Murder charge after woman found dead in flat in Derby
Officers have yet to name the woman who died.
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The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Purple pavement markings part of Mind the Grab campaign to tackle phone theft
Purple lines with the warning 'Mind the Grab' have been marked on London's busy Oxford Street to help tackle phone theft. The campaign, which is supported by the Metropolitan Police, Westminster Council and Crimestoppers, features the markings on the pavement at the central London location that is usually packed with shoppers, commuters and tourists. Theft hotspots in Westminster last year saw a mobile being stolen every 15 minutes and 77% of Britons view phone snatching as a significant problem in the UK, rising to 88% in large cities such as London, according to research commissioned by tech retailer Currys. The wording on the purple markings, which is inspired by London Underground's 'Mind the Gap' catchphrase, aims to remind pedestrians to step back from the kerb, keep their phone hidden and reduce their risk of snatch and grab theft. The Metropolitan Police said the campaign is part of its strategy to tackle phone theft. Superintendent Natasha Evans, the Met's local policing lead for Westminster, said: 'Officers are relentlessly pursuing criminal gangs intent on committing robbery and phone theft. 'We have increased patrols in hotspot areas to identify and deter perpetrators – and robbery has reduced by 20% in the West End since April. 'We are putting extra officers into central London to help drive forward our focus on reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice. 'We're also working closely with businesses in the area and support the campaign by Currys to encourage people to be aware of their surroundings to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.' The campaign is run by Currys and the University of London's Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR), in an effort to raise awareness and cut down on the numbers of high street phone thefts. Aicha Less, deputy leader and cabinet member for children and public protection of Westminster City Council, said the campaign aims to raise awareness about phone thefts and promote simple measures to stay safe in public spaces, such as keeping valuables out of sight and planning routes home in advance. It is part of 'identifying the key crime and disorder issues facing our city and making the West End a safer place for visitors, residents and businesses,' she said. Ed Connolly, Currys chief commercial officer, said: 'Phone theft isn't just about losing a device, it's frightening, invasive, and cuts people off from their loved ones, their money and their daily lives. 'Enough is enough. It's time to draw the line on phone theft – that's why we've launched the Mind the Grab campaign – a bold pavement marking we believe can make a real difference by encouraging people to step back from the kerb.' Kate Johnston, director of business and fundraising at the independent UK charity Crimestoppers, said: 'Mobile phone theft is not just a statistic, it's a crime that leaves people feeling vulnerable and shaken.' She described the campaign as an 'innovative approach' which uses clear visual cues, and urged pedestrians to be vigilant. She said: 'Prevention is only part of the solution.
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Boyfriend charged with killing police officer in their Maryland home nearly 30 years ago
A man charged this week with fatally shooting a police officer in her Maryland home nearly 30 years ago was the officer's live-in boyfriend and had blamed her 1995 killing on a burglary, police officials said Wednesday. Amir Jalil Ali, who was arrested Tuesday on a first-degree murder charge, initially was charged in 1995 with killing 24-year-old Denna Fredericka Campbell, an officer for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. But the charges against him were dropped two months later by prosecutors in Maryland's Montgomery County. Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said he can't explain why the charges were dropped in 1995, when his office was led by a predecessor. 'I was not privy to, nor do I know, what the conversation was regarding why the charges were dropped at that point in time,' McCarthy told reporters at a news conference. Campbell, a four-year MPD veteran, was shot five times in her Silver Spring, Maryland, apartment. Her department-issued handgun was missing and hasn't been found. 'While this arrest won't erase the pain of losing Denna, we hope that it brings some resolution and sense of peace to everyone involved,' Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada said. Ali, 62, of Laurel, Maryland, was known as Kenneth Burnell Wonsom at the time of the killing. He legally changed his name in 2021, police said. Ali told investigators that he had left their apartment after 3 a.m. on Sept. 16, 1995, to go to a store and found her body when he returned home, a police report says. Ali called 911 to report a burglary and said his girlfriend had been shot, according to the report. Officers who worked with Campbell told police detectives that she was afraid of her boyfriend and had been sleeping with her department-issued weapon under her pillow, the report says. Campbell said she planned to leave Ali, adding, 'If I don't show up for work Saturday, you'll know he killed me and buried me somewhere,' one of those colleagues told investigators. Detectives didn't find any evidence of a burglary at Campbell's apartment and believe she was shot with her own gun, according to the report. Based on DNA evidence, investigators believe Ali was bleeding after an altercation with Campbell. Ali remained jailed on Wednesday pending a bond hearing in a county court. Online court records don't identify an attorney representing him. Montgomery County Police Detective Paula Hamill said she spoke to Campbell's father on Tuesday and told him about Ali's arrest. 'And the only words that he could get out were 'thank God,'' Hamill added. 'It was a long time coming.' MPD Executive Assistant Chief Andre Wright said Campbell had a promising career ahead of her but had already proved herself to be 'a hero in the community she served." 'In 1993, she selflessly pulled four victims out of a burning van on Pennsylvania Avenue,' Wright said. 'Those actions proved Officer Campbell was ready to place the safety of those in the community above herself.'
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Wicked stepdad's disgraceful courtroom outburst as he is jailed for life over murder of boy, 11
A convicted domestic abuser who stabbed an 11-year-old boy to death as the child heroically tried to protect his pregnant mother has been sentenced to life in prison - but not before launching into a vile tirade during his sentencing hearing. Crosetti Brand, 39, was handed a natural life sentence plus 120 years by Cook County Judge Angela Petrone on Tuesday, nearly 18 months after the horrific murder of Jayden Perkins in Chicago 's Ravenswood neighborhood. Laterria Smith, Jayden's grieving mother, addressed Brand directly in court, telling him: 'You have taken away one of the greatest gifts God has blessed me with. I will never be ok… You came and destroyed my life.' The judge described Jayden as 'a beautiful, innocent boy' who died protecting his mother and called the killing 'exceptionally brutal.' But Brand, who represented himself at trial, showed no remorse. Appearing virtually from jail, he initially asked to skip the hearing altogether, sneering at the judge: 'You gonna give me life anyway, so it's like why the f*** am I sticking around?' He ultimately stayed - only to interrupt prosecutors repeatedly with outbursts and objections as they presented new evidence, including a chilling voicemail he left Smith just weeks before the attack: 'You keep moving how you motherf***ing moving… You gonna see what I'm talking about,' he said in the message. Prosecutors revealed that Brand had also mailed Smith graphic photos from Jayden's autopsy and made threatening phone calls from jail, pressuring his mother to drop the charges and issuing threats against Jayden's father, prosecutors, and even the judge herself. When Petrone finally handed down the sentence, Brand logged off Zoom in defiance, telling her: 'I know I can't change your mind… I'm at peace. I'm gonna take it up with the notice of appeal court.' The tragedy unfolded on March 13, 2024 - just hours after Brand was released from prison - when he broke into Smith's home and ambushed her and Jayden as they were leaving for school. According to prosecutors Brand had been lying in wait inside the apartment with clear intent to kill the woman who had rejected him. He grabbed Smith in a chokehold and stabbed her 15 times. When Jayden stepped in to defend his mom, Brand turned the knife on him. Jayden died from his injuries. Smith, who was pregnant at the time, survived - as did her unborn daughter. 'Jayden is the hero out of all of this, because he saved his mother and his brand new sister's life,' said Smith's uncle, Titus Washington. 'Jayden is the hero.' Assistant State's Attorney Danny Hanichak blasted Brand as a chronic abuser who had spent nearly his entire adult life either behind bars or facing charges, primarily for violence against women and children. Brand had only recently completed 8 years of a 16-year sentence for attacking another ex and pointing a gun at her young son. He was released in October 2023. Within months he had began stalking and threatening Smith. Though Smith repeatedly reported his behavior to authorities and the parole board, Brand was inexplicably released again on March 12. Less than 24 hours later, Jayden was dead. 'Nothing will ever rehabilitate this defendant; he is nothing more than a pathetic lifelong criminal,' Hanichak said. 'What this criminal never counted on is that one 11-year-old boy would put an end to Crosetti Brand's terror.' Brand's self-representation during the trial made proceedings chaotic and painful for the victims' family, as he was permitted to cross-examine witnesses and even call himself to the stand. Jurors took less than 90 minutes to convict him on all charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery, and home invasion. The case has since sparked outrage across Illinois and exposed grave flaws in the state's parole system. Two members of the Prisoner Review Board who authorized Brand's release resigned following the murder, and lawmakers have since passed legislation allowing victims to submit impact statements before parole decisions and seek restraining orders against parole candidates.
