Murderer convicted of further rape offences, large drugs investigation concludes and prolific burglar jailed – this month in court

A murderer convicted of further rape offences, a large drugs investigation concludes and a prolific burglar jailed - read more about some of our investigations which have been heard in court during the past month.

 

Man who murdered partner convicted of rape and assault offences against other women

A man convicted of the murder of his partner has been sentenced to a further 12 years imprisonment after being found guilty of multiple counts of rape and assault against two other women.

Frank Farrell, 38, was found guilty in December 2021 of the murder of Smita Mistry following a trial. He was sentenced on 16 December 2021 to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 24 years. Court restrictions had been placed on reporting the conviction and sentencing at the time due to Farrell standing a separate trial, which was heard in April this year, charged with five counts of rape and five counts of assault. These charges relate to two other female victims who were identified and contacted during the murder investigation.

Frank Farrell

 

On Thursday 11 May this year, Farrell was found guilty of all 10 charges. On Monday 22 May, he was sentenced in total to a further 12 years imprisonment.

Victims' evidence leads to rapist being jailed

Two victims have been praised for their courage in providing evidence that led to a rapist being jailed more than 10 years after committing his crimes.

Twenty-six-year-old Thomas Prince raped both victims – who are now adults – in June 2011 and December 2012. They did not know one another and both contacted police independently in 2020 to report what had happened.

Thomas Prince

 

Both victims said they had been raped by Prince after meeting him for the first time.

One victim told detectives she had drank alcohol, which had allowed him to take advantage of her. The other said she had told Prince she did not consent to sex but that she was overpowered.

Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, Prince – formerly of Western Road, Leicester – was found guilty of four counts of rape. On Friday 5 May, he was sentenced to nine years and three months’ imprisonment at the same court.

 

Drugs investigation concludes as last defendant jailed for his part 

A drugs enforcement operation – codenamed Operation Clubman – ended on Friday 26 May after the last two defendants in the case were sentenced for their part in the supply and distribution of class B drugs.

Officers from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), supported by teams from across the force, executed more than 50 warrants in the summer of 2019.  The enforcement activity took place across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Liverpool.

Since the enforcement stages the EMSOU team behind the operation have been working tirelessly to bring those charged to justice.

Since the first court case 39 defendants have been sentenced to more than 165 years in prison between them.

Husband and wife, Louis and Lucy Rowe, were sentenced after pleading guilty in May 2021.  Louis, 35, pleaded to conspiracy to supply cocaine and Lucy, 34, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Louis Rowe (pictured) was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and Lucy Rowe, both of Skippers Close, Blaby, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years.

 

Prolific burglar jailed for more than five years

A prolific burglar has been jailed for more than five years after a string of offences committed last year.

James McCorkindale, 30, pleaded guilty to numerous offences of burglary and theft committed mostly across the East Leicester area, as well as in Leicester and Loughborough, in September 2022.

James McCorkindale

 

Following a police investigation which included CCTV being recovered from many of the scenes as well as forensic evidence, McCorkindale was positively identified as a suspect.

He was sentenced to a total of five years and seven months imprisonment for a number of offences.

 

Pharmacy worker stole more than £330,000 of medical kits

A pharmacy worker who stole more than £330,000 worth of diabetes-testing kits from his workplace has been jailed.

Abdul Nargoliya, 30, stole the products while working as a pharmacy assistant for a pharmacy in Leicester.

Abdul Nargoliya

 

An internal investigation was launched at the pharmacy branch in July 2018 after it was found that more than 22,000 test kits had been ordered since January 2017 - but a stock take showed only 370 of the kits had been sold during this time.

Nargoliya, of Woodboy Street, Leicester, was identified as a suspect due to the time of the orders being placed matching up to his shift patterns.

Following a police investigation, Nargoliya was charged in 2020 and in May last year, he pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to theft by an employee and to a charge of concealing, transferring, converting criminal property.

This month, he was sentenced to a total of 43 months imprisonment.

 

Disqualified driver caught by police minutes after stealing van

A disqualified driver arrested 25 minutes after pulling a delivery man from his van and speeding off in the vehicle has been jailed.

Jackie ONeill was caught by police after being spotted on CCTV in the white Citroen van moments after committing the crime in Linney Road, Leicester.

Jackie ONeill

 

Following the theft of the van and in his bid to escape from police, the 22-year-old of Blue Gates Road, Leicester, drove at high speed along residential streets. He also drove on the wrong side of the road and the wrong way around a roundabout.

Officers, who had been pursuing the vehicle, were able to safely surround the vehicle and stop it. In a last-ditch attempt to make off ONeill rammed the van into the police cars before being arrested.

At a hearing in March, ONeill pleaded guilty to robbery, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

He was given a total of 35 months for his crimes.

 

Three people jailed following city machete attack

Three people have been jailed after a man was attacked in a city centre assault last year.

On the afternoon of 22 March, two men were attacked by a group of people as they walked into a store in Humberstone Gate, Leicester.

As the struggle continued outside in the street, one of the men sustained a wound to his neck before the group fled. The injured man received hospital treatment to the wound which was caused by a machete type weapon.

As part of an investigation into the incident in May, three warrants were executed at separate addresses resulting in the arrest of brothers Lequarne and Markel Benjamin and a 17-year-old youth.

Lequarne and Markel Benjamin

Five sentenced after Market Harborough drug supply uncovered

Five people who admitted their part in the supply of cocaine and heroin in Market Harborough have been sentenced.

The crimes of Kyane Reiss Jones, Brown Mujinga, Giovani Patrocinio, Kyle Watkins and Colleen Pickering were uncovered by police in 2020.

During the investigation, which ran from January to July 2020, detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) were able to prove Jones was running a county line in the town – sending out text messages offering class A drugs for sale.

Any orders placed were then delivered by Mujinga and Patrocinio - who were being used by Jones as drug runners.

The pair were using an address in Welland Park Road – the home at the time of Watkins – as a base and a place to store the drugs.

When officers searched the house, bags of cocaine and heroin, multiple mobile phones, cash and scales used to weigh out the drugs were found. 

 

Man jailed for number of offences related to indecent images

A Leicester man who admitted to a number of offences linked to indecent images of children has been jailed.

Neil Garnett, 58, of HMP Leicester, appeared at Leicester Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distribution.

Neil Garnett

 

He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

He was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

 

Driver sentenced after causing two collisions in Rutland

A driver has been sentenced to a total of 27 months imprisonment for dangerous driving after causing two road traffic collisions in Rutland.

On the morning of Saturday 4 September 2021, Lee Hopps was driving his Alfa Romeo Giulietta along the A47 from Peterborough towards Leicester. He collided with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction, before continuing his journey.

The 36-year-old of Caldbeck Close, Peterborough then continued to drive along the A47 on the wrong side of the road, disobeying double white lines, driving unnecessarily over hatched markings, into oncoming turning lanes, straddling the middle of the carriageway and overtaking multiple vehicles over double white lines narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic.

He then caused a high-speed head-on collision on the A47 near to Belton-in-Rutland with another vehicle again travelling in the opposite direction.

Thankfully nobody was seriously injured as a result of either of these collisions.

Driver jailed after attempt to evade police in high speed pursuit

A disqualified driver who drove at high speed while being pursued by police has been jailed.

James Ward, 33 of Ocean Road, Leicester, was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to a number of charges including driving a motor vehicle dangerously, using a motor vehicle on a road/public place without third party insurance and fraudulently use a registration mark/registration document.

He was also disqualified from driving for six years.

Dramatic footage released by the force shows the pursuit and arrest which happened on the evening of Wednesday 12 April after officers became aware of a white Ford Transit van travelling through the Wigston area displaying false registration plates.

 

Man who stole gold jewellery worth £40,000 jailed

A man who stole £40,000 of gold jewellery from a Leicester shop has been jailed.

Banu Horobas, 38,  of Linden Avenue, Birmingham, was arrested at Luton airport 13 days after being involved in the distraction theft at a jewellery shop in Belgrave Road in February this year.

At Leicester Crown Court, he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to theft.

 

Moped rider who fled scene of collision pleads guilty

A moped rider who failed to stop at the scene of a collision in Hinckley has pleaded guilty.

On Friday 27 August, 2021, a 20-year-old man was walking in the pedestrianised area in Castle Street when he was struck by a moped.

The collision led to him suffering multiple injuries including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury and collapsed lung.

The moped rider didn’t stop at the scene and was identified after extensive enquiries by officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU).

Jordan Gillard, 20, of Boulter Crescent, Wigston, handed himself in at a police station two days later. He has pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and is due to be sentenced on Friday 9 June.

 

 

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.

 

Woman charged following incident in Yeoman Street, Leicester

A 45-year-old woman has been charged following an incident in Yeoman Street, Leicester, on Friday 28 April.

Shelley Hill, of Manitoba Road, Leicester, has been charged with attempted murder.

The charge relates to an incident that occurred in the street.

Police and the East Midlands Ambulance Service attended and a woman in her 40s was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a glass bottle. 

 

Four charged with burglary offences in Coalville area

Four people have been charged with multiple burglary offences in the Coalville area.

Kelvin Findley, 41, of Bernard Close, Ibstock, Regan Findley, 21, of Chapel St, Ibstock, Taylor Clarke, 22, of Bernard Close, Ibstock and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have all been charged.