​Barnstaple's Chelfham Mill school at centre of physical abuse...

October 20, 2015, 6:31 am

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THE school at the centre of a police investigation into claims of physical abuse has gone into liquidation, according to the official public record.The website of The Gazette, the UK's official public record since 1665, published official notices showing that the creditors of the privately-run school for children with behavioural and learning difficulties were due to meet on October 14.This was to "receive a statement of affairs of the company; to hear a report on the company's position; to...

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Man jailed for life after killing his mother in Barnstaple

October 20, 2015, 7:24 am

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A BIG Issue seller has been jailed for life for killing his mother who he blamed for squandering a £75,000 inheritance.Charles Davison punched his mother about the head and body before stabbing her in the neck to silence her moans of pain during an argument about drugs and money.The jobless heroin addict had returned home late at night to discover that his frail 59-year-old mother, who was also a drug user, had smoked a stash of heroin which he planned to use himself.Davison later told...

Murder accused to appear in Devon court today

October 21, 2015, 3:13 am

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A 40-year-old will appear in court this morning charged with murder.Stuart Hodgkin, originally from Basingstoke, was charged yesterday with murdering Adrian Munday, a 51-year-old from Newton Abbot.Mr Munday was found dead at a house in Wain Lane in Tuesday, October 6.Mr Hodgkin will appear at Plymouth Crown Court this morning.Police launched a murder investigation after a forensic post mortem on Mr Munday.

BREAKING: Police carry out drugs raid at Barnstaple house

October 21, 2015, 3:52 am

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A DRUGS warrant was carried out in Barnstaple today following information an 18-year-old was supplying to young people.PCSO Hannah Denton said the warrant took place in the Gorwell area on the morning of Wednesday, October 21.Officers acted on intelligence that an 18-year-old had been supplying drugs to young people.Enquiries are ongoing following the warrant.PCSO Denton said: "We appreciate people calling in information whether it is via Crimestoppers, talking to PCSOs or talking to local...

​Convicted rapist on the run in the South West after absconding...

October 21, 2015, 11:46 pm

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POLICE are appealing to the South West public after a convicted rapist absconded from an open prison.David Gary Livingstone, 53, is serving an indeterminate sentence at HMP Leyhill for a rape committed in 1995.He failed to report back at the prison in South Gloucestershire at 4.15pm on Monday after a day on release.He was last seen at the Bridewell police station in Bristol at 9am on Monday where he was checking in as part of his conditions.Police are now appealing for the public's help in...

Man arrested on suspicion of burglary after alleged Ilfracombe...

October 22, 2015, 2:19 am

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A MAN was arrested on suspicion of burglary following an alleged incident at an Ilfracombe newsagents last night.Police were called around 3.30am to Wilsons News in the high street following reports of damage.A spokesman said a window in a front door was smashed and a 23-year-old man from Worksop in Nottinghamshire was arrested on suspicion of burglary.He remains in police custody today.Anyone with information should call 101 quoting crime reference number CR/07356/15.

Man urinated through ex-girlfriend's letterbox shortly after...

October 22, 2015, 4:25 am

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A MAN who had been released from prison for harassing his ex-partner went to her home and urinated through her letterbox shortly after leaving jail, a court has heard.Dimwitted Luke Rutherford was not deterred by his time in prison and visited his former partner's house three times last month – pushing an abusive note through her letterbox on the final occasion and then urinating all over it.Rutherford, of Bishopstone Road, Gloucester, admitted harassing the woman three times on September...

Fisherman snared by undercover police drugs operation in Bideford

October 22, 2015, 8:51 am

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A FISHERMAN has been ordered to receive drug rehabilitation after he was snared in an undercover police drugs operation.Martin Reid, aged 50, agreed to help a man obtain two £10 fixes of heroin in Bideford without realising he was a plain clothes officer.He acted as runner to fetch one deal in the centre of Bideford and another from Westward Ho! with the total value of the two packets amounting to just £20.Reid, of Marine Gardens, Bideford, admitted two offences of possession of...

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Mother guilty of stealing back 'present' from son's ex partner

October 26, 2015, 6:35 am

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A MOTHER has been cleared of burgling the flat of her son's estranged partner but found guilty of stripping it of appliances and carpets.Kerstan Clapp has been ordered to have no contact with victim Rosie Jeffs after she was also found guilty of causing criminal damage to the flat in Tiverton. The carpets were ripped up and a hole was punched in a kitchen cabinet.Clapp claimed she was entitled to retrieve items which she had given to her son Harley Wilkinson and Miss Jeffs before they split up...

Builder strangled wife during argument about their divorce

October 26, 2015, 7:36 am

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A BUILDER strangled his estranged wife during a violent argument about their divorce and hid her body among a pile of rubbish in a cupboard.James McDonald wrapped his wife Sophie's body in a duvet and layers on bin bags so it would blend in with other trash in a communal store room at the flats where he lived.The self employed maintenance man then took part in a charade in which he pretended to his family and the police that Sophie was missing and he was trying to find her.He sent a text to her...

​Woman arrested after death of Barnstaple motorcyclist has bail...

October 26, 2015, 8:05 am

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THE Hampshire woman arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after the fatal crash that killed Barnstaple's Aiden Platt has had her bail extended.The 28-year-old had been bailed until last Thursday, October 22, but has had it extended until December 10 while police continue their enquiries. The woman was arrested and released on bail back in August, after a collision on the A3212 roundabout at Sticklepath, where motorcyclist Aiden died.The 20-year-old died as a result of the...

Mother allegedly sexually assaulted after smoking 'Blue Cheese'...

October 27, 2015, 7:31 am

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A MOTHER has told how she was sexually assaulted in a Mastermind-type chair after being stupefied by a legal high joint.Jason Jones allegedly grabbed at the woman's thong with so much force as he put his hands up her skirt that it tore in half.She told Exeter Crown Court she was disorientated by smoking a legal high called Blue Cheese but remembers saying "no, no, no" throughout the ordeal.Jones, 47, of Camperdown Terrace, Exmouth, denies sexual assault by penetration.Greg Richardson,...

Legal high shop owner fought off knife attacker trying to steal...

October 27, 2015, 7:35 am

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THE owner of a legal high shop has told a jury how he fought off a knife wielding attacker who tried to seize his takings.Granville Preston was driving home from his DamGood Head shop in Plymouth when he was allegedly assaulted by former schoolfriend Mark Luke to whom he was delivering mind altering powders.Former soldier Mr Preston told Exeter Crown Court how he used his training in unarmed combat to grab the flat edge of the seven in kitchen knife as it was held to his throat.Luke allegedly...

Mother killed by her estranged husband said she felt 'wobbly'...

October 27, 2015, 8:10 am

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A YOUNG mother was killed by her estranged husband just minutes after telling her mother she felt "wobbly" about having a face to face meeting with him.Sophie McDonald was strangled after going to her husband James's flat to finalise divorce arrangements to end their troubled marriage.Maintenance company boss McDonald killed his wife with an electric flex during an argument in which he said she threatened to stop him seeing their three children.She was attacked after going to his flat...

​Bill Bailey's tour bus stolen from outside gig in Liverpool

October 27, 2015, 9:27 am

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COMEDIAN Bill Bailey enjoyed a "lively crowd" at a show in Liverpool last night – before his tour bus was stolen from outside the venue. The show at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall was "not too bad all things considered" tweeted the star, who has a home in Combe Martin and is a supporter of Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park. He tweeted to say: "Lively crowd @liverpoolphil last night - shame our tour bus was nicked from outside the venue! So gig not too...

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​Barnstaple police thank public for information on yellow-suited...

October 27, 2015, 9:47 am

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BARNSTAPLE Police have thanked those who came forward with information following the theft of keys from an ambulance in the town, which saw paramedics locked in on Saturday.As previously reported, a group of men dressed in yellow boiler suits stole the keys from an ambulance parked outside the Panniers Pub in Boutport Street, before locking paramedics inside and snapping the keys, at around 5.40pm.A spokesman for Barnstaple police said one man grabbed the keys out of the ignition. A member of...

​Woman hit with "alcohol container" at North Devon bus...

October 27, 2015, 10:13 am

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A MAN struck a woman in the face with an "alcohol container" when she wouldn't give him spare change or a cigarette, police have said.The Barnstaple woman, who is in her fifties, was assaulted at around 9.30pm yesterday in Churchill Way, Northam.Police spokesman Philippa Thompson said the woman was at the bus stop when a man approached her and asked for change and a cigarette.The spokesman said: "When she declined he got angry with her and started to throw his arm up towards her,...

Husband who strangled wife and hid body in rubbish laughed at...

October 28, 2015, 6:44 am

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A HUSBAND who strangled his wife and hid her body in a rubbish store laughed with police when they asked him if he thought she had been abducted.James McDonald gave officers the impression of doing all he could to help them find his missing wife even though he knew her body was in a store room at his flat just yards away.McDonald was interviewed by detectives in a police car outside his flat just hours after he killed his 36-year-old wife Sophie during an argument about divorce arrangements.He...

Cat flap burglar jailed after he was caught prodding pole into a...

October 28, 2015, 7:47 am

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A CAT flap burglar has been jailed after he was caught red-handed as he prodded a pole into a kitchen and tried to hook out a purse.Mark Clarke has been using the same method to break into homes for 30 years but was caught with his arms through the cat flap at a house in Exeter after the owner was woken by the sound of a wallet being knocked to the floor.The householder crept downstairs and called the police from another room after seeing the intruder with a pole though the cat flap.Officers...

​WANTED robber with "topless female and a male smoking a...

October 28, 2015, 9:42 am

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DEVON police are hunting a 23-year-old robber with distinctive tattoos who is wanted for recall to prison.Corey Soper, (pictured) was originally charged with theft, but failed to comply with the conditions of his license as part of his probation. Numerous enquiries have been made by police to try and locate him.Police are asking the public for information about his whereabouts and to report any sighting to them.Soper has connections across Devon and Cornwall.He is described as being 5ft 8 in...