Police are asking for help to identify a man who accosted a teenager in the street in Kidderminster and accused him of picking up £20 he had lost.

Witnesses are also sought following the incident which happened in Bromsgrove Street at about 5.45pm on Monday, 16 June.

A 17-year-old student was walking alone near the Lion Hotel when he was initially approached by a man who asked if he had seen £20. The teenager replied that he hadn’t and carried on walking but as he reached the car park opposite the health centre the man approached him again, swore at him and accused him of picking up money which belonged to him.

The man ordered him to turn out his pockets, which the student eventually did, and then searched him although nothing was taken.

The offender then walked of towards the Lion Hotel. He was white, appeared to be in his 30s and was about 5 feet 11 inches in height, of medium build with short, straight dark brown hair and had facial stubble. He was wearing a short-sleeved grey shirt and blue jeans.

PC Helen Stark, who is investigating, said: “The student, who did not know this man, felt very intimidated during this incident which lasted for more than 20 minutes. A couple who were standing nearby may well have seen what was happening and I would urge them to come forward and contact us along with anyone else who witnessed this or can help us trace the man involved.”

Anyone with information should call officers at Kidderminster Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting the incident reference 703-S-160614. Details may also be passed on anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk-org.

Police are asking for help to identify a man who accosted a teenager in the street in Kidderminster and accused him of picking up £20 he had lost.

Witnesses are also sought following the incident which happened in Bromsgrove Street at about 5.45pm on Monday, 16 June.

A 17-year-old student was walking alone near the Lion Hotel when he was initially approached by a man who asked if he had seen £20. The teenager replied that he hadn’t and carried on walking but as he reached the car park opposite the health centre the man approached him again, swore at him and accused him of picking up money which belonged to him.

The man ordered him to turn out his pockets, which the student eventually did, and then searched him although nothing was taken.

The offender then walked of towards the Lion Hotel. He was white, appeared to be in his 30s and was about 5 feet 11 inches in height, of medium build with short, straight dark brown hair and had facial stubble. He was wearing a short-sleeved grey shirt and blue jeans.

PC Helen Stark, who is investigating, said: “The student, who did not know this man, felt very intimidated during this incident which lasted for more than 20 minutes. A couple who were standing nearby may well have seen what was happening and I would urge them to come forward and contact us along with anyone else who witnessed this or can help us trace the man involved.”

Anyone with information should call officers at Kidderminster Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting the incident reference 703-S-160614. Details may also be passed on anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk-org.

More than 70 cans and bottles of beer, cider and spirits have been seized during police anti-social behaviour patrols in the Chesterfield area.

Officers from the local Safer Neighbourhood policing teams stopped around 60 underage drinkers in the Queen’s Park and Holmebrook Valley Park area on Friday, June 13.

The youngsters were sent home and alcohol warning letters will be delivered to parents. A 16-year-old boy was taken home to his parents because officers believed he was too drunk to get himself home safely.

Police are now asking parents to make sure they know what their children are doing when they are out and reminding all adults that it is an offence to buy or supply alcohol to under 18s.

The penalty for anyone caught buying alcohol for an under 18 is an on the spot fixed penalty notice of £90, which could rise to £1000 if the case goes through to court.

Inspector John Turner, who is in charge of policing in the Chesterfield Borough area, said: “Underage drinking and anti-social behaviour is something that we continue to target alongside partnership agencies. It isn’t just about punishing those drinking below the legal age limit; it’s also to protect them from getting into harmful situations and possibly causing a nuisance to other members of the community.

“I am pleased that we confiscated such a large amount of alcohol that could have been consumed by underage teens with potentially dangerous consequences.”

Insp. Turner added: “I would encourage parents to make sure they know where there children will be while they are out with friends, and that they are aware of the all risks and possible consequences of drinking alcohol underage and to excess.

“We would also like to remind all adults that if you provide or buy alcohol for a youngster then you are breaking the law. You risk a fine and even prosecution, but more importantly you are putting their safety at risk.”

To contact your local Safer Neighbourhood policing team call 101 or emailchesterfield.neighbourhoods@derbyshire.pnn.police.uk.

Police in Derby are appealing for witnesses to two assaults linked to an incident in the George Cross pub on Boyer Street in Derby.

Officers were called to the pub just after midnight on Sunday June 15 to a report that a woman had been seriously injured. They found a 23-year-old Spondon woman, who has been allegedly hit by a pool ball, suffering from a fractured jaw.

A 30-year-old man, a 23-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, who are all from Derby, were arrested and questioned in connection with the incident.  The 30-year-old man was released without charge but the two 23-year-olds have been released on police bail while further inquiries are made.

An officer, who attended the scene, was also injured.  He chased a suspect down Drewry Lane and was allegedly pushed from behind.  He fell and broke his arm.

Anyone who was in the pub that night or who saw the incident in Drewry Lane should contact PC Mick Donegan on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Detectives investigating a robbery at a house in Shirebrook in January have re-appealed for witnesses or information.

At around 8.25pm on Saturday, January 25, two men walked into a house in Field Drive and an argument broke out between them and the two men and one woman inside.

One of the burglars fired a shot into the wall and the two men stole cash before driving off in a car. No one was injured.

The man with the gun is described as 5ft 7ins tall and stocky. He wore a black balaclava and dark clothing.

His accomplice was 5ft 10ins tall and wore a green military style jacket, dark trousers and a black balaclava. He was holding a knife.

Both men are white.

A small, light-coloured hatchback car was seen in the area that night. It had distinctive writing on the back, similar to graffiti.

Three men aged 32, 34 and 45, who are all from Nottinghamshire, have been arrested, questioned and released on police bail while the police investigation continues.

Anyone with information, who has seen the car or who was in the area of the night of the offence should call police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A drink driver who blew almost five times the legal alcohol limit has been jailed for a head-on smash that left another motorist with serious chest injuries.

Mantus Siskus was behind the wheel of a Ford Focus when it collided with a Vauxhall Corsa in Evans Street, Wolverhampton, just before 9.30am on December 8 last year.

The 26-year-old Lithuanian national – who was taken from the scene on a spinal board after slamming into the windscreen – provided a roadside specimen registering 187 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal drink-drive limit is 35mg.

Siskus was released from hospital following treatment in the early hours of December 9 and provided another breath test and blood sample at a police station – both of which showed he was still over the limit almost 17 hours after the crash.

He went on to admit dangerous driving, drink driving and driving without insurance or a valid licence – and at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday (11 June) he was jailed for 15 months.

Inspector Greg Jennings from West Midlands Police’s traffic unit, said: “This was an extreme case: to be five times over the limit and still drunk 17 hours later he must have consumed a huge amount of alcohol before getting behind the wheel. It’s scary to imagine what condition he would have been in when trying to drive.

“Anyone who drives after drinking alcohol puts themselves and others at risk as their focus and reaction times become blurred. He’s rightly been handed a jail term – his actions could easily have had fatal consequences.”

When officers arrived at the crash scene they found Siskus, a farm worker living in Nine Elms Lane, Park Village, staggering at the roadside and two men in the Corsa seriously hurt.

The 20-year-old passenger was taken to a specialist heart unit at a Liverpool hospital after suffering serious chest injuries whilst the driver, also 20, suffered a broken thigh. A 44-year-old man travelling in the Focus alongside Siskus suffered only minor cuts and grazes.

Insp Jennings, added: “”People need to understand the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It’s far more than just the risk of imprisonment, heavy fines and driving bans: it ruins lives and can leave innocent people dead or seriously hurt.

“There are still too many people who think it’s OK to drink and drive but the truth is the only safe level of drinking when you are planning to drive is zero, because any amount of alcohol will impair your ability to drive safely.

“The warning is particularly relevant this summer with late World Cup kick-offs and the risk of people driving the morning after drinking whilst still over the limit – or people driving home after watching games at pubs.

Detectives investigating a rape that occurred in 2010 are re- appealing for information.

Officers are continuing a lengthy inquiry into allegations made by a woman, who was 50 years old at the time, that she was raped in her home on Westlea in Clowne.

The offence happened sometime between 1.45am and 2.10am on Thursday 26^thAugust 2010 and despite extensive enquiries by Derbyshire officers the offender has not been traced.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Finnegan said: “We have forensic evidence which we hope will help us build a case against the offender or eliminate any innocent suspects.

“During the past few years we have carried out DNA screening of local men but have so far not succeeded in identifying a suspect.

“It’s vitally important that we try everything we can to get justice for the victim in this case.  If anyone has any information that would lead us to the offender they can contact me by ringing 101 or pass information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

A drink driver who blew almost five times the legal alcohol limit has been jailed for a head-on smash that left another motorist with serious chest injuries.

Mantus Siskus was behind the wheel of a Ford Focus when it collided with a Vauxhall Corsa in Evans Street, Wolverhampton, just before 9.30pm on December 8 last year.

The 26-year-old Lithuanian national – who was taken from the scene on a spinal board after slamming into the windscreen – provided a roadside specimen registering 187 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal drink-drive limit is 35mg.

Siskus was released from hospital following treatment in the early hours of December 9 and provided another breath test and blood sample at a police station – both of which showed he was still over the limit several hours later.

He went on to admit dangerous driving, drink driving and driving without insurance or a valid licence – and at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday (11 June) he was jailed for 15 months.

Inspector Greg Jennings from West Midlands Police’s traffic unit, said: “This was an extreme case: to be five times over the limit and still drunk several hours later he must have consumed a huge amount of alcohol before getting behind the wheel. It’s scary to imagine what condition he would have been in when trying to drive.

“Anyone who drives after drinking alcohol puts themselves and others at risk as their focus and reaction times become blurred. He’s rightly been handed a jail term – his actions could easily have had fatal consequences.”

When officers arrived at the crash scene they found Siskus, a farm worker living in Nine Elms Lane, Park Village, staggering at the roadside and two men in the Corsa seriously hurt.

The 20-year-old passenger was taken to a specialist heart unit at a Liverpool hospital after suffering serious chest injuries whilst the driver, also 20, suffered a broken thigh. A 44-year-old man travelling in the Focus alongside Siskus suffered only minor cuts and grazes.

Insp Jennings, added: “People need to understand the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It’s far more than just the risk of imprisonment, heavy fines and driving bans: it ruins lives and can leave innocent people dead or seriously hurt.

“There are still too many people who think it’s OK to drink and drive but the truth is the only safe level of drinking when you are planning to drive is zero, because any amount of alcohol will impair your ability to drive safely.

“The warning is particularly relevant this summer with late World Cup kick-offs and the risk of people driving the morning after drinking whilst still over the limit – or people driving home after watching games at pubs.

“The message is getting through: figures from the last drink drive campaign at Christmas showed a fall in the percentage of people testing positive, failing or refusing to provide breath samples compared to the previous season. It’s vital we continue this reduction.”

DCI Darren Harding, Senior Investigating Officer in the Johnson Murder Investigation, said: “Early on Monday 16 June detectives from the Major Investigation Team arrested a 49 -year-old Stoke-on-Trent man in connection with the ongoing investigation into the murder of Steven Johnson in 1990.

 A man is in custody this morning after a firearms incident in Stoke overnight. 

Police were called at around 1.05am on Thursday 19 June and it was reported that three people were struck by suspected air rifle pellets in the area of Campbell Place.

They suffered minor injuries but didn’t require medical treatment. 

Both armed and unarmed officers attended the area and began carrying out extensive searches to trace the suspect working with colleagues from the Dog Support Unit and Tactual Policing Unit. 

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was used as part of this process to allow officers to carry out thorough searches of roof spaces in the area (see photograph).   

A number of roads were closed in the area as a safety precaution and we would like to thank local people travelling to work for their patience while we bought this incident to a safe conclusion. 

A 27-year-old man from Stoke-on-Trent has been arrested and he remains in custody for questioning. 

Fortunately, incidents of this type are very rare in Stoke and Staffordshire. When we’re dealing with incidents of this nature our first priority is the safety of the general public. 

We use specially trained officers who are experienced in dealing with difficult situations to make sure we resolve the incident safely. 

If you have any concerns, or information about the incident, please contact us on 101, quoting incident number 38 of June 19, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. 

Police are investigating the death of a man at a house in Selkirk Street, Chaddesden.

Emergency services were called to the house at around 4.30 this morning (Friday June 20) where they found the man suffering from injuries.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A team of detectives will be working on the case and forensic specialists are already examining the scene.

No further details can be released until the man’s next of kin have been informed of his death.

Anyone with information that would help the police should ring 101 or call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

Members of an independent group established by Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis have now turned the spotlight on vital work carried out to check on people in custody.

The Ethics, Transparency and Audit (ETA) Committee was launched under the new dawn of transparency agenda by Mr Ellis and aims for Staffordshire to be the most open and transparent police force in the country, an ambition which is shared by the Chief Constable.

An independent body, the panel is made up of local people and is one of the Commissioner’s drivers that opens the police to even greater public scrutiny. It has been provided with wide powers by the PCC and puts decisions by Staffordshire Police under the spotlight, as well as those made by the PCC.

After shining the spotlight on crime recording and forensics, committee members yesterday (Thursday) turned their attention to reports by Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) which are submitted about every detainee visited.

ICVs are volunteers appointed by the PCC to check on the wellbeing of people in held in custody by Staffordshire Police. The 47 volunteers make regular, unannounced visits to custody sites throughout the year.

ETA members looked at 2013/14 ICV reports which included details about visits to detainees and any issues that needed addressing by custody staff. The initial findings were that ICVs’ work is effective but there needed to be greater consistency in the preparation of reports and that consideration should be given to increasing the number of visits during the early hours of the morning. The committee will also look in more detail at how ICV’s recommendations are followed up by custody staff.

Mr Ellis said: “This is the latest valuable piece of work by the ETA and is exactly what they are here for – to open up the police to even greater public scrutiny.

“Custody visitors play a pivotal role in making sure people are treated properly in custody and are essential in promoting public confidence in how the police work.

“Honest and independent scrutiny by the public is crucial as we strive to set the bar higher and create a new dawn of transparency in policing.

“This panel has already used its wide-ranging and rigorous powers to scrutinise crime recording and forensics to make sure decisions made by the police are correct and in the victims’ best interests. We’re looking for more members of the public to step forward and get involved in this vital work.”

People interested in joining the committee can find more details at www.staffordshire-
pcc.gov.uk/eta

Three men are due to appear in court, accused of stealing lead from the roof of a care home in Halesowen.

Police were called late on 27 May after a passerby had spotted a group of men up ladders, allegedly stripping lead off the roof of Halesowen Project for the Elderly on the town’s Queensway.

Dudley Police were quickly despatched to the scene and stopped three men nearby. The trio were arrested and earlier today (20 June) the suspects were charged with theft.

Mark Bilsby, aged 49 and from Naggersfield Road, Brierley Hill, David Fletcher, aged 21 and from Junction Road, Lye and Jamie Bourne, aged 34 and also from Junction Road, Lye will appear before Dudley Magistrates Court on 15 July.

Stuart Lowe began his crime spree in February when he knocked on the door of a Tettenhall man who had put ‘for sale’ sign in the window of his £9,000 Mercedes.

The 36-year-old used the ruse of being a potential buyer and asked the owner’s brother-in-law, who was in the house at the time, for a closer look.

Eager for a sale, the unsuspecting victim obliged and started the engine for Lowe, who then jumped in the driver’s seat and casually sped away into the distance.

He struck again on 12 March, this time arranging to meet the owner of a Porsche Boxter, who’d put his car up for sale for £9,000 on Auto Trader.

Lowe used the pseudonym ‘Steve’ and called using a pay-as-you-go SIM card in a bid to avoid detection.
When he arranged to see the car at the victim’s workplace on Bridgnorth Road he sat in the driver’s seat with the engine running and asked for a test drive.

But as the seller moved some clothes from the passenger seat and took them into his shop, Lowe again sped away.

Detectives began to link the offences when Lowe, of no fixed address, targeted a third unsuspecting seller on the afternoon of 20 March in Farm Road, Wolverhampton.

This time he had his eyes on a £7,000 Audi A3 and again, using exactly the same story, drove away effortlessly after asking the owner to start the engine.

Police enquiries led to him being named as a suspect; he was then picked out of an identity parade by all three victims and arrested on 23 May.

In interview he admitted stealing all three cars for a ‘joyride’ but claims he never made any financial gain from selling them.

He also confessed to four other offences and so was sentenced to 29 months for seven thefts of motor vehicles when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday (18 June).

None of the vehicles have ever been recovered.

Sergeant Matt Cooper, from Wolverhampton Police, said: “Lowe was an arrogant thief who was so cocky he made appointments to steal his cars. He deserves the lengthy sentence that’s been handed to him.

“There are crooks out there who think nothing of taking other people’s property but we’re always on to them and we’ll do everything in our power to lock them up and put them before the courts.

“Most people are of course genuine when they are buying or selling cars but this should serve as a reminder to be vigilant.

“You should never let the buyer go on a test drive on their own and don’t leave them alone with the keys in the ignition.

“It’s always a good idea to ask the person for proof of their identity and if you you’re worried about your safety, don’t meet people alone.”

The Citizens Advice Bureau has advice on selling your car privately.

Shropshire Council’s Public Health Team have issued a warning about a dangerous new ‘designer’ drug which is believed to be in circulation in the county and has been implicated in deaths elsewhere in the UK and abroad.

The drug, called 4,4-DMAR (Paramethyl-4-methylaminorex), is not currently a banned substance but has been mixed with other controlled drugs with fatal consequences. Its presence has been detected following the deaths of more than 20 people in Northern Ireland and others in Hungary.

Intelligence has now revealed that the drug may be being supplied in Shropshire, sparking concern that it might also be available in other parts of West Mercia and Warwickshire. This is the first time it has appeared in the Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police alliance area.

Detective Inspector Tom Harding said that 4,4-DMAR was sometimes supplied as crystal miaow and was also passed off in white powder form as cocaine. It has also been seized abroad in the form of speckled brown tablets with a cherry or cross motif on them.

Taking 4,4-DMAR can cause serious side effects including psychotic symptoms, hyperthermia, foaming at the mouth, breathing problems and cardiac arrest, especially after a high dose or in combination with other drugs.

Det Insp Harding said: “This new psychoactive substance is potentially lethal and we have reason to believe that it is for sale in and around Shropshire, and possibly elsewhere.

“Such drugs are known as ‘legal highs’ but just because they are not currently banned does not mean they are not dangerous. Taking them in combination or mixed with other controlled or illegal drugs could have tragic consequences. That has already been highlighted by the deaths in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.

“People who are involved in taking such substances need to be aware of the danger posed by this and we would appeal to anyone who knows anything about the supply of 4,4-DMAR or illegal drugs to contact the police immediately on the non-emergency number 101.

“We realise there are some people who may not want to talk to us directly and would wish to remain anonymous, in which case I would urge them to contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Details can also be passed to Crimestoppers online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Shropshire Council’s Public Health Team urge anyone who has taken any substance that resembles this legal high and starts to experience any adverse effects such as rapid heart rate, to seek medical assistance immediately.

If you, or any one you know is having any problems with any legal highs or illegal drugs and want help, please contact the Community Substance Misuse Team on 01743 258800.

Burglars got into a house in Ellesmere, Shropshire, during the night, stole sets of keys and made off with a family car and gardening equipment valued at nearly £12, 500.

The theft took place sometime between 11pm on Wednesday 18 June and 7.45am on Thursday 19 June 2014 from the property in Oak Drive, Ellesmere.

The owners woke up to find a window and door of their home open and their car, a grey Vauxhall Astra SRi CDTi which had been parked in the street outside the house, was missing.

They also discovered a handbag had been taken from the house, while a Husqvarna petrol strimmer and a Stihl hedge cutter were missing from the garden shed.

Detective Constable Robert Buxton from police in Shrewsbury said: “We want to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious behaviour in Oak Drive overnight on Wednesday 18 June and anyone who saw or knows the location of the grey Vauxhall Astra to contact us.

“We are also urging anyone who has been offered gardening equipment matching those items described to get in touch.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Buxton on the non emergency number 101 quoting incident number 115s 190614.

Alternatively information can be passed on anonymously by calling the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or completing its online form by logging on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Three people have been given custodial sentences for perverting the course of justice in the investigation to find the killer of Andrew Heath, who was killed in an arson attack in Worcester in December 2011.

Mr Heath, aged 52, was found dead following a major fire at his flat in Chedworth Close, Warndon, which occurred at around 4am on Wednesday 14 December, 2011.

Three wheelie bins were placed in the porch of his maisonette’s front door and set alight, which caused a fire that gutted the property and killed Mr Heath.

Last year, Daniel Martin, aged 25 and previously of Canterbury Road, Ronkswood, Worcester, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

At the same court today, Martin’s mother, sister and sister’s partner were all sentenced for perverting the course of justice after providing false information to detectives in attempts to protect Martin.

Teresa Martin, aged 46 and of Rodborough Drive, Worcester, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for providing false witness statements after pleading guilty on 31 March.

She lied to detectives about her son’s whereabouts in three interviews where she claimed he was at her home until at least 4.30am on the morning of the fire; however it was proved the fire was started by Martin at around 3.30am.

Following a trial in October 2013, Sarah Martin, aged 27, and her partner Matthew Davies, aged 30, both of Maple Avenue, Worcester, were found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Martin lied to officers on a number of occasions about her and her brother Danny’s whereabouts the morning of the fire while Davies was found guilty of providing a false statement claiming he knew nothing about the fire or Danny’s involvement, which was later proved to be untrue. At his trial he refused to give evidence in court or to enter the witness box.

Martin was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and Davies to 10 months.

Detective Superintendent Paul Williamson, who led the investigation into Heath’s death, said: “Those who lie to the police, especially on such a serious case where someone has been killed, will have to face the consequences.

“Despite the main offender in this case, Daniel Martin, admitting he killed Andrew Heath, this has not stopped us pursuing those who have lied to the police in an attempt to protect him.

“We warned the defendants, in person and through the media, that if they did try to shield Martin they would be prosecuted, but they did not heed these warnings.

“Even though they are family members, we expect such loyalties to be put to one side when it comes to facing justice, especially for committing such a serious crime as manslaughter.

“These sentences follow the imprisonment of three men in March 2013 for attempting to intimidate witnesses in the case via social media. I hope our actions show anyone contemplating trying to disrupt the court or justice systems that the police and the courts do not take such activity lightly and they will be punished for their actions.”

All three defendants have already served enough time in prison on remand or on a tag that they have completed their sentences and as such have been released from custody.

West Mercia Police have released the following statement after a former officer was jailed for two counts of misconduct in a public office. Ian Langford, 46 of Church Street, Tewkesbury will serve 18 months in prison. He was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court today.

Detective Andy Gough of West Mercia Police’s Professional Standards Department said: “We expect our entire workforce to behave professionally and with the utmost integrity at all times. It should be remembered that the vast majority of our officers and staff conduct themselves to the highest standards, following our Code of Ethics as the norm.

“Where an individual chooses to ignore those expected standards of behaviour we take the matter very seriously and, as in this case, it can lead to dismissal.

“The investigation into this matter demonstrates the robust position that we take towards any wilful wrongdoing by police officers and hope the outcome reassures the public that such matters are investigated thoroughly and that such behaviour will not be accepted.”

The officer involved, who was based at Ledbury Police Station at the time of the offences, was suspended from duties during the investigation and subsequently dismissed from West Mercia Police on 2nd May 2014.

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman suffered stab wounds in an incident in Derby.

Police were called to an address in Olivier Street at about 9.20pm on Sunday, June 22 after reports that a 30-year-old woman had been stabbed.

A woman was treated at the scene and taken to hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening.

A 38-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and has now been charged.

Dariusz Pszczola, of Olivier Street, Derby, appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, June 24 and was remanded in custody.

He will appear at Derby Crown Court at a later date.

A prolific thief who broke into vehicles across the St Peter’s and Park areas of Wolverhampton is beginning a three-and-a-half year jail term.

Marvin Downie targeted cars and vans between 14 and 19 May this year stealing sat navs, stereos, sunglasses, laptops, jewellery and mobile phones.

The 33-year-old was caught when officers visited a house he was staying at on Merridale Road on 19 May and found a hoard of stolen property.

He’d already been linked to another stash of stereos, mountain bikes and phone chargers found at a flat on Newhampton Road West five days earlier.

He was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Wednesday (18 June) after being found guilty of seven counts of theft from motor vehicle.

Sergeant Matt Cooper, from Wolverhampton Police, said: “Downie was on the lookout for easy targets, where drivers had left valuable items on show. 

All he had to do was put the window through and he was away. He’s now quite rightly serving a long stretch in prison.

“Vehicle crime is a constant threat but you can easily reduce the risks of becoming a victim by never leaving anything on display and wiping suction marks from sat navs from the windscreen. 

“Try to avoid parking in dark and secluded areas, never leave expensive items in the glove box and fit an alarm or immobiliser.”

Anyone who has any information about vehicle crime should call 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.