A two-week operation targeting people who were wanted by police has resulted in over 50 arrests.
Cumbria police’s Operation Merlin concentrated on people sought for offences including burglary, sexual offences and serious assaults and those wanted for recall to prison and failing to attend court.
Officers carried out the latest operation from February 2 to February 13.
On Monday, February 2, officers arrested nine people in the south of the county.
They included:
- Three people sought for failing to attend court, who were arrested and handed to the courts.
- Two men wanted in other police areas were arrested and handed over to the respective forces.
- A Windermere man was arrested on suspicion of being over the drug-drive limit but subsequently released with no further action.
- A Carlisle man was arrested on suspicion of harassment and subsequently bailed.
- Shaun Nelson, 30, of Rawlinson Street in Barrow was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting. He was charged with five counts of theft from shop and one count of common assault. He was bailed to attend Barrow Magistrates’ Court on April 6.
On Tuesday, February 3, officers made eight arrests in the Carlisle and West Cumbria areas.
They included:
- Two men and a woman from Carlisle were arrested for recall to prison.
- Three men from Maryport, Whitehaven and the Kendal area were arrested for failing to attend court.
- A seventh man wanted by another force for offences including possession of an offensive weapon a criminal damage was arrested.
- Garry Bedford, 55, of Hawthorns Close, Distington, was arrested and subsequently charged with disqualified driving and driving without insurance. He was bailed to attend Workington Magistrates’ Court on March 3.
On Thursday, February 5, seven arrests were made.
They included:
- A 17-year-old from Kendal who was charged with a number of offences including possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.
- A Milnthorpe man sought for coercive and controlling behaviour
- A man, of no fixed address, sought for stalking.
- An Appleby man sought on suspicion of drink driving.
- Two men from Barrow for failing to attend court.
- A Carlisle for failing to attend court.
On Friday, February 6, 10 arrested were made.
They included:
- Roxanne Irving, 38, of Bower Street, Carlisle, was arrested and charged with breach of a criminal behaviour order, two thefts from shop and assault. She attended Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on February 12, where she denied assault and one shop theft. She is due to appear at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on March 12.
- Byron Rodgers, 35, of Mawsons Court, Cockermouth, was arrested and charged with a public order offence, two counts of theft from shop, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cocaine. He was bailed to attend Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on March 17.
- A Workington man was arrested on suspicion of fraud and subsequently bailed.
- A man from Carlisle sought for assault was arrested and bailed.
- Two women and a man sought for failing to appear at court were arrested.
- A man who had breached the terms of his electronic tag was arrested.
- Two men for recall to prison were arrested.
On Saturday, Feb 7, Andrew Mitchell, 37, of Ravenstone Way, Carlisle, was charged with shop theft. He admitted the offence at court and was sentenced to a conditional discharge.
On Monday February 9, officers in West Cumbria targeted four men wanted for offences including conspiracy to burgle – including quad bikes in rural areas.
The men – aged between 20 and 35 – were bailed with conditions not to associate with each other, and overnight curfews with a requirement to present to police.
Officers also arrested a Carlisle man for breach of court bail and a Whitehaven man wanted for recall to prison.
On Tuesday, February 10, officers arrested a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old – both from Barrow – on suspicion of dangerous driving. Both were subsequently bailed.
A man from the Windermere area was arrested for failing to attend court.
Officers also arrested two people from Carlisle who were wanted for shop theft offences.
Darren Matthews, 53, of John Street, Carlisle, was charged with shop theft and bailed to attend Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on March 23.
On Wednesday, February 11, police arrested Allan Mattinson, 30, of Kirkbride. He was charged with offences including intentional strangulation, coercive or controlling behaviour, harassment and criminal damage.
He attended Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on February 13 for a first hearing and is due at Carlisle Crown Court next month.
Officers also arrested three men for failure to attend court and one man for recall to prison.
On Friday, February 13, arrests included:
- A 19-year-old from the Penrith area wanted for sexual assault. He was released on bail.
- A man, 66, of no fixed address for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was bailed.
- A 27-year-old woman from Barrow and a 39-year-old man of no fixed address for failing to attend court.
Superintendent Matt Pearman said: “Operation Merlin continues to yield results and more than 50 arrests over the two weeks is a significant achievement.
“We will continue to target those individuals who are wanted by the police, the courts and the prison service and I would urge anyone who is aware they are sought by the police to come forward today before our officers visit your address.
“Often the intelligence for making such arrests comes from within local communities so I continue to urge people to report individuals who are committing criminality or who are wanted by the police, so action can be taken.”
You can also phone on 101.
Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Always call 999 in an emergency, including when a crime is in progress.
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