Latest news with #GBH
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
Here is how many Operation Shanela cases resulted in conviction
The police ministry recently stated that millions had been arrested under Operation Shanela, but convictions were slow to materialise. Police across South Africa have been rounding up suspects en masse, but only a fraction of these arrests have resulted in convictions. Operation Shanela recorded more than 14 200 arrests in the past week, adding to the massive number of suspects detained in the last two years. However, the police ministry recently revealed that just less than 6% of Operation Shanela arrests have led to convictions. Operation Shanela in July Operation Shanela focuses on contact and trio crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and assault, as well as drug and alcohol related crimes. Between 21 and 27 July, 172 suspects were arrested in connection with murder cases, 138 for attempted murder and 170 for rape. Additionally, 1 598 were arrested for assault GBH and 1 376 were arrested for possession of drugs. Drunk drivers accounted for 672 arrests, while 324 people were arrested for dealing narcotics. Operation Shanela was launched in May 2023 and the police ministry revealed via a written response to a parliamentary question that 3.68 million cases had been registered since. However, the number of convictions secured in that time amounted to just 215 233. The average number of cases opened per day over a 24 month period would be just over 5 000, while the conviction rate is just under 300 per day. Western Cape led the way with 54 000 convictions, followed by Gauteng with 37 400. Delayed court processes Asked for the breakdown based on gender, the ministry stated that performing such an analysis would be 'tedious' as it involved the scrutiny of physical dockets held by multiple divisions. 'This exercise will take long to complete, as a result service delivery might be adversely affected taking into consideration all types of crimes involved and may result in the disruption in service delivery,' the written response read. The portfolio committee on correctional services last week heard how slow court processes were leading to an overcrowding of prisons. The committee heard how 57 800 inmates were currently being held while trials were ongoing. Correctional services officials listed the reasons why court proceedings were regularly postponed for those both remanded and out on bail. These included repeated changing of legal representatives, the absence of witnesses and co-accused, as well as the loss of court records, among others. NPA success rates African Criminal Justice Reform (ACJR) in a previous report for the Dullah Omar Institute outlined how prosecutors approached criminal matters. 'The prosecution anticipates the defence of the accused, and weighs up whether or not the prosecution will be able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt,' states the report. 'If the chances are not reasonable, the prosecutor may decide not to prosecute.' In the National Prosecuting Authority's 2024 annual report, it listed an 84% success rate for murder prosecutions and a 72% success rate for gender-based violence incidents reported to police. 'The very high success rates of cases which are prosecuted… suggest that reasonable prospects are interpreted as being an almost certainty of conviction,' the ACJR report states. NOW READ: Police told crime victim to investigate their own case
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Woman who stabbed cousin in Bradford city centre is jailed
A woman who stabbed her cousin in a city centre while going through a psychotic episode has been jailed for 28 Gallagher, 34, of Selby Road, Garforth, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court earlier, but is expected to be released in about eight weeks after spending nearly a year on remand in a prison or hospital Safaraz Ahad said Gallagher stabbed the victim in the stomach with a kitchen knife in the Tyrrel Street area of Bradford on 15 August last year at around 12:00 court heard that Gallagher rang her support worker and confessed to what she had done, later telling police that "the Devil in my head told me to stab him once". "I didn't want to," she defendant was arrested by police after she was found at a coffee shop in Forster Square and the knife was recovered from another nearby Ahad said the two spoke momentarily before Gallagher took out the knife and stabbed the victim, before running victim did not realise he had been stabbed until he lifted up his top. Following mental health assessments and treatment Gallagher pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession a bladed article in a public who took part in the hearing on a video link, read out a letter to Judge Colin Burn, in which she said the crime was not premeditated and she was "a very poorly woman" at the Kathryn Pitters, for Gallagher, said her client was suffering from the acute effects of schizophrenia and a psychotic she said various reports had shown a significant improvement in Gallagher's mental health and she was now trusted to take her medication. Miss Pitters said: "This is a very unusual case, as I say, but for the psychosis it's not likely this offence would be committed."Judge Burn was urged to consider a suspended prison sentence with mental health support, but he said he still had to deal with the case within the guidelines for a serious Burn added that Gallagher was likely to be in custody for another eight to nine weeks and that would give time for the mental health services to put a plan in place for her release into the community. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man in critical condition after serious assault
A man is in critical condition after being seriously assaulted at a shopping centre. Police were called at 8:05pm yesterday to reports that a man in his 50s had been seriously assaulted in the St Olaves shopping precinct. The victim sustained serious head injuries and was taken to hospital. Police have said he is in a critical condition. Police arrested a man in his 50s in the early hours of this morning on suspicion of causing grievous bodily Harm (GBH) and he was taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre. It is believed that the victim and the man arrested are known to each other. Police say that they are not looking for any other suspects at this time. Anyone who directly witnessed the incident or who has any information is asked to contact Suffolk Police quoting reference 37/41884/25 via their website or on 101. Anyone looking to report information anonymously can do so via the Crimestoppers website or in 0800 555 111.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Arrest after man knocked unconscious in bus station brawl
A man was knocked unconscious during a fight on an Isle of Wight seafront last night, prompting police to make an arrest. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers descended on Ryde Esplanade shortly after midnight. Police were called to reports of a group of people fighting. Part of Ryde Bus Station was cordoned off following the incident, which saw a man knocked unconscious. Read more: "Over the moon!" — Rare and endagered Red Panda twins born at Island zoo Sewage leak sees area fenced off and tanker drafted in He was taken to hospital but has not sustained life-threatening injuries, police said. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He remains in custody at this time. Enquiries into the full circumstances remain ongoing.
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Bradford woman who stabbed ex and left him in coma jailed
A woman who stabbed her ex-boyfriend after a night out in Leeds has been jailed for six years and three Mulchrone attacked Jordan Minnott with a large kitchen knife the morning after a night out on 5 May, at a caravan site in Baildon, West Minnott, 32, was left in a coma for four days before he woke up and had to learn to walk 28, was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after a trial at Bradford Crown Court in February and was sentenced on Friday at the same court. The court heard that Mulchrone, of Quarry Place in Bradford, attacked her partner at Dobrudden Caravan Park at around 07:00 BST. Prosecutor Gerald Hendren told the court that Mulchrone and Mr Minnott had been in a "toxic" relationship for around four months before the pair had gone out in Leeds with friends, and the court heard that Mulchrone was "flirting" with other men to make Mr Minnott jealous. When he did not rise to it, Mulchrone slapped Mr Minnott, the court Minnott then got a taxi home, the court heard, but Mulchrone called his phone repeatedly, threatened him and then later rang to say she was going to take her own court heard that Mulchrone said she was going to "kill" him, adding: "You don't know who you're messing with."Mr Hendren said: "Courtney was now saying she's had enough and she's going to kill herself."He added: "She'd also threatened to damage Jordan's car and he was concerned about that."The court heard that Mr Minnott got a taxi to the caravan park, where she was living at the time, and found her kicking his Audi A1 car, which he had left was then that the argument escalated and Mulchrone stabbed Mr Minnott, who said he had been "left for dead" on the floor, the court heard. 'World was torn apart' Mulchrone was initially charged with attempted murder, but this was dropped alongside a charge of controlling and coercive was found not guilty of possessing a bladed article in a public was also charged with a count of criminal damage, which she had admitted before the trial. "My world was torn apart," Mr Minnott said in court before Mulchrone was sentenced."It was one of the scariest days of my life."He said: "I remember feeling numb, not being able to feel my body."It is something I will never forget."Mr Minnott described it as a near-death experience, adding that he remembered "watching myself, lifeless, lying on the ground"."It was also so surreal," he said."It was like my soul left my body," adding: "I accepted this is how I am going to die."Mr Minnott told the court that he woke up four days later in a confused and scared state, unable to move and being fed through a tube."I'd gone from being a fit young person who regularly went to the gym to someone who could not wipe the dribble from their own chin," he said."How could I have gone from lifting heavy weights to not being able to lift a small cup?"Mr Minnott said he still suffered from the physical and psychological damage caused to him, and was unable to continue his work as a groundsman due to its physical being sentenced, Mulchrone, wearing grey trousers and a waistcoat with a white shirt, blew a kiss and waved to her sentencing, Honorary Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Rose described the instance as an "unprovoked attack on Jordan Minnott which resulted in you stabbing him".He added that without the quick intervention he received, "Mr Minnott would have lost his life".Mulchrone will serve half her sentence before being released on licence and has an indefinite restraining order imposed. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
