News in Brief

Non-alcoholic beverages. Pic: Caravel Productions

Hackney businessman leaves work to follow passion for non-alcoholic beverages.

A Hackney businessman has left his city job to set up his own non-alcoholic beer company, On The Wagon.

Michael Stankard set up On The Wagon to produce award winning, British brewed non-alcoholic beer and alcohol-free beverages.

Stankard stopped drinking following his struggles with depression since the age of 20 after finding himself caught up in the drinking culture of the Capital. 

Stankard now sells his products at Chatsworth Road Market every Sunday, and is beginning his wholesale journey with bars and restaurants in Hackney and offers to cater for private parties and food and music festivals.

Rapist sentenced to 13 years.

A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for two counts of rape.  On October 21, Ryan Bruce was sentenced after pleading guilty to the rape of a 30 year-old woman.

The attack took place on March 13 at 11 pm, when Bruce met the woman at a house in Stoke Newington, Hackney, belonging to an acquaintance of Bruce. The owner of the house did not know Bruce was planning on using his house for the crime.

The victim was hit repeatedly across the back and on the head with a hammer before offering her money to the offender, she was then told to undress and lie on the bed. The victim later required stitches for lacerations following the hammer injuries.

Detective Constable Michael Dixon, of Central East Command Unit, said: “This was a horrific attack and I am happy that Ryan Bruce has today been sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence. London is a safer place with him behind bars.”

Rapman from Croydon stands against gang culture.

A Croydon born rapper, signed by Jay-Z, is producing a video to highlight the dangers of gang crime in Croydon.

Rapman, born Andrew Onwubolu, is producing a video called Blue Story, set on the estate Onwubolu grew up on. It follows two friends caught in the turf war involving their respective gangs .

Onwubolu told The BBC: “I started started making all my [music] videos kind of like films, and I realised that’s what came to me easier.”

His three-part trilogy, Shiro’s Story, was what caught the attention of artist Jay-Z, who was desperate for part four, and signed him to his label, Roc Nation, in 2018.

He added: “I never had no mentors, I wish I did. The only thing I had was my pops and he didn’t even know I was writing, but he always said: ‘don’t be lazy’.”

Blue story will be out in cinemas on November 22.

One year on from Greenwich murder.

The mother of a teenager murdered in 2018 is urging the public to come forward in a renewed police appeal.

The police is returning to the scene to appeal for information from local residents a year after Ethan Nedd-Bruce’s death. The 18 year-old was shot on October 22 2018, at 9:25pm, outside Collins House.

Ethan’s mum, Cherie Nedd, said: “I urge members of the public, bystanders, witnesses and the community to come forward with any information that you may have that can help this investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard, from Specialist Crime, said: “It is now a year since Ethan was murdered but our work to identify and arrest those responsible has not diminished.

“One of the images we are releasing shows someone we believe could be a key witness; a white male with a beard holding a mobile phone..

“We are also releasing footage showing the two vehicles Ethan’s attackers used that evening. One is a motorbike with a rider and pillion passenger; the other is a silver Ford Kuga with a number of occupants.” 

A 26 year-old man was arrested for murder in Hertfordshire on November 10 but was released under investigation.

Anyone with information should contact the incident room on 0208 721 4622 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Information, pictures or video can also submit it to police via the UK Police Major Incident Public Reporting Site.


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