Human remains 'belong to missing man'

A jailed taxidermist who used the skulls of endangered monkeys to create so-called Shrunken Heads was making up to £20,000 a month from his online business, a court heard.

Daniel Stocks imported parts of rare Javan langurs and macaques from the jungles of Indonesia which he converted into grisly ornaments and sold for hundreds of pounds.

He was importing skulls, hands and feet from a contact in Indonesia called Basuki Ongko and misleading buyers by saying they were not covered by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) when in fact they were.

Stocks, aged 42, of Vale Road, Kingskerswell, admitted fraudulently evading the restrictions on importing and exporting endangered species and two counts of keeping and selling specimens.

He was jailed for six months by Judge Erik Salomonsen at Exeter Crown Court, who questioned why anyone would want to buy the grizzly products Stocks created.

Bosses and colleagues of A30 crash victim Tammy Platow have paid tribute to her as a fundraising campaign launched to pay for her funeral was nearing its target.

A paranoid schizophrenic stabbed his father in the chest after calling his parents "devil worshippers", a court heard

A dry night with light winds and clear spells, allowing temperatures to fall away and the odd mist and localised frost patch to develop.

Minimum temperature 0 Deg C (32 Deg F).

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Tomorrow will be generally dry with light winds and variable amounts of cloud and some sunny spells, but it'll be a little colder too with a maximum temperature 9 Deg C (48F).

The Royal Cornwall Museum is to receive £50,000 as part of a £4m government cash boost for museums and culture centres across England.

A celebrity taxidermist has been jailed for using the skulls of endangered monkeys to create so-called Shrunken Heads.

Daniel Stocks imported parts of rare Javan langurs and macaques from the jungles of Indonesia which he converted into grisly ornaments and sold for hundreds of pounds.

His bizarre work appears hanging off the belt of Captain Jack Sparrow in his waxwork in Madame Tussauds and he has made props for films including The Smurfs, American Horror Show and Moby Dick.

Appearing at Exeter Crown Court Stocks, aged 42, of Vale Road, Kingskerswell, Devon admitted fraudulently evading the restrictions on importing and exporting endangered species and two counts of keeping and selling specimens. He was jailed for six months.

Police are asking for help to piece together the last movements of 45-year-old Darren Rhys Witcome, whose remains were found in Cornwall in August, but have only recently been identified.

The Welshman, who lived in Newquay, was last seen in December 2015.

Devon and Cornwall PoliceCopyright: Devon and Cornwall Police

Det Con Sarah Pinder, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said the last confirmed sighting of Mr Witcombe was when he visited a friend in St Columb Minor on 23 December when he ordered a taxi but had left before it arrived at about 2200.

"If you saw Darren during this period we would like to hear from you," she said.

"We are also keen to trace and speak to the member of public who found and handed in a phone belonging to Darren between Christmas and New Year's Eve 2015."

An "incredibly brave" woman has welcomed a judge's ruling which found she was raped by two footballers who never faced a criminal trial. 

Plymouth Argyle's David Goodwillie and Cowdenbeath FC's David Robertson were ordered to pay 30-year-old Denise Clair £100,000 in damages following a civil action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

SNS AND CIARAN DONNELLYCopyright: SNS AND CIARAN DONNELLY

Ms Clair, who waived her right to anonymity, said she was raped following a night out in January 2011. The footballers had claimed sexual intercourse was consensual.

The players' clubs have said they will not be considered for selection while they examine the court ruling. 

Plans to give a pay rise of more than £24,000 to the boss of the Local Enterprise Partnership for Somerset, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth has been criticised.

Chris Garcia, chief executive of the LEP, could see his pay jump from £90,729 to £115,000 - an increase of about 27%.

The LEP, which was set up in 2011 to grow the local economy and support businesses, has declined to comment on the criticism from Somerset Council leader John Osman, who claimed Mr Garcia's current salary of £90,000 was "already too much".

A hunt has said it "very much regrets" an incident where its hounds ran out of control and appeared to attack an elderly couple and their dog on a beach in Cornwall.

A Plymouth Argyle striker has been ruled a rapist and ordered to pay damages following a civil action in Scotland.

David Goodwillie and former Dundee United player David Robertson were ordered to pay £100,000 to a 30-year-old woman who sued the men after the Crown decided not to prosecute. 

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Plymouth Argyle said the club was awaiting a full report, but until then, the 27-year-old striker would not be available for selection.  

As the clock struck midnight on 31st December most people chose an obvious New Years' Resolution – stop smoking, lose weight, exercise more – but local Beer Sommelier Ben Richards wanted a real challenge for 2017, which is why he's growing beer on his allotment in East Devon.

• Plymouth Argyle striker David Goodwillie has been ruled a rapist and ordered to pay damages in a civil action in Scotland
• Remains found in Newquay in August are identified as those of 45-year-old Darren Rhys Witcombe
• Security in Tunisia was questioned six months before an attack that killed 30 people from the UK
• More than 5,000 on-the-day operations were cancelled last year in the South West
• A counter-terrorism operation in Devon last year cost more than £1m
• The Princess Royal has opened a swimming pool at Mount Kelly College in Tavistock and visited a trust for people with learning disabilities in Plymouth

A court has watched a police recreation of the hour-long killing spree at a Tunisian beach resort in June 2015, which left 38 people dead, including Stephen Mellor from Bodmin.

The inquest into the deaths of 30 Britons who died during the attack heard Tunisian security forces deliberately "slowed down" as Islamist gunman Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire.

The £1m cost of a counter-terrorism operation in Devon last year, included the use of more than 70 miles of police cordon tape, according to a Freedom of Information request.

The Devon and Cornwall Police operation, which was directed by the Metropolitan Police, was carried out in August and September and included searches of the Powderham New Plantation near Exminster. 

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As well as the cordon tape, the £1,128,600 total cost of the 18-day operation included £660,000 for help from other police forces, £320,000 in overtime, hotel accommodation of £82,000 and 8,500 meals provided at a cost of £38,000.

Forces can apply to the National Police Chiefs Council for spending on major counter-terrorism operations to be refunded, but are not guaranteed to get the money back. 

A pensioner has admitted stabbing his friend in the neck with a knife after an argument over whether they should go to Camborne or Helston, a court has heard.

Police are appealing to anyone who may be able to help them find out how a 45-year-old man died.

Remains found in Newquay in August have now been identified as those of Darren Rhys Witcombe, who was last seen in the Cornish town on 23 December 2015.

Devon and Cornwall PoliceCopyright: Devon and Cornwall Police

Det Con Sarah Pinder said the death of Mr Witcombe, who was originally from Wales, was currently being treated as unexplained.

"We are appealing to the public to help us piece together a better picture of his whereabouts before he died

"Any information, no matter how small could be vital for the police."

• On the A38 Haldon Hill Plymouth-bound one lane is closed due to an broken-down coach
• At Branscombe, the A3052 is partially blocked due to an overturned van near Beechtree Lane
• In Plymstock, Dean Park Road is just passable due to an incident near Quarry Park Road
• In Plymouth on the St Budeaux Bypass around Carlton Terrace there are temporary traffic lights due to roadworks. Traffic is slow on the bypass