Local News

Local News

PC Mortimer and PCSO Carslake attended Meet the Beat today and spoke with residents about various issues, offered crime prevention advice and handed out leaflets.  The Officers also addressed concerns raised by the residents and will be providing reassurance patrols.

Two masked robbers who threatened staff at a phone shop before stealing 13k of handsets have been jailed. Joziah Carey-Nichols, 22 (20/02/2004), and Ousman Faal, 22 (29/08/2004), both from Lewisham, raided the shop in Woking just after it opened its doors on the morning of Sunday, May 3rd this year.  Following multiple enquiries including trawling through CCTV, ANPR and phone data, investigating officers were able to identify the pair and trace them to London. After executing warrants at their addresses, they were arrested for robbery and false imprisonment. In the face of overwhelming evidence, they both pleaded guilty to robbery and were sentenced to prison at Guildford Crown Court. Faal was given three years and Carey-Nichols two and a half years. PC Luke Lightburn, from our Proactive Investigation Team, said: “No one deserves to go into work and be threatened and intimidated and I can only imagine how frightening this was for the shop staff.  Our team worked tirelessly to piece together all the evidence, pursue these criminals into London and bring the consequences of their offences right back to their own front doors.” 

39-year-old Craig Grace will spend the next 14 years behind bars after being found guilty of rape. At the end of January, Grace viciously attacked a woman known to him with a knife. He stabbed her in the hand and raped her, threatening to kill her if she tried to run. The victim was eventually able to flee and call police. Grace was arrested, charged, and remanded within 24 hours of the 999 call. At court he refused to take the stand, and following trial was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, one count of serious assault (GBH), one count of assault (ABH), and threats to kill. Alongside his 14 years behind bars, Grace (17/03/1987), of Bagshot, will also be subject to a lifetime restraining order against the victim, who lives with permanent reminders of the attack. “I have a scar on my hand as a result of the injuries I sustained that night. Every time I see it, I am reminded of the violence I endured and the trauma I continue to live with.” She does not shy away from saying that “The events of that night were horrific and have fundamentally changed who I am” but remains defiant and hopeful for the future. “I refuse to be defined solely by what was done to me. Instead, I choose to be defined by my courage, resilience, determination, and strength.” Investigating officer DC Antonia Corbu said, “I would like to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of the victim throughout this investigation. I hope that the sentence imposed will go some way to helping provide with the closure needed to rebuild her life. "Within 24 hours of the 999-call reporting this horrific attack, Craig Grace had been charged and remanded and has not walked free since. I am grateful for the hard work from police officers across departments and forces that made this possible. "After the attack Grace fled to Wiltshire, where he was swiftly located and arrested by our colleagues from Wiltshire Police. The first attending officers to the scene in Bagshot treated the victim with compassion and respect and helped secure vital evidence, and the investigating team worked flat out to bring charges against Grace and ensure he was held accountable for his crimes.” 

An armed man was no match for our brave police dog. After facing down a man wielding a knife in the street, one of our incredible police dogs has been recognised for his service in keeping people safe. Last week, German Shepherd PD Frankie won the ‘Outstanding Bravery Award’ at the annual Thin Blue Paw Awards for his response to this incident back in February. Two-year-old Frankie was only months into his operational service when along with his handler, PC Eddie Cabrera, they were called to reports of a man with a knife and quickly tracked him down. Despite frequent instructions from PC Cabrera to put the knife down, the man kept swinging it at them, but neither PC Cabrera nor PD Frankie backed down. After grappling with him for six minutes, PD Frankie landed a bite on the man’s leg which brought him to the ground and allowed PC Cabrera to make the arrest. Recalling that night, PC Cabrera said: “What stood out was Frankie's bravery. He kept trying to help despite the challenges of the situation. For a dog so early in his operational journey, that showed a huge amount of heart as he chose to put service before self." Last week, Philip Kinnaird, 46, (21/08/1980), of Leatherhead, was found guilty of threatening a person with a blade / sharply pointed article in a public place. He was given a two-year prison sentence. 

21-year-old Sahil Ali, branded a dangerous offender by a judge, has been jailed for 17.5 years for rape, coercive and controlling behaviour, and threatening to kill a woman. Ali exerted abusive and controlling behaviour over his victim, a woman known to him, over the course of two years. He used a tracking app to keep tabs on her and controlled both her money and her access to family and friends. He then started making threats against her life. In January 2025, Ali sent messages to the victim saying he was on his way to her house, and that she’d better ‘JUMP OUT OR IMASTART RAMMING UR DOORBELL’ and ‘IF NOT IMA CAUSE A SCENE…BETTER ANSWER NOW’. He then sent her a photo of her front door. The next day the victim found the courage to disclose the offences against her to police. While she was still sat with officers making her initial report, Ali started calling and texting her, demanding to know ‘WHY ARE POLICE OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE?’ Realising how much of a risk he posed, officers wasted no time in tracking Ali down, and within 90 minutes of the 999 call they had located and arrested him. Chillingly, he seemed unconcerned about the arrest, and while on the way to custody he asked the officers, “If she drops the case, will it go away?” During his police interview, Ali chose not to answer most of the questions put to him, and within 24 hours, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had authorised charges. He continued to deny all offences but, following overwhelming evidence presented at trial, he was convicted of multiple counts of rape, causing someone to engage in sexual activity without consent, CCB, threats to kill, blackmail, threatening to disclose private images, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Sahil Ali, (30/01/2005), of Woking, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 18 September. The judge determined he was a dangerous offender and sentenced him to 17.5 years in prison followed by five years on extended licence. He must serve at least two thirds of his prison term before being considered for release. Ali was also issued with an indefinite restraining order against the victim, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life. In her statement to the court, the victim said “I am always scared. It is difficult to describe all the ways my life has been affected. Although I know that I have been brave to report what he did to me, I still get recurring thoughts every single day that he will kill me. I see it happening in my mind and it is scary.  Being on the stand in the same room as him was killing me inside. I was so scared to say everything out loud, having never told anyone these things before, and then having to say them to the court room and knowing that he was listening. I felt a lot of fear, but it was also empowering, to be able to speak about it for the first time.” Investigating officer DC Cummins said, “The victim has displayed incredible courage in coming forward and reporting these offences. The process of bringing a case to court is not without its challenges, but she faced each one of them down and showed great resilience in continuing to support the investigation all the way through to conviction, along with the invaluable support of her Sexual Offences Liaison Officer, DC Hughes. Her abuser is a truly dangerous offender, but now he is behind bars, and the victim is finally able to move forward with her life. I hope she finds the peace and freedom she deserves.” 

21-year-old Bailey Harding has been jailed for sexual offences against a teenage girl. Harding, who was 17 when the offending began, abused the victim over a period of 18 months. The victim, a girl known to Harding, was just 14 at the time the abuse began. In January 2024 the victim contacted police and disclosed offences of rape, sexual assault, being strangled and being threatened at knifepoint.  Harding was swiftly arrested, and during a subsequent search of his room two large zombie-style knives were found and seized. In interview he denied all accusations, and claimed the victim was making malicious allegations against him.

Following a trial in July, he was convicted of:

• One count of rape

• Three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15

• One count of intentional strangulation

• One count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a private place

• Controlling and coercive behaviour

On Friday, 25 September Harding, (26/03/2005), of Bookham, was jailed for four years and six months at Chichester Crown Court. He was also issued a seven-year restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The victim is now an adult, but the effects of Harding’s abuse continue to seep into her life. She said, “I often feel as if I can see him in big crowds or in dark places” and described regularly changing her appearance so he wouldn’t recognise her if she ever saw him in public. She reflects on how he used the fact that he was older and stronger to control her, and how “I felt he was my saviour but ultimately he was my tormentor.” She told the court that “I haven’t slept peacefully in two and half years.” Investigating officer DC Helen Cridge said, “I would like to recognise the victim’s remarkable courage in coming forward while she was still an extremely vulnerable child. Her strength and determination have been inspiring, and her actions have played a vital role in securing this result. I hope her bravery gives others experiencing abuse the confidence to come forward, knowing that they will be listened to and that they are not alone.” Urging others experiencing similar offences to come forward the victim said, “I know how hard it can be to speak about something that has happened to you, especially when that person has made you feel like you should stay quiet. But please don’t be afraid to speak out. Don’t let anyone make you feel like your voice doesn’t matter, and don’t let anyone take it away from you.” 

Artificial intelligence can give criminals more tools to impersonate people and organisations, making some scams harder to spot. Fraudsters may use AI to clone voices, create realistic images, send highly personalised messages, or impersonate family members, businesses and public figures. Before responding to an unexpected request, ask yourself "Could this be AI?" Always verify requests using trusted contact details, be cautious of any urgent demands for money or personal information, and trust your instincts if something doesn't feel right. One useful tip is to create a family "safe word" that only you and your loved ones know. If someone contacts you claiming to be a relative or friend, asking them for the safe word can help confirm they are genuine.