POLICE

A 46-year-old man who subjected a vulnerable young girl to years of sustained sexual abuse 17 years ago has been convicted, following a National Crime Agency investigation

David Fish, 46, of Kilnhurst, raped, wounded and forced the girl to take part in sexually explicit videos over the course of two years, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Fish began grooming the girl in 2007, when she was around 15 years old and in care.

After approaching the girl and her friends at a local park, Fish, who was in his 20s, exchanged numbers with her.

The court heard how the young girl was infatuated with the much-older Fish, who often plied her with drugs and alcohol, going on to exploit her trust in him by coercing her into sex.

The victim recalled on one occasion waking up to find Fish raping her.

She told NCA investigators how Fish would turn violent and on one occasion – when he believed she had been flirting with someone else – he smashed a mug against her head with such force that she required stitches for the resulting injury.

Officers from Operation Stovewood – the NCA’s investigation into historic allegations of sexual abuse in Rotherham – launched an investigation in 2018, after reviewing a report the victim had made to police.

The victim, by then in her 20s, agreed to talk to NCA officers. After investigators listened to the woman’s account, they identified corroborating evidence and arrested Fish in 2020.

The officers seized Fish’s computer and digital forensic specialists subsequently trawled through a huge quantity of files saved on it. They recovered graphic sexual images of the victim as a child, which Fish had taken and kept.

This evidence supported the victim’s testimony that Fish had filmed sexual videos of her – allegations which he had fervently denied.

Fish was charged on 23 August 2023 with seven offences.

He pleaded guilty to two sexual offences and was today [26 September] found guilty of two further sexual offences, including rape, and a count of unlawful wounding. He was found not guilty of two counts of rape.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Stuart Cobb said: “National Crime Agency officers identified evidence which corroborated the victim’s account of Fish’s brutal and degrading crimes against her.

“When faced with the proof of his offending, Fish denied most of the charges and instead sought to paint a picture that he had a consensual relationship with the child. Our compelling evidence, however, left the jury in no doubt that Fish was guilty of years of terrible sexual abuse against a vulnerable young girl.

“The victim has shown a huge amount of courage in reporting Fish. I hope she finds some peace in knowing that her actions have ensured he faced justice.

“I urge anyone who was a victim of child sexual abuse, no matter how long ago, to report it to police. There are specially trained officers waiting to help you.”

Adults can report sexual abuse suffered as a child by calling police on 101, or reporting it in person at a police station.

Jeanette Smith, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The cruel campaign of abuse and violence the victim suffered at the hands of David Fish is appalling.

“Fish used gifts, drugs and alcohol to groom, coerce and manipulate a child into entering a relationship with him, all for his own sexual gratification.

“The way he used threats and violence to then control the victim and enforce his demands for sex was completely despicable.

“This kind of abuse can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma, and I would like to thank the victim in this case for her courage in coming forward and talking to the police about what happened to her. I hope she can find some comfort in knowing that this offender has now been brought to justice.

“The CPS will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims of abuse and will always seek to hold violent offenders to account for their crimes. I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and domestic violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. It is never too late to seek justice.”

The NCA’s Operation Stovewood remains the single biggest investigation of its kind, looking at allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. NCA officers have identified more than 1,100 victims, and to date 38 people – including Fish – have been convicted. More than 50 active investigations remain ongoing.

A 48-year old child sex offender caught by the police after five years on the run has been jailed for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl

Shahid Hussain (48) of Tinsley groomed a 14-year-old girl by giving her gifts, alcohol and lifts in his car, before making sexual demands of her. When she refused, he assaulted her.

One evening Hussain drove the girl, her friend and the man to a street in Rotherham. Hussain asked the victim to talk with him outside the car and they walked away from the vehicle.

Hussain led the girl through a gate into a dark area, where he made sexual demands of her. She refused his requests and Hussain pushed her to the ground and indecently assaulted her.

He was charged and bailed to appear at Sheffield Magistrates Court on 2 August 2018 but absconded before he could appear.

After five years on the run, Hussain was caught by Bulgarian police officers on 26 November 2023 as he tried to enter the country from Turkey, at the Kapitan Andreevo border post.

Hussain was extradited back to the UK and remanded in custody ahead of his trial.

A jury at Sheffield Crown Court on 30 July, found him guilty of one count of indecent assault. He will also face deportation when he has served his sentence, he was told at Sheffield Crown Court today [24 September].

NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Stuart Cobb, said: “I’m pleased that Hussain has finally faced justice for the crime he committed 21 years ago.

“This case demonstrates how the National Crime Agency will always strive to gain justice for victims of child abuse.

“I commend the victim for her courage, strength and perseverance throughout the prosecution, which was made more protracted by Hussain when he absconded for five years.”

It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse. Adults who suffered sexual abuse as a child can report it to police by calling 101, or in person at a police station. Reports are handled by officers who are specially trained in supporting victims and dealing with such sensitive cases.

Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said:  “Shahid Hussain targeted a child and subjected her to a horrendous sexual assault. He then sought to evade the law by leaving the country.

“I hope his conviction and sentence sends a clear message: sex offenders who flee abroad will not escape justice. We will continue to work collaboratively with international partners to ensure perpetrators are returned to face the full force of the law.

“Child sexual abuse causes serious and traumatic consequences. I would like to commend the victim in this case for her courage to come forward to tell the court about what happened to her. It is because of her evidence that we were able to build a strong case.”

A 51-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a teenager

Andrew Wilcox 51, of Howard Road, Bramley was forced to listen to the damaging impact his actions continue to have on a teenage woman he sexually assaulted twice on the same night, as her statements was read out ahead of sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday (10 June)

Describing herself as “completely broken” the woman went on to say “The incident has made me feel violated. I can still feel his hand on me, and it’s always on my mind, his hand touching me.”

“A normal Saturday night turned into the worst night of my life, and destroyed everything.”

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, described how Wilcox committed sexual assault on the complainant twice. During the second assault, the complainant screamed loudly enough to attract the attention of people nearby.

Wilcox appeared at Sheffield Crown Court where he was given a 13 months sentence after pleading guilty to to two counts of sexual assault in an earlier hearing in May.

Judge David Dixon also approved a restraining order preventing Wilcox from contacting the complainant for 15 years, along with a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Additionally, Wilcox was ordered to sign the sex offenders register

A taxi driver who raped two school girls over a 10-year period has been given a 13 year prison sentence

Adam Ali, 43, was investigated and convicted as part of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Stovewood, looking at allegations of child sexual abuse in the South Yorkshire town.

Ali was known as Razwan Razaq at the time he raped the girls between 2002 and 2004 where he would use his car to drive vulnerable young girls to various locations before assaulting them.

He was convicted of three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving girls aged as young as 12 and 13 following a trial in May this year.

Ali was released from prison in April 2023 after serving an 11 year jail term for separate sexual offences.

He was arrested by the NCA just a month after his release after officers were notified that he intended to travel to Pakistan.

On Tuesday (9 July), a judge at Sheffield Crown Court sentenced him to a further 13 years in prison.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 15 years.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Stuart Cobb, said: “I would once again like to pay tribute to the victims in this case, who showed immense courage in coming forward and telling their stories.

“They went through experiences no child should ever have to, and I hope that the sentence handed down today can at least help them feel that justice has been done.

Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Adam Ali purposefully targeted his victims with the view that he could exploit them for sex.

“Child sexual abuse is a traumatising crime, the devastating impact of which can last a lifetime. We would like to commend the victims in this case for coming forward and reporting what happened to them. It is because of their evidence that we were able to secure a conviction and bring their abuser to justice.

“I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse takes place.

“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police. It is never too late to seek justice.”

A drink driver who killed an eight-month-old baby and his auntie when he crashed into the back of their car at 141mph while on his phone has been jailed

Darryl Anderson, of Clarell Walk, Thorpe Hesley was more than twice the drink drive limit when he hit the Peugeot 308 that eight-month-old Zackary Blades and his auntie, 30-year-old Karlene Warner, were travelling in on the A1(M) in the early hours of Friday, May 31.

The pair sustained fatal injuries and tragically died at the scene.

When breathalysed at the roadside, Anderson blew 95mg – the legal limit for driving with alcohol in your system is 35mg.

Forensic examinations of his mobile phone also found that the 38-year-old had been repeatedly making calls and sending texts throughout his journey from Newcastle Airport right up until the time of the collision, which happened at 3.18am on the A1(M) between Chester-le-Street and Bowburn.

He took a photo of his dashboard moments before the collision which showed the car’s speedometer at 141mph.

Anderson was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He initially denied the offences, telling officers that he had picked up a hitchhiker outside the airport and had allowed him to drive his car.

He claimed to have fallen asleep during the journey and only woke up at the point of the collision.

However, his story was disproved by investigators, and he pleaded guilty to both counts.

He appeared at Durham Crown Court today (July 9) where he was sentenced to 17 years and three months in prison.

He was also banned from driving for 21-and-a-half years.

Zackary’s mam, Shalorna Warner, was driving the Peugeot at the time of the collision after picking her sister, Karlene, up from Newcastle Airport.

She bravely stood up in court today and recalled the moment her baby, Zackary, was found by a lorry driver on the opposite side of the carriageway after his chair was flung from the car.

“I heard a painful scream from the lorry driver crying: “Oh no, he’s here – your baby’s here.” I jumped over to find my baby lying on the edge of the grass of the motorway,” she said.

“I knew instantly. I had to pick my dead baby up from the side of the road. I hugged him so tight, a hug I will never forget.

“No words will surmount the irreparable hole that has been left in my heart and in my life. Zackary was my rainbow baby – he was the light at the end of a tunnel of a very dark time for me and brought joy, happiness, and laughter into my life.

“My baby’s future, my future, our life together, has been stolen from me. I won’t ever see him look up and smile at me again. I won’t have that luxury. Instead, every second of every day I relive that night over and over again in my head, thinking what did my innocent little boy do to deserve this?

“And for my sister, Karlene, I just have no words. I am so sorry this happened to you. It’s hard to process something that doesn’t seem real – it just feels like I am living a nightmare.

“I will feel the ripples of this pain for the rest of my life. I don’t know if I will be able to get through this – I am scarred, I am traumatised, I am petrified to live my life.

“The impact of these events will amplify the hard times and taint any good moment I may possibly have, because within my heart lives Zackary and Karlene, and I will never live a normal life again without them.”

Addressing the judge, she said: “Your Honour, I stand before you today a broken shell of a woman and a childless mother. But this guilt is not mine to bear – this guilt is owed to the person that caused this infinite agony. I hope the pain of this weighs them down for all eternity.

“Nothing will bring my son and my sister back to me. The only way forward for myself is if the defendant faces the same sentence I am facing – life. The irony of it all is that I will never see my loved ones again, but he will.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Natalie Horner, of Durham Constabulary’s Collision Investigation Unit, said: “As roads policing officers, we routinely ask people not to drive above the speed limit. We routinely ask people not to use their mobile phones while driving. And we routinely ask people not to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.

“Darryl Anderson was doing all three of those things when he collided with Shalorna Warner’s car, killing both passengers, Karlene and baby Zackary.

“For his actions, Anderson has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison, but it is his victims and their family who have been handed life sentences.

“It is them who will spend the rest of their lives grieving the loss of their son, their grandchild, their wife, their sister, and their mother.

“And for what?”

She added: “I would like to take this moment to pass on our sincere gratitude to those who have been affected by this tragic incident.

“To the witnesses who came upon this scene in the middle of the night, and showed incredible bravery in how they acted, but who should never have had to witness or intervene in such things in the first place.

“To our police officers and emergency services colleagues who responded to this incident, both in the immediate aftermath and throughout the investigation, and who will carry with them the effects of this crash for the rest of their lives.

“And to Shalorna and her family, who have shown truly unbelievable strength and humility throughout this ordeal, under the most horrific circumstances, and who must now attempt to rebuild their lives in the wake of their loss.

“Darryl Anderson’s name should now become a footnote in this tragic story.

“The names we should remember, and the people who should remain in our thoughts, are Karlene and Zackary, and their remarkable family.”