Leicester Mercury
STALKER SET FIRE IN FLATS WHEN POLICE WENT TO ARREST HIM
A MAN started a fire at his block of flats after police tried to arrest him for stalking his ex-girlfriend after she dumped him. Adam-Jon Reedman, of North Street, Barrow upon Soar, threatened officers with knives and boiling water before starting the...
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MAN PAID TO SEE YOUNG GIRLS ABUSED
A MAN paid to watch live videos of adults in The Philippines abusing young girls. Chris Sanders, 50, pictured, of Holliers Walk, Hinckley – a producer of horror films – admitted five counts of arranging the commission of child sex offences, which he...
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GAME ON!
COUNCILLORS have been caught watching one of England’s World Cup knockout games during an important meeting. The Mercury has been given photographs showing two councillors watching England’s win over DR Congo during Leicestershire County Council’s...
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£11M PLAN TO TIDY UP CITY UNVEILED
AN £11 million funding boost to rid streets of chewing gum and make Leicester “cleaner, greener, and safer” has been unveiled. Tidying up the city centre is first on the agenda. City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said £650,000 will be spent recruiting 18...
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I’M SUFFERING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR WHAT ABUSER DID TO ME – WHY ISN’T HE?
A WOMAN has criticised the sentence handed down to her stepfather, who abused her as a child, writes Dylan Hayward. Justin Smith, now 49, was finally jailed for abusing Flynnley Paton, 23, right, in June 2025, after the case was reopened because of...
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A46 CRASH MURDERER SENTENCE APPEAL DISMISSED
A WOMAN jailed for murder after two men died in a crash on the A46 will not get a reduction in her jail sentence, Court of Appeal judges have ruled. Ansreen Bukhari, 49, was jailed for over 26 years for her part in the 2022 crash.
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KILLER LEFT VICTIM DYING IN PARK
A MAN who punched a 62-year-old in an unprovoked attack in a park walked off and left his victim dying. James McKeown, left, was found on the ground in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, by a member of the public in April. He had suffered a head injury and...
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DRUG-DRIVER CAUSED HEAD-ON CRASH AS HE FLED POLICE
A DRIVER well over the limit for cannabis crashed head-on into an oncoming car as he fled police. Marouf Ahmadezei sped off when an officer tried to stop him in Thorpe Acre, Loughborough, on September 4. Ahmadezei, who has never had a driving...
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ARREST AS STOLEN VAN SMASHES INTO CAR AFTER CHASE
A MAN was in police custody yesterday after a stolen van travelling the wrong way along the A46 crashed into a car. The car driver, a man in his 20s, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the van, which was being pursued by...
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TEACHER LIFE BAN FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH PUPIL
A FORMER assistant head at a county school has been banned from teaching for life after a panel found he pursued a sexually motivated relationship with a pupil. A hearing by a Teaching Regulation Agency panel was told that senior staff at De Lisle...
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‘A CHEEKY, GORGEOUS BOY WITH IT ALL GOING FOR HIM’
THE family of a 13-yearold who died after going into a lake to cool off on one of the hottest days of the year have paid tribute to him. Hayden Jones-Powell’s aunt said he was a “cheeky, gorgeous boy who had everything going for him”. Specialist...
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PARK RAPIST CAUGHT ON CAMERA BY TEENAGERS
A RAPIST was caught by police thanks to the diligence of two teenagers who spotted him acting suspiciously in a city park – and captured his image on their phones. Shortly after he had aroused the boys’ suspicions, Islamuddin Talash carried out his...
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SIX JAILED FOR LIFE OVER THE SHOOTING OF JOANNE
SIX people - three from Leicestershire - have been handed life sentences for their roles in the doorstep shooting of a woman in Wales. Joanne Penney, 40, pictured, was shot in the chest at an address in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green, on March 9 last year....
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DRUGS GANG TERRORISED OTHERS INTO DOING DIRTY WORK
FIVE members of an organised crime group which poured hard drugs into the county are now behind bars. The gang terrorised vulnerable people into doing its dirty work, using fear and violence to keep its supply lines running while crack cocaine and...
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COME ON ENGLAND!
MISS England Grace Richardson proudly sports her St George’s flag as she prepares to back the Three Lions to end 60 years of hurt and bring the World Cup trophy home. The 21-year-old, from Birstall, is gearing up to cheer on Thomas Tuchel’s boys again...
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PAIR FACING JAIL AFTER VIOLENT BELT ATTACK SHARED ONLINE
TWO men are facing jail after being convicted of a violent attack at student accommodation in Leicester’s Bath Lane that was filmed and shared online. The video showed a man being whipped with a belt following a robbery at a party the same day.
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TRAINS IN MIDLAND MAIN LINE COLLISION
TWO trains have collided on the Midland Main Line between Leicester and London. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue crews were last night attending the scene just south of Bedford and the service asked people to avoid the location. British Transport Police...
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PENSIONERS’ HOMES RAIDED BY PROLIFIC BURGLAR
A BURGLAR who targeted city pensioners’ homes and two food businesses has been jailed. Lester Downey, 25, below, appeared at Leicester Crown Court with an already lengthy record of 33 crimes that included previous burglaries. Downey admitted burgling...
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‘DELIBERATE AND STUPID’ DECISION TO DRINK-DRIVE LEFT CYCLIST PARALYSED
THE “the deliberate, stupid and dangerous” decision of a man to drink-drive left a cyclist paralysed from the waist down James Flamson, 33, was about two-and-a-half times the drinkdrive limit when he set off for home at about 4am on April 6 last...
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COUNTY VICTIMS’ £65,000 LOSS TO PHONES CON
MORE than two dozen people who fell for a sophisticated phone scam lost £65,000 between them. The Leicestershire victims of courier fraud, which tends to target the elderly, were revealed as police backed a new national campaign to highlight the...
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DRIVERS CAUGHT FILMING LORRY CRASH HIT IN POCKET
MOTORISTS who were spotted filming a serious road accident on their mobile phones as they drove past have been fined and handed penalty points. Three of the 11 people who had their vehicle details recorded by police were from Leicester – and all were...
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REDUNDANCY FEARS DUE TO AI SHAKE-UP AT HOSPITALS
DOZENS of jobs could be lost at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust as it introduces artificial intelligence to write patient letters, consultation papers have shown. THE trust is restructuring its medical secretary workforce to make way for...
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£23K FUNERAL FIRM FRAUD TO FUND SHOPPING ADDICTION
A FUNERAL adviser stole about £23,000 from the Co-op before getting a new job and stealing thousands more, writes Tom Mack. Laura Gamble’s victims also included a vulnerable widow who trusted the 40-year-old to deliver a Royal British Legion donation...
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NURSE AND STUDENT SERIOUSLY INJURED IN ATTACK
A NURSE and student attacked by a man in his flat suffered serious injuries. Arron Bulmer, 35, who has paranoid schizophrenia, locked a male psychiatric nurse and female student nurse in his Leicester flat. He removed his clothes, then grabbed the...
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CLUB ATTACKER LEFT TOTAL STRANGER LYING IN A POOL OF BLOOD
THE victim of an attack by a stranger was left in a pool of blood in an alleyway. The attack happened outside the Emporium nightclub, in Belvoir Road, Coalville, at about 11pm on December 27. The victim went outside the club to be sick on the street...
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MAN’S DEATH ‘COULD HAVE LINK TO POISON TREE FROG DETOX DRUG’
A MAN may have died after an apparent detox ceremony using a drug derived from the poisonous skin of an Amazonian tree frog. Kristian Trend, 40, pictured, from Leicester, is thought to have collapsed at his flat after using kambo, a traditional South...
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‘WE WILL CARRY THIS LOSS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES’
THE family of a man killed by a thug in an unprovoked attack outside a pub have spoken of the ongoing pain. David Darke, 66, was knocked out by a single punch just before Christmas last year, hitting his head as he fell to the ground. He died of...
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BETTER CARE FOR CHILDREN AROUND WORLD – LEXI’S LEGACY
ADVICE from a teenager to doctors and nurses on caring for young people is being adopted around the world. Lexi Johnson, from Leicester, spent months in isolation in hospital being treated for an immune condition. After one long and difficult day of...
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DRIVER FLED SCENE OF A CRASH THAT LEFT BABY TRAPPED IN CAR
A SPEEDING driver caused a crash that left a three-month-old baby trapped upside down in an overturned car. Thomas Dalton, of Bideford Close, Wigston, sped off when the lights went green at a roundabout in Toton, Nottinghamshire, on September...
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BITTERSWEET VICTORY FOR BHIM’S FAMILY
THE daughter of an 80-year-old man killed in an attack by a youth has said government plans to crack down on the parents of “feral” youngsters has come too late for her family - but welcomed the “bittersweet” victory. Susan Kohli, the daughter of Bhim...
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‘WHOLESALE’ DRUGS GANG BEHIND BARS
MEMBERS of a drugs network that bought and sold at a wholesale level have been jailed. Kenneth Galloway, Mohammod Jahed and Kian Senior got class A drugs from Sarju Khushal, who was jailed for 11 years in March 2025. Galloway, 31, formerly of Myrtle...
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MAN MADE FAKE GUN WITH DRILL IN BAG THEN RANG THE POLICE
A DRUNK man wrapped a drill in a carrier bag and call ed the police pretending to have a gun after being inspired by a clip on TikTok. Lee Hamill, 41, of Braunstone, called 999 at about 5.20pm to tell police where he was and that he was armed with a...
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THREATS AND VIOLENCE AS SHOP THEFTS REACH RECORD LEVELS
SUPERMARKET and store owners have spoken of the threats and assaults they have suffered as shoplifting offences reach new records across the city. New data shows that Leicestershire Police recorded 8,525 shoplifting offences in 2025, the highest ever...
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DAD SET HOUSE ON FIRE WHILE HIS CHILDREN WERE SLEEPING
A MAN set his house on fire while three of his children were sleeping before going on to start blazes at the homes of his brother and sister. A jury took only 25 minutes to decide at the end of a short trial that Karl Poxon, 50, did carry out the...
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STRICTLY DANCER’S CAREER ‘ENDED BY FALL AT THEATRE’
A STRICTLY Come Dancing veteran who spent 12 seasons with the show says a fall at Curve theatre has ended her career. Kylie Hayes, 41, pictured, fell from the stage in May 2023 during a preview night for a production of 42nd Street. Temporary steps...
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MAN FAKED HIS HEALTH CONDITIONS IN A BID TO BEAT JUSTICE
A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for a string of sex attacks on young boys after previously dodging justice by faking a severe stroke. John Siddell was accused of sexual assaults against three boys aged four to 14 but – with the help of his brother – he...
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I WAS LOCKED UP ON SUSPICION OF MURDER THAT NEVER HAPPENED
A MAN arrested on suspicion of murder – then released when police found the death was probably natural – says his treatment was a disgrace, writes Jasmine Siddon. Bobby Carmichael, 79, pictured, spent 15 hours in custody after a friend he was with...
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‘BARRED FROM TAKING SCHOOL PLACE AND EDUCATION’
A BOY potentially faces another year without formal education after reportedly being “barred” from the school place of his choice over cost issues. Felix Nienartowicz, six, has a diagnosis of ADHD Combined Type and Autism Spectrum Disorder and has...
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POLICE LEADER OPPOSES £2M TOWN SECURITY WARDENS PLAN
PLANS to introduce private security wardens to patrol town centres to tackle anti-social behaviour, low-level crime and shoplifting have been slammed by unions and the policeman speaking for rank-and-file officers. The £2 milllion project by the...
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A VERY HAPPY 100th, SIR DAVID!
SIR David Attenborough has inspired generations to learn more about the natural world, bringing adventure and wonder, dinosaurs and polar bears into the homes of millions of television viewers. The reassuring, hushed and reverential whisper has...
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NHS STAFF LEAVING IN BID FOR LEANER OPERATION
MORE than 100 NHS management and administrative staff are set to walk away from their jobs by next month, it has been confirmed. The voluntary redundancies come as two Integrated Care Boards - the people who manage local NHS budgets and set strategic...
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DRUGS GANG MEMBERS ARE JAILED FOR TOTAL OF 47 YEARS
EIGHT men who took part in a major cocaine dealing gang - including five from Leicestershire have been jailed. The men are the latest to have been put behind bars for their role in the network, which operated between this county and the West Midlands,...
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NUMBER OF YEARS OF LIVING IN GOOD HEALTH DECREASING
THE number of years people can expect to live healthily has fallen, according to new figures. A report to the city council found that healthy life expectancy for residents peaked at about 60 years in 2014-16 – but had declined to 58 years in...
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ON THE WAY DOWN - PUBS ARE ALREADY BEING HIT BY FOXES’ RELEGATION
PUBS and bars are already feeling the effects of Leicester City’s relegation, from the Championship to League One. Fewer fans have been going to the King Power over the past few weeks but the hospitality industry has been feeling the sting from City’s...
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‘UP TO £60M’ IN SAVINGS IDENTIFIED BY COUNCIL
SAVINGS of up to £60 million have been identified at Leicestershire County Council, its leader says. Councillor Dan Harrison said the savings were part of a range of measures that would also improve services, by “making every pound of taxpayers’ money...
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KNIFEMAN DROVE HIS CAR AT POLICE OFFICER
A MAN drove at a police officer trying to stop him as he fled the scene of a knife incident. Connor Bishop was spotted wielding a knife and walking towards another group of men at about 10.20pm on February 14 at Highcross shopping centre, in...
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CITY DOCTOR STRUCK OFF FOR SELLING FAKE CURES FOR CANCER
A CITY doctor who charged cancer patients up to £15,000 for treatments that would not work has been struck off, writes Dylan Hayward. The General Medical Council Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service has permanently erased Mohsen Ali’s name from the...
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PUNCH ‘THROWN TO SAVE FACE AFTER FIGHT KILLED VICTIM’manslaughter.
A MAN died following a punch after helping his alleged killer, a murder trial has heard. Prosecutor Peter Joyce KC told Leicester Crown Court Nathan Gothard, 36, got into a fight outside the Crown Inn, in Appleby Magna, on December 21. Mr Joyce said...
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PAIR ACCUSED OF MURDERING TODDLER
TWO people have appeared in court charged with murdering a 21-monthold boy. Omiel Gordon, 35, of Butterwick Drive, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, and Shalom Morgan, 23, of Morledge Street, Leicester, appeared before magistrates yesterday in connection with...
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‘I REALLY DO GET TO CALL VANELLOPE AN AMAZING WARRIOR PRINCESS’
ONE year on from a first-of-its-kind chest reconstruction surgery, a mum has said she is forever grateful to the city hospital team who have cared for her daughter since birth. Vanellope Wilkins, pictured, was born with her heart outside her body when...
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PENSIONERS FLEW IN FOR GOLDEN MILE GOLD THEFT
TWO pensioners from Colombia face jail and deportation after thefts from jewellers. Elizabeth Arguello, 69, and her husband Manuel Jairio, 67, stole a pair of gold chains worth £6,200 at Kalyan Jewellers, in Belgrave Road, Leicester. They went into...
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‘APPALLING’ CONDUCT - PC CONFESSES TO VISITING SEX WORKERS
A LEICESTERSHIRE Police constable was investigated after evidence he visited sex workers was discovered. Pc Noel Chambers was interviewed about the messages his colleagues had found and he confessed to paying for sex on two occasions in September 2024...
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WE WILL FACE THIS HEAD ON
LEICESTER City fans are calling for a “complete change” at the club. Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Hull on Tuesday confirmed City’s relegation to the third tier of English football for only the second time, 10 years after the highs of winning the Premier...
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‘CITY MAYORS NO LONGER IN FASHION
SIR Peter Soulsby has said it is unlikely his mayoral job will exist amid a major shake up of local government structure. Last year, Leicester’s mayor said he would give the city’s councillors a vote on whether they still wanted a directly elected...
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DRUNK WHO SHUT M1 FOR THREE HOURS ‘WAS SEEKING ATTENTION’
A MAN who brought the M1 to a standstill when he climbed on to a gantry and taunted police has been jailed. Leicester Crown Court heard that Braydon Knapp had been looking to draw attention to a grievance and was drunk when he climbed the gantry, near...
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PLANS FOR ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR POWERS ACROSS CITY
LEICESTER City Council is preparing to consult on extending powers to tackle anti-social behaviour outside the city centre. Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “I’m determined to use all the tools at my disposal to deal with those who spoil Leicester’s...
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PREDATOR ATTACKED WOMAN UNDER CANAL BRIDGE
A SEXUAL predator who waited to attack his chosen victim under a canal bridge in the centre of Leicester has been jailed. A hooded Warren Laight carried out a serious sexual assault on the young woman, who had been strolling along the Grand Union...
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CONVICTION FOR MURDER QUASHED BY APPEAL COURT JUDGES
A MAN jailed for the murder of a university lecturer has had his conviction quashed. Ben Field, pictured, who is originally from Market Harborough, was found guilty of murdering Peter Farquhar, 69, in 2015. Appeal court judges have now ordered a...
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HOUSEMATE KILLER GETS 15 YEARS AND A LIKELY DEPORTATION
A MAN who stabbed a housemate through the heart when asked to keep the noise down in the early hours has been sentenced to 15 years. Amritpal Singh, 45, who lived with three housemates in Evington, killed 32-year-old Amit Kumar in October. At his...
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‘5MM FROM NECK BEING BROKEN’
A WOMAN badly hurt when a car crashed into the takeaway she was in was “about 5mm from having her neck broken”, medics said. The woman suffered numerous injuries when a car hit Shokudo, in Bell Street, Wigston, on Saturday.
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TEENAGE GIRLS ARRESTED AS WOMAN LEFT WITH BROKEN PELVIS
POLICE have appealed for witnesses after a spate of muggings in the city. A woman in her 80s was left with a broken pelvis in one of the alleged incidents and is now in rehabilitation following hospital treatment. Four girls, aged 13, 14 and two aged...
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‘WE COULD HAVE DIED IF WE WERE SLEEPING...’
A WOMAN has told of her horror after a firework was hurled through her bedroom window and ignited her curtains while she lay in bed, The resident, who lives at Highland Court in Loughborough, had to scramble for pans of water to douse the flames and...
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REUNITED: SURGEON AND A SPECIAL PATIENT
THE UK’s youngest open-heart surgery patient has been reunited with the Leicester Royal Infirmary surgeon who saved her. Ikenna Omeje operated on Fleur when she was 28 days old, nearly three years ago. He said: “I see hundreds of patients, but you...
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