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00:01Today, the gang who smashed through the wall of an upmarket boutique to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds worth
00:07of handbags.
00:09You never expect something like this to happen to you.
00:12This is a heist. This is an actual heist.
00:17This was meticulously planned, but who's behind it?
00:21Plus, officers in Manchester need your help to find out who set this car on fire, leaving a young family
00:28terrified.
00:30Stay watching. This is Crimewatch Live.
00:33He's been jamming the switchboard both here and at the instant.
00:37Just to remind you, this was the abduction and reno drop campaign and the handgun debate.
00:45Hello and welcome to Crimewatch 12.
00:48People rang and giving the same of those fantastic results later.
00:59Good morning. Thanks for joining us today.
01:01And thank you for all your calls this week.
01:04I should say lots of information has come in about our appeals.
01:07And we've also had a fantastic response to Tuesday's item when we spoke about refuge for pets who foster animals
01:13for those fleeing domestic abuse households until they can be reunited.
01:18So thank you for all of those.
01:19Thank you very much. We have another packed show for you today with exclusive stories from across the UK,
01:24including how a tip-off led the National Crime Agency to uncover a haul of military-grade weapons being supplied
01:32to criminals across the north of England.
01:36He was driven by greed. He didn't care who he hurt and he had to be stopped.
01:43And we're joined by Claire Waxman, the victim's commissioner, to hear about her plans to ensure the justice system works
01:49for those who need it most.
01:52Our phone lines are open in our headquarters in Cardiff.
01:55To get in touch, scan the QR code on your screen and follow the link.
02:00You can call us as well on 08000 468 999.
02:03Text us on 63399, start your message with the word crime, leave a space and then write your text.
02:11Also email cwl at bbc.co.uk.
02:15The details will be on your screen throughout the programme, just down by the clock.
02:21But first today on an audacious raid on a shop in Cheshire,
02:25where a gang literally burrowed through a wall to steal a quarter of a million pounds worth of designer handbags.
02:38You never expect something like this to happen to you.
02:45This is a heist. This is an actual heist.
02:50And it's sent a ripple through the whole village.
03:00On the 8th of June 2025, in the affluent area of Pressbury, Cheshire,
03:07what should have been a peaceful Sunday evening was turned upside down,
03:12as burglars targeted a boutique designer shop selling expensive handbags.
03:26We'd probably been asleep a couple of hours and then all of a sudden the phones were ringing.
03:35And we heard the monitoring company say to us, your building is in alarm.
03:47My heart just sank.
03:51I jumped onto the CCTV and I could see the men all masked up, balaclavas, all dressed in black.
04:02This is my second burglary in 15 months.
04:06I said to my husband, how have they got in?
04:09Because I know the security I've got here.
04:11I know what we've got on the perimeter fences.
04:13I know the shutters and bars.
04:15And I was terrified.
04:20By the time we arrived, of course they'd gone.
04:26We arrived here at the same time as the police.
04:29We opened the door and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.
04:36There was a huge hole in the wall and could see straight through into the next door's building.
04:46I just could not believe my eyes.
04:49And I said they have actually drilled through the building.
04:57I remembered that I had trackers in all of the bags.
05:01And I went onto my tracking app.
05:05You could see this bundle of trackers moving along.
05:09The bags were still in the outskirts of Presbury Village.
05:13And I said to the police that the bags are here.
05:18Officers were sent out to try and intercept the suspects
05:21and recover the bags at the last known location.
05:26On arrival, the suspects were nowhere to be found.
05:29The air tags were found in Withenshaw,
05:32an area of Manchester just over the border from Cheshire,
05:34in a field next to a residential area.
05:37We believe that the offenders have gone to this location
05:40and discarded the air tags and made good escape with the handbags.
05:45Unable to track the bags further and with no DNA recovered at the scene,
05:51detectives analysed the CCTV footage.
05:55With Christine being a previous victim of burglary,
05:58she has very good CCTV inside the shop.
06:03After 11.38 hours, the offenders have tunnelled through
06:06an unoccupied address next door into the shop.
06:10It's a wiser.
06:11It's very bloody that's australia
06:12and feels too much like the virus.
06:13So, I never get into trouble too often.
06:14Can I see here?
06:14Yeah.
06:21Well, it's a bad guy to do.
06:27We have to move the Troops.
06:27This thing you see in ducking.
06:36So, see if they allは on there.
06:39entering the premises.
06:42Male one immediately goes upstairs.
06:48The two other males remain downstairs.
06:55And quickly, each room within the shop is searched.
07:01It's well planned and prepared.
07:03They know exactly what they were doing and where they were going
07:06and what they wanted to steal.
07:13Literally, the offender's inside the shop for two minutes.
07:19And leaving by the same means that they entered.
07:28And they've stolen £260,000 worth of handbags.
07:36CCTV at the back of the shop
07:38showed the burglars arriving...
07:43..and escaping this well planned heist
07:46in a getaway car parked nearby.
07:50We actually later found out that they'd been drilling a hole
07:53for about five nights before that.
07:57We only knew that because we went back through the CCTV
07:59and you could hear the sounds of a pneumatic drill.
08:04It was absolutely deafening on the CCTV.
08:08Despite extensive CCTV footage,
08:12police still need the public's help in identifying those responsible.
08:20I say the three people were males, not that we can see the faces,
08:23but we're going off the builds of each person.
08:27Clearly, they or someone associated with them
08:30had been in the shop probably fairly recently to scope out the premises.
08:36It's unlikely the offenders have stolen these handbags
08:39to sell in this country for a reduced price.
08:42You know, one of the handbags was worth £45,000.
08:45You know, I can't see why you would go to the lengths of stealing it
08:49to only sell it for low value,
08:50when potentially you can take it abroad and get high value for it.
08:55If you are buying a designer handbag for a reduced price,
08:59the likelihood is it will be stolen.
09:02Handbags are very unique.
09:04Christine is an expert in the area of handbags,
09:06and if these handbags were sold in this country,
09:09I'm pretty sure Christine would know about it.
09:16This has been a very well-planned targeted attack,
09:20and that's terrifying.
09:26They knew I had the bags here,
09:29which I don't anymore.
09:30I can't.
09:32I can't risk a third burglary,
09:35so what they want isn't here anymore,
09:37which is devastating for our customers,
09:42because we're a beautiful boutique,
09:44we sell luxury handbags,
09:45and there aren't actually any luxury handbags here to see now.
09:48It's appointment only.
09:49But it's the way I've had to change strategically
09:52to protect myself.
09:57This is my shop.
10:00This is my business.
10:01I've started this business from scratch.
10:07And three men think they can just walk in
10:10and help themselves to everything that I've created.
10:14My shop was closed in both occasions for a long time afterwards,
10:19because you've got a hole in the wall,
10:21you've got smashed cabinets,
10:23you've got devastation.
10:25Life just doesn't just carry on.
10:27It stops.
10:28It stops.
10:30And I'll never get over it.
10:31It stops.
10:32It stops.
10:56It stops.
10:59It stops.
11:00It stops.
11:04It stops.
11:20It stops.
11:23It stops.
11:23It stops.
11:35It stops.
11:37It stops.
11:46It stops.
11:47It stops.
11:51It stops.
11:56It stops.
12:07It stops.
12:10It stops.
12:25It stops.
12:25It stops.
12:27It stops.
12:28Yeah.
12:28And let's talk about what they did take then.
12:30You know, we've mentioned the value of this haul
12:32and the hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of handbags.
12:35So let's just have a look at them.
12:37Just remind us about them.
12:38So a number of handbags were stolen, including Dior, Chanel.
12:41The most expensive handbag was a Hermes Birkin Black Crocodile handbag,
12:45which was valued at £45,000.
12:47Wow.
12:48So mega money there.
12:49A lot for a small business to take a hit on,
12:51as well as all the damage that Christine had.
12:53So what is it you want to get from this appeal now?
12:56Ultimately, we want to bring the offenders to justice.
12:58And to do that, we need the public's help.
13:00We, you know, we're keen for any information that could identify
13:03the males involved, identify the vehicle that they've used
13:07on the day of the burglary and leading up to the burglary.
13:10And if anyone has any information about the handbags themselves,
13:13the current location, if they've been offered to buy one or,
13:16you know, anything that can assist the inquiry,
13:18you know, we're really keen to hear.
13:19Yes, because that's a really important point.
13:21You might have been offered one of these bags on a really good deal.
13:24Yeah.
13:25So just keep your eyes out for that and let the police know
13:27if that's happened too.
13:28And if you recognise those men, they do get in touch.
13:31Dave, thanks. Lovely to see you again.
13:32That's it from us.
13:34Thanks, Steph.
13:35I'm now with DC Melanie Jeffery from Greater Manchester Police,
13:38who needs your help with an arson attack that she is investigating
13:42and it could easily have had fatal consequences.
13:46This is a nasty one.
13:47Melanie, tell us the details of what you're investigating.
13:50So we're currently investigating an arson attack
13:53which occurred in Littlebury in Rochdale on the 6th of September 2025.
13:58It occurred on Clegswood Avenue.
14:01A mum had put her young child to bed, gone to bed, no issues,
14:05and was woken up by the car alarm sounding on her drive.
14:09She had a quick look at her video doorbell,
14:11could see there were people on the drive, looked outside,
14:13and her car was ablaze.
14:14OK.
14:15Well, we can actually see some footage now that you've provided us.
14:18This is first responders turning up at the scene.
14:21That blaze that we can see there, this is her car that's on fire.
14:25And that's just minutes after it was set ablaze deliberately, isn't it?
14:29Yeah.
14:30Thankfully, the fire service and the police arrived quite quickly to the address.
14:34And in that time, she'd managed to get her and a young child
14:38and the dogs out of the house, thankfully, without any injury.
14:42But obviously, it was a really frightening and traumatising experience more than both.
14:47Well, we can see here now, this is the vehicle that was set ablaze.
14:51I mean, it's absolutely destroyed.
14:52But you want to draw our attention to the window above the car
14:56because that's where this young nine-year-old boy was asleep.
15:00Yeah.
15:01The window above the vehicle that was set on fire
15:04is where the young child was sleeping at the time.
15:07And as I say, fast asleep, mum's had to go in, wake him up and get him
15:12and the family pets out of the address, walking past the blaze as it was going up.
15:17Absolutely.
15:18And then they basically stood and watched.
15:19Absolutely terrifying.
15:21Well, we can also see some doorbell footage that you've provided us now
15:24of the car actually being broken into and set ablaze.
15:29Talk us through this.
15:30So we have a vehicle which we believe is a Peugeot 3008 from the 2008-2016 model.
15:40It has quite distinctive wing mirrors with lights down the side.
15:43We've managed to see the vehicle quite clearly from CCTV footage,
15:47which is on the screen now.
15:49The vehicle pulls up, two people get out.
15:52We know that the driver still remains in as the vehicle continues to move.
15:55So we're after the public's help in order to try and identify the three people on that footage.
16:01So this was taken from CCTV, this image of that Peugeot.
16:04What do you know about where it went after that?
16:07We know that the vehicle left the incident location,
16:11went past Hollingworth Lake and up Hollingworth Road to the top where Canal Street is.
16:17We're then a bit stuck on as to whether or not it went up Todmorden Road or Halifax Road.
16:22We know that it didn't travel through the Little Borough town centre.
16:26So it's either travelled in the direction of Lancashire or West Yorkshire.
16:31It's worth saying that there were a lot of people that came out after hearing what happened.
16:37A lot of people we saw in that first clip there.
16:40There's people that may have had some dashcam footage of a vehicle driving erratically on this date,
16:46perhaps at that time.
16:47There's people out and about that might have some information about this.
16:51Yeah, this occurred in like the early hours of Saturday morning.
16:54So there are obviously people still travelling around in taxis,
16:57going about the day-to-day business.
16:59They might have seen something suspicious,
17:01seeing the car being prepped perhaps to come to the scene.
17:04Or they might have heard something about it afterwards as well,
17:07overheard a conversation, people talking about something that took place.
17:11Anybody that might have taken a particular interest in this case
17:14that's a bit beyond what normally would be expected.
17:16And we're after any information that the public can give us to help us find the people
17:22and bring them to justice and bring the family some justice
17:25and make them feel safe again in their own home.
17:28Because at the moment they don't.
17:29No.
17:30No, which is so sad to hear.
17:32Arrest has been made so far, one arrest.
17:35But you're still looking for who actually deliberately set fire to the vehicle.
17:40These are the people that were caught on camera
17:42and you still want as much information as possible as to who they could be.
17:47Yeah.
17:47So we arrested one person.
17:49They've been released under investigation.
17:51But our primary focus at the moment is on the people that actually committed the attack at the address.
17:56Those that got out of the vehicle and deliberately set it on fire.
18:00Okay.
18:01And as you say, that poor lad is petrified being in his own home as a result of this,
18:06completely understandably.
18:07We need to find out who those people were.
18:09Yes, it's an arson.
18:10It's horrific.
18:11It could have been so, so much worse, couldn't it, Melanie?
18:14Yes, it could.
18:15Yeah, absolutely.
18:16Melanie, thank you.
18:17If you do know anything about this arson attack, please do get in touch.
18:20All the usual ways to contact us are on your screen just down below.
18:26Now, how a tip-off about Grade A weapons led the National Crime Agency
18:31to uncover a man supplying guns to criminal gangs in the North West.
18:37He was making a living supplying military-grade weapons to people in the UK
18:41and tasking an enforcer to blind people with acid attacks.
18:45He was driven by greed.
18:47He didn't care who he hurt and he had to be stopped.
18:55In early 2020, the National Crime Agency were given a tip-off
19:00that an AK-47 was being hidden in the Warrington area of Cheshire.
19:06The agency launched an immediate hunt to locate the lethal weapon
19:11and uncover who had put it there.
19:16When you get that first piece of information,
19:18you're kind of a little bit dubious, an AK-47 in Warrington, OK?
19:24Fully automatic rifles, you would associate more with war zones
19:28than the streets of the UK.
19:32Through intelligence, they discovered the AK-47 was being hidden
19:37in a suspended ceiling of an empty business premises.
19:42What we had then was confirmation that the AK-47 was real,
19:46that there was a North West-based organised crime group
19:50with the capabilities to obtain automatic firearms
19:53for the purposes of criminality, which is massively significant in itself.
20:00But now they needed to identify who had put it there.
20:05A massive CCTV trawl of that entire area
20:08identified a shop and location where we believed
20:12that these firearms handovers may have taken place.
20:16We then identify that there is a male using a red van
20:20that arrives at the location and appears to conduct a handover
20:23to a black vehicle.
20:28Working back from that, we see what we believe to be the same male
20:32attending other vehicles, either on foot or in a push bike.
20:40Or we see the red van attend other locations.
20:45Suspicious the male was moving weapons,
20:47they sought out the owner of the red van.
20:50We identify a local male who is the register keeper
20:54and his home address is round the corner from the handover location.
21:00And that male's identified as Robert Brazendale.
21:04They established Brazendale had been involved
21:07in handling other dangerous weapons.
21:11We identified a series of other handovers
21:15of more military-grade weapons.
21:19Scorpion submachine gun, Uzi, another AK-47.
21:25Suddenly you have got quite a significant criminal capability
21:28within the sort of north-west Warrington, Merseyside region.
21:31of people coming together to take possession of automatic weapons.
21:36Each weapon had a healthy market value.
21:39The AK-47 were offered for around about £11,000 each,
21:43with magazines and ammunition.
21:46The Uzi and the Scorpions were probably a similar amount,
21:48around about £10,000 each.
21:54NCA investigators immediately arrested Robert Brazendale.
21:58When they searched his home, they recovered clothes
22:02that matched those seen on CCTV.
22:06And their forensic report gave them further evidential links.
22:11Robert Brazendale's DNA was recovered from the bag used
22:15to carry the weapon.
22:17There was DNA recovered that was a billion to one.
22:21It was Robert Brazendale's DNA on that bag that contained the AK-47.
22:25With the case against Brazendale now watertight,
22:29officers moved to re-arrest him.
22:31But he had fled to Spain.
22:35We have to work really quickly to coordinate that with the Spanish
22:39to try and locate Robert Brazendale.
22:43In October 2020, he was located by Spanish authorities
22:47and extradited back to the UK.
22:50And in February 2022, he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment
22:56for conspiring to transfer prohibited weapons.
23:05The National Crime Agency knew that Brazendale wasn't working alone.
23:10But who was his co-conspirator?
23:14Unless we take out those people,
23:17we don't completely disrupt the crime group.
23:19It had to be stopped.
23:25Wow.
23:26Juicy.
23:27Yeah, it is.
23:27Now, you might have seen in the news this week
23:30how some victims of crimes are having to wait not just months
23:34but years to have their case heard before a jury.
23:37Well, to talk about that, we're joined by Claire Waxman,
23:39who is the Victims Commissioner for England and Wales.
23:42Claire, thank you for coming in for a chat.
23:45You've not long been in the job, three months,
23:47but can you just explain to people what does a Victims Commissioner do?
23:50Well, it was an independent role that was created over 20 years ago
23:55to be a champion, really, for victims, survivors,
23:59families bereaved by homicide and manslaughter
24:02to really try and promote their interests
24:05and listen to their experiences
24:07to help influence changes within our criminal justice system.
24:10So, working really closely with the police,
24:12the Crown Prosecution Service,
24:14all the way through the criminal justice system
24:15and with government as well
24:17to ensure that victims have stronger rights
24:19when they're reporting to the police and accessing justice.
24:22It's something that you are incredibly passionate about.
24:25Where did...
24:26How did you get involved in this?
24:27So, I have been a victim over 20 years, 23 actually, of stalking.
24:33So, I had experienced that criminal justice system
24:36really on a loop for so many years
24:38and it really was sort of eight years in that I felt something had to change
24:41because I was seeing, you know, on that front line
24:44just how many challenges victims were having to endure.
24:47So, I campaigned for a stalking legislation
24:49and then for a victim's law
24:52and really it started from there, using my experience.
24:55And I work with so many other victims and survivors and families now
24:58to help give them a voice and help them campaign for meaningful change.
25:02And it's so important that you understand
25:04what it is like to be in their shoes.
25:07So, can you just tell us a bit about what the barriers are then
25:10in the justice system for victims?
25:11I mean, there are a number of barriers and challenges
25:13that victims have to face.
25:16One of the big ones is around the very long waits for justice.
25:19From the moment you report to getting into court.
25:22I have worked with some victims, in particular rape victims,
25:25where it's taken seven to eight years from the time reporting
25:27to coming into court.
25:30That's awful, living with this.
25:30They have to, it's agonizing.
25:32They have to endure these terrible long waits
25:34and it has a real profound impact on their life.
25:37It prolongs the trauma.
25:39They can't move on from their lives.
25:40So, I would say the long waits for justice is a huge challenge,
25:44along with really struggling to get their rights,
25:48basic rights to dignity, to information and updates on their case,
25:52to accessing support, compensation,
25:55all the things that victims in this country should be receiving.
25:58They have to really fight to access it.
26:00Yeah.
26:01Which puts people off.
26:02That's a big problem, isn't it?
26:03It does.
26:03And a lot of things put people off.
26:04Like the years to wait for a trial that you've mentioned,
26:07that can put people off.
26:08And one of the cases, something like rape, for example,
26:12could take a long, long time.
26:13You've done a lot of work on that.
26:14You've really pushed for change and given victims a voice
26:17and you want them to be able to challenge a decision even with a CPS.
26:20That's one of the ones you push for, isn't it?
26:22Yes, absolutely.
26:23I mean, in particular around rape, before I was in this role,
26:26I was the London Victims Commissioner.
26:28And in 2017, I worked really closely with rape victims and survivors
26:33and worked and pushed towards really changing the way that we investigate
26:37and prosecute rape in this country.
26:39Back in 2017, it was virtually decriminalised.
26:42You know, victims, the moment they were reporting,
26:44they were being asked to hand over their mobile phones at the point of reporting.
26:48So intrusive.
26:49Really intrusive.
26:50Looking at all that personal material trawling through it,
26:52making them feel like that they were on trial, they were being scrutinised.
26:56We have changed that.
26:57We've seen a big shift over the years.
26:59The focus now is very much on the suspect,
27:01not the victim's credibility and character.
27:04So we have seen improvements, not in the court.
27:06We need to see much more improvement around the way victims are treated in court,
27:10but also those long delays.
27:12But yes, they have an access now to reviewing, that right to review.
27:16It's a right under the Victims Code,
27:18which gives victims in this country 12 rights.
27:21So many victims aren't aware of their rights.
27:23It's so important that they know what they should be receiving and to push for it.
27:28So there's a code which basically tells you what your rights are then?
27:31Yes, there's a Victims Code.
27:33It's been in for many years.
27:35I campaigned to strengthen it in a victim's law
27:37so that victims have access to information, support, compensation,
27:43the right to review a Crown Prosecution Service decision
27:46if they decide not to charge a case.
27:48So we've made great strides over the years.
27:51I think what's missing is we're not letting victims know.
27:54Yeah, and talking about not letting them know,
27:56do you think that's something that people don't even know about,
27:58something like the Victims Code?
27:59There's a lot of people who didn't even realise it was there.
28:01I would think, you know, I would think a member of the public,
28:04if you haven't been a victim, you certainly wouldn't know about it.
28:06But I meet victims who've even been through the process,
28:09they've gone to court, they've finished that justice process,
28:12and they didn't know about the Victims Code.
28:14And that's on police and that's on Crown Prosecution Service.
28:17There's a duty on them now to promote the code to victims and to deliver it.
28:22Yeah, I mean, you've got bold ambition, haven't you, with this?
28:24What's reform going to look like?
28:26Well, reform for me in this role is, one, we have to reduce that backlog.
28:31There is a bill in Parliament this week.
28:34It is a controversial bill.
28:35It's about reducing jury trials in certain cases.
28:38But without taking some of those cases out of the Crown Court,
28:41I really think we will struggle to speed up justice for victims.
28:45So we do have to tackle that,
28:47because otherwise we'll see victims coming out of the process,
28:49and that's a big problem.
28:51And I want to overhaul the way that victims are treated
28:53in our criminal justice system.
28:55I think we can offer a much more seamless, integrated service
28:59that will meet victims' needs and help keep them supported
29:02and well engaged in the process.
29:05And, Clare, finally, before we let you go,
29:06last thing we've got to ask, if someone is a victim of a crime,
29:09what would you say to them?
29:10Your worst advice?
29:11It is so tough, and I know it is.
29:14And you can feel very lonely and isolated, but there is support out there.
29:19The police, on the whole, are doing a wonderful job.
29:22They really are pushing hard to help victims.
29:25Come forward, report, know your victims' rights under the code,
29:29and get the support.
29:31Thank you, Clare.
29:31Thanks, Clare. It's really important stuff. Thank you.
29:35Now, it's time for the second part of our exclusive film
29:39with the National Crime Agency.
29:40So, they've put one man in prison for trading guns.
29:43Now, they need to identify who he's working with.
29:49Before 2020, criminal gangs relied on a notorious encryption network
29:55called EncroChat to communicate.
29:58It allowed modified smartphones to send encrypted messages to other users.
30:04The service was so popular to criminals
30:07because it offered almost a guarantee of anonymity.
30:11They aren't your, you know, typical off-the-shelf devices
30:14that normal people have.
30:16So, there was a veil of security to go about your daily criminal activity
30:21without the concern of being caught.
30:25But in 2020, international law enforcement cracked it,
30:30giving them unprecedented access to millions of messages
30:34sent from inside the world of organised crime.
30:40It was unparalleled in terms of investigative opportunities
30:44to identify those people who are operating at the top of their game
30:48in terms of criminality.
30:49This gave us that golden opportunity
30:51to really pursue the most significant criminality
30:56that is causing the most significant harm to the UK.
31:01Despite Robert Brazendale being behind bars,
31:04the NCA were no closer to finding who was supplying him
31:08with military-grade weapons.
31:11Up until this point, we are working as a traditional reactive investigation
31:15into these firearms recoveries.
31:20We get the EncroChat messages.
31:22That's when everything changes.
31:26Investigators found a string of messages
31:28between Brazendale and another person using the handle Ace Prospect.
31:34Together, they appeared to be running the gun-smuggling operation.
31:39We can see the arrangements being made for the firearms handovers,
31:43pictures of the firearms being exchanged.
31:44We can see that the firearms pictures have been taken.
31:49And we can see the arrangements for them to be taken to storage.
31:54That paints the full picture of the criminality then at that point.
32:01But they had no leads on who Ace Prospect was.
32:06Ace Prospect is the source of those firearms.
32:09Robert Brazendale is clearly his right-hand man in the UK.
32:13His armourer storing and distributing the firearms on his behalf.
32:18Unless we take out Ace Prospect,
32:21we don't mitigate that ongoing criminality.
32:27The initial messages we got from Ace Prospect was telling people
32:30to expect these firearms to come into the UK
32:34and that they would be for sale.
32:37We see pictures of those firearms, the AK-47s, the Usies,
32:42sent around as proof that they are in the UK
32:45and so that people can see, you know, what they are buying
32:48or what they are wanting to buy effectively.
32:51Messages on EncroChat gave police the location of two more weapons.
32:56These seem to have been put aside for Ace Prospect's own personal use
33:01and were buried in Brazendale's own backyard.
33:06So we then search his garden and dig up two firearms that are buried in his garden,
33:10one being a Smith & Wesson and one being a Grand Power 9mm.
33:15And they were buried in the UK's perimeter.
33:21Then they intercepted a message from Ace Prospect
33:25which suggested he'd been arrested overseas.
33:30There was an exchange of an image of a news article in that country
33:34about a British national who was arrested avoiding a Covid roadblock
33:39in possession of cash and motorbikes.
33:41And we then start to conduct enquiries with the Spanish police
33:44and law enforcement around who that British male is.
33:49And that's when we identify that male is Philip Waugh.
33:56Ace Prospect was Philip Waugh.
33:59And supplying guns wasn't the only terrifying crime that he had committed.
34:06Ace Prospect directs an acid attack against an individual in the Warrington area.
34:12And it becomes clear from the messages that Robert Brazendale is storing the acid
34:16and that those that are tasked to do the attack
34:19come and collect the acid from Robert
34:21to then go and try and carry out that attack.
34:25Warr enlisted the help of a man called Jonathan Gordon
34:29who acted as his enforcer in the Merseyside area.
34:34Ace Prospect offers him £6,000 if he goes and conducts this acid attack.
34:38He offers to up that to £10,000 if he blinds him.
34:42There were pictures of canisters that appeared to have acid in them
34:46and you would see conversations like give him a full face wash
34:50when talking about acid or stab him in the leg so he can't run away
34:54and you know at that point that you've got some quite significant threat
34:57and risk against another person.
35:01But Waugh had left Spain for Thailand.
35:05It was very frustrating that he left Spain.
35:08We'd worked for three and a half years to get to this point.
35:15But finally in September 2024,
35:18Waugh's luck was about to run out.
35:21We got alerts that he had travelled back to Spain
35:24and at that point it was pull out all the stops
35:27and we were able to have him arrested within two weeks.
35:31Waugh was arrested and extradited back to the UK.
35:36To get him arrested and finally in custody
35:39was the most significant moment of the whole investigation really.
35:45In April 2025,
35:48Waugh admitted to a range of firearm offences
35:51and instructing the acid attack.
35:53He was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison.
35:59And Jonathan Gordon was sentenced to 24 years and eight months for charges
36:04including conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm.
36:09Robert Brazendale admitted to further firearms offences
36:13and was given an additional sentence of 11 years and four months
36:17totalling 21 years and four months in prison.
36:24It is absolutely one of the biggest investigations that I've had the pleasure to work on.
36:29To get him arrested and cut that supply chain all the way down from his right hand man
36:34to the people that are conducting his violence in the North West region
36:37was a real success for us as an agency.
36:45Wow, what a result there.
36:47Right, let me tell you about this bus which you might have seen around Lees.
36:51Now this is a mobile outreach service which basically offers a safe space for women and girls
36:57who might feel unsafe or unwell on a night out.
36:59And the bris behind this operation is Sreena Gorby.
37:02Hello Sreena. Hi, love.
37:03It's great to see this.
37:04Tell us a bit about it then.
37:05Welcome to Women's Night Safe Space.
37:07So this bus is parked by the Corn Exchange every Saturday
37:1110pm until 3am in Leeds 60 Centre
37:14offering confidential, emotional and practical help and support
37:18for anyone feeling unwell or concerned, need any help.
37:21We've got a brilliant team here to provide that help.
37:24And women and girls in 2021, we did a survey.
37:29Women and girls were concerned particularly about night time safety
37:32in and around going out because that's a great thing about Leeds is a night out.
37:36It's a fantastic thing about Leeds.
37:37It's certainly kept me in the city for as long as I've lived there.
37:40But it can be the time when those experiences happen around sexual harassment
37:46and worrying about that or feeling unwell and worrying about access to healthcare.
37:50So this is what we're responding to from those voices from women and girls.
37:55They said we want a women's night safe space and we've been running ever since.
37:58So the things you've got in here, I can see some of this stuff.
38:01You've got all sorts, haven't you?
38:02We have.
38:03Socks, biscuits.
38:04That's it.
38:04So Monday to Friday this bus is a GP practice on wheels for homeless people
38:08run by Bevan Healthcare.
38:09So there's all sorts of healthcare equipment.
38:10We've got socks and like flip flops, heels come off.
38:13We've got makeup wipes, come and have a brew, phone charging,
38:18condoms, period products, clean safe loo to be able to use.
38:21So it's those practical items along with the emotional support from our team
38:26and access to long-term help and guidance.
38:30So lots of signposting information about a range of topics.
38:34Yeah, because you get people talking to you about all sorts, don't you?
38:37So things like domestic abuse, it might be the first time they've ever talked about it.
38:41Yeah, exactly. There's lots of younger women.
38:43We work with 10 to 15 women and girls every single week.
38:46So we've worked with over 3,000 women and girls over the three years.
38:52138 young women have spoke about domestic violence for the first time on Women's Night Safe Space.
38:57And that's because they're here, they can talk about it, but they don't have to.
39:01It is over a brew. It is over, you know, a friendly conversation.
39:06Can I borrow a light? It's approachable.
39:09And that's what we need.
39:11I always think those conversations end up happening in like smoking areas of pubs.
39:14So true.
39:15And I'm passionate about the space in and around Women's Night Safe Space
39:19is replicating that environment where people feel safe to talk to one another.
39:25Yeah.
39:25And seek help and guidance.
39:27I mean, you can see why it's so popular.
39:29So what's it like from your perspective then?
39:32It's brilliant week in, week out, seeing the support for it.
39:35And one of my favorite things about Women's Night Safe Space is when you hear both men and women of
39:40varying different ages
39:41walking past and saying, you know that bus?
39:44That's what this bus does.
39:45And they're communicating that message because women and girls feel safer knowing that it's here.
39:51So there's lots of people who might not have ever stepped foot on the bus, but they feel safer going
39:57out in Leeds
39:57because they know should it happen, it's there.
40:00Parents feel safer.
40:01My daughter's out on a night out.
40:03Remember, if you need out, there's that bus.
40:05You know what I mean?
40:06New students to the city have heard about it.
40:08So that's one of the best things is we are quite well known, but we do need everybody's support to
40:15help let people know about Women's Night Safe Space
40:18and support us and get involved in our wider women-friendly Leeds movement.
40:23Yeah. And there's an app as well, isn't there?
40:25There is.
40:25Yeah. So again, linked from the safety survey, 58% of women and girls said that they would use a
40:30safety app.
40:30So we worked in partnership with Leeds City Council to develop the Walk Safe app, which is a national app.
40:37It's free to download. Everyone can use it.
40:39It's got location sharing tools that people quite often use to feel safe.
40:44But it's mainly got a safety map for local information.
40:48So local signposting information, showing you our Asperangela venues in Leeds, showing which venues are taking part in our Stop
40:54the Spike campaign
40:55and live tracking of support services like Women's Night Safe Space, like our street marshals.
41:01So you can kind of go there.
41:03You're picking which venues you want to go to to feel safe.
41:06You can also leave anonymous community reporting that, again, women and girls asked for.
41:11So all those tools have come from local voices in Leeds.
41:14Gosh, it's so important. And it's brilliant that you're doing this.
41:16Thanks for bringing the bus in. I'll tell you what, I'll probably just come in here for a chat with
41:19you.
41:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:22I think you can move mountains over a friendly conversation and a cup of tea.
41:26And that's what I see Women's Night Safe Space is doing week in, week out.
41:29Yeah.
41:30Thanks, Trina.
41:30Lovely to see you.
41:33A chat and a cup of tea. That's all Steph wants.
41:35A great sounding initiative there though.
41:37Now it's time for today's Wanted Faces.
41:43And first we have Liam Patrick Weaver.
41:46Though you might know him as Paddy.
41:48Police in Lincolnshire want to talk to him about a burglary.
41:51He's 36 with several tattoos, including a dragon, a sword, the words Paddy and England.
41:57Or maybe you recognise this man. This is Rubinder Singh.
42:00Sometimes he uses the first name Gurpinder.
42:03Police in South Yorkshire want to speak to him about an allegation of rape.
42:07He's 31 with a beard and dark hair and has known links to Barnsley.
42:11Though police believe he has now left that particular area.
42:15And Northamptonshire Police are asking for your help to find this man.
42:18This is Daniel Windle, also known as Daniel Armsworth.
42:21He's wanted on recall for breaching his licence conditions.
42:24He's lived previously in Northamptonshire and also has links with Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire.
42:30He has a tattoo on his left ring finger of two wedding band lines.
42:35As always, if you know the whereabouts of any of those individuals,
42:38please do call us on 08000 468 999.
42:42I'm afraid that is the end of the show today.
42:45But you can still watch the series so far on iPlayer.
42:48And our sister series, Crimewatch Court, which takes a deep dive into some of our solved cases,
42:53is also on there too.
42:55Lovely. Tomorrow, a crime that has all the makings of a TV drama.
42:59It's the hunt for a wife and her lover after a plot to kill her husband is foiled.
43:05Yes, keep going as you are and keep bearing to the left.
43:09Ten yards in front of you.
43:10Oh, police!
43:11Put your hands on top of your head!
43:13Do it now!
43:14Turn around and get on your knees! Do it now!
43:18Hey, what a story that is. You don't want to miss that.
43:20No, I don't. We've got that and lots more tomorrow, same time at 10.45.
43:25Bye for now.
43:25Bye-bye. Chatting at the moment.
43:28Back to the moment.
43:30I feel happy.
43:50I used to play for this episode without a complaint.
43:51Being a heroines is diss Bets.
43:51But you do it now?
43:52That's hours after the tract.
43:52All right, let's get away.
43:54And I will try.
43:56If you guys want to pick up and see some things.
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