A 30-year-old man who fled the country to escape a court appearance for the ‘heinous’ sexual assault of a pensioner in Grimsby has been caught and jailed, almost a decade after he was charged.
Merza Ahmad, 30, of Elm Road, Cleethorpes was first charged with sexual assault in 2011, and following a first court appearance in May of that year, he fled the country.
Officers issued an arrest warrant on him and searched high and low to locate Ahmad, eventually finding him in Sligo, Ireland in 2020.
Detectives were granted a European arrest warrant and flew him back to the UK to stand trial for the historic case.
During his court appearance, the court heard how the ‘perverted’ man forced himself on the woman at a house on Freeman Street in Grimsby.
The victim was 65-years-old at the time, over three times the age of the suspect.
Ahmad was jailed for two years and four months, as well as being given ten years on the sex offenders register, following a three day trial at Grimsby Crown Court.
Detective constable Christ Clarke of Humberside Police, leading the enquiry, said: “Being a victim of sexual assault is understandably a deeply traumatic experience and can be incredibly difficult to speak up about.
“I can only applaud the bravery of the woman who was subjected to this horrifying attack for reporting what had happened to her, and for the strength she has shown throughout the entire painstaking investigation.
“Mr Ahmad thought he could run and hide, but he couldn’t. Humberside Police were dedicated to finding him and bringing him to justice for his actions, which I feel has now been served.
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We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.
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