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Mark Dixie, 37, is found guilty of the September 2005 murder of Surrey model Sally Anne Bowman (18). He is sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey, where the trial judge recommends that he serves at least 34 years before parole can be considered.[3]
26 February – Levi Bellfield, 38, is found guilty of murdering two women in London in sexually motivated attacks; the first in 2001, the second in 2004. He receives a life sentence with a recommendation that he should never be released.
27 February – An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.
14 March – Michael Donovan, 39, from Bartley Carr, West Yorkshire, is arrested for the kidnap of the 9-year-old, Shannon Matthews.
28 March – Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow Airport for British Airways with many problems with the IT system, coupled with insufficient testing and staff training, which causes over 500 flights to be cancelled.[4]
Local elections are held in England and Wales. The night sees the governing Labour party fall to third place in the popular vote on 24%, behind the Conservatives on 44% and the Liberal Democrats on 25%.
11 May – Manchester United secure their tenth Premier League title in 16 years with a 2–0 win at Wigan Athletic on the final day of the league season. Ryan Giggs, who scores one of United's goals, becomes the first player to win 10 English league titles.[8]
Karen Matthews, 32, is convicted of the kidnapping her 9-year-old daughter, Shanon, who was kidnapped in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, on 19 February 2008.
Lapland New Forest, a Christmas themed park in Dorset closes after scores of complaints about the poor quality of its attractions.[20]
16 December – Sean Mercer, 18, is found guilty of murdering 11-year-old Rhys Jones who was shot dead in Croxteth, Liverpool, in August last year. Mercer is sentenced to life imprisonment at the trial judge recommends that he serves at least 22 years before parole can be considered. This is likely to keep Mercer in prison until at least 2030 and the age of 40.[21]
