Category: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives investigating the murder of a man in Acton in the early hours of Sunday morning are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Police were called to Birkbeck Road shortly after 04:00hrs following reports of a fight and possible shots heard. Officers attended with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service.

A man was found at the scene with serious injuries. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services he died a short time later. While formal identification is yet to take place, officers are confident he is 33-year-old Nash Clyne, originally from Grenada.

Nash’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A special post mortem examination will take place in the coming days to determine the cause of his death.

It is believed that at least three other people were injured during the incident. None of those injuries are thought to be life threatening but enquiries are still ongoing.

The nature and cause of these injuries, including identifying what weapons may have been used, will form part of the investigation into the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are in the early stages of our investigation and my team of experienced detectives is working at pace to establish why Nash was murdered and bring those responsible to justice.

“We are urging anyone who was in the area or who knows anything about what happened to come forward. We particularly want to hear from anyone who was at the Front Line Cuts barber shop or the Paradise Cuts barber shop, both in Acton High Street, between 22:00hrs on Saturday and 04:30hrs on Sunday.

“What you know, however insignificant it may seem now, could hold the key to this investigation.”

The public can expect to see an increased police presence in the area as officers continue what is a comprehensive investigation. While some of the cordons have now been lifted, others will remain in place for the time being to provide us with the best chance to secure important evidence.

A dedicated page has been set up online where information can be provided. It is also the best way to share images or videos with the investigation team.

Information about the incident can also be given to police by calling 101 and providing the reference 1132/08DEC, or by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives investigating a fatal collision in Hammersmith have made two arrests.

The collision involving a moped and pedestrian in Talgarth Road, W14 on Tuesday, 16 January resulted in the death of 58-year-old Ina Rodrigues. The moped involved did not stop at the scene and was abandoned a short time later.

Ina was taken to hospital for treatment despite the efforts of medical professionals she sadly died there on Sunday, 21 January.

On Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 December two people – a man aged in his 20’s and a woman aged in her 30’s – were arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. Both have been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in January.

Ina’s family continue to be supported by specially trained officers and have been updated with this development.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or who has information that could help progress this investigation is asked to call 101 (24 hours) or the Serious Collision Investigation Unit witness line on 020 8543 5157 – please quote 5566/16JAN.

You can also provide information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives have released images of two possible new witnesses who they would like to speak to as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Mussie Imnetu.

Mussie, who was 41 and visiting the UK from Dubai where he lived and worked, was found unconscious with a head injury in Queensway, W2 at 23:22hrs on Monday, 26 August after he was attacked in the vicinity of Notting Hill Carnival.

Officers provided emergency first aid until paramedics arrived. Mussie was taken to a west London hospital where, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he sadly died on Friday, 30 August.

In August, a man was charged with murder. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody before appearing at Southwark Crown Court in September. He is due to stand trial in February at the Old Bailey.

Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation into Mussie’s murder are continuing to build a picture of exactly what happened to him. As part of that work, they have released images of two people they believe may have information about the attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, who is leading the investigation, said: “Mussie Imnetu’s murder has been devastating for his family and friends.

“A man will stand trial in February, but all the time we continue to investigate the attack.

“We need to speak to two men who were near the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway between 23:10hrs and 23:30hrs on Monday, 26 August and who we believe may hold vital information.

“I would like to stress that the two men pictured have not done anything wrong. If you are one of these men, or if you know one of them, we’d like to hear from you.

“We’d also still like to hear from anyone else who has information and hasn’t yet spoken to us.

“Did you happen to speak with the victim or the suspect at the time? Did you hear or see anything before the attack took place? Any information you have could prove vital in our ongoing investigation.”

Anyone who can identify the people in the photos or who has other information is urged to call 101 or message @MetCC on X giving the reference 8020/26AUG.

Information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward following a fatal collision in Redbridge.

Police were called to Eastern Avenue, Ilford at about 16:10 hours on Saturday, 7 December following reports that a car had been involved in a collision with a pedestrian, other vehicles and a building.

Officers attended with London Ambulance Service paramedics, medics from the London Air Ambulance and the London Fire Brigade.

Sadly, despite the efforts of the emergency services, the pedestrian – a woman aged in her 60s – died at the scene.

Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

The driver of the car stopped at the scene. They were not arrested.

Detectives from the Roads and Transport Policing Command are leading the investigation into the collision. They would like to speak with anyone who witnessed what happened or captured it on dash cam or CCTV.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Serious Collision Unit on 0208 246 9820.

Information can also be provided by calling 101 and giving the reference 4459/07DEC.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been sentenced for murder after a teenager he assaulted died from his injuries five years later

A man has jailed for a vicious stabbing in south London that left a 17-year-old boy in a minimally conscious state due to a catastrophic brain injury.

Tyrese Osei-Kofi, 25 (18.06.99), of Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 6 December where he was sentenced to a minimum sentence of seven years and ten months in prison for the murder of Jamel Boyce.

A court heard police attended Triangle Place, SW4, on the evening of 14 October 2016, where they found a young man with stab wounds to the chest and leg.

Jamel was treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service but he went into cardiac arrest before arriving in hospital, depriving his brain of oxygen for a critical 14 minutes due to the injury to his heart.

Doctors concluded he had been left in a ‘vegetative state’ and he was transferred to a specialist long-term care facility where he required round-the-clock nursing care.

Osei-Kofi was first interviewed after handing himself into police on 20 October 2016 following police appeals in which his father recognised him.

He was subsequently re-arrested two months later, and charged with attempted murder on 13 April 2017.

Osei-Kofi was convicted of grievous bodily harm and found not guilty of attempted murder following a trial at the Old Bailey in February 2018.

On 4 May 2018 he was jailed for ten years.

After five-and-a-half years of care, Jamel sadly died on Tuesday, 13 February 2022 at the age of 22.

A post-mortem examination held a few days later gave a cause of death as a penetrating injury to his chest.

Homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command then initiated murder proceedings against Osei-Kofi.

Detective Inspector Andy Griffin of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said:

“Jamel was a young man with a very promising future, known as ‘Smiley’ to his friends.

“He was described by those who knew him as an intelligent, thoughtful and considerate young man.

“The ordeal that he and his family have been through has been devastating.

“I sincerely hope that today’s sentence brings closure to the nightmare they have lived through for the last eight years.”

Jamel’s father, Patrick said:

“I have come to witness the sentence of this man who took my son’s life, and I wish to hear him say he is sorry and ask for forgiveness from us.

“No amount of sentence can justify what he has done to me and my family, but I hope in time that somewhere in his heart he can find some remorse and ask whichever God he believes in for forgiveness.”

Jamel’s father, Pansy said:

“This stabbing turned an ordinary day in 2016 into a nightmare that we were forced to live through for five and a half years, while Jamel was left blind, unable to speak and severely limited in his ability to interact with the world around him.

“He fought tirelessly to survive, with us by his side throughout, despite such a bleak outlook, before closing his eyes for the last time.

“The impact of Jamel’s death extends far beyond his individual life; it has ripped through our family and community in ways that words can barely capture.

“The damage caused by this crime will ripple through all our lives for years to come.”

As part of A New Met for London, tackling knife crime and violence is a top priority for the police. We have a duty to prevent crime and violence by providing diversions to those who need it most, and we will continue using every tactic available to prevent people getting hurt and aiming to bringing justice to those that are.

You can visit Fearless for advice, discover real stories about people who turned their lives around after being involved in knife crime as well as places you can go for further help and support.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives have charged a third person in connection with the murder of Haseeb Bhatti and the attempted murder of another man in Dagenham in April.

Haiden Khalik-Noor, 18 (06.10.06) of Bentry Road, Dagenham was charged on Thursday, 5 December. He appeared at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 6 December where he was remanded in custody to appear next at the Old Bailey on Monday, 9 December.

At around 01:30hrs on Saturday, 20 April police were alerted by the London Ambulance Service to reports that a man had been stabbed in Rothwell Gardens, Dagenham.

Officers responded and initially found a 50-year-old man with stab wounds who was taken to hospital and later discharged.

A short time later in nearby Flamstead Road they found 23-year-old Haseeb, who had also been stabbed. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he died at the scene.

His family continues to be supported by specialist officers.

Frankie Burletson, 24 (10.02.2000) of Arden Crescent, Dagenham and Swayf Amana, 26 (01.04.1998) of Brittain Road, Dagenham have both previously been charged with murder and attempted murder.

They are in custody awaiting trial.

The investigation into the events of 20 April continues. Anyone with information who has not yet come forward is asked to call police on 101, providing the reference 0621/20APR.

Information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man will appear in court this morning (Saturday, 7 December) charged with the murder of 51-year-old Anthony Marks.

Harry Gittins, 35 (24.12.88) of Regent Square, Camden was arrested on Friday, 6 December and charged later the same day with Anthony’s murder. He was remanded to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court later today.

Anthony was assaulted in Whidborne Street, Camden on 10 August and received treatment in hospital for three days before being discharged.

Two weeks later he suffered a seizure and was readmitted to hospital where he sadly died on 25 September.

Two other people, a 17-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, have previously been charged with Anthony’s murder and are on remand awaiting trial. They can’t be named due to their age.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

An investigation by Met detectives has led to a murder conviction after a vulnerable young man was beaten to death, before his body was dismembered and hidden in a nearby park.

Following a nine-week trial, 27-year-old Dajour Jones was found guilty of the murder of Jamie Gilbey, 20, after a unanimous verdict.

The jury heard how both men had been living in the same supported housing accommodation in Upper Norwood. On the evening of Thursday 27 January 2022, while the pair were in Jones’ room, Jones subjected Jamie to a brutal and prolonged attack, hitting him around his head and stabbing him multiple times.

The pair were seen on CCTV leaving the address together at around 17.30hrs. It is unclear where they went in that time, but by 18.10hrs they had returned and both went into Jones’ room where the attack followed.

Afterwards, Jones spent time dismembering Jamie’s body inside his room before buying a large purple suitcase and then making several trips to nearby South Norwood Country Park to dump the body in black bags in deep undergrowth.

At around 13.45hrs on Sunday, 27 February, officers carrying out routine patrols in the park discovered the suitcase in undergrowth in Love Lane SE25. Inside were bloodstained items of clothing. After forensic testing, detectives were able to confirm the garments belonged to both Jamie and Jones. It was at this point that Jamie’s family were informed by police of their fears that he had come to harm.

Following the discovery of the suitcase officers continued to search the vast park, and on the morning of 8 March, specialist officers sadly recovered Jamie’s body in South Norwood Lake and grounds – around two miles from where the suitcase was discovered and just a few hundred yards from the hostel.

On 30 January staff at the hostel reported Jamie missing, and local police carried out various enquiries. After they were unable to find any proof that he was alive the case was passed to a murder investigation team.

Detectives set about establishing who was responsible for Jamie’s suspected murder, confirming Jones was the last known person to have been with him.

They scoured hours of CCTV footage and uncovered the footage of Jamie and Jones returning to their accommodation together on the night of the murder. Detectives executed a warrant at the property and a forensic search of Jones’ room revealed traces of Jamie’s blood. Hidden behind a sink in the room were various bottles of cleaning fluid, which had clearly been used in an attempt to conceal the murder.

Officers were then able to source footage of Jones leaving the venue in the days that followed in possession of the purple suitcase. They were able to establish that he made several trips with the item and believe that during the first two, Jamie’s body was inside the suitcase.

Jones was arrested on 3 March – before Jamie’s body was discovered. He refused to tell officers what had happened to Jamie or what he had done with the body. When he was charged a couple of days later his response was: “Ah. Cool”.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan, who lead the murder investigation, said: “My thoughts go out to the family of Jamie – who lost his life in truly horrendous circumstances.

“For reasons known only to Jones, on the evening of the murder, he lured Jamie to his room intending to kill him or cause really serious harm. He then subjected Jamie to an extremely violent and sustained attack. Afterwards he dismembered Jamie’s body and disposed of it over a number of days.

“What is particularly chilling is that throughout this time he conducted himself in an entirely relaxed manner. Something had clearly been brewing in Jones’ mind as he had earlier that day asked staff at the accommodation what would happen were he to have a fight inside his room and whether the circumstances would be looked into. This suggests some element of pre-mediation and planning.

“It is clear to me he is a very dangerous man and I am pleased the jury made the right decision and convicted him.”

+ Dajour Jones (05.05.97), who is of no fixed address, will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 13 December.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been jailed for the murder of Bledi Petraj in Enfield following an investigation by Met Police detectives.

Kozma Papa, 22 (23.09.02) of Fairview Road, Cheltenham, appeared at the Central Criminal Court on Friday, 6 December where he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 20 years, having pleaded guilty to the murder at an earlier hearing. He was also jailed for nine months, to run concurrently, after admitting possession of a bladed article.

Police and London Ambulance Service (LAS) were called at 14:04hrs on Sunday, 4 February to reports of a stabbing at Queen Elizabeth’s Drive in Enfield.

Officers and LAS attended. At the scene 37-year-old Bledi Petraj, who was from Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex, was found with knife injuries.

Despite the efforts of medics at the scene and in hospital, he sadly died that afternoon. His family were notified and were supported by specialist officers.

Papa was arrested by Met officers in a car that was stopped in Hertfordshire that same day. He was charged the following day with murder.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Goode said: “My thoughts are with Bledi’s family and loved ones who continue to mourn his tragic death. This was a fight that ended in a senseless loss of life and Papa will now rightly spend a significant amount of time in prison.”

+ A 30-year-old man, who was also arrested as part of the investigation, was released without further action.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A total of 540 individuals wanted for criminal offences ranging from shoplifting to rape have been apprehended by the Metropolitan Police Service (Met) through the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.

With the help of this technology, the Met has removed more dangerous individuals from the streets, contributing to safer London communities.

Live Facial Recognition is an advanced technology employed by the Met in specific areas of London. Officers position a van equipped with cameras in a pre-agreed location. These cameras capture live footage of people passing by and compare their faces against a pre-approved watchlist. If a match is detected, the system generates an alert, enabling officers to act swiftly.

The Met is a forerunner in using this technology as part of its commitment to make London safer by harnessing cutting-edge technology and data to identify and apprehend offenders who pose significant risks to our communities.

Among these arrests are more than 50 individuals allegedly involved in serious offences involving violence against women and girls (VAWG), including offences such as strangulation, stalking, domestic abuse, and rape. In addition, the Met has arrested over 50 sex offenders who were found to be in breach of their court conditions.

Of the 540 people arrested by Met officers, 406 have already been charged or cautioned.

LFR technology enables the Met to take a more precise and intelligence-led approach to tackling crime. Each deployment is carefully planned based on operational needs and is guided by data to ensure resources are directed at offenders who pose the greatest threat to public safety.

Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s Director of Performance, said: “This technology is helping us protect our communities from harm.

“It is a powerful tool that supports officers to identify and focus on people who present the highest risk that may otherwise have gone undetected.

“From targeting sex offenders to apprehending those responsible for violent crimes, Live Facial Recognition is helping us deliver justice more effectively while making our streets safer.

“LFR works hand in hand with officers and is a vital part of making the Met a modern police service and delivering our mission to make communities safer.”

The use of LFR has not only resulted in arrests but as a consequence of these arrests, critical interventions that enhance public safety.

In one case, officers stopped a convicted child sex offender who was with a new partner. The partner, who lived with a younger sibling, was unaware of the offender’s criminal history. Within 24 hours, officers made a disclosure under Sarah’s Law, potentially preventing further harm.

Concerns about privacy and the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology are understandable. To address these, the Met has implemented robust safeguards. If a member of the public walks past an LFR camera and is not on a police watchlist, their biometric data is immediately and permanently deleted.

If the technology generates a match, officers may engage with the individual to verify their identity and confirm their involvement in any offences. Officers conduct further checks, such as reviewing court orders or other relevant information, to determine if the person is a suspect. Importantly, an alert from the system does not automatically result in an arrest – officers make a discretionary decision about whether further action is necessary.

The Met is actively engaging with communities and partners across London to build understanding of how LFR works. Efforts include debunking myths, sharing successes, and providing reassurance by explaining the rigorous checks and balances in place to protect people’s rights and privacy.

As part of A New Met for London, the Met is using advanced technology to support officers to tackle crime more effectively and equitably. In the longer term, the service plans to introduce additional data-driven tools and ethically leverage artificial intelligence to stay ahead of criminal activity, intervening before harm occurs.

By adopting these innovations, the Met is creating a safer London for everyone.