Sophie Robinson

Prosecutors told Warwick Crown Court that Jowad Haji allegedly offered a woman work at a Stratford-upon-Avon barbershop before attacking her in a back room, including alleged rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, assault by penetration and intentional strangulation. The woman reported the incident to police weeks later. Haji denies all charges, saying their previous physical contact was consensual and never went beyond kissing. The four-day trial is continuing.

Wendy Morton, MP for Aldridge-Brownhills, has urged Morrisons chief executive Rami Baitieh to reinstate former Aldridge manager Sean Egan, who was dismissed after confronting an aggressive serial shoplifter in December. Egan said the shoplifter spat at him and that he intervened to protect himself, staff and customers during an altercation. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said he was bewildered by the case and supported safe intervention against crime, while Morrisons said its procedures require shoplifting incidents to be handled through measures designed to de-escalate and protect colleagues and customers.

Former West Midlands Police Federation chairman Sergeant Richard Cooke is under independent gross misconduct investigation over social media posts linked to complaints from members of the public, including Charlotte Smith. West Midlands Police said Cooke remains a serving officer and has not been suspended. The case follows an earlier dispute over comments about racism allegations within the force; the High Court quashed his removal from the federation post, finding that his right to free expression had not been properly assessed.

Amy Clark, a 34-year-old woman from Lichfield, pleaded not guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to murdering five-week-old Darcy-Leigh Jefferson and seven other alleged offences, including manslaughter, causing or allowing a child to die or suffer serious harm, grievous bodily harm with intent, and child cruelty. Sean Jefferson also denies the same charges. The alleged offences took place between February 20 and March 27, 2022, with the murder alleged to have occurred on March 29. A joint trial is scheduled to begin at Stafford Crown Court on January 14.

A 15-year-old boy who was 14 when he fatally stabbed 12-year-old Leo Ross in a random attack in Birmingham has pleaded guilty to murder and is due to be sentenced by Mr Justice Choudhury KC. He also admitted several assaults and possessing a bladed article, while two other charges remain on file. Police said the attacker discarded the knife, falsely told officers he had found Leo injured, and had previously targeted women in local parkland.

Rhiannon Whyte's mother accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the UK Government of bearing responsibility for her daughter's murder by Sudanese asylum seeker Deng Chol Majek. Majek, who was convicted of stabbing Whyte at Bescot Stadium railway station in October 2024, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 29 years. The government expressed sympathy for the family, declined to comment on the specific case, and highlighted the return of 50,000 people without the right to remain in the UK and new international agreements aimed at combating illegal migration.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct concluded that the officers in a police car that fatally struck 40-year-old Roger Bagnall in Acocks Green, Birmingham, on March 19, 2025, acted appropriately and in line with police procedures. CCTV showed the car responding to an emergency call with its lights and sirens on; it initially travelled at 55–61 mph, slowed to 25–35 mph, and appeared to try to avoid Bagnall as he crossed the road. The IOPC found no basis for disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges. A Birmingham inquest concluded that Bagnall died as a result of the road traffic collision.

David Walsh, 34, pleaded not guilty via video link to murdering his carer, Irene Mbugua, 46, who was found with fatal head and facial injuries at a house on Markby Road in Winson Green, Birmingham, in June 2025. Mbugua, a Kenyan-born care worker and mother of four, was remembered by her family as a devoted parent. Walsh's trial is scheduled to begin on February 23, 2026.

Maneer Khan, 38, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Duaine Mills and Syed Zain Ali in a September shooting in Wolverhampton, as well as attempted murder, firearms offences and an alleged passport-related fraud offence. Co-defendant Yaseen Patel, 34, denies assisting an offender by allegedly driving Khan to HM Passport Office under a false identity. Both were remanded in custody, with a three-week trial expected to begin on July 20.

West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford told MPs that Dutch police likely underestimated the threat posed by some Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters before an Ajax match in Amsterdam, despite later disputing elements of the intelligence used by British authorities. He defended the decision to bar Maccabi fans from Aston Villa’s Europa League match at Villa Park, saying the assessment was based on information from Dutch commanders about organised violence, attacks on local residents and hostility toward Muslim communities. Guildford rejected claims of political influence or conspiracy, while Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara said concerns focused on a small group of organised “risk” supporters rather than Maccabi fans generally.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct concluded that a West Midlands Police officer should face no misconduct proceedings after Taser discharge preceded Ayuub Hassan Abdi’s fatal fall from a two-storey window in Handsworth, Birmingham, in September 2023. Police had responded to reports that Abdi had attacked and injured two residents and attempted to stab them. The IOPC said the officer reasonably believed Abdi was armed with a knife and that the Taser was the most appropriate option for immediate control. An inquest jury found that the evidence did not establish whether the Taser contributed to Abdi’s fall.

Charles Hanson, an auctioneer and television personality, is on trial at Derby Crown Court accused of assaulting his wife Rebecca and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour between 2015 and 2023. Prosecutors allege that he used violence repeatedly over roughly a decade, including putting her in a headlock, gripping her arm, throwing a telephone at her, and pushing or grabbing her. Rebecca Hanson told the court that the abuse escalated, left her fearful and emotionally diminished, and included a threat involving burning embers. Hanson denies the charges and disputes her account of the first alleged headlock, saying he hugged her rather than restrained her. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.