Stab

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Doctors launch drive against knife crime

DOCTORS who treat stab victims in Glasgow, the "murder capital of Europe", will today launch an unprecedented initiative aimed at educating young people about the dang

Doctor alerted police to 'distressed' mother hours before child killings

The family of a baby and his two-year-old brother who were stabbed to death at home expressed their complete devastation yesterday at the loss of their "beautiful, innocent" children.A senior police officer described the scene inside the home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, as "something no human being should ever have to see in their life". Police and ambulance crews who attended the house have been offered counselling. The boys, Romario Mullings-Sewell, two, and his three-month-old brother Delayno, were discovered at 6pm on Wednesday, a few hours after a family doctor had called police to express concerns at the erratic behaviour of their mother, Jael Mullings. The brothers had single stab wounds to their abdomens.As Mullings, 21, was arrested on suspicion of murder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act yesterday it emerged the family was known to social services, though the children were not on the at-risk register. The admission that the family was on the radar of social services is likely to once again focus attention on the efficiency of child protection measures in the wake of the death of Baby P in Haringey, north London.The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was assessing whether to launch a full inquiry after it was contacted by Greater Manchester police. The IPCC is already to investigate whether two officers who called at the house following the doctor's telephone call could have done anything to prevent the deaths.Teddy bears and floral tributes were left at the house yesterday as neighbours and friends struggled to understand what had happened. Melissa Bell, a 23-year-old friend of Mullings, said: "They were just gorgeous, beautiful, the three-month-old had just started to get a personality of his own."Details of the hours leading up to the murders emerged yesterday. Greater Manchester police received a phone call at 1.20pm on Wednesday from a GP who had been contacted by Mullings and was concerned for her and her children. Officers arrived at the house 90 minutes later as they had been given four separate addresses for Mullings. Unable to get an answer, they left after checking the back of the house and the surrounding area.A neighbour told police Mullings had been pushing a double buggy at a nearby shopping centre in a distressed state. Mullings then went to her mother's house. A police spokesman said: "While we were making these inquiries, we got a 999 call which suggested that the children were back in the house, dead."At 5.45pm paramedics were called to Mullings' home where they found the bodies of the children. The boys' family described their complete devastation in a statement released through Greater Manchester police."This family had two beautiful, innocent children called Romario, who was just two years old, and his brother, Delayno, who had only been born in July this year," they said."We ... are struggling to come to terms with the tragic events ... We cannot even begin to understand what happened. We hope that wherever the boys have gone to, they are at peace."Mullings and her children were known to social services but it is understood they were signed off from their care in January Pauline Newman, the director of children's services at Manchester city council, said an urgent review of her team's involvement with the family was under way. "This is an appalling tragedy and we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of these two young children," she said."Children's social care were not currently involved with the family, however in recent months the family were in receipt of community support services including nursery and childminding provision, whilst mother was attending higher education classes."Detective Superintendent Shaun Donnellan said his officers had been met by a scene no human should ever witness. The family, he said, were shellshocked."This is a lovely family, a fairly close family with two young children who everybody adored and doted on." He said police were alerted because people were worried by Mullings' demeanour and because an "unpleasant" situation was arising.Neighbours said Mullings had been troubled in recent months. They noticed her shouting in the street and talking to herself on Wednesday morning.Sandra Barnes, 41, said: "She was shouting 'Are you going to bomb me? Are you going to shoot me?' People were bringing their kids inside."Donna Rawson, 31, said: "At around 4pm all the kids were outside as they were getting ready for a school disco. She was on her own shouting at them asking if they were laughing at her. She was not with her kids. It makes me feel sick what has happened."TimelineMorning Neighbours notice that Romario and Delayno Mullings-Sewell's mother, Jael Mullings, shouting in the street and talking to herself.1.20pm A family doctor calls police to express concerns at her erratic behaviour.2.50pm With four separate addresses for Mullings, police officers eventually arrive at the boys' home in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, but leave after getting no answer. They later receive a 999 call to say the children are in the house.5.45pm Police and paramedics reach the house, where they find the children's bodies.Later Mullings is arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act.Child protectionMental healthguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Shopkeeper 'had no option' but to stab mugger inquest told

A shopkeeper has told an inquest how he felt he had no option but to stab a mugger who was trying to steal his day's takings.

Man held in 'stab' murder probe

A 21-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a woman in Greater Manchester.

Nigel Slater's squash recipes

Barely a week goes by at this time of year without a squash of some sort appearing on the table. Right now, it's the last of the marrows, tugged from the garden with the final handful of green tomatoes before the frost sets in (many of you, I know, will have had frost for weeks, but it is yet to appear on my patch). We had pumpkin twice last week, once as a soup and then as a sort of gratin under a layer of crumbs with a yogurt sauce spooned over at the table. Marrows bring out a curious snobbery in some cooks. They think of them as forgotten courgettes, or the last vestige of austerity cooking, when I prefer to think of them as a huge treat. A medium-sized marrow is something with which to marry the tartness of tomatoes and the warmth of basil; an edible shell in which to sit stews of lentils or ratatouille-type mixtures. I draw the line at mince. I don't even object to them in white sauce, which I know is most people's dish from hell, but it gets my vote, nicely seasoned with nutmeg and bay, for soothing in the extreme. The vegetable world's answer to gooseberry fool. I was recently asked by an elderly reader how she should gain access to her pumpkins, as she found their skin too hard to cut. It is a fact that in order to keep their flesh in good condition throughout the winter, many varieties of pumpkin, such as Crown Prince, the pale-blue beauty with the firmer-than-average flesh, develop impenetrable shells. Having done my shoulder in recently, I can sympathise with her and can only suggest she takes advantage of the first fit young guy she can get her hands on. A sharp, heavy knife will help, as does slicing off one cheek from the pumpkin, to provide a flat surface to sit it on. A rubber mat will secure it further. This week I also picked the last of the unripe tomatoes from the skeletons that line the vegetable patch, sliced them thickly, dipped them into beaten egg and fine polenta, and fried them in groundnut oil till crisp. The insides softened and had a delicious stab of sharpness to them, and benefited from the bowl of garlicky mayonnaise at their side. I recommend this to anyone who still has a few green tomatoes to use up and doesn't feel like boiling up a vat of chutney. I include the first of this year's winter squash recipes. What was once something to frighten the children at Halloween has become a winter kitchen stalwart. A squash goes a long way, both in terms of bulk and, more importantly, sweetness. I deal with the sugar quotient by introducing something very savoury into the formula, like bacon, mushrooms or lentils. I should also mention that if you let the pumpkin caramelise slightly, it will, against all odds, appear more savoury than sweet. The squash family's flesh is also good for taking up flavours such as olive oil, garlic and tomato. And it loves Parmesan, too. Hence my recipe for the marrow below.Stove-top pumpkin with gremolataYou could use this - a dish of pumpkin, softened over the heat with bacon and scattered with herb-flecked breadcrumbs - as a side dish, but I usually eat it as a main course. Vegetable courses, such as this one, are good with a side order of greens. We ate spinach, cooked in its own steam, drained, then given a quick dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. The yogurt sauce below is not entirely necessary, but very good at balancing the sweetness of the pumpkin. Serves 2.100g good fatty bacon or pancettabuttera small pumpkin or squash, about 1kg75g white bread, preferably from a day-old loaf, made into coarse breadcrumbsa small bunch of parsleythe grated zest of a lemonCut the bacon or pancetta into short strips. Leave it to cook in a heavy-based shallow pan set over a low heat - you need the fat to melt so you can cook the pumpkin in it. If it appears to be dry then add a little butter.While the bacon or pancetta is cooking, cut the skin from the pumpkin, then cut the flesh into quarters. Scoop out the seeds and fibres and discard them, then cut the flesh into large chunks. Add the pumpkin to the bacon and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 5 minutes until the pumpkin is golden brown here and there, then gently turn over and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the pumpkin is quite tender. Meanwhile, melt some more butter in a frying pan and, when it is starting to bubble, tip in the breadcrumbs. Let them cook till they are golden, stirring from time to time so they don't burn. Stir in the parsley and the lemon zest, and season with black pepper and a little salt (bacon can be quite salty). When the crumbs are golden and crisp, and the pumpkin soft and sweet, tip the crumbs over the lot and serve from the pan.A quick green sauce250ml yogurt1 tbsp olive oila handful of basil leaves, shredded4 small spring onions, finely choppedWhisk together the yogurt and the olive oil. Add the basil and the spring onions. Set aside for half an hour or so for the flavours to marry. Serve with the pumpkin above.Marrow with lentils and spinachThose who have eaten their last marrows can use the filling for a pumpkin. Serves 4.200g small brown or green lentils (Le Puy are perfect)a medium-sized marrow (or pumpkin)olive oil2 onions4 tbsp olive oil2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 6 medium-sized tomatoes or 20 cherry tomatoes4 tsp hot chilli sauce, such as harissa 2 handfuls of spinach or charda handful of grated ParmesanSet the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the lentils and leave to simmer, rather vigorously, until they are soft (about 20 minutes). Cut the marrow in half lengthwise but do not peel it. Scoop out the core and put the two halves into a roasting tin, brush with olive oil and put it in the preheated oven. Leave the marrows until they are tender and translucent - about 20 minutes - then remove from the oven.Peel and slice the onions and soften in a pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the crushed garlic. Chop the tomatoes, peeling them if they have tough skins (dunk the whole tomato into boiling water then skin after a few seconds) and add them to the pan. Let them cook a while, till they are mushy, then stir in the chilli sauce - I use 4 teaspoons of harissa here but add more or less to taste. Pour in barely a teacup-ful of water to make a slushy sauce, and be generous with the salt and black pepper. Drain the lentils, then stir them into the chilli sauce. Tear the leaves of the spinach or chard into small pieces and stir them in to the lentils. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a lower heat till the greens are silky soft and the mixture is thick - it should be sloppy, not soupy. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and harissa.Spoon the lentil mixture into the hollows in the marrow, scatter thickly with grated Parmesan, and bake for 25 minutes.nigel.slater@observer.co.ukVegetable recipesVegetarian recipesBritish recipesFood & drinkguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Two held over teenager stab death

Two people are arrested after a teenager is found stabbed to death and another is injured in east London.

Review: Roll-Your-Own Rock in 'Guitar Hero World Tour'

New instruments take a stab at Rock Band's success, but the real differentiating factor is tools that let gamers create rock tunes.

Inquiry into stab killer's care

A inquiry is to be held into the care and treatment given to a woman before she stabbed her former lover to death.

Review: YouTube-Ready Video Camera Gets the Goods

Kodak takes another stab at video with the Zi6. It's YouTube-ready, handles still shots nicely and USB plug delivers instant upload and edit.