Robber caught at scene where people were being held against their will

A police officer described feeling like he was “fighting for his life” as he tackled a robber at a Leicester home where two people were being held against their will.

PC Sam Munton was called to Celandine Road at around 5.20pm on 1 June last year where a gang had broken into the home that morning.

A man and a woman had been tied up inside the property and threats had been made with weapons and demands made for money and jewellery.

Fadil Anwar Abdirahman was one of the gang members who tried to flee the scene but was tackled to the ground by PC Munton who then battled to keep the suspect detained as Abdirahman continued to fight back. This led to the officer activating his emergency button.

Abdirahman was arrested at the scene when additional officers arrived and the victims were safely released. They did not suffer any serious injuries and welfare support was provided. The other suspects fled the scene. Numerous items were stolen.

PC Munton suffered injuries to his head, elbow and hand in the incident. Another officer who attended the scene was pushed to the floor by 26-year-old Abdirahman while the arrest was taking place.

Abdirahman, of no fixed address, had denied being involved in the incident but yesterday, (Wednesday 19 January) at the start of the trial, he pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to robbery and false imprisonment.

At a previous hearing he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

Today (Thursday 20 January) he was jailed for seven years and one month for the false imprisonment and three years for the robbery, this sentence will run concurrently.

He was given two months in prison for the assault on PC Munton, which will run concurrently with the sentence for false imprisonment.  In addition, he was given three months for the assault on the second officer, which will run consecutively.

Enquiries carried out by police showed that the female victim had been at home on 1 June last year when one of the suspects knocked at the door saying he had a delivery for her.

At the same time, two other men were reported to have entered the property with a weapon and made threats. One of the group then grabbed the woman and dragged her upstairs, continuing to make threats.

The group began searching the house demanding items and asked where the woman’s husband was before ordering her to make her husband come to the address.

Two other suspects arrived at the address a couple of hours later. One was reported to have made threats that he had acid.

The woman was tied up at the property – only allowing her to be untied to have food or use the bathroom. She was then ordered to text her husband asking him to come home. This led to her husband arriving home at approximately 4pm where he was taken into the house and tied up. The suspects continued to demand money.

The male victim managed to make contact on his phone with a family member and friend who contacted police leading to officers immediately being deployed.

Enquiries remain ongoing in relation to the other suspects.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Gemma Allen said: “This was a deeply distressing incident for all those subjected to the violence and threats.  We are pleased that Abdirahman has admitted his involvement and we hope that this helps the victims come to terms with what happened and move on from the events of that day.

“Officers expect a certain degree of resistance during their duties but no one should be made to feel like their life was in danger.  Abdirahman showed the officer no mercy and continued to resist arrest using violence which resulted in the officer sustaining cuts to his head, hands and arms.

“Officers put their lives at risk day in, day out, and some level of violence is expected but to continue lashing out at officers who are simply doing their duty is unacceptable.  We and the courts take these offences extremely seriously and will prosecute individuals who disrespect law and enforcement.”