News in Brief 06/03/2012

Two in court over Jack Doyle murder

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a teenager in January.

The body of Jack Doyle, 17, was found at the rear of houses in Hope Street, near Antigua Street, in Greenock, at about 9:45am on 3 January.

He was the nephew of Elaine Doyle, who was killed on her way home from a disco in June 1986 when she was 16. That crime has never been solved.

Steven McIntyre, 19, from Port Glasgow, and Kevin McIntyre, 27, from Greenock, appeared at Greenock Sheriff Court yesterday charged with Jack’s murder.

They made no plea or declaration at the private hearing and were remanded in custody until their next appearance, which is expected to be next Monday.

Jack’s body was discovered less than two miles from the spot where his aunt was found dead more than 25 years ago.

Jail for woman who posed as boy for sex

A YOUNG woman who disguised herself as a boy to date her own female Facebook friends was jailed for 30 months yesterday.

Gemma Barker, who was 19 at the time, gave herself false male identities so she could have sexual encounters with her 15- and 16-year-old victims.

The court heard she introduced herself to the girls by using fake Facebook profiles and wore hats and baggy clothes to hide her true identity when she met them in person.

Barker, now 20, of Staines, Middlesex, was told by Judge Peter Moss at Guildford Crown Court she would be in custody for the first half of the term and serve the remainder on licence. He said: “I have concluded that these offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

‘Witchcraft’ killers of boy, 15, get life

A COUPLE have been jailed for life for torturing and drowning a teenage boy they accused of being a witch.

Kristy Bamu, 15, was killed by his sister Magalie, 29, and her partner, Eric Bikubi, 28.

Bikubi was ordered to serve at least 30 years and Magalie Bamu a minimum of 25 years.

Kristy died in a bath at the couple’s tower-block flat in Newham, east London, on Christmas Day 2010 after days of being abused.

He had gone to London from Paris with his two brothers and two sisters to spend the festive season with Magalie.

But things turned sour when the couple, who were said to be obsessed with witchcraft known as kindoki in their native Democratic Republic of Congo, accused him of putting spells on a younger child.

Bikubi, a football coach, and Magalie were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey last week.

Teenager on OAP abduction charge

A TEENAGER has appeared in court charged with the abduction and attempted murder of an elderly woman.

The alleged incident started at about 1:40pm last Wednesday at the woman’s home in Bearsden, on the outskirts of Glasgow.

The woman, who is thought to be in her 70s, was later found “extremely shaken” in Milngavie. At the time, police said she had been subjected to a “horrific and terrifying” attack.

David Madden, 18, from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court yesterday in connection with the alleged incident. He was charged with abduction, two counts of attempted murder, assault and a road traffic offence.

He made no plea or declaration at the private hearing and the case was continued for further examination until his next appearance, which is expected to be next Monday.

Madden was remanded in custody.

80% of Scots miss signs of cancer

Many Scots are failing to recognise the possible signs and symptoms of cancer, a new report has found.

Eight out of ten adults surveyed failed to mention coughing or problems with bowels or the bladder, while a higher number did not categorise pain as a symptom, according to the Cancer Research UK study.

Even when people did recognise signs they thought might be serious, more than 40 per cent said they might delay getting symptoms checked out because they were worried what the doctor might find, and more than a quarter said they might put off checks because they feared wasting the doctor’s time.

Meanwhile, Tesco has pledged to raise £10 million to help scientists find ways to increase cancer survival rates. As well as an in-store customer awareness campaign, it will help to continue funding for 32 early-diagnosis research projects across the UK, in cities including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.