Jail for 'unpredictable' Bradford man who admitted stabbing
The court heard he had more than 60 previous convictions for over 150 offences, and on the day of the offence he had taken crack cocaine and spice.The judge, Recorder Ayesha Smart, said Fellows was assessed as being violent, aggressive and unpredictable and she was satisfied that he was dangerous.As well as the jail sentence, she imposed an extended licence period of three years.Prosecutor Eleanor Durdy told the court that Fellows had suddenly produced a knife and stabbed the complainant in the chest.The injured man said he could not breathe and felt like he was going to die, but the court heard Fellows carried on ransacking the flat as his victim drifted in and out of consciousness.Ms Durdy said Fellows took the victim's wallet containing bank cards, his mobile phone and some clothes, and used the cards in several shops.
'Intoxicated state'
Later that evening, Fellows joined a group of burglars who broke into a Bradford city centre beauty salon and stole £1,000 worth of products, she added. A victim impact statement was read to court in which he said the attack had left him suffering nightmares.The complainant said he had to have surgery in hospital and did not know if he would survive."What sort of person would do this to me? I have to relive what happened every day," he said in the statement."This has turned my life upside down."The complainant said he had loved his flat, but it was tainted now and the attack would affect him for the rest of his life.Barrister Ian Hudson, for Fellows, said his client had little recollection of the offending due to his "intoxicated state". At the time of the offences, Fellows was already on police bail for unrelated matters and Recorder Smart said his offending behaviour appeared to be escalating in seriousness.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Border Force chief who ‘suggested game of Naked Attraction' with colleagues was able to leave civil service with unblemished record
A Home Office investigation has found one of its most senior officials harassed and behaved inappropriately towards a female colleague, before being able to leave the civil service with an unblemished record after a 'shambolic' disciplinary process. The case has caused such alarm in the department that the new permanent secretary, Antonia Romeo, has ordered an immediate review of complaints, conduct and disciplinary procedures to 'ensure confidence in the integrity of the system'. Steve Dann, the former chief operating officer (COO) of Border Force, was effectively banned from visiting the organisation's offices in Paris in 2023 after he suggested to female officers that regional directors could play a game of Naked Attraction, the Channel 4 dating show in which contestants stand in front of each other fully nude. He told investigators he did not recall the incident. Dann, who was in the £120,000-a-year post for four years, faced other allegations of misogynistic name-calling and making comments to women with sexual connotations, according to Home Office sources. He denied the allegations, suggesting comments had been taken out of context and that selective evidence had been used during the investigation by the Home Office's professional standards unit (PSU). He acknowledged during the process that some of his comments may have been careless, but said he had never intended to upset or offend. After a chaotic HR process, which one source said was littered with 'procedural errors and delays', the original grievance was eventually upheld on appeal. However, Dann was not informed about the process until the initial stage was completed. He was also subject to a parallel misconduct investigation into the claims which was not upheld. Dann decided to leave the Home Office in December last year, standing down as the COO of Border Force, a role that placed him at the centre of the organisation's key responsibilities, including securing the UK's borders by enforcing immigration regulations and patrolling coastlines during the small-boats crisis. He has since entered the private sector in the field of security and law enforcement operations, and public safety. The complainant first reported Dann in February 2024, after working with him for 18 months. An initial internal grievance inquiry was launched two months later, with the final PSU report quoting named Home Office officials who appeared to confirm a series of sexist and misogynistic comments, according to sources. While the complaint was not initially upheld, it was later upheld on appeal in October 2024. Dann was not involved in this process and was not given the opportunity to respond. At the same time a separate misconduct process was launched, also based on evidence in the PSU report. This was not upheld, no formal disciplinary sanction was imposed, and there was no record of it on Dann's file, although Home Office sources said he was asked to undergo training in response. The claims being investigated included the colleague being told in a voice note that she was 'very pretty', which the PSU report concluded was 'reasonable' for her to have interpreted as harassment. Other comments were described by the report as 'inappropriate and offensive' and 'unprofessional topics with a sexual connotation'. According to sources, the report said he messaged about one person who attended a meeting suggesting that she had a 'porn star name', which he told the inquiry was meant in a 'lighthearted' way. On a separate occasion, he was said to have misnamed a female colleague 'kinky', although he later admitted this had been a 'careless' thing to say. During a discussion on the diversity of his office, Dann allegedly said: 'Don't forget the sweaty woman in the corner', referring to a colleague going through menopause. In the report, he denied making this comment. In another meeting, in December 2022, he asked junior colleagues if they knew what a 'fluffer' was, and then explained it was 'someone whose job was to keep a porn star's penis erect', sources said. He denied to investigators that he had made the remarks. On the official visit to Border Force in Paris in April 2023, he brought up the Channel 4 naked dating show Naked Attraction to two female officers working in intelligence. In remarks corroborated by witnesses, he added: 'We were thinking it could be all the regional directors and, you know, people had to look at it and guess whose penis it was.' The officers were 'very shocked' by the conversation and felt 'incredibly uncomfortable', a senior official told investigators, but when they were asked if they wanted to make a complaint they said they would prefer that Dann not return to the Paris office. This was reported to Border Force chiefs. Dann told them he did not recall the incident. One senior official who witnessed the exchange said they were 'disappointed' by Dann's conduct, which they felt was 'inappropriate'. Several others said they considered that he was 'prone to oversharing' about his private life at work, sources with knowledge of the report said. The appeal, which was based on the same evidence in the PSU report, was finally concluded eight months after the initial complaint. It was after the Labour government entered office, and six weeks later Dann left his role, declaring that after nine years at the Home Office it was time to 'embrace new challenges'. In a letter to the complainant in October 2024, the Home Office upheld the grievance, acknowledging that Dann's conduct had fallen below the standards expected from a senior official and was in breach of the department's policies on appropriate behaviour, sources said. However, Dann – who was previously a 'people champion' and diversity lead in the civil service, roles that focused on improving the workplace environment, as well as representing the organisation in parliament and in the media – avoided any formal consequences because the separate earlier disciplinary process had already concluded and the rules meant it could not be reopened. According to sources, Dann told the initial investigation he had worked incredibly hard in a stressful frontline environment. Much of his time running Border Force operations was when the Tory government was struggling to get control of irregular migration, including small-boat crossings. Several of the witnesses said they had not been offended by his behaviour. However others, including senior civil servants and junior frontline operational staff, found his conduct inappropriate and unprofessional, according to sources who have seen the final PSU report and with knowledge of the final outcome. During the PSU investigation, Dann denied some of his conduct and said other incidents had been taken out of context, and that selected evidence had been used. But sources said he added that 'on reflection' there had been times when some of his comments had been 'careless', although they were not meant in a malicious way. When approached by the Guardian, he declined to comment. Yvette Cooper, who was home secretary throughout the latter part of the grievance process, has repeatedly and vocally called out workplace discrimination, misogyny and harassment. The case was flagged with her office although she is understood not to have been personally aware. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'While we do not comment on individual HR cases, where there are allegations of inappropriate behaviour or sexual harassment the Home Office will investigate and take appropriate action. 'The Home Office expects the highest standard from all members of staff and does not tolerate anyone displaying or taking part in unacceptable behaviour. 'The new permanent secretary has already commissioned a review of complaints, conduct and disciplinary procedures, to ensure absolute confidence in the integrity of the system.'
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rene Graham murder: Man with gun caught on CCTV in London street
A suspected killer was caught on CCTV chasing a man down the street with a gun in his hand, immediately after a teenager was shot dead in a park. Rene Graham, 15, was shot in the chest at a music festival in Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on the evening of Sunday 21 July 2024. A £20,000 reward has been offered to find his have now released footage of the suspect walking towards the park and entering through a play area. The footage supplied by the Metropolitan Police then shows the suspect leaving the park and trying to make a "quick getaway", before seeing a second victim, who he chases down the street while carrying a gun. 'Now is the time to get in touch' Det Ch Insp Alison Foxwell said police had trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV and taken numerous statements."Rene's family have continued to be supported throughout these inquiries, and they remain understandably devastated about his death," she said. She said a man in his 20s had recently been interviewed under caution in relation to Rene's murder and that the force continued to investigate all lines of inquiry."The person responsible for Rene's murder opened fire in a busy park where dozens of people, including very young children, were enjoying themselves," Det Ch Insp Foxwell added. "We believe there are people sitting on the name of the person responsible," Det Ch Insp Foxwell said."This person, who was willing to take the life of Rene and risk the lives of others, remains in your community."Now is the time to get in touch with us to give Rene's family the peace they deserve."The Crimestoppers charity is putting up the cash for the reward. Regional manager Alexa Loukas said: "Rene was very sadly murdered last year in broad daylight with over 200 people present."Please do the right thing to find justice for Rene."
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Who is this man? Detectives issue appeal after woman in her 30s is sexually assaulted as she walks alone in London in early hours
Police have issued an urgent appeal for information after a woman in her 30s was allegedly sexually assaulted while walking alone in London. The victim is understood to have been followed by a man as she walked past Hammersmith tube station, located in west London, at around 3.40am on Sunday, May 18. The man, who is then said to have caught up with the woman, sexually assaulted her before running towards Hammersmith Broadway. He is described as white with dark hair and in his 20s. Approximately 5ft 8in to 6ft tall, the suspect was also wearing a black North Face jacket, black trousers and white trainers at the time of the alleged assault. Having reported the incident to police, an immediate investigation was launched, with the victim currently receiving specialist support. Using CCTV footage, officers were then able to track the man's movements ahead of the alleged attack. There, he was seen leaving the popular station before walking along King Street, located in the heart of the west London suburb, briefly walking past another pedestrian. Following the reported incident, he was then captured running along Park Road towards Browning Avenue before officers eventually lost sight of him as he headed in the direction of a residential area. Detective Superintendent Lucy O'Connor, who is leading the Metropolitan Police's investigation into the reported incident, said that the force are urgently 'asking the public to help' them find the man in question. DSI O'Connor added: 'Women and girls should be safe to walk the streets of London without being attacked. 'That is why we need to identify a man in connection with this incident and are now asking the public to help. 'If you were in the area on the morning of Sunday, 18 May or if you recognise the man in the footage, please contact us as soon as possible.' Those with relevant information have been asked to contact the Metropolitan Police by calling 101 with the reference 01/7513051/25 or message @MetCC on X.
