News
Teenage motorist who killed mum-of-three after inhaling laughing gas jailed
The driver was also found to have used cocaine and cannabis before the hit-and-run
A teenage motorist who killed a mum-of-three after driving into her outside of a bar in Wigan has been jailed.
Jacob Gaskell also injured two other pedestrians when he mounted the pavement in his Land Rover Freelander down Ormskirk Road, Pemberton on the evening of Friday April 8th, one day before his nineteenth birthday.
The incident happened just two months after he was handed a two month suspended sentence for a previous driving offence.
Bolton Crown Court heard that Gaskell had been inhaling laughing gas at the wheel, while blood tests later showed he had used cocaine and cannabis before the crash.
GMP
Prosecution barrister Rachel Woods told the court that Gaskell had picked up a number of passengers in Garswood and was driving to Pemberton, with one of the passengers reporting that Gaskell was speeding and going through red lights.
The passenger also said Gaskell inhaled nitrous oxide from a balloon while driving before mounted the pavement, smashing into three pedestrians and hitting the pub wall and a lamp post.
The other two victims were twin brothers Jack and Ben Atherton, with the latter suffering a fractured lower spine and three bleeds to the brain after being ‘catapulted’ into the air.
Following the crash, Gaskell fled the scene on foot, leaving mum-of-three Laura Hazeldine, forty-four, dying outside of the pub.
Hazeldine, lived and worked as a maths teacher in Cambridgeshire, but had been visiting her family at the time of the incident.
GMP
She suffered catastrophic injuries and was rushed to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, where numerous attempts to resuscitate her were made. However, she later died in the hospital.
Laura’s mum Gillian Webster read out a moving victim impact statement in court, “She was a loving, kind person… Laura touched the lives of everyone she met.
“Laura’s life was working hard and being the best mum, daughter, sister, work colleague and teacher, while studying for her degree in mathematics.
“We will never forget the severe injuries she sustained and her fight for life that night as I watched her sadly pass away.”
ITV News
Mitigating, Andrew Nuttall said nineteen-year-old Gaskell had mental health issues including low moods and an emotionally unstable personality disorder, likely caused by his persistent drug use from the age of fourteen.
He told the court: “[Gaskell’s] thoughts and expressions of remorse are not for himself but for the victim’s family and friends.
“He is not going to be forgiven for what he did and he will have to live with his shame and this tragedy for the rest of his life. He’s not much more than a boy and it will be a potentially long life for him learning to live with what he has done.”
Gaskell was handed a nine-year prison sentence and a ten-year driving ban which will start when he is freed.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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