ESN Report

05/06/2026

On 20 December 2025, a woman in her 50s was at home in Leicester when 39-year-old Sebastian Kudlak forced his way in carrying a flick knife and an imitation firearm. She had opened the inner door thinking it was her daughter. What followed was two hours of sustained and calculated violence.

Kudlak punched the victim repeatedly in the face, tied her hands behind her back with cable ties, and marched her upstairs. He then forced her to change her clothes and wash her hair, spraying her with Dettol in a deliberate attempt to remove forensic evidence. He used cleaning sprays throughout the house, stole her phone, purse, watch, charger, dressing gown and towels, and threatened to kill her and her family if she went to the police.

What he did not account for was the scratch the victim managed to inflict during the attack. The blood left on a duvet was submitted for fast-track DNA analysis and came back as a direct match. Pet camera footage captured him working through the property with cleaning products. CCTV placed him at the scene. And the victim, still restrained, found a way to call for help using her Alexa smart speaker.

He was arrested on Christmas morning at his home less than a mile away on the same road.

On 27 May 2026 at Leicester Crown Court, Kudlak pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, threatening with a bladed article, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and false imprisonment. Judge Keith Raynor, who described the offence as "utterly chilling," sentenced him to 12 years and 3 months as an extended sentence. He will serve more than eight years before he can even be considered for parole, with three years on licence to follow and a 15-year restraining order.

Detective Constable Kate Dabrowska of Leicestershire Police's Complex Investigation Team said the attack was "completely random" and that the victim had no prior connection to Kudlak whatsoever. She thanked everyone involved in securing the evidence that identified and arrested him, adding that the hard work of the team meant he was in custody before he could cause any further harm.

The victim's bravery throughout, including fighting back and using her smart speaker while still tied up, was central to the case.

Do you think an extended sentence with no automatic early release is the right approach for offences like this one?

03/06/2026

Henry Nowak was 18 years old. He told the officers standing over him that he had been stabbed. He was handcuffed.

As former 999 personnel, we have never known a colleague dismiss a claim of stabbing. Not once. You always check. It is the absolute floor of what it means to respond to a 999 call.

In this article, we share our honest assessment of what happened that night, and ask the harder question: how did British policing arrive at this point?

We cover the footage. The 999 call and the language used in it. The officers who warned this was happening and were removed from their posts for speaking out. The High Court rulings that vindicated them. The Hampshire Race Action Plan. The cases of Bianca Williams and PC Lathwood. And the senior leadership that has stayed silent throughout all of it.

Our thoughts and condolences remain with Henry's family, who have conducted themselves with extraordinary dignity throughout.

After ten years on 999 response, I have never known a colleague dismiss a claim of stabbing.

01/06/2026

The civilian chief executive of the Police Federation of England and Wales has been sacked, two months after his arrest on suspicion of fraud by abuse of position.

Mukund Krishna's employment was terminated on 31 May 2026. A PFEW spokesman confirmed: "His basic salary, without bonus, was paid up to that point. He will not receive any further payments."

Krishna was appointed as the PFEW's first ever chief executive, arriving from a management consultancy background with no policing experience. His salary was reported to exceed £700,000 a year including bonuses, funded by the subscriptions of 145,000 rank-and-file officers up to the rank of chief inspector.

His tenure was defined by the treatment of two democratically elected federation chairs. PC Rick Prior of the Metropolitan Police Federation and PS Richard Cooke of the West Midlands Police Federation were both suspended after making public comments about race and policing. Both fought their suspensions through the courts with the support of the Free Speech Union.

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01/06/2026

Two Would-Be Hitmen Convicted After Botched Shooting Plan in Smethwick

Two men who set out to commit a targeted shooting have been convicted of serious fi****ms offences after their plot unravelled spectacularly - when one of them accidentally shot the other before they could reach their target.

Adam Liaqat, 19, of Middlemore Road, Sandwell, and Asad Khan, 22, of Lones Road, West Bromwich, were parked on St Paul's Road in Smethwick at just before 4.30am on 23 November last year when the gun they were carrying discharged accidentally. Liaqat, who was driving, fired in error, leaving his passenger and accomplice Khan with serious leg injuries.

Rather than call emergency services, Khan made his own way to hospital by taxi, where he initially claimed to be unclear about what had happened.

West Midlands Police's Major Crime Team launched an investigation and quickly began piecing together the truth.

Officers established that the vehicle the pair had been using, a Mitsubishi Outlander, had been stolen from Rowley Regis the previous evening. When Khan's mobile phone was seized following his arrest, investigators discovered a message which indicated that he and Liaqat had been on their way to carry out a shooting of their own before their mishap. A subsequent search of Khan's address recovered crack co***ne.

Liaqat was arrested on 2 December after a pursuit involving a Honda Accord he was driving, despite holding only a provisional licence. His passenger, Yakuba Sawaneh, 19, of Perry Common, was in the vehicle when Class A drugs and a burner phone were thrown from the windows during the chase before the car was stopped in Oldbury.

All three men stood trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. On 21 May, the jury returned its verdicts:

• Adam Liaqat was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to driving offences.
• Asad Khan was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of Class A drugs.
• Yakuba Sawaneh was found guilty of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

DC Emily Fowler, from the Major Crime Team, said:

"Through our enquiries we established Khan and Liaqat were in the stolen vehicle with a gun. There were messages which indicated they were on their way to shoot someone themselves, although we don't know who that was.

"At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged. Khan made his own way to hospital and we started to establish exactly what happened.

"The pair had clearly put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates. However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan.

"Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan's own. Illegally-owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous and it's why we're taking action all year-round to tackle gun crime and find offenders.

"It's clear Liaqat, Khan and Sawaneh were all linked to drugs and he has also rightly been convicted for his illegal activity too. All three face losing their freedom and spending time behind bars."

All three are due to be sentenced on 30 July.

27/05/2026

Off-Duty Officer Tackled Armed Man in Crisis and Was Named Overall Bravery Award Winner

At around 6pm on 4 June 2025, PC James Robson was off-duty and walking with his partner when they came across a man in serious crisis. The man had deep lacerations to both wrists and was bleeding heavily. He was holding a Stanley knife and was highly agitated.

PC Robson did not walk away.

The man threatened to stab him. Rather than backing off, PC Robson attempted to de-escalate the situation. When that was not enough, he made the decision to act. He tackled the man to the ground, disarmed him, and held him in place until other officers arrived.

The man was subsequently arrested and taken to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries and mental health support.

PC Robson was off duty. He had no obligation to intervene. He had no back-up with him. He was unarmed, facing a man with a knife who had already threatened to use it. He stepped in anyway.

For those actions, PC Robson was named overall winner at the South Yorkshire Police Federation Bravery Awards, the highest recognition the Federation can give.

It takes something to run towards a situation like that when you are off duty.

Congratulations to PC James Robson. An absolutely deserved recognition.

What do you think about the way bravery is recognised in policing? Share your thoughts below.

25/05/2026

Essex Police Dog and Handler Named Best in the Country

PC Martin Swain and his German Shepherd police dog PD Kaiser have been awarded the National Police Chiefs' Council Police Dogs General Patrol Dog Award, recognising them as the best canine crimefighting partnership in England and Wales.

PC Swain, who has served with Essex Police for 19 years and spent the past decade as a dog handler, has been Kaiser's handler since the five-year-old German Shepherd was just eight weeks old. Kaiser lives at home with him and his family.

The award recognises exceptional operational work over the past year. During one incident on the A13, Kaiser pursued a suspect into a deep water ditch, going under the surface to make the stop. In another, he detained an offender in a field while being repeatedly assaulted. He also carried out long and complex tracks to locate burglary suspects.

PC Swain said: "We were lucky enough to be nominated for the work we've done over the past year, but a lot of that is down to Kaiser. He's an exceptional dog. I just hold on to the end of the lead. We work really well together, and he's done some unbelievable work."

Of his dog's character, PC Swain added: "He's very determined and very demanding, he loves work and he loves to play. He's a joy to work with, but he's also a challenge. He's everything you could want in a police dog. He's not a mundane, robotic dog. He's the complete opposite of that."

PC Swain was clear that the award reflects the whole team. "I'm incredibly proud of Kaiser, and we've never won anything like this before, but it's really for the whole Dog Section, the people who helped train him and all the officers who do the work that leads to these deployments. It's a real team effort. He's a great dog and it's the highlight of my career, for sure."

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington congratulated PC Swain and PD Kaiser on the achievement.

What do you think of the work PD Kaiser and PC Swain do every day? Drop a comment below👇

25/05/2026

Serial Burglar Who Commuted by Train to Target Surrey and Sussex Homes Jailed for Six Years

A serial burglar who used the rail network to systematically target homes across Surrey and Sussex has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to ten burglaries and two counts of fraud by false representation.

Darren Alleyne, 44, of no fixed abode, spent seven months between July 2025 and March 2026 treating burglary like a day job. He would commute by train to towns across the region, prowl streets looking for insecure or empty properties, force his way through front or back doors, and walk out with high-value electronics and jewellery stuffed into a large shopping bag. He then boarded a train home, blending in with ordinary commuters, and sold the stolen goods for cash.

To make himself harder to trace, Alleyne changed mobile phones regularly throughout his offending. It was painstaking detective work by Surrey Police, piecing together CCTV footage and doorbell camera recordings recovered from across the area, that ultimately brought him to justice.

He was arrested in Brighton after travelling there by train. Officers found him already in possession of stolen items, having committed further burglaries in the city.

Alleyne was charged on 25 March 2026 and remanded in custody. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced on 15 May 2026 at Guildford Crown Court.

PC Luke Lightburn of Surrey Police's Proactive Investigation Team said: "Alleyne literally treated burglary as his job. He would commute regularly by train, find a place to break into, and brazenly travel home with a bag of stolen goods as if nothing had happened. Due to the manner of his offending, it took some time to track Alleyne down and pull together all the evidence we needed. I am pleased that, following months of determination and teamwork, we were able to hunt him down and get him behind bars."

23/05/2026

28-year-old man who ran a lucrative drug supply line in Chelmsford has been jailed for five years and nine months after admitting his role in the supply of co***ne and M**A.

Callum Polley was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 15 May 2026, following an Essex Police investigation that began in 2023 after members of the public reported a suspected drug deal in the Baddow Road area. It is a case that shows exactly why community tip-offs matter.

When officers searched Polley, they found co***ne, scales, cash and resealable bags. The full picture that emerged was of a man who had built a serious criminal operation. Over a 12-month period, roughly £90,000 passed through his bank account. He directed workers, including young people, to carry out the day-to-day running of the line, and used enforcers to intimidate those involved.

Polley came to court carrying nine previous convictions for 15 offences, including violence and drug dealing. He is not someone who stumbled into this. He knew exactly what he was doing.

DC Andrew Sumners, who led the investigation, welcomed the result.

The sentence reflects the seriousness of county lines-style drug supply operations and the real harm they cause to communities. Drug dealing of this kind does not just affect those directly involved. It draws young people into criminality, funds violence, and blights the neighbourhoods where it operates.

Essex Police have been consistent in pursuing cases like this, and the Chelmsford community can take credit for setting this investigation in motion with that initial report.

Image Credit: Essex Police

23/05/2026

Three Merseyside Police Dogs Qualify in Cash, Drugs and Fi****ms Detection

Three Merseyside Police dogs have successfully passed their cash, drugs and fi****ms detection course, and are now ready to go to work.

Brothers Gary and Dobby, along with their cousin Buzz, completed the specialist training with flying colours, according to Merseyside Police Dogs. The force thanked their instructor for getting the trio through the course.

Detection dogs are a vital part of modern policing, capable of locating hidden cash, controlled substances and fi****ms in situations where human search alone would take far longer, or find nothing at all. Having three newly qualified dogs joining the detection capability at once is a significant boost.

Gary, Dobby and Buzz are now cleared to deploy on the streets of Merseyside 💙

21/05/2026

From Battersea stray to ambulance service hero: meet Jaffa the care dog

When Jaffa arrived at Battersea Dogs Home at just 12 weeks old, his future looked uncertain. A poorly stray with a serious liver condition, he needed major surgery and round-the-clock foster care simply to survive. Few would have predicted that this small, struggling puppy would one day be bringing comfort and calm to frontline ambulance crews on one of the toughest jobs in the country.

Jaffa made a full recovery, a testament to the dedication of the team at Battersea and the foster carers who saw him through. When he was adopted by Lyn and Andy, that second chapter quickly became something remarkable. Andy volunteers with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service Care Dog Team, and it did not take long for him to recognise something special in Jaffa's nature. Confident, affectionate, and instinctively attuned to the people around him, Jaffa was trained as a working care dog.

Today, he spends his days alongside frontline ambulance staff, offering a moment of stillness and warmth in the middle of shifts that ask an enormous amount of the people working them. The emotional toll on emergency service workers is well documented, and initiatives like care dog programmes are increasingly recognised as a meaningful part of staff welfare. Jaffa does not carry a medical kit or respond to emergency calls. What he does is sit with someone who needs it, and sometimes that is exactly enough.

Ali, Head of Animal Behaviour at Battersea, put it simply: "He's a wonderful example of what rescue dogs can achieve when given a second chance."

Jaffa's story is a reminder that the animals we rescue do not just repay us in companionship. Sometimes they go further than we ever expected.

What do you think of care dog programmes for emergency service staff? Have you seen a scheme like this make a difference? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credit: Battersea