Stepdad killed 2-year-old who interrupted him watching porn
A vile UK man beat his 2-year-old stepson to death after he interrupted him watching porn — then called his dealer as the toddler lay dying, a UK judge said as he handed him a life sentence.
Keigan O’Brien had already been repeatedly brutalized in his short life, with previous injuries including a broken spine, broken ribs and a broken arm, Sheffield Crown Court heard, according to the Doncaster Free Press.
Stepdad Martin Currie, 36, then killed him in January when he flew into “a fit of temper” after the tot disturbed him as he “lay in bed looking at porn,” Judge Jennifer Eady told his sentencing Wednesday, the paper said.
The youngster died from a brain bleed, possibly from his head being slammed against a hard surface — with blood splatters found on a wall near his highchair, Yorkshire Live reported.
Keigan’s mom, Sarah O’Brien, was dropping off her other kids at school at the time of the attack — but even when she returned home, neither she nor Currie raised the alarm for at least two hours, the reports said.
During that time, the youngster’s heroin-addict stepdad instead searched online gambling sites — and called his drug dealer, according to phone records used in evidence.
Keigan’s death came just four days after his second birthday, prosecutor Jill Brookes told the court.
“He was killed in his own home — the place where he should have been safest from harm,” she told the court. “The desperately sad and shocking outcome of this case is that Keigan’s life ended before it had barely begun.”
Currie was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murder, with Eady ordering him to serve a minimum of 22 years, the Free Press said.
O’Brien was cleared of killing her son but sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of child cruelty and causing or allowing the death.
The court heard that she ignored previous beatings, and that she and Currie referred to the tragic youngster as “w—stain” and “s—head” in messages.
Keigan’s extended family previously said they would “miss him every day for the rest of our lives,” YorkshireLive said.
“We will never forget Keigan. Fly high with the angels little man.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/stepdad-killed-2-year-old-who-interrupted-him-watching-porn/
Photo Credit: South Yorkshire Police (2)
Nevada Mom Accused of Killing 2 Young Daughters, Telling Their Dad Organs Were Worth a Lot of Money
A Las Vegas woman is accused of two counts of murder after police say she drowned her two young children — and told the father that the babies’ organs would be “worth a lot of money.”
Amanda Sharp-Jefferson was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of Open Murder. She is being held without bond and will be appointed a public defender. She has not yet entered a plea.
According to an arrest report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Fox 5, the children’s father, Jaykwon Singleton, called 911 on Friday afternoon after discovering the children’s bodies.
Singleton said he arrived home and wanted to check on his children, but Sharp-Jefferson “shushed” him, saying the children were asleep. He told police he eventually checked on the children and realized they were cold and not breathing.
“[Sharp-Jefferson] kept shushing him and at one point, made a statement that their organs were worth a lot of money,” the arrest report alleges.
On the 911 call, a distraught Singleton can be heard asking Sharp-Jefferson, “What did you do?”
After a brief silence, he tells the 911 dispatcher, “she drowned them.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they allegedly found the children stacked on top of each other on a baby swing in the couple’s living room.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Police also allege that she later claimed she had no children and she lived in the apartment alone. Then her story changed again, and she allegedly said she discovered the dead children in her living room, but took a shower instead of calling 911. “I like showers,” she allegedly said, according to the police report.
Singleton told police he had been in a relationship with Sharp-Jefferson since 2018. He said that the relationship fell apart a few weeks ago, when Sharp-Jefferson accused him of cheating on her “with his spirit wife.” Singleton went to visit his grandmother the night before the children were found dead, but says nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
In an interview with Fox 5, Singleton says Sharp-Jefferson seemed to be losing her grip on reality.
“She was going through a spiritual and soul type of thing,” he told the station, “where she thought she wasn’t in this reality, she was in the spiritual and soul reality.”
Despite it all, Singleton says he forgives her.
“I forgive her,” he told the station. “I love her. If I walk around with hate/anger, I’m not going to be able to get through this situation. I have to act like they’re still here because the only way I can carry on their legacy is to stay positive.”
Sharp-Jefferson is due in court on Thursday afternoon to determine whether she can be released on bond.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/cm/nevada-mom-accused-killing-2-153826618.html
Photo Credit: newsbreak
Usher Shares the First Photo of Newborn Daughter Sovereign and How Astrology Played Into Her Early Birth
It was just two months ago that the Grammy winner shared the exciting news he was a father again. Back in September, he and his girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Sovereign Bo Raymond.
And while the couple kept the baby news tight-lipped throughout Jenn’s pregnancy, it looks like Usher is ready to open up about his first few months with his little one.
During a virtual appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the singer shared the first image of his newborn daughter while also discussing her early birth in a candid interview.
“She looks like a little porcelain doll. She doesn’t even look real,” Ellen DeGeneres said, marveling at Sovereign’s baby photo. However, Usher cheekily reminded the talk show host that his little one is cute “until you have to change her diaper.”
The “Bad Habits” singer also quipped that his daughter is already calling the shots. But he mentioned he’s not too surprised by this since he and Sovereign share the same zodiac sign.
As he put it, “She came out early. She was scheduled to be a Scorpio but decided she had a different plan. Libras, you know, they kinda have their minds made up on what they wanna do.”
“It’s funny because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her wrists,” he added. “So she’s pulling the thing, like, ‘Pull me outta here, it’s time to go!'”
Sovereign’s early arrival isn’t just leaving a sweet impression on her famous father. Usher revealed that his sons, Usher Raymond V, 12, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 11, “are excited about being big brothers.”
“As they get older, I’m less cool of a dad,” Usher explained of how his sons see him these days. “So now I’m starting this whole cycle over again and I’m kind of the apple of her eye right now.”
The superstar shares his two kids with his ex-wife Tameka Foster.
Usher’s mom is also over-the-moon over his baby girl. He admitted that she’s already redecorating her place to make room for Sovereign.
“My mom, with all of the kids, she gives them their own room,” he told Ellen about his children and niece. “I’m like, ‘Mom, you’re kind of out of space, what are you gonna do?’ She’s like, ‘Oh no no no no, she’s gonna have her room. She’s just gonna take your room.'”
“She’s kicking me out,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sleeping on the couch and Sovereign, she now has my old bedroom. But it’s cool.”
In late September, Usher shared the heartwarming news that his bundle of joy arrived early.
“We are feeling blessed and full of love with the arrival of our beautiful baby girl, Sovereign Bo Raymond,” he captioned his Instagram post. “‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Stevie Wonder on repeat.”
A few weeks before his daughter’s arrival, the father of three raved about the baby news during an interview with James Corden. “It’s been a tough time for everybody, so I’m really excited to have this incredible news,” he told the host. “This new arrival. I’m really anticipating it.”
Now, the singer’s little Libra is here and making everyone swoon.
Article via EOnline
UPS ends ban on beards and natural Black hairstyles
The shipping company is lifting several of its longstanding strict rules on the personal appearance of its employees who interact with the public — mostly its army of delivery drivers.
The changes loosen the previous strict limits on facial hair (no beards for most employees, and mustaches limited to above the crease of the lip), how long men could wear their hair (nothing longer than collar length) and hairstyles (no Afros or braids). While styles still must be business-appropriate and not pose a safety concern, those specific limits have been eliminated.Wednesday’s announcement also includes the lifting of gender-specific regulations, including rules like the length of the uniform’s shorts. The new rules, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, were posted on an internal company web site for employees.
“These changes reflect our values and desire to have all UPS employees feel comfortable, genuine and authentic while providing service to our customers and interacting with the general public,” UPS said in a a statement, adding that the company is “determined to continue to make UPS a great place to work for all of our more than 500,000 employees around the world.”
UPS is also surely motivated by its scrambling to add the staff needed to handle the increase crush of packages associated with the surge in online shopping brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.”Our CEO, Carol Tomé, listened to feedback from employees and heard that changes in this area would make them more likely to recommend UPS as an employer,” said UPS in its statement.Tomé, the first woman to lead UPS, told investors on a recent conference call that the company had increased its employee training, including to combat unconscious bias and promote diversity and inclusion, “to ensure our actions match our values.”
UPS had faced criticism that its appearance rules, particularly the hair guidelines, amounted to a form of discrimination. In 2018 it agreed to pay a $4.9 million fine and enter into a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to allow greater freedom to wear beards and long hair by those who filed for a religious exemption.
“The EEOC alleged … UPS failed to hire or promote individuals whose religious practices conflict with its appearance policy and failed to provide religious accommodations,” said the EEOC at the time, which also alleged that “UPS segregated employees who maintained beards or long hair in accordance with their religious beliefs into non-supervisory, back-of-the-facility positions without customer contact.”The company then moved to allow religious and medical exemptions for facial hair. But Wednesday’s announcement addresses a broader problem of unconscious bias that the rules reflected, according to Lucinda Duncalfe, founder and CEO of AboveBoard.com, an executive hiring firm that promotes diversity.
“These policies are hold-overs from a different era and reflect the biases that hold back progress, and performance,” said Duncalfe, who praised the change as “great news.” “It never made sense that “natural’ hair was impermissible,” she added.Nearly 300,000 UPS employees are represented by the Teamsters union, and the former rules applied to many of them. The union praised the change.”We are very pleased about it,” said Teamsters’ statement. “The union contested the previous guidelines as too strict numerous times over the years through the grievance/arbitration process and contract negotiations. We have proposed neatly trimmed beards during several previous national negotiations.”It’s been a busy year for UPS. The volume of packages UPS handled increased 13.5% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier, and the company hired 39,000 permanent new employees in the second quarter of 2020, and it intends to hire more than 100,000 additional seasonal employees for the peak holiday season.
Food Network star Alton Brown apologizes after ‘flippant’ Holocaust remarks on Twitter
Brown, host and creator of “Good Eats,” claims he made the comments while remarking on the current political climate.
Food Network star and “Iron Chef America” host Alton Brown apologized Wednesday after making “flippant” remarks about the Holocaust on Twitter.
Brown, who became a celebrity chef as host and creator of “Good Eats,” claims he was commenting on the current political climate and that the Holocaust references were not for “humorous effect.”
According to screenshots circulating online of now deleted tweets from Tuesday night, the television personality made references to being moved to camps and asked if there will be striped uniforms “like the ones at Auschwitz or will plaid be in vogue?” NBC News has not viewed the original tweets.
When one user replied to Brown to “take it easy,” Brown — in a tweet that has not been deleted as of Wednesday and was seen by NBC News — responded, “F— you.”
StopAntisemitism.org, a non-profit group dedicated to documenting anti-Semitic behavior, posted a screenshot of one of Brown’s original tweets along with his headshot, calling the reference “vile.”
“The @FoodNetwork host of Iron Chef America @altonbrown just spat on the graves of six million Jews with his vile, atrocious comment!” the organization tweeted on Tuesday.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=NBCNews&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1326367463118942214&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpop-culture%2Fpop-culture-news%2Ffood-network-star-alton-brown-apologizes-after-flippant-holocaust-remarks-n1247466&siteScreenName=NBCNews&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px
The @FoodNetwork host of Iron Chef America @altonbrown just spat on the graves of six million Jews with his vile, atrocious comment! pic.twitter.com/r0f7MJanh9— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) November 11, 2020
Brown apologized Wednesday for the “flippant” reference to the Holocaust, which killed an estimated six million Jewish people.
“It was not a reference I made for humorous effect but rather to reflect how deeply frightened I am for our country,” Brown tweeted Wednesday. “It was a very poor use of judgement and in poor taste.”https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=NBCNews&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1326559420533321733&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpop-culture%2Fpop-culture-news%2Ffood-network-star-alton-brown-apologizes-after-flippant-holocaust-remarks-n1247466&siteScreenName=NBCNews&theme=light&widgetsVersion=ed20a2b%3A1601588405575&width=550px
I apologize for the flippant reference I made to the Holocaust in my tweet last night. It was not a reference I made for humorous effect but rather to reflect how deeply frightened I am for our country. It was a very poor use of judgement and in poor taste.— Alton Brown (@altonbrown) November 11, 2020
Brown has become known over the years for his controversial Twitter account and comments. Eater reported in 2011 that Brown announced he was going to leave the platform after someone made a fake account posing as his wife.
The outlet reported at the time that Brown would “regularly post a bunch of tweets only to delete them en masse, usually within twelve hours.”
Social media users were upset with Brown on Monday for saying he had voted for Republicans for “most” of his life, in a tweet that has also been deleted but reported on by multiple outlets, including Eater and Newsweek. Brown did not delete a response to a fan, however, who said he was “disappointed” in the television host.
“Frankly, you have no right to be disappointed in me,” Brown tweeted. “None whatsoever. I have used my own platform to speak my mind. You may dislike me, certainly but disappointment in me should be reserved for say…bad recipes.”
Representatives for Alton Brown and the Food Network did not immediately respond to NBC News requests for comment.
Article via NBCNews
Utah man arrested for excessively speeding said he was his on way to kill former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill
SALT LAKE CITY, Ut. (KMOV.com) — A Utah man told police he was on his way to kill former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill after he was arrested for speeding and driving under the influence, the Deseret News reports.
According to the newspaper, 36-year-old George William Stahl, of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of driving recklessly, making terroristic threats, speeding, failing to stop, DUI, and drug possession.
According to a police affidavit cited by Deseret News, Stahl was caught speeding in the snow at speeds of up to 130 mph on Interstate 80 by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Police spiked Stahl’s vehicle’s tires after he failed to stop and he was arrested.
He told police he was on his way to Missouri to kill former Sen. Claire McCaskill if she wasn’t dead already, the affidavit said.
He made several threats to McCaskill and said he was on his way to kill her several times.
McCaskill is currently working as a political analyst for MSNBC after losing her Senate seat to Josh Hawley in 2019.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/utah-man-arrested-for-excessively-speeding-said-he-was-his-on-way-to-kill-claire/article_216dda50-2458-11eb-af31-97c6ea104040.html?block_id=985911
Photo Credit: kmov.com/Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Sex addict dies during orgy after using Viagra, erection cream “Marathon Rub”
A sex addict in Thailand downed a cocktail of drugs, including Viagra, and slathered an erection cream called “Marathon Rub” on his penis before taking part in an orgy — in which he died of a heart attack, according to a report.
Khun Thep, 44, collapsed during the monthly romp with friends in a hotel suite in Samut Prakan province, where police found the erectile dysfunction medication, the cream, booze and some other meds, the Sun reported.
The cab driver had taken a woman to his room, but told his pals an hour later that he was feeling unusually tired. They later found him unresponsive and naked from the waist down, according to the outlet.
“We celebrate like this every month. He came to our suite and just slept on the couch while we partied. We thought he was just tired,” a friend said. “However, after I shook his body, he wasn’t responding.”
In addition to several bottles of whiskey and cans of beer, police found fried chicken and dried shrimp on a nearby table.
Investigators said Thep suffered a heart attack after having “energetic” sex.
“There was nothing suspicious about the death at the hotel,” police spokesman Namasphong Madha said. “However, it is embarrassing for his family as they did not know that he was there.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/11/sex-addict-dies-during-orgy-after-using-viagra-erection-cream/
Photo Credit: ViralPress
Elementary school in France had to ban late-arriving parents from throwing their kids over its closed gate when dropping them off
Some tardy moms and dads “were literally throwing their children” over the 6-foot fence outside the Trillade school in Avignon, principal Sanaa Meziane told local outlet La Provence.
“It hasn’t happened that many times, but as little as it happened, we preferred to get ahead of it,” Meziane said, adding she believed it was just a matter of time before a child was hurt.
Educators put up posters at the school’s entrance depicting an adult throwing a kid over a fence with the words “Attention Danger.”
“I do not throw my children over the gate!” the notice reads.
The sign also includes instructions to parents who arrive after the 8:30 a.m. bell to come back at 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. when the gates are reopened.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/11/french-school-bans-tardy-parents-from-throwing-kids-over-gate/
Photo Credit: nypost
Man reportedly drowns after overhearing wife flirting with lover on butt-dial call
A UK man with a phobia of water was found dead in a swimming pool after his estranged wife butt-dialed him while flirting with another man, according to a report.
Gareth Rees, 49, was house-sitting for a millionaire pal in August when he got the errant call from Claire Rees as she held a “sexually suggestive” conversation with her new lover, the Sun reported, citing an inquest.
Despite his fear of water and not knowing how to swim, Gareth took a plunge into the pool outside the luxury home, whose owners were vacationing in France, according to the outlet.
When Claire realized that she was sharing her romantic talk with her horrified hubby, she raced to the house in Churt, Surrey, where she found his boozed-up, lifeless body in the water, the paper reported.
During the inquest, she said what Gareth apparently heard “would not have been nice” as she flirted with her new beau, Glen Ryan, on a lunch date at a pub, the Sun reported.
“I feel really bad about it now but my friends and I had joked earlier because Gareth had texted me to say he was going for a dip in the pool,” she told the inquest.
“He cannot swim, he hated water, he had a phobia — we thought he was joking,” she said. “If the pocket dial had anything to do with his death, that is something I have to live with. I have had to make my peace with it.”
Pathologist Dr. Robert Chapman confirmed that Gareth had died from drowning after consuming an over-the-drunk-driving amount of alcohol at the time of his death.
Gareth reportedly suspected that Claire was romantically involved with someone else, leaving him “angry and upset.”
On the morning of his death, he had Googled the name “Glen Ryan” and searched for him on Facebook, according to the report.
Dr. Karen Henderson, the assistant coroner, said she could not be certain that Gareth had intended to drown himself.
“It was clear he was upset that she was moving on, he had overheard remarks about him that were not complimentary and had the realization that his marriage was not going to be recoverable,” she said.
“However, I have no evidence that there was an intention to end his life, he had no known history of mental health problems and no note was left,” Henderson added.
Claire said that “Gareth was a lovely person, he was the best stepfather to my son. We had both drifted and it was my son that said he could not cope with the arguing.
“That was the nail in the coffin,” she added.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/11/man-drowns-after-overhearing-wife-flirting-with-lover-report/
Photo Credit: facebook
A fifth-grade teacher in Texas is accused of fatally shooting her 17-year-old son while taking him to school
A fifth-grade Montessori teacher in Texas is accused of shooting her 17-year-old son and faces a murder charge, according to local news reports.
The incident happened on Monday morning in Riesel, Texas when 39-year-old Sarah Hunt was driving her son to school, according to Waco Tribune-Harold. After receiving a tip around 8 a.m, police responded to a 911 call regarding Hunt’s unaccompanied Hyundai minivan — which was on a road just outside the city— and discovered her teenage son, Garrett Hunt, in the passenger’s seat with fatal injuries, Waco Tribune-Herald reported.
According to KWTX citing an affidavit, police also discovered a .40 caliber pistol, cartridge cases, and a magazine in and outside of the minivan during their search.
Hunt reportedly deserted her car following the shooting and started to walk to Riesel where authorities arrested her, according to the Waco Tribune-Harold.
“At this point we don’t have a motive, we don’t know what happened, we don’t know what led up to this,” McLennan County Sheriff Parnell told Waco Tribune-Herald on November 9. “It’s a big mystery, and that’s what we’re trying to determine.”
The affidavit viewed by KWTX revealed that following the shooting, Hunt came across two bystanders and said “what have I done,” and told officers during interrogation that she didn’t mean to kill her son, the news station reported.
According to Waco Tribune-Harold’s report citing the affidavit, Hunt’s son had been with his father before she had taken him on his way to his first day at a high school in Riesel.
Hunt is facing a first-degree murder charge and on a $500,000 bond at the Mclennan County jail, the newspaper reported.
The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
via: https://www.yahoo.com/news/fifth-grade-teacher-texas-accused-201323689.html
Photo Credit: nypost.com