Latest news with #WestMidlands
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
Migrant raped girl, 12, in flat above shop where he worked illegally after telling her the streets were ‘not safe'
A MIGRANT raped a 12-year-old girl in a flat above the shop where he worked illegally after telling her the streets were "not safe". Mohammed Wahid Mohammed lured the victim upstairs with vapes, crisps and a fizzy drink. 2 She had been taken into the store in Handsworth, West Midlands, by a woman after running away from home. Mohammed locked the door behind them and repeatedly raped her during the terrifying ordeal. He has now been jailed for 12 years with an extended five years on licence after he was found guilty of three charges of rape. The Syrian asylum seeker, who also admitted two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13, may be deported after serving his sentence. Judge Roderick Henderson said: "This was a sustained event, albeit on one day. "There was some grooming although it was limited in time. "But you exploited her because she was plainly young and effectively away from home." Birmingham Crown Court heard the girl had left her home on September 24 last year and caught a train to the city. A homeless woman approached her and the pair had a cup of tea before she was taken to the shop. Once inside, Mohammed told her: "You look really young. You look really cold do you want to come into the shop? It's warm in there, I'll get you something to eat and drink'." The fiend also told the victim it "wasn't safe on the streets" and lured her upstairs "under the pretence of being concerned". Mohammed sexually abused the girl for an hour before they went to a nearby takeaway. Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, said: "A young Asian family was there and were concerned about him and her. "There was a suggestion an Asian male thumped the defendant because of his concern." After he was arrested, Mohammed initially claimed the girl had consented to sexual activity but was told she was too young to consent. Nicholas Devine, defending, said the paedo had led a "difficult life" but had never previously committed a crime.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pictured: Syrian asylum seeker who raped runaway girl, 12, after telling her the 'streets were not safe' and promising her vape and fizzy drinks
A Syrian asylum seeker raped a 12-year-old girl in a room above a shop where he was illegally working after telling her 'the streets were not safe'. Mohammed Wahid Mohammed, 22, groomed the youngster with a vape, fizzy drinks, and crisps before locking her in a bedroom and repeatedly attacking her. She had run away from home and caught a train to Birmingham before being brought to the Villa supermarket in Handsworth, West Midlands, by a concerned homeless woman. The girl was later rescued by an Asian family at a nearby takeaway where one of my members punched Wahid Mohammed. Wahid Mohammed, who had lived at Lord Street, Walsall, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, July 17, to 12 years in prison with an extended five-year licence. It is not known if the child rapist will be deported with a judge saying it would be up to the authorities to decide at a later date. He had admitted two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 but a jury also found him guilty of three charges of rape. Judge Roderick Henderson ruled Wahid Mohammed was a 'dangerous' offender and said: 'This was a sustained event, albeit on one day. 'There was some grooming although it was limited in time. 'But you exploited her because she was plainly young and effectively away from home.' The girl left her home on September 24 last year before boarding a train and ending up in Birmingham city centre around 8.30pm. Andrew Wallace, prosecuting, said: 'She had a couple of pounds on her. A homeless lady approached her. 'She bought the lady a cup of tea. The homeless lady then walked her down Villa Road to Villa Supermarket. 'As soon as the defendant saw her he said: "You look really young. You look really cold do you want to come into the shop? It's warm in there, I'll get you something to eat and drink".' He added: 'He knew she was far away from home, there was discussion about that. 'Ironically, he told her it wasn't safe on the streets. He coaxed her into the shop under the pretence of being concerned. Really he only had sex in mind.' Wahid Mohammed told the girl to take a vape, crisps and fizzy drink from the shelves. He then led her to the upstairs bedroom where he had been sleeping. Mr Wallace told the court: 'He led her to a bedroom and leant in to kiss her. She said "woah you know I'm only 12". It's quite plain at one stage she was pretending to be older.' Wahid Mohammed sexually abused the girl for an hour before they went to a nearby takeway. Mr Wallace said: 'A young Asian family was there and were concerned about him and her. 'There was a suggestion an Asian male thumped the defendant because of his concern. 'She pretended she was older. Some sort of Facebook alarm showed she had run away from home so they took her back to where she belonged.' After being arrested Wahid Mohammed initially claimed the girl had consented to sexual activity before he was informed she was too young to legally consent. Nicholas Devine, defending, said his client had led a 'difficult life' but had never previously committed a crime. He confirmed his girlfriend had decided to stay with him and support him.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Drop in West Midlands road deaths an encouraging sign, says commissioner
An 18% drop in the number of people killed or seriously injured on West Midlands roads is "a very encouraging sign", the region's road safety commissioner from West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster showed that between January and July this year, 471 people were killed or seriously injured, down from 575 over the same period in Foster said, despite the reduction, the number remained too high and added that he remained committed to tackling the safety commissioner Mat McDonald said it was "really fantastic news", although a longer period of time was needed to see if the figures were "a welcome trend". "I'm sure residents are happy to see this, and the people who are still around walking and talking and don't realise they they could have been part of the statistics," he said."It is important though, when we look at data, to be cautious."I know there's been a lot of work by police on this but I think we need a longer period of time to see if this is a welcome trend of a flux in the data." Mr McDonald, a former chair of a road safety campaign group and NHS doctor, said 21 people had been killed in Birmingham since a road safety emergency was declared in summer 2024 and each death was "a life cut brutally short, leaving a devastated family behind"."We must double down on our efforts, no-one should be killed or seriously injured on our roads."A Regional Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2030 has been devised by the commissioner, West Midlands Police and the region's mayor, Richard objective is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads by 50% by 2030 and Vision Zero by 2040."We all need to continue to collectively commit to constant and unremitting action to do what it takes to improve road safety in the West Midlands and aim for Vision Zero by 2040," Mr Foster said revealing the data on Tuesday."A factor that will undoubtedly have contributed to that reduction is that West Midlands Police has tripled the number of careless, dangerous and reckless motorists it is bringing to justice from 1,800 per week to 5,000 per week."He said the figure would be 7,000 by April, due in part to investment from the PCC and the chief constable to double the number of mobile speed enforcement camera vans, as well as additional officers and staff allocated to roads policing. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
West Midlands fans celebrate 'nerve-wracking' Lionesses victory
Football fans in the West Midlands have been celebrating a nail-biting Lionesses victory as the team clinched their place in the Euro 2025 final."It was electric, just proper bouncing," said Barry Ross, from Rubery, Birmingham, watching in the Stade de Geneve as Chloe Kelly scored a late winner on Tuesday in extra spectator Kevin Morris, from Hereford, agreed. "When we equalised at the last kick of the game in the 96th minute, it just went mental."England will face either world champions Spain or Euro 2022 runners-up Germany in the final on Sunday. Mr Morris and his family have been following the Lionesses around Switzerland in a camper-van and he said it was unbelievable to see them get so far."I thought we'd see the group games, as usually England would probably get knocked out in the quarter-finals, and then we'd do some travelling around Europe," he the van is due back in Hereford on Thursday, he is intending to leave his family in Switzerland and dash back in his car to rejoin them."We've had a great couple of weeks and I don't think we can miss the final now," he said. Birmingham City Women Supporters Group member Mr Ross had not planned to stay on either, so will try to catch the final on TV on a cruise ship off the coast of time in Switzerland had been "so much fun but very tiring", he said."We've been lucky to get where we are. The last couple of games haven't been brilliant but we've pulled through," he added. Watching from home, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton's former PE teacher Emma Heighway described the dramatic match as "another nerve-wracker"."Knowing Hannah, she kept herself really calm," she said. The Birmingham-born 24-year-old went to Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood, Staffordshire, after growing up in Studley, Warwickshire."Her distribution is always really great in the game and she provided a lot of long balls and throws to be able to kickstart the game from the back, so I'm really proud of her."Former Birmingham City captain Kerys Harrop, who has played with Hampton, said the match was again won by the team's super subs, who have been instrumental in the squad's progress."[I'm] just buzzing for Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly because they obviously want to start the games but [they're] coming on and having just as much of an important impact," she said. Elsewhere groups of friends and colleagues gathered to watch the game while a big screen was put up to screen the game in Telford's Town & Wrekin Council cabinet member Angela McClements said fans were "really appreciative". She added: "It's a sense of community spirit and people coming together, and everyone loves football, don't they?"Rugby Borough Women took time out of their pre-season training to watch the Lionesses seal the deal at the Phoenix pub in Coventry."The whole team believed that it could be done," said assistant manager Sian Osmond, who admitted to nursing a few doubts as the second half wore on."The squad that they have and the way Sarina [Wiegman]'s utilised the whole group has been a bit of a masterclass from a management perspective." Additional reporting from Sarah Julian, Phil Upton, Malcolm Boyden and Paul Shuttleworth. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Wolverhampton councillors to discuss new crime and safety strategy
A new strategy to prevent and tackle crime and promote community safety in Wolverhampton over the next four years will be discussed by councillors Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Strategy sets out plans to create "safer, healthier communities where people feel empowered and protected", City of Wolverhampton Council focuses on five themes: Violence, anti-social behaviour, safety of women and girls, alcohol and substance-related crime, and neighbourhood Obaida Ahmed, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and community, said the issues required an integrated response aligned with West Midlands Police's crime plan. The five priorities involve using intelligence to identify hot spot areas, expanding prevention measures and pursuing "robust enforcement where necessary".Public spaces should be improved enabling the safety of women and girls, young people should be educated on healthy behaviours and also a focus on disrupting drug supply crime would be addressed through community vigilance, education, and co-ordinated policing, the council strategy will be monitored and refreshed each year to adapt to any new crime trends and local authority said reported crime had fallen by 9.5% in the past year with declines in serious youth violence, domestic abuse, theft, robbery and burglary, anti-social behaviour and adult reoffending rates. 'Proud of achievements' There had also been significant work to prevent serious youth violence by investing in programmes in schools and the community.A new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in the city centre last summer contributed to about a 16% reduction in recorded crime within the perimeter, including a 50% drop in the number of robberies, the council added."Preventing and tackling crime and promoting community safety are very complex and require an integrated partnership response," Ahmed said."Working alongside the West Midlands Police and Crime Plan, this strategy sets out our plans for the next four years – to ensure residents feel safe and can live healthy lives in their community."We're proud of the partnership's achievements over the last few years and remain fully committed to early intervention, community empowerment, and collective responsibility."The draft strategy will be presented to members of the council's cabinet on Wednesday. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
