A write up of some big stories from Derbyshire, the UK and the world.
Derbyshire News:
An Ex Derbyshire-Police Sergeant who resigned in February this year is now facing eight counts of misconduct in public office after an investigation by counter-corruption officers. He allegedly sought out improper sexual or emotional relationships with eight women including two colleagues and a domestic abuse victim between 2020 and 2024 whilst serving in the force. He will go into a Crown Court trial on the 30th of October.
Ex Derbyshire cop allegedly sought ‘improper’ relationships with multiple women | Derbyshire Live
Older News:
The police have released an appeal to help find a prison absconder Robert Maxfield from HMP Sudbury. He is a 48-year-old male convicted in 2011 for numerous offences including causing death by dangerous driving. He is 5 feet 11 inches, medium build, white and has brown hair and if spotted the police are to be contacted but he is not to be approached by the public.
Appeal for help finding prison absconder | Derbyshire Constabulary
Six people have been arrested in connection with a disorder incident in Derby on Bembridge Drive on Tuesday 15th of September. All have been arrested on suspicion of affray and have been released on bail as investigations continue.
Six people arrested in connection with Derby disorder | Derbyshire Constabulary
A wanted man, Mathew Thompson, has been found.
Wanted man Mathew Thompson found | Derbyshire Constabulary
Derbyshire Police Force has responded to HMICFRS’ March 2026 inspection into the Derbyshire Constabulary’s Child Protection Arrangements. This report highlighted concerns about the forces performance when safeguarding children at risk as such there is an accelerated cause for concern. Positive action has been made since the report with numerous acts being highlighted and addressed.
Force responds to National Child Protection Inspection findings | Derbyshire Constabulary
Police are appealing to help trace Ryan Oates, a man who is wanted in connection with a number of shoplifting offences. He is a 41-year-old white male wanted for 10 shoplifting offences with the most recent ones taking place in Alfreton and Somercotes. He has no fixed abode and officers have not prevailed in finding the man. He is not to be approached if spotted but the police need to be contacted with reference 26*145250.
Wanted: Have you seen Ryan Oates? | Derbyshire Constabulary
Adrian Osiecki has been jailed for 16 months after a police pursuit that resulted in the death of another man inside the car. Officer pursued a BMW X5 towing a caravan following reports that it had been stolen from Oakerthorpe early in the morning on the 14th of February. Osiecki performed numerous dangerous manouvers including ramming police cars, swaying the caravan in the oath of pursuing veheciles and driving in the middle of the road. The caravan became unclipped from the BMW, allowing them to drive faster before going into a large amount of standing water and crashing into a wall on a bridge in Main Street, Egginton. Osiecki fled the scene of the crash however was arrested shortly after. A passenger in the car fled the scene and entered the flooded Egginton Brook where he was found by police and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service after their extensive search. He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Osiecki was charged with handling stolen goods, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and drug driving. He admitted the charges and was jailed and banned from driving for 2 years on the 15th of September after a hearing at Derby Crown Court.
Man jailed for 16 months following police pursuit during which a man died | Derbyshire Constabulary
Chesterfield man, Danny Hailes, jailed for child sex offences, rape and coercive control of a woman. Hailes had been arrested and was under investigation for his offences against the first victim, a teenage schoolgirl who had raised concerns about him, when he committed rape to the second victim a woman in her twenties. He was then arrested again after the second victim reported him and was subsequently charged with the offences of both victims however he denied all the charges. He was found guilty of all charges on the two victims and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on the 14th of September alongside being put on the Sex Offenders’ Register and the Child’s Barred List and was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and lifetime restraining orders in respect of his victims.
Chesterfield man jailed for child sex offences and rape and coercive control of woman | Derbyshire Constabulary
Absconding is escaping without overcoming physical security restraints such as fences, locks, handcuffs and staff meaning this is only possible in open prisons
Affray is a public order offence defined under the Public Order Act 1986 which involves the sue or threat of unlawful violence that causes a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for their safety.
UK News:
800 police officers from the Met launched a raid on organised crime operations across 5 counties in the UK. The police have arrested 17 people as a result of the raids which were part of a probe into a suspected organised crime group. The police raided 24 properties across London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. An officer was stabbed in the leg during the raids but was treated on the scene and injuries are non-life changing. Months of investigations led to the arrests and raids from a team of specialist Met detectives and HM Revenue and Customs and the Financial Conduct Authority. This led to the disruption of seven firms and the team are actively pursing a further 30. Many of the arrested offences are money laundering, false accounting, tax evasion and participating in the activities of an organised crime group but other offences were present such as an arrest for GBH.
‘Organised crime’ raid as 800 cops storm homes in 5 UK counties and officer stabbed - The Mirror
Andy Burnham has scrapped Starmer’s plans to stop jury trials for defendants on trial for a sentence less than 3 years. This plan was put in place to attempt to reduce the case backlog by having more either way offences resolved with just a judge and more indictable offences having a jury trial. However, something within the courts system needs to change as the case backlog according to the most recent Ministry of Justice figures is 80,829 cases are still needing to be dealt with meaning this figure has almost doubled since 2020. Courts Minister Sarah Sackman said this backlog could take nearly 300 years to clear to pre-COVID levels without reforms to the system being made.
Andy Burnham scraps Starmer-era plan to curb jury trials - but won't set target for courts backlog to fall | Politics News | Sky News
Global News:
Caleb Flynn, former American Idol contestant, has been found guilty of the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Flynn shot her in the back of the head twice whilst she slept in their home in Ohio. The murder occurred on the 16th of February, and he claimed that it was intruders that had shot his wife. He was also found guilty of eight charges against him for various other crimes such as aggravated murder and tampering with evidence meaning he faces life in prison without parole.
Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn found guilty of murdering wife - BBC News
A US convicted murderer, Christa Pike, was sentenced to death by lethal injection in Tennessee on the 30th of September. However, this execution failed and now Christa is in critical condition in the hospital as the two injections of pentobarbital failed to stop her heartbeat. She is unconscious and is intubated and, on a ventilator. Scientists believe that a ruptured vein or her thrombocytosis may have caused the failure of the execution. A ruptured vein would mean that the pentobarbital would have spread across the surface of the skin and not into the blood which it needs to be in to successful stop the heart. Thrombocytosis causes blood clots to form so if a clot formed at the injection site it could potentially have blocked the pentobarbital from entering her veins therefore it was ineffective. Hospital staff are now working to save her life however, if she survives, she may be left with a brain injury due to the delay of beginning resuscitation. A second attempt at execution may also occur as seen with Kenneth Eugene Smith.
What happened in the failed execution of Christa Pike - and what next? - BBC News