strip club called the King of Diamonds.

Bieber promoting his film Believe in December

A first conviction could bring a fine of between $250 (£150) and $1,000 (£600), depending on the level of alcohol, as well as community service and possibly a jail sentence.

Bieber's arrest comes just a week after the singer's California home was raided by police over claims he pelted his neighbour's house with eggs, causing thousands of dollars of damage.

In that case, authorities arrested one member of Bieber's entourage, rapper Lil Za, on suspicion of drug possession.

Last year the singer disappointed thousands of fans in the UK by showing up to gigs late, which left many of his young followers having to leave his performances only moments after he started performing to catch trains home.

He was also involved in a scuffle outside his hotel in London during his colourful visit.

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'Second-Rate Care' For Heart Attack Patients

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Thousands of heart attack patients have died unnecessarily due to "second-rate care", according to new research.

The startling analysis shows that patients in the UK are far less likely than those in Sweden to survive a heart attack.

The doctors behind the study warn the finding is a "cause for concern" and called on the NHS to adopt proven life-saving techniques.

Professor Harry Hemingway and colleagues at the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at University College London tracked the care and outcomes for more than 500,000 people suffering heart attacks between 2004 and 2010 in the two countries.

Sweden was chosen because it is the only other country with comprehensive records as good as those kept by the NHS.

Death rates within 30 days of the heart attack were more than a third higher in the UK than in Sweden.

Professor Hemingway told Sky News that the mortality difference over the seven year study was "alarming".

"We estimate that about 11,000 deaths would have been delayed or prevented if the patients had been managed in Sweden," he said.

"That is a big difference and it's concerning."

According to results published in The Lancet medical journal, just 22% of UK patients had a "primary angioplasty", a procedure that unblocks heart arteries with a balloon - ideally within minutes of arriving in hospital. In Sweden the figure is 59%.

And in the UK, 78% of patients are prescribed recommended drugs such as beta-blockers when they are discharged, compared to 89% in Sweden.

Professor Hemingway said the NHS must be far quicker at adopting new treatments and technologies.

Some patients do get rapid treatment.

Bhupen Mistry survived his heart attack because of slick treatment from London Ambulance and then cardiologists at Hammersmith Hospital.

Just half an hour after dialling 999 he'd had a tube called a stent implanted to restore blood flow.

"The minute the stent was put in and inflated I felt an immense calming," he said.

"I felt my heart rate come down. I felt a lot more comfortable than the 30 minutes previously."

NHS England said improvements are being made.

National Clinical Director for cardiac care, Professor Huon Gray, said: "The advanced treatment patients now receive in the UK means heart attack death rates have fallen from one in four in the 1970s, to one in 20 now, but we know more needs to be done and we are working hard to further improve survival rates."

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Whole Stay Doctors Would End 'Chaotic Care'

Hospitals must offer patients "whole stay doctors" who will look after them throughout their treatment, the Health Secretary will say.

Jeremy Hunt wants to tackle the "fragmentation of care experienced by patients in hospitals" and to make sure patients are treated like people rather than numbers or problems.

Speaking at St Thomas' Hospital in central London he will highlight how action is needed to stop patients feeling like they are being passed from pillar to post.

It comes after an announcement in November that patients should have the name of a consultant above their bed.

He will say: "Every day, the first thing I do when I arrive at work at the Department of Health is to read and reply to a letter from someone whose NHS care has gone wrong.

"Of course I know that for every mistake there are many instances of superb care.

"But as Health Secretary I want to know where the problems are because I want to sort them out."

Mr Hunt will describe a letter he received from a lady whose husband passed away after "what can only be described as two years of chaotic care".

"Her husband was passed around the system from clinician to clinician, with no-one appearing to know anything of his needs or history.

"When you look into why that was, it was not about the doctors or hospital ever ignoring the problem, far from it," he will say.

"He was sent for tests and asked to wait a month for the results. Then more tests by a different doctor, and again asked to wait.

"Then a consultation with yet another doctor - with no-one at any stage stopping the conveyor belt and saying 'Wait, this person has been waiting for three months without us sorting out the problem, we need to do so urgently'."

Individual hospitals will be asked to develop their own plans for how whole stay doctors will work in practice.

Professor Norman Williams, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: "The progressive fragmentation of care that we have seen in the NHS is not only confusing and damaging for patients but also undermines the professionalism of medical teams.

"We have to end the situation where patients are shuttled from one member of staff to another with no one individual taking responsibility for ensuring they receive the right treatment at the right time and in the right place.

"Having one named consultant in charge across a hospital stay will help bring about an important cultural change and reassure patients that they are not lost in the system, with no-one overseeing the totality of their care."

:: Jeremy Hunt will be on Sky News at 7.15 am. Watch live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Stan Collymore Accuses Twitter Over Abuse

Former England striker Stan Collymore has accused Twitter of "not doing enough" to combat abusive posts after he was targeted by internet trolls.

The former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest star said he had been threatened with murder and racially abused on the site.

Police are investigating a series of offensive messages that were posted after Collymore suggested Liverpool striker Luis Suarez cheated by diving during last Saturday's match against Aston Villa.

Collymore retweeted some of the abuse he has received since the match to his 503,000 followers and called on Twitter to take action.

He wrote: "In the last 24 hours I've been threatened with murder several times, demeaned on my race, and many of these accounts are still active. Why?

"I accuse Twitter directly of not doing enough to combat racist/homophobic /sexist hate messages, all of which are illegal in the UK."

He added later: "Several Police forces have been fantastic. Twitter haven't. Dismayed."

Later the 42-year-old said he was in contact with Staffordshire police about the abuse.

He tweeted: "Staffordshire Police coming, again. Just the 5th time. Pity twitter aren't interested.

"Police take all complaints seriously,whoever it is. I've waited 6 weeks for twitter to provide information to Police. Yet to respond."

West Midlands Police confirmed on its Twitter page that Staffordshire Police were investigating "alleged abusive tweets to Stan Collymore" and urged people to block and report abuse at www.report-it.org.uk.

A Twitter spokeswoman said the company was unable to comment on individual users.

However, she pointed out that targeted abuse was against its rules and the site had recently made it easier for users to report abusive messages to them.

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Syria: Diplomatic Push To End Bloody Conflict

A diplomatic battle to end Syria's bloody civil war begins in Switzerland today as opposition delegates sit down with government representatives for the first time in three years.

International delegates have gathered in the city of Montreux, on the banks of Lake Geneva, for talks aimed at ending a conflict which has killed more than 100,000 people.

The peace talks will go ahead despite a last-minute dispute over the United Nations' decision to withdraw an invitation to Iran.

The exclusion of the Islamic Republic from the conference has highlighted tensions between the West and Russia over how to broker an agreement to end the violence.

Iran is the main ally of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. The country's exclusion came after Tehran refused to endorse a UN-backed plan for a transitional governing body in Syria.

The city of Montreux, in Switzerland, will host the Geneva 2 talks

The issue of transition of power is expected to be central to the success of the talks, which have been dubbed "Geneva 2". 

The Western-backed opposition has demanded that Mr Assad must quit and face a war crimes trial.

But the Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al Moualem, has rejected any discussion of Mr Assad being forced to step down.

"The subject of the president and the regime is a red line for us and the Syrian people and will not be touched," he said on the eve of the talks, according to the SANA news agency.

The conference also begins in the shadow of allegations of large-scale torture and execution of prisoners by government forces.

US Secretary of State arrives in Switzerland ahead of the talks

The day before the talks, a group of international lawyers published allegations of the "systematic torture and killing" of up to 11,000 people by the Syrian regime.

Fatima Khan, the mother of British doctor Abbas Khan, who died in a Syrian prison last month, told Sky News' Joe Tidy that the reports of torture and execution were no surprise.

"I'm not surprised with the report. I knew ... all this," she said.

"I heard my son was living with 9,000 other prisoners and my son told me that every day they used to take two or three (and) torture them.

Fatima Khan said allegations of torture in Syria were "no surprise"

"Either one comes back or two comes back, or none of the three comes back. I knew this. My son was only a humanitarian aid worker. Why was he tortured?

"If that regime is so cruel (that) they have no brains and no heart to understand (the difference between) a humanitarian aid worker and a terrorist, then they should not stay in power."

Foreign Secretary William Hague urged both sides in Syria to "seize the chance" to end the civil war as he arrived in Switzerland.

"Opposition has been tested and has come. Now regime must be tested on willingness to seek a political solution," Mr Hague wrote on Twitter.

Smoke rises after a bomb blast in the Syrian city of Aleppo

Mr Hague added that it was a "great shame" that Iran - which has enjoyed a thawing of relations with the West in recent months - had failed to endorse the principles of the talks.

US President Barack Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin had a "business-like" conversation about the Syrian conflict by phone on Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Montreux ahead of today's opening of negotiations.

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Nicolas Anelka To Learn Fate Over 'Quenelle'

Nicolas Anelka is expected to find out later whether the FA will charge him for making a gesture widely considered to be anti-Semitic.

The striker performed the controversial gesture during a goal celebration in West Bromwich Albion's match against West Ham United on December 28.

Anelka said the gesture was made in support of the French comedian who invented it, Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala, who called it the quenelle.

The FA is expected to publicise its decision on whether to ban Anelka later today.

Under new rules introduced last May, Anelka will face a minimum five-match ban if the FA decides he is guilty of discrimination.

Dieudonne is a controversial figure in France. He has been banned from performing in the country because his act is considered to be anti-Semitic.

He claims the quenelle is an anti-establishment gesture, but it has been widely interpreted to be a disguised Nazi salute.

French youths make the quenelle gesture earlier this month

Fans have photographed themselves performing the quenelle outside the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and at Holocaust memorials around the world.

On Monday, Zoopla announced its decision to end a lucrative shirt deal with West Bromwich Albion following the controversy over Anelka's gesture.

A statement from the company said the deal would not be renewed when it finishes at the end of this season.

The sponsorship, which began in 2012, was worth £3m. Zoopla was co-founded by American Jewish businessman Alex Chesterman.

The football club said in a statement: "West Bromwich Albion has been fully aware since the sponsorship agreement came into force in June 2012 that its partnership with Zoopla could expire this summer and therefore has been planning accordingly.

"Zoopla has today informed the club in writing that it does not wish to extend its sponsorship deal.

"The club will now actively seek a new official sponsor for next season."

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'Risky' £1m Motorway Pub To Open Despite Fears

A new £1m pub opens at a motorway service station today, in the face of fierce criticism from road safety and alcohol campaigners.

The pub chain JD Wetherspoon says The Hope and Champion pub will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week.

The venue is located in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

It is the first pub ever to be opened at a motorway service area, and will sell real ale from local and regional brewers.

But critics say the location of the pub is "at odds" with public opinion.

The RAC said a survey of 2,000 people showed only 12% of respondents supported putting pubs into motorway service stations.

Around two-thirds said they did not agree with the move, with older drivers more likely to oppose the sale of alcohol at motorway service areas.

Only 8% of over-55s were in favour, with 71% against, while almost one in five of those aged between 18 and 34 were in support.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said: "The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs.

"In our view this is a risky and frankly unnecessary move. The question we are struggling to answer is - of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?

"The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alcohol."

But Steve Baldwin, manager of the new pub, said the venue would serve the local community.

"The Extra Motorway Service Area, now including The Hope and Champion, primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network," he said.

Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on alcohol and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "I am disappointed by the decision to open a JD Wetherspoon on the M40.

"We are trying to prevent harm from alcohol-related traffic accidents and this sends out completely the wrong message."

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