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Crimewatch Roadshow - Season 23 - Episode 09: An Audacious Burglary
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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 room.
00:38To remind you, this was the abduction and reno drop campaign and the hammer gun debate.
00:45Hello and welcome to Crimewatch 12. People rang and giving the same, those fantastic results.
00:59Good morning. Thanks for joining us today and thank you for all your calls this week.
01:04I should say lots of information has come in about our appeals and we've also had a fantastic response to
01:09Tuesday's item.
01:10When we spoke about refuge for pets who foster animals for those fleeing domestic abuse households until they can be
01:17reunited.
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 hit 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.
01:51Our phone lines are open in our headquarters in Cardiff. To get in touch, scan the QR code on your
01:57screen and follow the link.
02:00You can call us as well on 08000 468 999. Text us on 63399. Start your message with the word
02:08crime, leave a space and then write your text.
02:11Also email cwl at bbc.co.uk. The details will be on your screen throughout the programme, just down by
02:19the clock.
02:21But first today on an audacious raid on a shop in Cheshire, where a gang literally burrowed through a wall
02:27to 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. And it sent a ripple through the whole village.
03:00On the 8th of June 2025, in the affluent area of Pressbury, Cheshire, what should have been a peaceful Sunday
03:09evening was turned upside down as 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.
04:31And I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.
04:36There was a huge hole in the wall.
04:41And 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
05:41and made good escape with the handbags.
05:45Unable to track the bags further
05:47and with no DNA recovered at the scene,
05:51detectives analysed the CCTV footage.
05:55With Christine being a previous victim of burglary,
05:57she has very good CCTV inside the shop.
06:03After 11.38 hours,
06:05the offenders have tunnelled through
06:06an unoccupied address next door into the shop.
06:21The police were also сум buenised by the car and the app.
06:27And it's the most part of all the people knew
06:29that the police got run off the door into the car.
06:36The police were immediately off the table.
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 showed the burglars arriving.
07:43And escaping this well-planned heist in 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.
08:09Despite 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.
09:02The handbags are very unique.
09:03Christine is an expert in the area of handbags,
09:06and if these handbags were sold in this country,
09:10I'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,
09:28which I don't anymore.
09:30I can't.
09:31I can't risk a third burglary,
09:34so what they want isn't here anymore,
09:37which is devastating for our customers,
09:42because we're a beautiful boutique,
09:43we 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
09:51to 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.
10:30And I'll never get over it.
10:37Goodness, you can see how much this has hit, Christine.
10:40Not just the value of the bags,
10:41but just the trauma of going through.
10:42We've got a DI, Dave Jarvis from Trashire Police back.
10:45I last spoke to you in October about this.
10:47We obviously saw you pop up in the film as well.
10:49What came of the last chat we had on this?
10:52So, following the appeal in October,
10:54we were provided with the name of a possible suspect.
10:57That individual was fully investigated
10:58and they've now been taken out of the investigation.
11:01Right, OK, so we're back on it again now.
11:03We need to find who did this.
11:05We saw from that footage, and Christine said it herself,
11:07this was so well-planned, wasn't it?
11:09It was.
11:10It was a pre-planned and well-executed burglary.
11:12As we've seen from the CCTV,
11:14the offenders were only in the shop for a matter of minutes
11:16and they've stolen 45 handbags to the value of £260,000.
11:19Yeah, and the area as well, just remind us where it is.
11:22So, this is Presbury, isn't it?
11:23Yeah, Presbury in Cheshire, which is a very affluent area.
11:26Yeah, so Presbury there, you can see where exactly the dress shop is too.
11:31Let's have a look at the CCTV then.
11:33I mean, it's quite incredible, this footage we've got,
11:36but they've got their faces covered, haven't they?
11:37They have, yeah.
11:38So, all three males are wearing dark clothing,
11:40they're wearing face coverings and they're wearing gloves.
11:42The first male that enters the shop is wearing a head torch
11:45and he brings in a duvet cover, which he places handbags in,
11:51yeah, to remove them.
11:52And the footwear is important as well?
11:54It is, yeah.
11:55So, Cheshire Police have a specialist footwear unit
11:57and we've identified the footwear worn by the offenders
12:00as being Nike and New Balance trainers.
12:02Yeah, and also with this, as you can see, that hole that they're going through.
12:07Now, this was dug from the restaurant next door
12:11and we've got some footage of the car which they went off in.
12:14Can you tell us about what we saw?
12:15Yeah, so all we know about the car is a dark coloured vehicle.
12:18To date, we've not been able to identify the make or model of the vehicle.
12:21We do believe it's the same vehicle that the offenders have used
12:23on previous dates when they've come to the location.
12:26Right, to check it out, basically.
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, just remind us about them.
12:38Yeah, so 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, a 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.
13:01We're keen for any information that could identify the males involved,
13:05identify the vehicle that they've used on the day of the burglary
13:08and leading up to the burglary.
13:09Yeah.
13:10And if anyone has any information about the handbags themselves,
13:13the current location, if they've been offered to buy one
13:15or, you 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.
13:25Yeah.
13:25So, just keep your eyes out for that and let the police know if that's happened to.
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. Melanie, 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 and her car was ablaze.
14:14Okay.
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.
14:29Thankfully, 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 and the dogs out of the house,
14:40thankfully without any injury,
14:42but obviously it was a really frightening and traumatising experience for them both.
14:46Well, 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, the 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.
15:20Well, 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.
15:39It 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 this driver still remains in as the vehicle continues to move.
15:56So we're after the public's help in order to try and identify
15:59the 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
16:14to the top where Canal Street is.
16:17We're then a bit stuck on as to whether or not it went up Todmorden Road
16:21or 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
16:34after 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
16:44of a vehicle driving erratically on this date, perhaps 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
17:20to help us find the people and bring them to justice
17:23and bring the family some justice and 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.
17:39These are the people that were caught on camera and you still want as much information as possible
17:45as to who they could be.
17:47Yeah. So 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. And 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. He 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.
19:20An AK-47 in Warrington, okay?
19:24Fully automatic rifles that 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,
19:56which 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 identified a shop and location
20:11where we believed that 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.
20:59And 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
21:16of more military-grade weapons.
21:19Scorpions, a machine gun, Uzi, another AK-47.
21:24Suddenly 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.
21:59When they searched his home,
22:01they recovered clothes that matched those seen on CCTV.
22:06And their forensic report gave them further evidential links.
22:11Robert Brazendale's DNA was recovered
22:14from the bag used to carry the weapon.
22:17There was DNA recovered that was a billion to one,
22:21that it 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.
22:51And 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.
23:43Claire, thank you for coming in for a chat.
23:44You've not long been in the job of 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 to help influence changes
24:08within 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.
24:25How did you get involved in this?
24:27So I have been a victim over 20 years,
24:3123 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
24:40that I felt something had to change because I was seeing, you know,
24:43on that front line just how many challenges victims were having to endure.
24:47So I campaigned for a stalking legislation and 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 what it is like to be in their shoes.
25:07So can you just tell us a bit about what the barriers are then in the justice system for victims?
25:11I mean, there are a number of barriers and challenges that victims have to face.
25:15One 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 of reporting to coming into court.
25:30That's awful living with this.
25:30They have to, it's agonising.
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, basic rights to dignity,
25:50to information updates on their case, to 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, which puts people off.
26:02It does. And a lot of things put people off.
26:04Like the years to wait for a trial that you've mentioned, that can put people off.
26:09And one of the cases, something like rape, for example, could take a long, long time.
26:13You've done a lot of work on that.
26:15You really pushed for change and given victims a voice.
26:17And you want them to be able to challenge a decision, even with the CPS.
26:20That's one of the ones you pushed for, isn't it?
26:21Yes, absolutely.
26:23I mean, in particular around rape, before in this role,
26:26before I was in this role, I was the London Victims Commissioner.
26:28And in 2017, I worked really closely with rapes, victims and survivors
26:33and worked and pushed towards really changing the way that we investigate and prosecute rape in this country.
26:39Back in 2017, it was virtually decriminalised.
26:42You know, victims, the moment they were reporting, they were being asked to hand over their mobile phones at the
26:47point of reporting.
26:48So intrusive.
26:49Really intrusive.
26:50Looking at all that personal material trawling through it, making them feel like that they were on trial, they were
26:55being 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, not 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, but 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 victim's code, which 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 victim's code.
27:33It's been in for many years.
27:34I campaign to strengthen it in a victim's law so that victims have access to information, support, compensation, the right
27:44to review a Crown Prosecution Service decision if 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, do you think that's something that people don't even know about, something
27:58like the victim's code?
27:59There's a lot of people that didn't even realise it was there.
28:01I would think, you know, I would think a member of the public, if you haven't been a victim, you
28:05certainly wouldn't know about it.
28:06But I meet victims who've even been through the process, they've gone to court, they finished that justice process and
28:12they didn't know about the victim's 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? What'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. It 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, I really think we will struggle to speed
28:44up justice for victims.
28:45So we do have to tackle that because otherwise we'll see victims coming out of the process and that's a
28:50big problem.
28:51And I want to overhaul the way that victims are treated in our criminal justice system.
28:55I think we can offer a much more seamless, integrated service that will meet victims' needs and help keep them
29:02supported and well engaged in the process.
29:04And Claire, finally, before we let you go, last thing we've got to ask, if someone is a victim of
29:08a crime, what would you say to them?
29:11I'd say to them, it is so tough and I know it is, and you can feel very lonely and
29:16isolated, but there is support out there.
29:19The police are, on the whole, are doing a wonderful job. They really are pushing hard to help victims.
29:24Come forward, report, know your victims' rights under the code and get the support.
29:31Thank you, Claire. Thanks, Claire. It's really important stuff. Thank you.
29:35Now it's time for the second part of our exclusive film with the National Crime Agency.
29:40So they've put one man in prison for trading guns. Now they need to identify who he's working with.
29:49Before 2020, criminal gangs relied on a notorious encryption network called EncroChat to communicate.
29:58It allowed modified smartphones to send encrypted messages to other users.
30:05The service was so popular to criminals because it offered almost a guarantee of anonymity.
30:11They aren't your, you know, typical off-the-shelf devices that normal people have.
30:16So there was a veil of security to go about your daily criminal activity without the concern of being caught.
30:25But in 2020, international law enforcement cracked it, giving them unprecedented access to millions of messages sent from inside the
30:35world of organised crime.
30:40It was unparalleled in terms of investigative opportunities to identify those people who are operating at the top of their
30:48game in terms of criminality.
30:49This gave us that golden opportunity to really pursue the most significant criminality that is causing the most significant harm
30:57to the UK.
31:01Despite Robert Brazendale being behind bars, the NCA were no closer to finding who was supplying him with military-grade
31:09weapons.
31:11Up until this point, we are working as a traditional reactive investigation into these firearms recoveries.
31:19We get the EncroChat messages. That's when everything changes.
31:26Investigators found a string of messages between Brazendale and another person using the handle Ace Prospect.
31:34Together, they appear to be running the gun smuggling operation.
31:39We can see the arrangements being made for the firearms handovers, pictures 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.
32:02But 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, we don't mitigate that ongoing criminality.
32:26The initial messages we got from Ace Prospect was telling people to 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 Uses, sent around as proof that they are in the
32:45UK
32:45and so that people can see, you know, what they are buying or what they are wanting to buy effectively.
32:51Messages on EncroChat gave police the location of two more weapons.
32:56These seemed to have been put aside for Ace Prospect's own personal use
33:01and were buried in Brazendale's own backyard.
33:05So 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.
33:15They were here in the UK and I'm here in the UK.
33:15And he was there in the UK and he came to the UK as a local community.
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 is arrested, avoiding a COVID roadblock,
33:39in possession of cash and motorbikes,
33:41and we then start to conduct inquiries with the Spanish police
33:44and law enforcement around who that British male is.
33:49And that's when we identify that male as 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 Raisendale is storing the acid
34:16and that those that are tasked to do the attack come 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 when talking about acid
34:51or 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 Warr 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, Warr'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.
35:31Warr 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, Warr 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
36:03for charges including 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
36:26that I've had the pleasure to work on.
36:29To get him arrested and cut that supply chain
36:31all the way down from each right-hand man
36:34to the people that are conducting his violence
36:36in 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
36:49which you might have seen around Leeds.
36:51Now, this is a mobile outreach service
36:53which basically offers a safe space
36:55for 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.
37:03Hi, 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
37:10every Saturday, 10pm until 3am
37:13in Leeds 60 Centre
37:14offering confidential, emotional and practical help and support
37:18for anyone feeling unwell or concerned,
37:20need any help,
37:21we've got a brilliant team here
37:23to provide that help.
37:24Yeah.
37:25And women and girls in 2021,
37:27we did a survey
37:28and women and girls were concerned
37:30particularly about night-time safety
37:32in and around going out
37:33because that's a great thing about Leeds
37:35is a night out.
37:36It's a fantastic thing about Leeds.
37:37It certainly kept me in the city
37:39for as long as I've lived there.
37:40But it can be the time
37:43when those experiences happen
37:44around sexual harassment
37:46and worrying about that
37:47or feeling unwell
37:48and worrying about access to healthcare.
37:50So, this is what we're responding to
37:53from those voices,
37:54from women and girls.
37:55They've said,
37:56we want a Women's Night Safe Space
37:57and we've been running ever since.
37:58So, the things you've got in here,
37:59I can see some of this stuff.
38:01You've got offsets, haven't you?
38:02Yes, we have.
38:03So, socks, biscuits.
38:04That's it.
38:04So, Monday to Friday,
38:05this bus is a GP practice
38:06on wheels for homeless people
38:08run by Bevan Healthcare.
38:09So, there's all sorts
38:09of healthcare equipment.
38:10We've got socks
38:11and like flip-flops,
38:12heels come off.
38:13We've got makeup wipes,
38:15come and have a brew,
38:16phone charging,
38:17condoms, period products,
38:19clean, safe loo to be able to use.
38:22So, it's those practical items
38:23along with the emotional support
38:25from our team
38:26and access to long-term help
38:30and guidance.
38:30So, lots of signposting information
38:32about a range of topics.
38:34Yeah, because you get people
38:35talking to you about all sorts,
38:37don't you?
38:37So, things like domestic abuse,
38:39it might be the first time
38:40they've ever talked about it.
38:41Yeah, exactly.
38:42There's lots of younger women.
38:43We work with 10 to 15 women
38:45and girls every single week.
38:46So, we've worked with
38:47over 3,000 women and girls
38:49over the three years.
38:53138 young women
38:54have spoke about domestic violence
38:55for the first time
38:56on Women's Night Safe Space.
38:57And that's because they're here,
38:59they can talk about it,
39:00but they don't have to.
39:01It is over a brew.
39:03It is over, you know,
39:04a friendly conversation.
39:07Can I borrow a light?
39:08It's approachable.
39:09Yeah.
39:09And that's what we need.
39:11I always think those conversations
39:12end up happening
39:13in, like, smoking areas of pubs.
39:15So true.
39:15And I'm passionate about
39:16the space
39:17in and around
39:17Women's Night Safe Space
39:19replicating that environment
39:21where people feel safe
39:22to talk to one another.
39:25Yeah.
39:25And seek help and guidance.
39:27I mean, you can see
39:28why it's so popular.
39:29So, what's it like
39:30from your perspective then?
39:32It's brilliant week in,
39:33week out,
39:34seeing the support for it.
39:35And one of my favourite things
39:36about Women's Night Safe Space
39:37is when you hear
39:39both men and women
39:40of varying different ages
39:41walking past and saying,
39:43you know that bus?
39:44That's what this bus does.
39:45And they're communicating
39:47that message
39:47because women and girls
39:48feel safer
39:49knowing that it's here.
39:51So, there's lots of people
39:52who might not have ever
39:53stepped foot on the bus
39:54but they feel safer
39:56going out in Leeds
39:57because they know
39:58should it happen
39:59it's there.
40:00Parents feel safer.
40:01My daughter's out
40:02on a night out.
40:03Remember, if you need out
40:04there's that bus.
40:05Do you know what I mean?
40:06New students to the city
40:07have heard about it.
40:09So, that's one of the best things
40:11is we are quite well known
40:13but we do need
40:14everybody's support
40:15to help let people know
40:16about Women's Night Safe Space
40:18and support us
40:19and get involved
40:20in our wider
40:21Women Friendly Leeds movement.
40:23Yeah.
40:23And there's an app as well
40:24isn't there?
40:25There is.
40:25Tell us about that.
40:26So, again, linked
40:26from the safety survey
40:2758% of women and girls
40:29said that they would
40:29use a safety app.
40:31So, we worked in partnership
40:32with Leeds City Council
40:34to develop the Walk Safe app
40:36which is a national app.
40:37It's free to download.
40:38Everyone can use it.
40:39It's got location sharing tools
40:41that people quite often use
40:43to feel safe
40:44but it's mainly got a safety map
40:47for local information
40:48so local signposting information
40:50showing you our
40:51Asperangela venues in Leeds
40:52showing which venues
40:53are taking part
40:54in our Stop the Spike campaign
40:55and live tracking
40:57of support services
40:58like Women's Night Safe Space
40:59like our street marshals
41:01so you can kind of go there
41:03you're picking which venues
41:04you want to go to
41:05to feel safe.
41:06You can also leave
41:07anonymous community reporting
41:09that again
41:09women and girls asked for
41:11so all those tools
41:11have come from
41:12local voices in Leeds.
41:14Gosh, it's so important
41:15and it's brilliant
41:16that you're doing this.
41:16Thanks for bringing the bus in.
41:17I'll tell you what
41:18I'll probably just come in here
41:19for a chat with you.
41:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
41:21Yeah, I think you can move
41:23mountains over a friendly
41:24conversation and a cup of tea
41:26and that's what I see
41:27Women's Night Safe Space
41:28is doing week in, week out.
41:29Yeah, thanks Shreena.
41:30Lovely to see you.
41:33A chat and a cup of tea
41:34that's all Steph wants.
41:36Great sounding initiative
41:37there though.
41:37Now it's time for
41:38today's Wanted Faces.
41:43And first we have
41:45Liam Patrick Weaver
41:46though you might know him
41:47as Paddy.
41:48Police in Lincolnshire
41:49want to talk to him
41:50about a burglary.
41:51He's 36 with several tattoos
41:53including a dragon,
41:54a sword,
41:55the words Paddy
41:56and England.
41:57Or maybe you recognise
41:58this man.
41:59This is Rubinder Singh.
42:00Sometimes he uses
42:01the first name Gurpinder.
42:03Police in South Yorkshire
42:04want to speak to him
42:05about an allegation of rape.
42:07He's 31 with a beard
42:08and dark hair
42:09and has known links
42:10to Barnsley
42:11though police believe
42:12he has now left
42:13that particular area.
42:15And Northamptonshire police
42:16are asking for your help
42:17to find this man.
42:18This is Daniel Windle
42:19also known as
42:20Daniel Armsworth.
42:21He's wanted on recall
42:22for breaching his
42:23licence conditions.
42:24He's lived previously
42:25in Northamptonshire
42:26and also has links
42:28with Hampshire,
42:29Surrey and Wiltshire.
42:30He has a tattoo
42:31on his left ring finger
42:33of two wedding band lines.
42:35As always,
42:36if you know the whereabouts
42:37of any of those individuals
42:38please do call us
42:39on 08000 468 999.
42:42I'm afraid
42:43and that is the end
42:44of the show today
42:45but you can still watch
42:46the series so far
42:47on iPlayer
42:48and our sister series
42:49Crime Watch Court
42:50which takes a deep dive
42:52into some of our
42:52solved cases
42:53is also on there too.
42:55Lovely.
42:55Tomorrow,
42:56a crime that has
42:57all the makings
42:58of a TV drama.
42:59It's the hunt
43:00for a wife
43:01and her lover
43:01after a plot
43:03to kill her husband
43:04is foiled.
43:05Yes,
43:06keep going as you are
43:07and keep bearing
43:07to the left.
43:09Ten yards in front of you.
43:10Ten yards in front of you.
43:11Put your hands
43:12on top of your head.
43:13Do it now.
43:14Turn around
43:14and get on your knees.
43:15Do it now.
43:18Hey,
43:18what a story that is.
43:19You don't want to miss that.
43:20No,
43:20I don't.
43:21We've got that
43:21and lots more tomorrow
43:23at the same time
43:23at 10.45.
43:25Bye for now.
43:25Bye-bye.
43:26Ciao,
43:26Annacore.
43:27Bye.
43:30Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:37Bye.
43:47Bye.
43:48Bye.
43:49Bye.
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