World News joined 0010

[Black Widow]

THIS is the first picture of a British tourist police believe was eaten by a 20ft crocodile while camping beside a remote river.

Tragic Arthur Booker, 63, was on the trip of a lifetime in the Australian outback with wife Doris when he woke early yesterday to check his crab pots on the river bank.

When he failed to return, worried Doris went looking for him and found the crab pot rope snapped, along with large crocodile slidemarks and the couple’s new video camera.

Mr Booker’s watch and a lone sandal were also at the scene — but there was no sign of the Scots-born camper. A second sandal was later discovered 400 metres upstream.

Wildlife rangers and cops searched the area, but also failed to find any trace.

The hunt was called off but will resume today.

Last night police were convinced he had been taken by a saltwater croc dubbed Charlie by locals and known to stalk the Endeavour River, near Cooktown in far north Queensland.

One fellow camper said: “Arthur went down to check his crab pots and never came back. They think he was taken by a big croc.

“All they found was some huge skidmarks and claw prints in the mud on the riverbank. Most likely he’s been eaten.”

Ex-soldier Mr Booker, a Vietnam veteran, had lived in Australia for several years and was travelling the country by caravan.

He and Doris were packed up ready to move on to their next destination when tragedy struck.

Police and rangers confirmed that the area where Mr Booker vanished is the known territory of Charlie — once tagged for conservation purposes — and another monster croc dubbed Harriet.

Leanne Rayner, who owns the Endeavour River Escape bush camping ground, said Doris was so upset she was admitted to hospital for treatment.

She said: “Nobody knew what to say. We searched and searched. Mrs Booker was totally engulfed in grief.”

The Endeavour River is known for its teeming population of large saltwater crocodiles.

The period between 1985 and 2007 saw 17 croc attacks in Australia — five of them fatal.


THE SUN

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for the news.

[LionDen]

Gawd damn thats one big croc lol.

[Black Widow]

Primary school children playing in woods near their home have discovered a human skull - sparking a major police operation.

Officers were alerted to the find and visited the scene in the Queensway area of Hastings, East Sussex, with an anthropologist, who confirmed the skull belonged to a young female.

A search team combed the area and subsequently discovered further body parts.

It is thought the remains had been at the site for between one and 10 years, a spokesman for Sussex Police told Sky News Online.

Police say they are keeping an open mind as they investigate the gruesome find.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Hibbert, from the Major Crime Branch, said it was too early to speculate about how the victim died, with the priority being to establish her identity.

He said: "Following the discovery of the skull and other body parts we have launched an enquiry to establish exactly who the victim was and how she came to be in the location in which she was found.

"At this time we are keeping an open mind and it is too early to speculate as to what happened.

"Our priority is to investigate this as fully as possible and, as always, we would welcome any help from the public."

He added that anyone with information about the remains should contact police on 0845 6070999, quoting Operation Holbrook.


sky news

[Black Widow]

A PENSIONER killed his wife and then himself after she revealed she was not a virgin when they married 46 YEARS earlier, an inquest heard yesterday.

Retired property developer Roger Goswell, 66, murdered Susan, 63, six days after being released from a clinic where he was treated for depression.

He attacked her with a mallet and stabbed her with a kitchen knife.

Mr Goswell, who had a history of psychiatric problems, snapped after retired teacher Susan revealed she had slept with another man.

He tried to commit suicide after saying there were “three people” in the marriage — and he was treated for a month at the Priory Clinic in Hove, West Sussex.

Mr Goswell was discharged in December, but three days later mum-of-three Susan told cops he threatened to kill her, an inquest in Chichester heard.

After killing her, he put a note ‘Police entry only’ on the door of their £750,000 home in West Chiltington before crashing his car.

He died a day later in hospital on Christmas Eve.

His daughter Sarah had begged mental health officials not to discharge him.

The hearing continues.


The Sun

[Swinny]

This is just ridiculous. You'd think when he threatened to kill her, they would have done something, because he was obviously very mentally unstable.

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for the news.

[JohnCenaFan28]

Thanks for the news.

[JohnCenaFan28]

Police officers have agreed a three-year pay deal with the government, the Association of Police Authorities has announced.

The deal, which averages 2.6%, ends months of acrimonious negotiations.

Police Federation chairman Paul McKeever said officers were "content" with the deal.

Officers will be paid an extra 2.65% this year, 2.6% in 2009 and 2.55% in 2010, a source close to the negotiations said.

Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation, said police representatives are "content" with the deal.

He said: "We are realists, we are pragmatists. We are not quixotic idealists who are looking for pyrrhic victories to prove a point. We recognise the economic climate and know what is going on elsewhere. We see the economic indicators.

"Nevertheless, we are there to get the best deal for police officers in this country. We are police officers. We want to fight crime and we want to fight criminals. We do not want to fight the Home Office or the Home Secretary."

Mr McKeever said attention will now turn to negotiations over an on-call allowance, the use of electric stun guns and purpose-built police vehicles.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she expected the deal would be "in pay packets in full by Christmas".

"I have the utmost regard for for the tireless work that the police do in protecting and serving the public. I think this is an important deal in providing financial certainty for police officers and their families in the coming years. It also ensures that we are able to keep the cost of living under control for other families across the country."

-Ananova

[Black Widow]

A British man and woman have been jailed for three months for having sex on a beach in Dubai.

Vince Acors, 34, and Michelle Palmer, 36, met at an all-you-can-drink champagne brunch just hours before their arrest.

Prosecutors said they were seen having sex on Jumeirah Beach after being dropped off by a taxi in the early hours of July 5.

But Palmer, from Oakham, Rutland,who was sacked from her emirate job as a publishing executive, claimed they were "just kissing and hugging".

The pair, who denied offences of unmarried sex and public indecency, were convicted in their absence at Dubai's Court of First Instance.

Judge Hamdi Abul Kharr fined them 1,000 dirham (around £155) and said they would be deported from the United Arab Emirates after they have served their sentence.

The pair are devastated and have launched an appeal against the verdict, their lawyer Hassam Matter said.

He added: "They haven't been arrested and taken into custody yet.

"I have 15 days to appeal. I have to find the reason why the judge gave three months.

"They are not guilty but they were prepared for this. When I told Michelle, she was not crying but she was upset."

Senior prosecutor Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli said he was disappointed at the length of sentence.

"I'm not happy," he said, speaking outside court. "It's very light. It's normal for a sentence to be six months to a year for an offence such as this."

Mr Ahli said he expected Acors and Palmer to serve their full three-month term in a Dubai prison.

"Sometimes people serve half their sentence, but this is so short I expect they will serve it all," he said.


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