ACOZO.COM: November 2013

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Nigella's ex: I never saw her take drugs
11/29/2013 3:40:18 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Charles Saatchi says he never saw Nigella Lawson take drugs but he believes she did
Saatchi says he did not authorize more than $1 million in spending by the accused
Ex-aides Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo deny embezzling money from Saatchi, Lawson
Representatives for Nigella Lawson have not commented on the drugs claims

London (CNN) -- Charles Saatchi, the millionaire ex-husband of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson, said Friday he believed his ex-wife had taken drugs but had no evidence of it, as he testified at the trial of two former assistants accused of fraud.

The former assistants, Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, deny embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds on company credit cards.

Allegations of drug use by Lawson were made in a pre-trial hearing for the case earlier this week, when an e-mail sent by Saatchi to Lawson in October was read out by the defense.

In the e-mail, Saatchi wrote that the assistants would likely "get off" because Lawson was using cocaine and marijuana on a daily basis and "allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked."

Giving evidence Friday in the west London court, Saatchi said he was "bereft" that the e-mail -- in which he said he "believed" what the sisters claimed about Lawson's drug use -- had been made public.

He said he never saw his wife taking drugs during their 10-year marriage and that he had no hard evidence she had done so.

But he testified that the accusation "sounded pretty compelling to me."

The allegations emerged in June, around the time that the couple were photographed in a restaurant having an argument.

In the photos, which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers, Saatchi is seen with his hand around Lawson's throat. Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault, and the couple announced they would divorce soon afterward.

The prosecution also showed Saatchi a list of the top 50 transactions made by the sisters, totaling more than $1 million, which he said he did not recognize and had not authorized.

He was not able to say whether Lawson had approved them, he said.

Earlier, Saatchi described the sisters' roles as housekeeping, organizing the household and helping out with any tasks needed by the family. They were first employed by Lawson and then by his company, he said.

Saatchi said he was aware the two sisters were given credit cards in order to pay for household expenses. This was his ex-wife's idea, he told the court.

Asked about the sisters' role when Lawson's children grew older, Saatchi said: "I'm very fond of Francesca and Lisa (Elisabetta) and they were part of our family ... The children were fond of them, we didn't want them to go, so they stayed with us as housekeepers and for general assistance."

Designer labels

The first witness in the case, Rahul Gajjar, an accountant for Saatchi, told the court Thursday that Francesca had 64,336.97 pounds ($104,500) in expenses on her company credit card in June 2012.

Among the expenses were purchases from designer labels Prada, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Chloe, as well as hotel bills and plane tickets.

The court heard that Francesca's average monthly expenditures were 48,000 pounds and Elisabetta's were 28,000 pounds, whereas other personal assistants to Saatchi, a well-known art collector, spent a maximum of 8,000 pounds a month.

The sisters were expected to make purchases for the household on the company credit card, Gajjar said.

But the prosecution says they spent large sums of money on themselves.

Drug use claims

Isleworth Crown Court heard at a pretrial hearing for the sisters this week that Lawson and Saatchi had a "culture of secrecy" around their marriage.

Representatives for Lawson declined to comment on the drug allegations then, citing the ongoing court proceedings.

The defense alleged that the e-mails showed both Saatchi and Lawson had attempted a "manipulation of the court" and that the case should be thrown out. The judge ruled the trial would proceed.

The prosecution told the court Wednesday that the two sisters spent about 685,000 pounds ($1.1 million) on company credit cards over the course of four years, according to UK media reports.

Lawson, whose culinary skills and flirtatious manner have long entranced UK audiences, has also appeared as a judge on ABC show "The Taste" in the United States. A second season of the show is due to air in January.

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U.S. urges North Korea to free elderly veteran

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U.S. urges North Korea to free elderly veteran
12/1/2013 1:25:11 AM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Merrill Newman was detained in North Korea in October, after a trip to the Asian nation
State news said he "apologized" for crimes, including killings during Korean War
A NSC spokeswoman says the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about him and Kenneth Bae
An expert says that North Korea is trying to get the world's attention

(CNN) -- The U.S. government pleaded Saturday for North Korean authorities to release 85-year-old Merrill Newman, with a spokeswoman saying officials are "deeply concerned" about him and another American being held in the isolated East Asian nation.

"Given Mr. Newman's advanced age and health conditions, we urge (North Korea) to release Mr. Newman so he may return home and reunite with his family," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.

Washington's plea came on the day North Korean state media released print stories and video showing what they called Newman's "apology" -- a release that University of California, Berkeley professor Steven Weber characterized as "highly scripted political theater."

So how did an elderly retired financial consultant and Korean War veteran become the central figure in an international dispute? Why is there such animosity still tied to a conflict, the Korean War, that ended six decades ago? And why is this all unfolding now?

Weber, a former consultant to the U.S. Commission on National Security, has a theory: "They are trying to get the Western media to pay attention."

With the notable exception of its longtime ally China, North Korea is in many ways a pariah state bogged down by what many view as decades of repressive leadership. At the same time, the communist nation has had difficulties getting enough energy to power their country and food for their people.

Largely shut itself off from the rest of the world, its leaders and state media often use saber-rattling rhetoric to unite citizens against what Weber described as "nasty outsiders" -- which, not coincidentally, are chiefly South Korea and the United States, just as during the Korean War.

The discord in recent years has centered mostly on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, with the international community taking punitive measures such as economic sanctions to hold Pyongyang in check.

North Korea hasn't been alone. Iran, too, has long been an international target because of its nuclear program, though that landscape has changed with the recent diplomatic accord.

That fact may not be lost on Pyongyang, said Weber, who surmised North Korea may be particularly eager to get the world's focus and, ideally, concessions in the process.

Added Weber: "If the Iran thing gets settled peacefully, then guess who's left?"

Elderly man taken off plane at last minute

Newman is not the only American being detained in North Korea. In her statement, Hayden also asked for the release of Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in November 2012 in North Korea.

Last May, Bae was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after North Korea's government found him guilty of "hostile acts" and attempts to topple the government.

Other detained Americans

Yet Newman's age, and the circumstances surrounding his detention, are unique.

According to his family, the Palo Alto, California, resident had gone a 10-day organized private tour of North Korea in October. From phone calls and postcards he sent, the trip was going well and there was no indication of any kind of problem, Jeff Newman said.

The day before he was to leave, "one or two Korean authorities" met with Newman and his tour guide, the son added. They talked about Newman's service record, which left "my dad ... a bit bothered," according to Jeff Newman.

Then, just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang in late October, the Californian was taken off the aircraft by North Korean authorities.

Newman's weeks-long detention is complicated by the fact that, according to his son Jeff, he suffers from a heart condition.

The son said that efforts have been made to get Newman medication to treat his ailment. While it's not known whether those got to him, a U.S. State Department official said that Swedish diplomats -- acting on behalf of the U.S. government -- got "consular access" Saturday to Newman.

Reported apology: 'I have been guilty of big crimes'

Until Saturday, the North Korean government hadn't said why it held Newman.

American accused of spying issues 'apology'

The explanation came in the form of a published apology from Newman, as well as accompanying images of him thumbprinting his handwritten note and talking about his experiences.

Atop the first of the four pages is the word "apology," according to video released by North Korea. The end of the last page is dated November 9 -- indicating Newman made his reported admission more than 20 days ago. Why might Pyongyang have waited 21 days, then, to make the admission public? That's another one of the mysteries surrounding this case.

In the note, Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol Unit, part of the "intelligence bureau" fighting against Pyongyang in the Korean War. He detailed how he commanded troops to collect "information" and wage various deadly attacks.

"After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people," Newman said, according to the "apology" reported by KCNA.

The reported message also touches on his return 60 years later to North Korea, admitting that he "shamelessly ... had a plan to meet any surviving soldiers and pray for the souls of the dead soldiers."

"I have been guilty of big crimes against the DPRK government and the Korean people again," Newman adds in the "apology."

His statement ends: "If I go back to (the) USA, I will tell the true features of the DPRK and the life the Korean people are leading."

In addition to this statement, KCNA ran a story alleging Newman came to North Korea with a tourist group in October and afterward "perpetrated acts of infringing upon the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and slandering its socialist system."

This story claimed that Newman tried to "look for spies and terrorists who conducted espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK."

Investigators determined that, as a member of the U.S. military, he "masterminded espionage and subversive activities ... and, in this course, he was involved in the killings of service personnel of the Korean People's Army and innocent civilians."

"The investigation clearly proved Newman's hostile acts against the DPRK, and they were backed by evidence," the KCNA story added. "He admitted all his crimes."

Newman's fate, North Korea's thinking unclear

Just five days ago, his wife Lee said she hoped he would be home for Thanksgiving.

"We need to have Merrill back at the head of the table for the holidays," Lee Newman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "And we ask -- respectfully -- for them to release him and let him come home."

One day before Thanksgiving, Rep. Charlie Rangel -- who himself was wounded fighting in the Korean War -- released a letter urging North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "to release him immediately." Noting Newman's medical issues, the New York Democrat implored Kim to "have the heart to reunite him with his loved ones and those who can provide proper care."

Rangel also reflected on the 1950s war, as well as the current state of affairs between the key players.

"I believe that Mr. Newman, like myself and others who have fought during the Korean War six decades ago, wants to see a united Korea in our lifetime," wrote the congressman. "While progress has been slow on the political front, I am confident it can be advanced on humanitarian grounds."

So will there be fresh movement in Newman's case? Will his reported apology pave the way for his release or will it be followed, like Bae, with a lengthy prison sentence?

As of Saturday, nobody -- at least nobody outside of North Korea -- seems to know.

As Weber, the Berkeley professor said: "When it comes to North Korea, nobody knows very much."

CNN's Chelsea J. Carter and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.

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Eight killed as copter smashes into Scottish pub

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Eight killed as copter smashes into Scottish pub
11/30/2013 4:25:49 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Police chief: 8 people are confirmed dead; 14 remain seriously injured in the hospital
First Minister Alex Salmond: It's a black day for Glasgow and for Scotland
Prime Minister David Cameron offers sympathies, praises bravery of Glaswegians
The pub was packed with Friday night drinkers when the helicopter crashed through the roof

(CNN) -- Eight people are confirmed dead after a police helicopter crashed into the roof of a pub in central Glasgow, Chief Constable Stephen House of Police Scotland said Saturday.

Three of the dead were the crew of the helicopter, House said, while the remaining five were people found in the building.

Fourteen people remain seriously injured in Glasgow hospitals, House said. Earlier, police said 32 in total were taken to local hospitals.

The helicopter crashed into the pub as it was packed with Friday night customers. The search for survivors continued overnight into Saturday.

House said the rescue and recovery operation was "very sensitive" and would continue for many days yet.

"You can imagine the terror of the situation when a helicopter came through the top of the building -- there were well over 100 people (there)," he said, as he praised those who helped pull the injured from the rubble.

Police won't know the final situation until the helicopter can be removed from the building, he added.

The head of the Scottish government, First Minister Alex Salmond, said it was a "black day for Glasgow and for Scotland."

But, he said, people should take heart from the swift response of emergency responders and the "instinctive courage of ordinary Glaswegians" in the face of adversity.

"As First Minister, it's a day we can take great pride in how we've responded to this extraordinary tragedy," he said. Salmond added that Saturday is St. Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day.

Prime Minister David Cameron extended his deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones, and he praised emergency responders and "the bravery of ordinary Glaswegians who rushed to help."

Emergency responders "are working hard to recover people still inside the building," said Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, of Police Scotland, earlier Saturday.

The helicopter carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot crashed into the downtown Clutha Bar as it was crowded with revelers, authorities said.

"Everyone was really confused and scared," said Grace Maclean, who was in the pub listening to a band when the crash occurred. "No one had a clue. There was no explosion. No bang. It was really quiet."

The helicopter impacted as patrons listened to the Esperanza band, which had taken the stage a short time earlier.

"Most of the helicopter appeared to be inside the pub," said Jim Murphy, a UK member of parliament who arrived at the site moments later and saw people scrambling out to get out. Murphy represents a portion of Glasgow.

Surreal scene

Patrons described a surreal scene followed by confusion.

"We were watching the band and there was kind of like a (roof) panel fell, there was a whoosh of dust, then we laughed that the band said, 'We didn't think we were going to bring the roof down,'" Maclean said. "The roof didn't come down. ...It didn't come completely down anyway."

After the crash, an outburst of noise followed.

"Everyone was yelling (for) their friends, but everyone seemed to find everyone," Maclean said.

Christina O'Neill, who saw the crash from her apartment across the street, said she heard what sounded like a low-flying airplane.

"I thought that didn't sound right for a couple of seconds," she said.

After the sound of impact, she saw smoke and people running from the pub.

"I know there were a lot of people lying on the ground kind of getting looked into," she said.

'Blood pouring'

In a Facebook posting, the band indicated that all its members made it out safe.

"It seems that the band are all OK. Not so sure about everyone else," the post said.

A later post, by the band's bass guitar player, spoke of the realization "that it is all definitely horribly real. Despite the situation everyone was so helpful and caring of each other. The police, ambulances, firefighters all did a stellar job and continue to do so today in extremely difficult conditions."

Band manager Gary Anderson described his bewilderment when he heard "a loud bang followed by lots of debris, smoke, stuff coming coming towards where I was standing at the door."

People he knew pulled him outside into the street, he said, where he could see the rotor blades sticking out of the building's roof.

"The fire brigade, paramedics, police were all there within minutes and everybody was just helping folk who could get out, just shouting on them because at this time you couldn't really see much inside, you were just trying to help people out and shouting to them, 'come here, come here' towards the doors," he said.

"There were people staggering out, there were lots of people coming out with blood pouring from their head and covered with all sorts of just debris from whatever it was had happened."

The pub's Facebook page contained numerous posts from people concerned about the incident.

Those trapped in the debris were communicating with rescuers, said Lewis Ramsay of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Hours after the crash, the helicopter with "police" on its damaged tail was still smoldering.

Bond Air Services, which reportedly owns the helicopter involved, said it was working with police and emergency services.

"Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this tragic incident," the company said in a statement.

CNN's Bharati Naik, Greg Botelho, Nic Robertson and Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report.

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U.S. offers to destroy Syrian chemical stockpile

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U.S. offers to destroy Syrian chemical stockpile
11/30/2013 12:51:07 PM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The U.S. has offered to destroy Syria's "priority chemicals"
It will do so aboard a ship at sea
Private companies are vying to destroy the more common chemicals

(CNN) -- The United States has offered to destroy Syria's "priority chemicals," the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said Saturday.

"The United States has offered to contribute a destruction technology, full operational support and financing to neutralize Syria's priority chemicals, which are to be removed from the country by 31 December," according to a statement from the group.

A joint OPCW-United Nations team charged with overseeing the destruction of the weapons began inspecting sites in October. The U.N. Security Council resolution that authorized the mission set a deadline of mid-2014 for Syria to destroy its chemical weapons or face consequences.

The goal is to move the most dangerous chemicals out of the country as quickly as possible, said Sigrid Kaag, head of the joint team.

The operation will be conducted on a U.S. vessel at sea using hydrolysis, a method that dilutes the most dangerous chemicals to a point where they can be disposed of safely.

The OPCW has turned to the private sector for the destruction of Syria's other chemicals, including common industrial ones.

An estimated 1.8 million pounds (800 metric tons), accounting for a major part of Syria's stockpile, is to be disposed of commercially at a cost estimated at $47 million to $54 million.

Some 35 companies have expressed interest and are being evaluated, the OPCW said.

The U.N. resolution on Syria's chemical weapons was based on a deal struck between the United States and Russia that averted an American military strike over allegations the Syrian government used sarin nerve gas in an August 21 attack on a Damascus suburb. U.S. officials said at least 1,400 people died in the attack. Syria denied responsibility, blaming rebel forces.

The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 after government forces cracked down on peaceful protesters during the Arab Spring movement and is now a full-blown civil war. The United Nations estimates that more than 100,000 people have died in the conflict.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report

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Arrest in alleged cannibal case

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Arrest in alleged cannibal case
11/29/2013 7:23:53 PM

Forensics investigate in the garden of the suspected murderer on November 29 in Hartmannsdorf.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

A German policeman is accused of murdering and dismembering a man
The 55-year-old policeman met the victim on a cannibalism website, police say
The victim, 59, reportedly "had been fantasizing about being killed and eaten since his youth"
The policeman is believed to have killed the man at a house and buried his body parts

(CNN) -- Police in Dresden, Germany, say they have arrested a 55-year-old police officer on suspicion of murdering and butchering a man he met on a cannibalism website.

The two men met on Zambian Meat, an Internet chat forum where people discuss their sexual and cannibalistic fantasies. Text messages and online chats revealed that the 59-year-old victim from Hanover asked to be killed, police said.

Dresden Police Chief Dieter Kroll said at a news conference: "The victim had been fantasizing about being killed and eaten since his youth."

Marko Laske, a police spokesman, said: "Our investigations have just begun, and we cannot confirm rumors yet that the suspect has eaten parts of the victim or that it was a sexually motivated act." There is no evidence that the suspect ate body parts, and he denied doing so, Laske said.

The arrested man works for Saxony's State Office of Criminal Investigation in the forensics department. He was known as an "inconspicuous and normal colleague," police said.

Police did not name the suspect. German media are identifying him as "Detlev G."

After having been in contact for months through chat, e-mail, telephone and text, the men agreed to meet on November 4. They met at Dresden's main train station, police and prosecutors said, and shortly after went to a guesthouse in the Ore Mountains that belongs to the alleged killer. The police officer is believed to then have killed, tortured and dismembered the man, and buried his body parts on the land around his guesthouse.

The victim was reported missing in November. The police officer gave a partial confession by admitting that he killed the man from Hanover. He did not reveal his motive.

The police officer was arrested two days ago while on duty. "It is an utterly extraordinary case. For an unusual case with such wide repercussions, it will take a while to find out the truth about what really happened and why he did it," Laske said.

In 2001, Armin Meiwes was arrested for killing and eating a voluntary victim he met on the Internet. Meiwes posted an advertisement on the Cannibal Cafe website, looking for a young man for "slaughter and consumption." His victim, Bernd Brandes, reportedly agreed to be butchered alive before being killed and eaten.

Meiwes, who captured the killing on video, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

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UK trial: Soldier 'killed with cleaver'

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UK trial: Soldier 'killed with cleaver'
11/30/2013 10:58:46 AM

People line the streets for the funeral procession of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Bury, England, on July 12, 2013.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Court is shown footage of man with bloody cleaver saying attack is "an eye for an eye"
Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale are accused of the murder of soldier Lee Rigby
They are also accused of attempted murder of a police officer; they deny the charges
One suspect bought a set of knives before the attack, the court hears

London (CNN) -- Two men went on trial Friday accused of the "cowardly and callous murder" of British soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death in a London street.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, are each accused of murder, conspiracy to murder a police officer and attempted murder of a police officer.

They denied the charges at the Old Bailey court in London.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam told the jury that the suspects deliberately attacked an unarmed man from behind using a vehicle as a weapon, "and then they murdered him and mutilated his body with a meat cleaver and knives."

The court was shown cell phone footage filmed by a witness in which a man who prosecutors said was Adebolajo, holding a bloody cleaver in his hands, spoke into the camera.

"The only reason we've killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers," he said. "This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth."

"You people will never be safe. Remove your governments -- they don't care about you," he said, referring also to British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"So get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace. Leave our lands and you will live in peace."

The killing of Rigby outside the Woolwich Barracks in southeast London on May 22 shocked the nation. He left behind a wife and a young son.

Almost decapitated

Describing the events of that day, the prosecutor said the two suspects drove at Rigby in a car traveling at 30 to 40 miles per hour. The soldier appears to have been knocked unconscious by the impact, he said.

The court was shown surveillance video of the car crossing to the wrong side of the road before it hit him, and Rigby rolling onto the hood of the car. He was carried on to the sidewalk.

Footage from a different surveillance camera showed two men dragging the soldier's limp body from the sidewalk into the middle of the road. Cars driven by passersby stopped at the scene, some with their warning lights flashing.

Whittam, the prosecutor, said the defendants were armed with a meat cleaver, knives and a revolver when they got out of the car.

"They both attacked the motionless body of Lee Rigby. He was repeatedly stabbed, and Michael Adebolajo made a serious and almost successful attempt to decapitate him with multiple blows to his neck with the meat cleaver," he said.

"Michael Adebowale was using a knife to stab and cut at Lee Rigby's body."

Whittam said the two men dragged the soldier into the road so members of the public could "see the consequences of their barbarous acts."

At this point, he said, some of the people present showed a "bravery and decency" in stark contrast to the suspects' alleged acts.

One woman stroked Rigby's body in a gesture of comfort, he said, while another engaged Adebolajo in conversation despite the fact that he was still holding the meat cleaver in his blood-covered hands.

Conspiracy 'to attack the police'

When police arrived at the scene, the two men moved toward their vehicle, Whittam said.

Adebolajo carried the cleaver, while Adebowale held the firearm. He aimed it at the officers, although it was not loaded, the prosecutor said.

Both men were shot and detained, and the firearms officers gave first aid to keep them alive, he said.

The two suspects are accused of waiting for the police to reach the scene, having conspired together to attack an officer. "It is clear that there was an agreement to attack the police when they arrived," Whittam said.

Adebolajo got "very close" to the driver's side of the police vehicle, he said. While the gun carried by Adebowale was not loaded, he also had on him the bloodstained knife he'd used to attack Rigby, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor also told the court how the firearms officers had to react within moments as they arrived at the scene. One officer "felt that he was in the most urgent situation of his life," he said.

The court heard that Adebolajo was shot in the arm by police. Having been given morphine for the pain, he allegedly told paramedics, "Your government is all wrong. I did it for my God. I wish the bullets had killed me so I can join my friends and family."

Adebowale suffered gunshot injuries to his thumb, abdomen and thigh, the court heard. He was also given pain relief and taken to hospital.

Jurors were also shown pictures of the bloodied weapons allegedly used by the two men.

Adebolajo had asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, and Adebowale as Ismail Ibn Abdullah. However, the court has continued to use their given names.

The jury was told both men have pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Suspects 'bought knives'

Whittam said the attack unfolded in a very public place, near a school. Some children, returning from a school outing, had to be turned back by passersby before they saw the gory scene.

Friends and relatives of Rigby were in court for the opening of the trial. Some family members left crying as images were shown of the soldier shortly before the attack, as he left the public transit system in Woolwich.

The jury also saw CCTV footage of the suspects' movements in the two days before they allegedly launched their attack.

They included a visit to a store where Adebolajo bought a five-piece set of kitchen knives and a knife sharpener, the prosecution said.

The car allegedly used by the suspects was also caught on surveillance video maneuvering in the vicinity of the street where Rigby was attacked later that day.

Security footage from Rigby's last train journey showed he was wearing a "Help for Heroes" hooded sweatshirt, in support of a charity that aids military veterans.

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Search for survivors after Scottish 'copter crash

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Search for survivors after Scottish 'copter crash
11/30/2013 11:48:32 AM

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: First Minister Alex Salmond: It's a black day for Glasgow and for Scotland
Police chief: More fatalities are expected, 32 injured have been taken to local hospitals
Responders are "working hard to recover people still inside the building"
The pub was packed with Friday night drinkers when the helicopter crashed through the roof

(CNN) -- At least one person is dead after a police helicopter crashed into a pub in Glasgow, Scotland, authorities said.

"We expect that number to increase over the coming hours," Chief Constable Stephen House told reporters.

An unknown number of people remained trapped inside the pub Saturday morning, 12 hours after the helicopter crashed as the building was packed with Friday night customers.

At least 32 people were taken to three local hospitals after the incident in Glasgow, House said.

The head of the Scottish government, First Minister Alex Salmond, said it was a "black day for Glasgow and for Scotland."

But, he said, people should take heart from the swift response of emergency responders and the "instinctive courage of ordinary Glaswegians" in the face of adversity.

"As First Minister, it's a day we can take great pride in how we've responded to this extraordinary tragedy," he said. Salmond added that Saturday is St. Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day.

Emergency responders "are working hard to recover people still inside the building," said Deputy Chief Constable Rose Fitzpatrick, of Police Scotland, earlier Saturday.

The helicopter carrying two police officers and a civilian pilot crashed into the downtown Clutha Bar as it was crowded with revelers, authorities said.

The search for survivors is still ongoing, police said.

House said it will take some time because of the nature of the damage caused.

"This is a very difficult and sensitive operation," he said.