October 29, 2009
Police and Public Received Chief Constable Commendations
The following police officers and members of the public were awarded Commendations at a ceremony at Police Headquarters last week.
Citations outlining the achievements or actions that warranted official recognition were read out before each recipient was congratulated by the Chief Constable Mrs Gillian Parker.
- Inspector Julian Frost (Bedford)
- Detective Constable Gary Waite (Dunstable)
- DS James Mallen and DC Barry Kibble (Bedford)
- Paul Muirhead (Houghton Regis)
- DC Barry Kibble and Detective Constable Jason Wheeler (Bedford)
- PC Luke Kennett, PC Gary Walker, Special Police Constable Andrew Seath, Special Police Constable Russell Warren (Bedford)
- Davinder Sagoo (Luton)
- DC Jason Cahill and DC Dale Mepstead (Luton)
- Samina Saddique and Naheed Shah (Luton)
- PC Mark Casey and PC Aleksander Bogacki (Luton)
- DC Gordon Huxford (Luton)
- PC Sarah Ashdown, PC Esther Morris and DC Michele Webb (Luton)
- PC Jenny Liddell and PC Gary Walker (Marston Moretaine)
Inspector Julian Frost (Bedford)
Inspector Julian Frost is awarded an ACPO Presidential Commendation in recognition of his for his professionalism, commitment and dedication within the national Stop and Search Working Group; specifically for his contribution and extensive support relating to practices under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Detective Constable Gary Waite (Dunstable)
On 21st January 2008 an organised robbery was committed in Chalgrave, Dunstable. The victim, a successful property developer returned home that night and as he exited his car approaching his driveway, he was attacked by three offenders. The offenders beat the victim and stole a high value Rolex watch and also a high value Mercedes vehicle. The vehicle was located abandoned nearby but a forensic examination did not reveal any evidence and intelligence was not forthcoming.
The following day DC Waite was at Luton Magistrates Court for an unrelated case. His attention was drawn to a conversation being held on a mobile telephone by Aaron Abbott who was seated behind him. DC Waite overheard Abbott discussing a robbery whereby a Rolex watch had been stolen and also discussing where the Rolex was stored.
DC Waite took decisive and intelligent action and arrested Abbott on suspicion of the robbery. He also instigated an immediate search of Abbott’s home address and the stolen Rolex watch was recovered. The following investigation led to two further arrests of Courtney Honeygan and Michael O’Dell. Investigations revealed that Abbott had previously worked for the victim and had organised the robbery and recruited Honeygan and O’Dell to assist.
In March 2009 the case went to trial and on day two, all parties pleaded guilty to robbery. Abbott was sentenced to a custodial sentence of five years, whilst Honeygan and O’Dell received two and a half years each. DC Wait was commended for the professionalism, quick thinking and detective skills which were instrumental in the successful prosecution of three dangerous offenders.
DS James Mallen and DC Barry Kibble (Bedford)
During February and March 2009 there was a significant rise in burglary dwellings in the Embankment area of Bedford. DS Mallen and Kibble of the Priority Crime Investigation Team were appointed to investigate this series of burglaries. Due to intelligence received, the officers focused their investigation on a prolific criminal, Sean Broughton. The officers worked hard to target Broughton to prevent his further offending and this resulted in his arrest on several occasions, thereby disrupting his crime sprees.
Then, on Monday 16th March 2009 an aggravated burglary occurred in Biddenham, Bedford whereby the offender confronted the victim with a carving knife and left the location with stolen property. DS Mallen immediately suspected that Broughton was responsible for the offence and deployed officers and the police helicopter to strategic locations to search for the offender. Broughton was soon sighted but made off from police. A short while later DS Mallen sighted Broughton and arrested him on suspicion of the burglary. A thorough investigation was completed and stolen property from the burglary was recovered at Broughton’s home address.
DC Kibble conducted a series of well planned and thorough interviews with Broughton. In the face of overwhelming evidence Broughton eventually confessed to committing the aggravated burglary. DC Kibble conducted four further interviews with Broughton during which he admitted to a further 16 burglaries.
Broughton was charged and remanded in custody and on Friday 1st May he was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. During sentencing, His Honour Judge Bright decreed Broughton to be a dangerous offender who posed a substantial risk to the public. HHJ Bright went on to comment the Bedfordshire Police officers involved in this investigation.
The officers were commended for their professionalism, leadership and dedication in bringing this dangerous offender to justice.
Paul Muirhead (Houghton Regis)
On the afternoon of 22nd April 2008 a lone female was walking through an alleyway in St Andrews Lane, Houghton Regis when a male and female suddenly attacked her. They grabbed her handbag and made off on foot. Paul Muirhead was nearby and heard the victim’s calls for help.
He immediately gave chase after the offenders and he managed to catch them and retrieve the victim’s handbag. However, the offenders became violent and attacked Paul causing him serious injury and, in the process, they managed to retain possession of the handbag.
Despite having been assaulted and injured Paul again pursued the offenders. While chasing the offenders he telephoned the police and provided a commentary to assist the police in locating the offenders. Although the offenders separated, Paul Muirhead continued to follow one of them and was able to positively identify her to police. The female was arrested on suspicion of robbery. Paul further assisted police by attending Dunstable Police Station and correctly identifying the second offender during an identification procedure.
On Friday 7th August 2009 Shelly Dennison and Robert Lee appeared at Luton Crown Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to robbery. Dennison was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 supervised months and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. Lee was deemed to be a significant risk to the public and received an indefinite prison sentence from which he will not be released until he is considered safe.
Paul Muirhead was commended for his immense bravery and public spiritedness. He gave no thought to his own safety while pursuing these dangerous offenders to assist a vulnerable victim of crime.
DC Barry Kibble and Detective Constable Jason Wheeler (Bedford)
These officers are attached to the Priority Crime Investigation Team (PCIT) based at Bedford Borough Division. The purpose of this unit is to investigate acquisitive crimes concentrating on burglary dwellings and vehicle crime. This unit has a very high turnover of detainees and this frequently necessitates officers working excessive hours to achieve their goals.
DC Kibble and DC Wheeler continually go the extra mile and their combined dedication to duty is described as inspirational. PCIT is performance driven and the division rely on this small team to detect high volumes of crime thereby contributing to the priorities of Bedfordshire Police.
Since April 2006 the volume of crime detected by these officers has been phenomenal. DC Kibble has detected 675 crimes and DC Wheeler has detected 480 crimes. This high detection rate is accompanied by crime file submissions, regular liaison with Crown Prosecution Service, prison visits and court trials. Both officers are enthusiastic and set a benchmark for others to aspire to.
DC Kibble and DC Wheeler successfully conduct all investigations assigned to them and often incorporate innovative ideas to achieve their goals. Both officers continually receive praise from the public, their peers, supervisors and partner agencies for their consistently high standards.
Detective Constable Barry Kibble and Detective Constable Jason Wheeler are commended for their professionalism, excellence in investigation skills and dedication to duty which has significantly contributed to making Bedfordshire a safer place.
PC Luke Kennett, PC Gary Walker, Special Police Constable Andrew Seath, Special Police Constable Russell Warren (Bedford)
On Friday 9th May 2008 PC Kennett, PC Walker, Special PC Andrew Seath, Special PC Russell Warren were on duty in the Bedford area. During the night the officers were called to an emergency incident whereby a male had been seen in the river.
PC Kennett and SPC Seath were the first to arrive at the scene and they quickly located a male in the river and could see that his head was bleeding and he was struggling to stay afloat. The male was about 15 metres from the riverbank, which was inaccessible due to a high stone wall.
The officers quickly worked together to establish the safest way to rescue the drowning male. The officers located and threw a life buoy towards the male and this assisted in pulling him a little closer to the riverbank. However, the rescue was made significantly more difficult as the male was intoxicated and uncooperative.
With the arrival of Dog Handler, PC Walker and SPC Warren the officers decided to make use of a track lead. The officers used the lead to lasso around the drowning male’s arm and they were able to secure him with the lead. The officers continued to work together to pull the male to a part of the river where he could be safely removed.
The officers carried out this rescue in difficult circumstances. The area was in darkness and the drowning male was resisting all rescue attempts. Despite this, the officers worked together to successfully save the life of a drowning man.
The officers are commended for their professionalism, excellent decision making and teamwork which ensured the safety of each other and the drowning male.
Davinder Sagoo (Luton)
On 14th February 2009 Davinder Sagoo was at work at behind his shop counter at Seymour Stores in Luton. During the late afternoon a male suddenly entered the store carrying an 8-inch blade with a black handle. The male was wearing a scarf to conceal his face.
The offender immediately threatened Davinder and made demands for him to open the shop till. Davinder did not panic, despite the danger presented, but instead opened the shop counter flap and walked towards the offender while calmly reasoning with him.
The offender became more aggressive and swung the knife at Davinder demanding that he empty his pockets. Although this was a terrifying situation, Davinder attempted to disarm the offender, who continued to swing the knife at him and only narrowly missing him. Davinder returned to his counter area and
telephoned the police. At this point the offender ran from the store and dropped the knife at the corner of the street.
Police attended and searched the local area and located the offender. He was arrested and admitted to the attempt robbery and possession of a bladed article. On Thursday 21st May 2009 the offender was sentenced to an 18-month supervision order and a 3-month intensive supervision programme and curfew.
During sentencing His Honour Judge Bright stated that Davinder had displayed extreme bravery in confronting the offender who was holding a knife that would terrify anyone. Judge Bright further commented that Davinder is a gentleman who deserves commendation for his courage and bravery in confronting an armed robber and putting himself at risk. Davinder Sagoo is commended for the courage and bravery he displayed during this armed robbery.
DC Jason Cahill and DC Dale Mepstead (Luton)
On Thursday 15th January 2009 Detective Constable Jason Cahill and Detective Constable Dale Mepstead were on patrol in Malvern Road, Luton as part of a proactive burglary operation. At 1640 hours on this day they saw a known local criminal walking along the street. Both officers were aware that this individual was wanted on suspicion of committing a burglary and they were also aware that this suspect had a history of violence.
DC Cahill approached the suspect and instructed him to stop. The suspect refused to stop and continued to walk away. DC Cahill approached the suspect and at this point the suspect stated that he had a knife. DC Cahill could see that the suspect was holding a large knife in his hand.
The suspect put the knife to his own throat as though he was about to harm himself. Fearing for the safety of the suspect, DC Cahill grabbed hold of the person and tried to disarm him. Without hesitation DC Mepstead ran to her colleague’s assistance. Both officers battled to disarm the man, who was struggling violently and displaying anger. The officers were clearly at considerable risk of serious injury. Despite this they continued in their attempts to disarm the male. The officers were eventually able to prise the knife from the grasp of the male.
The suspect was arrested and detained at Luton Police Station. On 23rd February 2009 the defendant was sentenced to 22 months youth custody after being convicted for burglary, going equipped, possession of a bladed article and assaulting a police constable.
The officers are commended for the bravery and professionalism they displayed when arresting this prolific and dangerous criminal.
Samina Saddique and Naheed Shah (Luton)
On Friday 15th August 2009 Samina Saddique and Naheed Shah were driving though Bury Park, Luton, when they observed a male leaning out of a first floor window. This male appeared to be taking photographs of young children between the ages of 4 and 14 while instructing them to pose for him.
Despite having driven past, Samina and Naheed turned their vehicle around and spoke to the children concerned. As a result, they subsequently discovered that the male had taken photographs of the children before and had stored them on his computer. Samina and Naheed then contacted Bedfordshire Police and reported the matter. Next they assisted with police investigations by providing full and detailed witness statements which included an excellent description of the suspect and the entire incident.
As a result of Samina’s and Naheed’s intervention and assistance, police officers attended the suspect’s address and arrested him on suspicion of taking indecent photographs of children. A forensic examination of the suspect’s computers revealed over 75,000 indecent and illegal photographs of children and nearly 300 indecent moving image clips.
The suspect was charged and remanded into custody and on 13th February 2009 the offender pleaded guilty to 22 counts of possessing indecent photographs of children and possession with intent to supply those photographs to others. He was given an indeterminate prison sentence for public protection, with a minimum term of imprisonment for 4 years.
The decisive and effective actions of Samina and Naheed enabled police to gather evidence to ensure that this dangerous sex offender was imprisoned and unable to harm young children.
Samina Saddique and Naheed Shah are commended for their public spiritedness which has resulted in the imprisonment of a dangerous sex offender and has made Luton a safer place for children.
PC Mark Casey and PC Aleksander Bogacki (Luton)
During the afternoon of Wednesday 29th April 2009 a 52 year old man from Luton was driving his vehicle along the High Street in Houghton Regis. During this time he suffered a sudden heart attack while driving and consequently collided with other vehicles on the road.
Police Constable Mark Casey and Police Constable Aleksander Bogacki were on routine traffic patrol at this time and responded to this incident. After arriving within a few minutes of the initial emergency call, the officers assessed the situation. They quickly established that the driver was not breathing and had no pulse and suspected that he may have suffered a heart attack.
The officers immediately commenced life saving first aid by administering mouth to mouth resuscitation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both officers continued to administer this resuscitation until paramedics arrived to take over.
The casualty was transported to Luton and Dunstable Hospital and was in a critical condition, having to be resuscitated several more times.
After receiving treatment, the male was discharged from hospital several days later, having made a significant recovery. There is no doubt that the prompt and professional action taken by PC Casey and PC Bogacki on this day saved this man’s life. The officers are commended for their professionalism and quick thinking which enabled him to save a man’s life.
DC Gordon Huxford (Luton)
In November 2005, a woman contacted Bedfordshire Police to report that she had been sexually abused by two of her brothers during childhood. This complex and sensitive investigation was allocated to Detective Constable Gordon Huxford, an experienced Child Protection Officer.
Detective Constable Huxford made contact with all of the family members and sensitively, yet thoroughly, interviewed them and obtained their detailed accounts. It became apparent through harrowing and distressing accounts, that the remaining female siblings within the family had also been subjected to sexual abuse from male family members.
Detective Constable Huxford supported the victims through a distressing period in their lives. He conducted a detailed investigation which involved searching for and obtaining public and confidential records from over 25 years ago. After gathering the evidence, Detective Constable Huxford interviewed the suspects. The suspects denied committing the offences. However, due to the meticulous investigation carried out by Detective Constable Huxford, he was able to charge them with several counts of rape and indecent assault. The two brothers were found guilty of several counts of rape. On 28th January 2008 at Luton Crown Court, the brothers were sentenced to five years imprisonment per rape charge.
Detective Constable Gordon Huxford was commended for his professionalism, attention to detail and his determination to bring these offenders to justice on behalf of the victims.
PC Sarah Ashdown, PC Esther Morris and DC Michele Webb (Luton)
Detective Constable Michele Webb, Police Constable Sarah Ashdown and Police Constable Esther Morris are based in the Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit at Luton and as such, they have become closely involved in dealing with cases of forced marriage and honour based violence.
In June 2009 the officers became involved with a case of forced marriage within a family of four daughters. Having attended a multi-agency strategy meeting, the officers became concerned that insufficient action was being taken to protect the girls from removal to Pakistan for the purpose of forced marriage. The officers therefore took it upon themselves to draw up court papers which they presented to Her Honour Judge Pearce at Luton County Court.
The County Court immediately granted a Forced Marriage Protection Order which protected the young girls from being removed from the country for the purpose of forced marriage. The officers personally served this order on the family and fully explained the implications of the order. They did this in a sensitive and professional manner and with full understanding of the danger posed to the girls and the hostility from some family members.
The officers remained in close contact with the victims and kept them regularly updated with case progress. Support with the family is ongoing to ensure the long-term safety of these young girls. As a result of their successful work, the officers shared their experiences and lessons learned with partnership agencies. This resulted in improved working practises and partnership relations and therefore an improved quality of service for potential victims of forced marriage.
The officers were commended for their professionalism, dedication and teamwork which has served to protect the victims in this case.
PC Jenny Liddell and PC Gary Walker (Marston Moretaine)
In the early hours of 1st October 2008 a series of burglaries were committed in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. A local resident witnessed the offenders in a stolen vehicle and duly notified the police. Dog Handler, Police Constable Gary Walker and Police Constable Jenny Liddell of the Roads Policing Unit responded to the incident. PC Liddell decided to remain stationary on the A421 to intercept the stolen vehicle should it head towards the M1.
A short while later the offending vehicle sped past PC Liddell containing two burglary suspects and very quickly lost control while negotiating a bend. The vehicle left the road by crossing a grass verge, before hitting trees and coming to rest at the bottom of a steep embankment. The vehicle broke into several pieces on impact and then burst into flames.
PC Liddell immediately made her way to the collision scene which was bordered on either side by grass verges, well-established shrubbery and a steep embankment. The scene was also surrounded by darkness with no street lighting. After being joined by PC Walker, both officers descended the embankment and located the burning vehicle. Tragically one person was trapped inside the vehicle and the officers were unable to rescue him due to the intensity of the flames. This male sustained fatal injuries.
At this point the officers were advised to move away from the vehicle due to the extreme danger posed. However, PC Liddell and PC Walker observed a second male lying near to the burning vehicle in danger of death. The officers approached the injured person negotiating intense flames and rough terrain to reach him. They proceeded to drag the male away from the fire while the vehicle tyres were exploding.
This rescue was extremely difficult due to the steepness of the embankment and the hazards from the fire. With sheer determination PC Liddell and PC Walker managed to pull the injured person up the steep slope to a place of safety thereby saving his life.
The officers are commended for the incredible bravery that they displayed when carrying out this heroic rescue.
