News about Simon Collins

A High Court juror who Googled information about rape sentences and passed it on to fellow jury members has been found guilty of contempt of court. Cleaner Julie Williamson was fined £400 after the High Court in Dundee heard she tried to persuade other jurors not to find the accused guilty. Her forbidden online research led her to tell jury members that a rapist could be jailed for up to 19 years and that they were not qualified to make that decision.

As floodstorm Henk spewed two days after the Met Office issued a heavy rain warning, rail passengers were encouraged to return home early today. Customers were warned by Great Western Railway that they did not start journeys and that those who had already traveled should consider a return train 'as soon as possible.' South Western Railway, Thameslink, Southern, and Gatwick Express all warned of severe disruption later on, with speed limits imposed on certain lines. The Met Office first issued a rain warning from Cornwall to Suffolk, but then extended it northwards into Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. It runs until 3 a.m. tomorrow, and it warns of further power cuts and villages being cut off. Meteorologists have also warned of further flooding of homes and businesses, road closures, challenging driving conditions, and cancellations of train and bus services. The London Fire Brigade also warned that as a result of the rain, certain parts of London may suffer flash floods,' so'so make sure you know what to do in an emergency.' Six trees were destroyed during the storm, and Kew Gardens said today that the attraction in South West London would be'mulched and restored'.

The yellow weather warning for rain is in place from 12 p.m. today to three p.m. on Friday, with motorists warned of flooded roads and delays to local train and bus services along the south coast. The Met Office has warned stretches from the tip of Cornwall, Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent's furthest reaches, as well as parts of Suffolk. At its highest, the system will drop to 32mm (1.2 in) of rain an hour, and it could fall to 50mm (1.96in) of precipitation on the worst-affected areas. The effects, according to forecasters, will be worst-felt in areas hit by Storm Henk, particularly where groundwater levels are high after the onset of heavy downpours that left homes deflooded and roads cut off. There were 269 flood warnings in England on Thursday morning, indicating that floodwater is likely, as well as two additional 295 flood warnings (right).

A yellow weather warning is in place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, with motorists warned of flooded roads, with delays on local train and bus services the breadth of the south coast anticipated. The Met Office has warned stretches from the tip of Cornwall, Hampshire, and Sussex, to Kent's furthest reaches, and even Suffolk's parts. At its peak, the storm will drop 32 mills (1.96in) of rain per hour, and it could fall to 50mm (1.96in) of precipitation on the worst-affected areas.

Following Storm Henk's deluged, drivers abandoned their vehicles, and villages in the countryside were cut off, hundreds of residents in the United Kingdom suffered significant floods today. Nearly 750 flood alerts or warnings had been issued, while raw sewage was pumped by Thames Water into the river in Surrey and Berkshire, which flooded footpaths. After the nearby River Tame broke its banks, a column of 11 abandoned cars lay submerged in 4ft of water in Worcestershire. A stranded vehicle initially stopped the road, but more motorists became trapped as they attempted to navigate the floods and were required to be rescued by firefighters. The village of Severn Stoke was devastated by floods - with photographs showing children being evacuated, the St Denys Church graveyard submerged, and staff at the Rose and Crown pub frantically pumping out water. Strong winds hit 94 miles per hour yesterday, and a driver from the Bath area died after a tree fell on the car he was driving in near Kemble, Gloucestershire. In the meantime, the Met Office released another yellow rain warning for southern England, from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday, with up to 2in (50mm) falling. Several major roads in England were blocked due to flooding, and the rail network was also affected by the weather today, with Thameslink, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, and the South Western Railway among the affected operators.

After hundreds of homes were flooded with a flood of dirty water, homeowners around the United Kingdom are now counting the cost of Storm Henk. On Wednesday, footage taken in the Midlands shows people's houses under deep floodwaters in places such as Loughborough, Leicester, and Derbyshire. On Tuesday, some residents were forced to evacuate after rivers, which were already high from Storm Gerrit over Christmas, burst their banks due to torrential rain, with the raging water causing its way into their homes. Some communities have been left homeless and suffering power outages as a result of the storm, as well as 94mph gales, and several others have been devastated by major floods and power outages, and one man has tragically killed a car after a falling tree. After being trapped in floodwater, motorists had to be rescued by staff from a local golf club, according to footage taken in Worcestershire.

Dakota Baldwin-Wright, 25, a WAFL player on the Perth Demons, was hit by a train in Prague, Czech Republic, on Christmas Eve. Mr Baldwin-Wright was struck about 6 a.m. at Vrsovice Station, according to a translated statement issued by Prague City Police. Despite the train's rapid braking, the train pilot was unable to prevent a collision.' It was most likely an unfortunate occurrence,' criminologists say.'

A court heard yesterday that a 'bright and caring' teenager was mown down and killed by a sputtering Albanian driver with an expired driving licence. Sophie Geddes, 16, sustained horrific injury after being struck by Florjan Dajti, who was described by witnesses as 'hammering' down a road in Glasgow in December 2020. The Notre Dame High School pupil died in the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital a short time later. Rosemary Martin, Sophie's headteacher, paid tribute to the teen shortly after her death, saying she would "always have a special place in our hearts." Ms Martin said, 'We are completely devastated.' Sophie was more than a pupil at our kindergarten.