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Teen found not guilty of murdering Brisbane mum

A teenager has been found not guilty of murdering Brisbane mother Emma Lovell, with her heart-broken widow shedding tears at the verdict. The now 18-year-old faced trial on the allegation that he had seen a knife in his co-offender's hand and knew he was armed when the pair broke into the Lovell home on Boxing Day in 2022. The main offender fatally stabbed Emma and hurt her husband Lee in the struggle that followed. With the case largely dependant on crucial split-second CCTV, Justice Michael Copley ruled he could not "be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused knew the other teen was in possession of the knife". The teenager was found not guilty of Ms Lovell's murder or manslaughter and also acquitted of unlawful wounding, but was found guilty of burglary and assault in company. Outside the court, Lee Lovell became emotional as he told reporters, "I'm not feeling too great at the moment - the verdict was a joke. I don't feel justified for Emma one bit." "You try and do the best you can for her and I don't feel I've been able to do that." Mr Lovell said legislation needed to be changed in order for victims and their families to have justice. "You are a part of killing someone and you get a burglary charge. What does that say for anyone going forward," he said. "We are the ones with a life sentence now." Image credits: Facebook

Legal

Woman cured of Type 1 diabetes in life-changing clinical trial

Marlaina Goedel was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was just five-years-old, and not only was the disease controlling her, but it almost cost her life. "I've crashed my car into a brick building before having a diabetic attack while driving," Goedel recalled. Her condition was so extreme that she felt robbed of a normal childhood, telling the Daily Mail that she was in and out of hospital with life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis, which causes toxic chemicals to build up in the blood due to a lack of insulin. Now 30-years-old, the Illinois woman no longer needs daily insulin shots and can finally enjoy sugar again thanks to a pioneering stem cell therapy that has cured her of type 1 diabetes. Goedel was one of three Americans who have been cured of their type 1 diabetes thanks to the clinical trial involving an islet cell transplant. It is a one-off infusion that involved transplanting islet cells into her liver to help her body produce insulin on its own. After four weeks, she no longer needed to take insulin. "[My doctor] said, ‘Mark it on your calendar. Today is the day. Stop all insulin,'" Goedel said of the life-changing moment. "I just went quiet and finally said, ‘I’m here. I’m in shock. I’m going to need you to repeat that.’" The trial was being run at the University of Chicago Medicine Transplant Institute. While Islet cell transplants isn't a new procedure, the current anti-rejection medication used can be toxic to the transplanted cells, potentially making it less effective over time. The clinical trial that ran at the university tested out a new antibody called tegoprubart, which was given to Goedel and the two other patients. Tegoprubart is made from lab-made antibodies that trick the immune system into thinking the body made the cells on its own, preventing them from being rejected. The patients were then given islet cells from a deceased donor's pancreas, which were then infused into the patient's small blood vessels in their liver. Those cells then lodged into the blood vessels and started producing insulin. For Goedel the only side effect of the procedure was "feeling like I got punched in the ribs," with the procedure lasting just an hour. "The cure is out there," Goedel told the Daily Mail. With her new lease on life, Goedel plans to go back to school and go horse riding without worrying about suffering an attack and causing an accident. "It took a while to get used to saying, 'I am cured. I am diabetes free.' It's been very freeing," she said. "No one should have to live with this disease. I know that now more than ever." Images: Good Morning America/ UChicago Medicine

Caring

Is it possible to have a fair jury trial anymore?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/arlie-loughnan-12732">Arlie Loughnan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> The decades-long mystery about what happened to 19-year-old Amber Haigh made it to court in New South Wales earlier this year. Those accused of murdering Haigh were found <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/16/amber-haigh-murder-trial-verdict-not-guilty-robert-anne-geeves-ntwnfb">not guilty</a>. Usually we don’t know precisely why someone was found guilty or not. But in this case, the reasons were given. This is because the trial was “<a href="https://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/benchbks/criminal/judge_alone_trials.html">judge alone</a>”: a trial without a jury. This means the judge decides on the factual questions as well as the legal ones. And as judges are required to give reasons for their decisions, we learned what was behind the verdict, something usually hidden by the “<a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/SydLRev/2013/32.pdf">black box</a>” of the jury room. Judge alone trials are <a href="https://bocsar.nsw.gov.au/research-evaluations/2024/CJB264-Summary-Effect-of-judge-alone-trials1.html">increasing</a> in New South Wales. Moves are being made in some <a href="https://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/PrecedentAULA/2020/69.html">other Australian jurisdictions</a> to increase access to judge alone trials. While it’s only possible to hold a judge alone trial in certain circumstances, and there are small numbers of such trials relative to other trials, some lawyers and judges think these trials have <a href="https://bocsar.nsw.gov.au/documents/publications/cjb/cjb251-300/CJB264-Report-Effect-of-judge-alone-trials.pdf">advantages</a> over those with a jury. This is because jury trials face a lot of challenges. Some have pondered whether, in this media-saturated environment, there is such a thing as a fair jury trial. So what are these challenges, and where do they leave the time-honoured process? <h2>What happens in a jury trial?</h2> The criminal trial brings together knowledge of the facts that underpin the criminal charge. The task of the jury is to independently assess that knowledge as presented in the trial, and reach a conclusion about guilt to the criminal standard of proof: <a href="https://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/benchbks/criminal/onus_and_standard_of_proof.html">beyond reasonable doubt</a>. Crucially, lay people provide legitimacy to this process, as individuals drawn from all walks of life are engaged in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/jury-is-out-why-shifting-to-judge-alone-trials-is-a-flawed-approach-to-criminal-justice-137397">decision-making</a> around the guilt of the accused. The jury is therefore a fundamental part of our <a href="https://theconversation.com/all-about-juries-why-do-we-actually-need-them-and-can-they-get-it-wrong-112703">democracy</a>. <h2>The changing trial</h2> For its legitimacy, the criminal trial traditionally relies on open justice, independent prosecutors and the lay jury (the “black box”), all overseen by the impartial umpire, the judge, and backed up by the appeal system. But these aspects of the criminal trial are being challenged by changes occurring inside and outside the courtroom. These challenges include high levels of <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-punitive-media-intrude-on-the-courts-role-can-justice-be-served-63824">media attention</a> given to criminal justice matters. Another is the questioning about the way <a href="https://theconversation.com/lehrmann-inquiry-whats-a-director-of-public-prosecutions-or-dpp-a-legal-expert-explains-206194">public prosecutors are using their discretion</a> in bringing charges against individuals. This is happening in NSW, ACT and Victoria. There are also concerns about “<a href="https://theconversation.com/junk-science-is-being-used-in-australian-courtrooms-and-wrongful-convictions-are-at-stake-231480">junk science</a>” being relied on Australian courtrooms. This is where unreliable or inaccurate expert evidence is introduced in trials. Some legal bodies are also demanding a <a href="https://lawcouncil.au/publicassets/0e6c7bd7-e1d6-e611-80d2-005056be66b1/120421-Policy-Statement-Commonwealth-Criminal-Cases-Review-Comission.pdf">post-appeal criminal cases review commission</a> to prevent wrongful convictions. <h2>Added complexity</h2> It is not just juries that must come to grips with complex evidence in criminal matters. Judges and lawyers are also required to grasp intricate scientific evidence, understand new areas of expertise, and get across changing practices of validating expert knowledge. The difficulty of these tasks for judges and lawyers was on show in the two special inquiries into Kathleen Folbigg’s convictions for the murder of her children, held in 2019 and 2022–23. Rapid developments in genetic science, alongside other developments, came to <a href="https://theconversation.com/folbigg-pardon-science-is-changing-rapidly-and-the-law-needs-to-change-with-it-207604">cast doubt</a> on the accuracy of Folbigg’s convictions. This was just a few years after the first inquiry concluded there was no reasonable doubt about her guilt. The challenges facing criminal trials are one dimension of much wider social and political dynamics. News and information is produced and consumed differently now. People have <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-so-many-people-have-had-enough-of-experts-and-how-to-win-back-trust-206134">differing degrees</a> of respect for scientific knowledge and expertise. Trust in authority and institutions <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-charts-show-how-trust-in-australias-leaders-and-institutions-has-collapsed-183441">is low</a>. These factors come together in a perfect storm and pose existential questions about what criminal justice should look like now. <h2>What does the future look like?</h2> The future of criminal law and its institutions depends on their <a href="https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/32995">legitimacy</a>. It’s legitimacy that gives courts the social license and power to proscribe conduct, prosecute crimes and authorise punishment. Juries are a vital piece of this picture. Amid the changing environment, there are things we can do to improve jury trials and in turn, safeguard and enhance their legitimacy. One is providing extremely careful instructions to juries to make sure jurors <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-better-jury-directions-to-ensure-justice-is-done-104417">understand their tasks</a>, and do not feel <a href="https://lawfoundation.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UNSW_Jury_Study_Hunter_2013.pdf">frustrated</a>. Another is introducing <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343032083_Regulating_Forensic_Science_and_Medicine_Evidence_at_Trial_It's_Time_for_a_Wall_a_Gate_and_Some_Gatekeeping">higher and better standards</a> for expert evidence. Experts testifying in court need firm guidance, especially on their use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-words-that-helped-wrongly-convict-kathleen-folbigg-200635">industry jargon</a>, to decrease chances of wrongful convictions. These sorts of changes might be coupled with changes in criminal laws, like enhancing laws of self-defence so they are <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5aa98420f2e6b1ba0c874e42/t/64a58aac48b25f2af05ac74f/1688570542199/CWJ+Arlie+Loughnan+and+Clare+Davidson+Australia.pdf">more accessible to women</a> in domestic violence situations. Together, this would help to future-proof criminal law, ready to meet the challenges of coming years and decades that we are yet to detect.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/239401/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/arlie-loughnan-12732">Arlie Loughnan</a>, Professor of Criminal Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-possible-to-have-a-fair-jury-trial-anymore-239401">original article</a>. </div>

Legal

New $1m reward for cold case murder of three children

A new $1 million reward is being offered for information about each of the murders of three First Nations children around 34 years ago. Four-year-old Evelyn Greenup, Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, and Colleen Walker-Craig, 16, disappeared from Bowraville, a town in northern NSW over a five-month period from September 1990. Evelyn and Clinton's remains were found in nearby bushland, but Colleen's have never been found. The murders were initially investigated separately before being linked by the homicide squad. Now, after various appeals over the decades, NSW Police have issued a re-appeal for information into the murders, with a particular focus on locating the remains of Colleen. “A $1 million reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each of the children’s murder remains in place, as well as for information leading to the location and recovery of Colleen’s remains,” NSW Police said on Monday. Detectives are also going to be spending the week in Bowraville to speak to locals who may have information about the children's deaths. A man, who can't be named for legal reasons, was acquitted of Clinton's murder in 1994, and Evelyn's murder in 2006. The case was the subject of two police investigations, multiple trials, a coronial inquest, and a parliamentary inquiry. In 2018, the government tried to convince the NSW court of criminal appeal that there was fresh and compelling evidence – related to the disappearance of Colleen – in attempt to overturn the two acquittals and instead have a new single trial on three murder charges. However, the court refused to grant special leave to the NSW government to appeal against the decision. In 2019, hundreds protested in front of the gates of the Court of Appeal when a retrial was denied. Images: 7pm TV News NSW/ ABC News

Legal

Woman sentenced to life for murdering parents and living with their bodies

A British woman, who murdered her parents and lived with their bodies for four years, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday and is not eligible for parole for 36 years. When Essex Police raided Virginia McCullough's house in Great Baddow last September, the 36-year-old confessed that her parents' bodies were in the house and that she had killed them. She admitted to poisoning her father, John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication that she put into his drink, and then a few days later, beat her 71-year-old mother Lois McCullough with a hammer and fatally stabbed her. “I did know that this would kind of come eventually,” she said while handcuffed in body cam footage released by police on Friday. “It’s proper that I serve my punishment.” After McCullough was arrested, she told an officer: “Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy,” adding that “I know I don’t seem 100 per cent evil.” Further body cam footage showed her at the police station telling officers where to find the tools she used to kill her mother. She had pleaded guilty to murdering her parents at a previous hearing in June 2019. In the words of the prosecution, McCullough kept her father in a “homemade mausoleum” in his bedroom and study, in a structure that was “composed with masonry blocks stacked together.” She wrapped her mother's body in a sleeping bag and put it in a wardrobe on the top floor of the property. In the four years after the murder, she ran up £149,697 ($AU289,792) on credit cards in her parents’ names and continued to spend their pensions. The court heard she cancelled family arrangements and told doctors and relatives that her parents were unwell or away on a trip. Statements from her three unnamed siblings were also read in court, and one said: “our parents were completely blameless victims”. “Virginia always said Mum and Dad were fine and made up lie after lie about their daily activities," another said. Judge Jeremy Johnson said at the sentencing hearing on Friday that McCullough’s actions represented a “gross violation of the trust that should exist between parents and their children.” Judge Johnson said that she had maintained an “elaborate, extensive and enduring web of deceit” over months and years and that he was sure there was a “substantial degree of both pre-meditation and planning," that went into the murder. Essex Police said documents found in the home showed that McCullough was trying desperately” to keep her parents from discovering the poor state of her finances, and gave “false assurances” about her employment and future prospects. “She is an intelligent manipulator who chose to kill her parents callously, without a thought for them or those who continue to suffer as a result of their loss,” said Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby. "The details of this case shock and horrify even the most experienced of murder detectives, let alone any right-thinking member of the public.” Image: Essex Police/ 7NEWS

Legal

Arrest made for the alleged murder of Queensland psychologist

Police have arrested a 47-year-old man in connection with the death of Queensland mother and psychologist Frances Crawford. The 49-year-old woman was found dead on an Upper Lockyer property in Queensland shortly before 4am on July 30th, with paramedics initially reporting the incident as a "mower rollover". Despite initial reports, police shared an update on their investigation on Friday to say they were treating her death as suspicious, alleging the woman was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/police-share-major-update-on-woman-s-lawnmower-death">murdered</a>. Superintendent Marchesini said several lines of inquiry were being pursued by homicide detectives, and shared a plea to the public for information. One of the lines of inquiry being pursued involved the alleged relationship Frances' husband Robert had with “multiple women”. “We believe there were women who were involved in relationships with Mr Crawford who may have information about Mrs Crawford that will assist with this investigation,” Superintendent Marchesini said at the time. “We are particularly interested in speaking with people who knew of Frances or Robert Crawford and their personal circumstances, including their marriage.” On Thursday, police released a statement to confirm that they had arrested Frances’ husband in connection to her death, while thanking the public for valuable information. “Investigations are continuing and there is no further information at this time,” they said. “Detectives can confirm a number of people have provided information since our last public appeal, and thank those people for their bravery in coming forward.” “Anyone with information that can assist with investigations is encouraged to come forward and contact police.” Image credits: 7News - Crawford Family

Legal

Charlise Mutten's mum breaks silence

Kallista Mutten, the mother of murdered schoolgirl Charlise Mutten, has broken her silence in her first ever television interview. Nine-year-old Charlise was brutally murdered by her mother's then fiancée Justin Stein at his family home in the Blue Mountains, Sydney in January 2022. In August, Stein was sentenced to life in jail without parole, after he was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/jury-decides-fate-of-accused-murderer-justin-stein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> of Charlise's murder, having shot the little girl twice before dumping her body in a barrel. Since Charlise's murder, Kallista had been harassed in public and abused by people on public transport to the extent she could no longer go outside. In an upcoming interview for 60 Minutes that will air this Sunday night, Kallista broke her silence. "I'm not this monster, this unfit mother," she told reporter Dimity Clancey in a newly released preview. "Charlise deserved more." "I miss her so much, she believed in me," she continued through tears. Many have blamed her for the horrific murder that happened while Charlise was in her care. At the time, Charlise was visiting her mum and Stein in Sydney for Christmas from the Gold, where she lived with her grandparents. She spent the night of January 11 alone with Stein at his property in the Blue Mountains, while her mother stayed at a caravan about a 90-minute drive away. "I hate myself for it, I really do," Kallista said. The preview also showed footage of an agitated Stein pacing around the police interview room, while blaming Charlise's mum for the murder. "It was all her. I can't sit here and cover for her," he said. Kallista denied having any involvement in her daughter's death and broke down in tears during a hearing, where she read a victim's impact statement via audio video link. "(Charlise) just longed for you to be her dad. I just hate myself for being so wrong about you," she said at the time. "I am forced to live with fact I trusted someone and because of my trust I put my daughter in harm's way." In the 60 Minutes preview, a police detective said that Stein "weaved a web of wicked lies and deception", with Kallista describing her former partner as "pure evil". Images: Nine

Family & Pets

Thief gambles away $64k raised for alleged murder victim's family

A gambling addict has been sentenced to 400 hours unpaid community service after admitting to stealing $64,000 from a GoFundMe page intended for a grieving family. Lachlan Morganti, 26, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a single charge of theft, as magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz sentenced him to a two-year community corrections order and 400 hours of unpaid work. The court was told that Morganti set up the fundraising page on behalf of the family of allegedly murdered woman Hannah McGuire, who <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/you-were-our-whole-damn-sky-tributes-flow-after-alleged-murder-of-young-teacher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> on April 5th this year. He had become acquainted with the family, who managed The National Hotel in Clunes, through their support of the Clunes Cricket Club where he played. “Hannah was known by many as a bright young woman and had a heart of gold,” the fundraiser read. “All proceeds will go towards funeral costs and other expenses the family may need during this tough time.” In just a few days, the GoFundMe page raised more than $64,000 in generous donations from the community. The funds dropped in Morganti’s bank account on April 24th, but he almost immediately began to gamble with it, losing the full amount in four to five days. After his arrest, Morganti told police he had an “uncontrollable” gambling addiction and internally justified it by believing he would only use a small portion to fix his mounting gambling debts. “I accept the act of creating the GoFundMe was meant as an altruistic act, that it was intended as a selfless act to benefit the grieving McGuire family,” Ms Mykytowycz said. “However, the temptation to use this money to recover previous debts became overwhelming and self-indulgent.” In a statement to the court, Hannah's mother Debbie McGuire said it was important to note no one from their family had asked for support or for Morganti to start the GoFundMe, adding that Morganti had the “audacity” to attend Hannah’s funeral among many of those whose contributions he had stolen. “Not only did the accused violate our trust, but he had a complete disregard of the trust and generosity of an entire community,” she said. Image credits: GoFundMe / news.com.au

Legal

Why is it so hard to cancel subscriptions or end ‘free’ trials? Report shows how companies trap you into paying

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this continuing problem. <a href="https://cprc.org.au/report/let-me-out">A new report</a> shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC). It shows businesses use “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-spot-avoid-dark-patterns/">dark patterns</a>”, which are designs that hinder consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are often called “<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2022/11/checking-out-ftcs-100-million-settlement-vonage">Hotel California</a>” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous lyric: “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”. In some of these cases, consumers may have remedies under our existing consumer law, including for misleading conduct. But we need law reform to capture other <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-430458">unfair practices</a>. In the meantime, the CPRC’s research also gives examples of businesses with fair, consumer-friendly subscription practices. These also benefit the business. <h2>Examples of unfair subscription traps</h2> <a href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/09/12/the-evolution-of-the-subscription-model-and-whats-on-the-horizon/">Subscription business models</a> have become common – many products are now provided in the form of software, an app or access to a website. Some of these would once have been a physical book, newspaper, CD or exercise class. Most people who use online services have experienced the frustration of finding a credit card charge for an unwanted, unused subscription or spending excessive time trying to cancel a subscription. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=643&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=808&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Infographic with a few statistics from the report." /></a><figcaption><a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></figcaption></figure> Businesses can make it difficult for consumers to stop paying for unwanted subscriptions. Some do this by allowing consumers to start a subscription with a single click, but creating multiple obstacles if you want to end the subscription. This can include obscuring cancellation options in the app, requiring consumers to phone during business hours or making them navigate through multiple steps and offers before terminating. The report points out many of the last-ditch discounts offered in this process are only short term. One survey respondent said: <blockquote> I wasn’t able to cancel without having to call up and speak to someone. Their business hours meant I had to call up during my work day and it took some time to action. </blockquote> Other businesses badger consumers with frequent emails or messages after they cancel. One respondent said a business made “the cancellation process impossible by making you call and then judging your reason for cancellation”. <h2>What does consumer law say?</h2> Some subscription traps already fall foul of the Australian Consumer Law and warrant investigation by the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-warns-consumers-to-beware-of-subscription-traps">Australian Competition & Consumer Commission</a> (ACCC). Consumers may have remedies where the business has engaged in misleading conduct or imposes an unfair contract term. For example, the ACCC is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-court-action-against-eharmony-for-alleged-misleading-online-dating-membership-statements#:%7E:text=The%20ACCC%20has%20today%20commenced%20proceedings%20in%20the,the%20pricing%2C%20renewal%20and%20duration%20of%20its%20memberships.">suing dating site eHarmony</a> for its allegedly misleading subscription practices. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/06/ftc-takes-action-against-adobe-executives-hiding-fees-preventing-consumers-easily-cancelling">has filed a complaint against software company Adobe</a> for allegedly using dark patterns in its subscription practices. The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that “Adobe pushed consumers toward the ‘annual paid monthly’ subscription without adequately disclosing that cancelling the plan in the first year could cost hundreds of dollars”. Adobe <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/Adobes-Recent-Statement-Regarding-Updated-Federal-Trade-Commission-Complaint-/default.aspx">issued a statement</a> arguing the commission’s complaint “mischaracterises” its business. The litigation is ongoing. <h2>We need an unfair practices prohibition</h2> Some subscription traps would fall outside the existing consumer law. This is because they don’t meet the test for misleading conduct or unfair contract terms, but make it practically very difficult to cancel. The <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-welcomes-consultation-on-possible-unfair-trading-practices-regulatory-reforms">ACCC has advocated</a> for Australia to follow other countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to enact an unfair practices prohibition to capture conduct like this. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=769&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=769&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=769&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>The shift businesses can make today. <a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></figcaption></figure> <h2>Better practices benefit businesses too</h2> The CPRC report also revealed that 90% of Australians would likely purchase from the same organisation if cancelling a subscription process was quick and simple. Businesses focused on a short-sighted cash grab fail to realise that consumers might cancel but later return if treated well. The CPRC highlights businesses that are doing a good job. For instance, the habit change app Atoms (based on James Clear’s book Atomic Habits) has a genuinely free trial. It doesn’t require credit card details, doesn’t auto-renew, and lets consumers know how many trial days remain. The CPRC says the charity World Vision doesn’t auto-renew annual sponsorships, but reminds supporters about when the sponsorship will lapse. Importantly, some businesses – such as Netflix – use their data for good in this context. They notice when users are paying for the service without using it and help them unsubscribe. These practices should be applauded. But we need an unfair practices prohibition for businesses who don’t follow suit and recognise the long-term benefits of treating customers fairly.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law & Tech Initiative, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cancel-subscriptions-or-end-free-trials-report-shows-how-companies-trap-you-into-paying-237236">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

99-year-old woman declared accessory to over 10,000 murders

A court in Germany has upheld the conviction of a 99-year-old woman who, during the Second World War, was the secretary to the SS commander at a Nazi concentration camp. The Federal Justice Court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of Irmgard Furchner, who was convicted of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders and was given a two-year suspended sentence in December 2022. Furchner was accused of being a key part of the apparatus that helped the camp near Danzig, now the Polish city of Gdansk, function, and was subsequently convicted of being an accessory to murder in 10,505 cases and an accessory to attempted murder in five cases. At a federal court hearing in Leipzig in July, Furchner's lawyers cast doubt on whether she really was an accessory to crimes committed by the commander and other senior camp officials between 1943 and 1945, and on whether she had truly been aware of what was going on at Stutthof. The court said that judges were convinced that Furchner “knew and, through her work as a stenographer in the commandant’s office of the Stutthof concentration camp from June 1st 1943, to April 1st 1945, deliberately supported the fact that 10,505 prisoners were cruelly killed by gassings, by hostile conditions in the camp,” by transportation to the Auschwitz death camp and by being sent on death marches at the end of the war. Germany's main Jewish leader welcomed the ruling. “For Holocaust survivors, it is enormously important for a late form of justice to be attempted,” Josef Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews, said in statement. “The legal system sent an important message today: even nearly 80 years after the Holocaust, no line can be drawn under Nazi crimes,” he added. During the original court proceedings, prosecutors said that Furchner’s trial may be the last of its kind, however, a special federal prosecutors’ office in Ludwigsburg tasked with investigating Nazi-era war crimes says three more cases are pending with prosecutors or courts in various parts of Germany. With any suspects now at a very advanced age, questions increasingly arise over suspects’ fitness to stand trial. Image credits: Sky News

Legal

Shocking theory behind grandma's broad daylight murder-suicide

Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find upsetting. Court papers have revealed the sinister reason behind why a grandmother allegedly killed her daughter-in-law before killing herself. Terminally ill ex-probation officer Kathleen Leigh, 65, fatally shot 45-year-old Marisa Galloway, who shares a child with Leigh’s son, Zachariah Reed, on a New York street before taking her own life. Now Ms Galloway’s grieving parents, Nancy and John, have filed an emergency court petition claiming Mr Reed has run off to his “multimillion-dollar home” in Chicago with their grandchild Lili under the pretext of “mourning” his mother’s death. He has also barred the Galloways from any contact, either in person or via technology, with the child. “Clearly, [Mr Reed’s] mother had a deliberate plan to kill Marisa in order to provide custody for her son,” the court papers charge, according to an exclusive report by the <a title="nypost.com" href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/18/us-news/killer-nyc-granny-carried-out-slay-suicide-to-give-son-full-custody-of-child-heartbreaking-suit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. “Unfortunately, [Mr Reed] has demonstrated an absolute intention to further those same goals of his mother as he has refused to provide us with any access to Lili at all in almost 3 weeks.” According to legal papers filed on Friday, the grandparents, who live a 12 hour drive away in New Jersey, are asking a Manhattan Supreme Court judge to pass on Marisa’s parenting time, hashed out in a 2022 custody agreement with Mr Reed. They are also asking that Mr Reed be forced to live in the New York until Lili is 18 so that she can keep a close relationship with her grandparents and with her half-sister, Mariel, the 1-year-old daughter Marisa had with a sperm donor who currently lives with the grandparents. “While Marisa was always the best mother, we would love to be involved with all aspects of taking care of an infant, toddler, and ultimately the little girl that Lili currently is,” Nancy wrote. Nancy said she is “extremely uncomfortable” being forced to file the petition but worried Lili would become estranged from her mum’s side of the family if they didn’t intervene. The grandmother laid out the history of Marisa and Mr Reed’s “tumultuous relationship” since the pair split and their “contentious” custody battle while she also claimed the pair dated before Marisa became pregnant but said their relationship ended “driven by the interference of [Mr Reed’s] mother.” On the day of the heinous crime on July 26th 2024, Marisa was loading her car and had put Mariel in her seat with plans to visit her parents for a few days. She was approached by Leigh while she was putting something in the boot, and shot her once in the back of the head and again in the back before taking her own life. Before her heinous crime, Leigh scrawled a seven-page letter “For Police” describing how she felt Marisa was trying to alienate Lili from her dad and saying she suspected Marisa of abusing Lili, despite child services clearing Marisa in two probes launched by Mr Reed. “She took away the child’s mother in order to make her son happy … it’s shocking,” a law-enforcement source had told the New York Post of Leigh right after the alleged murder-suicide. Image credits: Manhattan Supreme Court

Legal

Chilling videos emerge from mum accused of murdering schoolgirl

Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find upsetting. Chilling videos have emerged from the mother accused of killing her 10-year-old daughter, Sophie Wang. Yingying Xu, who was named in court on Wednesday, posted a series of videos to TikTok before she allegedly murdered her daughter. “I want to let everyone know that the situation you see is fake. Fake god, the antichrist is a fake god,” Xu, 46, said while speaking in Mandarin. “I have felt the devil Satan saying to me how he has been influencing me, disturbing my soul. “Eventually possessing me 100 per cent. Possessing my soul to do evil things.” The videos were posted earlier in the day on Tuesday, and the little girl's body was found by her father, Yun Wang, later that evening. Sophie is alleged to have suffered several<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/schoolgirl-identified-after-allegedly-being-murdered-by-mother" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> injuries</a>, and was allegedly killed by having her throat slashed in her Carrara home. Her father, who is an associate professor at Griffith University, could reportedly be heard screaming by neighbours after discovering her body. Paramedics attempted to revive the girl, but she was declared dead at the “incredibly confronting” scene. Xu was arrested in a nearby street hours later and charged with murder. “This is absolutely sickening, gut-wrenching, awful,” Queensland Premier Steven Miles said. “I just can’t imagine how that father felt and hearing the reports of him screaming - nobody would ever wish that on him.” Her mother was formally remanded in custody until she appears in court again on November 29. The family's home remains a crime scene, but flowers have been left outside the home, as the local community try to come to terms with the horrific news. Police are continuing to investigate the motive of the alleged murder, and are taking into account Xu's social media activity. “Police are continuing to investigate the motive of the alleged homicide, including social media activity of the accused,” police told 7News. Sophie has been remembered as a caring, kind and high-achieving Year 5 student, with the local community honouring her memory in an hour-long vigil on Friday at The Boulevard in Emerald Lakes. Sophie’s school, Emmanuel College, is also offering counselling to students, staff and parents. “Our prayers are with the family, friends, first responders and all affected by the loss of this beloved child in her home,” the school said in a statement. Images: Emmanuel College /TikTok

Legal

Woolies trial bold new "scan as you go" trolleys

Woolworths shoppers will be able to scan their groceries when they go into their trolleys in an Australian-first trial of the tech carts. The Scan and Go carts are being trialled at a Woolworths in Windsor in western Sydney, with customers now able to scan items as they add them to their cart, eliminating time at busy checkouts. The technology, which has long been used in supermarkets overseas, utilises the already existing EverydayRewards cards, which allows access to a touchscreen that clips onto the trolley. As you peruse the aisles, shoppers then scan their items on the touchscreen as they go into the trolley, with the screen adding up the total of your groceries. Customers still have to pay at the checkout, but the supermarket says as the smart carts roll out, customers could eventually swipe their cards and pay directly at their trolley, cutting out the need for any time in line for tills. "The technology is co-created with one of our international partners [and is] home-grown in Australia, [we've] really been able to make sure it meets the Australian consumers needs," Woolies Managing Director Faye Ihan said. The high-tech system is meant to save shoppers time and money while doing their weekly grocery shop. "I actually have only been in here for half an hour I'd normally be here for over an hour," one customer who tried the smart cart told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/woolies-trials-new-scan-as-you-go-trolleys/4e7e5c2d-04e9-4997-8a0e-0bb4bba8948d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. The company says the rollout won't impact employment, as Woolworths employees will conduct random checks of people shopping to make sure people don't exploit the system to steal. If the trial is successful, Woolworths says it will one day expand the smart carts to all Australian stories. Image credits: 9News

Food & Wine

Schoolgirl identified after allegedly being murdered by mother

Warning: This article contains distressing content that some readers may find upsetting. The 10-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her mother has been identified as Sophie Wang, a young schoolgirl from the Gold Coast. Wang's mother, 46-year-old Yingying Xu, has been arrested and charged with the violent murder of her daughter. Detective Acting Inspector Kent Ellis described the crime scene as "incredibly confronting", after Sophie was allegedly killed by having her throat slashed in her Carrara home. “In my 15-year career as a detective, it’s one of the most confronting things I have seen.” According to Ellis, it was Sophie's father who found his daughter dead at the scene after he arrived home and called police. “It was an extremely distressing scene for not only the ... father there, but attending police, and I can understand the significant distress amongst the community,” the detective said. The woman was arrested on a “nearby street” some four hours after Sophie’s body was found, according to Ellis. Sophie's death was made public by her school Emmanuel College, who is offering counselling to the school community over the tragic incident. “The Emmanuel College community is devastated by the tragic passing of one of our students at a home within Emerald Lakes last night,” the school principal Dan Brown said in a statement. “Our prayers are with the family, friends, first responders and all affected by the loss of this beloved child in her home. Our priority is supporting our community at this difficult time." “We have mobilised our counselling and pastoral care teams to provide comprehensive support to students, staff and parents as our community comes to terms with this distressing news." “We ask for understanding and respect for the privacy of our families and students at this time. While words cannot ease the shock and pain of such a tragic loss, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you all." Image credits: Emmanuel College

Legal

Samantha Murphy's accused murderer faces court

The man accused of murdering Samantha Murphy has faced court to an "unprecedented" amount of evidence. Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, has been charged with the murder of mother-of-three Murphy, 51, at Mount Clear, after she went missing on February 4th. Stephenson was arrested in March, as the police investigation into the location of Murphy's body continued to no avail. Appearing before the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court via video link from prison, Stephenson was told he will wait behind bars for another three months before his case returns due to the "unprecedented" brief of evidence against him. Prosecutors asked the court to adjourn the committal mention for 12 weeks in order to allow them to go through a brief of evidence which contains "extensive" CCTV footage. <div>"We appreciate that is a significant period of time," prosecutor Daniel White told the court. "The brief is extensive and involves an extensive amount of CCTV footage." Stephenson's barrister Moya O'Brien agreed to the three-month delay as she said the evidence brief had only recently been served on defence and was "described as unprecedented in terms of size". Magistrate Mark Stratmann said three months was "a long time" for Stephenson and the community to wait, although agreed to allow the adjournment. Stephenson was remanded back into custody until the case returns to the Ballarat court on November 14. Stephenson's court appearance comes just days after Samantha Murphy’s loved ones marked six months since she vanished. Image credits: Nine / Facebook </div>

Legal

Teenager charged with murdering school girls at dance class identified

A court in the UK has identified the 17-year-old boy accused of going on a stabbing rampage at a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/taylor-swift-in-shock-after-three-young-girls-killed-at-dance-class" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dance class </a>and killing three young girls. The court released the information on Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, a 17-year-old born in Cardiff, in order to stem the flow of misinformation about the suspect that ignited riots around the UK. The court said that while Rudakubana would not normally have been publicly named due to the fact that he is still a minor, they made an exception to quash the riots, while also taking into account that he is just days away from his 18th birthday. Unrest has been seen outside mosques as protesters target Muslims in the wake of the tragedy, causing police to again confirm that the teen was born in the UK. Police said his family are of Rwandan descent where 92 per cent of people identify as Christian, while only 2 per cent of Rwandans are Muslim. The horror began at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Monday in Southport, just north of Liverpool in England’s north west, when Rudakubana targeted the young girls and their families. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died after the knife rampage, while eight other children suffered stab wounds and five were in fighting for their life, alongside two adults who were critically injured. Following the tragedy, large crowds fought with police in the town close to where the tragedy had happened including outside a mosque after false reports emerged that the attacker was Muslim. Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff in Wales but lived in the town of Banks in Lancashire, close to Southport, has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder and a knife possession charged. Image credits: Merseyside Police

Legal

Victorian mother jailed for forced marriage that ended in daughter's murder

In a landmark case, a Victorian mother, Sakina Muhammad Jan, has become the first person in Australia to be jailed under forced marriage laws. Jan was sentenced to three years in prison, with a minimum of 12 months to be served, for coercing her daughter, Ruqia Haidari, into marrying a man who later murdered her. The case unfolded in Melbourne's County Court, where Jan was surrounded by emotional family and community members. Jan, an Afghan Hazara refugee, had arranged for her daughter to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi, a match brokered by a local Islamic community member in Shepparton. Despite Haidari's reluctance, Jan pressured her into a full marriage after initial dowry arrangements of $14,000 had been made. Haidari then relocated to Perth with her new husband, Halimi. Six weeks later, she was brutally murdered, her throat slashed with a kitchen knife. Halimi was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Western Australian court. Judge Fran Dalziel, who presided over Jan's case, noted that Haidari had expressed her desire not to marry, preferring instead to pursue education and work. However, Jan had insisted, telling her daughter (according to Judge Dalziel): “Are you my mother or am I your mother? I can make decisions for you ... Do you think it is up to you? No matter what, you need to listen to me; your mother.” Jan's lawyers argued that she believed she was acting in her daughter's best interests, reflecting her own experiences of being married at a young age without formal education. Nonetheless, Judge Dalziel condemned Jan's actions, stating that she had "abused" her maternal power and made it clear that forced marriage is illegal and carries significant consequences for perpetrators. “It must be made clear to everyone in our country that forced marriage is against the law,” she said. “You abused your power as her mother to override her desire to not marry Mr Halimi.” After the sentencing, Jan had an emotional outburst, refusing to accept the judge's decision or sign a recognisance release order, which would have allowed her to serve two years of her sentence in the community under certain good-behaviour conditions. The courtroom scene escalated, requiring additional security and paramedics when another woman collapsed during the proceedings. This case marks the first known conviction under Australia's forced marriage laws, which were introduced in 2013. Authorities have noted an increase in such cases, particularly involving young women and girls. Images: Australian Federal Police \ 9News \ ABC News

Legal

Why Greg Lynn could walk free from prison

Greg Lynn has applied to be freed from jail until his sentencing hearing over the murder of Carol Clay. The former Jetstar pilot, who was found guilty of murdering the 73-year-old while she was camping with her secret partner Russell Hill in March 2020, is appealing the guilty verdict which the jury came to after a weeks-long trial in June. The 57-year old appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday where Justice Michael Croucher heard the convicted killer had been the victim of prison attacks during his six-week trial. The court heard Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann KC is in the process of compiling submissions calling on Justice Croucher to hold of on sentencing his client until an appeal over his conviction can be heard by the Court of Appeal. If granted, the "stay" of sentence could allow Lynn to apply for bail while his appeal goes through the court. The court also heard that Lynn had been placed in isolation within the Metropolitan Remand Prison for his own safety since the guilty verdict was read, but now fears he will be targeted by inmates at whatever prison he ultimately ends up in. Mr Dann said a successful appeal could result in Lynn being set free altogether without the possibility of a re-trial, due to doubts over whether he could obtain a fair trial because of the significant publicity surrounding the case and the murder conviction. "The chances of a fair re-trial are non-existent," Mr Dann said. The experienced barrister said any potential jurors would have been "polluted or poisoned" by the "inadmissible evidence" that has "flooded" news sites since the guilty verdict was delivered. The court heard Mr Dann believed his client had multiple reasons to push for an appeal over his verdict, including the "unfair" way in which he claimed the Office of Public Prosecutions carried out the trial. Mr Dann reiterated to the court that his client has always maintained his innocence, saying, "He maintains that he's never killed any person at any time, at any place, anywhere, ever." <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> "The long-term future of that guilty verdict must be seen as being in grave doubt." The case was adjourned until a pre-sentence hearing on September 12th. Image credits: Facebook </div>

Legal

Huge breakthrough after Aussie couple murdered on overseas holiday

Just days after Australian couple David Fisk and Lucita Cortez were <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/australian-couple-killed-in-the-philippines-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a> in a luxury hotel in the Philippines, the suspected killer has reportedly turned himself in to police. The bodies of 54-year-old David Fisk and his de-facto partner Lucita Barquin Cortez, 55, were found with their hands and feet tied by hotel staff at the Lake Hotel in Tagaytay city, south of Manila, on Wednesday. The body of another woman, Cortez's 30-year-old daughter-in-law Mary who lives in the Philippines, was also found in the room. A week on from their deaths, Tagaytay Police Chief Charles Daven Capagcuan told the Associated Press that police had a breakthrough in the case when a suspect was identified by three hotel staff from CCTV footage. The identification of the suspect eventually led to his home where he decided to surrender, Capagcuan said. On Wednesday, Sunrise reporter Ben Downie shared the new developments. “Philippines police say this morning a man handed himself in over the hotel homicide where the killer carried out an execution-style attack binding his victims, slashing and suffocating them,” Downie said. “Hotel security footage showed the suspect leaving the room, but didn’t capture him entering, leading to the theory the killer had gained access from a window." “This certainly counts as a breakthrough with the surrendered suspect and closure for loved ones.” After hearing the news of the couple's sudden and tragic passing, Fisk's family, based in NSW's Sutherland Shire, issued a statement saying they "pray for answers and the truth in this horrific matter". "The love we have for our Father and Lucita is so dear and this situation is like living a nightmare," the family said. Image credits: GoFundMe / Facebook

Travel Trouble

Man arrested after BBC presenter's wife and children murdered

British police have apprehended the man they believe is responsible for a brutal crossbow attack on the wife and two children of a well-known BBC radio presenter. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday AEST), Hertfordshire Police said 26-year-old Kyle Clifford had been located in the Enfield area of north London and that he was receiving medical treatment for injuries. The BBC confirmed that the women killed were the family of its well-known radio racing commentator John Hunt — his 61-year-old wife Carol Hunt and their daughters Louise and Hannah, aged 25 and 28 respectively. Their tragic death prompted a major manhunt for the 26-year-old, as the public were urged not to approach Clifford. "Following extensive inquiries, the suspect has been located and nobody else is being sought in connection with the investigation at this time," Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit said. "This continues to be an incredibly difficult time for the victims' family and we would ask that their privacy is respected as they come to terms with what has happened." A colleague of Hunt's and BBC 5 Live's lead presenter Mark Chapman struggled to hold back the tears as he expressed everyone's shock and pain. "We have a football match to bring you tonight ... and we will start our buildup to it shortly but this has been a heartbreaking day," he said as he opened Wednesday's coverage on 5 Live of England's semifinal match against The Netherlands in soccer's European Championship. "John Hunt is our colleague and our friend, not just to the current 5 Live sport team but to all of those who've worked here with him over the past 20 years, and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries," Chapman said. "So on behalf of everyone connected to 5 Live Sport, our love and thoughts and support are with John and his family." Police were first alerted to the violent killings on Tuesday evening when emergency services were called to a house in Bushey, a residential area in north-western London. Paramedics tried to revive the women, but they died at the scene. While police have yet to establish a link between the suspect and the family, some British media outlets have claimed Clifford, who served in the British Army between 2019 and 2022, was an ex-boyfriend of one of the daughters. Image credits: Peter Manning/LNP/Shutterstock Editorial/Hertfordshire Police

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99-year-old woman declared accessory to over 10,000 murders

Shocking theory behind grandma's broad daylight murder-suicide

Chilling videos emerge from mum accused of murdering schoolgirl

Woolies trial bold new "scan as you go" trolleys

Schoolgirl identified after allegedly being murdered by mother

Samantha Murphy's accused murderer faces court

Teenager charged with murdering school girls at dance class identified

Victorian mother jailed for forced marriage that ended in daughter's murder

Why Greg Lynn could walk free from prison

Huge breakthrough after Aussie couple murdered on overseas holiday

Man arrested after BBC presenter's wife and children murdered

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