Newspaper headlines: Killers 'unmasked' and Clapham suspect asylum 'outcry'

8 months ago 10

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Image source, EPA

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"Pure evil" is how the Daily Mirror describes the two teenagers convicted of killing teenager Brianna Ghey in a park in Cheshire last year. Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16, were given life sentences on Friday for what the paper calls a "brutal and sadistic murder". Elsewhere on the front is the striking image of Kate Garraway's daughter Darcey "bravely" carrying her father's coffin at his funeral service on Friday. Derek Draper had been living with extreme complications from Covid before his death last month.

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The Daily Express leads on how a judge lifted an order protecting the killers' anonymity, revealing their identities for the first time. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe will serve at least 22 and 20 years in prison respectively for the murder. The paper adds that the pair were told they would only be freed "when 'you no longer present a danger'". Separately the Express says a "vote on assisted dying is closer" after thousands sign a petition spearheaded by Dame Esther Rantzen. In December, the broadcaster said she had joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland, as she was undergoing treatment for stage four lung cancer.

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Like most of Saturday's papers, The Guardian also leads with a story on the teens sentenced for Brianna Ghey's "exceptionally brutal" murder. It quotes the Crown Prosecution Service, which has described it as "one of the most disturbing cases" their lawyers have dealt with. Away from the UK, it says there is "ceasefire hope" in the Middle East, as Israel and Hamas "inch closer" to a deal that would see the release of hostages.

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Pictures of Eddie Ratcliffe and Scarlett Jenkinson are also at the centre of the Daily Mail's front page. Brianna was transgender, and the paper quotes her mother as saying Ratcliffe killed her because he "hated trans people", while Jenkinson "thought it would be fun". It also has a "royal exclusive", claiming to know "what the Queen and Philip really thought of Meghan". That's taken from excerpts from royal commentator Ingrid Seward's new book.

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Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph says Jenkinson "was obsessed with notorious serial killers", and "had enjoyed the killing". Also on the front is a report about Abdul Ezedi, who is wanted in connection with an alkali attack in Clapham on Wednesday night. Ezedi was convicted of sexual assault in 2018 and put on the sex offenders register - the paper says this "should have barred him from asylum".

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The Times also focuses on Abdul Ezed, reporting that the reason he was allowed to claim asylum was because "he claimed to have converted to Christianity". Meanwhile celebrity chef Rick Stein can be seen smiling on the front page, as he tucks into an oversized portion of lobster and chips. Stein, 77, tells the paper "I won't last much longer, but I am enjoying my life".

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Meanwhile, leading the i on Saturday is Chancellor Jeremy Hunt being "urged" by voters to "cut income tax to ease the cost of living crisis". It says a "majority" believe they pay too much at the moment. And the paper claims to have "busted" 20 ageing myths - "from sleep to sex". It has spoken to a number of experts, debunking well-known claims on how best to look after ourselves as we get older.

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The FT leads on the addition of almost 353,000 jobs to the US economy in January, which it says was "almost twice forecast". Standing out on the front though is a picture of lines of worshippers as "Muslims flock to Bangladesh" for the Bishwa Ijtema gathering on the outskirts of Dhaka. "Hundreds of thousands" are expected to travel for the annual event, the paper says, in what it calls "one of the largest congregations of Muslims in the world".

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And have you ever wondered what the price of love truly is? Well, the Daily Star says it has the answer. It quotes some "not very romantic boffins" who say the cost of falling in love is just over £9.67 a day. But, despite the added cost, the paper's thought for the day says romance would be "cheap at twice the price".

"Pure evil" is the headline on the front page of The Daily Mirror, which carries pictures of Brianna Ghey's teenage killers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, after a judge ruled they could be publicly identified. The Daily Express' front page is similar - it calls them "evil monsters" and "sadistic young killers".

The Guardian picks out a quote from the judge that the 16 year-olds were "exceptionally brutal" and adds that the Crown Prosecution Service said it was "one of the most disturbing cases" its lawyers had ever dealt with. The Daily Mail focuses on comments from the victim's mother, that Ratcliffe stabbed Brianna Ghey because he "hated trans people", and that Jenkinson did it "for fun". The Daily Telegraph says Scarlett Jenkinson was obsessed with serial killers and a "lust for fame" that led to murder.

Image source, Cheshire Police

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A ban on identifying Brianna Ghey's killers - Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe - had been in place since they first appeared in court

The Times leads on what it calls the "outcry" that the man wanted for an attack with a corrosive substance in London was given asylum, despite a conviction for sexual assault. Abdul Ezedi had claimed to have converted to Christianity, but people who knew him have told the paper he was a "good Muslim" who said he wanted to return to Afghanistan to find a wife, and who regularly shopped for halal meat.

The i leads on a poll which, it says, puts pressure on the Chancellor to cut income tax in the Spring Budget to ease the cost of living crisis. Its BMG Research survey of more than 1,500 people found the majority of voters believe they pay too much tax, with almost half wanting help for lower earners. The poll also suggests Labour's lead over the Conservatives has narrowed by two points to 15 per cent since November, but Sir Keir Starmer's personal ratings increased slightly.

The Royal Navy has abandoned major warship patrols around the Falkland Islands according to The Daily Telegraph. It says, despite an official policy to patrol the south Atlantic, no large British warship has visited the area for almost seven years due to shortages. The paper understands that the defence of the islands is now down to a small patrol vessel and four Typhoon fighter jets. It reports that Rishi Sunak is facing calls to review security after Argentina's new government announced a package of military spending. A Ministry of Defence source tells the paper it will always defend the Falkland Islanders' rights to self-determination.

Image source, Getty Images

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The boss of Jaguar Land Rover has denied that his company's vehicles are especially vulnerable to theft

The FT reports that the owner of Range Rover, JLR, is so worried about vehicle thefts it's been spending its own money on police operations at UK ports. The company's boss, Adrian Mardell, has called on the government to delay tax cuts and hire more police to stop stolen vehicles being taken abroad by criminal gangs. The FT says the business has been plagued by thefts of its luxury vehicles and has seen a huge rise in insurance costs.

And The Daily Star's front page is devoted to new research about how much people spend to keep romance alive in a relationship. According the paper's sums there is a price on love, and it's £9.67 a day.

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