Category: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been convicted of attempted murder after swift work by officers saw him arrested just hours after the horrific attack.

Isakov Akhmad 42, (03.09.82), of Thorogood Gardens, E15, was found guilty on Wednesday, 4 December following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court of seriously assaulting another man with a dumbbell.

The victim, Firuz Raupov, who is in his 40s, was taken to an east London hospital with severe head injuries which are life-changing.

The trial heard the assault happened at the house where the two men lived in Stratford in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, 9 June and followed an argument.

Thanks to the speedy efforts of the local police team, Akhmad was located and arrested nearby around three hours after the offence.

The investigations unit went to work establishing facts, gathering vital evidence, speaking to witnesses and obtaining the necessary forensic evidence to prove the offence.

Akhmad was charged with attempted murder on Saturday, 15 June.

Detective Constable Sorcha Homer, from the north east local investigations unit, said: “This was a very traumatic incident and it is highly satisfying to have achieved some sort of justice for the victim and his family with a dangerous man now facing a prison sentence.”

Akhmad was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 31 March.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A Met investigation into a reckless car chase that ended with a 16-year-old boy being killed has led to two men being handed lengthy prison sentences.

Aaron Conway, 39 (25.02.1985) of Villas Road, Plumstead and Joseph Barnes, 41 (14.09.1983) of Byfleet, Surrey appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 6 December.

Barnes, who had been convicted of murder following a trial earlier this year, was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 25 years.

Conway, who had previously been convicted of manslaughter, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.

A third man who had been charged in relation to the same incident was found not guilty following a trial.

The court heard how 16-year-old Tafari Thompson-Mintah had been in a relationship with Conway’s daughter which had broken down, leading to a series of disputes.

Conway had been determined to threaten and intimidate Tafari and on 9 October 2023, he and Barnes met up to do so again. They got into a stolen car with Barnes driving and Conway in the passenger seat. Spotting Tafari, they chased him at high speed before swerving towards him and deliberately knocking him off his scooter. He was thrown into the path of an oncoming car and run over.

Tafari sustained profound head injuries. The emergency services attended and provided urgent medical treatment, but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives were quickly able to piece together what had taken place by viewing CCTV. Conway, Barnes and the third man were arrested days later.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who led the investigation, said: “Conway encouraged Barnes to drive recklessly and in doing so both played a part in the cruel and senseless ending of a young boy’s life.

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for Tafari’s family.

“Nothing will erase the pain of their loss, but I hope that today’s lengthy prison sentence will give them some small sense of closure.”

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has appeared at the Old Bailey charged with attempted murder following an incident on a bus in Brixton and the later death of the victim.

The Met’s Specialist Crime Command launched an investigation following an incident involving two men on a route 59 bus in Brixton Road, SW9, at around 10:20hrs on Thursday, 21 November.

One of the men, aged 40, was taken to hospital following the incident, but he sadly died from his injuries just after 14:30hrs on Wednesday, 25 November.

He has been named as Donovan Martin.

His family are being supported by specialist officers.

Nathan Grant, 39 (27.07.85), of Lambeth Walk, Brixton, was originally charged on Friday, 22 November with attempted murder, as well as theft.

He appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 23 November and was remanded in custody, appearing at the Old Bailey today, Friday, 6 December.

The charges will be amended to murder at a later hearing, date to be confirmed.

Anyone with information, including mobile phone footage of the incident or anything nearby that you believe may be relevant, is asked to contact the police on 101 or messaging @MetCC on X, with the ref 2089/21Nov.

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

A dedicated online page has been set up to make it easier to provide information or material – such as images or video – online.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

The Met’s Counter Terrorism officers are reminding Londoners to trust their instincts and report anything that doesn’t feel right when they are out and about in the city over the coming weeks.

The festive period will see a large amount of events in the capital, including Christmas markets, football matches and carol services attracting large crowds of people.

Every year across the UK, Counter Terrorism Policing receives over 10,000 reports from the public and a fifth of those provide intelligence which is particularly useful to investigators.

Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, head of Protective Security Operations for the Met said:

“At this time of year, we naturally see more people heading out and about to enjoy the festive period. We want people to enjoy themselves, but also to stay safe, so we are asking the public to report anything that doesn’t look or feel right to us.

“The power of public reporting should not be underestimated. It is never a waste of time to speak to us, or submit an online report.

“Sadly, the threat from terrorism is a real one, so it is vital that we have the support of the public, which helps our own operations and activity to keep everyone safe.

“Since 2017, we, along with our partners have disrupted over 40 terrorist plots. That is down to many dedicated, specialist officers and staff, but also due to the public helping us in that crucial work.”

The Met recently ran major incident training exercises at Brentford and Millwall Football Clubs as part of its programme of work to test and improve the response to a terrorism attack.

Officers work year-round with venues and organisations across the Capital to help them protect against potential terrorist threats and to be prepared to respond should the worst happen. Further exercises are planned with several other clubs and venues in the New Year.

Chf Supt Wright said: “It is important to stress these exercises are not in response to any specific intelligence or threat of attack at any particular venue in London.

“We are prepared but never complacent. We organise training events all year round at different venues across London to improve the preparedness of police and emergency services partners in dealing with different terrorism attack scenarios.

“These are vital in building up the knowledge and experience of the first responders to a major incident.

“The public in London should feel reassured the city has some of the most well-trained emergency services in the UK.”

If you see something suspicious, either tell a police officer, report it online via www.gov.uk/ACTor call the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, call 999.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A woman has been charged with offences related to having a dog dangerously out of control after a man sustained fatal injuries during an incident in Stratford.

Police were called to Shirley Road, Stratford at 04:53hrs on Wednesday, 4 December following reports that a man had been seriously wounded.

The man, who was 42, was taken to hospital where he later died. A post mortem will take place in due course. His family has been informed.

Leanne McDonnell 32 (15.12.91) of Shirley Road, Stratford was arrested and on Thursday, 5 December was charged with the following offences:

• Owning a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death
• Failing in the duty, as a person responsible for an animal, to ensure its welfare
• Having custody of a fighting dog

McDonnell was also charged with three counts of owning a dog dangerously out of control causing no injury, in relation to a separate incident on Monday, 18 November.

She was remanded in custody to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 6 December.

The dog that was involved in the above incidents has been seized by the police.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Two men have been sentenced to a total of 44 years for murdering a man and seriously injuring his brother.

Shane Canavan, 23 (15.04.01) and his half-brother Joshua Langley, 29 (27.10.95), both of Greyfields Close, Purley, were sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years and 21 years in prison respectively for murdering 20-year-old Bradley Hutchins and seriously injuring his 19-year-old brother Calum.

They appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on 29 November to be sentenced.

At the same court on 8 July, they had both been found guilty of murder and wounding with intent.

The court heard how police were called to reports of a group of men fighting with weapons in North Walk, New Addington on 12 September 2023.

Officers attended and heard that Bradley and Calum had been taken to a nearby ambulance station. They had both been stabbed multiple times.

Bradley’s injuries were so severe that despite the efforts of the emergency services, he died a short time later.

Officers worked meticulously to quickly identify the suspects, with Canavan arrested on 16 September and Langley arrested the following day.

Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command built a case against the two, identifying where the offence had taken place and examining a crowbar, monkey wrench, knife and balaclava which had all been left behind by those involved. They discovered that the motive for the violent attack was a fight the previous week where Canavan had come off second best.

A combination of witness testimony, CCTV and forensic evidence would ultimately lead to Canavan and Langley’s conviction.

Detective Inspector Matt Read, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “We hope this sentence brings a level of peace and a feeling of justice to Bradley’s family, after the utter devastation they have suffered.

“We worked very hard to identify the suspects responsible for this terrible attack and build a watertight investigation to get them put behind bars.

“We want to thank the witnesses who bravely came forward to help, and offer our heartfelt wishes to Bradley’s friends and family as they live on in his memory.”

Bradley’s mother said: “Our whole world was turned upside down when Bradley was cruelly taken from us.

“Bradley and Calum had a special bond. The effect on Calum of losing his brother has been utterly devastating.

“Bradley had such a presence when he walked into a room. He was always happy and known for his infectious smile. He was so kind and gentle, protective of his family and friends and he hated injustice. He would always stand up for the truth.

“I will ensure my son’s name and memory lives on forever. I will continue to fight against knife crime and try to help others in any way possible who have suffered the effects of this.

“I thank all who have helped me and believed in my son’s good name. Bradley James Hutchins, our hero.”

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

Two men wanted in connection with an investigation into the stabbing of a journalist in Queensmere Road, Wimbledon on 29 March have been arrested and detained by Romanian authorities.

The investigation into the incident has been ongoing since March, led by detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command. The arrests were made in Romania by Romanian authorities on Wednesday, 4 December, and have come about after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against the two Romanian nationals.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We have been investigating this incident and gathering as much evidence as possible to reach the point where the CPS were able to authorise charges. This work has led to the arrest and detention of two men in Romania and I’d like to thank our Romanian counterparts for their cooperation on this matter.

“We now await the extradition process to progress so that the men can face prosecution here in the UK. In the meantime we won’t be commenting further on the investigation and would urge others not to speculate about the case, given criminal proceedings are now pending.”

Nandito Badea, 19 and George Stana, 23 – both Romanian nationals – were arrested in Romania on 4 December 2024. The CPS have authorised charges against both of wounding and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

We continue to work with colleagues from the CPS, National Crime Agency and Romanian authorities as extradition proceedings progress.

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A man has been jailed after being found guilty of a fatal attack in a car park in Stratford after a jury saw through his claims that he acted in self defence.

Vasile Gorghescu, 42 (20.02.82) of Rayner Gardens, Southampton was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 December after being found guilty of murdering 45-year-old Chaudhary Mahmood.

The court had heard how on 9 January 2024 Gorghescu had lured Chaudhary to a car park in Stratford on the pretence of selling him mobile phones. However, Gorghescu – who had borrowed his brother’s car and driven from Southampton to facilitate the meeting – planned to scam Chaudhary and instead had a box filled with fizzy drinks that he planned to pass off as the phones.

When Chaudhary discovered the fraud, Gorghescu launched a frenzied attack, stabbing him 27 times. He then hid Chaudhary’s body under blankets and boxes and left the car in situ at the car park before returning to Southampton.

Once there he told his brother to report that his car had been stolen and confessing there was a body in it. This information was reported to police and the car was located in the early hours of the following day.

Gorghescu was arrested the same day and detectives were quickly able to piece together what had taken place in the car park. He was charged on 11 January with Chaudhary’s murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command led the investigation and said:

“Vasile Gorghescu drove to meet Chaudhary Mahmood armed with a weapon and clearly with the intention of resorting to violence should his fraudulent plan be uncovered.

“Chaudhary – who went to the car park in Stratford with the intention of buying mobile phones – realised this was a scam and was defenceless in the face of Gorghescu’s attack.

“Throughout this process, Gorghescu has attempted to deflect blame away from himself, claiming he acted in self-defence and that he also could not remember what happened. The court through saw these lies and he has rightly been held to account for his actions.

“This has been an incredibly distressing time for Chaudhary’s family and nothing will ever erase the pain of their loss. However, I hope that Gorghescu’s conviction and lengthy prison sentence will give them some small sense of closure.”