News 3 July to 9 July
 Man stealing laptops from hospital during pandemic jailed; Princess Alexandra Hospital
A hospital contractor who stole laptops form an Essex hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic has been jailed for 15 months.
Francisco Maya, a 37-year-old of Dagenham Road in Dagenham, was working at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow during May and June 2020, when several laptops were ordered to support the work of hospital staff.
Maya then took as many as 20 of these laptops from the hospital over two months, leaving the boxes they arrived in at the hospital to avoid being detected.
He then sold several of these online and when the serial numbers were checked by the new owners, the manufacturer was alerted that they were stolen.
Maya was arrested in July 2020 and pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft. Following a three-day trial at Chelmsford Crown Court in April 2024, he was found guilty and on Friday 5 July at the same court was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
PC Rhianna Mills, who led the investigation, said: “While NHS doctors, nurses and staff were busy trying to help the nation at a time of crisis, Maya was helping himself to vital equipment they needed to keep the hospital working in the pandemic.
“Throughout this investigation and trial, he showed no remorse for his crime. He can now reflect on his behaviour from prison.”
Phil Holland, chief information officer at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT), said: “This IT equipment was extremely important to facilitate the care of our patients and to deliver hospital services during the COVID-19 pandemic. We take any incidents of stealing from our hospitals extremely seriously and this will not be tolerated. Our thanks goes to Essex Police for their support.”
 Dangerous sexual predator convicted after plotting to murder TV presenter
A dangerous sexual predator who plotted to kidnap a female television presenter from her family home before raping and murdering her, has been convicted thanks to the work of Essex Police’s detectives.
Gavin Plumb, 37, had been plotting an attack on Holly Willoughby since 2021, carefully planning how he would carry out his depraved plan and even purchasing a kidnap kit for the purpose.
However, thanks to an American undercover police officer and the prompt actions of Essex Police detectives, Plumb was arrested in October 2023 before he could carry out his crimes against his intended victims.
On, Thursday 4 July, following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Plumb of Potters Field, Harlow was convicted of soliciting the murder of Holly Willoughby, encouraging or assisting the commission of her kidnap and encouraging or assisting the commission of her rape.
 Detectives investigating fatal M11 collision
We are continuing our investigation into a serious collision at a junction of the M11 near Harlow.
Officers were called out to the scene, at Junction 7A, shortly before 12.55pm on Friday 5 July.
The collision involved two vehicles and officers worked at the scene alongside ambulance and fire service colleagues for a number of hours.
Sadly, we are now in a position to confirm the driver of one of the vehicles, a woman aged in her 60s, died at the scene.
Her family have been informed and are being supported.
Enquiries into the collision are being led by our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, with officers appealing for anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.
The road has since been reopened to traffic.
Anyone with information should contact us as soon as possible.
Please quote incident 470 of 5 July.
Teenage boy arrested after serious assault
Detectives investigating a serious assault in Harlow have made an arrest and are continuing their enquiries.
We were called to reports of an assault in the area of Gilden Way playing fields, shortly after 10pm on Saturday 6 July.
It was found a teenage boy had suffered a serious wound to his head which is not believed to be life-threatening. He is receiving hospital treatment.
Officers attended and, following enquiries at the scene and searches of the nearby area, detained a suspect by 10.15pm.
A 15-year-old boy, from Harlow, remains in custody for questioning on suspicion of assault.
A man who drove over a man after a queue-jumping argument at a drive-thru, has been jailed.
Shortly after 11pm on Saturday 28 August 2021, the occupants of a car were waiting in line at the McDonalds drive-thru in The Oaks Retail Park, Edinburgh Way, Harlow, when the driver of a Blue Audi drove in front of them. At the time, there were about 15 cars in a queue waiting to place orders.
Two people from the car got out and approached the Audi driver.
Following an argument about queue-jumping, the two men decided to get back in their car.
As they walked in front of the Audi, the driver revved the engine before striking one of the men, causing him to fall.
In an attempt to get away, the Audi drove over the victim, a man aged 20s, as he lay on the floor.
The Audi was located 12 hours later, and the driver identified as Martin Moran.
 Safe to go to Stow - Clear, Hold, Build project update
The Stow in Harlow is the first area in the county to benefit from a national scheme to reduce crime and regenerate impacted neighbourhoods.
Clear, Hold, Build is a Home Office initiative that brings police and public services together to tackle offending and address underlying issues affecting communities.
The aim is to produce sustained, long-term change in places that have been blighted by serious and organised crime by pursuing offenders, breaking up and dispersing gangs, and creating strong, resilient neighbourhoods.
 Bleed Kit donated to Essex Skipper
The Liam Taylor Legacy have kindly donated a new Bleed Kit to the Essex Skipper Public House. Along with Harlow Police officers, the donation was given to be used within the area.
We along with the Essex Skipper would like to thank the Liam Taylor Legacy for this. If you would like to know more about the Liam Taylor Legacy, use the button below.
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Wednesday 10 July 12pm to 1pm
McDonalds, Staple Tye, Harlow
Friday 19 July 10am to 12pm
Outside Tesco's, Edinburgh Way, Harlow, CM20 2TG
Sunday 21 July 10am to 12pm
Coffee Base, North Square, Newhall. Harlow, CM17 9TW
Splash Parks
Tuesday 30 July 11am to 1pm
Town Park - Splash Park
Tuesday 6 August 11am to 1pm
Sumners - Splash Park
Friday 16 August 11am to 1pm
GPCA - Splash Park
 Keep burglars out of your property
Burglars will use a variety of ways to avoid being noticed.
They don’t want to be seen or heard by a neighbour or passer-by because they will feel exposed and identifiable.
Distraction burglars will pretend to be someone they are not, so it’s important you are aware of the common methods they will use to get you to let them into your property.
Here’s some useful advice, firstly on helping to keep burglars out by giving them no hiding place and, secondly, on how to prevent a distraction burglary.
Door-to-door and courier fraud
Door-to-door scams
Many legitimate businesses sell products door-to-door; gas, electricity and water companies need to visit to read your meters; and charities will often call seeking donations. But fraudsters may also knock on your door to part you from your money, or get into your home to steal from you.
Examples of door-to-door scams
Most door-to-door scams involve selling goods or services that are either not delivered or are very poor quality. You won’t get value for money and you may get billed for work you didn’t want or agree to.
Some scammers conduct surveys just to get your personal details or as a cover to sell you goods or services you don’t want or need, such as roofing work or patio replacement.
Unscrupulous employees sometimes still act illegally even when selling a genuine product by a genuine business. If someone knocks at your front door claiming to be from a company, first check their ID. If you’re not happy, don’t let them in.
Never call the phone number on their ID card to check them out. Ask the salesperson to wait outside, shut the door and find the company number on the internet. If they’re genuine, they’ll understand.
 How can I protect myself against online dating scams?
Using online dating websites is becoming a popular way to meet people and potentially find love. Scammers take advantage of this and use the sites as an opportunity to scam victims out of money by claiming they have developed feelings for them, or even pretending to be someone else entirely (also known as 'cat fishing').
The same common sense approach must be used as with any scam - if it seems to good to be true, it probably is! If someone is asking you to transfer money, it is likely they are not who they say they are and it is important to be wary of what they are telling you, no matter how believable their story seems.
Below are a few tips to ensure you stay safe online and know what signs to look out for:
- Pick a reputable dating website.
- Avoid over sharing and divulging your personal information.
- Never send money or give out your bank details; once the money is sent, it is highly unlikely you will be able to retrieve it.
- Do their pictures look too good to be true, or you think you have seen them somewhere else? Use this service to find out: search an image on Google
- Ask lots of questions and suggest arranging a phone call to determine whether they are genuine.
- Be sceptical - if you are suspicious, report your concerns initially to the dating website.
- If you have lost money due to an online scam, you can report it to Action Fraud.
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