Latest news with #LeicesterCrownCourt
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Leicestershire man jailed for taking £500,000 from family business
A man who defrauded a family business out of more than £500,000 has been Police said Lee Kent defrauded Fox Sports Surfacing Ltd when he redirected money to his own accounts, as well as more than £50,000 to a 45-year-old, of Main Street in Normanton upon Soar, near Loughborough, was found guilty of two counts of fraud by abuse of position and two counts of false accounting after a was sentenced to six and a half years in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday. Police said Kent used the money "to fund his gambling habit", with the offences taking place between 2014 and were only discovered when an office manager opened credit card statements.A statement said the case was reported eight years ago, which led to the launch of "a lengthy and complex investigation".Nicole McIntyre, from the force's economic crime unit, said confiscation proceedings to recover the funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) are now under way, with the defendant facing an extended sentence should he refuse to comply."This investigation did take some time to reach prosecution due to the steps Kent took to cover his tracks," she said."We hope [he] can now reflect on his actions as he faces a considerable time in prison and gets the help he needs."
BBC News
11-08-2025
- BBC News
Leicestershire man jailed over series of hoax bomb threats
A man who threatened to "blow up" a Heathrow Airport terminal in a series of hoax bomb threats has been Fisher, of St Peters Path in Oadby, Leicestershire, claimed to have placed bombs at locations in London, Birmingham, Hull and Lincolnshire on 5 Timothy Spencer KC told Leicester Crown Court it gave him "no pleasure" to jail Fisher – who had "well-documented" mental health problems – but said his offending was "disturbingly serious".The 61-year-old admitted a series of charges in May, including eight counts of a bomb hoax, and was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Monday to five years and two months in prison. The court heard Fisher called police at 10:41 BST on 5 May and threatened to blow up The Ritz Hotel in then threatened to rob a bank in Lincolnshire 15 minutes later - both were identified as hoax on what the Judge Spencer KC said "must have been on a different number", Fisher called Lincolnshire Police twice and said he had planted a bomb outside a pub in Lincoln and another in asked by a call handler why he had placed the bomb outside the pub in Boston, he said he "felt like it", Eunice Gedzah, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Gedzah said the Metropolitan Police received a number of calls from Fisher under false names on the same day, when he claimed he had placed bombs at Heathrow Airport, St Pancras Railway Station and near Scotland Yard. 'Enormous waste' The court also heard West Midlands Police received a call from Fisher that he was going to bomb Birmingham Airport and that he had a gun and was going to "open fire and kill people".The threat was declared a firearms incident, with police and a dog unit being also told Humberside Police he had placed a bomb outside a police station in Hull and that he had a pistol. Police were deployed and the defendant was not found, the court was later arrested at his home address in Leicestershire. James Bide-Thomas, defending, said the calls were an "enormous waste" of public time and money, but added the defendant had told him he was "very sorry".Mr Bide-Thomas told the court Fisher has bipolar affective disorder, for which he was being treated, and also suffered auditory told the court when Fisher was heavily medicated he struggled with how it made him feel, and the offending occurred when he was tempted to not take the court heard since 2006 there had been "frequent interventions" from medically-qualified people and crisis teams, and he had previously done a "number of positive things" in his life before his mental health Spencer KC said: "This is a sad and sorry case, I actually have a lot of sympathy for you. I think you've had a sad, lonely and largely wasted life." Det Con Kevin Sharkey from Leicestershire Police said: "The impact hoax calls can have on the emergency services, businesses and the public are vast. "Such mindless actions interrupt our infrastructure and end up costing significant amounts of money."In addition to the eight counts of a bomb hoax, Fisher also admitted charges of causing wasteful employment of police and threatening to destroy or damage property.
Metro
05-07-2025
- Metro
Man who urged vulnerable woman to kill herself so he could watch is jailed
A man who urged a vulnerable woman to self-harm and end her own life for his own warped sexual thrills has been jailed for nine years. Tyler Webb, 23, repeatedly told his victim to kill herself during weeks of what she called 'calculated psychological violence' because he wanted to watch her die on a video call. He became the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023. Webb pleaded guilty in May to that charge and a separate charge of encouraging suicide between June 22 and July 11 last year. Judge Timothy Spencer KC imposed a hybrid order, meaning he will begin his sentence in hospital until he is deemed fit for prison. He told Webb: 'Your persuasion extended over a substantial period of time. The two of you were not in any sort of suicide pact – it was always you hang yourself for my pleasure.' Webb, with long black hair and wearing a blue t-shirt, sat in the dock with his head bowed down and hands clasped over his ears before hiding underneath his chair, where he remained for most of the hearing. The victim, who cannot be named, contacted police in July 2024 because she feared Webb would encourage someone else to harm themselves after he asked her to 'sacrifice' herself. She said Webb put her through a period of 'calculated psychological violence' because he wanted to watch her kill herself. She met Webb on a Reddit forum where users shared mental health support. They then began to video call on the messaging app Telegram and their conversations turned 'dark in nature'. Prosecutor Louise Oakley told the Leicester Crown Court when Webb encouraged her to harm herself, 'in [the victim's] words, he loved it. Tyler Webb told her it turned him on. 'He told her he wanted her to do it during a video call so he could watch. He would berate her and say she had nothing to live for and she should die.' Webb once watched the woman make an attempt on her life and when it failed, told her to try again, the court heard. Ms Oakley told the court Webb's offending was pre-meditated, persistent and extensive: 'He pressurised her and was at times unpleasant. 'Importantly, it appears he was sexually motivated and genuinely wanted to see her die. He knew her vulnerabilities, her previous traumas and knew she had previously attempted suicide.' The prosecutor also said he refused to turn his own camera on during the video calls, suggesting he knew that 'what he was doing was wrong and he was in effect looking out for himself, not her'. In a victim impact statement read to the court by the prosecutor, the woman wrote: 'I don't want to call this encouraging serious self-harm or suicide, I want to call this what it is – an attempted murder through psychological means. 'What Tyler did was not a mistake, it was calculated psychological violence. He didn't try to kill me with his hands but with his words. 'He had no turmoil while torturing me. He told me that my only value was in dying for his entertainment. 'I'm alive, but the life I have left is altered forever. My life is ruined – my mind and body have been severely damaged.' Defence barrister Joey Kwong said Webb was struggling with his own mental health and 'wrongly he adopted such warped behaviour and distorted thinking' from content he saw online. The court heard Web's several diagnoses – including autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety and depressive disorders – had a 'significant impact on his life'. Dr Ajith Gurusinghe, a clinician who has been treating Webb in hospital because he is 'unable to cope in the prison regime', said the defendant had shown 'some remorse but not completely'. Webb's Reddit profile was identified and a review of the account revealed several female anime or gaming characters in various erotic poses with fatal injuries. Detective Constable Lauren Hampton, of Leicester Police, said: 'This case is not only truly shocking but also deeply concerning. 'Webb preyed upon a vulnerable woman at a time when she was reaching out to people in an online forum for help and support. 'He quickly gained her trust and then he began with his barrage of vile requests – all the time knowing that what he was telling her to do could result in her ending her own life. More Trending 'Thankfully, this did not happen, and the victim was able to report what had happened.' Alex Johnson, a specialist crown prosecutor in the Special Crime Division of the CPS, said: 'Tyler Webb contacted a vulnerable woman online and encouraged her to commit serious self-harm and to end her life by hanging. 'He knew she was vulnerable and would act on his requests but went ahead with his persistent requests knowing she may well die. 'Fortunately, his repeated and insistent suggestions did not result in a death.' Samaritans are here to listen, day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email jo@ or visit for more information. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Mum stabs her three children killing one and sets home on fire' MORE: Quick-thinking man buys two 99s from an ice cream van stuck in traffic MORE: Brothers 'used high level of violence' to assault police at Manchester Airport, court hears
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Man who urged vulnerable woman to kill herself while he watched online for his own sexual thrills is sentenced to nine years
A man who persistently urged a vulnerable woman to kill herself and self-harm during video calls for his own sexual pleasure has been handed a prison sentence of nine years. Tyler Webb, 23, repeatedly told his victim to end her life during weeks of what she called 'calculated psychological violence' because he wanted to watch her die on a video call. The defendant, of King Crescent South in Loughborough, was the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. He pleaded guilty in May to that charge and a separate charge of encouraging suicide between June 22 and July 11 last year. Handing Webb the hybrid order, meaning he will begin his sentence in hospital until he is deemed fit for prison, at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Judge Timothy Spencer KC agreed that 'very largely' Webb was motivated by sexual gratification. He said: 'Your persuasion extended over a substantial period of time. The two of you were not in any sort of suicide pact - it was always you hang yourself for my pleasure.' Webb, with long black hair and wearing a blue t-shirt, sat in the dock with his head bowed down and hands clasped over his ears before hiding underneath his chair, where he remained for most of the hearing. He did not respond when asked to confirm his name. Prosecutor Louise Oakley said the woman, who cannot be named, met Webb on a Reddit forum where people shared mental health support, before the pair started video calling on the Telegram app where they would have conversations which were 'dark in nature'. Ms Oakley told the court that when Webb encouraged her to harm herself, 'in (the victim's) words, he loved it. Tyler Webb told her it turned him on'. Telling the court about Webb urging the woman to kill herself, Ms Oakley said: 'He told her he wanted her to do it during a video call so he could watch. He would berate her and say she had nothing to live for and she should die.' The court heard on one occasion Webb watched the woman attempt suicide by hanging, and when it failed he told her to try again. The woman contacted the police on July 3 last year because she feared Webb would encourage someone else to harm themselves after he asked her to 'sacrifice' herself, and he was arrested a week later. In a victim impact statement read aloud to the court by Ms Oakley, the woman wrote: 'I don't want to call this encouraging serious self-harm or suicide, I want to call this what it is - an attempted murder through psychological means. 'What Tyler did was not a mistake, it was calculated psychological violence. He didn't try to kill me with his hands but with his words. 'He had no turmoil while torturing me. He told me that my only value was in dying for his entertainment. 'I'm alive, but the life I have left is altered forever. My life is ruined - my mind and body have been severely damaged.' Ms Oakley told the court: '(Webb's) user profile on Reddit was identified as u/EmpathicNarcissist and a review of the account revealed numerous anime or gaming characters in various erotic poses with fatal injuries. 'All of the characters were female.' The prosecutor said the fact Webb refused to turn on his own camera during his video calls with the woman suggests he had insight that 'what he was doing was wrong and he was in effect looking out for himself, not her'. Ms Oakley told the court: 'We submit his offending involved pre-meditation, persistence and extensive encouragement and advice. He pressurised her and was at times unpleasant. 'Importantly, it appears he was sexually motivated and genuinely wanted to see her die. He knew her vulnerabilities, her previous traumas and knew she had previously attempted suicide.' Defence barrister Joey Kwong said Webb was in a 'dark time' with his mental health and 'wrongly he adopted such warped behaviour and distorted thinking' from material he saw online. The court heard that the defendant has been diagnosed with mental health disorders including autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety and depressive disorders, which have a 'significant impact on his life'. Dr Ajith Gurusinghe, a treating clinician for Webb who has been in hospital because he is 'unable to cope in the prison regime', told the court the defendant has 'shown some remorse but not completely'. Webb was also made subject of a restraining order during the hearing. Detective Constable Lauren Hampton, of Leicestershire Police, said: 'This case is not only truly shocking but also deeply concerning. 'Webb preyed upon a vulnerable woman at a time when she was reaching out to people in an online forum for help and support. 'He quickly gained her trust and then he began with his barrage of vile requests - all the time knowing that what he was telling her to do could result in her ending her own life. 'Thankfully, this did not happen, and the victim was able to report what had happened.' Alex Johnson, a specialist crown prosecutor in the Special Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Tyler Webb contacted a vulnerable woman online and encouraged her to commit serious self-harm and to end her life by hanging. 'He knew she was vulnerable and would act on his requests but went ahead with his persistent requests knowing she may well die.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- The Independent
Man who urged vulnerable woman to kill herself and self-harm given hybrid order
A man who persistently urged a vulnerable woman to kill herself and self-harm during video calls for his own sexual pleasure has been handed a prison sentence of nine years and four months. Tyler Webb, 23, repeatedly told his victim to end her life during weeks of what she called 'calculated psychological violence' because he wanted to watch her die on a video call. The defendant, of King Crescent South in Loughborough, was the first person in the country to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. He pleaded guilty in May to that charge and a separate charge of encouraging suicide between June 22 and July 11 last year. Handing Webb the hybrid order, meaning he will begin his sentence in hospital until he is deemed fit for prison, at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Judge Timothy Spencer KC agreed that 'very largely' Webb was motivated by sexual gratification. He said: 'Your persuasion extended over a substantial period of time. The two of you were not in any sort of suicide pact – it was always you hang yourself for my pleasure.' Webb, with long black hair and wearing a blue t-shirt, sat in the dock with his head bowed down and hands clasped over his ears before hiding underneath his chair, where he remained for most of the hearing. He did not respond when asked to confirm his name. Prosecutor Louise Oakley said the woman, who cannot be named, met Webb on a Reddit forum where people shared mental health support, before the pair started video calling on the Telegram app where they would have conversations which were 'dark in nature'. Ms Oakley told the court that when Webb encouraged her to harm herself, 'in (the victim's) words, he loved it. Tyler Webb told her it turned him on'. Telling the court about Webb urging the woman to kill herself, Ms Oakley said: 'He told her he wanted her to do it during a video call so he could watch. He would berate her and say she had nothing to live for and she should die.' The court heard on one occasion Webb watched the woman attempt suicide by hanging, and when it failed he told her to try again. The woman contacted the police on July 3 last year because she feared Webb would encourage someone else to harm themselves after he asked her to 'sacrifice' herself, and he was arrested a week later. In a victim impact statement read aloud to the court by Ms Oakley, the woman wrote: 'I don't want to call this encouraging serious self-harm or suicide, I want to call this what it is – an attempted murder through psychological means. 'What Tyler did was not a mistake, it was calculated psychological violence. He didn't try to kill me with his hands but with his words. 'He had no turmoil while torturing me. He told me that my only value was in dying for his entertainment. 'I'm alive, but the life I have left is altered forever. My life is ruined – my mind and body have been severely damaged.' Ms Oakley told the court: '(Webb's) user profile on Reddit was identified as u/EmpathicNarcissist and a review of the account revealed numerous anime or gaming characters in various erotic poses with fatal injuries. All of the characters were female.' The prosecutor said the fact Webb refused to turn on his own camera during his video calls with the woman suggests he had insight that 'what he was doing was wrong and he was in effect looking out for himself, not her'. Ms Oakley told the court: 'We submit his offending involved pre-meditation, persistence and extensive encouragement and advice. He pressurised her and was at times unpleasant. 'Importantly, it appears he was sexually motivated and genuinely wanted to see her die. He knew her vulnerabilities, her previous traumas and knew she had previously attempted suicide.' Defence barrister Joey Kwong said Webb was in a 'dark time' with his mental health and 'wrongly he adopted such warped behaviour and distorted thinking' from material he saw online. The court heard that the defendant has been diagnosed with mental health disorders including autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety and depressive disorders, which have a 'significant impact on his life'. Dr Ajith Gurusinghe, a treating clinician for Webb who has been in hospital because he is 'unable to cope in the prison regime', told the court the defendant has 'shown some remorse but not completely'. Webb was also made subject of a restraining order during the hearing. Detective Constable Lauren Hampton, of Leicestershire Police, said: 'This case is not only truly shocking but also deeply concerning. 'Webb preyed upon a vulnerable woman at a time when she was reaching out to people in an online forum for help and support. 'He quickly gained her trust and then he began with his barrage of vile requests – all the time knowing that what he was telling her to do could result in her ending her own life. Thankfully, this did not happen, and the victim was able to report what had happened.' Alex Johnson, a specialist crown prosecutor in the Special Crime Division of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Tyler Webb contacted a vulnerable woman online and encouraged her to commit serious self-harm and to end her life by hanging. 'He knew she was vulnerable and would act on his requests but went ahead with his persistent requests knowing she may well die. 'Fortunately, his repeated and insistent suggestions did not result in a death.' – The Samaritans can be contacted anonymously on 116123 or email jo@
