Essex Police Dispatch - issue 162
Essex Police Weekly Update
News 29 July to 4 August
Rhyley laughing with PC Shala in Southend
Southend: Eight people remanded following court appearance
Eight people who were charged in connection with incidents of disorder in Southend on Tuesday 30 July, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday 3 August.
They were charged with a variety of offences including violent disorder, wounding with intent and possession of weapons.
All eight have now been remanded into custody to appear at Basildon Crown Court on Monday 2 September.
Superintendent Leigh Norris said:
"We’re continuing to carry out high visibility patrols in Southend where we’ve been engaging with the public – traders, visitors, and residents alike.
"We’d welcome the chance to stop and have a chat.
"So, if you’re having a walk along the beach, having an ice-cream or walking the dog, please stop us.
"It’s great to see everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves.
"But, if there is anyone who isn’t going to abide by the law and try and to cause trouble, we’re here, ready to respond quickly and robustly."
Danbury: Seven arrested in connection with cable thefts
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the theft of cables following good work by our officers.
At 11pm on Wednesday 31 July, grey Ford Focus RS, which was believed to have been stolen, was identified to be in Danbury.
The vehicle was linked to a group believed to be responsible for the theft of cabling used for phone and internet.
Officers from our Operational Support Unit, Road Crime Team, Dog Unit supported by the National Police Air Service, followed the vehicle to Maldon Road where the people inside got out and tried to make off.
Braintree: More than six years for money-laundering dealer
A drug dealer has been jailed for more than six years after officers dismantled a ‘complex and sophisticated’ supply network in north Essex.
In August 2023, officers in Suffolk Constabulary found messages to Francis Lagonski, 23, on a phone seized from a suspect in their own drug supply investigation.
The messages had been sent over an end-to-end encrypted app, and indicated Lagonski, of Beech Avenue in Braintree, was supplying Class A and Class B drugs.
Officers from our Serious Crime Directorate commenced an investigation into Lagonski and his operation for months to build their case ahead of warrants being executed at two addresses, one in Braintree and one in Halstead, in February 2024.
During these warrants officers found a sophisticated production line for packaging and distributing illegal substances. Tests on items seized in the warrants identified MDMA, cocaine, ketamine and mephedrone.
More crucially, the evidence on his phones showed he was in full control of the operation found. He was buying and selling large quantities of drugs, and posting them across the UK on a daily basis.
Within a safe was also £24,000 worth of solid gold coins, and £7,000 in cash.
Lagonski was arrested on 17 February 2024 and subsequently charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug, two counts of conspiracy to supply and Class B drug, and two counts of money laundering.
He pleaded guilty to all these offences and was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 1 August.
Billericay: Tributes paid to "much loved" dad following fatal collision
The family of a man, who was sadly killed following a collision in Billericay on Saturday, 27 July have paid tribute to him.
Officers were called to Botney Hill Road shortly before 8am on Saturday, 27 July following reports of a collision involving a motorbike and a car.
The motorcyclist, 35-year-old Mitchell Walker sadly died at the scene.
Today, his family have paid tribute to him saying:
“Mitch was a much-loved son, brother, partner and a recent dad who was taken away far too early at the age of 35.
“He had recently found his place in life with a challenging job role he absolutely loved and was much respected by colleagues.
“He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, RIP.”
Detectives in our Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing to anyone who was in the area between 7:30am and 8am on Saturday, 27 July to contact Essex Police with any information or dashcam footage.
Convicted money launderer ordered to pay back almost £800,000
A man, who was previously convicted with money laundering offences concerned with drug supply in Essex, has been ordered to pay back almost £800,000.
Lee Ray Smith, 46 of Longwood Gardens, Ilford appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, 24 July for the conclusion of a Proceeds of Crime hearing.
On 13 May 2020, officers on patrol stopped a van on the A13 following intelligence around it being connected with drug supply offences. Lee Ray Smith was in the van and tried to claim that he had hired the van to carry out a new delivery job.
The vehicle was searched and officers located two bags containing cash counting machines as well as bundles of cash in a rear compartment of the van. The bundles of cash were wrapped in cling film and labelled with with ‘100k’ or ‘70k’.
Officers also located an encrypted phone which was later found to have been used in drug supply.
Enquiries revealed that Lee Ray Smith had the role of collecting cash for criminal networks.
After being arrested, he was charged on 14 May 2020 with two counts of transferring criminal property. After pleading guilty, he received a suspended sentence on 24 August 2023.
An investigation from Essex Police’s Serious Economic Crime Unit continued with Financial Investigators reviewing the amount Smith had made from criminal activity.
At a confiscation hearing at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, 24 July, it was determined that Smith’s criminal benefit was £939,917.04. He was ordered to pay back £791,214.90, his available assets by the 28 August 2024 or face five years in prison.
Harlow: Six charged after warrants across town
Six people have been charged following coordinated strikes on addresses across Harlow and Chelmsford.
Seven warrants were executed at locations in and around The Stow, Harlow, on Tuesday 30 July as part of our Clear, Hold, Build initiative.
This is a Home Office-backed scheme bringing together public services to tackle offending and address underlying issues affecting the community in The Stow and wider Harlow.
Two further warrants were executed at addresses in Chelmsford as part of this work.
The operation was led by specialist detectives from our Serious Violence Unit, supported by Harlow’s community and local policing teams.
Following this work, which saw drugs, cash and weapons seized, charges have been authorised against:
Alfie Speed, 20, of Rookes Crescent, Chelmsford.
Armandas Alsalim, 22, of no fixed address.
Luke Kitchener, 27, of Torkildsen Way, Harlow.
Liam Taylor, 19, of Torkildsen Way, Harlow.
Josh Douyere, 19, of Hare Street, Harlow.
A 17-year-old boy, from Harlow, who can’t legally be named because of his age.
All six face charges of being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs and appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 31 July.
Southend: Drug line dismantled as final member jailed
A drug line involved in the sale of almost a kilogram of Class A drugs on the streets of Southend has been dismantled after its sixth and final member was jailed.
Jordan Osbourne-Small, 30, worked in a management role for the ‘Jay’ line, which offered cocaine to users.
Operation Raptor, our team focused solely on disrupting such gangs, focused on the line’s activity between June and December 2022.
Across this period, the ‘Jay’ line sent out tens of thousands of bulk advertising messages to customers.
It operated out of Ilford, London, with runners working in shifts to sell the harmful Class A substance on the streets of Southend.
Basildon Crown Court heard, by a conservative estimate, the line facilitated around 1,700 individual drug deals in that time, involving just short of 900g of Class A drugs.
This operation would have yielded tens of thousands of pounds in criminal profits.
As a result of intelligence gathered, officers executed a warrant at Osbourne-Small’s home address in Ilford in December 2022.
He was caught in the act preparing wraps of Class A drugs in the lounge of the property.
A quantity of drugs was seized, along with multiple sets of scales and drug paraphernalia.
Forty-four people arrested for shoplifting across Essex
Officers have secured a total of 69 charges of shop theft and two of assaulting a retail worker against a total of 26 people in the past fortnight.
They made a total of 44 arrests for shop theft in Essex between 15 and 28 July 2024. Twelve people have been bailed to allow further investigations to be carried out, two people cautioned and no further action will be taken against four of those arrested.
Ten people were arrested across the Southend district; nine in each of the Chelmsford and Thurrock districts; six in each of the Colchester and Tendring districts; three in Harlow; and one in Basildon.
Our officers have made 99 arrests for shop theft in the past four weeks. Between 1 January and 28 July 2024, that figure rises to 819.
Chelmsford: Four guilty of coroner kidnap plot
A group of people, who entered Essex Coroner’s Court in an attempt to kidnap HM Coroner Lincoln Brookes have been found guilty of multiple offences.
Sean Harper, Shiza Harper, Matthew Dean Martin and Mark Kishon Christopher appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday 30 July, where following a two-week trial, were all found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.
On 20 April 2023 at around 12:30pm, the group entered Seax House in Chelmsford, walking into one of the court rooms wearing high-visibility jackets and body worn cameras and carrying handcuffs. The group demanded to know where Lincoln Brookes was, saying they wanted to speak with him and stating that the court had been shut down.
Mr Brookes was not in the building at the time and those in the building managed to sound an alarm.
Those in the building were then held inside by the group, who threatened them, claiming to know where they lived.
Officers arrived at the building and were confronted by Christopher outside the building, who told them “we have shut this court system down” and telling officers that “you are not here to question me, you are here to aid me”.
Martin was arrested at the court on suspicion of assault and criminal damage. Christopher, Harper and Harper left the scene.
Billericay: Man dies following collision
Officers are now in the position to confirm the death of a man, following a collision in Billericay on Saturday, 27 July.
Officers were called to Botney Hill Road shortly before 8am on Saturday, 27 July following reports of a collision involving a motorbike and a car.
The motorcyclist, a 35-year-old man from Billericay was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His family are aware.
Officers in our Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing to anyone who was in the area between 7:30am and 8am on Saturday, 27 July to contact Essex Police with any information or dashcam footage.
Clacton: Man jailed for breaching restraining order on day of release
An offender who breached their restraining order the day he finished his previous sentence has been returned to jail.
Nial McPartland, 23, of no fixed abode, had been released from prison on Thursday 23 May.
As part of his previous sentence he had been banned from entering Clacton-on-Sea under the terms of a restraining order.
However on the Thursday afternoon he immediately attempted to enter the town.
Officers from our Domestic Abuse Problem Solving Team received reports he was on a train and spotted him on the platform in Clacton before chasing him and arresting him on the street.
He was charged with harassment under the breach of his court order, and recalled to prison.
He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 May and pleaded guilty to the breach, and was sentenced to four months at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 26 July.
Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 5 August
10am to 11:30am
CVST, Harwich Hub, High Street, Dovercourt.
Tuesday 6 August
10am to 2pm
Church Street, Great Dunmow
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
11am to 12pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
2pm to 3pm
Sainsburys Rayleigh Weir, 21 Stadium Way, Benfleet
Wednesday 7 August
10am to 11am
Costa Coffee, 76/78 High Street, Billericay CM12 9BT
11am to 12pm
Ashfields, Green Street, Great Canfield
11am to 12pm
Jilly beans cafe, 121 Furtherwick Road, Canvey Island
11am to 12pm
Tilbury Hub, Civic Square
1pm to 2pm
Tea on the Heath, Pond Lane, Hatfield Heath
Thursday 8 August
11am to 12pm
Knightswick Centre, Furtherwick Road Canvey Island
11am to 12pm
Starbuck Coffee Shop Easgate Shopping Centre Basildon SS14 1AG
11am to 12pm
Takeley Community Cafe, Dunmow Road, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Takeley Park, Station Road, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Morrisons, Northwick Road, Canvey Island
Friday 9 August
9am to 12pm
Broomfield Hospital Atrium, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7ET
9am to 10:30am
Touchpoint, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted
10am to 2pm
Broomfield Hospital Atrium, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7ET
11am to 12pm
Costa Coffee, Highbridge Retail Park, Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey EN9 1BY
Saturday 10 August
9am to 11am
Gunpowder Park Run, Gunpowder Park, Sewardstone Road, Waltham Abbey
10am to 11:30am
Quadrant Department Store, 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
12pm to 1pm
Stansted Library, 72 Chapel Hill
Sunday 11 August
12pm to 4pm
Recreational Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford
Monday 5 August
10am to 11:30am
CVST, Harwich Hub, High Street, Dovercourt.
Tuesday 6 August
10am to 2pm
Church Street, Great Dunmow
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
11am to 12pm
Morrisons, 175 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet
2pm to 3pm
Sainsburys Rayleigh Weir, 21 Stadium Way, Benfleet
Wednesday 7 August
10am to 11am
Costa Coffee, 76/78 High Street, Billericay CM12 9BT
11am to 12pm
Ashfields, Green Street, Great Canfield
11am to 12pm
Jilly beans cafe, 121 Furtherwick Road, Canvey Island
11am to 12pm
Tilbury Hub, Civic Square
1pm to 2pm
Tea on the Heath, Pond Lane, Hatfield Heath
Thursday 8 August
11am to 12pm
Knightswick Centre, Furtherwick Road Canvey Island
11am to 12pm
Starbuck Coffee Shop Easgate Shopping Centre Basildon SS14 1AG
11am to 12pm
Takeley Community Cafe, Dunmow Road, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Takeley Park, Station Road, Takeley
2pm to 3pm
Morrisons, Northwick Road, Canvey Island
Friday 9 August
9am to 12pm
Broomfield Hospital Atrium, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7ET
9am to 10:30am
Touchpoint, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted
10am to 2pm
Broomfield Hospital Atrium, Court Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7ET
11am to 12pm
Costa Coffee, Highbridge Retail Park, Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey EN9 1BY
Saturday 10 August
9am to 11am
Gunpowder Park Run, Gunpowder Park, Sewardstone Road, Waltham Abbey
10am to 11:30am
Quadrant Department Store, 220 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford
12pm to 1pm
Stansted Library, 72 Chapel Hill
Sunday 11 August
12pm to 4pm
Recreational Ground, Baddow Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
Crime prevention advice
Watch the lights flash on your car when locking it as people have been known to stand nearby and use a signal blocker to stop your car from locking properly.
For more advice on securing your property, protecting your belongings and preventing becoming a victim of crime visit our crime prevention advice pages on our website.
Be fraud smart
Reporting fraud
If you’re the victim of a scam, fraud or online crime you can report it to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There are a few types of fraud that should be reported elsewhere.
You can report scams, fraud and online crime (cybercrime) to Action Fraud, except you should report:
business or personal tax fraud to HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)
To report one of these please follow the links above.
Join our team
Police staff jobs
Police National Computer Support Officer £23,121
Senior Network Engineer £38,349
Operational Driver Training Instructor £30,783
Contact Centre Officers £24,921 to £27,351
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
This week we remember
Edward Raven
Edward Raven served with Essex County Constabulary from April 4, 1859. His first posting was to Chelmsford until June 1862, but for the next 20 years he was one of the Essex police officers whose wages were paid by the Burnham Oyster Company to protect their fisheries. In 1882 Edward left the fisheries and volunteered for the Foulness beat.
On 7 August 1886 Edward Raven had taken his mentally handicapped son back to the Colchester asylum. He was returning to Foulness in a small boat when it capsized in the strong breeze, and he was drowned.
Read more about other Essex officers on the Essex Police Memorial Trust website.