Essex Police Dispatch - issue 177
Essex Police Weekly Update
News 11 November to 17 November
Marine Unit patrols
The Essex Police Marine Unit patrolled last week in support of Project Kraken, which is a national Border Force led initiative to tackle and disrupt marine crime around our coast and borders. This ranges from marine related thefts to human trafficking and the importation of prohibited items such as drugs and weapons. Officers visited marinas at Wallasea, Fambridge, Burnham, Paglesham and Sutton Wharf, where they were engaging with the marine community and raising awareness of how to report suspicious activity along the coast.
These patrols not only provide a visible presence in some of the more isolated areas in Essex, but also allow officers to gather intelligence and provide reassurance.
These patrols are also conducted out at sea where officers were also boarding commercial ships in the Thames Estuary. Once onboard, officers complete security and documentation checks. These boardings are usually the first interaction that the ship’s crew will have with the police in the UK, and so it again provides reassurance and also gives them the opportunity to report any concerns or suspicious activity they may have seen while approaching our coastline.
Report marine-related crime to Essex Police using our online reporting forms or by calling 101 (always dial 999 if it is an emergency).
For anonymous reports, Crimestoppers provides a Coastal Crime Line which can be used 24 hours a day to anonymously report any suspicious activity or information you have in relation to marine crime, Freephone 0800 011 3304 or you can read about the 'Help turn the tide on coastal crime' campaign and report anonymously online.
More about the Essex Police Marine Unit
‘We will listen to you’, specialist detectives tell sexual abuse victims
A investigation, which ultimately identified that abuser Jay Lang had targeted up to 345 victims, started off with a single report of sexual communication with a child and blackmail in November 2021.
Specialist detectives worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to present the best case at court without subjecting many of the victims to a trial. Lots of them were reluctant to go through the whole criminal justice process, although they were still happy to provide evidence to support our case.
The detectives who investigated Lang’s offending and brought him to justice have received recognition for the case and their work is being shared as national best practice
"Anti-social behaviour has halved but remains an absolute priority" - DCC Prophet
Reported incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Essex have decreased by 65% in five years but Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet said the issue remains an “absolute priority” for the force.
DCC Prophet is the national lead for ASB and despite the positive progress that has been made, he said police and partner organisations would continue to work “tirelessly” to tackle the underlying causes of a problem that “wrecks lives and wrecks communities”.
As part of Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness week (18-25 November), community policing teams across the county will be holding community engagement events and alongside their usual targeted work and high-visibility patrols.
There were more than 42,000 incidents of ASB reported in the year to the end of October 2019. Five years on, this figure has fallen to 14,490.
Essex Police among best performing forces for Clare's Law disclosures
Essex Police is now among the best performing forces in the country for disclosing information under Clare’s Law.
The force carried out a review of how the process was working almost two years ago.
As a result, we introduced a new team, the Domestic Abuse Review Team, consisting of more than 20 officers focussing on disclosures.
Between August 2023 and June 2024 we have made 830 disclosures – 66 percent of the 1,254 applications processed.
We have risen from 6.8 percent in the quoted figures to 66 percent which shows a significant improvement and puts us among the best performing forces in the country.
Colchester: Appeal to identify witness car after taxi driver assault
Detectives investigating an assault which left a taxi driver with a fractured skull are releasing an image of a car whose driver they want to speak to as a witness.
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of GBH in connection with the assault in Brinkley Grove at around 1.50am on Saturday 2 November.
The taxi driver was taken to hospital but has since been released.
Officers now want to identify the driver of a white car which drove past The Gilberd School from Highclere Road onto Brinkley Grove Road at around 1.40am on the same day.
We believe they may be a witness and we are keen to speak to them.
If you have any information, CCTV, dash cam or other footage in relation to this incident, then please get in contact with us.
Please quote the crime reference number 42/166124/24.
Bravery Commendation for off-duty police officer who arrested man with knife
An off-duty police officer arrested a man wanted for attempted murder while on a day out in Southend with his family.
He pursued the man, who had a knife, and single-handedly arrested and detained him shortly after lunch on 28 June 2024.
And now PC Harry Lavell has been commended by Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington for his bravery.
Harry was leaving a cafe with his partner, their young daughter and his father-in-law when he spotted two groups of youths who seemed to be antagonising each other.
A fight quickly broke out and, to diffuse the situation, Harry ran towards it, shouting ‘Police!’ loudly. Some of the youths ran off but one of them ran towards Harry and his family.
Harry, a Metropolitan Police officer, made sure his family were at a safe distance and then tackled the man to the ground.
Southend Local Policing Team officers were soon at the scene in Southend High Street. Harry directed them to the bin, where a knife was recovered, and the man was taken to custody. He was subsequently revealed to be a suspect in an attempted murder the month before.
Operation Drive Insured
As part of our continued commitment to road safety, Essex Police supported Operation Drive Insured, a national campaign to target uninsured driving across the country.
Alongside other forces, we worked with partners MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau), the organisation that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, as part of their annual week-long Operation Drive Insured campaign (11-17 November) to get uninsured drivers off our roads.
Throughout the campaign, our Roads Policing Unit officers carried out targeted patrols at identified hotspots, using information supplied by MIB. Carrying out this vital work means that unsafe vehicles, those with no insurance, tax or MOT, and are the most dangerous on our roads, will be seized by officers.
How detectives snared mask-wearing shop robbery culprit
Last month, the work of Braintree CID secured a prison sentence for 49-year-old Daniele Aldegheri, who used numerous weapons – including a knife – to target five shops.
This extensive work included the trawling of dozens of hours of CCTV footage, the forensic tracking of mobile phones and tracing of vehicle movements.
Partnership working with Suffolk Police established facial recognition software, used with a CCTV image of the perpetrator, produced a 71% match for Aldegheri.
Aldegheri was arrested at his home on 3 September this year. He tried to evade arrest and officers found him hiding underneath a duvet.
At court he admitted five counts of robbery and three counts of possession of a knife in a public place. He's been jailed for 8 years.
Over 1,800 speeding drivers caught on camera in three months
Essex Police’s Speed Enforcement officers detect more than 1,800 speeding motorists across the county, in three months.
Between July and September, our Speed Enforcement Officers were deployed at 102 sites across the county to target speeding motorists and enforce the law as part of our commitment to road safety and Vision Zero.
Those figures are up from the previous three months when 1,599 offenders were identified by the same team.
The enforcement sites were located at identified hotspots and focused on the strategic road network of fast roads such as A13, A12, A130 and M25.
The Speed Enforcement Officers recorded a top speed of 104mph on a 70mph fast road and a drive in a 30mph was captured on camera driving at more than twice the speed limit, at 72mph.
Dealer caught crafting ecstasy pills from grandmother's shed
A drug dealer who manufactured ecstasy pills from his grandmother’s shed has been jailed after a lengthy investigation.
Our Serious Organised Crime Unit had long been building a case against Frankie Lee Watkinson, 31, in relation to intelligence gathered over suspected Class A drug supply.
The culmination of this investigation resulted in the execution of a warrant at his grandmother’s address in Thurrock in January this year.
A search of the garden shed uncovered ecstasy pill manufacturing equipment.
Due to clear evidence gathered against him, he admitted production of MDMA and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Appearing at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 6 November, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
Read the full story on our website.
Call for shops to sign our pledge to sell knives responsibly
We want to keep knives and blades out of the wrong hands, so we ask stores selling them to sign up to our Responsible Retailer scheme.
Retail staff pledge to store and display them safely and securely and to operate a strict ‘Challenge 25’ age verification policy.
Our Business Crime Team visit retailers across Essex to provide robust staff training and want to hear from more shops willing to sign up.
David Pickthall
Brentwood/Havering: Former teacher and choirmaster jailed for 12 years
“Thank you for trusting us with your stories”.
That’s the message from one of our detectives to the 19 men abused or filmed without their consent by former teacher and choirmaster musician David Pickthall who was sentenced on Monday 11 November.
The survivors themselves have thanked our officers for the support they were provided and for the efforts to secure justice.
Pickthall, 66, of Cheveley Park, Cheveley, had previously admitted 29 offences. 16 counts of indecent assault, 10 counts of voyeurism, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.
The offences related to 19 people, the majority of whom were boys at the time, between 1980 and 2021.
Colchester: Murder arrest in cold case investigation
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Colchester man Stuart Coldicott.
Stuart sustained a serious head injury in Colchester city on 11 February 2014 and was admitted to hospital. He was aged 36 at the time.
Stuart’s head injury was initially treated by medics as life-threatening. Their expertise helped Stuart’s condition to improve, and he was subsequently discharged from hospital.
However, Stuart required a high level of complex daily care until he sadly died aged 46 in March this year.
When Stuart died, we carried out a forensic post-mortem examination, which identified a causal link between his head injury on the 11 February 2014 and his death. As a result, a fresh investigation was launched.
During this investigation, a number of new lines of enquiry and fresh evidence have been uncovered which have led to a 61-year-old man being arrested the morning of Monday 11 November in Colchester.
'Young children are left without their fathers - this is what knife crime does'
The mum of a man who was fatally stabbed in Lakeside shopping centre has sent to a message to anyone thinking of carrying a knife.
In it, Lauretta Ugwa warns of the devastation which knife crime causes and its far-reaching consequences for the families of victims – and perpetrators’.
She has bravely decided to speak out as part of a national week of action on knife crime, named Sceptre week.
Her son, 29-year-old Michael Ugwa, was in the Lakeside food court at 4.30pm on 28 April 2022 when a chance meeting led to him being stabbed by Muhammad Khan.
Let's talk
Upcoming community police events across Essex this week
Monday 18 November
11am to 1pm
The Coffee Post, 50 The Street, High Ongar, Ongar
11am to 12pm
Henham Community Shop, High Street, Henham
3pm to 4pm
Co-op, Church Road, Stansted
6pm to 7pm
Black Lion, The Street, High Roding
7:30pm to 8:30pm
Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend
Tuesday 19 November
10:30am to 11:30am
Highlands Methodist Church, Sutherland Boulevard, Leigh on Sea
10:30am to 12pm
Witham Town Hall, Heritage Suite, Witham
10:30am to 11:30am
Grays Library, Thameside Complex Orsett Road, Grays
11am to 11:30am
Outside Tesco, Prince Avenue, Westcliff
11am to 12pm
Shoeburyness Youth & Community Centre, Delaware Road, Southend
1pm to 2pm
Rochford Market, 22-24 West Street, Rochford SS4 1AL
Wednesday 20 November
10am to 12pm
Village Hall, Cambridge Road, Quendon
10:30am to 11:30am
Rectory Road Shops, Rectory Road, Pitsea, Basildon SS13 2AJ
10:30am to 11:30am
Manningtree Library, High Street, Manningtree.
11:30am to 1pm
Highwoods Community Centre , Highwoods Square
1pm to 2pm
The Beacon Centre, Drake Road, Chafford Hundred
3pm to 4pm
Costa Coffee, Waterglade Retail Park, Next, Unit 3, Old Road, Clacton on Sea.
Thursday 21 November
11am to 12pm
Hadleigh Cycle Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, Benfleet
12pm to 1:30pm
Cafe Plus , Seed bed Centre , Severalls Business park
Friday 22 November
10am to 11am
South Benfleet Library, 264 High Road, South Benfleet, Benfleet
10am to 11am
Lakelands Community Centre , 2 Western Approach , Colchester
10am to 11am
South Benfleet Library, 264 High Road, South Benfleet
10am to 11am
Morrison's Supermarket, Centenary Way, Little Clacton.
11am to 12pm
Miracle House, Silver Island Way, Wickford, SS12 9NR
11am to 12pm
Havens, Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff
2pm to 3pm
Chadwell St Mary Information Centre, Brentwood Road
3:30pm to 4:30pm
Bulphan Village Hall, Church Road
3:30pm to 5pm
Naze Marine Holiday Park, The Poplars, Walton on Naze.
5pm to 6pm
Friars Park, 61 Exeter Close, Southend
Saturday 23 November
9:30am to 10:30am
Billericay Library, 143 High Street, Billericay CM12 9AB
10am to 11am
Jaywick Library, Golf Green Road, Jaywick.
10am to 11am
M&S Food, Unit 1, Brook Park West, T Grove, Clacton on Sea.
10:30am to 12pm
Saint Peter And St. Paul, Orsett Road, Horndon on The Hill
11am to 12pm
Morrisons, Northwick Road, Canvey Island
11am to 1pm
Unit 17, The Grove Shopping Centre, Witham
3:30pm to 5pm
Walk & Talk, Connaught Avenue to the Greensward, Frinton on Sea.
Sunday 24 November
9am to 9:30am
Sewards End Community Centre, Radwinter Road, Sewards End
10am to 10:30am
Nisa, Stortford Road, Clavering
11am to 12pm
Ford Barns, Crown Lane, Clacton on Sea.
11am to 12pm
Starbucks Coffee Shop, Southernhay, Basildon SS14 1EB
11:30am to 12pm
Community Centre, Royston Road, Wendens Ambo
2pm to 2:30pm
Community Centre, St Margaret's Church, Wicken Bonhunt
3:30pm to 4pm
Village Hall, Arkesden, Saffron Walden
5pm to 6pm
Sainsburys Local, New Garrison Road, Shoeburyness
5pm to 6pm
Tesco Express, The Broadway, Leigh on Sea
For full details of upcoming events, please visit the Essex Police website and enter your postcode.
Don’t let thieves get an easy ride
Keep your motorcycle safe by using a chain lock through the back wheel and securing it to something immovable like a ground anchor.
This makes it much harder for thieves to wheel your bike away and less attractive for opportunists.
Be fraud smart
We are aware fraudsters are adding fake QR codes to car parking signs in Essex, offering it as a method of payment.
Fraudsters use QR codes that direct people to duplicate fake website to gain your details and take your money.
If you see a QR code on a sign, always check before scanning it. There should be a list of recommended payment methods so you can check that it is authentic.
Please share this message and help make others aware.
If you think you may have added your card details on a scam website, contact your bank immediately, block further payments and report it to Action Fraud.
Join our team
Police staff jobs
Supplier Relationship Manager for ICT and Corporate £48,339
Business Services Assistant £24,219
Vehicle Technician £38,754
Visit our website for full advert, job descriptions and application form.
Obituaries
Brian Arthur Lawrence
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Brian Arthur Lawrence who retired as a Sergeant 1987 and served with the Southend Borough, Laindon Traffic and Rayleigh.
He passed away on 18 October 2024 aged 87 years.
Kenneth Drain
The Chief Constable regrets to inform you of the sad death of our former colleague Kenneth Drain who retired as a Sergeant 1983 and served at Grays and Brentwood.
He passed away on 26 October 2024 aged 92 years.