A killer who stabbed and set a pensioner on fire and evaded justice for 12 years has been sentenced to life in prison.David Newton attacked 86-year-old Una Crown at her home in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire on 13 January 2013 but police were only able to charge him after advances in DNA technology allowed them to link him to the scene.Samples of DNA taken from underneath Mrs Crown’s fingernails were re-tested using a new technique to isolate male profiles, pinpointing Newton.The 70-year-old, of Magazine Close in Wisbech, was found guilty on Thursday at the end of a four-week trial, and returned on Friday to be sentenced.He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years.Sentencing judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham told Newton: “This was a ferocious and sustained knife attack on a defenceless old lady in her own home.”There was an intake of breath and whispers of “yes” from the public gallery as the sentence was passed, and the defendant appeared to raise an eyebrow before swiftly being led to the cells.Police have apologised for errors made in their investigation , including failing to treat the death as suspicious at first, despite Mrs Crown having been stabbed repeatedly and been set on fire.Former kitchen installer David Newton, who lived a road away from Mrs Crown’s address in Magazine Lane, had been interviewed as a suspect and later arrested on suspicion of murder 12 years ago.But police had not initially considered Mrs Crown’s death suspicious and there was a two-day delay in preserving the scene because of what prosecutor John Price KC described as a “grave error of judgment by police officers who went to the house”.Newton was told, in July 2013, that he would not be charged on the evidence that was then available.He was charged last year after scientists made a DNA breakthrough, having tested nail clippings from Mrs Crown’s dominant right hand using techniques that were not available in 2013.Jurors found Newton guilty by a majority of 10 jurors to two following a month-long trial at Cambridge Crown Court and 29 hours and 13 minutes of deliberations.More follows.Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Patterns and trajectories of smart city scientific inquiry: Comparative insights from U.S. and China research proposals | Research Square
The integrated concept of “smart cities” has emerged as a key focus of contemporary research, yet efforts remain fragmented, split between technology-driven and human-centered approaches.This study leverages open data and large language models to analyze smart city research proposals funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the U.S.and the […]
