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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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GB men’s curling team suffers upset defeat to Italy

At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Great Britain’s men’s curling team mounted a comeback against Italy following a disappointing beginning, ultimately falling short in their inaugural match.

Despite a valiant comeback, Team GB ultimately fell short as Italy held their composure to secure the win in the final end.

A dismal start to the match proved costly for Team GB's men, as they suffered their first defeat of the Winter Olympics at the hands of host nation Italy, despite a spirited fightback in the packed Cortina Curling Stadium.

Following victories in their first two matches, including a win over the Swedish rink that beat them in the gold-medal match four years ago, Team GB entered their second high-profile encounter in as many days in a confident position.

However, a disastrous opening end, in which Italy stole four points, left Team GB trailing and facing an uphill battle in front of a boisterous home crowd.

The British team, currently ranked number one in the world, gradually regained their footing and managed to level the score by the ninth end.

Ultimately, Italy maintained their composure in the final end to emerge victorious, winning 9-7 and adding Team GB to their list of scalps, which already included the Swedes.

"We had to dig deep and play some solid curling, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get us over the line," Team GB lead Hammy McMillan said in an interview with BBC Sport.

With seven wins from nine round-robin matches guaranteeing a spot in the semi-finals, Team GB remains in a strong position, although fewer wins may still be sufficient to advance.

The women's team is set to take to the ice next, facing South Korea in their second match at 13:05 GMT, while the men will return to action on Saturday against the Czech Republic at the same time.

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The looks of shock on the faces of Team GB's curlers told the story of a disastrous opening end.

With a stone in play, Mouat attempted a risky shot in an effort to claim two points, but it backfired, resulting in none of Team GB's stones in the house and four Italian stones in position.

However, the Scottish quartet, ranked number one in the world, quickly regained their composure and got back to their game.

The teams exchanged singles before a impressive final throw by Mouat, aided by a measurement to determine which stone was closest to the button, allowed Team GB to claim two points and narrow the gap to 5-3.

Another excellent team effort, which included a well-judged throw by Mouat, a solid sweep by Hammy McMillan and Bobby Lammie, and Grant Hardie's strategic expertise, forced Italy to concede a point in the fourth end, reducing the deficit to a single point at the break.

Italy blanked the sixth end and added two points in the seventh to rebuild their lead, but Team GB fought back with two points of their own, remarkably levelling the score with one end remaining after a steal.

The match came down to the final end, but Italy held their nerve to secure the win, prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.

"It's an incredible experience, and we need to get used to it," McMillan added, describing the electric atmosphere as "surreal" and "cool," more akin to a football match than a typical curling crowd.

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Scotland Kicks Off Nations League Against Slovenia

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland set to begin their campaign on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

Uefa has released the schedule for the Nations League, with Scotland's campaign set to begin on 26 September with an away match against Slovenia.

The team's six group stage games will be played within a three-month period, culminating in a match against Switzerland on 16 November.

The fixture list was announced following Thursday's draw, which placed Scotland in a group with Switzerland, Slovenia, and North Macedonia.

Having been relegated from League A after a play-off loss to Greece last year, Scotland will compete in the second tier of the Nations League this year.

In response to the draw, head coach Steve Clarke noted that the teams in the group appear to be evenly matched.

Clarke reflected on the team's past experience in the competition, stating that it has been beneficial for Scotland.

He emphasized the importance of the Nations League, citing its role in helping the team qualify for Euro 2020, and anticipated a challenging set of matches.

A key matchup in the Nations League will see Scotland face off against Switzerland.

The group stage will determine the teams' fates, with the winner earning promotion, the runner-up entering a play-off, the third-placed team facing a relegation play-off, and the fourth-placed team being relegated directly.

The upcoming group games will mark a reunion for Scotland and Switzerland, who previously drew 1-1 in Cologne at Euro 2024.

Scotland's last encounter with Slovenia was during the 2018 World Cup qualification campaign, when they won 1-0 at home and drew 2-2 away.

The team has not played North Macedonia since the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, when they drew 1-1 at home and won 2-1 away, with goals from Ikechi Anya and Shaun Maloney.

The schedule for Scotland's Nations League campaign begins on 26 September with a match against Slovenia.

The team will then host Switzerland on 29 September, followed by a trip to face North Macedonia on 3 October.

Scotland will then play Slovenia at home on 6 October, before hosting North Macedonia on 11 November.

The final group stage match will see Scotland travel to face Switzerland on 16 November.

The team's home match against North Macedonia is set for 11 November.

The campaign will conclude with an away match against Switzerland on 16 November.

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Golfer McIlroy Sinks Bunker Shot at Pebble Beach Pro-Am

At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, Rory McIlroy achieved an eagle on the 14th hole at Spyglass Hill, capping off his opening round with a score of 68.

During the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, Rory McIlroy achieved an eagle on the 14th hole at Spyglass Hill, contributing to his first-round score of 68.

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