IT training pick me up TruePDF 28 march 2019

Her hubby was butchered for caring
Issue 13

28 March 2019

PBIGLCUAS
SH
PRIZES

DISABLED &
DESPERATE...

Only 6 but he

BEGGED FOR
A NEW FACE

Forced
into a life
of CRIME

L
R
I
G
Y
M
S
A
W

Please help me get
Georgina home

How could
I choose?
My BABY
or my LIFE

TRAGIC TOT
Killed
over a
footie
match?



You’re

Contents
On the cover

SNEAKY PEEK PHOTOS: MERCURY PRESS AND MEDIA LTD, PRIME FEATURES. WORDS: EMMA ROSSITER

MIL

!

This week we’re
saying thanks to
BillyandSueWalker,

from Worksop.
Billy’ssisterJanet
Tildesley,68,from
Barnsley,wrote
tosay…

B

eing a grandparent
is great fun.
You get to enjoy
looking after little
ones again, but
the bonus is you
can give them back.
But my brother Billy,
62, and his wife Sue, 63,
go above and beyond in
their roles as grandpa
and grandma.
They lost their son – my
dear nephew Darren, 36,
in November 2015.
It was a total shock to all of
us, and so heartbreaking for
the whole family, least of all the
four boys he left behind.
Even though Billy and Sue
were grieving, they never let it
show in front of the grandkids.

Instead, they rallied and
made every day count.
Now they’re always taking
the boys, and their two other

More real life
14 Shrinking potion
needed!
24 A bit of slap & tickle
31 Bingo winners
34 Foster care in crisis
50 One dach-ing couple!

PMU value
12 Deals of the week!
23 Genius or
totally bonkers?
Billy and Sue
go above
and beyond
granddaughters, to parties,
swimming or even on holidayss.
And rather than tears they’ree
always full of laughter.
I can’t praise them enough.
‘I’m so proud of you for
taking them under your
wings like this,’ I say to them,
tears in my eyes.
‘Well it’s our job as

grandparents, isn’t it,’
Billy laughs.
Maybe. But as grandparentss
g.
go, these two really are amazing

IT’S YOUR TURN TO
NOMINATE SOMEONE

s
Tell us who you think deserves
to receive some lovely bloom ls
and why. See page 4 for detai
of how to get in touch with us
and make someone’s day. e
With over 30 years’ experienc
of helping celebrate life’s
special moments, FREE
delivery by post and a FREE
pop-up vase, a gorgeous rs
bouquet from Flying Flowe
is a lovely way to say,
I’m thinking of you. See
flyingflowers.co.uk

Sneaky peek at this week!
P6 A
mother’s
desperate
plea

p42 Giving
Warren back
his smile

6 Was my girl stolen
by sex traffickers?
10 My baby or my life
20 Her hubby was
butchered for caring
28 Forced into a
life of crime
42 Only 6 but he begged
for a new face
46 Tragic tot: Killed over
a footie match?

A quickword!

£25!

IN

PUZZL
E1

Unscramble our word
of the week. Clue: Billy and
Sue’s fun treat. (You’ll find
the word somewhere on this

page!) Enter on page 47.

MIMWINGS

From you
3
4
13
30

One in a million!
Your wild week…
Your brainwaves…
Animal magic

Feelgood
16 Your health:
40 ops… and a life!
18 Your health news
19 Your dilemmas…
26 Your style
36 Your telly
39 Look amazing!
40 Easy eats…
49 Your stars!

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Your

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5
2
£
t
e
g

d
n
a
s
ic
p
r
u
o
y
re
a
Having a good one? Sh
This was our baby boy
Jett’s first selfie.
I think he might be
camera-shy, unlike me
and my fiance Grant.
Stacy Gibson, Wordsley

My baby boy Bailey,
2, says he thinks he
can follow in Daddy’s
footsteps – I say he
will need to grow a
little bit more, though.
Louise Brewer, Hyde

It’s still cold
out there so

wrap up warm
like our little
Rosa, 18
months! I don’t
think there’s
anything cuter
than a baby
or toddler in
a snowsuit!
Nina Rees,
Swansea

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Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication.

4

My granddaughter
Effie, 7, loves
snuggling up
with her new
rescue pup Ellie.
Vanessa Tolson,
Tadley


It was nice to get away
with my friend Kath for my
brother’s wedding in Ibiza.
Natasha Douglas, Rainham

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a
cuter sight than baby Eden
laughing with her daddy Matt.
Lisa Rule, Penzance

Imagine how surprised
I was when Hollywood
actor Michael Fassbender
just walked into my

work. Best day ever.
Lesley Phillips, Walton

My nieces Sophie, 17, and Katie, 18, and
I think my brother Hugh looks like one
famous silent character, played by Rowan
Atkinson – do you see the resemblance?
Charlotte Primrose, Manningtree

I was having a swinging
good time on holiday
in Cuba, but most of all
I was impressed I didn’t
fall off this hammock.
Jo Greasby, Bradford

My daughter Emily, 7, loves the ball
pool at a local play centre, as proved
by this colourful photo of her!
Laura Ward, Torrington
5


WORDS: TRACY GAYTON, FRANCES LEATE. PHOTOS: SUSSEX POLICE, PRIME FEATURES, REX

U

nzipping her jacket,
my daughter
Georgina, then

9, flashed me
a cheeky smile.
‘Don’t tell
Dad,’ she whispered, pulling
out a tiny kitten.
‘Not another stray,’ I groaned.
My cheeky, free-spirited girl
was such a charmer, it was
hard to say no.
So we kept the kitten,
and named him Barney.
He was one of many!
And it wasn’t just animals
she’d take in...
Outgoing Georgina easily
made friends with strangers,
striking up a conversation on
the train or bus.
‘Don’t be so trusting,’ I’d say.
But you could never tell
her what to do.
After finishing school at 16,
she went to catering college.
Like her older sister Sara, 20,
and younger twins Arij and
Sonya, 12, she loved to cook.
But a year on, Georgina quit
to take a part-time admin job.
Lacking direction, she
went a bit off the rails. She’d

sometimes disappear for days,
staying at friends’ houses.
But she’d always text me
what she was up to, and she
still loved chilling at home with
me and her sisters.
‘I love you, Mum,’ she’d tell
me before bed.
‘Love you,too,George,’I’d say.
‘Not as much as I love you!’
she’d grin.
Her little catchphrase, she’d
been saying it since she was 3.
At 19, Georgina started

Me with Sara
and Georgina
as kids

6

U
O
H
T
I
W
E
C
A

R
T
A

Andrea Gharsallah, 56, from
w
o
n
k
’t
n
s
e
o
d
,
x
e
ss
u
S
t
s
e
W
,
Worthing
if she’lleversee her daughter again
a serious relationship, and they
moved in together just around

the corner from me.
She went on to have two
beautiful boys and was a
devoted mum. After being a bit
lost, she’d found her purpose.
She really came into her own
and I loved seeing her so happy.
‘You’re such a good mum,’
I told her proudly, glad my
once-rebellious girl
had settled down.
She’d come over
most afternoons
for a cuppa, with
a plastic box
of cupcakes.
She talked about
one day opening
her own cakemaking business.
But for now, she
was engrossed
in family life.
Yet it wasn’t
long before the
cracks started
to show in her
relationship.
‘I don’t want
the boys growing
up around

arguments,’ she
confided to me,
one day in the
summer of 2012.
Weeks later,
I helped her

move out with the boys and
come back to mine.
It was ruled that the boys
would live with their dad and
come to us at weekends.
Georgina was heartbroken.
While she was always a model
mum when her sons came,
during the week,
she’d drink heavily.
In and out of
work, she seemed
lost all over again.
I was desperate
for her to ditch
the booze.
‘Come on,
George, think of the
boys,’ I told her.
‘Everyone drinks,’
she snapped.
I knew I couldn’t push it
– she was an adult, after all.

In October 2016, she met
someone new and they moved
in together.
But the relationship was
unsteady, they kept breaking
up, then getting back together.
I love him, but I can’t live
with him, she texted me in
April 2017.
Eventually, in February last
year, she moved back home.
She seemed down, upset
things hadn’t worked out.
Still, she put her worries
behind her for the boys at
weekends, taking them

bowling or to the cinema.
Every Sunday, her sister,
Sara, now 35, and the twins,
27, would come for dinner.
‘I’m thinking of getting a
place in Brighton,’ Georgina
announced one day.
It wasn’t too far away, and
she had friends there. Perhaps
she’d be happier...
On Wednesday
7 March, I was
getting ready for

my shift as a carer.
Passing by
Georgina’s room,
I stuck my head
round the door.
She seemed sad
as she sat on the
floor, smoothing
straighteners through her hair.
‘My phone’s on the blink,’
she groaned.
Her phone was her lifeline,
so I dug out an old one of mine.
‘You’ll need to get a SIM
card,’ I said, handing it to her.
‘Thanks, Mum,’ she smiled.
‘I’ll walk into town later.’
‘Love you,’ I told her.
‘Love you more!’ she chanted
back in her old familiar way.
When I returned, around
8pm, Georgina wasn’t home.
Exhausted, I went to bed.
When she didn’t show up the
next day, I assumed she’d
stayed with friends.
The next day, there was still

She had
two

beautiful
boys, was
a devoted
mum


REAL LIFE

My girl was
seen on CCTV...
and then she
just vanished

THE

E BIG
READ

no sign
of her, so I
sent her a text
to an old number, hoping it
might be working again.
Everything OK? I wrote.
No reply.
‘Maybe she’s back with her
ex,’ I said to Sonya.
The following day, the house
phone rang. It was her ex.
‘Have you seen George?’ he

asked me.
‘I thought she was with you,’
I gulped.
I spent the rest of the day
trying to call Georgina, but
the line was dead.
Her sisters and I went online
and, between us, we contacted
all her Facebook friends.
No-one had seen her. We
were all so worried, but I tried
to stay calm.
‘The boys are coming
next Friday, she won’t miss
that,’ I said.
Georgina was a free spirit.
She’d gone for days before,
then turned up all smiles.
I woke up that Friday, nine
days on, expecting to see
Georgina stroll in.
But when the boys arrived
in the afternoon, there was still
no sign of her.
‘Where’s Mummy?’ asked
her eldest.
Unable to answer, I had an
anxious feeling growing in the
pit of my stomach.
Has she been in an accident?

Has someone hurt her?
I shuddered.
The next morning, hands
shaking, I called the police.
‘It’s not unusual for adults
to slip off radar occasionally,’

an officer reassured me.
He told me not to worry, but
I was beside myself.
We put posts on social media
appealing for information,
made posters with Georgina’s
photo on and distributed them
in shops and pubs.
On 26 March, an officer
told us the Major Crime
Team would be taking over
the investigation.
‘Her bank account hasn’t been
used since 7 March,’ he said.
The last day I’d seen her.
‘What’s she been living on,
then?’ I asked, panicked.
The police said they were
escalating the case from
a missing person to a possible
major crime.
I was told they’d need to
search the house. They

took hair from Georgina’s
hairbrush, papers they’d found
in her room and an old scrap
of paper with an address on.
Meanwhile, my life was
on hold.
I spent most of the time at
work in a daze, and weekends
with the boys were hard.
‘Mummy’s not well,’ I fibbed.
When Georgina had been
missing for six weeks, the police
showed me CCTV footage.
My heart thudded as
I saw Georgina walk into a
Worthing convenience store.
It was 7 March.
With her hair up, smiling
and clutching her handbag
and a small carrier bag,
she chatted to a member
of staff, presenting the

phone I’d given her.
Minutes later, she
walked out, looked in
both directions down
the street as if deciding
where to go next, then
disappeared from view.

In broad daylight, just
like that, she vanished.
Days later, in the April,
police arrested two men
on suspicion of murder.
But they were
released without charge.
Hearing the word
‘murder’ chilled me
to the bone.
But I refused to
consider that
Georgina
might no
longer
be
alive…

I can’t give
up on her

‘IS MUMMY MISSING..?’
7


REAL LIFE

CONTINUED FROM P7

D

ays blurred into each
other as we waited
for any scrap of
news that would
reassure us Georgina
was OK.
‘I just want her home,’ I wept
to my girls.
Every few weeks,
officers showed me
new CCTV footage
of young women
they believed
were Georgina.
But, within an
instant, I’d know by
the way they walked
or held themselves...
Not my girl.
‘You’re sure?’ they’d ask.
‘I know my own child,’ I
choked, devastated it wasn’t her.
The weeks, then months,
went by without news.
I couldn’t sleep or eat, felt
anxious all the time.
I uploaded
video appeals
on Facebook

– one had over
10,000 views.
There were
reported
sightings of
Georgina
as far
off as

Leeds. None came to anything.
‘Is Mummy missing?’ her
eldest asked me one day.
‘Yes, darling,’ I told him sadly.
Later, I found him lying in
her bed, crying. Heartbreaking.
On Georgina’s 31st birthday,
last October, seven months
after she’d gone
missing, we held
a candlelit vigil at
Worthing train
station, near where
she was last seen.
With family and
friends, I set up a
table with photos of
Georgina, sprayed a
little tree with glitter.
We asked people to
write messages of hope on leafshaped cards to hang on it.

Reading them at home that
night, I was devastated.
I wish I’d spent more time with
you, an old school friend wrote.
Now, Georgina’s been
missing for a year. The house
is so empty
without
her.
I’ve
gone
over

Without
Georgina,
there’s a
massive
hole in
our lives

My lovely girl
– missing for
a year now

every possible scenario a
thousand times in my head.
Around the time she went
missing, a female dog walker
reported seeing a woman who
looked like Georgina arguing

with two men on a bridge.
Workmen were demolishing
a car park nearby, and the site’s
been completely flattened now.
In my darkest moments, I
wonder… If something bad had
happened to her, could they
have hidden her body there?
But thinking like this only
drives me crazy. I’m living
every mum’s worst nightmare.
My grandsons still visit, fill
my home with noise, the clutter
of toys and games... But they
miss their mum desperately.
‘Hello, Mummy,’ they say,
looking at photos on the wall.
I cling to the one thing
I do know – Georgina was a
devoted mother. Even if she
walked away from her family,
she’d never have left her sons.
I’m convinced whatever’s

Me with Arij –
we all miss
Georgina so much
8

happened to her was against

her will. Georgina was a trusting
soul who took everyone at face
value. She could be naive.
Another dark fear is that she
was somehow introduced to
drugs, then trafficked into the
sex trade in the UK or abroad.
It sounds far fetched. But
she’s got to be somewhere.
Georgina, if you’re reading
this, please get in touch.
Just let us know you’re safe.
Without you, there’s a
massive hole in our lives.
Believe me, sweetheart,
no-one loves you more.

Can you help?

S

ussex Police are
offering £5,000
for information
that could lead to
finding Georgina. She’s
described as white,
5ft 4in tall, with dark hair
and an upper
lip piercing.

If you know
anything, go to
sussex.police.
uk/contact/af/
contact-us, or
call 101 quoting
Operation Pavo.
You can
also contact
Crimestoppers
anonymously
on 0800 555 111.


WIN Followit!
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Z
U
P

Solve the puzzle
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5
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Beat the
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Stonework
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Adolescent

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Bad smell

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Yuletide

Invisible
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See photo

Lacking
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Sound
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PHOTO: ALAMY

Formerly
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Girl’s name
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Island south
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Obscure

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Covers with
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Lyric poem

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Petty
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Fox-like

9


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?
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F
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MY

Jade Runciman, 26,
from Edinburgh, faced

an impossible decision

WORDS: KARA O'NEILL, LUCY LAING. PHOTOS: WORLDWIDEFEATURES.COM

D

esperate to watch
the end of Corrie,
I could barely keep
my eyes open.
‘I’m so exhausted
allthetime,’Igroaned
to my boyfriend Paul, 25, one
evening in November 2014.
‘Not surprising,’ he said.
I was 16-weeks pregnant
with my first baby, after all.
But I had more reason than
most to worry.
As a baby, I’d been diagnosed
with a genetic disorder called
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
(A1AD). It meant
I could develop liver
or lung diseases
in adulthood.
Until now, aged
22, I’d been able
to cope without
medication, but

as I slumped on the
sofa, I was starting
to wonder.
Had my
pregnancy kick-started
my symptoms?
The next day, I booked an
appointment with the GP.
Given my medical history,
he referred me to the hospital
for more tests.
There, they confirmed
I’d picked up an infection
that was causing my blood
pressure to spike. I was also
extremely dehydrated.
‘We’ll keep you in for a couple
of days,’ the doctor told me as

I was hooked to a drip.
From then on, I was in and
out of hospital constantly,
picking up infections all
over the place.
‘I just want to be well again,’
I grumbled.
I was even in hospital on the
day of my 20-week scan in
December 2014.
‘At least I don’t have far

to go,’ I joked to Paul as the
sonographer set up by my bed.
When we found out it was
a boy, we were chuffed.
But back home, I could
barely haul myself
off the sofa and
spent most of
the day sleeping.
So I headed
back to the hospital
a few days later.
By now I had
severe flu-like
symptoms and
could hardly make
sense of where I was.
After the usual tests, I was
told I needed to be readmitted.
For the next few days,
I existed in a daze.
Paul visited as much as he
could – but in all honesty, I
didn’t even realise he was there.
The scans of my liver weren’t
looking good, either.
‘Your liver is failing,’ a doctor
told me.
He explained the baby was
taking all the nutrients and

fluids I needed to keep my liver

‘I’m afraid
your baby
is killing
you,’
a doctor
told me

10

Born too
soon: our
precious boy

functioning properly.
And because of my
pre-existing condition, my
body was struggling to cope.
‘I’m afraid your baby is
killing you. We need to deliver
him today,’ he said.
I blinked back tears.
It was 30 December 2014.
I was only 24-weeks pregnant.
‘There’s a strong chance the
baby won’t survive,’ a midwife
warned gently.
I couldn’t just lie there and
accept the fact that I had to risk

my baby’s life to save my own.
‘There must be something
you can do,’ I sobbed.
I was given steroid
injections in an attempt to
strengthen my baby’s lungs
ready for the birth.
By now, I was so ill that my
body wasn’t strong enough to
be awake for the Caesarean.
As I drifted off to sleep,
I was terrified.
Would I wake up again?
And would my baby be

alive? It was too much to bear.
When I next opened my
eyes, I felt groggy and sore.
Paul was by my bedside.
‘What happened?’
I mumbled.
Paul told me I’d been in
an induced coma for over
24 hours, after losing too much
blood in surgery.
‘And the baby..?’ I asked.
‘He’s OK. They’re doing

Waiting for
my liver

transplant…


REAL LIFE

Me and Paul
will never
forget Ryan
everything they can,’
Paul replied.
‘I want to see him,’ I insisted.
After making sure I was
stable, nurses helped me into
a wheelchair so Paul could
take me up to the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
When we got to the
incubator, I was shocked. Our
baby seemed hardly any bigger
than the palm of Paul’s hand.
He weighed just 442g – not
even 1lb. But...
‘He’s beautiful,’ I whispered.
Paul and I decided to name
him Ryan.
We couldn’t hold him, but we
sat there for an hour, stroking
his tiny fingers through the
holes in the incubator.
Afterwards, I went back

...and two
days after
surgery

to the ward to rest.
But Paul and I were woken
up in the night by a nurse.
‘Ryan has taken a turn for the
worse,’ she said.
We were taken straight back
to the NICU, but an on-call
doctor was there to meet us.
She explained that Ryan had
fought bravely – but being born
so prematurely, he’d contracted
sepsis. He also had a problem
with his brain.
‘There’s nothing
more we can do,’
she added.
Too shocked to
speak, I nodded as
a nurse asked if we’d
like her to take Ryan
out of his incubator
to hold him.
Sitting down,
I was able to hold
Ryan for the first – and

last – time.
Sobbing, I passed him over
to Paul as our baby’s breathing
became more laboured.
Then I watched, my heart
breaking, as our beloved boy
passed away in Paul’s arms.
Afterwards, Paul and I could
barely speak.
We returned to my hospital
bed, where Ryan was brought
to us in a special ‘cuddle cot’.
Paul and I dressed him
in some baby clothes we’d

brought with us to the hospital.
Not that they fitted him.
We kept a lock of his hair and
took some photographs for our
memory box.
All I wanted to do was go
home and grieve, but I was still
too unwell.
Then doctors had more bad
news – my liver wasn’t able to
repair itself after the pregnancy.
I needed a transplant.
But I was too
numb to really
care what was

happening to me.
Not when
I’d just lost my son.
I was put on
a waiting list
and sent home
on medication.
We held Ryan’s
funeral in February
2015 and had him cremated.
‘I want his ashes to stay with
us,’ I told Paul.
For the next few months,
we did our best to carry on
as normal.
Then, in October 2015, on
my 23rd birthday, we got the
call we’d been waiting for –
the hospital had found a liver.
I went in for a transplant the
very same day – and thankfully,
it was successful.
But I had mixed feelings.
There was no way I could have

I was too
numb
to care
what was
happening

to me

known my pregnancy would
make me so unwell...but
I wished more than anything
I’d been able to get a healthy
liver in time to save Ryan.
After a couple of weeks’
recovery time, I was back home.
And for the first time in
almost a year, I finally felt
well again. I had more energy,
didn’t feel like I needed to
sleep all the time.
Paul and I could finally be
a normal couple again.
On 30 December 2015, Paul
and I held a first birthday party
for Ryan, for our close friends
and family.
And now that I was well, we
were ready for a fresh start.
Paul proposed in December
2016 – and just afterwards,
we found out I was pregnant
again. I was monitored closely
– but with my new liver, the
risks were small.
Our daughter Allie was born
in July 2017, weighing 4lb 12oz.

Despite being eight weeks
premature, she was perfect.
Paul and I married in
April last year, with Allie as our
bridesmaid – carried down the
aisle by my maid of honour.
Now, at 20 months,
Allie’s developed a really
cheeky personality.
When she’s older, I’m going to
tell her all about her big brother.
Each 30 December, instead
of getting ready to celebrate the
New Year, we celebrate Ryan’s
birthday – just me, Paul and
Allie. And we have his ashes
in our living room, in
a beautiful little
wooden box,
so he’s always
with us.
No matter
what, we’ll
always be
a family
of four.

Meet our
cheeky
girl Allie!

11


Your

We’ve done the research
so that you can save the

R

Mealdeal

Your Friday night
in is sorted! This
Co-op meal for two
includes two Indian
ready meals and 1
x pack of Coors
Light. It’s now £7
(usually £9.25).
Until 26 March.

Blooming good news!

Send your mum flowers for Mother’s Day
for less as there’s 20% off all bouquets
at blossominggifts.com, including this
beautiful lily and rose one, which is now
£15.99 (was £19.99). Use code BGGIFT20
until 31 March. Valid on bouquets only.

OFFER
Mains event

ce
ze

’s your
rite? Att
ice you
a ord to
ock the freeze
er
ady for summer!
Jude’s Ice Cream Classic
Range 500ml (Vanilla
Clotted
lotte Cream, Salted Caramel, Sticky
Toffee Pudding)) are
e £2
£2.50
50 each (usually
(
a
£
£4) at Sainsbury’s until 3 April.

Feeling peckish? Get 33%
off all mains at Frankie &
Benny’s until 29 March. Visit

vouchercloud.com/frankieand-benny-s-vouchers to
download your voucher.

Gin-tastic

With a vintage
1940s-inspired
design, Mrs
Cuthbert’s
new British gin
n
liqueurs in Cherrry
Bakewell Tart and
a
Lemon Drizzle
Cake are now
£9.99 (usually
£13.99) at B&M
M
until 27 March.

WORDS: HELENA CARTWRIGHT, ROSE FOOKS

Hair-raisin

Save 40% on Revlon Addictive
Curls & Waves Curling Tong
at onbuy.com. £14.99
while stocks last.

G ti

SAVING
Save dough

Made with protein-rich soya and
linseeds, which are a great source
of omega-3, this Burgen Soya &
Linseed loaf is now just £1 (usually
£1.50) at Asda until 24 April.
12

s i !

Make
drying laundry
M
a breeze with 20% off
tthe Viva Air 45m rotary
dryer (RRP £40) now
d
£32. It holds up to four
£
loads of washing at
once. What’s more, the
simple, three-position
handgrip allows you to
easily tighten sagging
lines. Visit shop.
vileda.co.uk until the

end of March and use
code SPRING20.


.
.
.
s
e
v
a
Brainw
Your

ps!
ti
t
n
a
lli
ri
b
r
u
yo
r
fo
H
S
CA

5
£2
rn
Ea
!
ch
n
You’re a clever bu

Tip
of the
Week

Treasure chest

Wash an empty face cream jar and cover it with stick-on stones to make
a pretty trinket box to store all sorts of goodies.
Mary Campbell, Ayr

Painting plastic
Put a carrier bag over your
painting tray. After you have
finished, just throw it away –
saves washing up and keeps
your tray looking like new.
Jane Whitaker, Birchington

Roll
up!

Twist in the tale
I’m forever losing hairbands,
so I started twisting them onto
my hairbrush and now I’ve always
got one when I need it most.
Abbie Cairns, Colchester

Brilliant brekkie

Top
Mum’s
tip!

Make breakfasts more fun or the
kids by using pastry cutters to
make snazzy toast shapes.
T Griffin, Warmley

Hold it!
Tray to table
If your work surface is
not suitable for rolling out
pastry or kneading bread,
use a kitchen tray.
Denise Watson, South Hetton
Remember, these are YOUR tips – we haven’t tried them ourselves

Toilet-roll holders are
always so boring, so
I made my own using

an old piece of wood.
Now my toilet rolls
look better stored
and my bathroom
feels more unique.
Neely Simons,
Leicester
13

COMPILED BY: EMMA ROSSITER

Neat
trick


T
O
P
G
N
SHRINKI
Like her hero Alice,
Sarah Hatton, 31,
from Shepperton,
went from big, to
small, to big, to...

WORDS: NIAMH BURNS, HARRIET BULLOUGH. PHOTOS: FIONA FORWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

THEN

T

ouching up my
a size-16, but I was fit, even
lipstick in the pub
played basketball at semitoilet mirror, I gazed
pro level.
at my reflection and
But, when an injury had
smiled contentedly.
finished my career at 16, I’d
Not bad, I thought,
turned to food for comfort.
checking out my slim figure,
By the time I’d given birth
all dolled up in a stylish dress.
to my son Rhys in July 2009,
My blue eyes were glittering
I was 21 and a huge 22st 9lb.
and I felt so happy.
Adjusting to life with a
It was October 2012,
newborn baby, the sleepless
and I was on my first date in
nights and constant busyness
18 months. Dave, 35, was
had been rough.
a friend of a friend.
Food seemed to be the only

We’d been introduced a few
thing to get me through the
days before. And, so far, our
long days.
date was sizzling, with the pair
But, by now, I’d started to
of us flirting non-stop.
hate the way I looked.
I wonder if he’d have been
The worst was when I’d go
quite so keen a
couple of years
ago, I thought.
Because back
then, I’d looked
very different...
Growing up,
I’d always been
I felt fab on
a curvy girl.
our big day
At age 15, I was
14

thing would
happen to me.
So I’d overhauled my diet.
And, by December 2011,
I’d slimmed down to 14st
using a shake-based

diet plan.
‘You look
absolutely
fantastic!’ Mum
told me.
And, for the first
time in my life, I’d
agreed with her.
Now, checking
my reflection in the
mirror one last time, I knew I
looked fab.
You go get him girl! I told
myself, before strutting back
into the pub.
I did, too. Dave and
I started dating – and
then, in May 2014, I
fell pregnant.
We were thrilled
and, in the October
of that year, Dave
proposed while we
were out on a walk in
a nearby park.
I couldn’t wait to
become his wife.
But when our
Our rainbow
daughter Ivy came

pics make
along in January
me smile!
2015, we were so busy
being new parents

shopping for clothes.
I’d avoided looking at
myself in mirrors, couldn’t fit
into stylish clothes.
My wardrobe had consisted
of men’s oversized
hoodies and
T-shirts, anything
that would hide
my huge frame.
But, when my
mum Julie, 68, had
been diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes
in September 2010,
my dad Derek,
70, and I were
both shocked.
It was a huge wake-up call
for me.
Weighing nearly 23st, I’d
been terrified the same

My

wardrobe
consisted
of men’s
oversized
hoodies


TION
that everything got put
on the back burner.
Including my
healthy eating.
Before I knew
it, my weight was
creeping up. And as
I felt my confidence
slide, I fell back
into comfort eating.
Soon, I was ordering
multiple takeaways a
week and snacking on
crisps and chocolate –
it was just like when
I was at my heaviest.
Dave didn’t make any
comment, but I knew
he’d noticed.
After only giving birth
a year ago, I’d gone back
up to over 18st.

‘Oh, my gosh!’ I cried,
as I climbed off the scales.
After all that hard work!
I was so disappointed...
Worst of all, Dave and
I had set a date for a wedding.
There was no way I wanted
to be fat for that!
We’d booked it for October
2017 and planned for it to
be themed around Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland.
Since I was a little girl, I’d
been fascinated with the books.
Dad used to read me the
tales of Alice every night.
But, when I told Dave that
I wanted our wedding to be in
that style, he was sceptical.
‘Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland, really?’ he said.
‘Don’t worry,’ I laughed.
‘I don’t want you to dress up
as the Mad Hatter!’
No, it wouldn’t be a fancydress wedding. Just have the
Wonderland-themed decor,
a cake, wedding favours.
‘It’ll look incredible, and will
be unique to us,’ I said happily.
And in the end, I managed

REAL LIFE
to win him over!
out of clay and acrylic for
Now I just had to win
the table centrepieces.
my weight battle...
I was so happy.
Unlike Alice, I couldn’t
I really did become the
swallow a handy shrinking
Queen of Dave’s heart that day!
potion. So, in March 2016,
But, most of all, I felt
I joined Slimming World.
confident and incredibly
It was tough disciplining
comfortable posing for my
myself around food again,
wedding photographs.
but I was determined to
Even if my dress did feel
be that wonderful,
a little loose...
Wonderland bride.
I’d dropped a little more
So I learnt how
weight by then, so I was 12st.
to cook properly
And, when we had our

and started
photographs done, they were
to eat more
a little unconventional...
healthily again.
We’d arranged with our
I had
photographer that we wanted
thought
to have a paint fight to create
it would
a colourful result.
take me
So as Dave, Rhys, Ivy and I
forever.
stood in front of the camera, we
But, after threw paint all over each other.
a few
My dress went from white…
months,
to an array of different colours!
thanks to
Later on, when our
the support photographer showed us the
of my group,
results, I couldn’t believe how
I started
fantastic they were.
to lose weight.
‘They look incredible!’

Incredibly,
I beamed, delighted.
by August 2017,
Looking back over the years,
I’d lost 6st 6lb.
I fell down the rabbit hole
of overeating
‘Wow!’
more than once.
Dave said. ‘I always
But I’m really
fancied you, even
determined
not
when you were big
to do that again.
– but babe, you
Because my
look amazing!’
life now really
I felt it, too –
is a wonderland.
healthier, fitter
I’ve met the
and more confident.
love of my life and
Now I had to buy
we have our two
my wedding dress!
amazing children.

In the end, I
Best of all, I’m happier and
settled on a gorgeous
healthier and intend to stay
white, floaty number in
that way for my family.
a slinky size-14.
All I can say is, happy
I was so chuffed!
endings really do happen...
When our wedding
day arrived, I couldn’t
wait to marry Dave.
Held at Shepperton
Studios, it was exactly
how I’d imagined it.
Rhys, 8, and Ivy,
21 months, were there,
and they squealed with
delight when my friend
Billy dressed up as the
White Rabbit. He even
remained in character
for the rest of the day!
With a nod to
Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland, my best
friend Dani made an
amazing cake which
featured Alice and the

I’m Queen
Mad Hatter at the top!
of Dave’s
And I also used my
heart now!
artistic talents to make
Alice-themed figurines

Unlike
Alice,
I couldn’t
swallow a
shrinking
potion

NOW

15


h
t
l
a
e
H
INSTANT

3WAYS
TO...

Cutdown
on salt

appointment

Meet
With Doctor Jason
the new
McKeown, specialistin Doc
weight loss & brain health
you will depend on a number
of factors, such as your age,
your medical history, and
even if you smoke or not.

His illness is
too regular

Q

My son contracts
tonsillitis at least
once a year. Should
I be worried about him?

Rachel, Liverpool

Fast weight loss

Q

I’m far heavier
than I’d like to be.
What’s the best diet
to lose weight quickly?

Penny, Dorset

A

Losing weight quickly
isn’t always the best way
forward. Some studies
suggest that if you ‘yo-yo’ too
often, you end up worse off
than when you started.
Take a long-term approach,
with portion control, healthy
foods and getting out for a
walk once a week, and you
should get there. If you lose
1lb a week, you’ve nailed it!

Contraceptive
help needed

Q

I can’t find the right

contraception for
me. Do you have
any recommendations?

Sandra, Northampton

A

Contraception is free for
all ages on the NHS, and
widely available on the
high street, with different
forms best for different people.
Book an appointment with
your GP to discuss the options,
which range from condoms,
the contraceptive Pill and the
IUD (coil). The best one for

CONTACT US
For advice, contact us via one of the methods below. Letters and
emails are selected randomly for publication. Sorry, Dr McKeown
can’t reply personally. WRITE TO: Pick Me Up!, 161 Marsh Wall,
London E14 9AP. EMAIL:

On Twitter
16

Follow me @DrJasonMcKeown

A

Tonsillitis is common in
children and teenagers,
but you can also get it as
an adult. It can make you feel
achy and sick, with swollen,
painful glands. Symptoms
usually start to settle after
three to four days, but speak
to your pharmacist about
treatments to help ease them.
If it happens several times
each year, let your GP know,
as it’s worth a referral to the
Ear, Nose & Throat team.

Author and
hypnotherapist
Ailsa Frank advises...

1 New habits

‘Part of your salt addiction
is triggered by familiar
routines, such as walking
past a particular takeaway
shop, and where the salt
pot is stored in your
kitchen,’ says Ailsa.

‘Take a different route
home, walk a different way
round the supermarket,
move it off the dining table
and store salt in a different
kitchen cupboard.
‘Also, try drinking water at
those times of the day you
would otherwise associate
with eating salty foods.’

2 Different
recipes

‘Each week, change one
meal to a low-salt option,’
says Ailsa. ‘If you gradually
introduce new recipes one
by one, you’re more likely
to make long-term changes,
whereas abstaining from
salt overnight can cause
feelings of missing out.’

3 Use your
imagination
‘Try to visualise yourself
preparing fresh foods,
rather than eating ready
meals,’ explains Ailsa. ‘By

seeing the new you in your
mind, you’re more likely to
create this in your real life.’

CUT THE CRAP AND FEEL AMAZING BY AILSA FRANK (£10.99, HAY HOUSE). VISIT AILSAFRANK.COM FOR MORE

Disclaimer: Medical advice provided is for interest only and should never be substituted for seeing a doctor or seeking medical advice. If you have specific medical concerns please seek advice from a qualified medical professional.

Your


40 OPS...
AND A LIFE!

BIG
health
story

Years of pain and surgery won’t
beat Ann Marie Healy, 50, from
Belmullet, Co Mayo

A

I hope
sharing my
story helps
others with
a long-term
illness

Proud of
all I’ve
achieved

last, despite my condition.
‘I’ve decided to go to college,’
I told my parents.
As I used crutches and
battled daily pain, they were
concerned, but supported me.
So in the September, I started
my course in Social Care at the
Sligo Institute of Technology.
Leaving home was my
chance for independence, and
I wasn’t going to squander it.
During my studies, I still
needed surgeries on my hip
and shoulders, but nothing got
in the way of my work.
When I graduated in 2001,
I was so proud of myself.
‘Well done, love,’ said Mum.
Now with proof that my
condition didn’t need to hold
me back, I managed to keep
up the momentum.
In 2005, I moved into
my own council house,

became a co-ordinator at
the Centre for Independent
Living to give support to
people with disabilities.
I even visited the
European Parliament
to discuss options
for independentliving services.
I must have had
over 40 surgeries
in my life so far, and
I still struggle with
pain. But I won’t let

my condition beat me.
I’ve even written a book
about my experiences, called
Be Yourself, My Diaries.
I hope that sharing my
story can help others living
with a long-term illness.
We really can do whatever
we want with our lives, even
if we need a little help.
Be Yourself, My Diaries by
Ann Marie Healy is available
online at choicepublishing.ie
or amazon.co.uk

FACT FILE

Rheumatoid arthritis is
a long-term condition
that causes pain,
swelling and stiffness
in the joints, usually
around the hands, feet
and wrists. It occurs
when the immune
system attacks the
healthy lining of the
joints. There is no cure,
but treatments include
medication, surgery
and physiotherapy.

TURN PAGE FOR MORE
17

WORDS: JAMES HANMAN, EMILY JEFFERIES. PHOTOS (INSTANT APPOINTMENT, 3 WAYS TO... POSED BY MODELS): ALAMY, GETTY

s my friends ran
progressive, so it would only
around the school
get worse over time.
playground, I found
Aged 14, I began to struggle
myself lagging.
with writing at school.
It was 1978, and
My fingers were beginning

at just 10 years old,
to close in, limiting movement.
I was completely exhausted.
‘We’ll need to perform
My fingers and ankles were
a corrective procedure,’
swollen, my neck so stiff.
a surgeon told us.
‘It hurts!’ I said to my parents
I’d never had an operation
Seamus and Mary-Kate.
before – but if it helped the
An energetic child
pain in my fingers,
who loved being
it had to be done.
outdoors, it was
I had the surgery
frustrating not to
in 1982, and when
be able to play.
I returned to school
But it wasn’t the
three weeks later,
first time I’d had
I was thrilled to be
trouble like this.
able to write.
When I was 5,
But my joy was

I was hospitalised
short-lived. By 16,
with suspected
I was struggling to
rheumatic fever
walk, my toes curled
after my parents noticed my
over each other, and my joints
hands swelling up.
were swollen and sore.
I’d been treated with
I was given injections every
antibiotics, and couldn’t wait
two weeks to treat the swelling
to get back to school.
and pain, and also needed
Back to normal.
operations every few years.
But now I was in pain again.
Since I needed to take time
This time, I was referred to a
off after each one, holding
rheumatologist at Merlin Park
down a job was very difficult.
University Hospital in Galway.
Then in July 1998, I was
‘Ann Marie has juvenile
taken in for a hip replacement.
rheumatoid arthritis,’ the
During recovery, I started

consultant explained.
feeling unsettled.
It is an autoimmune
I was desperate
condition that causes pain,
to take control at
swelling and stiffness
in the joints.
My parents were
shocked, but I didn’t
fully understand,
being so young.
I stayed in hospital
for five weeks,
receiving physio and
occupational therapy.
Prescribed steroids,
I thought I’d get better
if I took my medicine.
In agony since
But, unfortunately,
I was little, but I
rheumatoid arthritis is
didn’t let it stop me


s
w
e
n

h
t
l
a
He
Your

Swollen glands

T

hese are a sign that
the body is fighting
an infection. They
should get better within
a couple of weeks, as long
as you rest, drink plenty of
fluids and take painkillers.
However, you should
visit your GP if your
glands are getting bigger
or haven’t gone down in
three weeks, they feel
hard or don’t move when
pressed, or you have a
very high temperature or
no other signs of illness.

40%

That’s how many
Brits don’t know
it’s the chemicals
in cigarettes, rather
than nicotine, that
causes disease
from smoking,
according to King’s
College London.

TRUE E
S
or
Restlessleg
syndrome

1
2

Have you tried...
The Tisserand Sweet
Dreams Aromatherapy
Roller Ball?

3

A

great help if you’re struggling to
switch off from the day and get a

restful night’s sleep. Made from 100
per cent natural ingredients, including
lavender, mandarin and geranium oil,
you simply roll this over your forehead,
temples, back of neck and wrists, and
massage in – £5.95, Superdrug.

AlsoknownasWillisEkbomdisease,it’sa
commonconditionthat
causesanirresistible
urgetomovethelegs.
■ True ■ False
Theconditionis
usuallyworsein
themornings.
■ True ■ False
Mostsufferers
willexperience
symptomsevery
fewweeks.
■ True ■ False
Lifestylechanges,
suchasquitting
smoking,exercising
regularlyandimproving
sleepcanhelptreat
mildcases.
■ True ■ False

4

HEALTH

TIP

1 TRUE It can also cause

Men’s
health

With Dr Jason McKeown

Waking up
to wee

Q

I am up in the night
urinating more than
usual and I’m

18

worried this could
be something to do
with my prostate,
as I am over 50...
Dave, London

A

This is relatively
common with
men your age,
Dave. If you’re
concerned, see your
GP – and remember
it’s recommended
that men who are
over 50 have a
prostate check.

an unpleasant crawling
sensation in the feet,
calves and thighs.
2 FALSE It is often worse

in the evenings or at night,
and can occasionally
spread to the arms, too.
3 FALSE Some experience

symptoms daily and, in
severe cases, it can disrupt
a person’s everyday life.
4 TRUE If your symptoms
are more severe, you may
need medication to
regulate your levels of
dopamine and iron.

WORDS: EMILY JEFFERIES. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY, ALAMY

Disclaimer: Medical advice provided is for interest only and should never be substituted for seeing a doctor or seeking medical advice. If you have specific medical concerns please seek advice from a qualified medical professional.

What’snormal,
what’s not?


Your
to

k
icck

?W

!

om

...
ood a vice

Tell friend
boyfriend
texts?
Kelly, 44
Inverness

S

Give up on
?
s
m
a
e
r
d
d
l
i
ch
‘KELLY’ IS NOT HER REAL NAME. WORDS: EMMIE HARRISON. MAIN PHOTO (POSED BY MODEL): GETTY

Anon, 53
Margate

F

or as long as I can
remember, I’ve wanted
a child. I’m now 53.
I’ve had long-term
relationships over the years,
and been married twice, but
I haven’t found the right
person to have a family with.
Though I know I’m probably
too old to have children, I can’t

shake the feeling that I was
born to be a mum. I still really
want to have that experience of
being pregnant, changing
nappies and looking after a
baby. Luckily, I haven’t been
through the menopause yet
but it doesn’t mean my body
will still let me.
Shall I give up on my child
dreams? I can’t help but think
that I missed my chance
decades ago…

ADVICE LINES
● Want to become an older
mum? Get helpful advice
and resources if you’re over

NO

YES
Pick Me Up!
reader
Krystdena
Cardwell says, ‘I would give
up on the dream of carrying
your own child – as you get
older, your body isn’t the
same as it once was. You

could suffer a lot
of heartache and
there are so many
children out there
wanting love.
‘You could
be living your
dream of
becoming
a mother by
adopting. A child
doesn’t have to
be blood-related
to be your own.’

Pick Me Up!
reader Kirsty
Hanslip says,
‘There’s no age limit on
having children – there are
risks with pregnancy at any
age, some more than others.
‘Speak to your doctor but
never give up
hope, everyone
deserves a
chance to be a
mother, whether
it be natural or
adoption. There

are thousands
of babies out
there waiting
for a mum and
it sounds like
you’ll make
a great one.’

Yes
35% No
65%

35 from oldermum.co.uk.
● The Royal College of
Midwives have lots of
helpful stats and facts about
becoming an older parent.

Visit rcm.org.uk/tags/
older-mothers.
● Think your partner may be
having an affair? Relate can
help. Visit relate.org.uk.

ix months ago, my friend’s
boyfriend of three years
texted me to ask what
I thought she’d like for her
40th birthday. I helped him,
but he’s not stopped texting

me since. He wishes me good
morning, good night and asks
about my day. They’re not flirty,
but I’m not sure he should be
texting me so much. Should
I tell my friend? Chances are she
already knows and I wouldn’t
want to cause stress or jealousy.

YES
Pick Me Up!
reader Claire
Mangan says,
‘I’d make light of it and
mention it when I’m with them
both. Something like, “Sorry
I meant to text you back but
I forgot,” so it’s not a big deal.
‘You’ll see by their
reactions: a) whether it
means anything to him, and
b) whether she’s aware of it.
I really don’t think it’s a big
deal, he might be thinking the
same about you texting him.’

NO
Pick Me Up!
reader Karee
Cloke says,

‘Delete his number and block
him. Failing that, just start
ignoring the texts. It’s
definitely inappropriate.
Whether your friend knows or
not (my bet is she doesn’t!) it’s
making you uncomfortable.
‘If you call him out on it, it
could make things awkward
for you when you’re next in
his company, but if you ignore
his efforts to contact you
completely, he’ll be the one
left embarrassed.’
19


E
K
I
L
P
U
CARVED

F
O
E
PIEC

A bloody scene in
a hotelroom and a
true crime not for
the faint-hearted

WORDS: LOUISE BATY. PHOTOS: LA TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES

I

twas themaid
on hermorning
cleaninground
whofirstmadethe
horrificdiscovery…
Opening the
door of Room 66 at the
Continental Hotel, she
found a blood-soaked bed
and a large backpack.
The shocked woman
asked her manager to
look in the backpack.
Inside was human
flesh and body parts, and
a pair of severed arms,
bound by duct tape.
Under the bed, wrapped
in a blanket, was a man’s
torso, covered in scratches
and punctures, and almost

completely drained of blood.
Also in the cheap Los
Angeles hotelroomwas
asyringe,bags with meth
residue and a box of sweets,
along with two pairs of
men’s boxers and a pair of
women’s knickers.
All soaked in blood.
Horrendous – and a
complete mystery.
Who was this man
who’d been brutally sliced
into five pieces?
And what sort of monsters
had done this to him?
A 3½in hunting knife
was found at the scene,
along with an LA Lakers
basketball team cap – left
sitting on top of the bed
‘like a tombstone’, according

20

Victim:Herbert

The hotel:
scene of a
shocking

crime

to one police officer.
The police identified
the victim as a man named
Herbert Tracy White, 49.
His devastated wife told how
he’d received a call the previous
night, 28 November 2010,
around midnight.
Herbert was a former
cocaine addict who’d become
an Alcoholics and Narcotics
Anonymous sponsor.
He was always getting latenight calls, his wife Annie said,
liked to help out vulnerable
folk who were struggling with
their own addictions.
A real Good Samaritan.
And that night was no
different. Herbert got out of
bed, quickly dressed and put
on his favourite Lakers cap.
As he said goodbye to his

wife, he told her he was off to
meet some people who needed
his help. It was the last time
she’d see him alive.
So who were the mysterious

people he’d gone to ‘help’ in
the dead of night?
The police identified them
as Edward Garcia, 36, and
his wife, Melissa Hope
Garcia, 25.
Homeless
drug addicts,
originally from York,
Pennsylvania, they’d
been living in their
car before it had
been towed away
and they’d ended up
in LA’s Skid Row
– an area full of
homeless hostels.
Just a few days before
Herbert’s body was found, the
couple had met him outside a
bank in Hollywood.
He’d given them his number
– told them to get in touch if he
could ever help get them sober.
Herbert had checked the
Garcias into the Continental
Hotel – mainly used by rough
sleepers – the night before
his body was found. He even
paid for their room.

Yet neither the Garcias or

Herbert had ever checked out
of the third-floor room.
The police reckoned
the Garcias had left
via a fire escape.
Fearing they’d
fled California, the
police launched a
manhunt for them.
Following tip-offs
from other rough
sleepers, the couple
were finally found –
nearly two weeks
after the killing.
They were living in
squalid conditions in an
abandoned Hollywood office
building, just a few miles from
the seedy hotel.
They were asleep when the
police broke down the door –
looked as if they were coming
down from a drugs binge.
Both had sores on their faces,
due to drug use, and Melissa
had recently dyed her hair,
putting red streaks in it.

As the couple were arrested
and charged with murder,
they expressed remorse for
their actions.
Edward told
the police he wanted
to apologise to
Herbert’s family
for what he’d done.
Said he was glad
it was ‘over’.
The couple were
tried separately.
In May 2015,
Edward Garcia faced trial.
The prosecution insisted he
and his wife had butchered
their victim as part of a ‘longheld fantasy’ of dismembering
a body in a ‘ritualistic killing’.
The prosecution said the
Garcias had planned the attack
for a long time, before even
meeting their victim.
‘What proceeded that night,’
one lawyer told jurors, ‘was
truly dark and sadistic.’
They alleged that bloodshed

He helped
vulnerable

folk
struggling
with their
addictions


A
BRUTAL:EDWARD...
and bloodletting was part
of the killers’ motivation,
describing how White’s body
was almost completely drained
of blood.
But Edward Garcia’s defence
team said that the explanation
wasn’t that simple.
They claimed Herbert
White hadn’t been such
a Good Samaritan, and alleged
he’d brought drugs to the hotel
for the Garcias.
They said he’d propositioned
the couple when he’d first met
them at the bank.
‘I couldn’t stop thinking
about you guys,’ they claimed
he’d said, before turning to
Melissa and adding, ‘I couldn’t
stop thinking of you.’
The defence also claimed

Herbert told a hotel security
guard Melissa was his girlfriend
and had written a false name in
the register at the front desk.
Sex lubricant – the same type

found at Herbert’s house – was
in the hotel room.
Edward Garcia had admitted
to investigators he killed White,
but ‘expressed regret’ and
claimed all the dismemberment
occurred after Herbert died or
near the time of death.
Yet the prosecution told how
detectives had delved into the
couple’s murky past and
uncovered an eerily
similar crime.
Around 18 months
before Herbert ’s
killing, Melissa had
posed as a prostitute
to lure a man to their
Pennsylvania flat.
When the man
began to undress,
Edward had leapt
‘out the darkness with a knife’,
the prosecutor said.

The couple had tied up the
man. But, after enticing one of
his friends over, too, and slicing
his finger, ‘all hell broke loose’

...& MELISSA GARCIA
the prosecutor said, and the
men had managed to run away.
But Herbert White hadn’t
escaped. The prosecutor
described a ‘brief struggle’
in the hotel room,
saying the couple
had duct-taped his
wrists and dragged
him onto the bed.
There were
wounds on his face
and chest, and two
neck wounds that
hit his jugular vein
and killed him.
When the prosecution
outlined details of the grisly
dismemberment, Edward
Garcia stared straight ahead.
He was said to have sliced
up the body with terrifying
precision, even skinned a piece

Detectives
uncovered
an eerily
similarcrime
in their
murky past

His wife
Annie

Herbert’s grieving
mum and brothers

of leg muscle from the bone –
‘like a fillet’ the prosecutor said.
The jurors heard a taped
confession from Edward.
‘I wish that it wasn’t me in
that room – but it was. I did
that,’ he’d told the police. He
said he couldn’t remember
carrying out the attack.
The jury found Edward
Garcia guilty of first-degree
murder. He was sentenced
to life without parole.
In a separate hearing, in
September 2015, Melissa
Garcia pleaded guilty to
voluntary manslaughter

and other charges.
She told Herbert White’s
family she was ‘so sorry’.
‘There’s not a day that goes
by that I don’t think about
what happened,’ she added.
She was jailed for 16 years
and eight months.
It was justice, but it couldn’t
bring back Herbert White.
His devastated family
had attended all the court
proceedings, watching grimly
from the viewing gallery.
His grieving mother
Elizabeth Peterson told the
Press, ‘I could feel what my son
felt that night. Horrendous… I
miss him every day. Every day.’
21


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AD
CODE

PMU106

Genius Or

N
I
W

TOTALLY
BONKERS?

5
1 0!

3
E
L
Z
Z
U
P

Weputsometrulyoriginal
productstothetest…
Calm Your T**s. Boob Mask,
£26.37, anese.co
Sometimesin thiscolumn, we
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we can’tsee thisface mask
foryour boobsflying offthe
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Verdict:

BONKERS!
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Virtual Pets, £9.99,
firebox.com
Still missing your 1990s
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letsyou pickfrom not just
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Verdict:

BONKERS!

Work out which letter each number represents. When
you’ve filled the grid, put the correct letters into the
prize answer boxes at the bottom to spell out a word.
Enter on page 47.

1

17

11
16

22

23

Priceybut
brilliant.

1

10

8

2

22

14

12

8

8

13
18

8

21

2

14

5

20

11

11

16

14

6

22

7

8

22

22

22

8

22

2

L

13

U

14

1

R

21

16

2

14

5

18

10

18

14

16
7

22

22

11

22

17

22

4

9

11

20

22

22

10
21

8

22

16

14

6

8

10

22

5

10

1

18

21

22

6

8

22

8

21

16

9

11

13

14

15
9

10

7
25

6

9

1

1

9
1

22

2

21

11

21

26

18

20

12

10

8

21

14

18

9

9

22

14

2

22

22

24

2

7

22

18

9

18

S

5

17

22

3

2

6

1

6

17

1

18

22

14

21
21

11

21

10

20

GENIUS!

9

14

8

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21

22

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16

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1

2

14

15

U

3

4

5

6

16

17

18

19

S

L

7

8

20

21

R

9

10

11

12

13

22

23

24

25

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PRIZE ANSWER
7

9

21

14

5

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23


&
r,
te
s
e
ic
Le
m
ro

,f
2
,4
e
s
o
R
y
m
m
Ta
When
e
h
s
y,
b
r
e
h
g
in
ss
a
p
s
a
w
fe
li

d
e
s
reali
s
ie
s
ta
n
fa
t
s
e
d
il
w
r
e
h
t
u
o
y
la
decided to p

G

iddy with
actually want to be smacked.

excitement,
Would they..?
I pressed Rewind on
I was just a teenager, hadn’t
the remote control.
had a boyfriend yet.
I was about to
Confused, I forced myself
replay my favourite
to forget my fantasy.
scene from the Elvis Presley
In time, I started dating –
film Blue Hawaii.
but the sex was nothing special.
‘You know what you
‘Men are so unimaginative,’
need?’ Elvis sneered at his
I grumbled to my older sister
blonde co-star. ‘A good, oldSarah one day in 2001.
fashioned spanking!’
‘Spice things up a bit,’ she
‘You wouldn’t dare!’
suggested. ‘Why not try
she retorted.
something different?’
‘Oh, yes he would!’
And my mind clicked
I squealed as Elvis put the
straight back to that day in
woman over his knee and

1992 when I couldn’t get
gave her negligee-clad bottom
a vigorous spanking.
That book
Pretty sexist, huh?
was a real
But back in 1992,
revelation...
aged just 16, I’d
thought it was
the most exciting
thing I’d ever seen.
I’d love someone
to do that to me,
I thought.
Then a nagging
shame crept in.
No-one in
their right
mind would
24

enough of that Elvis Presley film.
My fella would think I’m
a right perv if I asked him
to spank me! I thought.
And, again, I pushed
the thought away.
Years of boring sex followed.
I never settled

down with anyone
special who gave
me the fireworks
I was after.
Then, one day
in 2014, I spotted
Fifty Shades of Grey
by EL James, in
a bookshop.
I knew it was
about sex, but not much else.
Flicking through, I was
totally gripped.
I bought the book,
raced home, and
read the whole thing
in one night.
It made me think
seriously about my
own sexual desires.
Maybe I’m not
the only one who
likes the idea of
being spanked?
I realised.
But something

still held me back.
Then, a couple of weeks later,
Sarah was diagnosed with

cancer of the liver.
I was devastated.
As she started chemotherapy
and bravely battled for her life,
I began to think about how
little time we really have.
Life is too short to be
unhappy. And definitely too
short for bad sex.
What harm could it do to
experiment in the bedroom?
Curious, I went online.
‘Oh!’ I gasped, as I was
bombarded with
explicit images.
Dungeons,
masters and slaves,
people being trussed
up and humiliated.
That’s not me!
I just loved the
idea of letting a
man take complete
control for a while.
Then I discovered a website
for people looking for spankers
and spankees.
A bit like a dating website
with a saucy twist.
Taking a deep breath,

I picked a profile I liked,
and messaged them.
I’m new to all this, I wrote
to one man.
Don’t worry, I’ll look after
you, he replied.
A week later, we arranged
to meet in a nearby cafe.
I recognised him from
his online profile. A smart,

He’d
sometimes
spank
me with
my
hairbrush