Here's our round up of the top cases in the crown courts this week. From murder trials to alleged gun-point kidnapping it's been another busy time.

A dementia-stricken grandmother was left for hours in soiled clothing before being ill treated, a court has heard.

Blessing Okeke-Nwojeh, 44, of Clayburn Circle, Basildon, and Hemlata Ramdin, 40, of Braybrooke, Basildon are standing trial at Basildon Crown Court charged with ill treatment.

The court was previously told the grandmother has severe dementia and the pair slapped, pulled and dragged her about at the Ghyllgrove Care Home in Basildon.

On Thursday Hemlata Ramdin told the jury the care home was understaffed with three workers for 30 patients.

The jury was previously told the incidents in 2019 were revealed after the worried granddaughter installed a camera in the woman’s room.

The court was previously shown short clips of the incidents which showed a care worker push and slap the woman.

It also recorded her screaming during the incidents at the care home and a family member sat in court crying as the footage was shown. The trial continues.

THE father of man who says he was robbed of £20,000 at gunpoint has told a court how he received a panicked phone call asking him to “sort the money”. 

The victim was allegedly held at gunpoint and forced to drive from Benfleet to Stifford Clays to collect the cash by a gang.

His father gave evidence at Basildon Crown Court and told the jury his son called out of the blue at 9pm on September 13 to collect £20,000.

Jade Quinn, 34, of Norfolk Close, Canvey and Stephen Musgrove, 24, of York Road, Southend are both are on trial charged with conspiring to kidnap and conspiring to commit robbery.

Shorn Charles-Chance and Karl Curtis, both 34, of Wanstead Lane, Ilford, are on trial charged with conspire to kidnap, conspire to commit robbery and possessing an imitation firearm. Charles-Chance is also charged with blackmail.

The dad told the court: “Something did not seem right. I was looking after £50,000 for him after he sold his house in Thailand.
“I got the call from him at about 9pm and he told me to sort the money. He was coming to get it and he would be about 10 minutes. The trial continues.

 

A TEENAGE boy has been found guilty of the murder of a father-of-four who had been celebrating his twin daughters’ second birthday.

The 16-year-old defendant stabbed James Gibbons after the 34-year-old challenged a group of youths who were harassing a homeless man, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed he was acting in self-defence and denied murder, but was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10 to two following a trial.

Family members of the defendant wept in court as the jury returned its verdict.

Simon Taylor QC, prosecuting, told jurors Mr Gibbons was yards from his home in Iris Mews, Laindon, when the defendant stabbed him four times on May 2 this year.

Mr Gibbons’ partner, Victoria Billingham, said she remembered him leaving their twin daughters’ birthday barbecue to speak to a homeless man, called Christopher French, outside.