'House of Horrors' care home couple who 'kept elderly people "including a Briton" drugged while stealing their life savings' are arrested in Spain after five OAPs died

• Couple, said to be of Cuban-German origin, arrested on Spain's Costa de la Luz 
• Pair are accused of keeping foreign OAPs shackled and drugged in a care home 'House of Horrors' while stripping them of their life savings 
• Police believe the scheme may have seen £1.5illion taken from vulnerable OAPs 
• Investigators traced the couple after five people died suddenly in their care

A couple accused of drugging and locking up elderly foreigners in a 'House of Horrors' so they could steal their savings have been arrested in Spain.

The pair, said to be of German-Cuban origin, were caught after 101-year-old German woman Maria Babes died suddenly after being left in the couple's care. 

Police then discovered that another four people had died while the couple had supposedly been looking after them, including one person suspected to be British. 

The couple were caught after Maria Babes, 101, went missing from her home in Tenerife and police found her in their care. While in their care, police say her life savings disappeared from her bank account before she suddenly died

All of the elderly people had seen their savings dwindle while being 'cared for', and officers believe the couple may have conned more than £1.5million out of them.

Officers did manage to save two OAPs, one Dutch and one German, who had been held prisoner for months in a second villa near the main house while they were drugged and fed with drips.

Another four people have been arrested and nine placed under investigation, accused of playing a part in the scheme.

Investigators believe the perpetrators planned to launder the money into a tourist complex in Novo Santi Petri, where they were caught.

The scheme was uncovered after German investigators asked their Spanish counterparts for help in tracking down Mrs Babes, who had gone missing.

Their search led Spanish police to a retirement home in Chiclana de la Frontera near Cadiz where they interviewed Mrs Babes.

A Civil Guard spokesman said: 'During interviews with her, she told officers she had been locked up for several months in a rented villa and during that time had been shackled.

'During that time, and to the surprise of investigators, she supposedly gave her 'carers' power of attorney and then named them as her heirs.

'The German woman denied agreeing to this, and it happened while she was seriously ill in hospital.

'After the appearance of this couple in her life in October, her bank balance went from £140,000 to just £260 by December.

'Her house in Tenerife was also sold during that time and she never received a penny.'

Officers say the couple ran a 'House of Horrors' care home in Novo Santi Petri (pictured), in southern Spain, where OAPs were kept shackled to bed and at least five people died

Officers immediately removed Mrs Babes from her carers and took her to a retirement home.

But before they could arrest the couple, they arrived and took Mrs Babes away, and she died just five hours later.

The couple also managed to have her body cremated before officers caught up with them, without carrying out an autopsy.

That means it will now be impossible to establish a cause of death. 

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Cadiz confirmed: 'Six people have been arrested and nine placed under investigation as the suspected authors of a series of crimes ranging from fraud to forgery, misappropriation and money laundering.

'The operation led to officers tracking down an elderly German woman and removing her from the control of her 'carers', who had stripped her of her assets.

'Tragically, after removing her from the control of this couple, they managed to get her out of the retirement home she had been placed in and five hours later she died suddenly.

'The Civil Guard operation led to the rescue of another two elderly people the detainees were 'looking after' and who were being kept prisoner, drugged, and fed using drips.

'The investigation has revealed another four people who were supposedly being looked after by this couple, had died suddenly after they got their hands on their assets.

'In four years this couple had managed to accumulate assets worth more than £1.54million.' 

Police added that Maria was taken from her retirement home at 11am on Thursday, after being caught on CCTV playing a tambourine and in good health.

Her death was recorded at 4pm with no witnesses present and she was cremated shortly afterwards.  

A funeral parlour manager later today officers that the 'carers' had rushed to have the remains cremated and said they didn't want an urn for them, despite expressing their utmost affection for the dead. 

'During the arrest of the couple and in a search of the villa, police found two airplane tickets to Cuba with a reservation for the Hotel Melia Veradero, which would have made it difficult for them to look after Maria if she had still been alive,' police said.

'Major incident' as high winds battering Britain tear massive scaffolding from four-storey building and onto street near Hampstead Heath

• A witness at the scene said there was 'an awful lot of screaming' as the large structure collapsed on the street
• Staff at Royal Free Hospital told staff not to go home because of 'major incident' that occurred this afternoon
• Emergency services are currently at the scene in Hampstead Heath, London, near the hospital

High winds have torn the scaffolding from from the side of a four-storey building near the Royal Free Hospital in London this afternoon.

A witness at the scene said there was 'an awful lot of screaming' as the structure collapsed with 50 mph winds battering central London today.

Emergency services are currently attending at the incident in Hampstead Heath.

Staff at the Royal Free Hospital were told not to go home because of the 'major incident.'

Hilary Barnes told the Camden New Journal: 'I was going up towards to Hampstead and we stopped outside M&S – thank god.

The scaffolding, located near the Royal Free Hospital, in London, has collapsed, and according to witnesses 

Emergency services are currently attending at the incident in Hampstead Heath. Staff at the Royal Free Hospital were told not to go home because of the 'major incident.'

A witness at the scene said there was 'an awful lot of screaming' as the large structure collapsed on the busy London street - just yards from one of the capital's main hospitals

The scaffolding is thought to have been on the building pictured here, near the Royal Free Hospital

Firefighters at the scene of the scene of the incident assess the damage which occurred in London this afternoon

The Royal Free Hospital which is opposite the collapsed scaffolding has said they have not been required to treat any patients in relation to the incident

In the footage, emergency services can be seen attending the incident and urging people to step back from the mass of collapsed scaffolding

 A large group of people are gathered behind a large cordon'As we were waiting there this whole thing, it goes up the whole of the building, it started to very slowly go outward and then it buckled. It was extraordinary.

'There was an awful lot of screaming. Ambulances were charging down there within seconds. It looked like the wind called the polythene and the scaffolding came away.

'I am sure there will be casualties as it is so busy, with the schools and the Royal Free. There is no way any traffic is coming through there for a while.'

A spokesman for the Met Office said general conditions in the area showed a 55mph gust was recorded in the hour to 3pm, and other gusts between 45-50mph were recorded in the two to three hours around that.

Amon Amouzandeh, 37, was driving past the hospital on his way to visit a friend when he saw the scaffolding frame.

He told MailOnline: 'I turned the corner and saw in my wing mirror the scaffolding which had fallen into the street.

'It was pretty windy and must have just caught it [the scaffolding frame] at the wrong angle. But there were strong winds, no question about it.

'I can't believe it only happened ten minutes prior to my turning up. It had all been cornered off and the people were being controlled.'

A number of witnesses have reported the windy conditions in the area. The Met Office confirmed general conditions in the area showed a 55mph gust was recorded in the hour to 3pm, and other gusts between 45-50mph were recorded in the two to three hours around that

The footage shows emergency services ushering members of the public away from the scaffolding. There are not thought to be any injuries, but the nearby Royal Free Hospital is on standby

A police spokesman said no injuries have been reported.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 2:45pm today (7 March) to reports of an incident on Pond Street, Hampstead.

'We sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, a single responder in a car and an advanced paramedic to the scene. We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team.

'We are working closely with other members of the emergency services and remain at the scene.' 

A spokesman for the Royal Free Hospital said: 'We are on standby following the collapse of scaffolding at a building opposite the Royal Free Hospital.

'To date we have not been required to treat any patients in relation to the incident.

'We are continuing with planned appointments although transport to and from the hospital is affected. 

'Please allow extra time for your journey if you have an appointment.'

'Jeopardy' host Alex Trebek has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but vows, 'I’m going to fight this'

Legendary "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek announced Wednesday that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek shared the news on YouTube, telling his fans, "I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our 'Jeopardy!' fan base."

"Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working," he added. "And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease."

In classic Trebek fashion, he closed the video with wit and humor, saying, "Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host 'Jeopardy!' for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done."The 78-year-old has been the host of "Jeopardy" since 1984 and is currently in his 35th season fronting the popular quiz show.

He took the job at "Jeopardy" after almost two decades hosting other game shows in his native Canada and in the U.S. with programs like "Jackpot," "High Rollers" and "The $128,000 Question."

Trebek took a leave of absence from the show last year after he underwent brain surgery for a subdural hematoma, which is blood clots on the brain.

Celebrities and members of the "Jeopardy!" community, including star Ken Jennings, posted well-wishes and messages of support on social media.

Ayodhya Dispute: SC Decision on Court-Monitored Mediation Tomorrow

The Supreme Court will announce its decision on whether to refer the Ayodhya title dispute to mediation at 10:30 am on Friday, 8 March. It will also be announcing whether the writ petitions filed in relation to the case, such as Subramanian Swamy’s for Hindus to be able to pray at the disputed site, will need to be heard by the current five-judge Constitution Bench or a smaller number of judges.

Just a day earlier, the apex court reserved its order. While the Muslim groups were open to mediation, the Hindu groups opposed it.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi has asked all parties to submit to the court the names of possible mediators, as the judges intend to announce their decision shortly.

• The Centre had on 29 January moved SC seeking its nod to return the 67-acre undisputed acquired land around the disputed site to original owners
• The bench comprises CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandradhud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer
• A three-judge bench had in September 2018 refused to refer to a five-judge Constitution bench the issue related to reconsideration of the observation in the SC’s 1994 judgment that a mosque wasn’t integral to Islam

SC to Pronounce Order on Court-Appointed Mediation Tomorrow

The Supreme Court on Friday, 8 March, will pronounce its order on whether to send the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored mediation for a “permanent solution”.

Will Pass Order on Constitution Bench for Writ Petitions, Says SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 6 March, said that it would pass an order on whether the Constitution Bench will continue to hear the writ petitions in connection with the case.

This does not directly apply to the Ayodhya title dispute case.

Mediation Cannot Happen, There Will Be No Compromise: Hindu Mahasabha

Hindu Mahasabha advocate Varun Jain told the media that the outfit is against mediation as there an be no compromisre on Lord Ram’s land.

CJI Asks All Parties To Submit Names of Possible Mediators Today

CJI Gogoi asks all parties to submit to the court the names of possible mediators, as the judges intend to announce their decision shortly.

SC Reserves Order

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 6 March. reserved its order on whether to refer Ayodhya land dispute case to court-appointed mediator.

Mediation Bound by Certain Parameters: Subramanian Swamy

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy argues mediation is bound by certain parameters.

Media Won't Cover Mediation Proceedings: SC

The Bench has clarified that media will not get to cover the mediation proceedings.

Muslim Groups Express Willingness for Mediation

Muslim parties show willingness for mediation. Rajeev Dhavan, representing Sunni Waqf Board, says consent of all parties not required to go mediation.

Advocate Rajeev Dhavan,who is appearing for group of Muslim petitioners in the case says, "Muslim petitioners are agreeable to mediation&any compromise or settlement will bind parties."

'The Past Cannot be Undone:' Justice Bobde

Justice SA Bobde points out that this is pre-judging the outcome, rather than looking at the possibilities for healing and reconciliation.

According to Live Law, Bobde said that what’s done in the past cannot be undone. "We can only decide what happens in the present," he said.

Hindu Groups Oppose Mediation

Hindu parties are opposing the suggestion to mediate, saying the matter is not simply a property dispute. As a result, public may not be satisfied with the result.

SC Commences Hearing on Ayodhya Case

CJI Ranjan Gogoi clarifies that the hearing will be restricted to the limited point of whether or not the case should be referred to mediation.

SC to Decide on Court-Appointed Mediator Today

The Supreme Court is likely to pass an order on whether to refer Ayodhya land dispute case to court-appointed mediator on Tuesday, 5 March.

SC Order: Parties Have Six Weeks to Finalise Documents

Subramaniam Swamy tries to intervene, and when allowed to speak, says that any compromise between the parties will have to include a right for Hindus to pray at the birthplace of Lord Ram.

CJI Gogoi notes that the proceedings can only begin after translated documents are in place over which there is no controversy. He then begins dictating his order, in which he gives the parties six weeks to examine the translations and submit any objections.

The Chief Justice also asks the parties if they will consider mediation, but because Vaidyanathan doesn’t agree, this is not included in the order. The decision to refer the case for mediation will be taken at the next hearing.

Justice Bobde Suggests Mediation Rather Than Court Case

“Even if there is one percent chance for mediation between parties, we should give it an opportunity,” says Justice SA Bobde.

Dhavan points out that mediation was tried by the Allahabad High Court, but this wasn’t successful.

Justice Bobde responds that this has not been tried in the Supreme Court yet, and that the court is thinking of using mediation under Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure to settle the dispute between the Hindu and Muslim parties.

Rajeev Dhavan says he won’t oppose this if the judges want to try it. However, CS Vaidyanathan and senior advocate Ranjit Kumar (also appearing for one of the Hindu parties) say they don’t agree with this option.

“Mediation is not possible, not agreeable. Your Lordships may decide the matter as early as possible”, says Ranjit Kumar, according to Bar & Bench.

8-12 Weeks Requested to Review Documents

The CJI then asks Dhavan how long he needs to review the documents. Dhavan and Dushyant Dave, also representing one of the Muslim parties, say they need “8-12 weeks”.

Dispute Over Translations Could Delay Hearing

At the outset, CJI Ranjan Gogoi asked the parties if they have all had a chance to review the official translations of documents for the case. There are several thousand pages of documents which are relevant to the case, and the Chief Justice said they did not want the parties to object to the correctness of the documents later, which would delay the hearings.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for some of the Muslim parties, argues that they had not had a chance to review all the translations. Senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, representing Ram Lalla, objects to this, noting that there has been enough time to review the documents. He also draws attention to the court’s order of December 2017, when the court expressed hope the parties wouldn’t ask for adjournments.

Rajeev Dhavan responds by saying there had been no opportunity to review the documents since the previous hearings had dealt with the question of whether the matter should be referred to a larger bench.

CJI Gogoi: “We are not going to waste our time if disputes are going to be raised over translations of documents.”

SC Begins Hearing Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid Land Dispute Case

The Supreme Court has begun hearing the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute matter, with the five-judge Constitution bench expected to decide on the date when the hearings will start and come up with a schedule.

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