A burglary which left a man in a critical condition, a drug dealer nicked and gold medals stolen – it’s been a busy week for Avon and Somerset police in the Bristol area this week.
Officers with the constabulary have also raided a huge cannabis factory and have dealt with a series of missing young people down in Somerset too, as well as several serious road traffic collisions, including one that closed the A370 at Flax Bourton for hours.
The weekly round up of the incidents of crime that have been the subject of Bristol Live reporting this week begins with the sad story of a British Olympic legend, whose gold medals have been stolen in a burglary from his widow’s home.
READ MORE:
- Young volunteer soldier from West Country killed in action in Ukraine
- We can tell if you’re really from Bristol in just 15 questions
Richard Meade was a legend of the equestrian world, and won two golds for Britain at the 1972 Olympics. He passed away in 2015 and the gold medals understandably hold huge sentimental value for his wife Angela.
They were stolen before, many years ago when Richard was still alive, but were returned to the family after a police appeal. This time, they were taken again in a burglary at a house near Marshfield in South Gloucestershire, at some point last week – between Tuesday, October 29 and Friday, November 1.
Angela Meade, Richard’s wife, said: “Richard died in 2015 and these medals hold a special place in the hearts of our whole family. We are all extremely proud of his achievements as an event rider, and whilst the medals are of very little monetary value, they are priceless to us.
“I would plead for anyone who knows the whereabouts of the medals to hand them in to the police or any other safe place as soon as possible, or for anyone who sees them to contact the police,” she added.
You can read more about the gold medals being stolen here.
Violent Keynsham burglary
A man was left in a critical condition in hospital by an attack at his home in Keynsham. The man opened the door to two men at around 1.30am last Sunday, who barged in and attacked him.
Police appealed for information about this shocking crime, which happened in Tenbury Road. One of the men was wearing a mask – both were white aged in their 20s and 30s. The victim had alcohol and mobile phones stolen and was taken to hospital, but his condition worsened. You can read more about this here.
Drug dealer arrested
A man was arrested on Stapleton Road in Easton on Monday by police on patrol, and by Wednesday he was convicted of some serious offences. Officers stopped and searched Ismail Ismail and found 176 wraps of crack and heroin, and also seized a Sur-Ron bike and more than £1,000 in cash.
He was in court on Wednesday, and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply, as well as possession of a bladed article and breaching a Behaviour Order. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month. You can read more about what happened to Ismail here.
Four arrested after helicopter search
A police officer had a day off on Thursday afternoon and went to Warmley, but happened to spot some vehicles there that were suspected of being involved in a number of burglaries in B&NES and South Gloucestershire. So a pursuit began with police calling in the helicopter to track four men who attempted to run off on foot.
They found stolen goods as well as drugs, stolen cigarettes, vapes and alcohol. You can read more about this stroke of luck – combined with good memory – here.
Hunt for two robbers
Police are searching for two people – a man and a woman – who they want to talk to about a theft from a car in Berry Hill Close in Southmead. Avon and Somerset issued an appeal after releasing CCTV images of the two. A purse and AirPods were taken in the theft last month, and a bank card from the purse was used at a petrol station in Westbury-on-Trym the following night. You can read more about this appeal, here.