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Banbury drug dealer given chance to turn life around

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Luke Stark, of Duke Street, Banbury, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, April 1.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a class A drug, and being concerned in the supply of a class B drug.

These offences related to November 30, 2021 in Banbury.

Stark also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at High Street, South Bar Street, the A361 and Grange Road in Banbury on May 8, 2022.

Alice Aubrey-Fletcher, prosecuting, previously told the court that in November 2021 he was found with the drugs which were for ‘social supply for friends’.

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Oxford Crown Court (Image: Oxford Mail)

Then on May 8, 2022, police saw Stark in a silver Ford Focus in Banbury town centre and he accelerated away and was pursued.

The court heard he was recorded driving at speeds of 60mph in 30mph zones.

The court heard that Stark had three previous convictions for 11 offences which included drug dealing.

During a previous court hearing Lyall Thompson, mitigating, said: “A considerable amount of time has passed.

“He has made exceptional progress since then. It should not have taken police four years to charge someone in these circumstances.

“It’s to his credit that he has moved away from drugs. It’s not an easy thing to do, but he seems to be on the right track.

“There are positive signs that his life is turning around.”

Judge Hassan Khan said: “There has been a significant delay in this case.”

The court heard that Stark was found with tablets of 2CB and ketamine when police searched his property in November 2021. The drugs had a street value of £575.

The Judge added: “You said it was for social supply. You said you had cut down on your personal drug use. You weren’t supplying drugs to strangers in the street.

“You were bailed and you committed the dangerous driving offence on May 8. There was a police chase and you were driving at 60mph.

“It’s a matter of sheer good fortune that nobody came to harm. It was obviously a highly dangerous manoeuvre.

“There is significant mitigation in this case. There is remorse here. You’ve had long-standing drug issues. There are prospects for you to turn your life around.”

Stark was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days, six months of mental health rehabilitation, 200 hours of unpaid work and a five-month curfew to last from 8pm to 6am.

He was also banned from driving for two years and orders were made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia.





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Oxford News

‘Scary’ emergency incident sees police close off Oxford bridge

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Officers have closed off Donnington Bridge at the junction with Townsend Square following a crash in the late hours of yesterday night (Tuesday, August 4).

A police presence has been at the scene since last night and is continuing into the early hours of today (Wednesday, August 5).

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The road has been closed with a cordon of police tape now in place preventing vehicles from passing through, and multiple police vehicles are at the scene.

In a breaking news alert just after midnight, Thames Valley Police announced that a crash had occurred and appealed for those with information to come forward.

A spokesperson for the police force said: “Donnington Bridge Road is currently closed at the junction with Townsend Square following a collision.

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“Any drivers should avoid the area as much as possible, and we will provide more information when we can.

“Anyone with information or footage related to the collision should call 101 or make a report online, quoting reference 2801 of yesterday.”

An eyewitness who wished to remain anonymous told this newspaper: “It looks quite scary from a distance.

“I can see a motorcycle on the pavement and a car nearby.”





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Rock legends line up to appear at Bob Harris tribute concert

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Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration Of Life In Music will take place in London on December 2.

The one-off show will also include performances by Rick Wakeman, Carly Pearce, Chris Difford, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Judie Tzuke, Kate Rusby, The Shires, Kezia Gill and Toby Lee.

READ MORE: Broadcasting legend leaves BBC radio

In June, it was announced that the broadcaster, who lives in Steventon, near Abingdon, was standing down from hosting his Radio 2 shows Sounds Of The 70s and Radio 2 Country because of ill health.

The radio veteran, 80, has prostate cancer and in April he revealed it has spread to his upper spine.

Mr Harris said at the time leaving his shows has been “one of the hardest decisions of my life”.

Roger Daltrey of The WhoSir Roger Daltrey of The Who (Image: PA)

He added: “It’s incredible to think that my broadcasting career has spanned almost 56 years. I am very fortunate to have spent my entire working life doing something I love so much.

“I am a massive BBC loyalist, and I’m grateful that I have always been given the freedom to build my programmes in my own way.

“Most of my time on air has been spent with my fabulous family at Radio 2 and it has been such a joy to broadcast on this world-class radio station.

“I am so proud that the Radio 2 Country Show has played such a massive part in propelling country to become the fastest-growing music genre in the UK, and presenting Sounds Of The 70s on Sunday afternoons has been a real pleasure and made my time here the most special of my entire life.

“But more than anything, I want to say thank you to my listeners. I have put everything I have into every show I’ve ever done, and it’s all been because of you. Your love and loyalty mean more to me than words can ever say.

“I am so sorry that my health issues are forcing me to step down, but I realise that I must concentrate on getting myself well again.

“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I would never want to be doing programmes knowing that I am unable to give you 100 per cent.”

Following the announcement regarding the show, Bob Harris said he was honoured.

He told The Standard: “I’ve been blessed and honoured to have been there with all these artists right at the beginning of their careers, so we all have long working relationships and deep friendships.

“I truly love the Royal Albert Hall too. I first began attending concerts there in 1968, and it is, to me, the most beautiful and prestigious venue in Britain.

“So I feel so honoured to have these wonderful artists with me onstage at my favourite venue. Bringing this music together for Stand By Me is the realisation of a dream.”

The event will also feature broadcasting and music industry figures on stage to present the show and share their memories of Harris.





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Harper Beckham, 15, refusing to give up after brand setback

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The daughter of former footballer David and ex Spice Girl Victoria lives with her family in Oxfordshire.

She had been working on a skincare line inspired by Korean beauty, initially branded HIKU by Harper and aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.

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However, according to cosmetics industry reports and US filings, the US Patent and Trademark Office refused her first application in July “because of a likelihood of confusion” with existing trademarks already registered in the country.

Harper, David and Victoria Beckham (Image: PA)

Documents cited by cosmeticsbusiness.com show that “Hiku” is already protected for personal care products and fragrances, while “Harper” appears on the register for cleaning products such as brooms and scrubbing brushes – blocking the path for “HIKU by Harper” in those categories.

Coverage of the setback notes that Harper had six months to respond to the provisional refusal if she wants to challenge the decision or narrow the scope of the American filing.

READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham feud costs Harper ‘dream’ Sephora launch

Yet, now, she is pursuing a new brand, this time focused around make-up and called Harlo by Harper.

According to The Sun, the teenager has lodged papers with the US Patent and Trademark Office asking to be granted sole rights to use the name and with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to trademark the brand.

The aim is to launch the brand at some point next year, as the only daughter of the Beckhams seeks to build a beauty empire.

A source for the paper added that Victoria has been “guiding her every step of the way”.





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