Two men have been acquitted of the rape and murder of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling in India.

crime reporter(wp/es):

Two men have been acquitted of the rape and murder of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling in India.

The 15-year-old’s bruised and half-naked body was found on Anjuna beach in the north of Goa in 2008.

The teenager had been at a Valentine's Day beach party while the rest of her family had gone travelling.

A post-mortem examination showed there was ecstasy, cocaine and LSD in her body when she died.

Following a police investigation two local men, Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, were charged with causing her death. 

It was believed they had plied her with drugs, raped her and left her unconscious on the beach where she subsequently drowned.

Both denied charges of culpable homicide and grievous sexual assault and were today acquitted by a judge in India.

Scarlett, from Bideford in north Devon, suffered 50 separate injuries in the attack, Goa's Children's Court has previously heard.

The teenager's mother, Fiona MacKeown, travelled to India for the verdict.

She said following the verdict: “I've waited 8 years and now this.

"I am disappointed with the verdict and I will definitely move to the higher court."

Samson D'Souza reportedly said: “Justice has prevailed.”

Ms MacKeown described her daughter as "just a normal teenage girl" and said she would always “regret” allowing her to go to the beach party.

She told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme: "She wanted to be more grown up than she was. 

“Mostly people don't know the facts when they say I left her on the beach on her own or with her 29-year-old boyfriend. He wasn't her boyfriend and I didn't leave her on her own. They don't know the facts and I try not to take what they say personally. 

"Obviously I will regret that decision for the rest of my life that I let her go to that party. I wish more than anything that I'd said no and kept her with us but I can't change the past. I just have to accept it and get on."

The bereaved mother described her daughter as “happy and lively”.

She said: "She played saxophone and she was going to join a band. She used to ride the horses a lot - we had horses and she loved that. She used to swim - all of us used to get into the sea in Cornwall and swim. She was active and strong and healthy."

A teenager raped

crime reporter(wp/es):

An 18-year-old was raped after being held down and robbed by two other women.

Greater Manchester Police said the female victim was thrown to the ground in Manchester city centre on Wednesday by a man who then held her down with a woman while a second woman robbed her.

The man then raped the woman before the trio fled from the scene in Major Street towards the city’s Gay Village shortly before 3am.

Detective Inspector Dave Moores of GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “This was a horrendous attack on a young woman which has, understandably, left her extremely distressed.

“We are providing her with support from specially trained officers and have launched a full investigation.”

The man is described as white, in his early 20s, of slim build and with a clean-shaven face. He was wearing sports clothing.

The first woman, who helped restrain the victim during the robbery, is described as 18, of mixed race with a scrawny build and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She spoke with a local accent.

The second woman, who carried out the robbery, is described as mixed race, in her early 20s and had a messy ponytail. She also spoke with a local accent.

Detectives leading the investigation are asking anyone who may have seen people matching the description of the group between 2am and 3pm to come forward.

City businessman beaten

crime reporter(wp/es):

A City businessman was battered to death by a gang of teenagers on BMXs after a “trivial” row in a takeaway as he walked home from a drinks party, witnesses said today.

Detectives were today hunting the group of at least four youths who followed the 31-year-old victim for around 100 yards after he left the fast-food outlet before assaulting him, reportedly with a heavy metal chain.

He was found lying in a pool of blood on a footbridge over a railway line opposite All Saints DLR station in Poplar, east London, by a passing cyclist who performed CPR in an attempt to save his life.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 12.20am yesterday. His uneaten chicken meal was in a bag by his side.

The Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command have launched a murder investigation and are appealing for witnesses.

A worker at Perfect Friend Chicken in East India Dock Road told the Standard the man, who was smartly dressed in a suit and tie, had become involved in a row with a teenager in a grey tracksuit while they waited for their food.

He said: “I don’t know what the argument was about but there was no pushing or shoving, no one threw a punch. They were swearing at each other but it was all over in about ten seconds.

“The boy, he was 16 or 17, went and told his friends outside who were on BMX bikes. 

“One of them who was older came in and put his arm around the man in the suit and said ‘you shouldn’t have spoken to him like that.’

“The guy held up his arms as if to say I’m sorry and that was that. There didn’t seem to be any animosity.

“They both took their food outside and that was it. Ten minutes later we saw all the police and ambulance turn up.

“The police came in later and asked to see the CCTV and they said they think he was killed over what happened in the shop.

“I can’t believe it. It’s shocking. It was just a silly exchange of words. You get it sometimes but it’s unbelievable it can end like this and life can be so cheap.

“The guy was clearly a businessman as he was wearing a very sharp grey suit. He was in a good mood. He said he’d been at a drinks party after work and was going home.”

Another shopkeeper said went to the scene after seeing the emergency services.

He said: “There was cyclist with a beard who had blood over his face from him trying to resuscitate the man by giving him mouth to mouth.

“I was told he had been badly beaten and there was huge wound to the back of his head.”

A post mortem examination is expected to take place today.

A Met police spokesman said: “At this early stage, it is believed the victim was involved in an altercation with a group of males inside Perfect Fried Chicken in East India Dock Road.

“The victim was then followed down the street and attacked. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.”

anyone with any information should call the incident room on 020 8345 3985 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.

A teenage model has collapsed and died

Crime reporter(wp/es):
 
Pic:Rosie Mitchell 15

A teenage model has collapsed and died while rowing on the Thames.
Rosie Mitchell, 15, died after falling unconscious on the river with a Kingston rowing team.
Paramedics rushed to the scene in Kingston but she could not be revived and died in hospital later that day.
Her father Andrew Mitchell told the Standard that she died “doing what she loved with the friends she loved”.
He said: “We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, smart and energetic daughter, who had so much potential. We would like to thank all those who tried so hard to save her and everyone around us for their incredible support.

“Along with her school (Grey Court School in Ham), we’re setting up ‘Rosie’s Fund’. The charity is yet to be decided as we don’t yet know the cause of her death, but will be confirmed in the next few weeks.”
He said the family believed Rosie died “instantly”, either from a heart attack or a brain haemorrhage.
He added that the response from her friends who have held a constant vigil at the club has been “unbelievable”.

Friends today paid tribute to the “wonderful girl” and “rising star” following the incident on Saturday morning.
In a statement, her model agency, The Hive Management, said: “Yesterday we received the heartbreaking news that our gorgeous rising star Rosie Mitchell passed away suddenly on Saturday.
“Rosie was only 15 years old and had the brightest future ahead of her. We would like everyone to join us in celebrating the short life of this beautiful young woman and our thoughts and prayers go out to Rosie’s family and friends.”
Rosie was spotted in the Bentall shopping centre in Kingston about a year ago by The Hive’s scout Giorgio Tsin, and recently had recently modelled for John Smedley’s Unisex collection.
Laura Murphy, director at the company, said she had a great future.
She said: “Rosie was one of our most promising new faces and had the brightest future ahead of her.

“The team at The Hive are devastated over her loss and we will all miss her enormously.”
Ms Murphy said the 5ft 6.5in model initially thought she was not tall enough for a career in the fashion industry.
“She initially thought she was too short to model, but her confidence grew and it was evident to us and her family how much she enjoyed it.
“She was lovely in every way.  Happy, bright, and excited about the prospect of a career in fashion.
 “The clients and photographers who worked with her all commented on how professional and beautiful she was.”
Bunches of flowers and candles have been placed outside Kingston Rowing Club and last night friends gathered to pay their respects.
The club said: “There was a tragic occurrence at Kingston Rowing Club on Saturday morning when Rosie Mitchell collapsed and lost consciousness while rowing. “Rosie was 15 years old. Our hearts go out to Rosie’s parents, Rachel and Andrew, family and friends.”
Her school, Grey Court School in Richmond, called the Year 11 student’s death “tragic”.
It said: “Rosie was a wonderful girl and a model student in every way. She will be sadly missed by everyone who knew and loved her. Our thoughts and wishes are with her family at this difficult time.”
One friend, Demi Leigh, wrote: “Sadly she died from a heart attack on the 17th of September. Gone but never forgotten.”
A police spokesman said: “We were called on Saturday, September 17 shortly before 9.10am to a teenager taken ill at Lower Ham Road.

“Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service.
“A 15-year-old girl was found unresponsive at the location and taken to a west London hospital where she died a short time later.
“The incident is not being treated as suspicious.”

GlaxoSmithKline new boss Emma Walmsley to be City’s most powerful woman

Business correspondent(wp/es):
DRUGS giant GlaxoSmithKline today promoted its consumer division head to be chief executive, making her the most powerful woman in the City.
Emma Walmsley’s appointment takes the number of women running FTSE 100 companies to seven — the highest on record but still way short of targets. However, the fact she is in such a top-flight company — the sixth-biggest in the UK — will be seen as a victory for equality campaigners.
Walmsley (pictured) will become the pharma company’s first-ever female leader, giving her the reins of an £80 billion giant and leadership of nearly 100,000 people across the world.
The appointment follows a wide-ranging search by the company’s  board of directors after Sir Andrew Witty announced his retirement earlier this year.
Walmsley joins Imperial Tobacco’s Alison Cooper, Moya Greene of Royal Mail, Carolyn McCall (easyJet), Liv Garfield (Severn Trent), Véronique Laury  (Kingfisher) and Alison Brittain (Whitbread) on the list of women running FTSE 100 companies.
GSK — chaired by Sir Philip Hampton, who is leading the Women on Boards review — enjoys one of the highest rates of gender diversity in the City, with females comprising 42% of management.
“This is a great example of looking at internal talent and preparedness, and managing it in order to promote from within,” said Katushka Giltsoff, Miles Partnership senior adviser and a member of the 30% Club, which promotes gender diversity.
She joins the board in January and takes over in March with a challenging in-tray, including calls from shareholders such as Neil Woodford and hedge fund Och-Ziff to break up the company.
Witty has been under pressure during his tenure to boost growth at the group.

Walmsley spent 17 years at L’Oréal before she was poached by Witty in 2010.
She went on to run GSK’s booming consumer division, which includes brands like Panadol and Horlicks, and remained leader when it was hived off as a joint venture with rival drug maker Novartis.
Sales at the unit rose 6% this year, while Walmsley has doubled sales of big “powerbrand” products like Sensodyne toothpaste from £550 million to £1 billion since taking over.

Man rushed to hospital after being shot in Bedford Hill south west London

crime reporter(wp/es):
A man has been rushed to hospital after being shot in a south west London residential street this evening.
Police were called to Bedford Hill in Balham after neighbours reported a number of shots being fired and a wounded man stumbling into a nearby house.
The man, aged in his 20s, was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound.
Photos from the scene, near the junction with Dornton Road, showed a line of police cars at the scene, with a cordon set up as officers investigated the shooting.
Residents reported around six police vehicles descending on the street shortly after 9.20pm.
One neighbour told the Standard: "I heard two shots, one directly after the other.
 "At that point, the victim was taken into a house."

He went on: "The street returned to normal. Then, a few minutes later, several police cars appeared and two or three ambulances arrived.
"Armed policemen spoke to an eye-witness who pointed out the area where the shots were fired and the paramedics rushed into the house
"A police officer then said they'll need to take the victim to hospital and he was shortly wheeled out on a bed wearing an oxygen mask and taken off in an ambulance."
A spokesman for Wandsworth police said: "We were called to the location at 9.21pm to reports of a male shot.
"A male has been taken to a south London hospital.
"No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing."
 No further details about the victim or his condition have been released so far.

Man stabbed in Brixton

crime reporter(wp/es):
Central Brixton was cordoned off last night after a man in his 20s was stabbed in front of horrified onlookers.
Emergency services were called to Brixton Road shortly before midnight last night to reports of a man suffering from stab injuries.
The victim, a 25 year-old man, is believed to have been attacked near Windrush Square before collapsing at a bus stop near KFC.
The man was taken to a south London hospital where he remains in a stable condition. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Leading the investigation, detective constable Nick Perry said: "A large number of people gathered around the victim following this attack which occurred next to a busy KFC restaurant.
"My team are keen to hear from anyone who was there or has information about what took place."
A suspect, a young male wearing dark clothing, is beliebed to have run off towards Rushcroft Road following the incident.
Police are studying CCTV footage of the incident and a number of enquiries are being made. No arrests have currently been made.
There were also reports of two other stabbings in Lambeth last night, but these have not been confirmed by police.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.