Falcons John Abraham on Arrest Bad Timing
Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham has keen timing when it comes to rushing the edge to attack the quarterback. His timing Monday off the field was not so good.Abraham was arrested in front of a Midtown building where he owns three condominiums, charged with obstruction of justice.“I really can’t talk about the situation because we are still going through some legal things, here and there,” Abraham said to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m just happy that everybody that knows me and knows what kind of person I am, know the things that I do, so I’d like to kind of leave it at that. I’m just trying to move on to football, continue to be the leader that I’ve been, do the same things and get ready for Carolina.”Abraham was reluctant to share his story with the AJC. But he did say to the newspaper: “At this moment, I don’t want to talk about my side of the story. Once we get everything verified and get everything going the same way, because we still have a legal situation that we need to get cleared up. Sometimes, it’s just bad timing. I’m not going to fault anybody at all. Sometimes things happen in life. Sometimes trying to do the right thing, [doesn’t] end up being the right thing.”Police were responding to a call about a woman threatening to jump from one of the buildings when Abraham refused to exit the scene, according to John Chafee of the APD’s Public Affairs Unit said . Chafee said police charged Abraham with obstruction of police and obstruction of fire fighters.Chafee said the charges are misdemeanors. Abraham was booked at the Fulton County Jail and was released early Tuesday after posting $7,500 bond.Chafee said the woman did not jump and was uninjured. She was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. It is not known if Abraham knew the prospective jumper or if he was just trying to return home.According to a copy of the police report, Abraham entered the restricted area and was confronted by a firefighter who “repeatedly ordered him to leave the scene.”Nearby officers then responded and ordered Abraham to leave, according to the police report. The report says Abraham “refused and insisted on continuing [farther] into the scene” at which point police arrested him.Abraham was “obviously intoxicated,” the arresting officer wrote in the report.“Like I said, sometimes you just try to do the right thing and don’t worry about that,” Abraham said. “Like I was saying, I’m not trying to knock anybody for trying to do what they were doing. Like I said, it happened. I can’t really go into detail with exactly what’s going on, everybody likes to say this and that. …it was a situation.”Abraham is the second Falcons player to be arrested in the past weeks.Gwinnett County police arrested running back Michael Turner early last Tuesday on charges of DUI and speeding.“I got to talk to [head coach] Mike [Smith] and a lot of people in the organization and people that know me. …it was an altercation and hopefully we can get it out of the way as soon as possible,” Abraham said.The Falcons are 3-0, one of only three undefeated teams in the NFL.“I’m trying not to harp on what happened,” Abraham said. “I’m trying not to, but I will say it was bad timing.”Finally, Abraham wouldn’t admit to making an error in judgment.“I can’t say I did or didn’t,” Abraham said. “I’m just going to keep saying it was bad timing. I can’t say exactly what happened. Like I said, we’re going to try to work through it.”
I remember saying no and being quite put out about it. I remember asking him to stopChristaggelis Christoforou alleged victim Mr Hearnden said that the alleged victim was not drunk and was drinking milkshakes that night.”The defendant was on the other hand drunk,” he added. The alleged victim told a male friend that she had been groped and he told Mr Christoforou that he “simply couldn’t touch women that way”, the court heard.”She did not think it was amusing; she found it upsetting,” said Mr Hearnden. “The fact it happened in front of work colleagues was a particular cause of upset and anxiety.” Christaggelis Christoforou is a former JP Morgan banker, the court heardCredit:Dylan Martinez/Reuters Following the woman’s complaint to police, Mr Christoforou told officers that the victim had said her breasts were her “best asset”.”He completely denied he had squeezed her breasts,” said Mr Hearnden. “He denied that he had burrowed his head actually into her chest, or motorboating as he called it.”Mr Hearnden told jurors that Mr Christoforou claimed “it was just a bit of fun”, but added: “Just a bit of fun is not a defence [to the charge].”His alleged victim told the court: “We were in a group and while we were talking, Chris reached out and touched my breasts.”He did that a couple of times. I would described it as patting. I remember saying ‘no’ and being quite put out about it. I remember asking him to stop.”I don’t like that sort of attention or approach. He told me again I had no sense of humour, that it was just fun.” He must have thought the whole thing was funny because he appears to be laughing and he even reaches out to have another goRichard Hearnden, prosecuting Moments later, Mr Christoforou launched the “motorboating” attack, it is claimed.She said: “He leaned his head down and pushed his face between my breasts inside my top and moved his face around. At that point, I pushed him away from me.”Mr Christoforou’s barrister, Giles Newell ,suggested that the banker had leaned forward and lowered his head because he had dropped his phone.The alleged victim replied: “That’s incorrect.” She told the court that she found his sense of humour “offensive and a little vulgar”.Mr Christoforou, from Croydon, south London, denies one charge of sexual assault. The trial continues. A former JP Morgan banker burrowed his head into a woman’s breasts during a night out before claiming it was “just a bit of fun”, a court heard.Christaggelis Christoforou, 25, allegedly carried out the “motorboating” attack on the victim before inviting her to slap his face, jurors were told.He then lunged out and grabbed the woman’s breast in front of her friends and colleagues at the Be At One bar in the City of London, it is claimed.Mr Christoforou was captured on CCTV laughing after carrying out the attack before “reaching out to have another go”, jurors heard.
Christaggelis Christoforou later claimed that he wildly moved his hands as he talked because he is Greek, jurors were toldCredit:Ed Willcox/Central The alleged victim, who does not drink alcohol, later told police that Mr Christoforou had been “offensive and vulgar” throughout the night of January 28.He was “constantly touching breasts by tapping them with his hand”, said prosecutor Richard Hearnden at the Old Bailey.”She found this to be utterly unacceptable and told him so,” he said. “He replied it was just a joke and he didn’t mean anything by it.”Mr Christoforou then leaned forward towards the alleged victim and might have touched her breasts while wildly moving his hands as he talked, jurors heard, which he later claimed was “because he is Greek”.CCTV then shows him burrowing his head and face into her breasts at 8.20pm, it is claimed.”This can clearly be seen on the video,” said Mr Hearnden. “She reacted by recoiling and pushing his head away. He responded by inviting her to slap him on the face and she obliged.”Three minutes later, Mr Christoforou was seen moving his arm towards the victim’s breasts while another man tried to restrain him gently, the court heard.He then lunged forward and grabbed the victim’s breasts while laughing, it is claimed.”She reacted forcefully,” said the prosecutor. “He must have thought the whole thing was funny because he appears to be laughing and he even reaches out to have another go. One can then see him making a third uninvited manoeuvre in less than 20 seconds.” Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
The Airport Cafe near Sellindge where a suspected illegal immigrant was found dead Credit:Jim Bennett Julie Breen, 57, who runs the Airport Cafe with her husband Pat, said: “The driver was quite distressed.”He came across to me and said he had found a migrant in the back of his lorry.”From what I can make out, the load got disturbed and I think it fell on him and he suffocated.”I only saw a boot and a leg. I called the police. The driver was foreign and he had asked me to call the police.”Mrs Breen said Kent Police and ambulance crews were called to the scene.She added: “Obviously it is very upsetting. We don’t know where he came from but he’s probably got a family. It’s not a nice thing to happen.”Husband Pat added: “There was a lorry that came in and there was an illegal immigrant in the back that had passed away.” The lorry involved had the markings of Austrian company Klog Logistics on its rear doors and sidesCredit:Jim Bennett 
A suspected illegal migrant is reported to have been found dead in the back of a lorry after suffocating under the weight of a load of catalogues.The body was discovered by the HGV driver who had travelled across the Channel and pulled into a lorry park off the A20 in Sellindge, Kent at around 8am today.Emergency services descended on the lorry after café owners called police when the driver pulled the body from the truck.The lorry involved has the markings of Austrian company Klog Logistics on its rear doors and sides and appears to have been carrying a cargo of hundreds of magazines. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. A spokesman for Kent Police said: “At 8.29am on Tuesday, October 18 2016, Kent Police was called to an incident concerning a lorry on the A20 at Sellinge near Folkestone.”Officers and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended and a man in the rear of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.”It is believed the lorry had travelled from France and inquiries are on-going to identify the man and ascertain the cause of death.”A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service added: “We were called to the Airport Cafe off the main road in Sellindge by police just after 8.30am this morning.”We attended with two paramedic cars and an ambulance.”Sadly one man was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident.”Firefighters were also called to the scene at 8.39am. They assisted Kent Police by removing the load from the lorry using a fork lift truck.
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. Ihat has become a self-financing taxpayer money-eating machine that has grown disastrously beyond anyone’s controlJohnny Mercer Almost all its cases were submitted to Ihat by a single law firm – Public Interest Lawyers – which folded in the summer after its legal aid contract was withdrawn over alleged irregularities over its work in Iraq.Johnny Mercer, a Conservative MP who is leading a parliamentary inquiry into Ihat and the treatment of soldiers under investigation, said: “Ihat has become a self-financing taxpayer money-eating machine that has grown disastrously beyond anyone’s control.”His inquiry has heard how a recruitment agency is paid almost £5 million a year to provide about 125 investigators – many of them retired police officers already receiving a full pension – to carry out the bulk of its work.Mr Mercer, a former Army captain, added: “If this money had instead been invested into creating a Department for Veterans’ Affairs, we would now be looking at making the military covenant a reality for every serviceman and women and their families.“We have a long way to go in our relationship with our military in the United Kingdom today.”Sir Henry Bellingham, a former Conservative minister who requested the information on Ihat’s cost, said: “This is an absolutely staggering figure, and to be spending this kind of money on pursuing our brave and honourable troops when the Ministry of Defence budget is under so much pressure, is fast becoming a national disgrace.“I do not believe there is a single other country in Nato that would spend this sort of money pursuing what are in the main, wholly spurious allegations put together by dubious legal aid lawyers.”Sir henry added: “It is absolutely imperative that the Ihat is immediately wound up, and the vast amounts being spent on it put to a far more constructive use.” MP Johnny MercerCredit:Paul Grover More than 3,300 allegations of abuse have been submitted to Ihat but more than half of those were dismissed immediately, suggesting they were spurious or even false.The latest figures show that just 176 investigations have so far been completed or are nearing completion. Just four of those have prompted any further action.Two were passed to the Director of Service Prosecutions, who decided not to prosecute in both cases; another case was referred to the RAF Police, while the fourth resulted in a soldier receiving a £3,000 fine.An Ihat spokeswoman insisted the inquiry was on course to complete its work by the end of 2019. “Ministers have approved an overall budget figure of £57.2 million to the end of 2019,” said the Ihat spokesman, adding: “The Ihat remains within budget and is on track to complete its work by December 2019.”The MoD has said Ihat was necessary to avoid the possibility of Britain being dragged before the International Criminal Court if it failed to be investigating the allegations of abuse thoroughly.An MoD spokesman said: “An independent investigation is the best way to make sure that innocent personnel are not dragged through international courts without cause, leaving the door open to a lengthy, and costly public inquiry.”The telegraph has publicised a series of concerns about Ihat and a parallel investigation into alleged abuses in Afghanistan. It prompted the Prime Minister Theresa May to complain of the “industrial scale” of claims lodged with Ihat and to vow that British troops would not be ‘hounded’ following future conflicts. 
The cost of the controversial investigation into alleged historic abuse by British troops in Iraq has soared to £35 million, ministers admitted today.Critics said the ‘staggering’ cost of the criminal inquiry emphasised the need to shut it down before any more money was wasted. The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat), which was set up by the Ministry of Defence six years ago, is currently investigating almost 1,500 cases of alleged mistreatment and unlawful killings of Iraqis following the 2003 invasion.But so far, not a single soldier has been charged with any offence. Three war veterans, including a major decorated for bravery, are facing possible prosecution over the death of a 19-year-old Iraqi man who drowned in 2003.In response to a parliamentary question, Mike Penning, a defence minister, said the cost of Ihat had reached £34.7 million up to the end of September. The inquiry is funded by the Ministry of Defence and is expected to cost £57.2 million in total by the end of 2019 when its work should be complete after a decade.
Seven young men recently attended the first weekend of workshops under the rehab programme, which involved learning security skills and ways to earn money legitimately through their talents.The offenders had been arrested or visited by the NCA for committing cyber offences at home or school, including putting servers offline.One of the group said he had begun experimenting when he accidentally hacked a primary school network, locking users out of the system. He later put his skills to malicious use, saying it was a method of getting away from bullying at school. The group were sent to a weekend camp in Bristol earlier this month. The offenders on the rehab programme had been arrested previously of visited by the NCA for committing cyber crime offences at home or school 
Teenage hackers will be sent to cyber crime rehab camps to transform them into security experts under a new National Crime Agency scheme.The law enforcement agency will enrol teenagers who have been found committing cyber offences onto a programme designed to stop them from entering serious crime.It comes amid growing fears that the skills of cyber criminals are outpacing the talents of the industry, which has struggled to attract new talent.Teenagers who have been served with cautions or cease and desist orders will be invited to attend a workshop at the NCA as part of its Prevent scheme. The idea for the scheme came from research that looked at the abilities of illegal hackers in comparison with those who worked in cyber security. It found that those on the right side of the law were very similar to the other group, but at some point a parent, guardian or teacher had intervened to put them on a law-abiding path.The NCA’s Prevent team has previously worked with young cyber criminals who have been convicted of crimes, served sentences and been reformed.Cyber crime has become one of the most serious threats to the UK, with high profile attacks harming the NHS, businesses and the Government in recent months. Businesses and security experts welcomed the move. “Cyber crime has become easier to commit with the proliferation of easy-to-access tools, tutorials and online forums to share idea,” said Richard Jones, Prevent manager at the NCA.“Even the most basic forms of cyber crime can have huge impacts and the NCA and police will arrest and prosecute offenders, which can be devastating to their future.“That means there is great value in reaching young people before they become involved in cyber crime, and even those already on the fringes of criminality – when their skills can still be a force for good.” Mike Simmonds, chief executive of Axial Security Systems, said: “The rehabilitation camp needs to create an environment where doing the right thing is even cooler than doing the opposite.”Ultimately the rehabilitation process can help drive these youngsters to become an asset to our society and businesses, by protecting them from the danger of a future cyber-attack.”If the trial of the scheme is successful, it will be rolled out across the country for other young hackers. Show more Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
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Issuing its alert to rail passengers, a Virgin Trains spokesman said: “We expect our services on both routes to be very busy from Friday to Monday, and are advising customers to avoid travelling on our west coast route on Saturday or Sunday unless necessary. Modernisation work means services between Cardiff and Newport will be reduced until September 3, while no trains will operate between Swindon and Bristol Parkway from Saturday until September 17.When – and where – should drivers avoid?Some five million motorists are expected to embark on leisure journeys on Monday, up by nearly one million people – or a fifth – on the 2016 figure.The RAC recommended drivers wanting to beat the queues this weekend should avoid Friday afternoon and evening, and set off early if travelling on Monday.The proportion of Britons planning an overnight UK trip this weekend has risen by more than a third compared to last year. Due to Crossrail work, there are no trains between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield, Ingatestone, Billericay and Barking on Sunday and Monday. “If customers choose to travel, we strongly recommend they book their tickets in advance, make a seat reservation and allow longer to get to their destination.”More Waterloo services set to be disruptedLondon Waterloo services, which have been disrupted for more than a fortnight as part of a major project, have been reduced even further until Tuesday.Fewer than half of normal weekday services will operate as platforms 1-14 are closed to enable platforms to be extended to accommodate longer trains, boosting capacity at the UK’s busiest station by 30 per cent. People are being urged not to travel by train in some parts of Britain over the Bank Holiday weekend, as major engineering work affecting several lines is predicted to cause chaos.Millions of people embarking on getaways face severely disrupted journeys amid stark warnings from rail firms.Virgin Trains asked customers to avoid travelling on its west coast route on Saturday and Sunday as it issued an alert stating that its services will be “very busy” over the long weekend.High demand is also expected for east coast trains between London King’s Cross and Scotland due to passengers seeking alternative routes to and from London because of the closure of London Euston on Saturday and Sunday, as well as Edinburgh’s festivals coming to an end.Meanwhile, drivers are warned to expect congested roads, with the Automobile Association (AA) predicting that the dash to popular destinations will “start in earnest” from Friday lunchtime as people finish work early to make the most of the break.A poll of more than 16,000 motorists found that 43 per cent are likely to be on the road between Friday and Monday, either travelling on holiday or on a day trip. This equates to around 15 million drivers on leisure journeys this weekend. A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “We apologise to our passengers for the added disruption to their journeys and thank them for their patience.”This all about delivering a bigger better Waterloo station fit for the 21st century.”National Express, the UK’s largest coach operator, is putting on an extra 4,000 seats over the weekend to destinations affected by the Euston and Waterloo work.Delays and disruption at other stationsBetween Saturday and September 2, there will be no Southeastern services to or from London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross as work continues to rebuild London Bridge and the surrounding railway.Queuing systems will be in place at Cannon Street station between Tuesday and Friday next week to cope with demand.
Please check before you travel this bank holiday as our major #AugustBHWorks are happening 🔧➡️https://t.co/J7V0DxrnDj#RailwayUpgradePlan pic.twitter.com/vHInGCtOsL— Network Rail (@networkrail) August 8, 2017 Flights: which airports will be busiest?Travel trade organisation Abta estimated 2.1 million British holidaymakers will travel abroad over the weekend with Spain, Turkey and Greece among the most popular destinations.Heathrow expects 243,000 departing passengers on Friday alone, while an estimated 304,000 will fly from Gatwick over the entire weekend.What will the weather be like this weekend?Met Office forecasters predict that much of England and Wales will see mainly dry conditions with sunny spells, and temperatures reaching approximately 24C (75F) in the South.But parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland – which does not have a bank holiday this weekend – will see rain or showers at times, with the mercury reaching around 17C to 21C (63F to 70F). Video: Weather forecast for this weekend Some 6.9 million adults are planning a domestic break over the last long weekend before Christmas, up from 5.1 million in 2016, according to tourism body VisitEngland.Traffic information supplier Inrix reported that the worst congestion blackspots during last year’s August bank holiday weekend were the M25 between Junctions 9 and 21 – which runs past Heathrow Airport – and the M5 southbound between Junctions 14 and J22 in the South West. Motorists on both sections of road endured delays of up to 90 minutes.Highways England is removing roadworks from 445 miles of motorways and major A roads ahead of the bank holiday period to ease journeys. The closure of London’s Euston station this weekend is likely to cause long delays. File pictureCredit:FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/EPA Sections of the M25 were among the worst congestion blackspots during last year’s August bank holiday weekend Credit:Tim Ockenden/PA
Kurdi at one point suggested his followers “inject poison in drinks or foods that are prohibited in Islam… Study different types of poison and their preparation methods… It will kill hundreds in a few moments”.DCI Paul Greenwood of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit told the BBC after the trial that while Mohammed had apparently chosen a bomb plot instead, his presence at the food factory in Burton-on-Trent had been a risk.He said: “He had a viable instructional video of how to manufacture the toxin ricin, he had that know-how. He certainly was a risk, I think had that food company known, had we known of his interest in ricin and his link to that food company we would have taken steps to protect the public and to prevent him from continuing that employment there.”Jurors were told the pair had “rapidly formed emotional attachment and a shared ideology” after meeting online.As well as arguments, jokes and everyday concerns, they also shared extremist views and videos.El-Hassan, a divorced mother of two, was fully aware of Mohammed’s intentions and advised him which chemicals to buy for a bomb, the court heard. 
Munir Hassan MohammedCredit: REUTERS A terrorist planned a Christmas bombing with his girlfriend after he pledged allegiance on Facebook to an Islamic State commander looking for volunteers to carry out lone wolf attacks, his trial heard.Munir Hassan Mohammed sent messages to the commander in Iraq or Syria and downloaded terrorist publications, as the couple plotted to make bombs and toxins together.The 36-year-old from Sudan also researched how to make ricin while he worked 12-hour shifts at a major food manufacturer, his trial was told.Mohammed and Rowaida El-Hassan are facing years in prison after being convicted of plotting “devastating” carnage over Christmas 2016 with an Islamic State-inspired bomb.Mohammed enlisted the help of El-Hassan, a 33-year-old pharmacist, and drew on her chemical knowledge after seeking her out on a dating website called SingleMuslim.com. In the days before his arrest, Mohammed was captured on shop CCTV buying “acetone free” nail polish from Asda, in the mistaken belief it was a chemical component of TATP, a homemade explosive also known as ‘Mother of Satan’.He also looked at pressure cookers, which the prosecution said could be used to contain the explosives.When police raided his home, they found hydrogen peroxide in a wardrobe and hydrochloric acid in the freezer.Mohammed, of Derby, and El-Hassan, of north-west London, had denied preparing terrorist acts between November 2015 and December 2016.After the verdicts, Judge Michael Topolski QC said Mohammed had been planning a “potentially devastating terrorist attack by creating an explosive device and deploying it somewhere in the UK targeting those you regarded as enemies of the Islamic State”.”Rowaida El-Hassan, you share the extremist mindset with Munir Mohammed and you were ideologically motivated to provide him with support, motivation and assistance.”You knew he was engaging and planning an attack. You knew he was planning an explosion to kill and maim innocent people in the cause of Islamic State.”The pair were remanded the pair in custody and will be sentenced on February 22. Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
Rowaida El-HassanCredit:Counter Terrorism Policing North/PA At the time of his arrest in December 2016, Mohammed had components for homemade explosives, as well as manuals on how to make them, mobile phone detonators, and ricin.The Old Bailey had heard Mohammed made contact with a suspected Islamic State organiser called “Abubakr Kurdi”, who is believed to have been in Iraq or Syria.Kurdi was using Facebook to identify possible recruits for “lone wolf” attacks and Mohammed was recommended by a mutual contact. Mohammed pledged his allegiance and offered to participate in “a new job in the UK”. 
Amber Rudd, Home Secretary, has criticised web giants for doing too little to stop terrorists using their sites.
Ant McParlin and Lisa Armstrong after their wedding in 2006 Credit:PA 
Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings. McPartlin tied the knot with make-up artist Lisa Armstrong in 2006 at a star-studded ceremony at St Nicholas’ Church in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.The couple met at a roadshow in Newcastle in the mid-1990s while Lisa was an aspiring pop star in Deuce. He has often spoken of their struggle to have children. TV presenter Ant McPartlin and wife Lisa are to split after 11 years of marriage.The 42-year-old – one half of TV duo Ant and Dec – announced the news on Saturday night after months of rumours regarding the couple’s relationship.A statement issued by McPartlin’s representative said: “In response to the recent speculation in the media, Ant is very sad to announce that, after eleven years, he is ending his marriage to Lisa McPartlin.”Ant asks for privacy at this difficult time, for both himself, Lisa and their immediate families.”No further statement will be made.” Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly Credit:PA Last year McPartlin entered rehab after struggling with a two-year addiction to super-strength painkillers following a knee operation in 2015.“I feel like I have let a lot of people down and for that I am truly sorry,” he told the Sun on Sunday in June.“I want to thank my wife, family and closest friends for helping me through this really difficult time. 
“I’ve spoken out because I think it’s important that people ask for help if they’re going through a rough time and get the proper treatment to help their recovery.” 