Police roast criminal online by turning him into a meme
Lancashire Police have turned a convicted criminal into a meme as they playfully trolled an organised crime gang.
The police chose an unconventional communications method for informing the public that 14 men had been jailed for nearly 50 years for their involvement in activities including drug importation and burglary.
Rather than the usual stuffy police report, they decided to roast 21-year-old Samuel Walmsley by turning him in to a meme.
They shared a photo from his phone that was seized as evidence, showing him grinning with a wad of cash – alongside his mugshot.
Lancashire Police wrote: “How it started… how it’s going.”
The Twitter thread, which has seen literally thousands of people applauding the force’s social media strategy, has now reached almost 12 million people.
One person shared it writing: “LOOOL imagine you’ve been arrested and the official police account are mocking you.”
Someone else wrote: “Oh nah this enough for me to not do crimes i don’t wanna get clowned on by the police force on twitter.”
Another person said: “Imagine getting out of prison after 10 years and seeing the police clowning you on twitter.”
The force confirmed that Walmsley was one of fourteen men jailed for his role in crime conspiracies in Great Harwood, just outside Blackburn.
They blasted him and the other gang members for ‘capturing their criminal activities on film and brazenly mocking hard-working members of society’.
Other clips filmed by the criminals included them showing off stolen bank cards, changing the numberplate on a stolen van, selfies taken with huge amounts of money, and videos of two stolen Range Rovers, sharing footage on Snapchat.
The burglary and vehicle theft conspiracy involved defendants Kevin Docherty, Samuel Walmsley, Noah Mulligan and Jordan Whittam.
Officers first began their investigation on 7 October when they stopped an Audi, which later crashed, and arrested Mulligan and Walmsley.
A warrant was executed at Whittam’s house, with £1,200 of cannabis recovered, and his telephone was seized. Messages and videos on his phone implicated himself and his co-defendants in burglaries.
Walmsley’s own phone revealed him to be involved in the supply of cocaine and cannabis.
Mulligan’s phone contained a video of the defendants trying to smash a ruby jewel out of a ring stolen from a burglary.
The defendants were sentenced to the following:
- Wasim Shah, 28/07/1987, of Arncliffe Avenue, Accrington, charged with being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession with intent to supply cannabis. Jailed for four years.
- Hassan Mahmood, 11/10/2002, of St Edmund Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis. Jailed for nine months.
- Yaser Kabel, 23/03/1988, of St Edmund Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Jailed for four years and 10 months.
- Nasar Kabel, 10/09/1982, of St Cecilia Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Jailed for five years and 10 months.
- Babber Maqsood, 28/05/1987, of St Edmund Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Jailed for five years.
- Mathew Walduck, 08/06/1987, of NFA, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis, and possession with intent to supply cocaine. To be sentenced at a later date.
- Callum Bradley, 26/01/2001, of Glebe Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for two years and three months.
- Idnan Yakub, 25/02/1986, of Fernlea Drive, Clayton-le-Moors, charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine. Jailed for three years and nine months.
- Ben Pilkington, 12/10/1984, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis resin, producing cannabis and conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. Jailed for two years and eight months.
- Andrew Taylor, 13/11/1986, of Higher Gate Road, Accrington, charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis resin, possessing criminal property and conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. Jailed for two years and eight months.
- David Grundy, 23/05/1998, of Blackburn Road, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis resin and conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. Sentenced to 13 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.
- Carl Taylor, 20/01/1983, of Earl Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis resin and conspiracy to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. Jailed for two years and eight months.
- Kevin Docherty, 27/09/1995, of Beaconsfield Street, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. Jailed for two and a half years.
- Samuel Walmsley, 07/11/2002, of Cliffe Lane, Great Harwood, charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. Jailed for two years and four months.
- Noah Mulligan, 13/09/2001, of Petre Crescent, Rishton, is charged with being concerned in the supply of cannabis, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. Jailed for two years and a half years.
- Jordan Whittam, 26/06/2003, of Cross Street, Great Harwood, charged with being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession with intent to supply cannabis, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. Jailed for two years and seven months.
DS Stu Peall, of the East Exploitation Team, said: “These defendants caused a great deal of misery in Great Harwood and surrounding areas, exploiting some of the most vulnerable members of society for pure greed. Some even thought it appropriate to capture their criminal activities on film and brazenly mock hard-working members of society.
“This significant policing operation has led to separate OCGs operating in the same town being dismantled and its members put before the courts. I hope the outcome of this case sends a strong message that Lancashire Police will not tolerate criminal activity of any kind and put those who wish to engage in it before the courts.”
The operation was part of Operations Warrior and Defender, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden’s Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime and robustly and pro-actively tackling burglary.
Mr Snowden said: “This is a fantastic result and credit to the hard work and dedication of the Constabulary’s officers.
“Disrupting and dismantling organised crime and cracking down on burglary and robbery are key priorities in my Fighting Crime Plan for Lancashire and the Constabulary continues to deliver against those through targeted operations like Op Warrior and Op Defender, taking the fight to criminals and making sure they have their day in court.
“Organised crime gangs are a blight on society as they bring fear, violence, drugs and exploitation into Lancashire and I would encourage anyone who has any information to come forward and report it to the police or anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers.”
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Featured image: Lancashire Police