Four men are expected to be charged with murder on Tuesday over the mysterious daylight bashing of Vergel Velasquez in a western Sydney apartment block the day before New Year’s Eve.

Homicide squad detectives arrested four men, aged 41, 42, 50 and 49 on Tuesday in Moree in the state’s north-west – 620 kilometres from the Girraween complex where Mr Velasquez was left in the unit’s stairwell with head injuries.

It is expected they will be charged with murder to face court on Wednesday.

Mr Velasquez died in Westmead Hospital on New Year’s Eve.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A man charged in the death of a Winston-Salem State University football player in 2018 was sentenced to prison on Thursday, a Forsyth County District Court clerk confirmed.

Jakier Shanique Austin was arrested on April 11, 2018, in connection with the Jan. 20, 2018, shooting of 21-year-old Najee Ali Baker at The Barn, an event center on Wake Forest University’s campus.

Austin was charged with murder, possession of a stolen firearm and carrying a concealed gun.

Police said Austin shot Baker after an argument. Baker died from his injuries at a local hospital.

On Thursday, Austin pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 64-89 months in prison.

DELE ALLI is still waiting to hear if he will be banned for Project Restart — THREE MONTHS after being charged by the FA.

Spurs star Dele faces a potential three-match suspension for misconduct, having posted a video on Snapchat mocking an Asian man and joking about coronavirus.

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He was given a March 5 deadline to submit his response — but an FA disciplinary panel is yet to rule on the case.

Tottenham are also waiting to find out if Eric Dier will be banned for the resumption of the season in just two weeks.

Midfielder Dier was charged with improper and/or threatening conduct after jumping into the crowd to confront a fan following the club’s FA Cup exit to Norwich on March 4.

The FA hit him with a charge in late April.

A suspension is also the likely penalty should an independent panel find against the 26-year-old, although police decided he committed no offence.

WAITING GAME

But it is the delay in dealing with Dele’s case which is most puzzling.

SunSport understands the disciplinary panel is able to meet by video.

The independent, three-person panel must rule on whether the midfielder, 24, broke anti-discrimination regulations with his post, which he removed and apologised for.

Speaking at the time of the incident, Jose Mourinho said: “The player understands the gravity of the situation.

“The player is a good guy, the player even in the dressing room has a big Asian friend that he loves.

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“So there was no intention at all. He immediately regrets, immediately makes a public apology. I feel it is unnecessary but I am nobody.

“I think he learned the lesson immediately with the embarrassment and he didn’t need  much time to realise again the childish or naivety of the situation.

“I feel unnecessary. I don’t feel we need more than that.”

They don’t make Mother’s Day cards gushy enough to reflect the kind of sacrifices Xiaoning Sui has made for her son.

Five months in “quasi-isolation” in a Spanish prison; handwashing his tennis teammates’ underwear in a hotel room sink; spending $400,000 in an ultimately unsuccessful — and as it turned out criminal — bid to get him into a top notch American school.

The 49-year-old’s final humiliation came this week as a judge in Boston sentenced her to time already served for attempting to bribe a soccer coach into securing a place for her son at the University of California, Los Angeles as a supposed top-tier soccer recruit.

“I set a horrible example for my child and I was a bad influence,” Sui told the judge through an interpreter via teleconference from her home in Surrey, B.C., according to a report in the New York Post.

“I promise that I will never do that again.”

No matter how cold or hot, ‘she sat there to watch’

Although the case made headlines around the world this week, documents filed as part of the proceedings reveal new details about Sui, her path to Canada and the circumstances in which she found herself at the centre of the so-called Varsity Blues scandal.

Born in Shanghai, Sui — who is also known as Peggy — has been the principal caregiver for her son Eric since he was born in 2000.

She has a degree in electronics and has worked as both a technician and an office manager, but left the workforce in 2007 to spend more time with her son — and to guide his athletic career.

“She brought up her son and was there every step of the way,” Sui’s sister Xiaomin Sui told the U.S. court in a letter.

“Every time her son was in training, or playing a game, no matter how cold or how hot the weather was, she sat there to watch, and helped him analyze after the game, in order to improve the game.”

Washing son’s teammates’ underwear

According to a sentencing submission filed by Sui’s lawyer, she and her son moved to Canada in 2015, seeking better educational opportunities for Eric.

She lives with her sister and niece in the Lower Mainland, while her husband continues to live and work in China.

Since Eric was five, Sui has thrown herself into his sport.

“She helped other parents who could not drive their kids by driving their kids to the tennis training and bringing them back,” the document says.

When her son’s team went to compete and the hotel did “not have washing machines, she helped young athletes wash their underwear and sportswear by hand.”

In 2018, Sui began working with a Florida-based recruiter who “matched tennis players with college tennis coaches to facilitate the players’ potential recruitment as part of the college admissions process.”

And that’s how Xiaoning “Peggy” Sui came to know William “Rick” Singer.

‘A practitioner of that mysterious art’

Search Rick Singer’s name on YouTube and you’ll come across a series of black and white videos dedicated to overcoming the mysteries of the U.S. college admissions system: The Right Fit; Personal Best; Mastery.

According to American prosecutors, Singer founded his college counselling and preparation business — known as “The Key” — in California in 2007, getting approval as a charity in 2013.

In his promotional videos and a book — Getting In: Gaining Admission to Your College of Choice — Singer promises to help students and parents unveil the curtains on the admissions process.

“I’m one of the people who decides who gets in and who doesn’t. I am a practitioner of that mysterious art,” he writes.

“And I’ll tell you a secret. It’s not an an art. It’s a science.”

What Singer’s book and videos don’t say is that his version of that academic alchemy cost parents millions.

He turned average students into golden applicants by paying ringers to write their exams and greasing the palms of sports coaches who secured coveted spots on university teams for his clients’ children as fake athletic recruits.

She said ‘OK’

Sui was told Singer could help her son get into UCLA — but it would cost $400,000.

She spoke through a Chinese translator with the tennis recruiter and Singer in a conference call in August 2018. She was told Singer had a “special way of writing” applications.

“Singer never disclosed that any portion of the $400,000 Ms. Sui agreed was intended to be a bribe,” Sui’s lawyer wrote in her sentencing documents.

On the same call, she begged Singer and the recruiter to keep the payment a secret from her son.

In the months that followed, Singer worked to create a fake athletic profile for Eric and to arrange with UCLA soccer coach Jorge Salcedo to admit him as a purported soccer recruit.

They combined pictures of Sui’s son playing tennis with those of another individual playing soccer to invent a “top player for two private soccer clubs in Canada.” 

And Salcedo filled out a form claiming he saw Eric playing soccer in China and that he had “good quickness and speed.”

In the court documents, Sui’s lawyer claims his client wasn’t part of efforts to fabricate an athletic resume for her son.

He claims it wasn’t until October 2018 that the reality of the situation was explained in terms that left no room for doubt as to what was actually happening.

Sui was told to wire $100,000 directly to the UCLA soccer coach and told that although her son was a tennis player, he would be entering the school as a soccer prospect.

She said “OK.” 

And investigators were listening, because by then Singer was cooperating with the FBI in an investigation that would see dozens of his clients — including Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, Full House‘s Lori Loughlin and Vancouver businessman and former CFL athlete David Sidoo — charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.

‘A money crime’

The charges against Sui were filed in a sealed indictment on March 5, 2019, but Sui claims she had no knowledge of them until she was arrested in Spain while travelling the following September.

She waived extradition to the United States, but the process took five months. Sui spent the time in Madrid V Penitentiary.

Despite being held in an institution known as a “VIP prison” for the high-profile politicians who have been held there, Sui’s lawyer claims his client’s time behind bars was scarring.

“She was confined to her cell for approximately 15 hours per day. For approximately one month, she was in a cell alone,” he wrote in the court documents.

“For a vast majority of the time there was no other Mandarin speaking inmate in the facility. With her family members thousands of miles away, Mrs. Sui spent 157 days in quasi isolation.”

Sui was finally transferred to U.S. marshals and sent to the United States in February. She was released on $250,000 bail at that time and allowed to return to Canada.

Her sentencing was set for this week, but given restrictions imposed because of COVID-19, both the prosecution and the defence suggested the proceedings be held by video conference instead.

It was unlikely she would be able to travel to the U.S. anyway.

Sui had pleaded guilty in February, and her lawyer argued she had already served more time — and in much harsher conditions — than any of the other parents ensnared in Singer’s dealings.

It wasn’t a lesson she would need to learn twice.

“No rational person aware of what has occurred to Ms. Sui would ever knowingly and intentionally choose to ensure what she has experienced over the last nine months,” her lawyer wrote.

U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock agreed. But he also said there should be a fine.

“It’s a money crime,” he told Sui. “And it seems to me that it ought to be paid for in money too.”

The penalty — $250,000.

But what is money, anyway — compared to the love for a son?

Fallen AFL champion Ben Cousins has pleaded not guilty to a string of new charges, including aggravated stalking, but will remain behind bars in Perth after his bail bid was rejected.

During a minor outburst in Armadale Magistrates Court on Friday, the former West Coast Eagles captain and drug addict said “that’s not fair, Your Honour” as his bail application was refused.

Magistrate Brian Mahon warned Cousins his video link from Hakea prison would be muted if he was not quiet.

Mr Mahon said he was concerned Cousins could offend while on bail.

“I am saddened that you endure such an issue with methamphetamine,” he said.

Cousins, 41, repeatedly said “oh no” and ran his hands through his hair in frustration as Mr Mahon concluded his comments on the bail application.

The premiership player was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly being found with about 2.5 grams of methamphetamine in East Victoria Park.

Police had earlier been searching for a vehicle that was seen driving erratically in nearby Kensington.

Cousins pleaded guilty to the drug offence and was fined $1500.

The Brownlow medallist was also charged with aggravated stalking and 13 counts of breaching a violence restraining order between April 2 and 15.

He pleaded not guilty to those charges, which relate to his ex-partner Maylea Tinecheff, whom he allegedly tried to contact via phone calls and text messages more than 100 times.

Cousins’ lawyer Michael Tudori previously told the court those charges were different to the ones Cousins previously spent almost one year in jail for, as there were no threats involved.

Mr Tudori said Cousins had been spending time with his children under a parenting plan, but less than one month before the alleged offending, she ceased all communication.

It came after Cousins participated in a paid TV documentary about his family, substance abuse and time in jail.

Mr Tudori said whenever Cousins faced a crisis he would turn to drugs for comfort, as it was the way he “deals with stresses in his life”.

The lawyer told the court on Friday that although he could not currently present a signed copy of the parenting plan, it had been signed in September and would be part of the trial.

Cousins will face a two-day trial starting on October 28.

BROWN COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) – Updated to reflect Ahman Green was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, replacing an initial charge of child abuse intentionally causing harm, and with a statement from Green.

Former Green Bay Packers player Ahman Green entered a plea in court Thursday and was found guilty of charges of disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, both misdemeanors, stemming from a fight with his then-15-year-old daughter last year.

“I am happy that the truth has finally won out and my name has been cleared of the terrible crime of child abuse. I have never and would never abuse anyone, including my daughter whom I love, dearly,” Green wrote in a statement after the hearing.

Green entered an Alford plea, similar to a no-contest plea but maintaining his innocence while waiving his right to a trial which was scheduled to begin this week.

He said “parental discipline” was the reason for the altercation with his daughter, but Green said he wanted to spare his daughter and the rest of his family “the emotional trauma of a trial.”

Brown County Judge John Zakowski told him there’s a fine line between parental discipline and child abuse. But, the judge added, “It is significant that Mr. Green is accepting responsibility and not putting anyone through a trial.”

According to the criminal complaint, Green’s daughter told police she and her father were arguing because she wouldn’t do the dishes. She says he grabbed her, carried her into the kitchen, threw her against a cabinet and hit her.

Green admitted hitting her with an open palm, according to the criminal complaint.

Green told the court Thursday, “Just as much as I wanted to be a football player, I wanted to be a parent. And that’s all I’ve done for the time I’ve had both my daughters and my stepkids. I’ve been in their lives. That’s all I’ve been wanting to do.”

He was sentenced to 18 months on probation. He’s not allowed any unsupervised contact with his daughter, and he must write her a letter of apology. He’s also required to take parenting and anger management classes and undergo an evaluation.

Zakowski said Green’s status as a former Packers player did not play into the decision in this case.

“It’s always difficult. If you were a Packer, you’re a celebrity, and there’s always a concern — and I’m saying this because Attorney Lemkiul addressed it — people are wondering if you’re being treated differently.”

The judge went on, “I’m satisfied that that’s not happening here, that this is a, quite frankly, factually, it’s not like many other difficult situations where a parent, a loving parent, and involved parent, has difficulties with a teenager.”

Now let the healing begin. #parenting #kids #family #love #healing #life #friends #fathersanddaughters pic.twitter.com/XJkIz4sgaY

— Ahman Green (@AhmanGreen30) April 19, 2018

PROFESSIONAL basketball player Danry Vasquez very publicly proclaimed his love for his new girlfriend as horrific CCTV emerged of his brutally battering his ex.

Vasquez covered a Venezuelan beach in rose petals, and wrote out ‘will you marry me’ in Spanish, before escorting his blindfolded partner off a boat and kneeling before her.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK

The video, which surfaced on Thursday, comes as the Texas police department released horrific CCTV footage showing Vasquez repeatedly smacking his ex-girlfriend in the face.

Vasquez was filmed holding the door for his then-girlfriend before they walk down a staircase.

But he suddenly assaults her with so much force she slumps to the ground.

Condemning his behaviour in his first interview since the incident, Vasquez told elmergente he has changed, and is now happily married.

KRIS-TV

KRIS-TV

Vasquez added: “I’ve really changed. I am doing things that have helped me change.

“I have matured as a person and I know that what I did, or what was seen, is not an example.”

Footage of the proposal, which was filmed in November, shows a group of happy onlookers helping the blindfolded young woman stand up in the boat.

Vasquez is filmed rushing over to brush the well-wishers aside so he can pick her up, and put her in front of the camera.

FACEBOOK

After he removes her blindfold and she spots his floral proposal, she bends down in shock, before turning around to find Vasquez, smiling and holding an engagement ring before her.

The pair are then filmed kissing and posing for pictures.

The man who posted the video on Facebook reportedly wrote that Vasquez was playing baseball for a Venezuelan team at the time and his girlfriend had come to visit him, the DailyMail.com reported.

He was arrested in 2016 but not charged for domestic assault after he agreed to pay a fine and take anger management classes.

The Lancaster Barnstormers, a professional team in the Atlantic League that had signed Vasquez following the incident, announced on Facebook on Wednesday it was now cutting ties.

Manager Ross Peeples said: “There is no choice but to sever the relationship.

“Neither I, nor the Barnstormers’ organisation as a whole, can condone or associate with that behaviour.”

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