Officers are investigating after a man was assaulted in a Leicester street on Monday afternoon (25 January). The 40-year-old victim was in his vehicle just off Beech Street around 3.20pm when someone drove at his car. Damage was caused to the vehicle. The victim tried to get away and drove on to Beech Street but due to the icy conditions he wasn’t able to drive away, where the suspect continued to damage the victim’s car. When the victim tried to make off on foot he was assaulted. He sustained a puncture wound to his back. The ambulance service attended the incident but he didn’t receive hospital treatment. The suspect drove off from the area but was arrested nearby. The 25-year-old Leicester man was arrested on suspicion of Grievous Bodily Harm with intent, possession of a bladed article and possession of a Class B drug. He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries. From enquiries conducted so far it’s believed this was an isolated incident. The incident took place in broad daylight and may have been witnessed by people either walking or driving by. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact officers. Also, if anyone has video recording equipment installed in their vehicles they are asked to check the footage and get in touch if they have captured the incident or the events leading up to it. Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC 4265 Vanessa Thomas on 101, quoting crime number 21*53931.

Tracey Smith, Howard Staff’s niece, has released the following statement on behalf of the family after the man convicted of his manslaughter was jailed. “Howard’s family remain heartbroken by his death and even though a year has passed the pain felt by us all is not easing. “Howard was a kind hearted, gentle soul who was always willing to do anything for anyone. “He was with his brother in his own home – a house they shared and a place where he should have been safe - when he was injured. “Howard had limited mobility, he was vulnerable and unable to fight back and defend himself. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him and we cannot forgive Jack Tebbutt for what he did. “Howard’s brother has been left traumatised by what happened and has completely lost his independence. He has lost his closest friend, his companion, his dear brother and has been left feeling incredibly lonely. “It has been a long year waiting for justice to be done but now that it has we may, as a family, be able to begin to rebuild our lives and move forward.” 16:51 26/01/2021

A 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter after an injured pensioner died following a burglary in his own home has been jailed. Jack Tebbutt, of Central Avenue, Wigston, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Crown Court today (Tuesday 26 January) where he was sentenced to five years and 10 months imprisonment. Tebbutt admitted the manslaughter of 66-year-old Howard Staff when he appeared at the same court yesterday. He had pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and a further charge of perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing. An 18-year-old woman, Taylor Williams, admitted her involvement in the incident when she also pleaded guilty to one count of perverting the course of justice at a hearing last year. Williams, of Orson Drive, Wigston, will be sentenced at a later date. Howard Staff, 66, was injured at his home address in Gibson Close, Wigston, on 13 January 2020. His brother, 77, was also inside the address when Tebbutt entered at around 3.20pm. Howard – who was housebound and walked with the aid of a zimmer frame – was on his way to another room when he saw Tebbutt in the hallway. Howard called out to his brother when Tebbutt pushed passed him causing him to fall to the floor where he lay injured. Tebbutt stepped over him and stole a quantity of cash before fleeing the scene. Police and the East Midlands Ambulance Service were called to the address and both men were taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment. Sadly, Howard died in the early hours of the following morning. An investigation was launched with officers carrying out house-to-house enquiries, trawling hours of local CCTV and speaking to witnesses as they worked tirelessly to find who was responsible. As a result of their enquiries Tebbutt and the teenage girl were arrested a week later. Detective Inspector Jonathan Blockley, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), was the senior investigating officer. He said: “Mr Staff was of no threat to anyone. He was a family orientated man who kept himself to himself, and we were determined to find who was responsible. “He was at home when he was assaulted by Tebbutt whose intention to commit burglary was fuelled by monetary gain. “Mr Staff’s family remain devastated by his death, but I can only hope that the fact Tebbutt has admitted his crimes will go some way towards easing their pain knowing that justice has been done.” Two men aged 20, a man aged 22 and a man aged 21, arrested on suspicion of murder were released with no further action Two teenagers, 16, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery were released with no further action Leicestershire Police News 26/01/21

A warning has been issued after a number of elderly people were duped out of large sums of money after being contacted by bogus police officers. Since 10 December last year to date 17 reports of courier fraud have been received by the force. With seven of those victims suffering losses of more than £135,000. During the incidents the victims have received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer who’s investigating counterfeit currency or fraudulent use of the victim’s bank card. One such recent report was received from an Oadby woman in her 80s who was initially contacted in December last year by someone claiming he was a police officer from London who was investigating counterfeit currency. Over a period of time the suspect gained the victim’s trust and subsequently told the victim to withdraw a large sum of money and purchase gold so they can check the money isn’t counterfeit. A courier was then sent to the victim’s home address to collect the gold. The victim lost more than £30,000. In another incident a Knighton man in his 80s was contacted over a period of two weeks in December by someone claiming he was a police officer from London, he said he was investigating fraudulent transactions on the victim’s wife’s bank card. The suspect claimed the bank card was used in a department store to purchase two high value watches. He was told to withdraw a large sum of money from his bank and purchase some gold bars from a local jewellers. Gold bars to the value of £40,000 were purchased and subsequently picked up by a courier. Paul Wenlock from the force’s economic crime unit, said: “We are growing increasingly concerned about these types of offences. Suspects are gaining the victim’s trust over a period of a few weeks and ensuring they don’t speak to anyone about the calls. They sound genuine and victims feel they have no choice but to do as they are told. “These types of offences are borderless crimes, those responsible target victims not necessarily in their own area but across the country. We work closely with forces across the country to ensure any intelligence identified during investigations is shared. “A number of warnings have been issued about these crimes but we know not everyone accesses social media or the internet, so we are asking the public to help us by informing their neighbours or relatives about these offences. “They should be advised that police officers would never contact them in this way. If they are called they should disconnect the call straightaway and report the incident to the police using another telephone, as on some occasions calls can remain connected. “On some occasions suspects will use local taxi or courier companies, who unknowingly accept the job. We would ask that people remain vigilant and if they are contacted to collect packages be mindful of who they are collecting these from if they have any suspicions to report them to the police immediately.” Further advice about these offences can be found on https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/courier-fraud Leicestershire Police News 26/01/21

A man has been sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment after admitting stabbing a man inside a property in Leicester. Jordan Smith, 22, of no fixed address, had stabbed the man to the back during an incident at a property in the Westcotes area of Leicester, on the morning of Saturday 28 November. The 19-year-old male victim, who Smith knew, was taken to hospital at the time where he was treated for his injuries, including receiving stitches, before later being discharged. Yesterday (Monday), at Leicester Crown Court, Smith was sentenced after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Smith had managed to gain access to the property near the Narborough Road area, at around 11am on 28 November. The male victim and a woman, who was also known to Smith, were asleep in the property at the time and the man woke up to find Smith attacking him and reportedly trying to strangle him. The woman tried to help fight the defendant off and the male victim managed to run out of the property where he realised he had been stabbed. The victim managed to stop a car in the street and police were called. In the interests of public and officer safety, armed officers were deployed to the scene. Although Smith had left the scene at the time, he returned shortly after where he was arrested. The knife which was used in the incident was found to have been taken from the kitchen of the property. Officer in the case, Police Constable Holly Barlow said: “Smith’s actions on this night must have terrified the two people in the property and led to one of those people being stabbed to the back and undergoing hospital treatment. “Knife crime will not be tolerated and it is extremely fortunate that the consequences of the night were not far more devastating. “Thanks to the work of officers at the scene and during the investigation, Smith was left with no other option but to admit responsibility. I hope that the guilty plea helps those affected by this incident in some small way as they continue to move forward in their lives.” Leicestershire Police News 26/01/21

A series of online commemorations including talks, recollections and personal experiences relating to the Nazi Holocaust are be held this week as part of international Holocaust Memorial Day. The event, on January 27 each year, is a chance for people to reflect on genocides around the world, from the Nazi persecution of Jews in the Second World War, to more recent atrocities in Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and Cambodia. Leicester City Council’s website is hosting a range of online commemorations which are taking place this year, which can be accessed here. They include a talk by renowned historian Professor Aubrey Newman, who founded the University of Leicester’s Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust Studies, and video clips of local pupils from English Martyrs Catholic School and Madani Schools Federation talking about their research and experiences of visiting the notorious Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, in Poland. A selection of evocative classical music played by pupils at English Martyrs Catholic School is also available online, as well as the chance to hear the story of Holocaust survivor Benjamin Abeles, who died aged 95 in December 2020. The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations is “Be The Light In The Darkness.” As part of that, people across Leicester have submitted personal photographs and artwork which will be available to view through Leicester City Council’s social media channels. Leicester Lord Mayor Cllr Annette Byrne said: “Although the Holocaust itself may seem like a long time ago, the issues of persecution and genocide are still very relevant in today’s world. “Holocaust Memorial Day is therefore an important chance to remember all those, anywhere in the world, whose lives have been touched by such examples of people’s inhumanity to others. “The coronavirus restrictions affecting us all mean we cannot hold our usual commemorations, but the creativity and thought that has gone into creating these very poignant online alternatives mean people can still get involved in reflecting on these stark lessons from history, and appreciating their importance in the present day.” Leicester City Council’s programme of commemorations can be found here. Details of international Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations can be found here. Leicester City Council News 25/01/21

Heavy snow and icy conditions meant a busy weekend for Leicestershire County Council’s gritters, which have been out and about across the region since Saturday evening. As well as repeatedly gritting roads on 17 routes across the county, the highways' teams also attended a number of call-outs, including some road closures. Crews are monitoring the weather throughout the day and highways’ teams will be out in force again tonight as more freezing temperatures are forecast. The county council has a total of 23 dedicated gritters covering 17 routes, who go out spreading roughly 170 tonnes of rock salt. Efforts are also made to grit one route into most villages where possible. But although salt helps prevent ice, it can’t melt snow or stop snow falling on top, so motorists are advised to remain cautious. "Our highways team has been exceptionally busy over the past few days and our gritters have been out and about doing all they can to ensure major roads and key routes are gritted to keep our road network moving and to do all they can to keep drivers safe on our roads. We monitor the weather closely and our gritting teams will continue to be out and about throughout this cold snap." Trevor Pendleton, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport This year, the council’s grit barns are stocked up with 18,000 tonnes of rock salt, ready to tackle the worst of the winter weather. Community snow wardens also do their bit by gritting paths and local farmers help out by fitting snow ploughs to their tractors and helping the council to clear roads where necessary. Around 20 teams have been involved in putting down salt by hand in town centres, particularly around key public locations. The snowy weather has also affected some services. Some of the county’s waste sites are currently closed until further notice due to the freezing weather conditions. Please check before setting off if you have made a booking for Monday or Tuesday or consider if you can rebook for later this week. Check out the gritting routes Click Here Residents are also reminded to check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours who may need extra help during the cold weather. Thanks to Jo and her kids from Asfordby for the pictures of the showmen.

A man has been arrested in connection with a reported cyber-attack at Welland Park School, Market Harborough. Officers received a report of a major IT outage at the school on Monday 18 January that prevented the school from delivering remote learning and accessing material to support the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children who are attending school. It was subsequently discovered that a sophisticated cyber-attack had occurred which affected personal devices that connected to the school’s network. 92 personal devices have been affected. Officers from the force’s Cyber Crime Unit are investigating the incident and a 28-year-old man from Wellingborough has been arrested under section 1 and 3 of the Computer Misuse Act. He has since been released under investigation and enquiries are continuing. Officers worked round the clock with the school and Microsoft to remove the threat to personal devices, which was swiftly achieved and work is continuing to restore the school’s IT capability as quickly as possible. There is currently no evidence of any data exfiltration. Officers would like to thank school staff, parents and pupils for their support and cooperation during this investigation. Anyone who has been affected should contact admin@wellandparkacademy.com. Leicestershire Police News 22/01/21

Hassan Jama Following the sentencing of Ishaq Hassanjee this afternoon, Hassan Jama’s family have released this statement: “Hassan was both a son and a kind, loving brother who always looked out for both his siblings and other people. “He always put others before himself and those who knew him will remember him as a kind-hearted soul. He was always happy and appreciated everything life had to offer. His future was bright. He was studying accounting and finance at university and wanted to make something of himself. “Hassan’s death has had a huge impact on all of us, particularly as he was taken away at such a young age. He was a huge part of our family and was especially close to his twin brother. They were best friends and always looked out for one another. “We will never fully come to terms with our loss and Hassan’s death will have a lifelong impact on all of us. He died close to where he lived and we still find it difficult to walk down the street where we live. “But Hassan will always be in our hearts and is – and will always be – missed dearly. We’ll be sure to carry his name and legacy on forever.” Leicestershire Police News 22/01/21

An 18-year-old man has been sentenced after being found guilty of murder following a stabbing in the Highfields area of Leicester last year. Ishaq Hassanjee Ishaq Hassanjee was convicted today (Friday 22 January) following a trial at Leicester Crown Court. He was sentenced to custody for life, and must serve a minimum of 19 years. He pleaded guilty to possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place at the start of the trial. Shortly before 2.30am on Saturday 18 July, police were called to Bartholomew Street following a report a man had been stabbed. Officers were immediately deployed to the scene and spotted Hassanjee, of Bartholomew Street, nearby. As he had blood on his clothing, he was promptly arrested. Despite the courageous efforts of police and colleagues from the East Midlands Ambulance Service the victim – 19-year-old Hassan Jama – died in nearby Myrtle Road a short time later. Following Hassanjee’s arrest, a search of the area led to two knives being recovered, both of which had blood on them. One knife was found near to Mr Jama in Myrtle Road, while another was found hidden in an alleyway in Bartholomew Street. As enquiries continued, officers from the East Leicester Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA) distributed leaflets appealing for information, printed in English, Somali, Gujarati and Punjabi. Extra patrols were also in operation to provide reassurance to the Highfields community. A number of witnesses were spoken to who reported hearing an altercation in the street. Some said they saw Hassanjee lunge towards Mr Jama, who then shouted to Hassanjee as he fled on foot.o They reported that Mr Jama ran to Myrtle Road, but collapsed as a result of the fatal injury he sustained. Detective Inspector Nicole Main, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) major crime team, was the senior investigating officer. She said: “First and foremost I would like to say that my thoughts today very much remain with Mr Jama’s family and loved ones. “While I know that today’s outcome will not bring back a loving son and brother, I hope the verdict reached by the jury and sentenced handed down to Hassanjee will go some way to allowing the family to move forward and continue their grieving process “This horrific crime also had a significant impact on residents within the Highfields community and I hope they too can take reassurance from today’s outcome. “I would like to take the opportunity to thank my colleagues in force who were quick to arrive on the scene, resulting in Hassanjee being arrested almost immediately. I would also like to thank officers and staff from across the region who assisted with our subsequent enquiries that meant he has today been brought to justice.” As part of the investigation, a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Gloucester on 19 July. He was later released with no further action. Leicestershire Police News 22/01/21

Police would like to thank people for staying at home, protecting the NHS and staying safe. During this lockdown, which for some is the toughest yet, the majority of people are complying with the rules and working together to keep each other safe. This week the UK death toll reached its highest. Hospitals and medical staff are under increasing pressure. The hope was that the pandemic could not get worse, it is now clear that the NHS are inundated with Covid patients like never before. Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith said: “We are all doing this together and our officers are supporting the NHS effort as best we can. "We are really grateful for all of those people who are staying in and not taking risks. By doing this you are enabling us to do our job tackling crime and supporting victims. "We have certainly seen an increase in reports to us of Covid rule breaches and therefore as a result we are handing out more Fixed Penalty Notices. We share the public’s frustration that the small minority are still taking terrible risks but we continue to police to keep people safe.” Since 4 January, officers have issued a total of 361 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to the value of £72,200. There have been a further 1,246 reports of Covid incidents to police and there were a staggering 22 assaults on police. Since 23 March 2020, Leicestershire Police has given out a total of 1,298 FPNs and has received a total of 20,996 reports of Covid incidents. This is around 488 average reports a week. Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith added: “With vaccine programmes rolling out and there finally being a glimmer of hope, we want the public to continue to contact us, via the website or 101, and tell us where people are ignoring the rules . "Police officers risk their lives every day and I know how much they appreciate the support of the public, allowing them to tackle crime in our city and counties.” The following outlines examples of breaches to show where police are giving out FPNs between 4 - 22 January: On 10 January, a man was travelling from Nottingham to Leicester to see a friend – they stated they were not aware they could not travel On 13 January, a man from Sweptstone Road, Heather, who should have been isolating having tested positive for Covid, was picked up by his girlfriend and went to get a takeaway On 13 January, three people not from same household were found in a car ‘just chillin’ in Loughborough. Fines were issued On 15 January, a man had driven from Birmingham to see an uncle and friends and also with two other passengers not from the same household On 15 January, officers attend an address in Leicester with six people ‘extremely intoxicated’ not from the same household On 15 January, a vehicle was stopped in Glenfield. The occupants had travelled there from London. It was discovered one passenger was wanted on another matter and was therefore arrested. On 16 January, men travelled from London to Leicester with no reasonable excuse to stay overnight with a friend On 16 January, officers attended an address to find a number of people with a bonfire playing darts. One male was aggressive and swore at officers. Fines were given On 16 January, a driver and three friends from different households travelled from Coventry to Leicester – unable to give an excuse so all fined On 16 January, a party at an address in Cambridge Street, Leicester On 17 January, a private address in Narborough was found to be having a birthday party – six people in attendance. Four fined whereas two men ran from police out of the back of the property On 17 January, two men, not from the same household were found in the same car in Oadby. They met to watch a football match together on their phone. They were given FPNs On 17 January, offficers attended an address in Leicester to find the owner had invited his friends around for a curry. They stated they were aware of the rules but came around anyway. They were all fined Correction notice: Please note that we stated in a press release published on 1 January that we issued six £10,000 fines over the New Year period. This was incorrect due to the data being recorded incorrectly on our systems. We have now put checks in place to ensure this does not happen again. The overall total of £10,000 fines Leicestershire has issued is 15. The fines on New Year's Eve were all standard fines of £200. Leicestershire Police News 22/01/2021

British Gas workers are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate, says GMB Union Day six of the British Gas strike was ‘rock solid’ as an estimated 7,000 workers downed tools over the company’s plan to sack them all. Meanwhile angry engineers across the country are set to burn new contracts – which they have been told they must sign, or be fired in March. Members across the country - picketing at their vans due to the pandemic - will be filming and photographing their contracts being burned at the same time. British Gas engineers and staff voted overwhelmingly by 89% to strike after boss of parent company Centrica Chris O’Shea threatened to fire them all if they didn’t “accept” cuts to pay and terms and conditions.  The strikes provoked by the company have caused massive disruption already – with an estimated 100,000 homes waiting for service across the country.  British Gas parent company Centrica reported an operating profit of £901 million in 2019. The operating profitability of its UK home heating business rose by 27 per cent in the first six months of 2020. Engineers and other workers will also down tools on January 22, 25, 29, 30, 31 and February 1 in anger as profitable British Gas provokes further disruption for its customers. Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary, said:  “GMB members at British Gas are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate - as well as other changes. “This is yet another attempt get through to Mr O’Shea that staff accepting cuts of this magnitude in a profitable company is wishful thinking in the extreme. “British Gas has provoked disruption to more than 100,000 households already in the backlog for services. That number will grow due to the seven new strike dates. “The company needs to put customers and staff first by abandoning wishful thinking and taking ‘fire and rehire’ off the table. Join us in sending a message of support to GMB members facing the prospect of having new contracts imposed on them. Send your solidarity for the Gas Engineers click here