News
GMP officer jailed for trying to lie his way out of a speeding offence
He was trying to dodge a speeding fine and points.
A serving Greater Manchester Police officer has been jailed for four months after it emerged he had lied about a speeding offence.
PC Raja Yousaf, 28, tried to report his number plates as having been stolen, and said that he was in Stockport at the time of the speeding incident.
But a patrol car had recognised him as the driver of a car driving at speed in Oldham.
PC Yousaf’s story quickly unravelled through a police investigation, and he was arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice.
The initial speeding incident occurred on 30 July 2021, around midnight, when the patrol recognised PC Yousaf driving a BMW at speed.
Officers lost sight of the car and then tried to stop it using emergency equipment, but the vehicle drove off, last seen on Greenacres Road.
20 minutes later, PC Yousaf reported his plates as stolen.
In September 2021, he attended Oldham Police Station, and, under caution, denied he had been in the car.
He said that he had been in Stockport at the time that the speeding vehicle was spotted.
Investigations proved that PC Yousaf’s mobile phone had been in Oldham on the night in question – not Stockport – and he was subsequently arrested and later charged with perverting the course of justice.
PC Yousaf, who works in GMP’s Tameside district, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in June and was sentenced at the same court on 30 August.
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He has been suspended from duty since June 2022 and will now face internal disciplinary proceedings.
Featured image: GMP
News
Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
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Featured image: The Manc Group
News
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
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BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Featured Image – BTP
Daisy Jackson -
31st August 2023 
