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Man imprisoned for brutal attack on his elderly father

An 80-year-old man, William Mooney, was the victim of a violent assault and robbery at his residence in Motherwell, allegedly at the hands of Gary Mooney, 44, in an incident that occurred last February.

A 44-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a violent attack on his 80-year-old father, which also involved stealing £40,000 from the elderly victim.

A man in a cap, Gary Mooney, poses next to a frail old man in a chair, William Mooney — William Mooney, 80, had undiagnosed advanced lung cancer at the time of the attack by his son (left)

The incident occurred on 7 February last year at the family home in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, where Gary Mooney had been staying to care for his father, William Mooney, who had asked him to make a cup of tea before the assault.

During the attack, Mooney subjected his father to physical abuse, including punching, kicking, slapping, and choking, before taking a substantial amount of money that William had been keeping at home for his grandchildren's inheritance.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lord Arthurson condemned the crime as "truly despicable" while sentencing Mooney.

The court was informed that William Mooney, who passed away a month after the incident, had been in poor health and required daily care due to his complex medical history.

A man, Gary Mooney, wears a fur lined russian hat and looks intensely into the camera — Gary Mooney was acting as a carer for his father

Gary Mooney had been living with his father to provide assistance with his care, but the dynamics between them took a turn for the worse on the day of the attack.

On that day, William was in the living room when his son turned violent, leading to a severe and traumatic incident.

In the previous month, Mooney had pleaded guilty to robbing and assaulting his father, causing him severe injury and putting his life in danger.

According to prosecutor BJ Gill, Mooney had descended the stairs, shouting and swearing, before grabbing his father by the throat and constricting his airway.

Gill described the scene, stating that William struggled to breathe, lost consciousness, and feared for his life during the ordeal.

The attack escalated as Mooney gouged his thumbs into his father's eyes, making a threatening statement about William's mortality.

Mooney then demanded to know the location of his father's hidden inheritance, approximately £37,000, which he stole along with an additional £3,000 intended for household expenses.

Following the incident, Mooney cancelled the scheduled carer visits for the remainder of the week, claiming his father was unwell when a carer arrived for a check-in.

The court heard that Mooney had threatened the carer, stating he would have her fired, after she attempted to visit his father.

Mooney then confined his father to the house and left the premises.

William managed to escape using a spare key and alerted a neighbor to the situation, reporting that Gary had attacked him and stolen £40,000.

The neighbor found William with severe injuries, including a brain bleed, a fractured back and ribs, and bruising on his face and chest, and he was subsequently hospitalized.

While in the hospital, William developed pneumonia and other complications, ultimately passing away on 6 March.

A post-mortem examination revealed that William had undiagnosed advanced lung cancer, which, combined with pneumonia, was determined to be the cause of his death.

The investigation led to Mooney's arrest after he approached police outside his flat in the early hours following the incident, stating, "I hear you are looking for me."

During questioning, Mooney acknowledged a history of conflict with his father and admitted to a previous violent outburst.

A search of Mooney's home uncovered £16,750 of the stolen funds, but the remaining amount has not been recovered.

Prior to sentencing, the court took into account Mooney's declining mental health in the lead-up to the incident, which was attributed to the end of his marriage and the strain of caring for his father.

Mooney had been in custody since the incident and had lost contact with his children.

The court noted that Mooney had four prior convictions, including an assault in 2012, but had never served a prison sentence before.

Mooney expressed shame for his actions and regret that he did not have the opportunity to see his father before his passing.

Considering Mooney's background and his guilty plea, Judge Lord Arthurson reduced the sentence from nine years to seven years.

The reduced sentence reflected the court's consideration of the mitigating factors in Mooney's case.

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Family of Murder Victim Expresses Frustration Over Delayed Trial Scheduling

A 21-year-old woman, Chloe Mitchell, lost her life in June 2023, and a man is set to stand trial, facing a murder charge.

The family of Chloe Mitchell, a 21-year-old woman from Ballymena, is facing further uncertainty as they await the outcome of a trial for her alleged murderer, which may be impacted by an ongoing barristers' strike.

A close-up photo of Chloe Mitchell - a young woman with long, straight, fair hair - smiling at the camera. She is wearing black-framed sunglasses with blue lenses on her head, which are partially visible. — Chloe Mitchell's remains were found eight days after she went missing in 2023

Chloe Mitchell's life was cut short in June 2023, when she was killed in an incident that has left her family and community in shock.

Brandon John Rainey, the man accused of her murder, is scheduled to stand trial on February 23, but the proceedings may be delayed due to the industrial action by defence barristers.

Following a recent court hearing to review trial arrangements, Nadine Mitchell, Chloe's sister, expressed her family's distress and frustration, telling BBC News NI that they are struggling to cope with the uncertainty.

Nadine Mitchell stated that her family has been left with no choice but to wait once again for a resolution, having already endured a prolonged period of anxiety and uncertainty.

The family's emotional turmoil is evident, with Nadine describing the experience as a prolonged period of distress, marked by sleepless nights and unbearable tension.

The Mitchell family is struggling to come to terms with their situation, which has left them feeling overwhelmed and distraught.

The current strike by defence barristers in Northern Ireland, which began last month, is a result of a long-standing dispute over legal aid fees, with barristers arguing that their fees have not kept pace with inflation.

The strike has brought almost all criminal trials in Northern Ireland to a standstill, with the exception of cases where the defendant does not require legal aid.

The Mitchell family has appealed for their case to be treated as an exception, allowing the trial to proceed as scheduled.

Chloe Mitchell, who was 21 at the time of her disappearance, was reported missing in early June 2023, prompting an extensive search operation.

Her remains were discovered about a week later, following a series of searches in the Ballymena area.

Brandon John Rainey was subsequently arrested and charged with Chloe's murder, which is alleged to have taken place between June 2 and June 5, 2023.

Rainey also faces a charge of attempting to prevent the lawful burial of a deceased body.

The dispute between barristers and the Department of Justice centres on the level of legal aid fees, which barristers claim have not increased since 2005.

A close-up of Brandon Rainey, a man with short, fair hair and stubble, looking at the camera. He is sitting in a vehicle on a dark, wet night. — Brandon Rainey is accused of the murder of Chloe Mitchell

Barristers argue that the fees have not kept pace with inflation, resulting in a significant decrease in their real-terms value over the past 20 years.

The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has warned that the low fees have created a crisis in the justice system, with many younger barristers refusing to take on legal aid cases due to the low rates of pay.

The CBA has described the strike as a "last resort" in their dispute with the Department of Justice, which has been ongoing for some time.

Despite an announced 16% increase in fees, which is set to take effect in mid-January, the strike has continued, with barristers arguing that the increase does not go far enough to address their concerns.

Chloe's father, George Mitchell, has previously appealed for an exception to be made in their case, allowing the trial to proceed despite the strike.

George Mitchell has argued that any delay to the trial would cause further trauma and distress for the families of victims.

He had invited Justice Minister Naomi Long to meet with him and his wife, Georgina, to discuss the matter further.

However, Minister Long has stated that it is not feasible to allow individual cases to proceed while the dispute over legal aid fees remains unresolved, citing ethical and practical concerns.

The minister has reiterated that the decision to grant exceptions lies with the CBA, which must weigh the competing demands of their members and the needs of the justice system.

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Keanu Reeves’ John Wick Video Game Revealed at PlayStation Event

The iconic hitman has made previous appearances in games, however, the version developed by Saber will mark the first instance where the character is voiced by Reeves.

A video game adaptation of the John Wick franchise, which has grossed over $1 billion worldwide, is in development, with Keanu Reeves set to lend his likeness and voice to the project.

An in game screenshot of a video game version of Keanu Reeves as the character John Wick. He is wearing a suit and looking at the camera.

The game, currently titled "Untitled John Wick Game", is being developed by Saber Interactive, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, in collaboration with Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick film series.

A trailer for the game, expected to serve as a prequel to the film series, was unveiled during PlayStation's "State of Play" event on Thursday.

The event also featured announcements for remakes of several major game franchises, including the God of War trilogy, as well as a special 30th-anniversary edition of the classic platformer Rayman.

The John Wick film series, which has earned over $1 billion globally, follows the story of a retired assassin, played by Keanu Reeves, as he seeks vengeance in a world of high-stakes action.

Although the character of John Wick has appeared in games before, this will be the first time Keanu Reeves has provided his voice for the role.

Reeves has previous experience in the gaming industry, having played a key role in the hit game Cyberpunk 2077 as the character Johnny Silverhand.

According to Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, the development team is "honored" to be working with Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves to bring the John Wick universe to life in a AAA game.

The game's story will be an original narrative designed for mature audiences, featuring a mix of familiar characters from the film series and new ones.

Jenefer Brown, president of global products at Lionsgate, the producer of the John Wick films, expressed the company's goal of capturing the "intense action" and "distinctive fight choreography" that define the franchise.

The reaction to the game's announcement has been largely positive among fans on social media.

However, some fans have expressed concerns about the potential impact on Saber Interactive's other projects, including the long-awaited remake of the classic Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic.

Christopher Dring, editor-in-chief of The Game Business, believes that the John Wick game is a strong fit for Saber Interactive, given the studio's experience with action-oriented IPs and its ability to release multiple games across various genres.

Dring notes that Saber Interactive operates as a collective of studios working on multiple IPs, allowing it to release a diverse range of games annually.

During the same event, Sony announced that Santa Monica Studios is working on remakes of the first three God of War games, building on one of the platform's most successful franchises.

An in-game screenshot of Silent Hill Townfall. We see the back of a man who is looking at a sign that says "Welcome to St. Amelia". — Konami's trailer for Silent Hill Townfall revealed it is set in St Amelia, a "fictional island inspired by Scotland"

Although a release date for the God of War remakes was not provided, Sony did announce a surprise side-scrolling prequel game, Sons of Sparta, which is available now.

The event also offered a first look at Townfall, the latest installment in the Silent Hill series, set on the fictional island of St. Amelia, which draws inspiration from Scotland.

A 30th-anniversary edition of the classic platformer Rayman was also announced, featuring five versions of the 1995 game, along with a near-immediate release.

Loic Gounon, brand producer for the Rayman games, discussed the anniversary edition with the BBC, highlighting the inclusion of a new documentary that explores the making of the original game, as well as accessibility features designed to enhance the experience for modern players.

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