Queen Victoria denied a soldier taken prisoner during the Crimean War a Victoria Cross because she was upset that he had killed his two enemy guards to escape. She felt that the action by Private Patrick McGuire, from Manchester, was “of very doubtful morality”. He was being taken back to Russian lines when he seized a musket from one of his guards. He shot one dead before killing the other with the butt of his rifle.
His commanding officer recommended him for the VC but Queen Victoria feared that McGuire’s actions would lead to the “inhumane practice” of prisoners being executed to stop them from trying to overpower their captors. He was instead awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which is among his medals to be sold by Dix Noonan Webb in London on February 28.
Alleged Worboys victims seek review of his release
Two alleged victims of John Worboys, the black cab rapist, have joined the mayor of London in mounting legal challenges to his release. The women, known as DSD and NBV, lodged an application on Thursday for a judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision, their solicitors said. Lawyers also intend to present police and prosecutors with a dossier of further allegations against Worboys. He was jailed for a minimum of eight years in 2009 for 19 offences against 12 women, though he was linked to complaints by more than 100. NBV was a complainant in his trial but DSD’s case was not prosecuted.
Briton held at border
A suspected British jihadist whose family feared he had died has been arrested at the Turkish border with Syria, officials say. Yunis Benelbaida, 31, disappeared about three years ago from west London, where he is understood to have had connections to jihadists linked to Mohammed Emwazi, the Isis killer nicknamed Jihadi John. Mr Benelbaida was one of 14 Isis suspects who had smuggled themselves across the border from Syria, the Turkish authorities said.
Rape trial inquiry
MPs are holding an inquiry after a series of rape trials collapsed because of a failure by police and prosecutors to disclose crucial evidence. Robert Neill, chairman of the Commons justice committee, said there were significant concerns that this had resulted in “inappropriate charges, unnecessary delays in court proceedings and potential miscarriages of justice”.
Advertisement
YouTube ‘gag’ on musicians it promotes
YouTube is insisting that young musicians sign strict gagging clauses in exchange for promotional support, it has been claimed. The video site, which is owned by Google, has given a handful of emerging artists £140,000 each to produce videos and promote their work on hoardings as part of a campaign to improve the site’s relationship with the music industry.
However, the Bloomberg news agency was told Google’s support comes with a catch — the artists must promise not to criticise YouTube. Analysts said the company’s intention was to stifle criticism over the revenue it shares with artists and copyright infringement.
Meat recall over hygiene hit Jamie Oliver’s chain
Jamie’s Italian and Butlins have been caught up in a meat recall that forced Wetherspoon to take steak off its menu at short notice this week. Russell Hume, the meat supplier, was instructed to stop any products from leaving its sites after a surprise inspection by the Food Standards Agency this month found instances of “serious non-compliance with food hygiene regulations”. Butlins and Jamie’s Italian said that they had had to switch suppliers. There is no indication that people have become ill from eating meat supplied by Russell Hume, which said that the issue was one of mislabelling.
US museum wins prize
The new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington has won the Beazley Design of the Year award. The newest Smithsonian museum, designed by Sir David Adjaye, was inaugurated in 2016 by Barack Obama. Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum in London, said: “This says something profound about the US’s changing attitudes to race.”
‘Modern slavery’ raids
Thirteen Polish citizens have been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences. Police carried out early morning raids in Birmingham after reports of three men and two women being brought to Britain and exploited, with a cut of their wages being taken by “gangmasters”. Nine men and four women aged 18 to 60 were being questioned in police custody.
Advertisement
Royal TV appearance
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will appear on ITV’s This Morning as part of the show’s 30th anniversary celebrations next Wednesday. They will be asked to sign a guest book that will be given away in October. Phillip Schofield, one of the presenters, said: “Charles and Camilla will discover more about This Morning’s campaigns and meet the ITV Daytime family.”