Tag: Crime

Granton Crescent murder: Man jailed

A 29-year-old man has been jailed after previously pleading guilty to the murder of a man and the serious assault of a woman in Granton last March.

Sam Atkins (pictured) appeared at the High Court in Glasgow today and was sentenced to 18 years.

Officers were called to a flat in the Granton Crescent area on 25 March, 2023, following a report of a disturbance.

Charles Paul, aged 69, was found with fatal injuries. A 36-year-old woman was found with serious but not life-threatening injuries and taken to hospital for treatment.

Atkins was arrested at the scene and he was charged the following day.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: “We welcome the sentencing and hope that it brings some kind of closure for Charles’s family and friends and that of the woman also.

“These were despicable and callous acts carried out by Atkins, who showed an utter disregard for the life of Charles Paul or for the woman he seriously assaulted.

 “I would like to thank all officers involved for their dedication and commitment throughout the investigation as well as those members of the public who assisted with our enquiries.”

Tracker recoveries in December

Tracker’s total recovery value for the month was £1,161,252.

We made 58 Tracker recoveries which resulted in:

  • 13 arrests
  • 5 chop shops uncovered
  • 27 other non-Tracker fitted vehicles recovered as result of Tracker activations.

To date we have recovered over £596m worth of vehicles.

Theft highlights: 

  • Toyota C-HR Sport – Worth £28,183, recovered from a chop shop in Romford in under 6 hours with 15 other non-Tracker fitted vehicles and 4 arrests made.
  • Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG – Worth £12,000, stolen from Cambridge, recovered  in under 6 hours, 3 arrests made.
  • Citroen C3 – Worth £16,000, stolen from Hertfordshire, recovered in under an hour, 2 arrests made.
  • Lexus 250H – Worth £24,925, recovered from Wishaw in under 4 hours with 2 other non-Tracker fitted vehicles.
  • Toyota RAV4 – Worth 18,000, recovered from London Gateway Docks in under 48 hours with 4 other non-Tracker fitted vehicles .
  • Kawasaki MULE Pro DX – Worth £22,000, stolen from Radstock, recovered in under 2 hours.
  • Porsche 911 Carrera – Worth £26,000, recovered from Harpenden in under an hour with 1 other non-Tracker fitted vehicle.
  • Peugeot 2008 GT  – Worth £9,000, stolen from South Yorkshire, recovered  in under 7 hours.
  • Fiat Roller Team Motorhome – Worth £50,000, stolen from Sittingbourne, recovered in under an hour.
  • Maxus Deliver 9 – Worth £27,000, stolen from Slough, recovered in less than 30 minutes from Tracker activation!
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Defibrillator theft from Police Station: Do you know these women?

Police in Edinburgh have released CCTV images of three women who they believe may be able to assist them in relation to a missing defibrillator.

The defibrillator was taken from St Leonard’s Police Station, 14 St Leonard’s Street, Edinburgh around 7pm on Monday, 30 October, 2023.

Police Constable Stephen Neilson, Howdenhall Police Station, said: “We believe these women may have information that could assist our enquiries. I would ask anyone who recognises them or has any information to come forward.

“You can contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3168 of 30 October, 2023. Alternatively Crime stoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Two charged following major drug recovery in Lochend

Drugs worth a six-figure sum have been recovered by police in Edinburgh.

Around 11.40 am on Thursday, 11 January 2024, police acting under warrant recovered a quantity of controlled drugs whilst searching addresses in Lochend Quadrant and Lochend Road South, Edinburgh.

The drugs, believed to be diamorphine, crack cocaine and cannabis, have a combined estimated street value of £247,500. A five-figure sum of cash was also recovered.

Two men, aged 57 and 30 years, have been arrested and charged following the find. They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday, 12 January ). A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Inspector Gavin Howat, Edinburgh Pro-active CID, said: “Officers will continue to disrupt the supply and possession of drugs in our area.

“This work often relies on the support of the public, so if you have any information or concerns about drug misuse, please call Police Scotland on 101 or report this anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Anchor shootings: Another woman arrested and charged

A third person has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 38-year-old local man in Granton on Hogmanay.

The 33-year-old woman was arrested yesterday (Monday, 8 January) and has now been charged. She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow (Wednesday, 10 January).

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged outside the Anchor Inn in West Granton Road.

Two men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital . The 38-year-old man, Marc Webley, was pronounced dead a short time later. The other man remains in hospital.

A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have already been arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Both appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (Monday, 8 January). Grant Hunter and Emma McVie made no plea and have been remanded in custody.

Anchor shooting: Two to appear in court on Monday

Two people – a 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman – have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in Granton. They are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday (8 January).

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road, seriously injuring two men.

Both men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital, where the 38-year-old man – named locally as Marc Webley – was pronounced dead a short time later. The other man remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Enquiries are ongoing and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Granton shootings: Two Arrested

Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 38-year-old man in West Granton. A 32-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Emergency services were called around 11.50pm on Sunday, 31 December, 2023, after a firearm was discharged in West Granton Road, seriously injuring two men.

Both men, aged 38 and 39, were taken to hospital, where the 38-year-old man was pronounced dead a short time later. The dead man has been named locally as Marc Webley.

Enquiries are ongoing and police continue to appeal for information.

Detective Superintendent Graham Grant, Major Investigation Team, said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their support and patience while enquiries are ongoing.

“There will continue to be an increased police presence in the area and anyone with further concerns should speak to officers, call 101, or in the case of an emergency, 999.”

Eight organisations share Victim Surcharge Fund backing

Organisations that support victims of crime have been awarded a total of £405,451 from a fund financed by penalties imposed on offenders who received a court fine.

Eight organisations – including Victim Support Scotland, Dumbarton District Women’s Aid, Migrant Help, The  Moira Fund, The Manda Centre, Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTiS), Action Against Stalking and Dundee Women’s Aid – will share the funding to provide practical help directly to victims.

This is the fourth round of payments from the Victim Surcharge Fund, which was established in November 2019, and takes the latest funding to £1,322,437.

Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said:  “I am pleased the fund has provided support to so many people.

“Since financial awards were first made in January 2021, 14 different victim support organisations have benefited from this fund –  all of which have used the money to help people impacted by crime.

“It is only right that the people who commit crimes should pay towards helping those impacted to recover from the trauma and move on with their lives.”

Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “Funding to VSS Emergency Assistance Fund made it possible to reach more than 1,400 victims of crime and their families with awards last year totalling over £400,000.

“Too many people face financial hardship as a result of crime, and this funding allows us to cover the costs of essential items such as food vouchers, rent, property repairs, alarms and funeral costs.”

The following organisations are set to benefit from the Victim Surcharge Fund in this round:

Victim Support Scotland (VSS)                                                           £300,000

Dumbarton District Women’s Aid                                                          £11,750

Migrant Help                                                                                         £28,540

The Moira Fund                                                                                    £14,500

The Manda Centre                                                                                £10,000

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS)                         £20,661

Action Against Stalking                                                                         £15,000

Dundee Women’s Aid                                                                           £5,000

Serious assaults in Frederick Street on New Years Day

POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES TO DOUBLE ASSAULT

Detectives are appealing for information following a serious assault in Edinburgh city centre.

About 3.30am on Monday, 1 January, 2024 two men were seriously assaulted in Rose Street, Edinburgh at it’s junction with Frederick Street by a group of men and women.

The men who suffered head and facial injuries were taken to hospital for treatment.

Detective Constable Gary Lipscombe from Edinburgh CID said “This was a brutal attack and it is imperative that we trace the people responsible and are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time.

“We know there was a pedestrian who would have witnessed this assault and may have information that can help us. I would also appeal to the people who stopped and provided first aid to the two injured men.”

Anyone with any information, or footage of the incident, should contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1142 of Monday, 1 January 2024. Alternatively, a call can be made anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Bike owners encouraged to register bikes on national database

POLICE are urging bike owners to ensure their cycles are registered on a national database to help ensure they can be reunited with them if they are lost or stolen.

The Bike Register database contains the details of tens of thousands bicycles from across the UK and for the last year Police Scotland officers have had access to the database via a downloadable app on their mobile devices.

Recently, four successful bike recoveries have been made as a result of the app and bike marking.

In the first instance, a member of the public in Edinburgh found a bicycle and used the app they had on their phone to establish it had been registered as lost. The owner was found to have moved from the Capital to Woking and was reunited with the bike.

Local officers in Lancashire also came across a stolen bike being sold on Facebook Marketplace in the course of their inquiries and by utilising the app on their mobile devices, they confirmed it was registered to an address in the Currie area of Edinburgh. The bike was again, returned to its rightful owner.

In the last two weeks, police in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh have returned two bikes to their owners after both were found and handed into the police station. Utilising the app, the cycles were both confirmed as stolen and then handed back to those they belong to.

Any officer who locates a bike they believe may be lost or stolen can access the database via the app, and scan a visible bar code or enter property details to check to see if it has been registered. If so, they can then find out whether the status is set to lost or stolen, and who the registered owner is.

It is anticipated that hundreds of new bikes will have been purchased or received over Christmas, many worth large sums of money. Owners of bikes, both new and old, are urged to ensure their cycle’s details are logged on the database.

Inspector Jordan Low from Police Scotland’s Rural and Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “We know that for many in Scotland, bikes are not just an important recreational item, they are a vital mode of transportation or exercise and to have them lost or stolen can be devastating.

“I would ask that all bike owners ensure their bicycles’ details are logged on the Bike Register database, as this will aid us during our inquiries whenever we locate any bikes that we believe to be stolen, or that are brought into police stations as lost property.

“The recent successful recoveries highlight just how important the database is in order to reunite bikes with their rightful owners and the app available to officers on their mobile device is another useful tool in helping us tackle bike theft across the country.”