Charged and In Court: February 2023

Some of our investigations which have led to charges and/or convictions in court during February 2023.

 

Convictions

 

Wigston man jailed for Aylestone murder

A Wigston man has been found guilty of murder following a fatal stabbing in 2021.

Mason Mills was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 21 years. 

Mason Mills

 

At around 11.50pm on Friday 12 November 2021, a report was made to police that a man had been stabbed in Marriott Road, Aylestone.

Officers who were already in the area – following a report of a fight nearby – attended and found 20-year-old Kieron Moore lying on the ground with serious injuries. Initial enquiries at the scene led to 25-year-old Mills being identified as the person who had stabbed Kieron.

An on-call doctor was contacted and open-heart surgery was performed on Kieron in the street. But, despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead just before 12.40am. Mills was then further arrested on suspicion of his murder.

More information: Wigston man jailed for Aylestone murder | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Driver who killed one and injured three jailed for more than 10 years

A motorist who killed one man and injured three other people after driving the wrong way along the M6 has been jailed.

Forty-one-year-old Christian Taylor was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court.

Christian Taylor

 

Shortly after 4.30am on 14 October last year, Taylor’s black BMW 5 Series collided with a blue Nissan Juke on the southbound carriageway, close to junction 1.

The four occupants of the Juke were taken to hospital.

Sadly, on Sunday 16 October one of them – 35-year-old David Draghita from Sutton Coldfield – died as a result of his injuries. Two of the other occupants have since been discharged from hospital but a third – a woman in her 50s – is continuing to receive treatment.

During the investigation, officers established that Taylor – from Preston-on-Stour in Warwickshire – had been under the influence of alcohol at the time the collision occurred.

More information: Driver who killed one and injured three jailed for more than 10 years | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Nine years imprisonment for driver who killed teenager

A Leicester motorist has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment after he admitted killing a 14-year-old girl.

Aaron Carter

 

Shortly after 11am on Wednesday 26 October last year, emergency services were called to Braunstone Lane following a report that a black Vauxhall Astra had left the road and struck two teenage girls who were walking along the pavement, close to the junction with Mortimer Way.

Despite the attempts of paramedics to save her, one of the girls – Tehleigher Bunting – was pronounced dead at the scene. The other girl – her friend – escaped injury.

Aaron Carter was initially taken to hospital to be treated for injuries, but was arrested by police later that day.

During the investigation, CCTV footage obtained by detectives showed that Carter had overtaken another vehicle in a dangerous manoeuvre just moments before the collision occurred.

It was also discovered that Carter, 38, of Aikman Avenue, Leicester, had previously been advised to stop driving by healthcare professionals on more than one occasion, due to a medical condition.

Carter pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving

More information: Nine-years for driver who killed teenager | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Rapist jailed for string of sexual offences spanning more than 30 years

A Loughborough man has been jailed for 19 years after he was found guilty of raping two women and sexually abusing another across a period of more than 30 years.

James Gamble

 

All three of James Gamble’s victims were children at the time he committed the offences, which began in the early 1970s.

The last incident occurred in the mid-2000s.

On each occasion, with each of the three victims, Gamble took advantage of them while they were alone together, kissing them and touching them inappropriately. Two of the girls were raped on more than one occasion.

At Leicester Crown Court 71-year-old Gamble – of Shelthorpe Road in Loughborough – was found guilty of a string of charges relating to sexual activity with children.

More information: Rapist jailed for string of sexual offences spanning more than 30 years | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Man jailed for city centre knife attack

A man who attacked and injured two fathers with a knife while out with their children has been jailed for eight years.

Following an argument with the two men in Bay Street, Kameron Grant-Smith returned to his car to get a knife.

Kameron Grant-Smith

 

One of the victims, aged 25, was stabbed multiple times as he lay on top of his child in a bid to protect her from being hurt. The other, aged 32, was slashed on the arm and hand while carrying his son.

The 29-year-old of no fixed address, then fled the scene before being located and arrested in Market Harborough the next day.

At Leicester Crown Court, he was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place at the start of the trial.

More information: Man jailed for city centre knife attack | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Men who attacked and stabbed man in city sentenced

Two men who attacked and stabbed a man in the city in August last year have been sentenced for their part in the vicious assault.

During the early hours of Sunday 14 August, the 21-year-old victim was on a night out in the city when he arranged to meet a group of people at Jubilee Square.

Shortly afterwards the victim was found injured in Guildhall Lane.  He had sustained multiple injuries to his body including a stab wound to his thigh.

The victim’s friend administered first aid to the stab wound before the ambulance service arrived at the scene.

Following the incident officers trawled CCTV and located footage which identified Joel Lanycia and Kian Moore as the suspects.

Lanycia was captured on CCTV punching the victim and knocking him to the floor, both men then kicked and stamped on the victim while he lay unconscious.

Moore was then seen holding a machete which he used to stab the victim in the thigh – causing a deep laceration.

More information: Defendants who stabbed a man in the city have been sentenced | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Man jailed after cannabis worth thousands recovered

The discovery of 1.4kg of cannabis, with a street value of around £16,000, has led to one man being jailed after his fingerprints were found on the bags containing the drug.

Mason Cooper was sentenced to three years and four months at Leicester Crown Court after officers executed a warrant and found the substantial stash.

Mason Cooper

 

Following the discovery in February 2022 at an address in Rannoch Close, Leicester, forensic examination was carried out on the drugs and a DNA match for Cooper came back.

Prior to this the 22-year-old of Cross Hedge Close, Leicester, had been found in possession of the class B drugs on two other occasions.

More information: Man jailed after cannabis worth thousands recovered | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Two men sentenced after drugs recovered from car in Sileby

Two Loughborough men found in a vehicle with drugs and cash have been sentenced at court.

On the evening of Monday 27 December 2021, officers from the force’s Specialist Support Department received information that a vehicle connected to county lines drug offending was traveling through the city centre.

Suspecting the car would make its way outside of the city, officers from within the unit strategically placed themselves on arterial routes moving out into the county and the car was picked up travelling towards Loughborough.

The vehicle stopped in the Sileby area and Koyesh Miah, 35, of Queens Road, Loughborough and Novinur Chowdhury, 25, of Alan Moss Road, Loughborough, were both arrested from the vehicle.

Novinur Chowdhury

 

A quantity of cash was found on Chowdhury while drugs were found on Miah and they were later charged with possession with intent to supply a controlled class A drug namely crack cocaine and possessing criminal property.

More information: Two men sentenced after drugs recovered from car in Sileby | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Pair found guilty of Leicester robbery

Two men who threatened three women inside their Leicester home have been convicted of their crimes.

At around 10.30pm on 24 March last year, Pawel Kaminski and Florian Wiecki – along with another man who is believed to have left the UK – visited an address in Warren Street. Having armed themselves with a machete and an axe, once inside they made threats towards the three occupants, assaulting two of them.

They also stole cash and a key to the house before leaving the address.

A description of the men was given to officers by the victims and they were also captured on CCTV at the property.

Following a trial at Northampton Crown Court, 33-year-old Kaminski and Wiecki, 22 – both of no fixed abode – were found guilty of two counts of robbery and one count of having an article with a blade or point.

Both men are due to be sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 31 March.

More information: Pair found guilty of Leicester robbery | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Charges

* For note - the below are incidents where a person has been charged with an offence. Court proceedings in relation to the allegation are still to be heard.

 

Teenager charged with murder

A 17-year-old has been charged with murder following the death of Gerald Wickes.

Police were called to an address in Queens Park Way, Leicester, at 4.59pm on Wednesday 22 February by East Midlands Ambulance Service. A man had been stabbed at the address.

Sadly, 79-year-old Gerald Wickes was pronounced dead at the scene.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with possession of an offensive weapon and assaulting an emergency worker. 

More information: Teenager charged with murder | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Man charged following murder in Hugglescote

A 29-year-old man has been charged with the murder of David Bettison.

Kyle Morley, of Ashby Road, Coalville, has also been charged with attempted murder.

Mr Bettison was pronounced dead in the early hours of Friday morning (24 February) after being found with serious injuries in a park off Ashburton Road.

A woman in her 20s was also found injured and taken to hospital for medical treatment. Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

More information: Man charged following murder in Hugglescote | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Man charged with rape following incident in Upperton Road, Leicester

A man has been charged with rape following an incident at an address in Upperton Road, Leicester, on Sunday 5 February.

Adam Tahir, 30, of Upperton Road, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Magistrates Court where he was remanded into custody.

He is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court on Monday 20 March.

More information: Man charged with rape following incident in Upperton Road, Leicester | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

 

Pair charged following report of affray

Two men have been charged with numerous offences following an incident in Park Road, Loughborough.

Kiyia Gibbs, 31, of Ashby Road in Loughborough, was arrested by police and charged with two counts of affray, two counts of possession of a bladed article, one count of dangerous driving and one count of failing to stop for police.

Shaun Phillips, 35, of Hermitage Road in Loughborough, was arrested and charged with two counts of affray and one count of taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent.

The charges relate to a report of a fight on 8 February.

More information: Pair charged following report of affray | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)