A notorious child rapist who escaped from staff while on escorted community leave has been found. Clifford Lyons, also known by the surname Dobbie, absconded on Thursday, August 6, while out with escorts in Perth city centre. Dobbie, a restricted patient, has spent decades in secure psychiatric hospitals after being convicted of raping a 10-year-old girl in Glasgow while on bail for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy in 1990. He has been detained in high-security units, including the State Hospital at Carstairs, ever since. Police Scotland issued an urgent appeal after he went on the run, warning the public not to approach Dobbie and stating that they wanted to trace him 'as quickly as possible'. The force confirmed he had been found on Saturday.
Man Arrested in Teen's Murder
A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Scotland on suspicion of murdering a teenager who was stabbed in Northamptonshire last month. Detectives investigating the murder of Khadeem Parris said the suspect was arrested in Motherwell on Thursday evening and remains in custody on Friday. A second man, Fuad Mohamud, appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court on July 14 charged with the murder of the 16-year-old. Khadeem died from an alleged stab wound following an incident at an address in the Abington area of Northampton on July 7. Mohamud, 21, of no fixed address, is next due to appear at Northampton Crown Court for a plea hearing on August 17. A 19-year-old man, a 56-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender remain on police bail, pending further inquiries.
Far-Right Protestors in Scotland
Police are facing calls to crack down on Ulster Loyalist figures who are whipping up far right protests in Scotland. The calls came after a 'Unite the Clans' demo in Glasgow saw figures linked to Loyalist groups in Northern Ireland in the heart of the disorder that shamed the city. The Record can reveal that strong links have been forged between Ulster Loyalist groups and Scots far-right figures driving anti-immigrant protests. At the Glasgow protest sectarian killer Glen Kane teamed up with UVF-linked bank robber Mark Sinclair. The pair from Northern Ireland published a stream of videos showing widespread disorder. A self-confessed former member of the UVF loyalist terrorist organisation, Sinclair comes from the Shankill area of west Belfast. In 2003, when Sinclair was jailed for 18 years for robbing three Clydesdale Bank branches banks in Troon, Stewarton and Dalbeattie, it was claimed that the robberies were linked to paramilitary activities in Northern Ireland. Glen Kane, 60, became notorious after the sectarian killing of Catholic man Kieran Abram during a sectarian riot in Belfast in July 1992. He was jailed for nine years for manslaughter after being part of the Loyalist mob.
Amanda Knox Show at Edinburgh Fringe
A controversial show by Amanda Knox, who was falsely imprisoned over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007, has been described as 'profoundly respectful' by audience members despite claims it 'trivialises' violence against women. She was convicted in 2009 of the murder and sexual assault of British foreign exchange student Ms Kercher, alongside her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Ms Knox was eventually cleared in 2015. Ms Knox performed the show, named Cartwheel, at the Edinburgh Fringe on Friday night. The title refers to a story which claimed she did cartwheels in a police station following her friend's death. It has sparked controversy, with more than 6,000 people signing a petition calling for it to be cancelled. The sister of Ms Kercher said it 'normalises and trivialises violence against women'.
Christian Convert Accused of Murder
The Christian convert accused of killing Scots missionary Elisabeth-Jane Ross reportedly turned his back on the religion before she was found dead. Pro boxer and Afghan refugee Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, is said to have been hanging around bars 'as if he was a single man' in the months before Elisabeth's body was found dumped in a suitcase in central Athens. The 38-year-old from Edinburgh was found dead by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on July 18. Ahmadzai has been charged with homicide with intent in connection with her death and appeared in court for the first time on Thursday. Married Ahmadzai is understood to have abandoned his Islamic faith for Christianity after fleeing Afghanistan in 2016 and met his American wife Alaina Hall at an NGO that took him in. The couple then set up a refugee charity together, which led them to meet Elisabeth, known as Lisa. Alaina, who is understood to have provided key evidence in the case against her husband, is reported to have confided in two evangelical Christians from the southern US, saying she had noticed a change in her husband before the alleged killing.
