Thief jailed for stealing £23k of shoes at Kent service station
According to Kent Police, a security guard reported suspicious activity near parked vehicles at the service station in the early hours of 11 April.A lorry was targeted while the driver was asleep in the cab, the force said.Officers later seized boxes of shoes after a different lorry was stopped in Stratford.
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Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
KFC Bargain Buckets, McDonalds and more phones than Carphone warehouse: The terrifying truth about life in Britain's prisons - and the corrupt guards who make it happen
Prisoners in Britain are being treated to crispy crème doughnuts and KFC as statistics reveal a 400 per cent rise in investigations of corrupt staff behaviour. A former officer claims in the new documentary UK Prisons - Sex, Drugs & Corruption that 'for every case that gets uncovered there's 10 more cases not uncovered'. Footage shows a number of videos posted to social media by prisoners with captions like 'prison take away - beautiful' and 'Chinese delivery' against the backdrop of their favourite food. Speaking to Channel 4, a recently-released prisoner called Nathan said he knew of prisoners who would bribe officers for food, phones and drugs. The former convict said: 'We call it patterning up with them.' He also highlighted some of the extortionate prices charged by officers to inmates in want of food, saying 'if she wants to say to you 500 quid and you really want it you're going to pay her 500 quid'. Nathan conceded it was an 'expensive KFC'. One video reel shared by Nathan showed a prisoner boast about their goods with a montage of food ranging from doughnuts to peri peri chicken. The clip is captioned 'that bird just keep on coming' - an apparent reference to an illicit relationship with a female prison guard who agreed to smuggle in the food. Nathan said: 'You build up a relationship with her on the wing, be flirty. Then the minute I've got your number, the question is how have I got your number? If there's text messages between me and you now you're under my thumb.' The comments are supported by data obtained via FOI that shows there were 237 cases of prison staff investigated for sexual harassment or assault between January 2022 and March 2024 There were 63 officers recommended for dismissal in same period and the figures marked an almost 400 per cent rise in investigations compared to 10 years ago. A former prison officer at HMP Onley in Rugby called Moses also told presenter David Navarro - a reformed prisoner who previously spent 10 years in jail - there were no longer army officers patrolling the building and so 'now you walk past a man's cell and it looks like a dustbin'. It comes as 44 per cent of new prison officers are under 30 and no specific qualifications are needed to take up the role. Moses, who served as a prison officer for little over half a decade as a uniformed member of staff, said officers being arrested for 'inappropriate relationships' is 'very common'. He added: 'Female prison officers get a lot of attention from male prisoners - it is bound to happen. If officers aren't strong minded they get drawn into that relationship.' A prison officer mother-of-five who had a torrid affair with an armed robber before having his baby revealed in the documentary how their sordid relationship began - only for him to end up in jail again after attacking her. Rachel Stanton, 32, entered into a relationship with Edwin Poole while he was serving a 10-and-a-half-year sentence in HMP Five Wells, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Her romance with Poole was uncovered when prison staff found three intimate photographs and a love letter in the inmate's cell. Stanton blamed the stress of her job for the illegal affair - and continued to deny they ever had a sexual encounter while still in prison. A Dubai cash mule, Beatrice Auty, also claimed in the documentary she was harassed by corrupt male guards when she served more than a year at HMP Bronzefield at the age of 24, the largest female prison in Europe, for her part in a £104million money laundering scheme. The poor conduct of more senior officers was also highlighted - in the aftermath of cases like that of married Victoria Laithwaite, 47, a prison governor who was caught sending prisoner James Chalmers, 30, intimate messages. The Prison Service has insisted they are introducing 'stronger vetting'. A spokesman added: 'While the vast majority of most prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the small minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting. 'Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.' HMP Bronzefield said they could not comment on specific cases but are 'fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment'. A spokesman at HMP Five Wells added they 'expect the highest standards' from employees given them 'significant support to do their jobs'.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
‘No discussion' on how to prevent future incidents after prisoner death, coroner says
A coroner has raised multiple concerns after a restrained prisoner died, including that there had been 'no discussion' among healthcare and prison leaders on how to prevent similar incidents. Azroy Dawes-Clarke, 28, from Romford, east London, was an inmate at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, when he died after suffering multiple cardiac arrests on November 10 2021. He had tied a ligature around his neck before officers intervened and began a restraint which 'escalated unnecessarily', jurors concluded by majority in an inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court, Maidstone, earlier this month. In the record of inquest, jurors also found that officers showed a 'deeply concerning lack of care and compassion' during the incident. Handcuffs were wrongly applied to the father-of-four which may also have played a contributing factor in his death, the inquest heard. Following the conclusion, Ian Brownhill, assistant coroner for Kent and Medway, raised multiple concerns in three separate prevention of future deaths reports, including that there had been 'no discussion' among 'various parties involved' on learnings or how to prevent a similar incident. In one report, sent to the health and justice secretaries, Mr Brownhill wrote: 'As the jury noted, communication between attending prison staff, healthcare professionals and paramedics was confused. 'There was confusion as to who had command and control of the medical emergency, which public body took primacy and the difference in roles and responsibilities. 'Those attending the scene did not establish any sort of communication strategy or command structure. 'During prevention of future deaths evidence, there remained a lack of clarity and consistency as to how such a situation would be avoided if a critical medical emergency eventuated in a custodial setting again.' The coroner added in another report, that 'despite the severity of the incident', there has been 'little (if any) dialogue between leaders of the various parties involved'. He said: 'Formal complaint processes, safeguarding processes and risk reporting mechanisms had been used, but there was no discussion about how to learn from this specific case or how to avoid a reoccurrence. 'During prevention of future deaths evidence, responses were inconsistent as to how to avoid other difficulties during a major medical emergency in a prison setting.' 'Despite the severity of the incident which occurred in this case, it appeared that there still remains confusion as to which public body would have primacy in an acute medical emergency in a custodial setting,' he added. In a third report, the coroner said that officers present during the incident had 'different training with regard to first aid and basic life support.' 'During the course of the inquest, evidence was heard that whilst all uniformed prison officers would have regular training in respect of control and restraint, not all had recent (if any) training in first aid or basic life support. 'Some of the officers who gave evidence were unclear as to the correct response to a cardio respiratory arrest during physical restraint,' he wrote. The coroner also noted that, during the completion of paperwork, many of the prison officers were 'unclear' what their role would be in conveying a prisoner who lacked capacity to consent to their conveyance to hospital in a medical emergency. He added: 'Answers in respect of handcuffing prisoners for the purpose of conveying them to hospital in a medical emergency varied. 'Answers in respect of the legal framework which applied when prison officers are involved in care and treatment of a prisoner (the particular issue in the present case being the conveyance to hospital and the decision to dress him) were inconsistent or incomplete.' The three reports are being sent to different recipients including the governor of HMP Elmley, the chief executive of South East Coast Ambulance Service, the chief executive of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and the director general and chief executive of His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. In the record of inquest, jurors found: 'The ability of the paramedics to perform their duty of care to Mr Dawes-Clarke during the restraint was limited by their placement and lack of visibility from outside the cell. 'Furthermore, it was inappropriate for the paramedics to approve thehandcuffing of Mr Dawes-Clarke having had no training in mechanical restraint to give such advice.' Bodyworn footage, released to the PA news agency, shows officers singing and joking about the size of the handcuffs they needed for Mr Dawes-Clarke while he groaned on the floor. The inquest heard that a prison officer holding the deceased described him as a 'bucking bronco' in his police interview and had said that he had been making 'loud animal noises'. After the inquest concluded, Azroy Dawes-Clarke's sister said he died 'restrained, neglected, and dehumanised' as officers looked on and 'did nothing'.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
‘No discussion' on how to prevent future incidents after inmate death
A coroner has raised multiple concerns after a restrained prisoner died, including that there had been 'no discussion' among healthcare and prison leaders on how to prevent similar incidents. Azroy Dawes-Clarke, 28, from Romford, east London, was an inmate at HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, when he died after suffering multiple cardiac arrests on November 10 2021. He had tied a ligature around his neck before officers intervened and began a restraint which 'escalated unnecessarily', jurors concluded by majority in an inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court, Maidstone, earlier this month. In the record of inquest, jurors also found that officers showed a 'deeply concerning lack of care and compassion' during the incident. Handcuffs were wrongly applied to the father-of-four which may also have played a contributing factor in his death, the inquest heard. Following the conclusion, Ian Brownhill, assistant coroner for Kent and Medway, raised multiple concerns in three separate prevention of future deaths reports, including that there had been 'no discussion' among 'various parties involved' on learnings or how to prevent a similar incident. In one report, sent to the health and justice secretaries, Mr Brownhill wrote: 'As the jury noted, communication between attending prison staff, healthcare professionals and paramedics was confused. 'There was confusion as to who had command and control of the medical emergency, which public body took primacy and the difference in roles and responsibilities. 'Those attending the scene did not establish any sort of communication strategy or command structure. 'During prevention of future deaths evidence, there remained a lack of clarity and consistency as to how such a situation would be avoided if a critical medical emergency eventuated in a custodial setting again.' The coroner added in another report, that 'despite the severity of the incident', there has been 'little (if any) dialogue between leaders of the various parties involved'. He said: 'Formal complaint processes, safeguarding processes and risk reporting mechanisms had been used, but there was no discussion about how to learn from this specific case or how to avoid a reoccurrence. 'During prevention of future deaths evidence, responses were inconsistent as to how to avoid other difficulties during a major medical emergency in a prison setting.' 'Despite the severity of the incident which occurred in this case, it appeared that there still remains confusion as to which public body would have primacy in an acute medical emergency in a custodial setting,' he added. In a third report, the coroner said that officers present during the incident had 'different training with regard to first aid and basic life support.' 'During the course of the inquest, evidence was heard that whilst all uniformed prison officers would have regular training in respect of control and restraint, not all had recent (if any) training in first aid or basic life support. 'Some of the officers who gave evidence were unclear as to the correct response to a cardio respiratory arrest during physical restraint,' he wrote. The coroner also noted that, during the completion of paperwork, many of the prison officers were 'unclear' what their role would be in conveying a prisoner who lacked capacity to consent to their conveyance to hospital in a medical emergency. He added: 'Answers in respect of handcuffing prisoners for the purpose of conveying them to hospital in a medical emergency varied. 'Answers in respect of the legal framework which applied when prison officers are involved in care and treatment of a prisoner (the particular issue in the present case being the conveyance to hospital and the decision to dress him) were inconsistent or incomplete.' The three reports are being sent to different recipients including the governor of HMP Elmley, the chief executive of South East Coast Ambulance Service, the chief executive of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and the director general and chief executive of His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. In the record of inquest, jurors found: 'The ability of the paramedics to perform their duty of care to Mr Dawes-Clarke during the restraint was limited by their placement and lack of visibility from outside the cell. 'Furthermore, it was inappropriate for the paramedics to approve thehandcuffing of Mr Dawes-Clarke having had no training in mechanical restraint to give such advice.' Bodyworn footage, released to the PA news agency, shows officers singing and joking about the size of the handcuffs they needed for Mr Dawes-Clarke while he groaned on the floor. The inquest heard that a prison officer holding the deceased described him as a 'bucking bronco' in his police interview and had said that he had been making 'loud animal noises'. After the inquest concluded, Azroy Dawes-Clarke's sister said he died 'restrained, neglected, and dehumanised' as officers looked on and 'did nothing'.
