Essex News & Investigations

3 days ago | essexnewsandinvestigations.com | Jon Austin

A man accused of helping to arrange the murder of a drugs courier using an EncroChat mobile phone device refused in court to name the alleged gang boss behind the plot. Giving evidence for the first time during his trial at the Old Bailey Jayes Kharouti, 39, from Epson, Surrey, was asked by a barrister if he would reveal the identity of the user of the EncroChat device known as 'thetopsking'.

3 days ago | essexnewsandinvestigations.com | Jon Austin

Police have launched an appeal for assistance to help find a vulnerable woman who has severed contact with family and friends for more than three months. The Met Police issued the appeal after a confirmed sighting of her in the Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel, on Wednesday, May 14. Portia Vincent-Kirby, 33, has been missing from Finchley since she was last seen on Friday, 21 February at around 8:45pm in Hyde Park. After leaving her friends, she is believed to have gone to Victoria Station.

3 days ago | essexnewsandinvestigations.com | Jon Austin

Francis Coggins, the suspected joint head of the Liverpool 'Huyton Firm' has been arrested in a Dutch coastal town. Coggins, age 60, was arrested outside a residential property in the coastal town of Zandvoort yesterday, Tuesday, June 3 2025, by officers from the Dutch National Police. He was taken into custody after ongoing work between the National Crime Agency 9NCA), the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and the Dutch National Police.

4 days ago | essexnewsandinvestigations.com | Jon Austin

Alleged rug boss James Harding is not the biological father of a girl he was bringing up as his daughter, his trial heard today. Harding, 34, alleged by the prosecution, to be a "cocaine kingpin", who controlled an operation importing cocaine to the UK that generated £5million in profit in only ten weeks, from a luxury Dubai villa, was ruled out as being the girl's biological father by DNA tests for both the defence and prosecution, the Old Bailey heard today.

4 days ago | essexnewsandinvestigations.com | Jon Austin

Convicted 'Essex Boys' triple killer Michael Steele (top right) has finally been released from prison after a failed bid by the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to keep him behind bars. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson today confirmed the release happened this month. She said: "Michael Steele was released from prison in May 2025. “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Craig Rolfe, Tony Tucker and Pat Tate.