UK’s notorious ‘Wimbledon Prowler’ jailed for 14 years
London: The notorious “Wimbledon Prowler”, a prolific burglar suspected of hundreds of break-ins in the plush London suburb, was jailed on Friday for 14 years, having finally been caught. Through meticulous planning, Astrit Kapaj spent more than a decade defying sophisticated security systems to steal a fortune from houses in the district, also home to the Wimbledon tennis championships. But a major police operation eventually caught up with Kapaj — a 43-year-old Albanian national who worked in a fish and chips shop 160 miles (260 kilometres) away. “You are a prolific, persistent and professional burglar,” said judge Peter Lodder as he sentenced him at Kingston Crown Court in southwest London. “Such was your stealth and expertise in many cases it remains a mystery how you gained entry to their homes. “Not surprisingly, you terrified the whole community.” His evasion of law enforcement burnished his notoriety, along with his high-profile targets. They included German tennis legend Boris Becker and French former Real Madrid and Arsenal footballer Nicolas Anelka, who chased the burglar from his house. Kapaj admitted 22 burglaries, with thefts totalling USD 635,000 in crimes from 2008 onwards. But detectives believe the married father-of-two may have been behind 10 times that number of offences, with up to 5 million pounds in stolen jewellery and cash lifted from Wimbledon homes since 2004. The police had up to 50 officers working full-time to catch the suspect. He was arrested in February this year. (AFP)
Woman allegedly beheads mother in ‘horrific’ crime
Sydney: An Australian woman charged with murder has been sent for a medical assessment amid reports she decapitated her mother and left the head outside a neighbour’s house. Police said the body of a 57-year-old woman was found inside her Sydney home on Saturday night, in what they described as one of the “most horrific” crime scenes they had seen. The woman’s 25-year-old daughter was arrested in the front garden of a neighbour’s house after allegedly putting her mother’s head on the footpath outside, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. National broadcaster ABC said the accused woman appeared in Parramatta Bail Court via video link on Sunday, telling the court she needed medical attention. The woman has been sent to hospital for medical assessment, police confirmed to AFP. She did not apply for bail, ABC added. Officers said a four-year-old relative witnessed the incident, and was treated in hospital for a minor head injury before being returned to his family. Detective Superintendent Brett McFadden said officers who attended the crime scene had been offered professional support. “While police are trained to respond to all types of situations, there’s no getting away from the fact this was a horrific attack,” he told reporters in Sydney. “This is up there with one of the most significant, most horrific scenes police have to deal with.” (AFP)