Detectives who led the investigation into the shocking rape of a teenager above the former 555 takeaway in Ramsgate have received awards for their work.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Vickery and senior crime scene investigator Adrian Miller were recognised for securing the conviction of three men and a teenage boy who raped the 16-year-old girl at a flat in Northwood Road in September 2016.
DCI Vickery was the senior investigating officer in the case and led a team of officers who helped secure prison terms of 14 years each for the three men, and seven years for the boy. CSI Miller’s work in securing forensic evidence was also crucial.
Tamin Rahmani, then 37, formerly of Northwood Road, Ramsgate, Shershah Muslimyar, then 20, formerly of Hovenden Close, Canterbury; Rafiullah Hamidy, then 24, formerly of High Street, Herne Bay; and the teenager were sentenced in September 2017.
They were among more than 30 men and women from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate honoured at a ceremony at North Kent Police Station, Northfleet,last Thursday (May 24)..
The awards ceremony was hosted by the head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Downing, and attended by Kent Chief Constable Alan Pughsley and Essex Deputy Chief Constable BJ Harrington.
Also present were Essex’s Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner, and chief finance officer Robert Phillips from the Kent Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
ACC Downing said: ‘The SCD awards ceremony is a highlight of my calendar as it gives me the opportunity to personally thank all those who go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure Kent and Essex remain safe places in which to live, work and visit.
‘It takes a special kind of person to be able to investigate serious crimes, which are often complex in nature and highly emotive for those affected by them. Fortunately we have such talented people to call upon and I am constantly impressed by their work ethic, professionalism and dedication to securing positive outcomes for the communities they serve.”