Category: England

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives have released images of two men alleged to be involved in public order offences during a protest in central London.

It is alleged that on Saturday, 30 November between 13:00hrs and 16:00hrs in Coventry Street, two men were separately involved in alleged incidents involving offensive gestures in the vicinity of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign protest and counter protest by Stop the Hate.

There is no indication that the men are known to each other.

One of the men is white, aged approximately 60-70, with white hair and a moustache. He was wearing a dark flat cap, a dark brown jacket, dark brown scarf and carrying a black rucksack.

The other man is white, aged in his 40s, with short receding light brown hair. He can be seen wearing a blue puffer jacket and carrying a black bag.

We have today released images of both men.

Anyone who recognises either of these men or who has any other information about the incidents should call 101 giving both the reference number 01/361693/24 and the reference of the specific image.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered by Crimestoppers for anyone who has information to help solve the murder of Tikquaan Stephenson-Walters.

Tikquaan, 28, from the Queens Park Area, was shot at close range by a suspect riding a white Honda Moped in Bravington Road, Kilburn at about 23:05hrs on Wednesday, 4 September 2024.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found Tikquaan suffering from gunshot injuries. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, he unfortunately died at the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Today marks three months since Tikquaan was fatally shot in a quiet residential street. His family, understandably, remain heartbroken and my team and I remain dedicated to bring to justice whoever was responsible for this wicked violence.

“We have been working tirelessly over the last three months and we have made four arrests in connection with Tikquaan’s murder.

“We are continuing to make enquiries to identify a man who was captured on CCTV in the vicinity before the attack took place. We have today re-released his image.

“I must reiterate my appeal for anyone who has not yet spoken to us to come forward and speak to ourselves or Crimestoppers anonymously.”

Tikquaan’s family, who remain supported by specialist officers, said: “The family and community are utterly broken by the devastating loss of such a special, innocent life. This heart breaking tragedy serves as a reminder that Tikquaan could have been anyone’s son, brother, nephew, or friend.

Your information could be the key to bringing justice for Tikquaan and providing closure to his grieving family, friends, and our community.”

Alexa Loukas, the London Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “We know it can be really hard to share information, especially if you’re worried about consequences. If you have any information about Tikquaan’s murder, Crimestoppers, an independent charity, can help. We will pass on what you know without ever asking for your personal details, so you stay completely anonymous. This means you won’t have to deal with the police, go to court, or give a witness statement.

“Tikquaan was a cherished young man whose life was tragically cut short. His family, friends, and the whole community deserve justice. Your information could be key to making that happen.”

***Crimestoppers is supporting the investigation by offering up to £20,000 for information the charity exclusively receives – via its website crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111 – that leads to the conviction of anyone involved in the murder of Tikquaan Stephenson-Walters.

The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on Tuesday, 4 March 2025.

Information passed directly to the police will not qualify for a reward from the charity Crimestoppers.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

An exhaustive investigation by the Met has seen a sexual predator who targeted a lone woman in Stratford jailed.

Sobirjon Boltaev, 26 (12.04.98) from Lawton Road, Leyton, was sentenced on Friday, 29 November at Snaresbrook Crown Court to three years’ imprisonment for two counts of sexual assault on a woman.

He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, and was handed a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard the woman, now aged 27, left a bar in Hackney Wick during the early hours of Sunday, 23 July 2023.

She was approached by Boltaev near the Olympic Park in Stratford. He attempted a conversation with her and then kissed her without her consent.

He led her into a wooded area and sexually assaulted her again before she was able to fight him off and call the police.

The investigation was led by specialist local officers who supported the victim-survivor to take her account of what happened.

The team worked tirelessly to build an investigation against Boltaev by trawling through CCTV, as well as tracking his bicycle and recent bank transactions, and matching his mobile phone number to a delivery app account.

Boltaev was arrested on Friday, 1 September 2023. Officers searched his home and found clothing that matched that worn by the suspect on CCTV footage.

With the co-operation of witnesses who gave statements confirming Boltaev was working at the time as a delivery driver, the Met quickly charged him the following day.

He was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 24 June 2024.

Detective Inspector Jon Ford, who led the investigation, said:

“We hope this sentence brings some level of justice for the victim-survivor who bravely fought the perpetrator off in what must have been an extremely frightening situation and came straight to the police.

“I would like to thank her for providing vital evidence at the start of our investigation, as well as the other witnesses who came forward.

“We are determined in our continued effort to tackle violence against women and girls which we know has a significant and lasting impact on victim-survivors.”

The Met is committed to radically improving how it protects the public from harm, especially the violence women and girls suffer, as part of its New Met for London strategy.

The Met is putting extra people into specialist teams to prioritise this critical work and target offenders, with officers and staff working more closely with partners across London to protect victim-survivors and bring offenders to justice.  

Police are aiming to do much more to identify and tackle the most dangerous and prolific perpetrators of Violence Against Women and Girls, identifying high risk and high harm locations, and making better use of police powers to protect women and girls from perpetrators.

Find out more on how to report a rape or sexual assault https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/how-to-report-rape-and-sexual-assault Always call 999 in an emergency.  

If you’ve been a victim of rape or sexual assault, charities and support agencies can offer help and guidance:

Rape Crisis: 08085002222  

National Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 9999   

Survivors UK: 0203 598 3898 info@survivorsuk.org.  

Samaritans: 116 123 jo@samaritans.org 

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been convicted following a meticulous investigation by detectives specialising in tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

Keith Edun, 47 (12.11.76), of Strathmore Road, Croydon, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, 2 December where he pleaded guilty to inciting the rape of a baby, distribution of indecent images of children, two counts of making indecent images of children and perverting the course of justice.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Phill Govett said: “This was an extremely complex investigation involving the digital forensic examination of multiple devices, cross-referencing his online activity with real-world actions which revealed what a scheming and meticulous offender Edun is.

“He went to great lengths to hide his offending, but I’m glad to see that despite his attempts to evade justice for his crimes , he will now face the consequences of his actions.”

In July 2021 police were informed that an unknown user had shared a number of indecent images of children via an account on the social media app ‘Kik’.

Detectives working in the Met’s Online Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation Command were informed and began investigating immediately. They were able to link the account to an address in Croydon where Edun resided. A search warrant was executed in September 2021 and the digital devices found to be present were seized for examination.

Owing to their thorough examination of the seized devices, officers were able to link Edun to the offending account. Edun had been pretending to be a female named “Sally” on multiple social media platforms for a number of years.

A separate investigation by another force led to the conviction of a male for the rape of a baby which occurred in March 2020. Upon examination of that male’s devices the investigating officers located online communication with Edun’s Kik account during which Edun had encouraged the male to commit the rape.

Officers were able to establish from data retrieved from his mobile phone that Edun had been regularly installing and uninstalling ‘Kik’, in an apparent attempt to hide his activity online as communication content is destroyed when the app is removed. Analysis of that data identified that Edun had deleted the ‘Kik’ app in the few seconds between officers gaining entry to his home and seizing his mobile phone, perverting the course of justice.

During police questioning Edun denied any knowledge of the images, or ever using the offending account saying he had been hacked, and that there had been an error with the router provided by his internet service provider. These lies were able to be disproved by the digital forensic expert who gave clear evidence that such activity had not taken place.

Edun was charged in October 2023 and was remanded into custody.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 14 February.

DC Govett added: “The baby at the centre of this investigation has been identified and safeguarded thanks to the excellent work of our colleagues.

“I’d like to thank them for their support, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service, who have worked diligently to properly present the complexities in this case.

“Safeguarding children is the number one priority of all officers who work in this field and bringing offenders such as Edun to justice is just one way in which we are able to do this.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man who befriended a pensioner before punching him, resulting in his death, has been jailed.

Edgaras Motiejunas, 24 (29.08.00) of no fixed address appeared at the Old Bailey today (Tuesday, 3 December), following his conviction at the same court on 30 September.

He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

The case involved the death of a 68-year-old Elvaras Simanatis from Lithuania.

On 16 October 2023, police were called to Boundary Lane, E13 following reports that a man was interfering with a car. Officers attended and arrested Motiejunas who was found in possession of a stolen car key.

Officers on scene conducted enquiries and found that the car was stolen and belonged to a 68-year-old man who had been assaulted and taken to hospital earlier that day.

Following a thorough investigation, detectives were able to establish that Motiejunas had punched Elvaras before stealing his car. His head hit the pavement causing a severe bleed to the brain.

Despite the best efforts of medics, Elvaras sadly died on 25 October. A post mortem revealed that the cause of his death was a head injury caused by the punch.

On Monday, 30 September, Motiejunas pleaded guilty to manslaughter and theft of a motor vehicle.

Detective Inspector Aytac Necati, who led the investigation, said: “This was a shocking incident. Motiejunas befriended Elvaras who was older and more vulnerable. He went on to assault him, causing him serious injuries, just in order to steal a car.

“Elvaras’ family and friends have suffered with the loss of a loved one and we have supported them throughout the investigation. Motiejunas now faces time in prison to reflect upon his violent actions”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police are concerned for the welfare of a man who is currently missing.

Mateusz Gozdz, 32, was discharged from Watford General Hospital at around 22:00hrs on Monday, 18 November.

Officers also understand that Mateusz did not return to his home address in Feltham, Hounslow.

Mateusz has not been reported missing before which his family have said is highly out of character for him. Police enquiries continue.

Mateusz is 5ft10 and was last seen wearing dark trousers, a black and white flannel jacket with a hood and dark boots. He has short black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who may have seen Mateusz or who has information about his whereabouts is urged to call 101 and quote 01/1104920/24.

Officers are also asking anyone specifically in the Watford, Feltham and Croydon areas with CCTV or doorbell cameras to check their footage for sightings of Mateusz.

For an immediate sighting, dial 999.