A jailed French gangster known as the “getaway king” after two dramatic escapes from prison - one involving a hijacked helicopter - will be locked up for a further 14 years. Redoine Faid, who says he drew inspiration for his criminal career from French and American gangster films, escaped from Reau prison, southeast of Paris, in July 2018. He had been in the prison’s visiting room when three men burst in and got him onto the aircraft, which had landed in one of the prison courtyards. Just five years earlier, in April 2013, he escaped from Sequedin prison in the north of the capital, using explosives to blast through five prison doors, taking four prison wardens hostage, and escaping in two getaway cars. A self-described “freedom addict”, Faid, who has multiple convictions for armed robbery, went on trial earlier this month and was this week sentenced to 14 years additional years behind bars for the prison break. The 51-year-old appeared at Assize Court with a smile and wearing a blue sweater. Among the 11 co-defendants were his two brothers, one of whom he greeted with a kiss, three nephews and a convicted member of the Corsica underworld. Prosecutors had requested 22 years for the jailbreak, spearheaded by Faid’s brother Rachid, who took a helicopter pilot hostage and ordered him to fly to the prison. Rachid got 10 years for his involvement in the plot. Three armed accomplices let off smoke bombs to confuse guards at the prison, one of the men - identified as Faid’s elder brother Rachid - used a disc grinder to cut through doors leading to the visiting room. Faid had been receiving a visit from another brother, Brahim. Inmates of the prison cheered as the helicopter took off with its new passenger, with the operation taking just 10 minutes. Brahim told the court he had no idea about the plan and he was acquitted. After Faid was sprung from the prison, the helicopter landed in Gonesse, a northeastern suburb of Paris, where he and his accomplices continued their escape by car. Authorities later found a burnt-out black Renault suspected of being the getaway car in Aulnay-sous-Bois, another suburb of the capital. The assailants are thought to have changed vehicles, continuing their escape in a van. Faid was arrested by special forces in October 2018 in an apartment located in the city of Creil, in the northern suburbs of Paris, having spent three months on the run. He had been seen dressed as a woman, wearing a burqa. In 2017, he was sentenced on appeal to 25 years in prison for masterminding a failed 2010 robbery, which claimed the life of a policewoman. As a young delinquent in a troubled suburb north of Paris, Faid took his inspiration from gangster movies. He told the court it was his love of freedom that drove him to escape from jail. "I’m in a concrete sarcophagus 23 hours out of 24… What am I going to do? Kick my heels indefinitely. I have an addiction which consumes me and which I cannot cure. I am addicted to freedom." Read More Russia-Ukraine war live: North Korea hands over 1,000 containers of weapons to Putin Putin’s many ‘heart attacks’ and why the rumours may be in his favour Russia recruits prisoners for Ukraine war as Putin replicates Wagner Russia-Ukraine war live: North Korea hands over 1,000 containers of weapons to Putin Putin’s many ‘heart attacks’ and why the rumours may be in his favour Russia recruits prisoners for Ukraine war as Putin replicates Wagner

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England boss Gareth Southgate says it is “not a stupid question” to ask whether Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is the best player in the world right now. Having impressed at Birmingham and flourished at Borussia Dortmund, the 20-year-old midfielder has gone up another level since his big-money switch to Spain. Bellingham has immediately established himself as one of Madrid’s main men and has scored 10 goals in 10 matches since moving to the Bernabeu for an initial £88.5million fee. The midfielder scored a brace in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Osasuna, which will only increase talk of the midfielder being the world’s top player at the moment. Asked if Bellingham was the best in the world right now, Southgate – speaking before the Real star’s two-goal showing on Saturday – said: “I wondered if you might say that! “No, it’s not a stupid question. I haven’t seen everybody and studied everybody playing. “All I can say is he’s at one of the biggest clubs in the world, arguably the biggest, and he’s playing exceptionally well and he’s currently the match-winner for them so he’s in a brilliant place.” He’s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m chuffed to bits for him. Gareth Southgate on Jude Bellingham Bellingham has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at the Bernabeu, where he has added more goals to his game playing in a more advanced position. The 20-year-old scored a solo stunner in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League win at Napoli, with Spanish media comparing him to Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano. “He’s playing higher,” Southgate said. “We played him higher against Scotland, he had that freedom in the Ukraine game as well, we didn’t use the game well enough in the final third. “But he’s always looked dangerous and had an impact around the opposing box with Dortmund and with us, without looking quite as calm as he has this season in front of goal. “It’s brilliant to have people who can win games. “He’s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m chuffed to bits for him.” Asked if Bellingham is a number 10 who could play up top on his own without a number nine, the England boss said: “Well, there are lots of different number 10s, aren’t there? “The 10s I played against, (Dennis) Bergkamp, (Gianfranco) Zola probably were forwards that dropped deeper rather than the other way round. “Jude is a more powerful player than those, slightly different. More of a midfield player, who’s going to make midfield runs. That doesn’t mean he’s any less effective, as we’ve seen. “Their team have found a nice balance with the athletic midfield they have behind and, having lost (Karim) Benzema as they did and lost Vinicius (to injury) as they did, they have been adapting. “He’s been defending on the left wing in a couple of games and I can just imagine the reaction from all and sundry if I asked him to do that! “So, look, he’s doing brilliantly well and that’s the beauty of some of the options we’ve got. We can play players in different positions. They’re good players so they can adapt.” Bellingham will now join up with England for a Wembley double-header, with Friday’s friendly against Australia followed by a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy. Southgate largely stuck with the tried and tested with his selection for October’s fixtures, meaning vice-captain Jordan Henderson kept his place after his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. “His physical data is fine,” Southgate said of the former Liverpool skipper. “The games are not at the same intensity as the games here. The heat is part of that. “There are two or three drinks breaks per game, which is an indication of the climate, and that his having an impact on how teams play. “It is a situation that we are tracking closely. I will go out and watch games. But we get all his games the same way we get everybody else’s. “That’s a longer trip and in these first couple of months we’ve felt it more important to see as many games live as we can, as quickly as possible, by getting around our country more. “But as time moves on, we’ll get to more of the Milans, the Madrids and the Bayern Munichs, as well as out to see Hendo.” Read More Pep Guardiola says he learned ‘a lot’ from Mikel Arteta ahead of Sunday reunion Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff should push for England call-up – Eddie Howe Steve Cooper hails Nottingham Forest’s ‘upward trajectory’ despite stalemate Owen Farrell relieved his shot clock blunder did not cost England victory Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest play out goalless draw at Selhurst Park Jonathan Taylor ends speculation over his future by committing to the Colts

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PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 26, 2023--