Author: James Whitmore

West Yorkshire resident also faces unrelated charges involving indecent images A 21-year-old man has been charged with encouraging suicide following the death of a man in the United States, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced. Dylan Phelan, from Morley, West Yorkshire, has been charged with encouraging suicide, contrary to Section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961, after allegations that he encouraged the suicide of a 21-year-old man in Louisiana during a video call on 30 October 2024. Phelan is also charged with making an indecent image of a child and possessing extreme pornography. These charges are not connected to the…

Trio to appear in court next month over incident on Petty France in December Three people have been charged with stirring up racial hatred during a protest in Westminster last year, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced. Azza Zaki, 60, Haya Adam, 21, and Abdallah Alanzi, 24, have been charged in connection with an organised protest along Petty France on 17 December. Each defendant faces one count of using threatening words and behaviour when, having regard to all the circumstances, racial hatred was likely to be stirred up, contrary to section 18 (1) of the Public Order Act 1986. A…

Criminal defence lawyer exploited trust and paid victims for explicit images before escalating to physical abuse A criminal defence solicitor has been jailed for nine years and nine months after systematically grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls. Suleman Baig, 40, from Grimsby, pleaded guilty to 15 charges relating to child sexual abuse at Leeds Crown Court. The offences included sexual assault, inciting children to engage in sexual activity, and making indecent images of children. The court heard that Baig, who was a practising solicitor at the time of his offending, exploited a position of trust to abuse the girls…

A 10-year-old boy remains in a critical condition in hospital after being struck by a car whilst crossing a road on his scooter in North London.The collision occurred on Honeypot Lane in Stanmore at around 08:30hrs on Sunday, 25 January. The child was treated at the scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance before being transferred to hospital.The driver, a 28-year-old man, stopped at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He has since been interviewed under caution and released on bail.Metropolitan Police officers…

Conservative MP and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman has defected to Reform UK in a significant political development.The Fareham and Waterlooville MP was unveiled as the party’s latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally for activists in central London.Ms Braverman’s defection marks a notable departure from the Conservative Party, where she previously served in one of the great offices of state as Home Secretary.The announcement was made at a Reform UK event attended by party activists in the capital, with Mr Farage presenting Ms Braverman as the latest addition to the party’s parliamentary representation.Further details of the defection…

Police are appealing for a man who intervened to protect three women from harassment in Camden to come forward as a key witness to an alleged robbery and sexual assault.Officers were called at around 8am on Wednesday, 14 January, following reports that a man had attempted to rob and sexually assault a group of women on Camden High Street. The women were initially spoken to by attending officers, but the unknown man’s involvement was only discovered later when CCTV footage was reviewed as part of the investigation.Sergeant Max Pennington, who is leading the investigation, has publicly praised the intervention. According…

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of a body in the water near Millbay Marina in Plymouth.The case centres on 24-year-old Drew Perham, who was reported missing to Devon and Cornwall Police after failing to return home from a night out in Plymouth on Friday. He was reported missing on Saturday, prompting officers to begin searches and enquiries in the local area.As part of those enquiries, a scene guard was put in place on Soap Street, near Millbay Marina. On Sunday afternoon, a body was found in the water close to the marina.Formal…

Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing as an MP in the Gorton and Denton by-election after Labour’s National Executive Committee voted decisively against his candidacy. The NEC voted 8-1 to refuse the Manchester mayor permission to contest the seat, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood abstaining in her role as chair. Only Deputy Leader Lucy Powell supported Mr Burnham’s bid. The decision was made under Labour Party rules which require directly elected mayors to seek NEC permission before standing for Parliament to avoid dual campaign costs. According to a party statement, the NEC cited risks to Labour’s control in Greater…

Two men have been charged in connection with a ram raid at a luxury fashion store in Westminster during the early hours of Friday morning. Officers were called to the Yves Saint Laurent boutique on Old Bond Street shortly before 3am following reports that thieves had used an SUV to smash their way into the premises. A number of high-value items, including handbags, were stolen during the incident. The Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad, which has been investigating a series of similar raids on high-value retail stores in recent months, took charge of the case. Two men were arrested later the…

In an exclusive investigation, we spoke to a man who served two and a half years in prison for working in London’s illegal cannabis houses. This is the first time he has spoken publicly about what really happens behind closed doors. After spending more than a year locked inside properties and subsequently serving a lengthy prison sentence, this former worker has broken his silence to expose the exploitation, life-threatening fire risks and systematic entrapment that defines London’s hidden cannabis operations. In this exclusive interview, obtained after months of investigation, he reveals how workers are recruited abroad, trapped by debt from…