All the murder investigations launched in Sheffield in one year after 15 deaths

The latest investigation was triggered following the discovery of a body in a property in Crofton Avenue, Hillsborough, at around midday on Tuesday.

No other details have been released, including the sex or age of the deceased, but South Yorkshire Police is treating the death as murder, with Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Knowles pledging that the force will do all it can to “bring those responsible to justice”.

He said: “We are aware of the shock this will cause to the local community. I want to reassure you that extensive enquiries will be carried out to understand what has happened to this person and bring those responsible to justice.

“The investigation is in the very early stages and at this time we are unable to provide any further information as to who they are, but we are working at pace to be able to provide answers to the potential family and friends of the victim.

“If anyone has any information they believe could help our investigation, please get in touch.”

The murder investigation is the second launched in Sheffield in less than a week, after a teenage boy was stabbed to death in Crookes last Thursday.

Anyone with details on any of the incidents referred to here should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Details of the other murder investigations launched over the last 12 months:

Thursday, May 25, 2023: Mohammed Iqbal

Mohammed Iqbal, aged 17,was found seriously injured on the main road running through Crookes at 7pm on Thursday, May 25. He had been stabbed once.

Peshawa Ghaffour, 29, of Birkendale Road, Walkley, Sheffield, has been charged with murder. He also faces charges of possession of a firearm on arrest, possession of a bladed article, being in possession of an offensive weapon when in a private place, and assault by beating.

Two other men have been arrested as part of the investigation. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug, assault and affray. He was later bailed. A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and also bailed.

Monday, May 8, 2023: Adam Abdul-Basit

Officers from South Yorkshire Police were called out to an incident on Smelter Wood Drive at around 1pm on Monday, May 8, after receiving reports that a man had been assaulted.

Upon arrival, Adam Abdul-Basit was found with critical injuries, and despite the best efforts of medical professionals he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with the murder of 19-year-old Adam Abdul-Basit, who died after being stabbed while on Smelter Wood Drive, Stradbroke on Monday, May 8, 2023.

They both appeared at Sheffield Crown Court in front of The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

The defendants, both of whom were dressed in pale grey tracksuits, spoke only to confirm their names and have been remanded into custody until their next hearing at the court.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 409 of May 8, 2023.

Sunday, April 9, 2023: Abdullah Hassan

Abdullah Hassan, aged 25, died in an incident in the Callow Drive area of Gleadless Valley at around 1.30am on Easter Sunday (April 9, 2023). Efforts were made to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post mortem examination revealed he died as a result of a single gunshot wound.

Abdullah’s loved ones have described him as “a massive pillar in our family”. They said “it is beyond painful to lose him in such tragic circumstances”.

They added: “There is only one way to describe him. He was one of a kind, inside and out.”

A 27-year-old Sheffield woman was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday April 18, Sheffield police said. Three men, aged 44, 28 and 26, were also detained on suspicion of murder on April 17, 2023 and a fourth man, aged 26, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Anyone with information should call police on 101, and quote incident number 74 of April 9, 2023.

Tuesday, February 28: Sarah Brierley

Sarah Brierley, aged 49, was found dead inside a property on Skelton Close, Woodhouse, Sheffield, shortly after 8am, on February 20, according to South Yorkshire Police.

A man and woman have been charged as part of the murder probe investigation.

A forensic post mortem examination confirmed that Sarah died from serious head injuries.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023: Marcia Grant

Greenhill was left in shock, after ‘kind and generous’ Marcia Grant, who was 60-years-old, died in an incident outside her house on the evening of Wednesday, April 5, 2023, with police being called to the scene at around 7.10pm.

A 12-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been charged with Ms Grant’s murder. He appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on April 28, 2023, and while no plea has yet been entered, a trial date has been fixed for October 2, 2023.

Following Ms Grant’s death, she was described as a ‘pillar of the communuty’ in floral tributes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting incident number 736 of April 5, 2023, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Sunday, November 27, 2022: Bryan and Mary Andrews

Bryan and Mary Andrews were found critically injured in their home in Terrey Road, Totley, on the morning of November 27, 2022.

The couple died a short time later. Shortly afterwards, officers arrested and charged the couple’s son, 51-year-old James Andrews, of Reney Avenue, Greenhill, with their murder.

South Yorkshire Police subsequently confirmed that the cause of death for both Mr and Mrs Andrews has been determined to be ‘stab wounds,’ following post-mortem examinations. James Andrews, who is also known as Duncan, aged 51, of Reney Avenue, in Greenhill, Sheffield, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, April 28.

During the course of the hearing, Andrews denied both counts of murder but pleaded guilty to two alternative counts of manslaughter, on the basis of ‘diminished responsibilty’.

He is now due to be sentenced on June 15, 2023.

Thursday, September 29, 2022: Reece Radford

Reece Radford was just 26-years-old when he suffered a fatal stab wound through his chest and heart, during an altercation that took place on Arundel Gate in Sheffield city centre in the early hours of September 29, 2022. He died less than a week later on October 4, 2022.

Louis James, aged 47, of Manor Lane, Sheffield, and Dereck Owusu, aged 40, of Strathmore Grove, at Wath-upon-Dearne, near Rotherham, were found guilty of Mr Radford’s murder on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 following a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Judge Sarah Wright sent the pair to begin their life sentences in a hearing held at the same court on Thursday, May 4, 2023, and fixed 47-year-old James’ minimum term at 25 years, while Owusu, aged 40, of Strathmore Grove, Wath-upon-Dearne, was told he must spend at least 15 years behind bars.

Saturday, September 3, 2022: David Ford

David Ford died after he was struck by his own car in an incidnet on Cricket Inn Road, near Park Hill, on Saturday, September 3, 2022.

Jermaine Richards, aged 31, of Wordsworth Drive, Parson Cross, Sheffield, went on trial at Sheffield Crown Court earlier this year, accused of Mr Ford’s murder.

Richards had sought to deny his guilt, but jurors found him guilty along with an additional charge of wounding with intent relating to injuries inflicted upon Ryan Ford, Mr Ford’s son, in the same incident.

He was sentenced him to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 26 years.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022: Simon Wilkinson

Simon Wilkinson, aged 50, was pronounced dead at his home on Fox Hill Road on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 after emergency services were called to reports of an assault.

Judge Sarah Wright jailed Mr Wilkinson’s killer and next-door neighbour, Andrew Hague, aged 31, formerly of Fox Hill Road, Fox Hill, Sheffield, for life, and ordered him to serve a minimum of 17 years in custody, during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday, May 9) after admitting to Mr Wilkinson’s murder in an earlier hearing.

Hague beat Mr Wilkinson to death in an unprovoked assault outside the flats they both lived in on Fox Hill Road, in Fox Hill, Sheffield, with numerous people witnessing the savage killing on the evening of Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

“This was an unremitting and merciless attack upon a neighbour of yours where you took the decision during the savage assault to kill him,” Judge Wright told Hague.

Saturday, July 23, 2022: Michael Rose

Emergency services rushed out to Bowshaw Close, Batemoor, at 11pm on Saturday, July 23, 2022 following the discovery of a man with life-threatening injuries.

Michael Rose, aged 59, could not be saved and sadly died. Levi Hampsey, of Lowedges Crescent, Sheffield, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on July 25, 2022 charged with the man’s murder. Court proceedings are still ongoing.

Call police on 101, quoting incident number 1,087 of July 23, 2022.

Wednesday, June 16, 2022: Kevin Hodkinson

Kevin Hodkinson, aged 50, died following an incident at a fishing pond, off Herries Road, Shirecliffe.

At 9.21pm on Thursday, June 16, 2022 emergency services were called to reports of concern for a man at the pond.

The father of three, from Sheffield, was taken to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.

Kieran Hayes, 33, of Oxspring Bank Road, Sheffield, was charged with Mr Hodkinson’s murder, but the charge was downgraded to one of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished reponsibility. He was sentenced to a hospital order, under Section 37/41 of the Mental Health Act 1983, during a sentencing hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Summarising the circumstances of the ‘terrible events’ that led to Mr Hodkinson’s tragic death, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: “The deceased was drowned by the defendant. This was an entirely deliberate act. But for the mental condition of the defendant this would have been a clear case of murder. The conduct of the defendant amounted to an intention to kill the deceased. It’s pertinent to note that the defendant, it appears, had taken crack cocaine at the relevant time. There’s no doubt that he was in a delusional state as a result of paranoid schizophrenia.”

Judge Richardson continued: “The defendant suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, and has suffered from that for something in excess of 10 years. At the relevant time, he was of the deluded view that the deceased was, in some way repsonsible, for committing an act of violence against a family member. He was deluded as to who the deceased was, he believed him to be someone else…this was comprehensively borne out of paranoid schizophrenia, a consequence of which, the defendant killed the deceased, deliberately

and cruelly. This has caused devastation for his family…he was a much-loved man.”

Sunday, June 5, 2022: Saira Ali

Saira Ali, aged 47, was found seriously injured with multiple stab wounds, predominantly to her chest and neck, at her home on Cromford Street, Highfield, Sheffield, in the early hours of Sunday, June 5, 2022. During Ms Ali's inquest in November 2022, Sheffield Coroners' Court was told that Ms Ali’s husband, Vahid Kabiri, had been the one to raise the alarm, and in a call to the police at around 3.10am, was recorded as saying: “I did a murder, can you come and arrest me please?”

Giving evidence, Detective Constable Lisa Glover, the investigating officer, told Sheffield Coroners’ Court that when the operator asked Kabiri, 43, who he had murdered he stated “my wife,” adding that he had killed her using a knife.

Emergency services arrived on the scene a short time after the call, but despite the best efforts of medics – both at the scene and at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital – Ms Ali was pronounced dead shortly after 4am. Following a post-mortem examination, Pathologist, Dr Naomi Carter, concluded that Ms Ali’s cause of death was ‘stab wounds to the neck and chest’.

Kabiri was found hanged in his cell at HMP Doncaster on July 1, 2022. Det Con Glover said Kabiri is believed to have taken his own life.

Thursday, May 12, 2022: Carlo Giannini

Carlo Giannini was found dead in Manor Fields Park in the early hours of May 12, 2022. The 34-year-old chef is believed to have died from a single stab wound, according to the findings from a post-mortem examination.

Two teenagers were arrested and questioned shortly after the death of Mr Giannini, an Italian national, but no-one has ever been charged with his murder.

An extensive police sweep of Manor Fields Park off City Road was carried out over three days earlier this year, between February 13 and 15, and a spokesperson for the force confirmed the activity was related to the ongoing investigation into Mr Giannini’s murder.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 122 of May 12, 2022. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers, free and anonymously, on 0800 555 111.