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Man charged with further offences re: Croydon fatal collision

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man charged with further offences re: Croydon fatal collision

A man has been charged with further offences following a fatal collision in Croydon.

Stuart Abbs, 39 (01.09.78) of Court Wood Lane, Croydon was charged by postal requisition with:

– one count of causing death by dangerous driving;
– three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving;
– three counts of ABH.

He is scheduled to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 20 February.

Abbs was previously charged on Wednesday, 6 December 2017 with:

– being the driver of a vehicle who failed to stop after a Road Accident contrary to Section 170 (4) of The Road Traffic Act 1988 and Schedule 2 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988; and,

– being the driver of a vehicle involved a Road accident who failed to report that accident, contrary to Section 170 (4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Schedule 2 Road Traffic Offenders Acts 1988.

The charges relate to a road traffic collision in Pixton Way, Croydon, on 2 July 2017. A 16-year-old girl, Nicole Davis, died following the collision.

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Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced to Prison for Dealing Heroin

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced to Prison for Dealing Heroin

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to 18 months’ imprisonment on her conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Auriana Torrez, age 25, of Pittsburgh, PA.

According to information presented to the court, from April through August 2016, Torrez was intercepted over a DEA wiretap conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin and was found in possession of 200 stamp bags of heroin.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Fischer stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Torrez. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

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Man stabbed after attempted moped-enabled theft in Oxford Street

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man stabbed after attempted moped-enabled theft in Oxford Street

Detectives are appealing for information after a man was stabbed following an attempted moped-enabled theft.

Police were called at 21:23hrs on Sunday, 4 February to reports of a stabbing in Oxford Street.

Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and found a 22-year-old man suffering from a stab injury.

He was taken to a central London hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing.

The victim was walking along Oxford Street with his friend when his mobile phone was snatched out of his hand by a pillion passenger on a moped.

The victim pursued on foot, caught up with the moped and grabbed the pillion passenger. The two had an altercation and the victim was stabbed.

Both the pillion passenger and the driver made off on the moped without the mobile phone in the direction of Great Portland Street.

Detectives from Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit are investigating and are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to contact police.

No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.

Anyone with information should contact Westminster’s Serious Crime Unit on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

+ Personal Crime prevention advice:

– Be aware of your surroundings at all times and keep your personal property secure

– Don’t text while you’re walking as you won’t notice potential thieves approaching

– Use the security features on your phone

– Try going hands free or stand away from the roadside close to a wall so no one can come up behind you

– Your phone comes with a range of security features, such as keypad locks and remote data wiping. Make sure they are all activated to stop thieves from accessing your phone and personal data

– Know how to identify your phone if it’s stolen

– Find your IMEI number by dialling *#06# from your phone and keep a written note of it. If the phone is stolen, report it to the police and your mobile provider to stop it being used

– Register your phone on www.immobilise.com

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Fresh appeal after road collision in Ilford seriously injures two men

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Fresh appeal after road collision in Ilford seriously injures two men

Detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses following a fail-to-stop collision in Redbridge.

At around 22:30hrs on Tuesday, 9 January, a silver BMW 330 Sport was in collision with a Vauxhall Vectra on the A406 Ilford Hill Flyover above the junction with A118 Romford Road and Ilford Hill.

As a result of the impact from the collision, the Vectra collided with two men who were standing at the side of the flyover next to their own car, which had broken down.

The two men, aged 46 and 45, were taken to hospital with serious injuries which resulted in the 45-year-old man having his leg amputated. They both remain in hospital.

The occupants of the Vectra – a driver and a passenger – were not injured.

The BMW stopped at the scene, however the male driver ran off prior to the arrival of emergency services. 

Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Chadwell Heath are investigating and they have carried out extensive enquiries, including reviewing local CCTV cameras. 

Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone who witnessed the collision, who may have seen the BMW – vehicle registration M33 ONH – in the area before the collision, or who was driving in the area at the time and is yet to speak with police to contact them.

They would also like to hear from anyone who has dashcam footage.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the witness appeal line on 020 8597 4874 or police on 101.

+ A 25-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, 10 January at an address in Dagenham on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He has been released under investigation.

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Man jailed for manslaughter

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man jailed for manslaughter

A man has been sentenced for manslaughter following the death of Clemuth Roberts in Dagenham in December 2016. 

Ben Harper, 21 (28.08.1996), from Romford was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey on Monday, 5 February. 

He was also given an extended sentence of five years on license.

Police were called just before 13:00hrs on 19 December 2016 to Stanhope Road, Dagenham following reports of a fight. 

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found 58-year-old Clemuth suffering from assault related injuries.

He died at the scene a short while later.

A post mortem examination was carried out at Queens Hospital and the cause of death was given as blunt force trauma to the head.

On Tuesday 26 September, 2017, Harper was charged with the murder of Clemuth Roberts.

On Thursday, 18 December Harper pleaded not guilty to murder but offered a plea of guilty to manslaughter which was formally accepted at the Old Bailey on Monday, 8 January. 

DI Justin Howick said: “This was a violent attack with tragic consequences which has had a devastating impact on Mr Roberts’ family.”

Mr Roberts’ daughter, Simone, said: “No sentence will take away our daily pain of losing a loved father and grandfather. We are the ones living with a life sentence.”

+ A 17-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl who were arrested on suspicion of murder were later released with no further action.

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Man charged with murder of Seyed Khan

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man charged with murder of Seyed Khan

Detectives investigating the murder of Seyed Khan, 49, have charged a man.

Mr Khan, from Thamesmead, was formally identified today, Monday 5 February.

Imran Muhammad, 30 (08.04.87), of Swindon Close, Ilford, was charged with the murder of Mr Khan and perverting the course of justice on Saturday, 3 February.

He appeared in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 5 February. He has been remanded to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 7 February.

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Launch of second phase of #ProtectYourWorld campaign

Source: United Kingdom Thames Valley Police

Headline: Launch of second phase of #ProtectYourWorld campaign

The campaign began in November last year, with the first phase focussed on raising awareness of cyber crime and encouraging residents and businesses to take action to protect their online worlds.

The second phase is being launched today (5/2), and in partnership with the NSPCC will focus on encouraging parents, carers and anyone who has contact with young people, to engage with them about their online activity.

It will coincide with Safer Internet Day 2018, which will be celebrated globally on Tuesday (6/2) with the slogan ‘Create, Connect and Share Respect: a better internet starts with you.’

To mark Safer Internet Day Thames Valley Police and the NSPCC are hosting online safety workshops for parents working at local businesses and experts will discuss online safety with a Facebook Live event.

According to Ofcom statistics, 13 per cent of children aged between 12 and 15 with a social media profile agree that getting likes or followers is more important to them than keeping their posts, comments or photos private.

A total of 23 per cent said that they do not know how to control who can see what they see on social media and 12 per cent say that they have been bullied on social media, equal to the number who say they have been bullied face to face.

The campaign aims to ensure that those who are responsible for young people are aware of their activity online and are able to ensure that they are staying safe.

Detective Sergeant Sally Russell, of the Thames Valley Police Cyber Crime Team, said: “Our campaign is aimed at encouraging parents to have regular conversations with their children about their online activity, as well as to take some simple steps to help improve their knowledge.

“For example, we want to encourage parents to better understand the social media platforms their child is using by signposting them to the NSPCC Net Aware website, which tells them the content, age restrictions and perceived risk levels of over 30 platforms.

“With young people spending so much of their social time online, it’s crucial that they know how to keep themselves safe.

“It’s also vital that parents have enough knowledge to help them do so.”

On Tuesday (6/2) at 6.30pm DS Sally Russell and Emma Motherwell of the NSPCC, will be taking part in a Facebook Live event in which they will answer questions and give useful tips to help parents keep their children safe online.

The discussion will be broadcast on Thames Valley Police’s Facebook page.

NSPCC Campaign Manager Emma Motherwell said: “Our business workshops aim to equip parents with the tools to help their children stay safe online with simple tips and signposting.

“But if you can’t make a workshop join our Facebook Live chat and ask us about privacy, parental controls and what more you can be doing to ensure your children are enjoying the internet safely.”

The hour long workshops will give parents the skills and knowledge to understand more about internet safety and businesses signed up include Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust and HUBER+SUHNER(UK)Limited.

To find out more, or to book a session, email emma.motherwell@nspcc.org.uk.

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The Met supports national #ITSNOTOK2018 campaign

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: The Met supports national #ITSNOTOK2018 campaign

The Metropolitan Police Service is supporting #ITSNOTOK2018 – a national sexual abuse and sexual violence awareness week which starts today, Monday, 5 February.

During the week, a series of videos will be released on social media featuring various officers and staff from across the organisation reading out statements of empowerment; interviews with those who have reported allegations of sexual abuse and violence to police; and an interview with a specialist officer and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) to explain what help and support is available to victims.

The videos will be posted via the Met’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/metpoliceuk and the main Met Twitter account @metpoliceuk – using the campaign’s hashtag #ITSNOTOK.

It is hoped that the stories will help to give those who may be suffering sexual abuse the courage and confidence to come forward and report it to police or other agencies that support victims of sexual abuse and violence.

Officers from across the Met will also be using their social media accounts to raise awareness of sexual abuse and sexual violence and show those that have experienced abuse or violence that the police are here to support all victims of abuse.

Messages and posts on the Met’s various social media accounts will be focused on the following four key themes with additional content and links to further information and support for each day:

– Police can help you if you have been sexually assaulted or abused
– Police are here to help all victims of sexual violence
– It is not ok to sexually exploit or abuse anyone
– Tell someone about those that are causing harm to you, or others

The #ITSNOTOK campaign is in its fourth year and is supported by various police forces and rape, sexual abuse and sexual violence charities from across the UK. More information about the campaign can be found at http://sexualabuseandsexualviolenceawarenessweek.org.

Detective Superintendent Sian Thomas, from the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: “No one should have to suffer sexual violence and abuse on their own and no one should think it’s ok to sexually exploit or abuse others. We are proud to support this campaign, which encourages a wider discussion around sexual abuse and violence – raising awareness about this type of abuse and how the Met and other agencies can offer advice and support.

“We want victims to feel empowered to come forward and report what has happened to them and we hope that the testimonies from those who have been through the experience will reassure people that they be will listened to and supported without judgement – no matter what the circumstances.”

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International crackdown on anti-spyware malware

Source: Europol

Headline: International crackdown on anti-spyware malware

A hacking tool allowing cybercriminals to remotely and surreptitiously gain complete control over a victim’s computer is no longer available as a result of an UK-led operation targeting hackers linked to the Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Luminosity Link. Coordinated by the UK National Crime Agency with the support of Europol, this operation saw the involvement of over a dozen law enforcement agencies in Europe, Australia and North America.

Once installed upon a victim’s computer, a user of the Luminosity Link RAT was free to access and view documents, photographs and other files, record all the keystrokes entered and even activate the webcam on the victim’s computer – all of which could be done without the victim’s knowledge.

These joint actions were carried out back in September 2017, the details of which can now only be released due to operational reasons.

Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supported the countries in their efforts to identify EU citizens by providing analytical support and by facilitating information exchange in the framework of the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, hosted at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague.

Victims across the world

The investigation uncovered a network of individuals who supported the distribution and use of the RAT across 78 countries and sold it to more than 8 600 buyers via a website dedicated to hacking and the use of criminal malware. Luminosity Link cost as little as EUR 40.00 and required little technical knowledge to be deployed.

Victims are believed to be in the thousands, with investigators having already identified evidence of stolen personal details, passwords, private photographs, video footage and data. Forensic analysis on the large number of computers and internet accounts seized continues.

Steven Wilson, Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, said: “Through such strong, coordinated actions across national boundaries, criminals across the world are finding out that committing crimes remotely offers no protection from arrests. Nobody wants their personal details or photographs of loved ones to be stolen by criminals. We continue to urge everybody to ensure their operating systems and security software are up to date”.

Prevention advice

The public and businesses can follow simple steps to help protect themselves from malware, including:

  • Update your software, including anti-virus software;
  • Install a good firewall;
  • Don’t open suspicious email attachments or URLs – even if they come from people on your contact list;
  • Create strong passwords.

For more prevention advice on how to protect yourself against Remote Access Trojans, check our crime prevention advice.

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CCTV issued after man attacked and robbed in Bow

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: CCTV issued after man attacked and robbed in Bow

Detectives appealing for witnesses and information after a man was robbed at he sat in his parked car in Bow have issued CCTV of the moment he was attacked.

At 17:30hrs on Monday, 15 January the 24-year-old victim, a local clothes retailer, was sitting in his car parked on Ford Close, E3 when he was attacked by two men wearing balaclavas.

One of the men dragged the victim out of the car and demanded his wrist watch while the other opened the passenger side of the car and grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing £500 in cash.

The two suspects ran off and got into a black Audi A4 before they drove off in the direction of Roman Road. It was subsequently established that the vehicle had false plates.

No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

PC Andrew Hillier, investigating officer from Tower Hamlets CID said: “This is a nasty attack on a local businessman who was robbed of his takings after he finished work.

“I am appealing to anyone who can assist this investigation to come forward and speak to police – these are violent men who need to be arrested.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Tower Hamlets CID on 020 8217 4143 or by tweeting @MetCC. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.