Where are they now? 'Jew-hunters', a hotly-contested grass verge and more

Dear readers — The news cycle is so relentless that sometimes important stories can get washed away in the torrent, making only a small splash before they disappear forever. That’s why we started our “Where are they now?” series, offering you updates on stories we’ve reported on recently. It’s an antidote to the “here today, gone tomorrow” nature of most news, plus it ensures we keep the subjects of our stories on their toes. 

So read on for the latest on the city’s most hotly-contested grass verge, the Peak District tunnel, and the CADS charity picked to run the council’s Event Central venue. We also have a big update concerning our story from February, about the pro-Palestine activists accused of “jew-hunting” in Woodseats.

Your Tribune briefing 🗞️

⚖️ Andrew Milne, the controversial solicitor who bought the freeholds for hundreds of local properties before attempting to sell them to homeowners, has lost an appeal against his recent stalking conviction. In March, Milne was sentenced to a two-year community order and ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work after sending “grossly offensive and menacing” emails to court reporter Daniel Cloake. The Solicitors Regulation Authority restricted Milne’s right to practice following this conviction, only permitting him to work under the supervision of another SRA-approved solicitor. Last Friday, after a six-day hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Judge Timothy Greene rejected Milne’s bid to overturn this conviction, stating: “The repeated lies to the police when first questioned and the repeated lies in evidence to us, leave us in no doubt that Mr Milne knew full well that his course of conduct amounted to harassment.” 

🚁 Edale Mountain Rescue were called out to Higger Tor on Saturday to rescue a child who had wedged his head between two rocks. Rescuers said the child had been “weaseling” – a trend where children try to crawl into tight gaps – which led to him becoming stuck. In order to calm his distress, rescuers sang his favourite song (“Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie) as they used power tools to free the boy's head, before presenting the released weaseler with some Haribo. 

🏗️ After a lengthy delay, work has finally started on the University of Sheffield’s Central Teaching Laboratories, a £86 million facility on Upper Hanover Street. The five-storey building will house two science labs with room for up to 300 students, plus facilities for medicine and dentistry. The building was originally supposed to open in time for the start of next academic year; however the project was put on hold in early 2025 due to the university’s £50m financial shortfall. At the time, a university spokesperson insisted the project “remains a strategic priority,” adding: “In order to attract the best students in a range of subjects, we need to offer modern, world-class facilities.”

🎸 Taking place at Delicious Clam on Friday is a gig from Brighton punk rockers Plastics, Swedish hardcore band Xiao and Sheffield legends The Xoxo's. Tickets are priced at £13 and the show starts at 8pm. Buy yours here.

‘I was dragged through the gutter’

In February, Victoria reported on a fracas in Woodseats, after local woman Jean Hatchet accused a group of pro-Palestine activists of "Jew-hunting" in the area. Five members of the Sheffield Apartheid-Free Zone group were going door to door on Woodseats House Road, urging residents to boycott Israeli fruit and vegetables, when they got into a heated argument with Hatchet and her partner Aleks Kovacevic. Following the dispute, both Aleks and one of the activists, Jon Cowley, were reported to South Yorkshire Police for an alleged assault. While one charge was quickly dropped, the other party is due to stand trial early next year.