News Of The Weird

GLOUCESTER, England - A man who shot himself with a nail gun in Gloucester to get money was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in jail. David Russell, 38, claimed he was robbed by three men who shot him seven times with a two-inch nail gun. One of the nails nearly went through his heart and had to be removed surgically, The Times of London reports. Local investigators pressed Russell and he admitted to making a similar claim seven years before. In that scam he reportedly received 4,400 pounds ($9,000) in compensation.
The two men Russell said attacked him were arrested and later released. Russell pleaded guilty in the Gloucester Crown Court to two charges of perverting the course of justice. The newspaper reported the local prosecutor, Julian Kesner, described Russell as a "very convincing fantasist," adding that he has "told the most audacious of lies, including concocting stories of being the victim of the most extraordinary crimes." The defense, meanwhile, claimed Russell had tried to kill himself on both occasions.

GLOUCESTER, England - A man who shot himself with a nail gun in Gloucester to get money was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in jail. David Russell, 38, claimed he was robbed by three men who shot him seven times with a two-inch nail gun. One of the nails nearly went through his heart and had to be removed surgically, The Times of London reports. Local investigators pressed Russell and he admitted to making a similar claim seven years before. In that scam he reportedly received 4,400 pounds ($9,000) in compensation.
The two men Russell said attacked him were arrested and later released. Russell pleaded guilty in the Gloucester Crown Court to two charges of perverting the course of justice. The newspaper reported the local prosecutor, Julian Kesner, described Russell as a "very convincing fantasist," adding that he has "told the most audacious of lies, including concocting stories of being the victim of the most extraordinary crimes." The defense, meanwhile, claimed Russell had tried to kill himself on both occasions.

A distraught architect threw himself in front of a train in the London Underground in a suicide attempt. Luckily, the train stopped inches from his body; in fact, it had to be jacked off its tracks to allow his removal. When questioned, however, the driver informed officials he hadn't stopped the train. An investigation revealed that one of the passengers, unaware of the suicide attempt, had independently pulled the emergency brake. London Transport officials considered prosecuting the passenger for illegal use of the emergency brake but ultimately decided against it.

George D. Bryson, a businessman from Connecticut, decided to change his travel plans and stop in Louisville, Kentucky, a place he'd never visited before. He went to a local hotel and made preparations to check into Room 307. Before he could do so, a hotel employee handed him a letter addressed to his exact name. It turned out the previous occupant of Room 307 was another George D. Bryson.

One three separate occasions - in the years 1664, 1785, and 1860
- there was a shipwreck in which only one person survived the accident. Each time that one person was named Hugh Williams.

In 1983, a woman told British Rail authorities about a disturbing vision she had of a fatal train crash involving an engine with the numbers 47 216. Two years later, a train had a fatal accident, similar to the one the woman had described. The engine number, however, was 47 299. Later, someone noticed that the number had previously been changed by nervous British Rail officials. The original number: 47 216.

Several secret code words were devised by Allied military commanders during their preparations to invade Normandy in World War II. Among
them: "Utah," "Neptune," "Mulberry," "Omaha," and "Overlord." Before the invasion could begin, however, all of these words appeared in a crossword puzzle in the London Daily Telegraph. After interrogating the puzzle's author, an English school teacher, authorities became convinced that it was sheer, inexplicable coincidence.

A 65-year-old great-grandmother is suing a Yonkers, N.Y., casino, alleging she was humiliated by being forced to submit to a strip search.

Myrna Jones said the alleged ill treatment began when her winner's slip went missing. Jones said she was playing the $1 slot machines at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway when she won an $80 prize. However, the machine did not dispense a winner's slip.

A mechanic was called to look at the machine and Jones was taken to a room for questioning. She said she was interrogated by a man -- who she said she later discovered was an undercover state trooper -- and accused of hiding the winning slip to defraud the casino.

A strip search was ordered when the first check of the machine failed to yield the missing slip.

"I felt just humiliated, embarrassed," Jones said.

Jones said the ticket was found in the machine after she was searched by a security woman.

From the BBC news:
Robert Stewart, 51, admitted a sexually aggravated breach of the peace by conducting himself in a disorderly manner and simulating sex.

Sheriff Colin Miller also placed Stewart on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

Mr Stewart was caught in the act with his bicycle by cleaners in his bedroom at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr.

Gail Davidson, prosecuting, told Ayr Sheriff Court: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.

"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white t-shirt, naked from the waist down.

"The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."

Both cleaners, who were "extremely shocked", told the hostel manager who called police.

Sheriff Colin Miller told Stewart: "In almost four decades in the law I thought I had come across every perversion known to mankind, but this is a new one on me. I have never heard of a 'cycle-sexualist'."

Stewart had denied the offence, claiming it was caused by a misunderstanding after he had too much to drink.

The bachelor had been living in the hostel since October 2006 after moving from his council house in Girvan.

He now lives in Ayr.

If you're going to spend $36 million building a gambling casino, it's always a good idea to first check to make sure gambling is permitted where you're putting up the casino.

The Kewadin Shores Casino which has some 800 slot machines and 26 gambling tables opened in Michigan's Upper Peninsula but there's been no gambling because all but 30 feet of the building is on land where gambling is illegal.

Bonus. They knew of this 2 1/2 years before finishing the complex

Police swooped down on a man in the UK because he missed a vet appointment for his kitten.

The Essex police, along with an Animal Protection worker, barged in on 18-year-old Robert Emberson because he missed a vet appointment for his kitten and they demanded that he turn in the cat.

Officials say that this follows an earlier encounter with Emberson when Animal Protection found...get ready for this.. ONE FLEA, just one single flea!!!, on his cat at which time they forced Emberson to lose a day's pay to get his cat a flea treatment.

Cats have it real good in Essex. Human beings in the UK who use the National Health Service wait, on the average, 108 days for needed heart scans. No report on how long people wait for parasite treatments.