News 16 April to 22 April
Nine teenagers have pleaded guilty to violent offences before standing trial after seeing the strength of the case our officers built.
On July 30 last year, officers responded within minutes of reports of people with weapons on the seafront, swiftly arresting nine men and boys aged between 14 and 18.
While several had previously made admissions to some offences, nine had pleas accepted by the court on Wednesday 16 April.
A tenth person, 18-year-old Hamza Dinbil of Corporation Street in Stratford, has also been charged with violent disorder and possession of a bladed article in a public place in connection with this incident. He has been remanded in custody until a hearing at Basildon Crown Court on 28 April 2025.
- Tyler Omo-Irogho, 18, of Clarendon Road in Watford, admitted assaulting an emergency worker, violent disorder and possession of a bladed article.
- Michael King, 18, of Crescent Road in South Woodford, admitted violent disorder and conspiracy to commit GBH.
- Mekai Brown, 18, of Higham Road in Woodford Green, admitted violent disorder and conspiracy to commit GBH.
- Lucas Braga, 18, from Pitchford Street in Stratford, has admitted violent disorder and possession of a bladed article. He was 17 at the time of the offences.
- Isaac Bello, 18, of Prospect Road in Woodford Green, admitted violent disorder and possession of a bladed article. He was 17 at the time of the offences.
- A 16-year-old boy from London admitted violent disorder, conspiracy to commit GBH, possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.
- A 17-year-old boy from London admitted violent disorder and possession of a bladed article.
- A 16-year-old boy from Basildon admitted violent disorder and possession of a bladed article.
- A 15-year-old boy from Pitsea admitted violent disorder, conspiracy to commit GBH and possession of an offensive weapon. He was 14 at the time of the offences.
These nine defendants will be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court the week commencing 14 July 2025.
A shoplifter has been jailed after he admitted committing 14 shop thefts in Southend and Westcliff.
David Lindner, 30, was arrested by an officer from Southend Neighbourhood Policing Team who spotted him in the city’s Warrior Square on 13 April and knew he was wanted for shop theft.
He appeared before Southend magistrates the following day and admitted all thefts – committed between 8 December 2024 and 1 April 2025 – together with a charge of possession of an offensive weapon on 8 December 2024 .
Lindner was jailed for a total of four months. Magistrates also ordered him to pay a £154 victim surcharge and that the knife be destroyed.
Between 1 January and 13 April 2025, 437 people were arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Essex and 294 of those were charged with a total of 890 counts of shop theft, while 26 were charged with assaulting a retail worker, too.
A Southend man has admitted committing 29 shop thefts in Basildon, Hullbridge, South Woodham Ferrers and Wickford.
Joel Lazarus, 37, also pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 12 April to drug-driving on 20 August 2024.
The court heard he’d targeted the BP garage in East Mayne, Basildon, on 24 occasions since June 2024 – sometimes twice on the same day. He also stole from BP garages in Cranfield Park Road, Wickford, and South Woodham Ferrers, and the Co-op store in Ferry Road, Hullbridge.
When arrested on 11 April and taken to custody by an officer from Basildon Local Policing Team, Lazarus refused to provide a sample for a Class A drug test, which he is required to do under our drug test on arrest scheme. He also admitted this charge.
Under DTOA, detainees are required to take a saliva test for cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin if officers believe these drugs have contributed to the crime or if they have been arrested for acquisitive crimes, such as theft, burglary, robbery and fraud, or certain drug offences.
If they test positive, they are required to attend an assessment session with one of the drugs treatment services we work with in Essex. This is one of the ways in which we try to help people with addictions to break away from a cycle of reoffending and turn their lives around.
Lazarus is due to be sentenced for all 30 offences at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on 23 May.
 Essex millionaire murders
An Essex Police murder investigation is the focus of a prime-time documentary on ITV.
Essex Millionaire Murders tells the tragic story around Carol and Stephen Baxter’s deaths on 9 April 2023, at their home on Mersea Island. The investigation remains one of the most complex ever undertaken by the force.
Watch the team unravel the Baxter murder case in the two part true crime documentary series on ITV1.
Part 1: Monday 28 April at 9pm
Part 2: Tuesday 29 April at 9pm
 Let's talk
Upcoming community police events
Wednesday 30 April between 10am-12pm
Fraud Event
Natwest , Southend High Street
 Crime prevention advice
Home security
Secure your home, secure your peace of mind. Consider installing strong locks, security lights and always lock your doors and windows, even if your just stepping out for a minute.
Be fraud smart
Turn on 2-step verification
Whether it's your email, a social media account, or your online banking, losing access to a digital account can be stressful. Enabling 2-step verification (2SV) will keep criminals out of your accounts, even if they work out your password. It's a simple way to give your accounts an extra level of protection.
 What is heritage crime?
Heritage crime, as defined by Historic England, is any offence which harms the value of heritage assets and their settings. Heritage assets are sites which are considered to have value to the heritage of England. Such sites include –
• Listed buildings
• Scheduled monuments
• World Heritage Sites
• Protected marine wreck sites
• Conservation areas
• Registered parks and gardens
• Registered battlefields
• Protected military remains of aircraft and vessels of historic interest
• Undesignated but acknowledged heritage buildings and sites.
This offence may take place indirectly through other crimes; those that are posing the largest threat to heritage sites are -
• Criminal damage – vandalism, graffiti and arson
• Architectural theft – in particular metal and stone
• Unlawful metal detecting - often referred to as 'Nighthawking'
• Anti-social behaviour- in particular fly-tipping and off-road driving
• Illicit trade in cultural objects
• Unauthorised works to a listed building or scheduled monument.
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