September 2008 - Crime in the news

• Banker dies after street attack

  Detectives are investigating the murder of a banking executive in Norwich, after he intervened in a street fight. [30 September 2008]

• Rape compensation still goes unpaid

  Full compensation has still not been paid in full to victims who had their payouts reduced because they had been drinking when attacked. [30 September 2008]

• Olympic brothers guilty of abuse

  The brother of an Olympic gold medallist who was jailed this year for abusing young girls, has also been found guilty of child sex abuse. [30 September 2008]

• Children's internet safety plan

  An organisation designed to improve children's safety online will be launched today. [29 September 2008]

• Ecstasy downgrade discussed

  The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will be meeting to discuss whether ecstasy should be downgraded from Class A to Class B. [26 September 2008]

• Arrest in Germany over murder

  A man has been arrested in Germany over the death of a computer game enthusiast in Nottingham. [26 September 2008]

• Foster mother abuser fights jail sentence

  A foster mother who abused children in her care wants to have her 14-year jail sentence cut. [26 September 2008]

• More rape claims on psychiatric wards

  New figures have revealed that 435 patients reported being sexually assaulted on NHS psychiatric wards last year. [25 September 2008]

• Hunt for gunman

  Officers have been searching for a suspected gunman in Warwickshire after a lorry was shot at near Rugby train station. [25 September 2008]

• More allegations against police

  Allegations made against police officers reached a record high last year, according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). [25 September 2008]

• Bite mother jailed

  A mother who bit her five-year old son on the arm after he hurt his eight-month old sister has been sent to prison for five months. [24 September 2008]

• Human remains found

  Human remains found in an east London allotment are believed to be those of a 33-year old woman who went missing almost six years ago. [24 September 2008]

• Care home couple questioned over 12 deaths

  A couple are being questioned on suspicion of murdering 12 residents at the Somerset care home they managed. [24 September 2008]

• Woman stabbed to death in college office

  A woman has been killed at the offices of an east London college after she was stabbed several times. [23 September 2008]

• Murder father had threatened suicide

  A man who is believed to have killed his two daughters before hanging himself had told his former partner that he would commit suicide. [23 September 2008]

• Shooting suspect to be interviewed

  Police are due to question a suspect in connection with a fatal shooting in Truro. [22 September 2008]

• Father and daughters found dead

  The bodies of a man and his two young children have been found at a garage in Southampton. [22 September 2008]

• Number of fake coins double

  The number of fake £1 coins in circulation in the last five years has doubled and the number now stands at more than 30million. [22 September 2008]

• Policeman stabbed in chest

  An off-duty police officer has been stabbed in the chest and arm as he tried to break up a fight. [19 September 2008]

• Knife crime drive made easier

  Police working in knife crime hot-spots will get new powers, to reduce red tape when stopping people on the street for informal questioning. [18 September 2008]

• Supermarket stabbing was motiveless

  A 20-year old woman who was stabbed several times in a supermarket was the victim of a random and motiveless attack. [18 September 2008]

• More arrests for schoolboy murder

  Four more teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a teenager in east London. [18 September 2008]

• Man questioned over women murders

  Police are questioning a man arrested at Dover over the murders of two women in Birmingham. [17 September 2008]

• Rhys accused murderer named

  The teenager accused of murdering 11-year old Rhys Jones has been named for the first time. [17 September 2008]

• Kercher accused face pre-trial

  A hearing is due to take place to decide whether the three people accused of killing Meredith Kercher in Italy should face trial. [16 September 2008]

• Woman arrested after fire

  A woman has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect after six children were rescued from a fire. [17 September 2008]

• Women's bodies found

  An investigation has commenced over the death of two women, after their bodies were found in Birmingham. [16 September 2008]

• London to get youth crime money

  Some local authorities in London will be offered a share of £56.5million from the government to help tackle youth crime. [16 September 2008]

• Paedophile pilot launched

  Parents will be able to find out if someone with access to their children is a sex offender, in a new scheme launched today. [15 September 2008]

• Teen stabbing victim

  The latest teenager to be stabbed to death in London has been named as 19-year old Oliver King-Onzila, a semi-professional footballer. [15 September 2008]

• Held at gunpoint for chips

  A teenager has been threatened with an air rifle by a youth who demanded his takeaway food. [15 September 2008]

• Voodoo woman jailed

  A woman who told a court she was forced into crime because of a voodoo curse on her and her family has been jailed for five years. [12 September 2008]

• Mother denies leaving children home alone

  A woman accused of leaving her three young children home alone while she went on her honeymoon in Afghanistan has denied the charges. [12 September 2008]

• Fraud victims not getting help

  One of Britain's top prosecutors has said that victims of fraud should get more help, as currently they are 'lucky' to get their case investigated. [12 September 2008]

• Home alone mother arrested

  A woman who left her three children at home alone while she went on holiday in Afghanistan has been arrested. [11 September 2008]

• Teenager charged with stab death

  A 16-year old boy has been charged with the fatal stabbing of an 18-year old in Sheffield. [11 September 2008]

• Money laundering ring questioned

  Six people are being questioned over their suspected involvement in a money laundering ring. [11 September 2008]

• Mass scams set to rise

  Fraudsters will develop more consumer scams to take advantage of the declining economy, according to the Office of Fair Trading. [8 September 2008]

• Paedophile 'schoolboy' jailed

  A man who posed as a schoolboy and formed a relationship with a 13-year old girl will go to prison for two-and-a-half years. [10 September 2008]

• Burned body discovered on golf course

  A burned body has been found on a golf course at Carnoustie in Angus. [10 September 2008]

• Mental health patients kept in police cells

  Thousands of people who required assessment under the Mental Health Act were detained in police cells instead of being taken to hospital. [10 September 2008]

• Concern over mental health escapes

  At least 116 patients escaped from psychiatric hospitals and escorting staff last year, according to a BBC investigation. [9 September 2008]

• Liquid bomb plot shock

  Counter-terrorism officials are 'dismayed' at the outcome of the trial of eight men who were accused of trying to blow up aircrafts. [9 September 2008]

• Man in car was knifed

  A 27-year old man who was found dead in a car in Leicestershire died from a knife wound. [9 September 2008]

• Karen Matthews' ex on trial for child porn

  The ex-partner of Shannon Mathews' mother is due to go on trial for possessing child pornography. [8 September 2008]

• Two arrested for street murder

  Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of 17-year old Courtney Eaton in Manchester. [8 September 2008]

• Fatal Sheffield gang fight

  A teenager has died after he was stabbed in a fight between rival gangs involving about 40 people. [8 September 2008]

• Stalking killer unstoppable

  A stalker who murdered his ex-lover and had sex with her corpse could not be prevented from killing her, according to an official report. [5 September 2008]

• Teenagers charged for stab murder

  Two teenagers have been charged with murdering Shaquille Smith, 14, in Hackney in east London on 30 August. [5 September 2008]

• Run for justice. Run for safety. Run for Crimestoppers.

  Crimestoppers is looking for people to run in the 2009 Flora London Marathon to raise vital funds for the charity. [September 2008]

• Farm thefts rise 41 per cent

  Thefts of farm machinery such as quad bikes and tractors were at an all-time high in England last year, with machinery worth £18million stolen. [4 September 2008]

• London brothels offer cheap sex

  London brothels are offering sex for as little as £15, according to a study by the Poppy Project. [4 September 2008]

• Vicar jailed for child porn

  A vicar will receive a prison sentence after admitting he possessed more than 55,000 indecent pictures of children. [4 September 2008]

• Third mansion body tests due

  Police are waiting to identify a third body found in a burnt Shropshire mansion. [3 September 2008]

• London crime maps launched

  Online maps showing reported crime in London have been launched, showing numbers of muggings, burglaries and vehicle break-ins. [3 September 2008]

• Child abuser caught with spy software

  A father installed spy software on his teenage daughter's computer to find out that her ice hockey teacher was having sex with her. [3 September 2008]

• Britons 'passive bystanders' in crime

  British people are the least likely in Europe to get involved if they witness a crime, according to public policy group Reform. [2 September 2008]

• Spotting gangs guide for parents

  Parents are being given an advice booklet to help them recognise signs that their child might be in a gang. [2 September 2008]

• Charity bids to run prisons

  The charity Nacro, which campaigns for penal reform and works with offenders, is bidding to operate two new jails. [2 September 2008]

• Crime rise predicted in leaked letter

  Crime levels look set to rise with the economic downturn, according to a leaked letter from the Home Office. [1 September 2008]

• Third body found at millionaire mansion

  A third body has been found at the Shropshire mansion that was destroyed in an ason attack. [1 September 2008]

• Latest street stabbing victim identified

  A 14-year old boy who was stabbed to death when he was attacked outside his east London home has been identified as Shaquille Maitland-Smith. [1 September 2008]

• Mental health patient stabbed woman

  The man accused of randomly stabbing a supermarket shopper 17 times is a mental health patient. [19 September 2008]