DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a Coventry father-of-three have today (Thurs 5 May) identified two key suspects they’re hunting in connection with his death.

Dalton

Darren Dalton (31) and 36-year-old Joseph Bourne are wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of Harold Barnes in Wood End, Coventry, on April 20.

Bourne

The 48-year-old made an emergency 999 call just before midnight from outside an address in Hillmorton Road having suffered a stab wound to the chest. He later died in hospital.

West Midlands Police Detective Chief Inspector Steven Reed is leading the enquiry and believes the two suspects – who are from the local area – are being harboured by associates in the city.

He said: “We have a dedicated team of police officers working around the clock in a bid to apprehend Mr Barnes’ killers. They have already made several arrests in connection with the incident and searched more than 70 premises across...

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T’was the early hours of Saturday 9th April 2011, a warm spring evening where the moon shone across Canley, the wind gently whispered through the trees and in the distance one could hear the echoes of police enforcement as the Special Constabulary did their best! 

Coventry Specials Constables  arrested a well know thief in the early hours of Saturday 9th April on Donegal Close Canley.

The officers were on proactive patrol when they saw the offender sitting on a moped, clearly feeling an opportunity the officers moved in. 

The offender panicked, he dumped the bike and ran from the scene in a feeble attempt to extricate himself from what was to be his inevitable capture.

The officers leapt from their vehicle and took chase over nearby grass land. Showing their excellent levels of fitness the offender was clearly no match and was detained, handcuffed and returned to the police vehicle.

Further diligent checks showed the vehicle to be stolen. To add to...

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POLICE arrested two suspect burglars hiding amongst boxes in a Willenhall garage – and found one of them with a crowbar down his pants!

A member of the public raised the alarm just after 11pm on Wednesday (April 6) after spotting two men attacking the lock-ups in Winnalthorpe, Willenhall, near The Glade pub.

Officers were on the scene within five minutes and discovered a 37-year-old and a 23-year-old lying low amongst storage crates.

Neighbourhood Inspector Alastair Orencas, said: “Both men were arrested…the youngest of the pair seemed to be walking with a limp but it turned out he was secreting a two-foot crowbar down his trousers.

“We received the 999 call at 11.04pm and made the arrests at 11.09pm. The speed at which we arrived at the scene clearly caught them out; perhaps they expected more time to rummage through the garages.

“It appeared that a number of garages had been tampered with whilst a clasp lock on one of them had been forced open.”

The 37-year-old, from...

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IT’S BUSINESS as usual in Birmingham this morning after a major emergency operation was launched following the mechanical failure of a crane yesterday.

 

Engineers stabilised the 54m high structure utilising another crane at the site and will dismantle the remaining structure today (Friday).

 

The alert was sparked at approximately 11.20am yesterday morning by engineers at a construction site just off Moor Street in the city centre.

 

Specialists conducting a routine check of the site identified a potential problem with the concrete foundations which fix the crane to the floor.  As a precautionary measure, they took the decision to alert police and evacuate the site.

 

A major emergency operation was then launched involving police, the fire service, ambulance crews, the city council and Network Rail.

 

Cordons were put in place while engineers assessed the crane and worked with emergency services to identify the risk posed to the public.

 

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WEST MIDLANDS POLICE are warning elderly members of the community and their families about distraction burglars claiming to be from the 2011 Census.

From Wednesday 6 April census representatives will be working across the region, knocking on doors to collect late census forms from householders.

However, police are urging members of the elderly community to be wise to distraction burglars and opportunist thieves’ using the census as an opportunity to commit crime.

So far, there have been two distraction burglaries which have occurred across the West Midlands where offenders have claimed to be from the census. The offenders have gained access to victim’s homes and stolen a quantity of cash.

2011 Census area manager for Birmingham, Paul Glover, said: “Census staff will never ask for people’s bank details. All 2011 Census field staff wear photo identification badges and carry other visibly branded items.”

“Census collectors will only call on...

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WEST Midlands Police have launched a brand new campaign to remind members of the public about crime prevention during the lighter warmer months of the year.

 

This latest initiative features bright and colourful bus, train and poster advertising; promoting simple advice to prevent burglary, personal robbery, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

 

As the clocks go forward, the longer daylight hours and improvement in weather conditions often mean a change in crime trends, this is due to alterations to people’s daily routines. More people tend to stay out for longer and leave their gates and windows open at home. These factors can create the perfect environment for opportunist burglars.

 

The force also tends to see an increase in vehicle related crime and ASB. Car owners are being reminded not to leave valuables on display in their vehicles and letters are being sent to schools to ask young people to stay respectful and considerate in their neighbourhoods.

 

Elderly...

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I recently (30/3/11) tweeted that a Coventry resident was approached in the street and offered a fantastic laptop for not a lot of cash by some unknowns in a car.  Money was handed over BUT the laptop bag contained water bottles not a lovely cheap laptop

The point is that if you decide to circumvent Dixons (other retail outlets are available) by buying items for a ridiculously low price it is highly likely that the property is either stolen, broken or indeed fictional.

If its stolen then you are fueling crime and if it either of the other 2 options you’ve been ripped off.

Just think before you go for the ultimate once in a lift time bargain – if it’s too good to be true balance up the probabilities and if it feels wrong then walk away.

Similar article from 2010

COVENTRY Police are warning householders to think twice before buying second hand goods that may have been stolen in local burglaries.

 

Officers have been made aware of a number of people being offered...

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FRAUDSTERS using devices fitted to cash machines in Coventry are being targeted by police this week following a spate of fraudulent withdrawals across the city.

 

Officers are urging residents to protect their PIN numbers when they withdraw cash and to be on the lookout for anything suspicious attached to the ATM.    

 

The most recent incidents have been reported on Earlsdon High Street and the Co-op at Brownshill Green Road in Coundon.

 

PC Neil Kenton, leading the investigation, said: “These camera devices have been shaped and coloured to blend in with the ATM facia when fitted.

 

“They are designed to record the customer as they enter their PIN number and retain their card so that fraudulent withdrawals can subsequently be made.

 

“Always shield your PIN number from view and be aware of those around you when withdrawing money.”

 

Police have stepped up patrols in vulnerable...

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COURT has ordered a convicted drug dealer to hand over £150,000 after a successful application was made by officers from the West Midlands Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART), under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

51 year old James Browne from the Eastern Green area of Coventry was handed a confiscation order today (Thursday 3 March 2011) at Birmingham Crown Court, which forces him to pay £156,589.94 within 6 months.

If Browne fails to pay the money back within the specified time, he faces a further two years and four months in prison and will still owe the money following the extended sentence.

Browne was sentenced to eight years in prison back in December 2009, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Browne was initially arrested as part of Operation Closedown, a major police operation which aimed to tackle crime on the streets of Coventry.

The court determined the total amount Browne benefited from due to his criminal activities was £244,000....

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CANNABIS with a street value of up to two million pounds has been seized by police after a raid on what’s believed to be the largest drugs factory ever found in Coventry.

 

The “industrial scale” cannabis farm was uncovered by officers at a commercial unit in Sandy Lane, Radford, when a drugs search warrant was executed just after 8.30am on Monday morning (21 February).

 

Most of the premises’ 13,000 square foot floor space was being used to cultivate the class C drug with plants ranging from small saplings in a nursery to fully grown versions ready for harvest. Almost 5,000 cannabis plants were discovered in total.

 

Sergeant Neil Ward, from Radford neighbourhood policing team, said: “It was a very timely discovery as many of the plants were at maturity and ready to be picked. Initial estimates put the potential yield and value at between one and two million pounds.

 

“The set up was professional: the growing rooms were separated with studding and double...

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