Val Kilmer’s passing has naturally made fans nostalgic. Being the legend that he was, his work has been formative in the film industry. With how many iconic films he has been a part of, it is not surprising that people want to look back at the effect he had on their lives. While there are […]
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A CHARTERED surveyor who murdered his wife and described the crime as being a “nightmare” for him has been jailed for life.
Walter Buchanan, 66, was told he’d serve a minimum of 15 years today for killing his wife Darrel, 37, after she accused him of cheating.
The pensioner attacked Mrs Buchanan at their flat near Hamilton racecourse in South Lanarkshire on February 18, 2023.
A jury heard how she suffered a “significant” compression of her neck as well as a brain injury, bruising and a rib fracture.
Buchanan denied murdering his wife. But a jury convicted him of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Today, the case called again for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh where Judge Lord Cubie imposed a life sentence on Buchanan.
Imposing a punishment part of 15 years, Lord Cubie told Buchanan of the pain that he caused to Mrs Buchanan’s family.
He added: “I have read from victim impact statements of the loss and suffering that you have left her relatives with. You have caused huge upset and upheaval.
You have caused huge upset and upheaval. There is nothing that I can say or do that can deal with their loss
Lord Cubie
“There is nothing that I can say or do that can deal with their loss.
“You describe the events of that evening as being a nightmare for you. I have taken everything that has been said on your behalf into account.
“The punishment part of the sentence will be fixed at 15 years.”
At earlier proceedings, the court heard how the couple had met in 2015 while Buchanan was on holiday in Thailand. They married two years later.
Jurors heard how Buchanan was “besotted” with his wife, who was from Kenya.
Buchanan was already a dad of two, while his wife had a young son.
He had been out with friends in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, the night before the killing.
Ms Buchanan was said to have been unhappy, and wondered if her husband was happier with other women.
He is extremely anxious… He knows that if it were not for his actions she would not have died
Iain McSporran KC
Buchanan told the trial he got a text which read: “I guess you are having fun in Bothwell without your wife, cheater”.
He said she then again accused him of infidelity when he got home.
In his evidence, Buchanan claimed she “lunged” at him before he “connected” with her, grabbed her hair and they both fell.
She was then dragged across the floor.
Buchanan said his wife got up and left the room. He was then in bed when Ms Buchanan came in.
He told his lawyer Iain McSporran KC she called him “a cheater” once more.
He grabbed her wrists, pushed her onto the bed and got on top of her.
Buchanan added: “She was still flailing her arms – I was defending myself with one arm and I remember putting my hand on her face and pushed her.”
Mr McSporran put to him: “We know there were marks identified on her neck which identifies strangulation – the prosecution say there was strangulation.
“There was a thumb mark and bruises – did you cause them?”
Buchanan: “Yes I did, I had her by the neck – it was seconds – and it was with one hand.”
I had her by the neck – it was seconds – and it was with one hand
Walter Buchanan
He further admitted pushing his wife into a pillow before she rolled over onto her side.
It was Buchanan who made a 999 call that morning claiming he had woken up and found his wife “cold to the touch”.
Emergency services arrived, but could not save her.
The court heard she had suffered “significant” compression of her neck.
Today, defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC told the court that his client had been a law-abiding member of society before the murder.
He added: “He has been a fully productive member of the community and has been a hard-working man.
“He is extremely anxious and wants to avoid attributing any blame. He knows that if it were not for his actions she would not have died.”
Lord Cubie then passed sentence.
A RARE 50p coin has just sold for over 240 times its face value – and you might have one without even knowing.
A 2019 Kew Gardens 50p went under the hammer on eBay for a whopping £122.09 – 244 times its face value.
The coin, which attracted 13 bids, is one of the most sought-after pieces among coin collectors.
The Royal Mint, the official maker of British coins, regularly puts limited edition pieces into general circulation.
In some cases, extremely rare 50p pieces have sold for a whopping £950.
According to The Royal Mint, the Kew Gardens 50p has become one of the most talked about collectors’ coins in the last 15 years.
It was originally released in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opening of Kew Gardens in London.
Just 210,000 of these coins were put into circulation, making them incredibly rare.
The reverse side, created by Christopher Le Brun, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew encircled by one exact detail – a leafy climber plant.
On the other side, it shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Over the years, demand for the coin has skyrocketed, with some selling for as much as £707.
For a time, it was considered the rarest 50p coin in the UK due to its low circulation.
However, a new contender has taken its place – a 50p featuring an Atlantic Salmon and bearing King Charles III’s portrait.
Collectors are always on the lookout for the Kew Gardens 50p, and prices continue to climb.
If you think you might have one, it’s worth checking its condition before selling.
Coins in pristine, uncirculated condition tend to fetch the highest prices.
You can look for similar listings on eBay to get an idea of how much yours could be worth.
One of the most popular types of coins to collect are 50p pieces.
This is because of their large surface area, as there is enough spaces to add new and intricate designs on.
With a 27.5mm diameter, it’s the biggest British coin and is used to celebrate big occasions, anniversaries, and historical events.
Over the Olympics a range of themed 50p coins were printed, with the Aquatics 50p reaching up to an eye-watering £2,000 in auction.
This coin soared in price due to an initial design error, which was quickly corrected, leading to very few misprints in circulation.
Errors make a coin unique which means they will most likely be worth more, as there a fewer of them.
Even without a misprint, if a coin has a low mintage there are fewer of them in circulation and so are deemed rare.
As a general rule of thumb, the rarer the coin the more valuable they are to collectors.
If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it.
Online platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks.
Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they’ll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier.
They have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash.
When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it’s advisable to meet up in person – make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links.
Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams.
To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction.
This can be done through The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.
Finally, you can sell rare coins on eBay.
WE reveal the Royal Mint’s most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation.
Triathlon
Minted in 2011, the Triathlon 50p depicts the same sport which featured in the 2012 Olympics.
There are more than 1,160,000 of the coins in circulation.
With over 200million 50ps circulating in the UK, that makes this coin quite a rare find.
The highest recent sale we’ve found on eBay recently was £30 on June 21.
Judo
Judo is a popular sport that involves grappling with your opponent.
But despite the design, it’s not so easy to get a hold of this coin, of which there are just 1,161,500 in circulation.
The piece was designed by David Cornell after he won a national competition.
It was minted in 2011 and the highest bid we’ve seen on eBay was for £17.95 on June 21.
Wrestling
Wrestling was one of the first Olympic sports so it’s not surprising that it features on one of the 50p pieces.
The 2011 coin was designed by Roderick Enriquez, a graphic designer from Hammersmith, London.
We’ve seen it sell for as much as £15 online so is worth digging around for.
In recent months, one was sold on eBay for £11.95 on June 18.
Football
Of all the coins created to commemorate the 2012 Olympic Games, the 50p Football is among the rarest.
It features an explanation of the controversial offside rule on it, with 1,125,000 produced.
One sold for £20 on eBay on June 11, although it has been known to go for as much as £75 in the past.
Kew Gardens
The Kew Gardens 50p is the rarest of all the 50p pieces, with only 210,000 in circulation.
They have been known to sell for as much as £895 on eBay before.
The design was created by Christopher Le Brun RA and features the famous Chinese Pagoda with a leafy chamber that twists around the tower.
The coin often sparks the interest of new coin collectors due to its rarity.
The highest sale we found in recent weeks was £142 on June 22 with 23 bids
A TEENAGE girl has been rushed to hospital after she was hit by a car in a busy Co Down town.
A man has since been arrested following the horror incident in the Frances Street area of Newtownards, Co Down.
A man aged in his 60s was arrested following the incident, which occurred at around 6pm on Tuesday.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Officers along with colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended and a teenage girl was taken to hospital for treatment for her injuries.
“A man aged in his 60s was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily injury and breach of a road traffic signal.
“He remains in police custody at this time.
“Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or anyone with CCTV, dash-cam or other footage that could assist with enquiries is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1337 01/04/25.”
Separately, the PSNI in Belfast are appealing to parents of young children after a teenager was hit on the head with a brick.
The incident occurred at around 10.20pm in the Broadway area of the city.
A 15-year-old girl was rushed to hospital following the assault but her injuries are said to be non-life-threatening.
A 15-year-old boy has been charged over the assault.
Chief Inspector Conway said: “We received a report at around 10″20pm on Tuesday, April 1 that a 15-year-old girl had been hit on the head by a brick while in the Broadway area of south Belfast.
“She was taken to hospital for treatment but, thankfully, her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
“A 15-year-old boy has since been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
“He is expected to appear before Belfast Youth Court on Monday, 28th April.”
Chief Inspector Conway said it is only through “sheer luck” that much more serious consequences did not occur for the young girl.
He said: “Young people have been gathering in the area each evening, behaving recklessly, dangerously and in some instances criminally with little regard for other members of the public and local residents.
“This behaviour has to stop before someone is hurt, or worse.
“We are in the area each evening, providing a visible policing presence and liaising with community representatives, but today I want to ask local parents – do you know where your children are, and who they are with?
“Speak to the young people in your life about the dangers of getting involved in this type of behaviour. Ultimately, they could end up with a criminal record which may impact their future employment and travel prospects.
“We understand the concerns of local residents and the wider public regarding this ongoing anti-social behaviour and are committed to continuing our work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to address this issue.
“We all have a responsibility to help make where we live safer for everyone. Reporting crimes or incidents that impact on your quality of life helps focus our patrols where they are needed and take positive action. Ring us on 101, or 999 in an emergency. You can also report online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport.
“Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.”
