Category: Leicestershire Police

Police have arrested a second man on suspicion of murder following the death of Leah Fray.

The man, who is 18, was arrested at an address in Leicester this afternoon (Thursday).

He remains in custody and enquiries into Leah’s death are ongoing.

A 56-year-old man who was arrested on Monday evening (22 April) on suspicion of Leah’s murder has been released with no further action.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen, said: “Our officers have this afternoon arrested a second man on suspicion of murdering Leah.

“We would still like to speak to anyone who knew her, anything about her or who saw anyone going into the block of flats at the junction of Mere Road and Diseworth Street.

“Likewise, if you were driving in the area and have a dash cam installed in your vehicle, please let us know.

“We owe it to Leah and her family to find whoever is responsible for killing her. It’s been four days since she was found dead. I would encourage anyone with information to make contact with us.”

Information can be given to police by answering questions on an online public portal – https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM19I69-PO1 – or by calling 101, quoting incident 131 of 21 April.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Operation Lionheart results

Total warrants = 110

Total arrests = 72

Total people charged = 60

Update: Thursday 25 April

Charges

David Watson, 52, of Cabin Leas, Loughborough, arrested yesterday (24 April) has been charged with three counts of supplying class A drugs on 31 October, 1 and 2 November 2018.

Arrests today

A 17-year-old boy, from Nottingham, has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Two Loughborough men, aged 40, 53, have been arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

A 20-year-old woman, from Loughborough, has been arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

Two men, aged 19 and 36, have been arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Information about Leah Fray can now be passed to police online – as detectives investigating her death continue to appeal for public help.

Leah, 27, was found dead inside her flat in Mere Road, Leicester shortly after 7am on Easter Sunday (21 April).

The portal – which can be accessed by visiting https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM19I69-PO1 – allows information to be passed securely by answering a number of questions about Leah and the area in which she lived.

Police were called to her flat by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service following a report of a fire. An outer cordon in Mere Road has now been lifted.

A 56-year-old man who was arrested in connection with her death on Monday evening (22 April) remains in custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Keen, who is leading the investigation, said: “I would still like to speak to anyone who knew Leah, or has information about people who may have visited her flat.

“We’ve now launched an online portal so that anyone with such details can tell us what they know by answering a series of questions.

“I’d like to know what you know about Leah, when you last saw her and whether you saw anyone visiting her flat on or before Sunday morning.

“If you know something but have not yet contacted police, it’s not too late to do so. We would still like to hear from you.”

Information can also be passed to police by calling 101, quoting incident 131 of 21 April.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Operation Lionheart results

Total warrants = 101

Total arrests = 66

Total people charged = 59

Operation Lionheart – update – Wednesday 24 April

Charges

Stuart McDermott, 37, of no fixed address, has been charged with ten counts of supplying class A drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Daryl Eley, 29, of Derby Road, Loughborough, has been charged with three counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, two counts of offering to supply class A drugs and three counts of supplying class A drugs.

Jazmine Hughes, 21, of Regent Street, Leicester, has been charged with three counts of supplying class A drugs and one count of possession of a class B drug.

Abhijit Suklabaidya, 25, of Gladstone Avenue, Loughborough, has been charged with two counts of supplying class A drugs and two counts of possession of class A drugs.

Bruce Bateson, 57, of Kinghtthorpe Road, Loughborough, has been charged with one count of supplying a class A drug.

All of the below were arrested today (Wednesday 24 April) and have been charged.

Victoria Martin, 40, of Braddon Road, Loughborough, has been charged with four counts of supplying class A drugs.

A 16-year-old boy from Loughborough, who can’t be named for legal reasons has been charged with two counts of supplying class A drugs and two counts of possessing class A drugs.

Jack Godkin, 23, of Toothill Road, Loughborough, has been charged with one count of supplying a class A drug.

Arrests

A 52-year-old man from Loughborough has been arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs and remains in police custody.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Police are appealing for witnesses after an attempted break-in at a shop in Glenfield.

Officers were called at around 1.15am today (Wednesday 24 April) by a member of the public reporting seeing a silver 4×4 being driven into the front of the premises in Tournament Road.

A dark coloured Mercedes saloon was also reported as being at the scene and it is believed a number of suspects wearing dark clothing were involved.

Although significant damage was made to the brickwork and a roller shutter, it is not believed that access was gained to the shop.

Both vehicles were seen to leave the area shortly afterwards heading in the direction of Tatlow Road.

PC Beth Warner, the investigating officer, said: “We would like to speak to anyone who was in the area around the time of the incident and saw either of the two vehicles or the incident itself.

“If anyone was driving nearby and has a dash cam in their vehicle that captured events, we’d like to hear from you.

“Any information you have could help us with our enquiries.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting crime reference 19*206450.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Four men have today (Wednesday 24 April) admitted robbing a Hinckley jewellers at gunpoint.

The group appeared at Leicester Crown Court, where they all pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, committed at a business in Market Place on 25 January. They are:

• Aiden Rudock, 18, of Gloster Road, Lutterworth
• Grant Samuel, 22, of no fixed address
• Orrin Stevenson, 24, of Trent Road, Hinckley
• Timothy Wardrop, 22, of no fixed address

Stevenson also pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm.

Shortly before 11am, the men went into the jewellers dressed in dark clothing, wearing balaclavas and armed with two machetes and a double-barrelled shotgun. They threatened two members of staff before making off with jewellery worth between £70,000 and £80,000.

They left the scene in a BMW X5, of which witnesses had noted the registration number. A short time later, it was reported that a car matching the description given had crashed close to Coton Lane in Market Bosworth and that four men had made off on foot. Armed officers were deployed and Rudock and Samuel were arrested nearby. A short time later, Stevenson and Wardrop were arrested at an address in Pipistrelle Drive, Market Bosworth.

Detective Constable Jack Thomas, the investigating officer, said: “This was a planned and coordinated robbery in which the four men thought they could try and make a quick financial gain and make off without being caught.

“But, thanks to staff and members of the public who were nearby – as well as our armed officers – the men were arrested within an hour of committing their crime.

“They have at least now admitted what they’ve done rather than choose to go to trial and are likely to receive significant custodial sentences.”

They will be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on 21 May.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Police are today (Tuesday, 23 April) appealing for people who have returned to the UK from Sri Lanka to share with them any footage or images they have captured of the terrorist attacks on 21 April in Sri Lanka.

Footage and pictures can be uploaded at the secure website www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.

Acting Commander Alexis Boon, of the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are specifically looking for images and footage taken at the scenes of the incidents in Sri Lanka, immediately prior to, during, or after the attacks on 21 April.

“The material will be looked at by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, to assess it for use in any subsequent coronial process. I would urge anyone with material that could help us, to upload it via the website which is now live.

“If anyone witnessed, or was injured during the attacks, or has other information that could assist, they should call police in confidence on 0800 789 321.”

Officers have already been deployed to ports across the UK, where they are speaking to anyone returning from Sri Lanka to establish if they have information that may help.

Acting Commander Boon continued: “My thoughts are with the hundreds of people killed and injured in the attacks, and their families. This is a deeply saddening time and we are working with the Foreign Office to support the families of British nationals involved.”

A small team of specialist officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, including family liaison officers, have been deployed to Sri Lanka to support the families of deceased British nationals and will assist with the repatriation of their loved ones back to the UK, and with any subsequent coronial inquests.

Support online and via phone is available to anyone who was impacted by the attacks, including witnesses and families of victims. For more information on advice and support available please see www.gov.uk/government/publications/helplines-and-support-victims-of-terrorist-attacks/helplines-and-support-victims-of-terrorist-attacks.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Leicestershire Police has appointed Julia Debenham as its new Assistant Chief Constable in charge of crime and operations.

Julia, currently a Chief Superintendent with the force, was appointed yesterday (Tuesday 23 April) following a nationally-advertised selection process.

Speaking after her appointment, she said: “I am really honoured and excited to have been appointed into this role in a force that I joined 26 years ago.

“I feel immensely proud to be part of such a great team serving our wonderful and diverse communities. I am very much looking forward to continuing in my new role in the years to come… “

Chief Constable Simon Cole said: “Julia is well-known to the Force and partners as she has served in Leicestershire and across the East Midlands for the whole of her career in policing.

“She brings relevant experience, excellent knowledge of local communities and a real commitment to the force.”

Julia joined the force in 1993 and during her service has held a variety of different roles throughout the ranks in both uniform and non-uniformed roles. Most recently she was a Temporary ACC for both Leicestershire and Northamptonshire Police with responsibility for the collaborative criminal justice service as well as the East Midlands Specialist Operations Service. Last year she played a key role supporting the investigation into the Hinckley Road explosion which killed five people.

Julia is married with two young children.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed a collision in Loughborough this afternoon (Tuesday 23 April) to come forward.

It involved a small white van and a pedestrian in Rutland Street at around 12.50pm. The van left the scene following the collision.

The pedestrian, a man in his 40s, was taken to hospital, where he remains with serious injuries. Rutland Street was closed at its junction with Moor Lane, but the road has since reopened.

Detective Inspector Pete Flynn said: “I’d like to speak to anyone who saw the collision or who saw the white van prior to it happening. We think the vehicle involved was smaller than a Transit-sized van.

“If you were driving in or around Rutland Street at the time of this incident and have a dash cam installed in your vehicle, then please get in touch. Any information you have could help with the investigation.”

Call 101, quoting incident 338 of 23 April.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News

Operation Lionheart results

Total warrants = 99

Total arrests = 62

Total people charged = 51

Operation Lionheart – update – Tuesday 23 April

Charges

Alistair Morton, 42, of Victoria Street, Loughborough, arrested on Friday 19 April, has been charged with two counts of supplying class A drugs and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A, all between 31 July 2018 and 19 October 2018.

Arrests

A 43-year-old man, from Tottenham, who was arrested on Thursday 18 April on suspicion of supplying a class A drug, has been released pending further enquiries.

All of the below were arrested today (Tuesday 23 April).

A 37-year-old man, from Loughborough, has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

A 29-year-old Loughborough man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

A 21-year-old woman, from Leicester, has been arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.

Two men aged 25 and 57, from Loughborough, have been arrested on suspicion of supplying a class A drug.

Source:: Leicestershire Police News