Police watchdog reveals possible breach of professional conduct, but no disciplinary action to be taken

A recent review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) suggests that former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick may have violated professional conduct standards regarding the investigation into Daniel Morgan’s 1987 murder. While the IOPC found no evidence of corrupt intent, it acknowledged that Dick might have wrongly prioritised protecting information over full disclosure. The Morgan family expressed disappointment at the findings, claiming that the review failed to address systemic corruption in the police force.

Trio on trial for modern slavery charges after vulnerable man was coerced into labour, stripped of his wages and subjected to poor living conditions.

A man from Latvia was coerced into forced labour and stripped of his wages after being brought to the UK under false pretenses, a court has heard. Rolands Kazoks, the victim, was allegedly kept against his will in Newport, South Wales, where he was made to work in various jobs while his wages were taken, his passport and bank cards seized, and he was denied basic needs such as clean clothes and access to showers.

Three individuals—Normunds Freibergs, 40, Jokubas Stankevicius, 59, and Ruta Stankeviciene, 57—are now standing trial at Newport Crown Court, facing modern slavery charges, including forcing Mr Kazoks to perform compulsory labour. Freibergs, who is also accused of arranging the victim’s travel for exploitation purposes and acting as an unlicensed gangmaster, denies the charges.

The prosecution explained that Mr Kazoks had been living in Germany before he sought a better life in the UK, where he connected with Freibergs through a Latvian social media site. Freibergs misrepresented himself as a recruiter for a legitimate agency, Thomas Recruitment, although he had no direct association with the firm. Mr Kazoks was promised work in a bakery for £8.20 per hour, with living costs of £85 per week. However, upon arriving in Wales, he was instead housed in a small room at the home of Stankevicius and Stankeviciene, with his debt to the defendants growing rapidly.

The prosecution claims the defendants systematically increased his living costs and added arbitrary charges, including £50 for a National Insurance number and £300 for gaining employment. As Mr Kazoks’ financial obligations increased, he was subjected to threats, with the defendants warning him that his family in Latvia would be targeted if he did not comply.

Mr Kazoks was allegedly made to hand over his wages, amounting to around £10,000, and given only small amounts of money in return. He was told that once he paid off his debts, he would be able to buy what he wished. However, his working and living conditions became progressively worse. His colleagues at Faccenda Foods in Abergavenny, where he started working in December 2017, noticed his lack of food and poor attire, including wearing sandals during winter. Their concern led to them offering him food and buying him trainers. It was only in October 2018, after receiving help from a colleague, that Mr Kazoks finally confided in his employer’s HR department, prompting an investigation by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the police.

The three accused deny all charges, with Stankeviciene claiming that Mr Kazoks had used his wages to send money to his family and buy clothes and food. Freibergs is accused of orchestrating the exploitation by ensuring Mr Kazoks was placed in the hands of the other two defendants, where he would be subjected to abuse, threats, and forced to work under unbearable conditions.

Two of the youths involved in the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy in Gloucester are publicly named for the first time.

Four teenagers have been sentenced for the manslaughter of Ramarni Crosby, who was fatally stabbed during a gang-related dispute in Gloucester. The incident, which took place in December 2021, involved a confrontation between two rival gangs, during which Crosby, 16, was attacked by youths armed with weapons including a machete and a meat cleaver.

Levi Cameron, aged 19, and Callum Charles-Quebella, 18, along with 16-year-olds Shai Howes and Oisin Barrett, were part of the gang responsible for the attack. However, they did not deliver the fatal stab wounds. CCTV footage from the scene showed Crosby and his friends fleeing, with Crosby later collapsing and dying on Stratton Road.

The group was found guilty of manslaughter after the jury at Bristol Crown Court acquitted them of murder. Charles-Quebella had previously admitted to his involvement in the killing. The court was shown footage capturing the build-up and aftermath of the attack, although the actual stabbing was not recorded. The youths, part of a gang known as GL1, wore purple bandanas to signify their membership and had an ongoing rivalry with Crosby’s group.

Ramarni Crosby, who was unarmed, had reportedly punched one of the gang members before being attacked. The youths later celebrated his death, with Cameron seen “jumping for joy” upon hearing of Crosby’s passing.

During sentencing, Mrs. Justice Cutts expressed her horror at the events, condemning the youths’ actions as “disgusting” and “horrifying.” She emphasised the immense impact of Crosby’s death on his family and community. “Ramarni was not a statistic; he was a loved young man whose life was taken senselessly,” she stated.

Cameron received a 15-and-a-half-year sentence, while Charles-Quebella was given 11-and-a-half years. Howes and Barrett were sentenced to eight years and nine months, and seven-and-a-half years, respectively. Mrs. Justice Cutts also condemned Barrett for writing drill lyrics that glorified Crosby’s death. All four will serve two-thirds of their sentences before being eligible for parole.

Crosby’s grandmother, Viv Clifford, delivered a moving victim impact statement, lamenting the loss of her grandson and expressing the pain of losing a promising young man. “Ramarni was not just a statistic; he was my grandson, and we will never be the same without him,” she said.

Other defendants, including Dean Smith and three 17-year-olds, were acquitted of both murder and manslaughter.