Lifestyle

SWLSsoldier – By Adam Dutton and Suzanne Moon A former soldier has received an apology from the British Army – 35 years after he was dismissed for being gay. Martin Diver, 58, joined the military as a 17-year-old in 1985 and went on to serve as a rifleman for the Royal Anglian Regiment. But he was kicked out of the Armed Forces and court-martialled after coming out as gay to his superiors in 1990. Martin suffered PTSD and was left feeling suicidal after living with the “disgrace” of being sacked and losing his career because of his sexuality. A ban…

SWMRchase – By Adam Dutton This is the moment a drug-fuelled thief received “instant karma” when he crashed a stolen motorbike after a high-speed police chase. Ciaran Parker, 20, was riding a stolen Kawasaki 300 motorbike in Pelton, County Durham, when he was spotted by a police officer. The motorbike cop gestured for Parker, who was not wearing a helmet, to stop at around 10.30am on April 2 last year but Parker sped off. Dashcam footage shows Parker reaching speeds of 60mph in a 30mph zone as he careered towards South Pelaw. Parker hurtled across junctions and on the wrong…

SWMRshooting – by Jack Fifield Three men have been jailed for life after a dad was gunned down in an ‘execution-style murder.’ Rikki Berry, 36, died after he was shot three times by Michael Smith, 27, who was riding an electric bike while wearing a balaclava. The dad was at home in Kirby, Merseyside with his partner and young children when the biker shot him four times, with three bullets hitting their intended target. The cold-blooded killer was travelling in a convoy with two others in a car who oversaw the killing: driver Adam Williams, 26, and passenger Connor Walsh,…

SWSMcrash – by Dean Murray Shocking pictures show a guardrail piercing right through a car – in which the driver survived. The horror crash in in Quincy, California came as the region suffered treacherous driving conditions in a freezing spell last week. Thankfully, the 19-year-old female driver escaped relatively unscathed from the incident on the SR-70 highway on Thursday (13 Feb). California Highway Patrol Quincy said on social media the driver “is miraculously on her way to Renown with only moderate injuries. The storm is far from over. Please slow down.” CBS reported the crash survivor to be Quenton Brock,…

SWLNgrave – by Jack Fifield A husband who promised his late wife he’d find their eldest child’s grave is still searching for answers decades later. Sean O’Grady, 66, promised his late wife, Susan, that he’d do his best to find the final resting place of their daughter, who was stillborn in 1982. Doctors had to deliver Susan’s baby two months early after she was rushed to hospital with a painful headache. Susan had suffered from a pregnancy complication known as pre-eclampsia toxaemia, which caused her blood pressure to skyrocket and could have killed her. Tragically, the baby, which was due…

SWCChit – By Adam Dutton This is the shocking moment a road rage thug killed an e-bike rider who was “showboating” – before calmly walking into a shop for snacks. Abdirahman Ibrahim, 21, chased Liam Jones, 22, before twice ramming into the back of him as he rode along in Stechford, Birmingham. Liam suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene after being catapulted into a concrete post on August 1, 2023. Ibrahim hunted the electric bike rider down in his Seat Leon after being “wound up” by Liam and a pal who were doing wheelies along Moat Lane. West…

SWMRdonkey – by Filipa Gaspar Donkeys are taking the lead role in a new degree course – which will look at how films like ‘Shrek’ have attempted to portray their ‘inner lives’. The representation of donkeys in cinema is the focus of a new course that has been launched in partnership between University of Exeter and The Donkey’s Sanctuary. Film studies undergraduates electing to take the ‘Scrublands, Sanctuary, Screens’ option as part of their degree. Students will work with staff at The Donkey Sanctuary’s main site in Sidmouth, Devon – observing and recording their interactions with the animals. They will…

A former-homeless man has raised $120k to make tiny mobile homes for rough sleepers – only to be served a cease and desist by the city. Ryan Donais, 38, became homeless aged 18 and was forced to sleep on the streets. His experiences inspired his idea to build the tiny homes – which are made from fiberglass reinforced plastic and feature a bed, desk, storage, a sink and camping toilet. Ryan has made five tiny homes – costing around $10k each – so far to help tackle the homelessness problems in Toronto, Canada. But he’s now been told by the…

SWLSmurder – by Jane Hunt and Faye Mayern The mum of a young woman murdered by her ex-boyfriend has accused the police of letting her daughter down by not taking violent threats against her seriously. Samantha Mitchell’s daughter Courtney was fatally stabbed by Logan Burnett, 27, in a ‘cold and deliberate’ attack last August. Mrs Mitchell spoke as Burnett was handed a life sentence – with a minimum of 24 years – at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday (Feb 17). The court heard Burnett, who had issues with alcohol, drugs and has 52 previous convictions, had been violent to Miss…

SWNAtattoo – By Ed Chatterton *14:00 GMT EMBARGO 18/2/2025 – NO USE BEFORE THEN PLEASE* A great-gran who became the oldest person in the UK to get a tattoo is celebrating getting a FOURTH – for her 100th birthday. Hilda West now proudly sports several inkings on her arms after going under the needle for the first time in 2019 aged 94. She originally got the tattooed initials of her late husband Ernest and son David on her wrist before adding a butterfly to her upper arm last year. She visited a tattoo parlour near her care home in Kenilworth,…