Greenford man jailed for part in Ealing riots

An Afghan man was jailed at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday for his involvement in the August riots.

Sabaoon Hillaman (left), of Ruislip Road, Greenford, was sentenced to a total of three and a half years in prison for violent disorder, arson and criminal damage.

At about 11pm on 8th August 23-yr-old Hillaman was seen on CCTV in the Ealing Broadway area, wearing a distinctive dark top with two stripes on one arm and a dark baseball cap. He could be seen in a group surrounding an overturned ‘SMART’ car which had been dragged into the middle of Bond Street.

Hillaman and the group tried repeatedly to set fire to the car. The vehicle eventually erupted into flames (see 2326 update) in the centre of the High Street while a group pelted police with bricks, bottles and other missiles.

Hillaman was also captured on CCTV setting fire to a second vehicle, parked at the side of the road. The group lit a bonfire in the middle of the road from which Hillaman removed flaming material from the bonfire and threw it through a smashed window, causing the vehicle to be completely destroyed.

The group then started smashing surrounding business premises and looting shops, while continuing to throw missiles at police from behind barricades they had made.

At one point Hillaman grabbed a fire extinguisher and threw it at the window of a barber shop, ‘Big Jim’s Trims’. He then repeatedly kicked the window, causing damage to the value of £3,000.

On 22 September he was arrested at his home address. In November he pleaded guilty to violent disorder, two counts of arson and criminal damage.

At the time of these offences, Hillaman was on bail to Woolwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to a substantial fraud.

Sergeant Robin Dodd from Ealing Police, in charge of the investigation, said:

“In interview Hillaman could offer no explanation as to why he had committed these offences. I, along with the rest of the community in Ealing, cannot comprehend what has led to this behaviour. Operation Withern is, at this very moment, continuing to arrest the others involved in this incident, and we will also be bringing them to justice.”

Ealing Shooting: Update

Metropolitan Police are now appealing for any witnesses after a shooting outside the Black George Pub in West Ealing in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police and ambulances were called to the scene just before 5am to find a 21 year old man with a severe graze to his left shoulder. He was taken to Ealing Hospital for treatment but was released shortly afterwards.

A second man, aged 25, who had left the scene before the police got there, arrived at Kings College Hospital with a gun shot injury to his foot. He is said to be in a stable condition and his injuries are not life threatening.

The police are now appealing to anyone who was in the West Ealing area at that time on Sunday morning, and are particularly keen to hear from any witnesses who may have seen a dark coloured Vauxhall Astra driving off at speed from the location.

If you have any information, please contact Trident on 0208 733 4774 or, alternately, if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Shooting in Ealing

A shooting took place this morning on the A4020 Uxbridge Road in Hanwell, West Ealing.

The London Ambulance Service was called to the scene at 5am after reports of the shooting involving 2 males outside the Black George pub.

Reports say 3 shots were fired in the drive-by incident and two people were injured, but there were no fatalities. Police officers attended the scene and one man was taken to hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Operation Trident, the division of the Metropolitan Police which specialises in gun crime, has been informed. No arrests have been made and enquiries are continuing.

The road, which lies between Culmington Road and Broughton Road, remains closed at this time but is expected to be re-opened later this afternoon.

Ealing assault victim dies of injuries

Three men have been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after attacking a man on Ealing Broadway last Monday during the riots

Sade Samater, 20, of no fixed address, Mohamed Ahmed Jeylani, 22, of Regina Road, Southall and Ibrahim Dualeh, 33  of no fixed address, all appeared at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Their alleged victim, Abdullahi Osman of Uxbridge, died on Saturday 13 August. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as blunt trauma injury to the head.

It is unknown at the moment whether the Crown Prosecution Service will add a murder charge to the GBH charge. All three men were remanded into custody until 24th October, when they will appear at Isleworth Crown Court to answer the charges.

16-yr-old boy charged with Ealing riots murder

Following his arrest and that of a 35-yr-old woman arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, the 16-yr-old boy arrested for Richard Bowes’ death during the Ealing riots has been charged with his murder.

The boy is also charged with violent disorder and four counts of burglary. He will appear at Croydon Youth Court tomorrow.

A 35-yr-old woman (not 31, as previously reported) is charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with the case. She will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.

Police were previously seeking a witness to the assault on Mr Bowes, who has now come forward. It is likely that the murder trial will be held behind closed doors, due to automatic reporting restrictions on cases involving U18s, unless the trial judge decides otherwise.

Meanwhile another Ealing man has died after being assaulted on Thursday 11th August.

Fresh arrests following murder of Richard Bowes

Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of murder and four counts of burglary and a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. They remain in custody in a south London police station.

Richard Bowes was a resident of Ealing who tried to put out a fire started by arsonists in Springbridge Road on Monday 8th August. After the arsonists attacked him, police drove them away and took Mr Bowes to St Mary’s Hospital, where he later died. The cause of death was given as a head injury.

Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man who was arrested in Hanwell on suspicion of murder, rioting and three counts of burglary has been released on bail.

Anyone who can assist with eyewitness accounts of the attack on Mr Bowes or mobile phone footage should call Sutton Police on 020 8721 4205 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Witnesses sought in Ealing murder case

Police are appealing for witnesses to the murder of Richard Bowes, who died after confronting a group of arsonists in Ealing during the riots last week.

Richard Bowes, who was attacked in Springbridge Road on Monday 7th

The 68-year-old man, who lived alone in Haven Green, died in St Mary’s Hospital on Thursday as a result of a head injury. He was attacked as he attempted to put out a fire in industrial bins on Springbridge Road amidst the rioting and looting which swept through Ealing last Monday.

Police have opened an incident room at Sutton police station under Detective Chief Inspector John McFarlane, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command. DCI McFarlane urged people who captured footage of the area at the time to contact police, saying:”This footage could be vital to the investigation. I would ask anyone in the Springbridge Road area at that time that has captured images to get in touch.”

Local CCTV captured an image of a witness (below) who police are especially keen to speak to. A police spokesman said: “We are still yet to make contact with someone who could be a key witness to the murder. We would urge him or anyone who knows him to speak to us as soon as possible.”

On 12 August a 22-year-old man was arrested in Hanwell on suspicion of murder, rioting and for three burglaries. He remains in custody at a south London police station. Anyone who can assist should call the incident room on 020 8721 4205 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Do you know this man? Call Sutton Police on 020 8721 4205 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

UK Riots – roundup of last night’s events

Prime Minister David Cameron spoke again at 11am on Sky News. In his speech, he praised the efforts of police and said: “A more robust approach resulted in calmer streets in London overnight”. He went on to say “these scenes are not acceptable, [this] culture of fear cannot exist on our streets”. If riots continue, Cameron claimed that police tactics will have to change.

The aftermath of the fire at Party Party Party in Clapham. Courtesy of Bayerberg, Flickr.

Alan Campbell, former Public Order Minister, warned that water cannons may be needed if disturbances persist. Merseyside Police confirmed that officers dealt with a number of outbreaks of disorder in Liverpool South, Sefton and Wirral overnight. They say that: “[The disorder] was the result of a minority of young people engaged in criminal activity”.

A BBC reporter at Highbury Magistrates Court, John Brain, told BBC 5 live: “The first person who appeared in the dock this morning was a 31-year-old teacher called Alexis Bailey. He pleaded guilty to being part of the looting of the Richer Sounds store in Croydon”. The Comet (local newspaper) reports that vehicles were set ablaze in Stevenage last night, with residents fearing the spread of inner-city violence to the town and police reacting to events by stepping up patrols. A historic pub in Bedfordshire has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack, reports the BBC. The fire broke out at about 00:15 BST at the Grade II listed Norman King pub in Church Street, Dunstable, police said.

Public opinion on politicians’ handling of the riots is almost universally poor. While 91% of people polled overnight by YouGov thought it was right that Prime Minister Cameron & London’s mayor Boris Johnson had returned from their holidays, they were generally seen as having handled the riots badly so far. Only 28% approved of Cameron & Home Secretary Theresa May’s actions. 24% thought Boris had done well.

People were divided about the police response over the last three days; 52% approved of the police response, but a large minority (43%) thought they’d done badly. When asked if the police should be able to use heavier tactics, the public came up with numerous gung-ho responses. 90% of people thought they should be able to use water cannon; 84% mounted police; 82% curfews; 78% tear gas; 72% tasers; 65% plastic bullets; and 33% thought that police should clear the streets with live ammunition. 77% thought that the army should be drafted in to assist.

Meanwhile, a local business owner in Ealing is organising a flower collection for a man who was hospitalised by rioters after he attempted to put out a fire. More details from the rest of the country as we receive them.