White House says alien guards 'sacked'

Conspiracy theorists have had a field day with footage of an odd looking bodyguard seen with President Obama, suggesting the guard is an alien shape shifter.

ARE shape-shifting aliens protecting the President of the United States? Not any more - they've been sacked due to budget cutbacks.

A viral video doing the rounds on YouTube claims to have captured footage of an "alien shape-shifter" among President Obama's security team at a March 4 public function.

The narrator points out that the picture is distant and distorted by pixilation and data-compression effects - but then ignores his own advice and concocts a comprehensive conspiracy theory around it.

The obvious security guard - tall, bald and alert - scans the crowd for any visible threat.

Standing in a bright spotlight in a darkened room, his pixelated face looks remarkably featureless and malformed.

A correspondent for Wired magazine decided to take the issue direct to the White House.

A screen capture from a video purporting to have captured images of a "shape-shifting alien" bodyguard at a recent function attended by President Obama.

When the question was posed to National Security Council chief spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden, her reply was unexpected:

"I can't confirm the claims made in this video, but any alleged program to guard the president with aliens or robots would likely have to be scaled back or eliminated in the sequester," Caitlin Hayden quipped.

"I'd refer you to the Secret Service or Area 51 for more details."

There you have it.

No direct denial that alien shape-shifting humanoids are part of the Presidential team...

A screen capture of the purported "shape-shifting alien" bodyguard at a recent function attended by President Obama.

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Fatal Adelaide house fire not suspicious

A HOUSE fire which claimed the life of a 41-year-old Adelaide woman is not considered suspicious.

The blaze destroyed the suburban Ridleyton property on Wednesday.

Firefighters found the body of the woman in a room at the rear of the building.

The cause of the fire is still being determined, but police say it's not thought to be suspicious.

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Man jailed for life over Qld house fire

A QUEENSLAND man has been sent to jail for life for setting fire to his ex-girlfriend's house in a jealous rage, killing two people and seriously injuring his former lover.

Craig Anthony Leonard, 30, was given a minimum non-parole period of 20 years in the Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Leonard pleaded guilty to murdering Nicholas David Spohn, 23, and Jennifer Anne Bachmann, 43, in April 2011.

He also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to his ex-girlfriend Rina Linda Mayall, then 24.

The court heard Leonard set fire to Ms Mayall's Gold Coast house while she was in bed with her new boyfriend in a jealous fit fuelled by drink and drugs.

Months earlier Ms Mayall ended her eight-month relationship with Leonard and rebuffed attempts to reconcile, Crown Prosecutor Michael Byrne SC said.

After drinking heavily and injecting amphetamines, Leonard drove to the Beachmere house on the night of April 17, and used petrol to set a mattress alight under the home.

The house caught fire and Ms Bachmann and Mr Spohn, who were asleep, died of smoke inhalation.

Ms Mayall jumped from a verandah and broke her back.

Mr Byrne told the court Leonard later told police he just wanted to "put the wind up" his ex-girlfriend and "f*** her up financially".

In a statement, Mr Spohn's mother, Erika Varga, said their family had been robbed of a life with their son.

"We will never see him, hold him, hug him and tell him how much we love him," it read.

Ms Bachmann's sister, who cannot be named, told the court through tears how her sister was so badly burned DNA tests were needed to identify her.

In sentencing, Justice James Douglas said there was evidence to suggest Leonard's crime was a stupid act brought on by intoxication but that didn't detract from its seriousness.

"To describe it as stupid or senseless is to severely understate the effect of what you have done," he said.

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