THEGAYUK

Tag: Crime

All the latest breaking news crime in the UK and aboard. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Crime.

  • Woman allegedly attacks two men in vicious homophobic attack

    Woman allegedly attacks two men in vicious homophobic attack

    A women “threw cup of coffee” and “hits” gay couple on train, according to police reports

    Officers would like to identify her after a homophobic incident on board a Hammersmith and City line tube train.

    On 9 August at approximately 7.25am, two men boarded a train at Plaistow and asked a woman to move her bag from a seat so they could sit down.

    British Transport Police reports that a verbal altercation ensued, during which the woman allegedly shouted homophobic abuse at the two men.

    She, according to the BTP threw a cup of coffee at the victims and hit one of them in the face several times.

    It is believed the woman left the train at Bromley by Bow station.

    Officers believe the woman in the photo may have information which could help their investigation.

    If you recognise her or witnessed the incident please contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 143 of 9/08/18.

  • AJ Pritchard and brother hospitalised after unprovoked attack

    Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Pritchard and his brother have been hospitalised after an attack at a Cheshire nightclub.

    AJ Pritchard is recovering after he and his brother were attacked in a Cheshire nightclub. The pair were enjoying a night out with friends when the unprovoked attack, by up to eight men happened.

    AJ was left with severe bruising and cuts. His brother Curtis, who is also a professional dancer is undergoing an emergency operation on his knee. Curtis stars in the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars.

    Embed from Getty Images

    A spokesperson for the brothers told The Sun: “AJ and Curtis were assaulted in an unprovoked attack. Curtis is to undergo an emergency operation to correct damage to his knee. AJ received bruising to his face, arms, body and legs.”

    According to the Sun, one witness to the events said,

    “The brothers were having a relaxed evening with friends and AJ was posing for selfies with a few fans.

    “But the eight lads took a disliking to the brothers and pushed Curtis hard. Then they started punching them, like they were possessed.

    “Curtis had fallen to his knees and was being punched in the face and body. They were also punching AJ in his face, in his ribs and legs. AJ dragged Curtis out of the circle and pulled him to another part of the club.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Police in Cheshire said, “The four victims were taken to hospital for treatment. All have since been discharged.

    “Officers arrested a 20-year-old man from Crewe on suspicion of assault. He has been released under investigation pending further inquiries.”

     

  • Switzerland votes to make homophobia a crime with some serious jail time

    Switzerland votes to make homophobia a crime with some serious jail time

    Lawmakers in Switzerland have voted to make transphobia and homophobia an offence which could land the perp 3 years in jail.

    fxxu / Pixabay

    Switzerland is taking a tough stance on homophobia and transphobia after voting to make the crime’s punishment attract up to three years in jail. It means that the punishment for homophobia is now in line with that of racism in the country.

    However, the bill still needs to be passed by the Council Of States before it becomes official law.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Mathias Reynard put the law forward and posted on Twitter “A magnificent success for human rights! Final response in December to the Council of States. # LGBT ?️???.”

    “Powerful Message”

    Speaking to Shortlist Mathias said, “The Swiss Parliament’s decision is great news because it sends the powerful message that homophobia is not an opinion; as for racism, it’s a violation of the law.

    “I tabled the motion after speaking to friends of mine who have personally been victims of verbal and physical homophobic violence.

    “And working on this law I found out that the Swiss case-law doesn’t punish either hate speech or incitement to hatred towards LGBT+ people. During the last few years, this loophole in the law has been pointed out several times at an international level.”

    Switzerland falls short on LGBT+ Rights

    However it’s interesting to note that gay marriage is still illegal in the country and full child adoption by gay couples is also banned.

  • Cops investigating homophobic incident in Staffordshire

    Cops investigating homophobic incident in Staffordshire

    Police in Staffordshire are investigating after cars and buildings were vandalised with homophobic graffiti.

    geralt / Pixabay

    Staffordshire cops were appealing for witnesses after disturbing anti-gay and homophobic grafitti was sprayed on over two dozen vehicles and buldings.

    The graffiti was found in Chadsmoor, near Cannock. It is believed the grafitti was done on the night of the 23rd December 2018.

    According to reports 26 cars and vans were targetted as well as numerous buildings and garages,including Curlew Hill, Kelvin Drive and Huntingdon Terrace.

    A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said, “Officers are investigating homophobic graffiti found on cars and buildings in Chadsmoor overnight.

    “In total 26 cars and vans were spray painted, as well as walls and garage doors, in various streets including Curlew Hill, Kelvin Drive and Huntington Terrace.

    “Increased patrols will be in the area this evening. We take this type of graffiti seriously and witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to call 101 quoting incident 129 of December 23.

    Taking to Twitter the police released a picture of someone they’d wanted to speak to in connection with the grafitti and confirmed on Christmas eve, that an arrest had been made, they wrote, “We have arrested a 41-year-old man of no fixed address on suspicion of criminal damage in relation to the graffiti of multiple vehicles in Chadsmoor on Saturday night. The man is now being questioned in custody.

  • Taxi driver who raped male passenger in Leeds jailed

    Taxi driver who raped male passenger in Leeds jailed

    Mohammed Ilyas has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of rape by a Leeds Crown Court.

    A taxi driver who orally raped another man who got into his car has been jailed for 12 years. Mohammed Ilyas, 44, was found guilty of raping a  passenger in the early hours one morning in May 2016. The unnamed victim, who had been drinking at a pub in Leeds, was put into the cab waiting outside the New Penny, in Leeds, by his friends, who assumed he would be safe.

    The court heard how LLyas drove his cab to a remote farm area where he orally raped his victim.

    The court heard how the victim had been driven to feeling suicidal following the attack. The impact state read, “Because of what the taxi driver did to me that night I have at many points been suicidal.

    “I never go to town alone anymore and will never get a taxi alone again.

    “I will never forget this. I don’t know when or if I will ever get over it.”

    “Engineering a situation”

    Jailing Ilyas for 12-years, Judge Tom Bayliss QC said, “I’m quite sure that you deliberately parked your taxi outside what you knew was a gay pub, thus deliberately engineering a situation where you found yourself alone in your taxi with a passenger who was incapacitated by drink.

    “That passenger had come from a pub, you then committed rape on him, a homosexual rape upon a man who you had seen coming from a gay pub. “I’m quite sure that you targeted (the victim).

    “It may not have been long in the planning, but once you saw, you him stopped your taxi and you targeted him.”

    Mr Llyas pleaded not guilty during his trial in September.

    Judge Bayliss also banned LLyas from contacting his victim and from returning to work as taxi driver in the future.

     

    If you need to speak to someone about sexual assault or rape, please contact Survivors UK for help and support. 

  • Hate crimes against gay people rockets in the UK

    Hate crimes against gay people rockets in the UK

    Hate crimes against gay and bisexual people in the UK have rocketed by double-digit figures, new statistics show.

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    Twelve percent (11,638 crimes) of recorded hate crimes in England and Wales were directed at gay and bisexual people new figures from the Home Office reveal, a 17 percent increase since last year.

    Two percent of recorded hate crime (1651 crimes) were those against transgender people – up a staggering 32 percent.

    Overall recorded hate crimes were up, with nearly 100,000 crimes reported. Double the amount in just five years. The majority of hate crime (75%, 71,251 crimes) were racially motivated. Religious-based hate crime accounted for 9 percent (8336 crimes) of recorded crimes.

    A report from the Home Office made a suggestion as to why the figures had soared stating, “This increase is thought to be largely driven by improvements in police recording, although there has been spikes in hate crime following certain events such as the EU referendum and the terrorist attacks in 2017,

    “It is thought that the sharp increase in religious hate crimes is due to a rise in these offences following the terrorist attacks in 2017.”

    Worryingly, the number of closed prosecutions dropped by over 2 per cent from 14,480 in 2016/17 to 14,151 in 2017/18.

    Home Secretary Sajid Javid said, “Hate crime goes directly against the long-standing British values of unity, tolerance and mutual respect – and I am committed to stamping this sickening behaviour out.

    “Our refreshed action plan sets out how we will tackle the root causes of prejudice and racism, support hate crime victims and ensure offenders face the full force of the law”.

    Only a small proportion of crimes get recorded

    The home office report also suggests that only a small proportion of hate crimes against LGBT people are reported. The combined 2015/16 to 2017/18  dataset estimates that there were 30,000 sexual orientation hate crimes per year.

  • Three assaulted in homophobic attack in London

    Three assaulted in homophobic attack in London

    One of the three victims was left with injuries that required hospitalisation.

    (C) MET POLICE

    Cops in London are seeking information that can lead to the identification of two men they wish to speak to in connection with a brutal homophobic assault on three men in their early twenties in North London.

    The attack in Wood Green happened on the 4th October at around 4:30 AM. Haringey police were called to Station Road near the junction with High Road, N22, where three men aged in their 20s had been assaulted by two suspects, according to a police report.

    In a statement from the Met Police, one of the men attacked required hospital treatment, but he was subsequently discharged.

    Detectives from Haringey are investigating. They are releasing images showing two men they wish to trace in connection with the incident. One of the men is seen in both images, the second man is only seen from the back in one of the images.

    There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

    Anyone who knows the identity of either of the men, or has information that may assist the investigation, is asked to call detectives in the Haringey Community Safety Unit via 101 quoting CAD 969/oct04.

    To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • Man who tricked four straight men to have sex with him convicted

    Man who tricked four straight men to have sex with him convicted

    A man who tricked four men into having sex with him in the mistaken belief that he was a female has been convicted.

    Duarte Xavier, 34 (11.11.84), of Wandsworth, was convicted at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 5 October of six counts of causing a male aged 13 or over to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

    He had pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 16 May. He has been remanded in custody to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 9 November.

    The court heard that Xavier was a liar and fantasist who carried out his crimes over several years. He would use online dating websites to masquerade as a female named ‘Ana’, entering into conversations and sending provocative pictures to heterosexual men, who were fooled by his online persona into meeting for sex.

    When they agreed to meet for sex ‘Ana’ would set a series of conditions, including that the victim must wear a blindfold for the duration of the encounter and were not allowed to touch in return.

    Communication through a dating app

    On the first reported incident on 17 February 2016, a 45-year-old victim had been communicating with ‘Ana’ through a dating app and arranged to meet at ‘Ana’s’ flat.

    Rules had been set prior to the victim’s arrival so that both apparently knew what would happen; ‘Ana’ told the victim that he would not see her throughout their encounter.

    Upon arrival at an address in Wandsworth, the victim followed the instructions and found a blindfold in the bedroom.

    He heard ‘Ana’ call his name and put the blindfold on. The pair began having sex when the victim realised something was wrong and removed the blindfold when he saw Xavier.

    The victim was enraged and immediately left the address. Xavier sent a message to the victim afterwards saying ‘I got a mental health problem, sorry’. The victim ordered Xavier to delete all record of their communication, to which he replied that he already had.

    Female ‘looking for a bit of fun’.

    On 15 October 2017, a 29-year-old male messaged ‘Ana’ via a dating app and received a response that ‘she’ was a recently single female ‘looking for a bit of fun’.

    The pair talked over WhatsApp, exchanging pictures and even a video call; the victim had no reason to suspect that he was not speaking to a woman.

    They arranged to meet for sex the same day at a flat in Hardwick Square, Wandsworth. Again, the victim arrived at the location and put on a blindfold, as ‘Ana’ had asked.

    He heard what he thought was a female voice saying ‘stay there, don’t take off and don’t move the mask’. A person then approached from behind and tied the blindfold tighter.

    He was led blindfolded into another room where ‘Ana’ began to perform a sexual act. The victim took off the blindfold and saw Xavier.

    He left in disgust immediately having been in the property for minutes.

    Xavier began sending messages to the victim, apologising and saying there must have been a misunderstanding, but continued to message requesting oral sex.

    The victim reported the incident to police and Xavier was arrested on 16 October 2017 on suspicion of causing sexual activity with a person without consent. He was released under investigation.

    A number of mobile phones and masks were also seized.

    Victim had pillowcase stuffed over his head

    The third incident took place on Wednesday, 4 April 2018. The victim, a 26-year-old man, had been looking for sexual relations with females on a website when he received a message from ‘Ana’, advertising herself as a 35-year-old woman.

    The pair arranged a video call via WhatsApp, where ‘Ana’ stated that she had to conceal her identity so as to avoid getting caught because she was married.

    The pair arranged to meet at ‘Ana’s’ address, which was in darkness when the victim arrived. He said ‘hello’ and was instructed to close the door and come upstairs.

    As the victim went upstairs, he felt a person grab him and pull his trousers down. An item, believed to be a pillowcase, was put over his head.

    He asked to see that the person he had been communicating with was actually female, to which ‘Ana’ said ‘no’ and began performing a sexual act. The victim used the light from his mobile phone and discovered that it was Xavier.

    The victim was horrified and said he would tell police, to which Xavier responded ‘good, I will too’. The victim went outside and called police; Xavier was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and later charged with two counts of causing a male aged 13 or over in a penetrative sexual activity and sexual assault.

    He was remanded and later bailed at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

    “Roleplay experience”

    The fourth victim was identified by police after reviewing phone records from seized mobile phones.

    The victim in this incident, a 29-year-old man, had been too embarrassed and ashamed to tell anyone.

    On 5 December year 2016 the victim and ‘Ana’ began engaging with each other over a dating website. ‘Ana’ explained that she was looking for a ‘roleplay’ experience where the victim would be blindfolded.

    Both parties exchanged pictures and videos and agreed to meet at ‘Ana’s’ address before she claimed her landlady would be home and they must meet elsewhere.

    ‘Ana’ told the victim they would meet in a park around 19:00hrs. The victim obliged and the following day he went to King George’s Park in Wandsworth as ordered by ‘Ana’. The victim had trouble finding the meeting place and called ‘Ana’; again he had no reason to suspect he was not talking to a female, commenting in later interviews to police that ‘Ana’ sounded like a foreign woman.

    He went to the agreed spot, a secluded area, when ‘Ana’ arrived and performed a sexual act on him before they had sex. ‘Ana’ then left and the victim was left entirely unaware that he had had sex with Xavier.

    WhatsApp records of conversations between the pair revealed that the victim had not realized what had happened and at no point did Xavier reveal his true identity.

    As a result, the pair arranged to meet again a few days later, on the same terms and same place. This time the victim held off on putting on the blindfold, curious as to who he was meeting.

    When Xavier approached, the pair saw each other and Xavier tried to hide. When the victim asked what he was doing, Xavier claimed to have believed that the victim was bisexual and approved of the arrangement.

    The victim was distraught by the revelation; Xavier offered to pay his cab fare home, to which the victim said no and that he did not want to be contacted by him ever again.

    “Crimes are unique in their depravity”

    Detective Constable Lucy Marsh, of Wandsworth police, said, “The crimes Xavier committed are unique in their depravity; all of the victims had no reason to believe that they were not engaging with a woman and all have stated unequivocally that they would never have given their consent to sexual relations with another man.

    “Xavier has demonstrated extreme manipulation and cunning in order to satisfy his own sexual gratification, setting bizarre conditions that the victims adhered to in the belief that they were part of the experience.

    “He is a sexual predator and I hope the victims, all of whom were traumatised by their experiences, will now feel that they have achieved some justice. I thank them for their bravery not only in telling us of their ordeals, but in facing difficult and challenging questions throughout the judicial process.

    “We are also entirely aware that there may be other potential victims of Xavier who, so far, have also felt too ashamed to speak to police. I would ask those people to come forward, to tell us, and we will treat you with the utmost sensitivity and in the strictest of confidence.”

  • Man sentenced for biting off the ear of a man he accused of looking at his genitals

    Man sentenced for biting off the ear of a man he accused of looking at his genitals

    A man has been handed a suspended sentence, and avoiding jail time, after pleading guilty to a brutal attack on a man he accused of looking at his penis.

    Martin Gallagher, 28, pleaded guilty to a vicious assault on a man – punching him and biting off part of his ear. Gallagher accused the 20-year-old victim, who has left with a disfiguring scar on his ear, of looking at his genitals in the toilets of a nightclub in Newcastle.

    He had been drinking in the bar with friends in May last year when he became involved in an argument with a 20-year-old man in the toilets.

    Gallagher had accused his victim of looking at his genitals as he was urinating before following him back into the club and challenging to a fight.

    He then proceeded to attack the victim who desperately tried to explain to him that he hadn’t been looking at him.

    The victim fought back to protect himself but in the scuffle that followed Gallagher sunk his teeth into his victim’s ear, ripping part of it clean off.

    Security staff at Digital nightclub threw out both men.

    The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injured ear while Gallagher was arrested for his part in the brawl. He was later charged by police and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year.

    Detective Constable Lisa Common, of Northumbria Police’s Central CID, said the victim in the case was left permanently disfigured by the attack. Following the case, she said, “This was an unprovoked attack on a complete stranger who had gone out that night to socialise with friends.

    “Instead, he was confronted by a drunken male who was so out of control he bit the victim’s ear off.

    “The victim has been left suffering not just permanent physical injury, but emotional trauma as a result of the incident.

    “I hope he can take some comfort in the sentence that has been given today.”

    The victim in the case says he is now trying to rebuild his life and made a point of thanking DC Common for her support. He said, “The last year and a half have been some of the most testing and strenuous times in my life. At times I have been left demobilised by the sheer stress of it all.

    “I never could comprehend how one vicious incident could lead to so much pain for so many people until now.

    “I’m still coming to terms with my new reflection and hope for a future to bring better days.

    “That is largely thanks to the tireless work of Northumbria Police, especially from DC Lisa Common who has been nothing but an exemplary figure throughout the proceedings.

    “She has my gratitude for being a strength when I was at my weakest.

    “Her hours of work are thoroughly appreciated and I hope she continues to be a pivotal keystone in the community.”

    Gallagher was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, September 6.

    He was handed a three-month curfew, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also made to pay a £140 victim surcharge and £5,000 in compensation to the victim.

  • Man arrested after teenage boy sexually assaulted in Rochdale

    Man arrested after teenage boy sexually assaulted in Rochdale

    A 60-year-old man has been arrested after a teenager was sexually assaulted while he was fishing in Rochdale.

    Earlier today, Thursday 6 September 2018, officers from GMP’s Rochdale Borough arrested a 60-year-old man on suspicion of sexual assault

    He remains in custody for questioning.

    This is in relation to a report received by police on Tuesday 4 September that a 14-year-old boy had been sexually assaulted by the canal near to Hollingworth Road, Littleborough at around 5:20pm.

    The teenager had been magnet fishing when he was approached by a man who told him to head to another body of water a short distance away as he’d have better chance of success.

    When he moved to that location, he was sexually assaulted by the man before managing to run away to safety.

    Detective Sergeant Paul Davies of GMP’s Rochdale Borough, said, “This has been a fast-moving investigation and we have arrested a man in the Rochdale area on suspicion of sexual assault.

    “He remains in custody for questioning, however, our investigation continues and we are still keen to speak to anyone who may have information that can assist us to please get in touch.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8441 quoting reference number 1851 of 04/09/18 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  • Two women sexually assaulted in the heart of London’s Soho

    Two women have been sexually assaulted in the heart of London LGBT+ scene.

    The Metropolitan Police are appealing to the public for witnesses after two women were approached on the streets of Soho and sexually assaulted.

    The incident was reported on the 11th May at 10:25 PM on Frith Street, which is the heart of Soho. According to police reports,

    The victims, two women – aged 27 and 28 explained how they were walking along the road when a man approached them from behind and sexually assaulted them.

    He then made off on foot towards Dean Street and the women ran, contacting police.

    Police have now released an image of a man they wish to question in connection with the assault.

    The suspect is described as a dark-skinned white male, with black hair. He was wearing a pink and white striped shirt and had a black backpack.

    Detective Constable Paul Durrant, from the Met’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences team, said, “These young women were just walking down the road when this despicable individual went up to them from behind and sexually assaulted them. It is important that he is caught to prevent him from targeting anyone else.”

    Anyone with information or who recognise this male please contact DC Durrant on 0203 733 5999 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.