A 17-year-old from Bolton has been jailed for life for the murder of another teenager outside a busy Bury shopping centre last year.
King Sibanda, from Kearsley in Bolton, appeared in Manchester Crown Court yesterday (23 February), and was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of possession of a bladed article and the murder of Abdikarim Ahmed back in March 2022.
18-year-old Abdikarim was stabbed outside the Millgate Shopping Centre in Bury on Friday 11 March 2022.
Following the attack, Abdikarim – who was described as “loving and caring” by his family in an emotional tribute released at the time – sought help in a nearby bar and was given first aid by staff, but tragically passed away as a result of his injuries after being taken to hospital.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) a post-mortem revealed the cause of Abdikarim’s death was a large stab wound to the left side of his chest.
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Pathologists said the would “would have taken considerable force to inflict”.
Sibanda will serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars for the murder of Abdikarim, as well as being sentenced to a further 12 months for the possession of a bladed article offence – with judges ordering the sentences were to run concurrently.
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GMP has now stressed that “knives will not be tolerated” and people should “think very carefully about the consequences” of carrying a knife in a fresh appeal to the public.
“This was a senseless attack that resulted in another life lost to knife crime,” said Detective Sergeant Andrew Middleton of GMP’s Major Incident Team.
“Knives will not be tolerated on the streets of Greater Manchester and GMP will continue to actively pursue those involved in knife crime to make our communities safer.
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“There are no positives to carrying a knife and I would urge anyone who might be carrying a knife or thinking of carrying a knife to think very carefully about the consequences. If you have concerns that someone you know or care about is carrying or hiding a knife, please talk to them about the consequences.”
18-year-old Abdikarim Ahmed was stabbed to death in March 2022 / Credit: GMP
The force urged people report anyone carrying a knife “for their safety and for the safety of everyone else”, and explained that help is available via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111, or through visiting the Fearless campaign website.
You can also report on the GMP website, call 101, or even dial 999 in the event of an emergency.
“The verdict cannot bring Abdikarim back, but I hope it brings some reassurance to know that the offender is behind bars and facing justice for his actions which have brought pain and suffering to a loving family,” DS Middleton concluded.
Featured Image – GMP
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Government to begin giving millions of UK workers ‘significant’ pay rises from this week
Emily Sergeant
The Government is to begin giving more than three million workers across the UK a ‘significant pay boost’ from this week.
Announced as part of last year’s Budget, and in a bid to ‘put thousands of pounds back in the pockets of working people every year’, the Government confirmed back at the beginning of February that a new National Living Wage of £12.21 per hour, and a new National Minimum Wage of £10 per hour would take effect from April onwards.
Ministers said the 6.7% increase to the National Living Wage – which is now worth £1,400 a year for an eligible full-time worker – is a ‘significant step’ towards delivering the manifesto commitment to deliver a ‘genuine’ living wage.
Today, millions of working people will get a pay rise as the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage increase.
New rates:
🔹 from £11.44 to £12.21 if you’re 21 and over 🔹 from £8.60 to £10.00 if you’re 18-20 🔹 from £6.40 to £7.55 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 1, 2025
On top of this, the National Minimum Wage for 18-20-year-olds is also set to go up by a record increase of £1.40 an hour, which means full-time younger workers eligible for the rate will see their pay boosted by £2,500 a year.
The minimum wage pay boot has also been called the first step towards removing the ‘unfair’ age-bands that see a 21-year-old getting paid more than a 20-year-old for doing the same job.
According to the Government, this is also the first time the National Living Wage has taken into account the cost of living and inflation.
Three million UK workers will be getting a ‘significant’ pay rise from this week / Credit: Pexels
“In the last Parliament, living standards were the worst on record and sky-high inflation was crushing working people’s finances,” commented Chancellor Rachel Reeves, explaining why the pay boosts are being introduced.
“Making work pay is good for workers, will strengthen businesses’ workforces, and will grow our economy for years to come.
“It’s a key milestone on my number one mission to get more money in people’s pockets as we deliver our Plan for Change.”
Not only that, but the minimum hourly wage for an apprentice is also set to be boosted later this year too, with an 18-year-old apprentice seeing their minimum hourly pay increase by 18% to £7.55 an hour.
As a result of these particular changes, a further four million workers also could benefit from the positive spill-over impacts of the rate increases.
Featured Image –
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Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
24th February 2023 
