West Yorkshire Pensioners Jailed for Racially Assaulting Filipino Nurse

An elderly husband and wife have been jailed for racially assaulting a Filipino nurse walking in a West Yorkshire park.

Fyona Bairstow, 72, and Michael Bairstow, 77, of Shelf, Halifax, admitted racially aggravated assault by beating when they appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 11th March 2026.

Michael Bairstow admitted an additional offence of assault by beating in relation to a bystander who tried to intervene.

The couple were sentenced by the same court on Thursday, 16th April 2026.

The offence took place in Manor Heath Park, Halifax, on Thursday, 28th August 2025, when nurse Apple Moorehouse challenged the couple on their unleashed dog barking aggressively at her children.

Michael Bairstow told Ms Moorehouse that she should "go back on your dinghy" and made swimming gestures towards her. He then told his dog to "get her, kill", before throwing a bowl of water at her.

Fyona Bairstow grabbed Ms Moorehouse's pony tail as she tried to walk away. She yanked it with sufficient force to pull Ms Moorehouse backwards.

Fyona Bairstow sang "row, row, row your boat" and told Ms Moorehouse that she "can't even speak English" and "shouldn't be here".

Ms Moorehouse, who is now a British citizen, moved to the UK more than fifteen years ago to work in the NHS.

The unsavoury incident was recorded and uploaded to social media. At one stage Michael Bairstow approached the bystander and slapped the camera in her hand.

Raza Hussain, mitigating, told the court that the incident had caused the Bairstows "significant embarrassment".

Ms Hussain added that her clients "fully accept the racial language they used was wholly inappropriate, which they deeply regret."

Presiding Justice Gill Arnold JP, going off script by the sound of things, asked the couple to stand before the Bench retired to consider their sentences.

Ms Arnold said: "I just want to have a look at you... That kind of attitude and those words and the things you said to Ms Moorhouse, is not something that comes out of the blue in a second, it's something deeply rooted.

"That somebody can be so vile and aggressive to somebody such as this young woman here – I can only think you must be extremely ashamed."

Ms Arnold later announced the court's view that the Bairstows' offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

They were each sentenced to eight weeks' immediate custody.

The couple were also ordered to pay £175 each in compensation to Ms Moorehouse. Michael Bairstow was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the bystander he assaulted.

Banned: Katie Price Failed to Identify Driver of Speeding Capri

Former glamour model and cosmetic surgery aficionado Katie Price has been banned from the roads yet again.

A Ford Capri registered in her name was clocked speeding near the North Yorkshire village of Stutton on 15th October 2025. The camera recorded the Capri's speed as 80 mph as it drove along the 70 mph A64 dual carriageway.

North Yorkshire Police sent a Notice of Intended Prosection and Section 172 Notice to the 47-year-old, but she failed to respond. It is fairly standard procedure for the police to send a reminder, but it would appear that this also went ignored. Looking at the camera image, it's pretty clear that she was driving at the time of the offence.

Price was convicted of failing to identify the driver of a motor vehicle, when the matter was dealt with via the Single Justice Procedure at Harrogate Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 31st March 2026.

Given her fine of £660 (e.g. the £1,000 maximum, minus one third) it would appear that she admitted the offence. She was also ordered to pay £264 surcharge and £120 towards prosecution costs.

More significantly, she was disqualified from driving for a period of 6 months.

For anyone who isn't already aware, Price has a truly horrendous driving record.

Dishonest Hull Undertaker Prevented Lawful Burial of Bodies

A dishonest Hull undertaker prevented the lawful burial of thirty bodies entrusted to his care.

Robert Bush, 48, formerly of Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, admitted following offences when he appeared at Hull Crown Court on Thursday, 2nd April 2026:

• Thirty offences of preventing a lawful and decent burial of a body, an offence contrary to common law;

He had previously admitted:

• Thirty offences of fraud by false representation in relation to those bodies, an offence contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
• Four offences of fraud by false representation in relation to four unborn foetuses, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
• One offence of fraudulent trading in relation to funeral plans, an offence contrary to section 993 of the Companies Act 2006;
• One offence of fraud by false representation in relation to cremated remains, an offence contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
• One offence of theft in relation to charity donations, an offence contrary to section 1 of the Theft Act 1968.

Bush was a director of the now defunct Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

In response to information received, the police raided the business's Hessle Road premises on 4th March 2024. Inside officers discovered dozens of bodies that had purportedly been buried or cremated.

In an effort to cover his tracks, Bush had given bereaved families ashes that were not those of their loved ones. He had also hoarded money that should have been passed on to charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, The Dog's Trust and the RNLI.

Despite knowing the business was in terminal decline, Bush kept selling funeral plans and pocketing the cash.

Laura Tams, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Robert Bush has pleaded guilty to a number of charges in connection with the operation of the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors premises in Hull.

"These charges represent some of the most serious breaches of trust possible in the funeral industry. They include preventing the lawful and decent burial of bodies, defrauding families who paid for services never provided, returning wrong ashes to grieving relatives, fraudulent trading of funeral plans, and the theft of charitable donations made in memory of the deceased.

"The impact on the families and wider community has been profound. At their most vulnerable time, when seeking dignity and closure for their loved ones, these families were subjected to appalling violations of trust.

"I want to take this opportunity to share my deepest condolences to all those who have been affected. Learning that their relatives' remains had not received proper care, and that some received the wrong ashes, has caused immeasurable additional grief and trauma.

"This has been an extraordinarily complex and challenging case for our specialist prosecution team. Working closely with Humberside Police, we were able to review extensive evidence at pace to authorise these charges and build a comprehensive case that reflects the scale and severity of these offences. The defendant's decision to enter guilty pleas today acknowledges the strength of the prosecution's case.

"While nothing can undo the harm caused to these families, today's guilty pleas represent an important step towards justice for all those who have suffered from these deplorable actions."

The offences admitted by Bush today relate to the bodies of the following individuals: Norman Bridger, Muriel Winning, Raymond Dagnall, Colin Wainman, Maureen Graham, Susan Gorbutt, Shirley Wright, Mark Hotham, John Carlill, Joyce Moulton, Terence Buck, David Burton, Audrey Leach, Danny Middleton, Tony Munro, Jessie Stockdale, Peter Moody, Jean Collinson, Alan Gray, Hilda Mary Rhodes, Stephen Perrins, Joan Stark, Brian Johnson, Graham Finn, Terence White, Susan Stone, Herbert James Porter, Peter Brown, Jonathan Butler and Julie Webb.

Mr Justice Nicholas Hilliard has already indicated that Bush can expect a custodial sentence when he next appears before the court on Monday, 27th July 2026.

Former Tory MP Admits Drugs Offences

A former Tory MP and Cabinet Minister has admitted possession of drugs.

Crispin Blunt, 65, of Horley, Surrey, admitted four offences of possession of a controlled drug when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 25th March 2026. One of offence was in relation to class A drugs; the other three in relation to class B drugs.

Possession of a controlled drug is an offence under section 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is triable either way and, in the case of a class A drug, has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody on summary conviction or 7 years' custody on conviction on indictment.

Blunt's home was searched on 25th October 2023 in relation to other matters. The former Army Officer is said to have been cooperative with officers, drawing their attention to his illicit stash.

Zarah Dickinson, prosecuting, told the court that methamphetamine (class A) was found on Blunt's bedside table. Further methamphetamine was found in a plastic bottle. A syringe containing gamma butyrolactone (class B) was found in a laptop bag and a small bag of cannabis was also recovered.

Addressing the court, Blunt said he was initially minded to deny the offences on the basis that they should not exist.

The 65-year-old is due to be sentenced later today.

Update (25/3/26): Blunt has been fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £480 surcharge and £200 towards prosecution costs.

Creating articles can be thirsty work:

If you have found this article entertaining or informative then you can show your appreciation by buying a coffee.