r/uknews

A mum of a 'one punch' victim is calling for harsher sentences after her son was killed by a 'disrespected' Royal Marine - when he asked 'are you a Brummie?'

Ann-Marie Yilmaz said she will never get over the death of her eldest son Cemal John Yilmaz, who was punched by stranger Joseph Jones during a night out. The killer hit the popular chef with a 'thunderous' blow and knocked him unconscious before hit his head on the concrete and sustained fatal injuries.

Cemal, 39, was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries four days later. The court heard Jones, 23, of Wolverhampton, then walked off leaving his victim dying on the ground while telling pals he punched Cemal as he felt 'disrespected' when asked if he was from Birmingham.

He admitted manslaughter but Ann-Marie described his sentence as an 'insult' after being told he has been ear-marked for release in August next year - after serving just 17 months. The Marine had recently passed out at the Lympstone Commando Training Centre near Exmouth, Devon, and had been filmed earlier that night drinking and dancing in a pub hours before the fatal punch was thrown.

A former GP who touched and exposed himself to female patients has been struck off the medical register.

Mohan Babu was previously found guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court of four sexual assaults on three women when he was working in Havant, Hampshire.

The locum, then aged 47, was jailed for three and a half years in April 2024.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) ruled his fitness to practice was impaired and imposed an immediate ban.

Babu targeted patients who were "significantly vulnerable" both physically and emotionally, prosecutors previously said.

The brother of one victim, a cancer patient who has since died, said Babu had "desecrated her final months".

A second victim told the court the assault had "ruined my life" while a third said she had gone on a "dark, downward decline".

The abuse took place between September 2019 and July 2021.

30 April 2026: Schools don’t have adequate time or resources to engage students in democratic processes, which is a concern if young people are to be given the right to vote at age 16, says Simon Lightman.

Earlier this week, in a committee room in the House of Commons, I put a question to Samantha Dixon MP during the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Schools, Learning and Assessment’s inquiry into Votes at 16.

How, I asked, are we ensuring that the education system is equipped to prepare young people for meaningful democratic participation in the context of the complexity they are inheriting?

The response from Ms Dixon, Labour MP for Chester North and a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, was thoughtful and reflects an important strand of current thinking. Responsibility, she suggested, does not sit with teachers alone, but must be distributed across the system, including curriculum reform, the Electoral Commission and the wider contribution of civil society.

There was also a clear confidence expressed in young people themselves, with the argument that today’s students often demonstrate strong critical literacy, particularly in their ability to navigate information and identify what is credible.

Tension at the heart of the idea

There is merit in this view, and it is important not to underestimate the capabilities of young people. However, the discussion that followed, alongside the evidence presented to the inquiry, points to a more complex reality.

Emerging findings presented during the session, based on oral evidence to the inquiry, suggest that much of what currently exists in schools around democratic participation is seen as tokenistic, with limited opportunities for students to meaningfully shape decisions.

While there is widespread recognition of the need to strengthen political literacy, many teachers report that they do not feel equipped to facilitate the kinds of dialogue this requires. Even where expertise exists, structural constraints such as curriculum pressure, time and accountability frameworks frequently limit what is possible in practice.

This creates a tension at the heart of the Votes at 16 debate. On the one hand, there is a strong case for extending the franchise.

Evidence from contexts such as Scotland suggests that earlier participation can support long-term engagement. At a time when democratic systems are under strain, expanding participation is a serious and necessary reform.

Yet the current system creates a disconnect between civic education and civic participation because students study democracy while being excluded from it.

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