Man tried to kill child by stepping in front of moving train
Remanding him in custody ahead of sentencing, judge Tony Kelly said the case had been described in court as a "murder suicide"."This is grave - to cause harm to a child is beyond comprehension," he told Danquah.
The trial heard that Danquah had split up with his partner several months earlier but they continued to live together. On the day of the incident, she had discussed a new relationship she was in and made it clear they were not getting back together. Danquah then collected the child from another address in the city and posted a message on Facebook saying he could not "continue to live in this darkness". Some time later he was spotted trying to pull himself and the child over a fence on a footbridge near the M8 motorway in the Anderston area of the city. He was spoken to by a police officer and allowed to leave the area.Danquah then made his way with the toddler to the Garrowhill station where the incident occurred at about 19:20 which left both of them injured. The child suffered grazes or bruises on the forehead, head, back, face and nose - and was described as looking shocked in the hospital. Danquah sustained fractures to his lower spine and his jaw.The first offender, of the city's Lambhill, was also convicted of culpable and reckless conduct.He will be sentenced next month after judge has considered background reports.
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Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Finally a crackdown on West End's brazen shoplifters: Moment prolific thieves are caught stealing £9k of clothes and £1.3k of board games in lawless London crime hotspot
Prolific thieves have targeted London 's lawless West End as shoplifters have been caught stealing thousands of pounds worth of goods, including designer clothes, iPhones and board games. Over the past week in the West End, a board game thief was caught 10 minutes after stealing as part of a £1,300 crime spree, while a masked gang was cuffed moments after stealing £100,000 of Apple products from a phone shop. And a rampant thief who stole £9,000 from stores in Covent Garden throughout February and March was caught by bobbies on the beat last month. The crisis has seemed to reach boiling point in the West End as the Metropolitan Police has been forced to take action in a bid to contain the shameless thefts. In a crackdown on shoplifting, the number of officers policing the district will increase by more than 50 per cent following a spate of brazen thefts. Knife crime and theft is at record levels in the city – and the force has faced accusations of failing to take the challenge seriously or to be tackling it head on, all while trying to manage with an ever–shrinking budget. Prolific board game thief Omar Innis, 32, was spotted by West End district coppers carrying a large number of board games and toys on July 25. Officers had been speaking to shop owners in the area, who had informed them that board game thefts had been on the rise. Innis was 'acting suspiciously', the Met said – and it emerged he had stolen the games just 10 minutes before. In fact, it was the seventh time he had struck in a month and a half, nicking £1,300 of goods in total from the same shop in Covent Garden. The Camden man is now behind bars after pleading guilty to thefts and receiving a 26–week jail sentence. Similarly, a group of men who allegedly stormed an O2 phone shop on Tottenham Court Road and made off with £100,000 of Apple products were cornered minutes later in Cranleigh Street, just under a mile away. Three men aged 25, 24 and 18 who were suspected of entering the store in balaclavas on July 24 and 7.17pm and making off with goods. Police bodycam footage shows one man getting arrested on a nearby street as he his told he 'matches a description of males who have gone into an O2 store and stolen some phones'. Officers found around 100 iPhones and a number of Apple Watches in a car, along with a large machete. The men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary and remain in custody today. In the West End's shopping hub, Covent Garden, a rampant clothes thief was arrested in June after spending two months stealing £9,000 worth of high-end clothes. Officers happened upon Zenith Lawrence, 33, a stone's throw away in Phoenix Gardens, after he spent February and March pillaging a number of stores. Already wanted for recall to prison, he was caught on camera wrenching clothes from rails and helping himself to jackets off the hangar. Footage showed him downed on the ground beside a Lime bike after trying to flee from cops. He was wearing stolen clothes. The arresting officer can be heard asking him: 'Why did you try to run?' His colleague notes: 'Mate, this is from the dancewear store from round the corner. 'Are you a little dancer?' Lawrence was jailed for 28 days, fined, and banned from entering Westminster for three years. Since the pandemic, the Russia Ukraine conflict and soaring inflation, theft has soared in the UK, recently hitting the highest level ever seen. Shoplifting has become an increasing nightmare for High Street shops, with only a tiny minority of offenders ever charged, as 530,643 offences were recorded in England and Wales in the year to March 2025 - the highest figure since records begun and up from 444,022 in the previous year. The crisis is most acute in London, where the capital has recorded a shocking 50 per cent boom in shoplifting, up from 53,202 in 2023 to 80,041 last year. Norman Brennan, a former police detective in London, said earlier this year that terrified shop staff had been left helpless to prevent crooks from brazenly ransacking their businesses. The 65-year-old - who spent 31 years as a cop and was once stabbed in the chest by an armed burglar - said crippling cuts to policing, which have seen thousands of officers lost in recent years, had left forces stretched too thinly. Problems reached a peak in August 2023 when West End stores were forced to lower their shutters and lock customers inside after large groups of mainly young men and teenagers responded to a call on TikTok to join an 'Oxford Circus JD robbery'. But the biggest issue in recent months has become phone snatching after 80,000 smartphones were reported stolen in London last year at a cost of £50million. In all, the Met has deployed 170 officers in areas of the capital worst for crime, including up to 80 in the West End, where shoplifters, phone thieves and so–called 'Rolex rippers' regularly target the rich and tourists. The crisis is illustrated by sickening CCTV revealing thieves casually walking out of stores with armfuls of high-value goods. Footage from a Waitrose store in London 's Notting Hill earlier this month showed two men leaving with a stash of steak and salmon while staff watched on - forbidden from doing anything due to company policy. While, a Boots store on Baker Street was targeted by a man, who did not attempt to cover his face as he emptied shelves' worth of goods into an M&S Food bag. This happens two or three times a week, according to staff. Many of the shoplifters appear to have no fear of the staff, or of the cameras. In January, a gang of at least of eight hooded youths raided an Apple store in north London in a shocking daytime heist one Sunday afternoon. A sea of shoppers, including parents with young children, could be seen dramatically fleeing the store as the mob ripped out expensive devices around them in a raid that took just 24 seconds. Last year another pair of thieves were filmed calmly clearing the shelves in a north London Boots store just 200 yards from Chingford Police Station. The men carried on impassively as a woman dialled 999 within earshot and pleaded for a police response, before both sauntered out. And in May last year a suspected shoplifter was dragged into the storeroom at a Sainsbury's in east London where staff appeared to give him a kicking. But elsewhere, shops have been fighting back, with two brave security guards seen grappling with a shoplifter trying to steal bottles of fizzy drink from a Greggs in nearby Hammersmith. As part of the Met's clampdown, another 90 officers will be based in Brixton, Kingston, Ealing, Finsbury Park, Southwark and Spitalfields. And the legendary Flying Squad – the elite unit specialising in tackling armed robbery and other serious violent crime – is being supplied with another 50 officers with extra cash from City Hall and the Home Office. The Met's move has been welcomed by Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance representing central London traders, and the boss of Boots. 'With over 200 million visitors a year and a £50 billion contribution to the UK economy, keeping this district secure isn't optional – it's vital,' Ms Morgan said. Anthony Hemmerdinger, MD of the pharmacy chain – a regular target of shoplifters – added: 'Retail theft alongside intimidation and abuse of our team members is unacceptable, so we welcome this additional support.' Riot squads will also be expanded, the Met says, to better police large–scale protests – coming after months of near–ceaseless protests by pro–Palestine and environmental activists. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'The Met is getting smaller but more capable. 'We have a laser–like focus on ensuring our officers and staff are in roles where they can drive down crime on issues that matter the most to Londoners. 'This is what the public expects of the police, which is why we are putting neighbourhood policing first, tackling the crimes that we know are impacting the public in the busiest areas, and making the capital's streets safer.' He added: 'While our budget has decreased in real terms, we are using this additional funding from City Hall and Home Office productively to support our mission to take a targeted approach to tackling volume crime and bolster our specialist tactics to disrupt the criminal gangs who fuel anti–social behaviour, robbery and theft.' The Met says neighbourhood crime is down 15 per cent in a matter of weeks compared to last year, with knife crime, burglary and robbery down, and more shoplifting cases being solved. In the West End, violent crimes resulting in injury are down a quarter, the force says, and it is arresting 1,000 more criminals every month. But the Met is trying to solve a rising number of crimes with an ever-dwindling resource. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (pictured), blamed previous governments for the Met's dwindling budget – despite the fact the most recent budget allocation was decided under Sir Keir Starmer It is losing 1,700 number of officers and staff and its budget is smaller in real terms than in previous years. Dedicated Royal Parks and schools policing roles have been scrapped, with officers being absorbed into local policing teams. But it says this means it can put more officers on the beat. The Met also says it will use more live facial recognition to recognise individuals with existing warrants for arrest – a move that will likely prompt an outcry from civil liberties groups who are already opposed to what they say is an encroachment on human rights, including the right privacy. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, blamed previous governments for the Met's dwindling budget – despite the fact the most recent budget allocation was decided under Sir Keir Starmer. He said: 'Despite years of austerity by the previous government, this is the latest example of the Met Police and I prioritising what Londoners want and delivering on our pledge to put high visibility policing at the heart of fighting crime and rebuilding community confidence and trust.'
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'We are bloodied and we are bruised' Police chief praises officers who put themselves in 'harm's way' during brutal Manchester Airport brawl and thanks public for their support - as student, 20, is convicted of assault
A Police chief has thanked the public for backing officers brutally assaulted in a brawl at Manchester Airport after a student was convicted over the attack. One of two brothers accused of raining down blows during the incident was found guilty on Wednesday of assaulting two female police officers. The case gained national attention after shocking footage of a policeman kicking a teenage suspect in the head as he lay prone on the ground was viewed millions of times. But days later leaked CCTV of the moments before showed how Mohammed Fahir Amaaz had fought and grappled with the officer and two female colleagues. On Wednesday, after a four-week trial in Liverpool, Amaaz - now 20 - was convicted of assaulting PC Lydia Ward, causing actual bodily harm. The university student was also convicted of one charge of assault by beating of armed officer PC Ellie Cook, whose face was left bruised and swollen. Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, praised the officers for putting themselves in 'harm's way' to tackle 'outrageous criminal behaviour'. He added: 'I am particularly grateful to those many members of the public who have contacted the force in order to pass on their best wishes to the officers affected.' He said the officers were 'responding quickly to precisely the sort of outrageous criminal behaviour that rightly offends the public'. 'Whilst assaults on police officers are sadly not uncommon - 44 of my officers are assaulted every week across Greater Manchester - such attacks can never be justified,' Sir Stephen said. Mike Peake, chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, which has been supporting the officers involved, said the public needed to get behind the police. 'Police officers in Manchester work in a difficult, dangerous and dynamic world where there is no such thing as a routine incident,' he said. 'They deserve support in that work from the public and politicians. 'The distressing scenes we have seen during this trial show some of the worst side of police work that our officers are faced with. We are bloodied and we are bruised.' Following the incident PC Zachary Marsden was suspended and investigated by police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). After a delay of 150 days the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced last December that he would not face any charges, while Amaaz and his brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, would both stand trial. The jury had been shown graphic footage of red-headed PC Ward sobbing and bleeding after being caught by a left hook from Amaaz. Jurors also found him guilty of assault by beating against holidaymaker Abdulkareem Ismaeil. The case gained national attention after shocking footage of PC Marsden kicking a teenage suspect in the head as he lay prone on the ground was viewed millions of times The police officers had been attempting to arrest him for headbutting the Kuwaiti minutes earlier. Amaaz had accused him of racially abusing his mother on an incoming flight. However, jurors at Liverpool Crown Court could not reach verdicts on either Amaaz or Amaad for assault causing actual bodily harm against PC Marsden. Both brothers denied all the charges, arguing that they were acting in self-defence or the defence of one another. The CPS will now seek a retrial of the brothers - both from Rochdale - in relation to the allegations that they assaulted PC Marsden. And while Amaaz now faces a possible prison sentence, PC Marsden could also still face criminal charges. Although no longer suspended, he remains under investigation by the IOPC, which has been monitoring the trial. It could still refer him back to the CPS to consider pressing charges, jurors were told. A second male Greater Manchester Police officer - who along with PC Marsden confronted bystanders filming the brawl - also remains under investigation. The violence erupted at 8.28pm on July 23 last year as officers responded to reports of Amaaz headbutting Mr Ismaeil at a Starbucks cafe in the Terminal 2 arrivals area minutes earlier. PC Marsden and his female colleagues caught up with Amaaz, then 19, as he and his brother were paying for parking, accompanied by their mother and six-year-old nephew. Giving evidence, PC Marsden told jurors that based on the violence of the headbutt they decided to get 'immediate control' of the teenager and take him in for questioning. Instead, shocking footage shown to the jury from multiple angles including police bodycams showed how Amaaz resisted arrest. In court, PC Marsden said he had thrown a pre-emptive punch, fearing heavily-built Amaad was trying to grab his loaded Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol from its holster. Amaaz - who threw ten punches in the melee - hit and elbowed PCs Cook and Ward before tackling PC Marsden, who had managed to fire his 50,000 volt Taser at Amaad. In the flurry of violence PC Cook then managed to Taser Amaaz, who fell to the floor and was kicked by PC Marsden, whose glasses had been knocked off in the melee. Asked about the kick, PC Marsden said he was attempting to 'stun' Amaaz, not immediately realising in the confusion that he had been tasered. PC Marsden said he used the 'soft, laced' part of his boot - adding that he 'strongly disputed' that there was any element of anger or 'retaliation'. He also aimed a stamp next to Amaaz's head - telling the court he had been trying to 'clamp' the wire of his police radio, which was hanging loose. Throughout the altercation, bystanders simply filmed it on their mobile phones, PC Marsden said, describing the watching crowd as 'hostile'. Back-up officers then arrived at the scene shouting 'You f****** move, I'll smash your f****** face in' and handcuffed both brothers before they were hauled off for questioning. Neither made any comment when they were interviewed the following day. Prosecutors had urged jurors to 'trust their eyes and ears' over the multiple angles of footage and police officers' testimony they had seen and heard. All three officers acted in a 'professional' manner throughout, they argued, saying claims by the brothers' defence that the police trio had been 'out of control' was 'false'. Neither brother has been in trouble with the police before, and six members of the family - including older brother Abid - are current or former officers with Greater Manchester Police. A former assistant manager at KFC, Amaad himself twice applied unsuccessfully to join the force - including a 999 dispatch role just three months before the airport incident. Younger brother Amaaz, meanwhile, has since begun studying sport marketing and management at Manchester Metropolitan University. In court, their defence teams highlighted how the officers did not announce themselves or say why they were attempting to arrest Amaaz. Asked why he resisted arrest, Amaaz said he hadn't initially realised PC Marsden was a policeman - despite his uniform and cap marked 'police' - and was 'scared'. As jurors delivered their verdicts after deliberating for ten hours, the public gallery was packed with supporters of the brothers, who stood side by side in the glass-walled dock. Four uniformed police officers were stationed inside the courtroom but there was no reaction from their supporters. The 11-strong jury unanimously found Amaaz guilty of ABH against PC Ward and common assault against Mr Ismaeil. They convicted him of assault by beating against PC Cook by a majority of ten to one. However, they could not reach verdicts on allegations that either brother had assaulted PC Marsden causing actual bodily harm. Amaaz - who did not react as the jury delivered their verdicts - was remanded in custody ahead of a bail application on Thursday. Afterwards Aamer Anwar, solicitor for the brothers, said: 'As proceedings are still live it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Brit tourist claims he spotted Tommy Robinson ‘boarding flight to Tenerife' morning after St Pancras ‘assault'
A BRITISH tourist has claimed he spotted Tommy Robinson seemingly boarding a flight to Tenerife the morning after an alleged assault. The far-right activist, 42, left the country amid an investigation into an alleged attack on a man at St Pancras Station in London. 7 7 Video posted by a Brit flying to Tenerife showed a man matching Tommy Robinson's description boarding an airport shuttle. He was wearing white socks and trainers and black shorts, t-shirt and cap, with a tattoo visible on his leg. A video posted on TikTok captioned: "Spotted Tommy Robinson getting on my flight this morning" also showed the man going through security. He quickly lifted his cap so that staff could check his face against his passport photo. The footage which the tourist claimed showed Robinson - whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - comes as the EDL founder fled the UK. Robinson was filmed standing over a seemingly unresponsive man lying face-down on the station concourse on Monday night. A witness has claimed they saw him engaging in an argument with an older man before punching him so hard it apparently knocked him out. In video which circulated on Monday, an agitated Robinson was seen shouting "you saw him, he came at me" as a man appeared to lay unresponsive and bleeding on the floor. The witness had been on the way to catch a train when he "heard a loud commotion and arguing" at the top of the escalator. He said that as he approached the top, he saw Robinson and an older man "facing off and standing very close to each other". SHOCKED witness reveals what happened seconds before Tommy Robinson St Pancras 'assault' The witness claimed that the alleged assault seemed "very serious" as the man "wasn't moving afterwards". Robinson later shared a clip from US activist Don Keith - who calls himself a "faithful MAGA" supporter and "patriot" - that claimed there is "more footage that vindicates Tommy". In the video, he claimed the injured man was "intoxicated and warned to leave Tommy alone" - and calls him the "aggressor". Keith said the man was warned to stay away, but "proceeded to aggressively rush Robinson anyway", and added that he was "100 per cent in the right defending himself". Keith - who says he's spoken to Robinson - went on to address reports that the political activist fled the country following the alleged assault. He claimed that the former EDL leader had "work obligations" abroad, emphatically denying that Robinson left the country as a result of the allegations and footage. In the wake of the altercation, right-wing media site Rebel News - which Robinson has appeared on in the past - shared a post about Robinson, claiming he didn't "flee" Britain but was instead abroad for scheduled meetings and interviews. The website has also launched a crowdfunder to help raise funds for any legal proceedings that may follow. Since the footage emerged, Robinson also reposted a tweet from a user which read: "If you approach someone with hostility, a man that receives death threats daily, expect to get a clip round the ear hole." In the video, Robinson could be seen leaving down a staircase while another man can be heard saying "quick, quick, can we get someone here quick" to staff. Another bystander is heard shouting "Tommy, Tommy" in the background. As Robinson then comes back up the stairs, he appears to tell the man: "He come at me bruv, you saw that, he come at me," before the clip ends. Police said that a man was taken to hospital with "serious injuries" although they were not believed to be life-threatening. Earlier on Monday, the former EDL leader had filmed himself at the station where he was handing out flyers for an upcoming protest. A police spokesperson said on Tuesday: "British Transport Police (BTP) were called to St Pancras station just after 8.40pm yesterday (28 July) following reports of an assault. "Officers attended and a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life threatening. "Overnight the investigation has been ongoing and officers have been making arrest enquiries. "Officers have confirmed that the suspect, a 42-year-old man from Bedfordshire, boarded a flight out of the country in the early hours of this morning. "Detectives are continuing to work closely to progress the investigation and bring him into custody for questioning." 7 7
