Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man that they wish to identify following an assault in Leicester earlier this year The victim aged 22 was inside a takeaway in Belvoir Street around 11.50pm on Sunday 31 January, when he left the premises with another man. While they were talking in the street the man attacked the victim with a machete and slashed his back. The suspect left the scene along Belvoir Street towards Welford Road. The victim was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham and discharged after treatment. PC Robert Gist, the investigating officer, said: “As our investigation has progressed, we have obtained a CCTV image of a man we would like speak to in connection with this incident and therefore would like to appeal to anyone who may recognise this man to get in touch with us.” Anyone who has information about the man pictured or the incident itself is asked to contact PC Robert Gist on 101 quoting crime number 21* 65331. Leicestershire Police News 11/03/21

Unpaid carers who look after a friend or family member on an informal basis can get free PPE from the city council to help them carry out their caring responsibilities safely. If you help someone out informally, you might not think of yourself as a carer – but if you assist someone who could not manage without your support, then you are a carer, even if you only help out from time to time. Carers help in lots of different ways – for example, they might deal with doctors and social workers, finances and letters, or collect shopping, do the housework, offer a listening ear or help with personal care. You don’t have to live with someone to be their carer. Now new guidance from the Government means that informal carers, who don’t live with the person they care for, can claim free PPE (personal protective equipment) to help guard against the spread of coronavirus. Age UK has volunteered to help the council distribute PPE to those informal carers who need it. Carers will be able to access masks, aprons, gloves and hand sanitiser and - if they provide personal care – visors, too. The service will also be offering free PPE to young carers under the age of 18, whether they live with the person they care for or not. Deputy city mayor Cllr Sarah Russell, who leads on social care, said: “Informal carers often don’t identify themselves as such – but if you regularly help someone out, then you’re a carer, and you can access this service to get some free PPE. “At the moment, the advice is that if you’re an adult carer who lives with the person you are caring for, you don’t need to wear PPE unless advised to do so by a healthcare professional. But if you help someone out occasionally, then this new service is for you, and is designed to help protect some of our most vulnerable members of society.” To access the PPE, contact Leicester Carers’ Support Service on 0116 222 0538 from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. Free PPE will be made available until at least the end of June 2021. For more information, see www.leicester.gov.uk/carers More information on the good hygiene practices we all need to be following can be found at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance Leicester City Council News 11/03/21

Recycled and carbon-friendly products have been used where possible in bypass improvements in Blaby and Market Harborough. Leicestershire County Council is well on the road with its bid to become cleaner and greener – by using recycled and carbon friendly products in its highway improvements. Around 5000 recycled tyres have been used in a special asphalt mix used on the A426 Blaby bypass – and the white lines on one side of the carriageway have been marked out using a cold plastic product which is said to last three times longer than the traditional products used. Highway maintenance work on the A426 Blaby Bypass and the A6 Market Harborough Bypass has been carried out with minimal disruption to motorists. Work at Harborough is now finished and Blaby is nearing completion. The projects included resurfacing and strengthening parts of the road and ‘green’ materials and carbon friendly techniques were used where possible. Warm mix and lower energy materials were used to lay the courses of asphalt, instead of the traditional hot materials, saving around 22 tonnes of carbon. Aggregate Industries have been the principal contractor working on the improvements at Blaby, where a rubber modified asphalt surface which contains 5000 recycled tyres has been used. The special asphalt is supplied by Tarmac and using it is expected to reduce CO2 emissions and means fewer tyres going to landfill. The ‘warm mix’ nature of the product is expected to save 10 tonnes of carbon. Also at Blaby, new environmentally friendly road markings are being trialled. The new product, supplied by MEON, has been installed northbound on the bypass while the southbound carriageway has been marked with traditional thermoplastic road markings, meaning that a direct comparison can be made on the wear and tear of both products. The trial is in line with the council’s pledge to become a carbon neutral council by 2030 and to achieve ‘net zero’ across the county by 2045 – five years sooner than the Government target. A third bypass is next in line for improvements, with work due to begin on the A47 Dodwell’s Road/Normandy Way Hinckley Bypass in the early summer. Across all three bypass projects, Leicestershire County Council are saving a total of 32 tonnes of carbon, the equivalent to the emissions generated by travelling over 165,000 miles in a standard car. The improvements involve resurfacing these roads and have been carried out using £5m of cash from the ‘challenge fund’ allocated by the Department of Transport to assist with Covid-19 recovery. It is not just the new products which are helping to cut emissions; all of the bituminous material removed from the carriageway construction is to be recycled elsewhere. The base asphalt being used contains 25 per cent recycled asphalt and the surface layer 10 per cent. The three projects will together generate over 21,000 tonnes of carriageway material available for recycling and the new materials used on the schemes will incorporate approx. 3,700 tonnes of recycled material. "Using recycled and carbon friendly components for our road improvements emphasises our commitment to improving the environment. Work on both the Blaby and Harborough bypasses is already almost completed with minimal disruption to motorists and I am delighted to see the environmentally-friendly innovations used in this project." Councillor Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member for highways and transport. Leicestershire County Council News Wednesday, 10 March, 2021

Detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are continuing to carry out further enquiries into a multiple-vehicle collision yesterday (Wednesday 10 March) Police were called to a stretch of the motorway between junction 20, for Lutterworth, and junction 21 for Leicester shortly before 6.30pm A number of vehicles – including a BMW 1 Series, 3 Series, Skoda Octavia, Ford Mondeo and a Renault lorry – were involved. One man in his 30s was taken to the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire to be treated for life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital in a serious condition. A number of other people were also taken to hospital as a precaution. Both sides of the motorway were closed to allow officers and other emergency services to attend the scene. They have since reopened. After officers arrived, a 24-year-old man located near the motorway was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop. He remains in custody at this time. Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins, from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) said: “Our investigation into this incident has continued through the night and a number of enquiries are still ongoing. “I would also ask that anyone travelling on the motorway around the time the collision occurred and who saw what happened, has a dashcam in their vehicle or saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision occurring to come forward if you have not already done so. “Any information you have could assist our investigation.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report-a-road-traffic-incident/ and quoting reference 21*137236. Alternatively, call 101.

A cyclist who died following a collision with a van in Desford has been named. The collision happened on Wednesday 3 February on the High Street and involved a cyclist and a grey Peugeot Boxer van. The cyclist, 69-year-old Peta Morris, was taken to hospital in Coventry where she died on Thursday 4 February. A 46-year-old man from Market Bosworth who was arrested in connection with the incident remains under investigation and enquiries are ongoing. Officers are still appealing for information about the incident. Detective Constable Kasie Carter, from force's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision happened close to High Street’s junction with Main Street which is the major route through the village. “I would like to continue to appeal to anyone who was in the area on Wednesday morning and saw what happened – or anyone who was travelling in the area and has a dashcam installed in their vehicle - to get in touch. “Our efforts to establish the circumstances of what happened are very much continuing so if you have any information, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, please contact us as it could help our investigation.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report-a-road-traffic-incident/ and quoting reference 21*69727. Alternatively call 101.

Two men have been sentenced at court after a cannabis factory with over 500 plants was found in Leicester earlier this year. Artinist Cenaj, 22, and Jurgen Dervishi, 27, both of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to the production of class B drugs namely cannabis. They were each sentenced to 20 months in prison at Leicester Crown Court earlier this week. On the morning of 27 January, officers executed a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant at a premises in Henley Road. Once inside the premises, a disused office space, officers discovered in excess of 500 cannabis plants along with cannabis growing equipment. Cenaj and Dervishi were both arrested at the scene and later charged. They were also charged with abstracting electricity, a charge which has since been discontinued at court. PC Phil Longstaff, who was the investigating officer, said the factory was set up on a sophisticated level. He said: “Once inside the premises we have found a well organised set up with a plants at different stages of growth to plants already harvested. “In all, we recovered over 500 plants with a street value of almost £380,000. “As part of the information we received and the investigation carried out by the local neighbourhood team, we were able remove a significant amount of drugs destined for our streets which is an excellent result for those communities most affected by drug use. PC Longstaff added: “I would urge anyone who has information about drug use in their community to contact us. The more information we receive, the better placed we are at tackling that problem and carrying out action such as this.” You can report crime online via https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ Leicestershire Police News 04/03/21

A woman whose death is at the centre of a murder investigation has been named by detectives as Geetika Goyal. Officers were called by a member of the public to Uppingham Close in Leicester at 2.25am yesterday (Thursday) after Geetika, 29, had been found injured lying on the pavement in the street. Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service attended. Sadly Geetika was pronounced dead at the scene. A post mortem examination carried out yesterday concluded Geetika had suffered stab wound injuries. A 28-year-old man, of Leicester, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder in connection with Geetika’s death. He currently remains in police custody. Enquires have been continuing since yesterday to establish the full circumstances of Geetika’s death including CCTV and house to house enquiries. A scene preservation was in place in Uppingham Close yesterday to allow enquiries to be carried out. The scene preservation was removed yesterday evening (Thursday). A scene preservation is also in place at a property in Wintersdale Road as part of enquiries. This currently remains in place. Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area of Uppingham Close or Wintersdale Road, on Wednesday evening or during the early hours of Thursday morning, and who has any information to make contact. This includes anyone who was in the area of Uppingham Road between Uppingham Close and Wintersdale Road. Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, is leading the investigation. She said: “A dedicated team has been carrying out enquiries since yesterday morning to establish the full circumstances of Geetika’s death and how this has happened and we continue to appeal to anyone with any information to make contact with us. “Officers remain with Geetika’s family providing full support. A man arrested on suspicion of murder currently remains in police custody. “We urge anyone who was in Uppingham Close, Wintersdale Road or the surrounding area, including Uppingham Road, between 5pm on Wednesday (3 March) and 2.25am on Thursday (4 March) to think back to anything you saw or heard which could assist our enquiries. Please make contact if you have not already done so. If you have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area, you should also get in touch with us. “Our officers remain in the area today carrying out further enquiries and offering reassurance. I would like to thank the local community for their continued support and co-operation as we continue in this investigation. “If you have any information at all, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please do get in touch with us.” Anyone with any information should contact 101 quoting incident 29 of 4 March. Leicestershire Police News 05/03/21

Leicestershire Police are urging people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to remain vigilant and be wary of a telephone scam currently in operation. Six reports have been received in the past week in which a total of £18,000 has been erroneously handed over. From enquiries carried out so far, many calls follow the below scenario: A cold call is made to a victim by someone claiming to work with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or national insurance and that information is required to be passed on to the police. The call is then ended The victim then receives a further call which is shown to be from 0116 222 2222 – which is the main switchboard number for Leicestershire Police. Please note this number is 'spoofed' - ie faked. Numbers shown on a caller ID are not confirmation or verification of where a call is coming from - the phone is merely displaying what it has been told to say A person claiming to be a police officer then speaks to the victim, stating the victim’s details are being used to open a large number of bank accounts. Threatening language may be use and victims have been told they are in trouble and could be arrested or taken to court The caller then provides a bank account number and asks the victim to transfer money over for ‘safe keeping’ Nicole McIntyre, from the force's Economic Crime Unit, said: “We will never contact you and ask you to transfer funds. “Should you receive a call from the force phone number where someone asks you to send money, please hang up immediately. “You can contact us on 101 should you need to clarify the information. Always leave more than ten seconds between hanging up and dialling out to ensure the original call has terminated. “Please pass this information on to any friends of family members who may not be aware of this scam or who could be particularly vulnerable to the way these criminals operate. If we work together, we can try and prevent more people from falling victim.” If you are a victim of this scam – or know someone who has been – please contact us on 101. You can also report incidents online by visiting. https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ You should also contact your bank immediately. You can also make a report to Action Fraud by visiting. www.actionfraud.police.uk Leicestershire Police News 05/03/21

A man who raped a women he befriended on a night out in the city centre has been found guilty after a trial at Leicester Crown Court. Nathaniel Gray had been at a nightclub in Leicester city centre on the evening of 19 August, 2019, when he started a conversation with the victim and bought her a drink. Around 3am Gray left the premises with the victim and another woman. The woman decided to get a taxi home and Gray offered to walk the victim home. As they were walking along New Walk Gray forced himself on the victim and raped her. She managed to get away and alert a member of staff at a hotel nearby. Gray left the scene before the emergency services arrived. Following a media appeal 29-year-old Gray of Victoria Road East, Leicester, was identified as the suspect, he was arrested and subsequently charged. Today (Friday 5 March) following a five-day trial he was found guilty of rape. He was sentenced to five years and six months in prison. He was also ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Detective Constable Richard Wilson was the investigating officer, he said: “Fortunately the woman who was with the victim and Gray took a photo of him during the evening. Following a social media appeal we were able to locate her and obtain the image. That led officers to quickly identify Gray and arrest him. "The last 18 months have not been easy for the victim, she has shown immense bravery throughout the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings. We hope today’s verdict helps her come to terms with what happened and move on with her life. “We take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and have a dedicated team of officers who specialise in investigating such offences. We would always encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact the police immediately. Victims will be guided through the process by specialist officers and referred to other agencies who can support them in the immediate and long-term.” Leicestershire Police 05/03/21

A woman has today been found guilty a second time of the murder of her partner who was killed in 2016. Emma Magson was found guilty of the murder of James Knight in November 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment ordering her to serve a minimum of 17 years. Following an appeal against her conviction at the Court of Appeal in December 2019, a retrial was ordered which concluded at Birmingham Crown Court today (Friday 5 March) after eight weeks. The jury in the second trial found Magson guilty of murder and she will be sentenced on 29 March 2021. During the early hours of Sunday 27 March 2016, 27-year-old Magson stabbed James in the chest following an argument at her home in Sylvan Street, Leicester. Magson phoned for an ambulance, telling the call taker that James had returned home from a night out and ‘collapsed on her’. She failed to mention he had suffered a stab wound. However she later divulged to witnesses she had caused his injuries and was arrested by officers. A post mortem examination revealed James, who was 26, died from a single stab wound to the chest. Detective Inspector Kenny Henry, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “It has been very disappointing to have to be back in court four years on to see the case be heard before a jury once more. The evidence against Magson continued to be overwhelming and the fact she has been convicted a second time just confirms that. “Understandably James’ family found it incredibly difficult to sit through the first trial and hear her lies and deceit and how Magson effectively sat back and watched James die. It has been horrendous for this to be spoken about in court again. “They have done their best to come to terms with his death but to hear yet again that Magson insisted that James had just collapsed because he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol has been distressing for them. They have been reminded with the fact that it was only some time later that she called an ambulance, and even then, she failed to disclose to the call taker that he had sustained a stab wound, a stab wound which she later admitting causing. “They continue to struggle with the possibility had Magson called an ambulance sooner and told of them of his injury, he could have lived and they wouldn’t be mourning for James, a much loved son and brother.” DI Henry added: “Knife crime can have a devastating effect on families which is why it continues to remain an ongoing priority for the force. Our #LivesNotKnives campaign has been running for a number of years and continues to be committed to reducing knife crime offences. “Domestic abuse also remains a priority for us and as such we remain dedicated to investigating all received reports. We continue to work hard to raise awareness of domestic abuse, including working with partner agencies, to provide support and advice so victims feel able to reach out for help.” For further information about knife crime, visit https://www.leics.police.uk/police-forces/leicestershire-police/areas/leicestershire-force-content/c/campaigns/2019/knife-crime/ For further information about domestic abuse, visit https://www.leics.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/

An additional £1 million is being added to the Covid Winter Grant scheme to support local vulnerable families and individuals who are struggling to cope financially as a direct result of Covid this winter. Leicester’s scheme began on December 1, 2020, with £1.4m of Government funding to support vulnerable working families and individuals to meet the cost of food, energy, water and other essentials to keep warm and fed over the winter. The scheme provided food vouchers to those children who would normally receive fee school meals across the Christmas period and February half term break, to ensure no child went hungry. Nearly 15,000 children across the city received support. Leicester has been in lockdown longer than any other area in the UK, meaning many householders’ incomes have continued to be affected by redundancy or furloughing, even when businesses in other parts of the country were able to open at times last year. Now, the city council has invested a further £1 million of its own resources into the scheme to ensure it can continue to provide help to as many local people as possible until the scheme ends on March 31, 2021. So far more than 2,000 claims have already been paid out with over 1,000 further claims currently being assessed. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “People in Leicester have suffered huge disruption to their family lives for nearly 12 months now, longer than anywhere else in the UK, and many are facing real financial uncertainty. “Last year Marcus Rashford’s fantastic campaign work forced the Government to offer this support, and our additional investment will ensure that help can reach all eligible people who apply. “We’ve been working closely with schools, the voluntary sector and other partners who can help us identify vulnerable households which need help. In many cases they are households which previously were just about managing financially, but for whom redundancy or reduction in income because of Covid has meant they desperately need financial help.” The Leicester Covid Winter Grant Scheme is part of a wider winter support package for families and children. It builds upon Leicester’s holiday hunger programme which has provided similar support to thousands of families over many years. For details of how to apply for help, visit here. Leicester City Council News 01/03/21

A man who sexually assaulted a woman and then sent hundreds of messages to her has been sentenced to five years and two months imprisonment. Wayne Lewis, 48, of Perth Avenue, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Monday) for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to sexual assault and a charge of continuously engaging in behaviour which was controlling or coercive. Lewis, who has previous convictions including for attempted rape and sexual assault and is on the sex offender register and the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), also admitted a breach of the SHPO. Lewis was ordered to serve a total of five years and two months imprisonment. Following that, he will then serve four years and 10 months on extended licence. He was also issued with a 10-year restraining order in relation to the victim and was made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The victim had reported the sexual assault to police and Lewis was arrested and questioned before being bailed in connection with the offence while the investigation continued. Safeguarding support and advice was also provided to the victim. While on bail, it was found Lewis had been attending the victim’s address and used a tablet device to record through a window of her property. Over a period of six days, the defendant was also found to have sent the victim more than 100 messages and across two of those days, he had also made more than 30 phone calls. During a separate two-week period around a month later, he had made more than 200 calls. Continuous messages were also received by the victim on social media. Enquiries were carried out by officers including phone analysis and Lewis was charged in connection with the offences. While he initially denied the allegations in interview, the evidence gathered led to him pleading guilty at court. Investigator, Emma Bailey said: “Lewis committed sexual assault but then continued to send hundreds of messages to the victim and even made recordings at her home. This undoubtedly caused a lot of fear and distress to the victim. “The actions of Lewis are completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any way. Police will investigate any report of this kind, taking action while also providing support to those affected. “My thanks go to the victim for her bravery and co-operation during this investigation which helped us to bring this case to court and I hope this does now allow her to continue moving forward in her life. “We urge anyone who is a victim of a sexual offence or of any kind of controlling or coercive behaviour to make contact with us. We will take your report seriously and full support will be provided to you.” Leicestershire Police News 02/03/21