History > 2012 > UK > Police (I)

Teenage victim

of London stabbing named

Police have made two arrests
after Dogan Ismail, 17,
was stabbed to death in block of flats
in south-east London

Monday 31 December 2012
17.03 GMT
The Guardian
Press Association
This article was published on guardian.co.uk
at 17.03 GMT
on Monday 31 December 2012.
A version appeared on p6 of the Main section section
of the Guardian on Tuesday 1 January 2013.
It was last modified at 00.00 GMT
on Tuesday 1 January 2013.

A teenager stabbed to death in a street attack has been named by police.

Dogan Ismail, 17, was with his brother when they encountered a group of four males, Scotland Yard said. There was an "altercation" in which the victim was fatally injured.

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and a 39-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. The attack happened just yards from where 21-year-old Shaun Chambers was stabbed to death in September.

The latest attack happened on Sunday afternoon at a block of flats in Walworth, south-east London.

The Metropolitan police and London ambulance service were called to Latimer House, Beaconsfield Road, at 4.20pm, where the victim, from Peckham, south-east London, was subsequently pronounced dead.

A postmortem was taking place today at Greenwich mortuary.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner, leading the investigation, said: "My thoughts go out to Dogan's family, who have been left devastated by his senseless killing. That it should happen at this time of year is all the more tragic. I would like to urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward and speak with my officers or, if they would prefer to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers.

"There is no evidence to suggest that this attack was gang-related and Dogan did not have any history of gang activity.

"I know there will also be local speculation about the fact that this murder took place on the same spot that Shaun Chambers was killed on 26 September, but I would like to make clear that there is no link between the incidents aside from the location."

Anybody with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8358 0200 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The boy and woman who were arrested remain in custody at a south London police station.

    Teenage victim of London stabbing named, G, 31.12.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/31/london-teenage-stabbing-victim-named

Two arrested over Christmas Eve murder of church organist

Alan Greaves, who was assaulted on his way to midnight mass,
mourned by widow and local community

Saturday 29 December 2012
8.57 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Cass Jones
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 18.57 GMT
on Saturday 29 December 2012.
It was last modified at 00.04 GMT on Sunday 30 December 2012.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a church organist who was attacked on his way to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

Alan Greaves, 68, suffered serious head injuries after being assaulted just metres from St Saviour's Church in High Green, near Sheffield.

Two men aged in their 20s and 40s, both from Sheffield, have been arrested in connection with the death and were being held in custody on Saturday night.

A South Yorkshire police spokesman said: "Officers are searching a number of properties in the area and there has been a high-visibility police presence in High Green today."

Greaves was attacked at around 11.15pm on 24 December after leaving his home to go to church for the midnight service.

He was discovered by a member of the public and taken to hospital but died from his injuries on Thursday night.

Police have said the motive for the attack is unclear and are appealing for witnesses to come forward with any information.

Greaves's widow, Maureen, 63, said she had been left devastated by her husband's death.

"It is just not what you expect, somebody to walk down the street and get murdered - and at this time of year as well, it's just dreadful," she told the Sun.

Canon Simon Bessant from St Saviour's church described Greaves as a "good man" who fell victim to an evil act.

He said: "He was a gentle soul. He wasn't foolish - he would have handled the situation as best as anyone would but we don't know what he encountered."

The bishop of Sheffield, Dr Steven Croft, has sent a message to every parish in his diocese asking for prayers for Greaves and his family.

"Alan Greaves died on Thursday night following injuries received in an attack on Christmas Eve as he was on his way to church," he said.

"He was a reader and organist at St Saviour's Mortomley and High Green in Sheffield.

"He was married to Maureen, a Church Army evangelist and both Alan and Maureen were widely involved in serving their local community for many years. They have four grownup children.

"Please would you hold Alan's family and the church family at High Green, with Simon Bessant the vicar and the wider family of Church Army in your prayers in the coming days and especially this Sunday morning."

    Two arrested over Christmas Eve murder of church organist, NYT, 29.12.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/29/two-arrested-christmas-murder-organist

Man charged with rape of 11-year-old London schoolgirl

Opemipo Jaji charged following attack on girl who was on her way home from school

Thursday 29 November 2012 08.30 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Haroon Siddique
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 08.30 GMT
on Thursday 29 November 2012.
It was last modified at 10.54 GMT on Thursday 29 November 2012.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with the rape of an 11-year-old girl who was attacked on her way home from school.

Opemipo Jaji was also charged with attempted rape following the attack on the schoolgirl in Edmonton, north London, on 23 November, Scotland Yard said.

The girl, who was wearing her school uniform and was described by police as petite, got off a bus at about 5pm and was assaulted in Jubilee Park. She returned home shortly before 8pm, at which point her family called police. She was taken to hospital where she needed surgery.

Jaji will appear at Enfield magistrates court on Thursday. He was arrested in Edmonton on Monday evening and on Wednesday police were given more time to question him. A 26-year-old man held in connection with the attack has been released on bail until late December.

Police have appealed for drivers, pedestrians or anyone who was in Jubilee Park around the time of the attack who might have seen a man following a girl in school uniform to come forward.

Detective Inspector Simon Ellershaw said it was "a horrific and unusual attack of a defenceless schoolgirl". Police increased patrols at Jubilee Park and other local parks after the assault but said such an attack was "isolated and extremely rare".

    Man charged with rape of 11-year-old London schoolgirl, G, 29.11.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/29/man-charged-rape-london-schoolgirl

Woman admits killing her two babies

Felicia Boots, 35, pleads guilty
to the manslaughter of 14-month-old and 10-week-old in south London

Tuesday 30 October 2012
10.34 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Alexandra Topping
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 10.34 GMT
on Tuesday 30 October 2012. It was last modified at 12.39 GMT
on Tuesday 30 October 2012.

A mother who has admitted killing her two babies at her home in Wandsworth, south London, has told a court that she is "truly sorry" and thought she was a "good mum".

Felicia Boots, 35, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 10-week-old Mason and his 14-month-old sister, Lily, on 9 May on the grounds of diminished responsibilty. Boots had faced murder charges but the plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility was accepted by the prosecution.

Boots, who lived with her investment banker husband in a salubrious area of London – referred to as "nappy valley" because of the number of couples with infants there – at the time of the children's deaths, has been unable to attend two previous hearings after being detained in a psychiatric unit.

Wearing a black suit and white blouse at the Old Bailey, she began crying as she was asked to stand and enter pleas on the two murder charges.

She pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to manslaughter because of diminished responsibility, on both counts.

She sent a note to the court which was read by her counsel, Kate Bex, which read: "9 May 2012 is a day I will be eternally sorry for. It should never have happened. It troubles me more than anyone will ever know. Part of me will always be missing. I am a good person. I am a good mum and I never meant any of this to happen. I am truly sorry."

Edward Brown QC, prosecuting, told the court that it was not dealing with a murder, but a tragedy. "This plainly is a tragic case," he said.

The Crown had closely examined the medical evidence and spoken to Boots's husband, Jeff, who was in court, he added. "The authors of the reports are clear and agreed in their conclusions as to Boots's condition as at 9 May and the reasons for her actions on that day. As a result the Crown has taken the firm view that it is not in the public interest to pursue the counts of murder but to accept the pleas as entered."

Boots was ordered to be detained at a psychiatric unit and the court was told she would be given full support and care if she became pregnant again.

The judge, Mr Justice Fulford, said: "A prison sentence would be wholly inappropriate in this case." He added: "This is an almost indescribably sad case.

"Although the results of Mrs Boots's actions were profoundly tragic given the loss of two young lives, what occurred was not criminal activity in the sense that expression is normally understood.

"I unreservedly accept that what she did to the two children, that she and her husband loved and nurtured, were the results of physical and biological factors beyond her control."

There was no doubt of the strength of the relationship between the couple. "This has always been a happy family," he said. "This is someone who delighted in being a mother and she was good at it."

He said Boots may have hidden the extent of her mental anguish from her husband and family. The judge did not impose any restriction on the time Boots would be detained. Her husband and his family said they did not wish to make any further comments about the case.

It is believed Boots was suffering from severe postnatal depression when she killed her two children at the family's home. Her husband came home from work to find the two children lying side by side on the floor of a walk-in wardrobe. He called emergency services but the children could not be revived.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Boots attempted to take her own life, but did not need medical attention. The formal cause of the children's death has not been confirmed but it is thought they were suffocated.

    Woman admits killing her two babies, G, 30.10.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/30/woman-admits-killing-two-babies

Bodies of man and two children

found on Hampshire bridleway

Bodies are believed to be those of Michael Pedersen, 51,
Ben Pedersen, seven, and six-year-old Freya Pedersen

Monday 1 October 2012 13.38 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Steven Morris
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 13.38 BST
on Monday 1 October 2012. It was last modified at 13.45 BST
on Monday 1 October 2012.

The bodies of a man and two young children have been discovered near a car on a bridleway in Hampshire, police have revealed.

Detectives from Hampshire Constabulary's major crime investigation team are investigating the deaths.

The bodies have not yet been formally identified but police say they are believed to be those of Michael Pedersen, 51 of Chertsey, Surrey, Ben Pedersen, seven, and Freya Pedersen, six, both of Ashford, Middlesex.

All three bodies were found on a bridleway in the hamlet of Newton Stacey, Andover, at around 6.15pm on Sunday by a member of the public.

The coroner has been informed and postmortem examinations are due to take place.

Detective Superintendent Tony Harris, said: "We are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding this terrible incident and are working to establish what has led to these tragic deaths.

"We are treating this as an isolated incident and we do not believe anyone else was involved.

"The families of Michael, Ben and Freya have been informed and specialist family liaison officers from Hampshire Constabulary, and officers from Surrey police, are working with them to provide support and keep them updated as the investigation progresses.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved at this extremely difficult time and I would ask that they be allowed to come to terms with what has happened in a dignified and respectful way."

    Bodies of man and two children found on Hampshire bridleway, G, 1.10.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/01/bodies-man-two-children-hampshire

Azelle Rodney's mother says son was 'executed'

As video footage of the incident is released,
officer who opened fire claims he feared for his life and those of his colleague

Tuesday 4 September 2012
23.33 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Vikram Dodd
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 23.33 BST
on Tuesday 4 September 2012.
A version appeared on p16 of the Main section section of the Guardian
on Wednesday 5 September 2012.
It was last modified at 00.11 BST on Wednesday 5 September 2012.

The mother of a suspected criminal shot dead by police said that her son was "executed", as the officer who killed him told an inquiry that he opened fire fearing his life and those of his colleagues was in imminent danger.

The opposing accounts came on Tuesday at the inquiry into the death of Azelle Rodney who was shot six times by police in north London in April 2005 as he travelled in a car. Police believed he was part of an armed gang who were about to attempt a drugs heist.

On Tuesday night video footage of the incident recorded by one officer was released by the inquiry, despite the objections of the Metropolitan police.

Audio captures one officer saying "sweet as" three times, followed by what appear to be the dull thuds of police gunshots ringing out across a surburban street. The video does not capture the actual shooting.

Rodney, 24, was shot without an armed officer shouting an oral warning, the inquiry has been told.

The inquiry heard from Rodney's mother, Susan Alexander, who believes her son was "summarily killed".

In a statement during which she broke down, Alexander contrasted her son's death seven years ago to the fate of two other men in the car, Wesley Lovell and Frank Graham, who were later convicted of firearms offences. Alexander said: "To state the obvious they were at least able to walk away alive on 30 April, and have long since served their prison sentences, while it seems to be that Azelle was executed that day and as a result never got to see his baby daughter."

Her barrister, Leslie Thomas, said that his client's case accepted that Rodney was not wholly innocent: "We do not seek to justify what Azelle was doing on the day he died. Nor do we seek to portray him as an angel. But he was entitled to be apprehended, if there was evidence he was entitled to be charged.

"He was entitled to be brought before a court of law to face a trial before a jury of his peers and if convicted, rightly and properly punished with the deprivation of his liberty.

"The fact that he was strongly suspected of being involved in criminal wrongdoing does not justify him or anyone else being summarily killed."

The intelligence in the Rodney case was passed to the Met by Customs. It is understood to have been developed through intercepts. Police believe it suggested that a gang would stage an armed heist against Colombian drug pushers on the streets of London, and steal their class A drugs.

Samantha Leek QC, barrister for the firearms officer who killed Rodney, known as E7, said: "He believed that Mr Rodney had picked up and was preparing to shoot a fully automatic weapon, and he fired at Mr Rodney until he believed that there was no longer a threat. He fully understands that Mr Rodney's family hold him responsible for Mr Rodney's death. He believed that he had no alternative but to fire."

The Rodney case was one of the reasons that the last Labour government and then the current Conservative-led coalition considered introducing so called "secret inquests".

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) exonerated the police, and the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was no criminal case for police to answer.

    Azelle Rodney's mother says son was 'executed', G, 4.9.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/04/azelle-rodney-mother-claims-police-executed

Dale Cregan sought over two Manchester murders

Suspect wanted for questioning over deaths of David Short in Clayton on Friday,
and his son, Mark, earlier this year

Saturday 11 August 2012 16.17 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Conal Urquhart and agencies
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 16.17 BST
on Saturday 11 August 2012.

Police have named a suspect they are seeking in connection with the murder of a father and his son in separate incidents.

Dale Cregan, 29, is wanted for questioning after the body of David Short, 46, was found in the Clayton area of Greater Manchester on Friday. Short's 31-year old son, Mark, was murdered earlier this year.

Officers were called to an address in Folkestone Road East at around 10.30am after reports of gunfire and discovered David Short. Police said a grenade was detonated at the scene.

At 10.39am the force received reports that shots had been fired at a second house, on Luke Road, Droylsden, where detectives believe another grenade was detonated. Nobody was injured in this incident.

Greater Manchester police said the incidents are linked and are connected to the murder of Mark Short in Droylsden earlier this year. He was shot in the neck at the Cotton Tree pub on 25 May after a gunman walked in and opened fire. Three other men were shot in the pub and received leg and back injuries.

Cregan, from Droylsden, is also wanted in connection with the murder of Mark Short.

Police warned members of the public not to approach the suspect but to contact officers if they saw him.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said on Saturday: "We still don't know with any certainty what happened or why, but we do believe both incidents are linked and are looking at the very real possibility that they are connected to the recent fatal shooting of a young man at a pub in Droylsden."

Shewan said extra police, including specialist firearms officers, had been drafted into both areas and the force would maintain a significant presence there over the coming days.

"Without question, people in Clayton, Droylsden and across Greater Manchester will be concerned, and I want to reassure them that we don't believe there is a threat to the general public," he said.

A postmortem examination will take place to establish the cause of death of David Short.

Police said a 31-year-old man was taken into custody on Saturday after being arrested at a hospital earlier this week in connection with the murder of Mark Short.

The man, who was arrested at Wythenshawe hospital on Wednesday, will now be questioned by detectives on suspicion of one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Luke Livesey, 27, from Hattersley, and Damien Gorman, 38, from Glossop, were charged with Mark Short's murder and three counts of attempted murder on Wednesday.

    Dale Cregan sought over two Manchester murders, G, 11.8.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/11/manchester-dale-cregan-gun-bomb

Tia Sharp case: police arrest woman and man

Woman, 46, believed to be schoolgirl's grandmother,
held on suspicion of murder and man, 39,
held on suspicion of assisting an offender

Guardian.co.uk
Saturday 11 August 2012
12.10 BST
Conal Urquhart and Sandra Laville
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 12.10 BST
on Saturday 11 August 2012.
It was last modified at 12.35 BST on Saturday 11 August 2012.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Tia Sharp have arrested two more people – a 46-year-old woman, believed to be the schoolgirl's grandmother, on suspicion of murder and a 39-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender, Scotland Yard has said.

Stuart Hazell, 37, who lived with Tia's grandmother Christine Sharp, was arrested in Merton, south-west London, on Friday after the discovery of a body at Sharp's house in New Addington. He is being held on suspicion of murder after being arrested at 8.25pm when a member of the public called police.

As Hazell was being arrested, a senior Metropolitan police officer acknowledged there would be many questions asked about why the body, which is believed to be Tia's, was not found until the fourth search of Sharp's house.

No identification has taken place yet but there is little doubt that it is that of the schoolgirl who was on holiday from Raynes Park high school when she went missing on Friday 3 August.

"A number of searches took place at the address," said Commander Neil Basu. "When Tia was first reported missing, officers searched her bedroom as is normal practice … A further search of the house took place in the early hours of Sunday morning by a specialist team. This was followed by another search of the house by specialist dogs on Wednesday lunchtime."

But it was only on Friday afternoon, after a full search of the house was carried out, that the body was found. It is understood it was found in the confines of the house, not outside or in any outbuilding.

Tia's mother, Natalie, was informed of the discovery on Friday afternoon.

Police were also following up two sightings of Tia which suggested that she might have left the house.

Examining hundreds of hours of CCTV footage earlier in the investigation, police failed to find any trace of Tia in the town, and their focus returned to the house in New Addington.

By Friday, a decision was made to search the house again more thoroughly and Sharp was asked to leave the property. When asked where Hazell was, she said: "I don't know where Stuart is; he is out doing his own thing. He has had it hard, he knows the finger is being pointed at him."

Police interviewed Hazell as a witness on Wednesday but released him without further action.

Basu said the family had been kept up to date with developments: "Our priority is to support the family of Tia at this distressing time and identify the body."

Friends on the estate had been walking the streets all week, carrying posters of Tia and asking the public for help in finding her. Within minutes of the discovery of the body, members of the community arrived to express their sadness and shock. But there was some anger directed against the family and the police.

Ginny Oteng, 46, a mother of three children, said: "I have kids of my own the same age as Tia, and I was worried because I thought there was a child snatcher out there."

Eileen Minogue, 40, said: "I feel disgusted. It is heartbreaking. I feel for the genuine family, her mum Natalie, the cousins and aunts who have been in that house who have had sleepless nights waiting for Tia to come home. All the while her body was there."

One man shouted abuse at the police and asked: "Weren't you watching him?"

Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, wrote on his blog: "The police and forensic teams now have a serious job to do and I ask that we all please allow them to get on with trying to close a case which has, in such a short period of time, affected so many of us in Croydon and around the country.

"Despite the sad end to an emotional week, I want to praise the community in New Addington for their relentless dedication to trying to help their neighbour's family. So often in times of tragedy come inspirational displays of community."

    Tia Sharp case: police arrest woman and man, G, 11.8.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/11/tia-sharp-police-arrest-woman-man

Carole Waugh murder: woman arrested on fraud suspicions

Woman, 61, becomes the 11th person arrested
in connection with oil executive's disappearance

Press Association
Guardian.co.uk
Friday 10 August 2012 20.07 BST
This article was published on guardian.co.uk
at 20.07 BST on Friday 10 August 2012.
It was last modified at 23.52 BST on Friday 10 August 2012.

Police investigating the death of oil executive Carole Waugh have arrested a woman on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.

Waugh, originally from Durham but living in London, had not been seen by her family since mid-April.

Her body was found in a car at a garage in Lime Court, New Malden, south-west London, on 2 August, with a single stab wound.

The Metropolitan police said the 61-year-old woman was in custody at a south London police station.

Waugh was reported missing by her family on 7 May. She had lived and worked in Libya for a number of years, but returned to London in 2008 and regularly visited relatives in Durham and Cumbria.

Her former boss, Stuart Anderson, told journalists she had fled Libya after being threatened by someone in Muammar Gaddafi's regime, but a Scotland Yard spokesman said inquiries were focused in London.

Detectives said she met men through a variety of internet sites, including dating websites, and they were investigating the possibility that she might have been an escort.

So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the inquiry into Waugh's disappearance.

At least three women have tried to pose as her since she vanished, police said.

Waugh's flat is in an affluent part of central London and her brother Chris previously said she was "very frugal and careful" with money.

A second man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday and is still being questioned by police. Rakesh Bhayani, 40, is due in court next month, facing three charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation worth about £280,000, following transactions associated with Waugh's identity.

The other man, Nicholas Kutner, 47, was arrested on suspicion of murder and kidnap last week.

Kutner also faces two charges relating to renting Waugh's property at Tressard Court and a fourth of unlawfully withdrawing funds from the 50-year-old's bank account.

Kutner is also facing a fraud charge after being accused of pretending to be Waugh's brother Chris Waugh in a bid to sell her London home. He is in custody ahead of an appearance at Southwark crown court on Monday in connection with the charge.

Scotland Yard has appealed for information on the car the body was found in, a blue Volkswagen Golf with the registration number W466 NHL.

    Carole Waugh murder: woman arrested on fraud suspicions, G, 10.8.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/10/carole-waugh-woman-arrested-fraud

Carole Waugh murder: man charged with fraud

Nicholas Kutner arrested in connection with the murder of Carole Waugh
has been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud

Saturday 4 August 2012
18.22 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Cass Jones and Sandra Laville
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 18.22 BST
on Saturday 4 August 2012. It was last modified at 18.31 BST
on Saturday 4 August 2012.

Carole Waugh's body was found in a lock-up garage. A man has been charged with fraud in connection with her murder. Photograph: Metropolitan police/PA

A man arrested in connection with the murder and kidnap of businesswoman Carole Waugh has been charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Nicholas David Kutner, 47, of no fixed abode, is accused of pretending to be Chris Waugh, Ms Waugh's brother, in a bid to sell her London home.

He also faces two charges relating to renting her property at Tressard Court in south-west London and a fourth of unlawfully withdrawing funds from the 50-year-old's bank account.

Miss Waugh, originally from Durham but living in London, had not been seen by her family for more than three months.

Her body was discovered with a single stab wound inside a car at a garage in south-west London on Thursday.

The Metropolitan police said Kutner was bailed to return to a police station on 25 August relating to his arrest on suspicion of murder and kidnap last Wednesday.

He has not been freed because he is being held in custody on the fraud charges ahead of an appearance by video link at Camberwell Green magistrates court on Monday.

Waugh, who had worked in the oil industry in Libya, had not been seen since mid-April when she spent the weekend with her family in Durham. She last contacted them on her arrival home in London.

Detectives from the homicide and serious crime command took over the missing persons investigation two weeks ago, after Waugh's bank accounts became the target of significant fraudulent activity.

Her body was later discovered in a VW Golf at a garage in Lime Court, New Malden.

Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, who is leading the investigation, said: "The vehicle is a blue VW Golf, registration number W466 NHL. We need to hear from anyone with information on the car, particularly since April this year. Anyone who can assist us on where it has been since then, or can advise on anyone with a connection to it, should come forward."

The lock-up is in a row of garages behind two detached 1930s houses in a quiet street. They have been cordoned off while forensic teams investigate the scene.

McFarlane said: "We now believe Carole has not been seen alive since 16 April. Since that time significant plundering of her estate has taken place to the value of hundreds of thousands of pounds."

Personal items, including Cartier jewellery, had gone missing from her flat. Police have released images of a Cartier ring, a white gold bracelet, a yellow gold bracelet and a yellow gold necklace.

"Carole wore the jewellery regularly," McFarlane said. "I appeal to anyone who may have been offered such jewellery or has any knowledge of its whereabouts to contact us with information."

One line of police inquiry has been into suspicions that Waugh led a double life. While her family believed she was a successful businesswoman, officers were investigating evidence that she worked as an escort in London.

Ten people have been arrested concerning Waugh's disappearance, which became a murder hunt this week.

    Carole Waugh murder: man charged with fraud, G, 4.8.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/04/carole-waugh-murder-fraud-nicholas-kutner

Police arrest man over party murder

Teenage girl reported to have been stabbed at party in Bedfordshire
as police bring in 19-year-old for questioning

Sunday 10 June 2012
Guardian.co.uk
21.20 BST
Cass Jones
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 21.20 BST
on Sunday 10 June 2012.
It was last modified at 00.08 BST on Monday 11 June 2012.

Police investigating the murder of a teenage girl have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with her death.

The 15-year-old victim, named locally as Megan-Leigh Peat, died from "serious injuries" at a property in Befordshire in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Neighbours claim she was stabbed to death at a house party, although police have yet to confirm the cause of death. A post mortem examination was due to take place later on Sunday.

Officers were called to the property in Ailesbury Road, Ampthill, at around 1.30am following reports that a person had been fatally injured.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire police said: "We have begun a murder investigation after a woman died from serious injuries.

"A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this incident."

Flowers and handwritten notes were left at the house paying tribute to the teenager who has been described as a "beautiful girl".

One friend wrote: "The emptiness and hurt you have left so many of us with is unimaginable. A beautiful girl on the inside and out, whose life was just beginning."

Another note read: "Heaven has gained an angel."

Messages were also left on Facebook and Twitter.

Annie Austin tweeted: "You were taken from us far too young ... always in my heart beautiful."

One friend posted pictures of the teenager with the caption: "my beautiful best friend, who was murdered last night. r.i.p beautiful. i love you so much."

Another said: "Still can't believe this has happened, going to miss seeing you up to mischief at school."

School friends who laid flowers and a photograph at the police cordon described the teenager as a "party girl" and "the hero of the school".

Chelsie McAneny, 16, said she shared learning support lessons with Megan-Leigh at Harlington Upper School.

She added: "Everyone loved her, she was bubbly and popular and she stuck up for everyone, even when she was down.

"She was a party girl, she loved it. You could hear her a mile away. Everyone would say she was a good friend."

Another friend said: "Megan was the hero of the school, she was beautiful and she was always so supportive."

Neighbours have expressed their shock at the murder, with one describing the scene outside the property as "like a movie set".

The man, who asked not to be named, said he had returned home at around 2.30am to find the house cordoned off by the emergency services.

"When I left it was all quiet, but by the time I got back there were police vans and cars and paramedics outside the house," he added. "There must have been six police cars.

"I woke my girlfriend to show her and she was in shock. It was like a movie set. One of the neighbours came over to fill me in on what had happened. It's shocking because nothing ever happens in Ampthill."

The 19-year-old man remained in police custody for questioning.

    Police arrest man over party murder, G, 10.6.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/10/police-arrest-man-party-murder

Man arrested after woman found dead in Bracknell underpass

Police to question 28-year-old man on suspicion of murder
after body of woman, 43, from Berkshire discovered in a pool of blood

Sunday 27 May 2012
18.42 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Press Association

A 28-year-old man has been arrested after a woman's body was found in a pool of blood in an underpass in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Police were called to scene just before 8am on Sunday where the victim, aged 43, who was from the local area, was discovered.

The arrested man, who is from Bracknell, is to be questioned by detectives on suspicion of murder.

Lee Paul-Ferris, 26, and his brother Glenn, 22, called the police after being alerted to the body of the woman, whom they described as being Oriental in appearance.

The pair, who work as gardeners and were loading up their van, ran into the underpass after another man discovered the body at 8am.

Lee Paul-Ferris said the woman appeared to have been attacked, saying that her head was in a pool of blood with blood spatters on the wall.

He said: "We went jogging up when we heard there was a body there as a man appeared and asked if we had a mobile.

"She was on the floor and there was blood on the wall and blood all over the place.

"I couldn't tell where the blood was coming from – she was sort of covering her face and in the foetal position, more face down.

"She was wearing a black leather jacket, a black dress and black knee-high boots and looked Oriental."

"Her hair was over her face and I couldn't see if she had been stabbed in the neck.

"We were only there for a couple of minutes and about a yard away from her.

"The police arrived quickly and took a statement."

Superintendent Paul Hayles of Thames Valley police said: "The woman was found at an underpass near Bay Drive and we are yet to determine the circumstances of her death.

"We would urge anyone who was in or around the area in the early hours of this morning and may have seen anything to please contact us as a matter of urgency."

Nearby roads were closed and a large cordon was in place to allow specialist police officers to examine the scene. The crime scene is close to a large collection of business units as well as an estate where residents spoke of their shock.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said she would not let her two teenage daughters out at night by themselves now.

    Man arrested after woman found dead in Bracknell underpass, G, 27.5.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/may/27/man-arrested-woman-dead-bracknell

Police face racism scandal after black man records abuse

Crown Prosecution Service reviews decision
not to charge officers heard boasting of strangling 21-year-old black man

• Listen to the recording

Guardian.co.uk
Friday 30 March 2012
18.29 BST
Paul Lewis
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 18.29 BST on Friday 30 March 2012.
A version appeared on p1 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Saturday 31 March 2012. It was last modified at 01.17 BST on Saturday 31 March 2012.

Scotland Yard is facing a racism scandal after a black man used his mobile phone to record police officers subjecting him to a tirade of abuse in which he was told: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger".

The recording, obtained by the Guardian, was made by the 21-year-old after he was stopped in his car, arrested and placed in a police van the day after last summer's riots.

The man, from Beckton, east London, said he was made to feel "like an animal" by police. He has also accused one officer of kneeling on his chest and strangling him.

In the recording, a police officer can be heard admitting he strangled the man because he was "a cunt". Moments later, another officer – identified by investigators as PC Alex MacFarlane – subjects the man to a succession of racist insults and adds: "You'll always have black skin. Don't hide behind your colour."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service on the basis that three officers, including MacFarlane, may have committed criminal offences.

The CPS initially decided no charges should be brought against any of the police officers. However on Thursday, the service said it would review the file after lawyers for the man threatened to challenge the decision in a high court judicial review. MacFarlane has been suspended.

The inquiry began after the victim handed his mobile phone to a custody desk in Forest Gate police station and told officers he had been abused.

Earlier, he had been driving through Beckton with a friend when he was stopped by a van containing eight police officers from Newham borough. London's streets were flooded with police who had been drafted in to contain the rioting.

The officers arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and told him he was being taken to a police station to be searched. After being taken into the van, the man was also arrested for missing a previous magistrates court appearance. No further action is to be taken in relation to the suspected driving offence.

It was once inside the van and handcuffed that the man said he was assaulted by police. He described having his head pushed against the van window and said one officer placed his knees on his chest and began strangling him. "I couldn't breathe and I felt that I was going to die," he said.

The man said he decided to turn on the recording facility of his phone after MacFarlane allegedly made sexually explicit references about his mother and telling him he would be "dead in five years".

In the recording, the man sounds agitated; he raises his voice to complain about his treatment and in places insults the arresting officers. The verbal exchange lasts several minutes.

When the man tells an officer: "you tried to strangle me", the officer replies: "No, I did strangle you." The officer adds that he strangled him "'cos you're a cunt" and that the man had been "kicking out". In relation to the strangling, the officer says: "Stopped you though, didn't it?"

Minutes later MacFarlane, who is white, begins abusing the man. After a period of silence, he can be heard telling him: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger, yeah? That's your problem, yeah."

The man reads out MacFarlane's badge number and complains that he had subjected him to racist comments: "I'll always be a nigger – that's what you said, yeah?"

MacFarlane replies: "You'll always have black skin colour. Don't hide behind your colour, yeah." He adds: "Be proud. Be proud of who you are, yeah. Don't hide behind your black skin."

Shortly before the recording ends, the man can be heard saying: "I get this all the time." He then tells the officer: "We'll definitely speak again about this … It's gonna go all the way, it's gonna go all the way – remember."

The man's lawyer, Michael Oswald, said: "By his own efforts our client has put before the CPS exceptionally strong evidence and we share his astonishment that the CPS have reached a decision that no police officer should be prosecuted on the basis of that evidence. We do welcome their agreement to review that decision and we now await the outcome of that review."

The CPS initially said charges should not be brought against MacFarlane because the remarks did not cause the man harassment, distress or alarm.

Grace Ononiwu, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, said: "Lawyers for [the complainant] have written to the CPS and asked us to review our decision. I have considered the matter personally and directed that all the evidence should be reconsidered and a fresh decision taken by a senior lawyer with no previous involvement in this matter."

Speaking to the Guardian, the 21-year-old was visibly shaken when recounting the ordeal. "It's hard to explain, but it makes you feel like a piece of shit – it makes you feel not even human," he said.

"I was glad that I had it on the recording. I knew that if I had it saved I could show that I had been abused.

"It's not right. We've just got different skin colour – underneath it we're all the same."

The Metropolitan police confirmed in a statement that it received a complaint on 11 August about alleged "racial" remarks and oppressive conduct.

"These are serious allegations; any use of racist language or excessive use of force is not acceptable."

The force said it had referred the case to the IPCC and that one officer had been suspended.

MacFarlane's solicitor, Colin Reynolds, said: "The officer has been the subject of an investigation, has co-operated in that and been advised he is not to be the subject of criminal proceedings."

Estelle du Boulay, director of the Newham Monitoring Project, said: "Sadly, the shocking treatment of this young man at the hands of police officers – both the physical brutality he describes and the racial abuse he claims he suffered – are by no means unusual; it compares to other reports we have received. What makes this case different is the victim had the foresight and courage to turn on a recording device on his mobile phone."

She compared the incident to the case of Liam Stacey, a student who was jailed for 56 days for posting offensive comments on Twitter after the on-pitch collapse of the Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba.

On Friday Swansea crown court rejected an appeal from Stacey, who used racist terms against other Twitter users.

When the student was sentenced in a magistrates court on Tuesday a senior lawyer at the CPS, Jim Brisbane, said: "Racist language is inappropriate in any setting and through any media. We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that comments made online are somehow beyond the law."

    Police face racism scandal after black man records abuse, NYT, 30.3.2012,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/30/police-racism-black-man-abuse