Five shocking crimes that took place in Buckinghamshire

From drink-driving Premier League footballers to some of the worst and most horrific sex crimes the country has ever seen, Buckinghamshire has been the location of some of the most conspicuous trials and scandals of all time.

Reader discretion is advised due to the nature of these stories, in which we have chosen five that shocked residents of the county and beyond.

5. Jermaine Pennant’s drink-driving case

In January 2005, then Premier League footballer Jermaine Pennant made national headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Just eight days after he had turned 22, the Arsenal midfielder, who was on loan at Birmingham City, crashed his uninsured Mercedes in Aylesbury whilst being over the legal drink-drive limit.

Former Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant crashed his car in Aylesbury whilst drunk. Here he is pictured in 2005 at his trial in the mentioned town (PA) (Image: PA)

It was reported that the accident occurred near the town’s Aqua Vale Leisure Centre, which is only a short distance away from the town centre.

The former footballer was at Arsenal at the time of the crash, but was on loan at Birmingham City (PA) (Image: PA)

What made things worse for Pennant was that he was already banned from driving following a previous drink-driving conviction 11 months earlier, and when he was initially questioned by the authorities in Aylesbury, he identified himself as Arsenal’s then left-back, Ashley Cole.

He was eventually jailed for three months following a trial at Aylesbury Magistrates Court but was released after just 30 days.

Pennant became the first Premier League footballer to play with an electronic tag (PA) (Image: (PA))

Pennant also has got the infamous title of being the first-ever Premier League footballer to play a top-flight fixture with an electronic tag in April 2005.

4. The Aylesbury child sex abuse ring

In a truly disturbing case, in July 2015, six men were jailed for a total of 82-and-a-half-years between them after they were found guilty of a range of numerous sex crimes against two young girls in Aylesbury.

Clockwise from top left - Vikram Singh, Akbari Khan, Asif Hussain, Mohammed Imran, Taimoor Khan and Arshad Jani were all found guilty (Thames Valley Police) (Image: Thames Valley Police)

The six men: Mohammed Imran, Akbari Kahn, Arshad Jani, Vikram Singh, Asif Hussain, and Taimoor Kahn were all charged with multiple crimes, which included rape, conspiracy to rape, child prostitution, and administering a substance with intent.

The crimes took place between 2006 and 2012 with the two girls (known as Girl A and Girl B during the trial), revealing to the court that they were trafficked as child prostitutes.

One of the children also revealed that she had sex with up to 60 men almost of Asian heritage.

In total:

• Vikram Singh, of Cannock Road, Aylesbury, was found guilty of four counts of rape and one of administering a substance with intent – Jailed for 17-years.
• Asif Hussain, of Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes, was convicted of three counts of rape – Jailed for 13-and-a-half years.
• Arshad Jani, of Cousins Drive, Aylesbury, was found guilty of rape and conspiracy to rape – 13-and-a-half-years.
• Mohammed Imran, of Springcliffe Street, Bradford, was convicted of three counts of rape, one count of conspiracy to rape, and one count of child prostitution – Jailed for 19-and-a-half years.
• Akbari Khan, of Mandeville Road, Aylesbury, was found guilty of two counts of rape, one of administering a substance with intent and conspiracy to rape – Jailed for 16 years.
• Taimoor Khan, of Highbridge Road, Aylesbury, was convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child – Jailed for three years.

3. The Great Train Robbery

On August 8, 1963, 18 people which included the well-known criminal Ronnie Biggs, highjacked a Royal Mail train in Buckinghamshire containing £2.6m (the equivalent to £45m in 2022) in what is regarded as one of the most high-profile crimes in international history.

Police take measurements in 1963 at Cheddington Station, Buckinghamshire, on one of the coaches involved in the Great Train Robbery (PA) (Image: PA)

In the early hours of that morning, the group knew that the train would be entering the hamlet of Ledburn within the county.

Police officers in Buckinghamshire following the aftermath of the Great Train Robbery in August 1963 (PA) (Image: PA)

To get on board, members of the party tampered with the signals which instructed train driver, Jack Mills, who was the driver change-over at Crewe station, his hometown, to at first slow down and then stop.

This is after he first saw a yellow and then a red signal.

Once stopping at the latter, he, along with his assistant, David Whitby, were ambushed by the group.

The two suffered serious head and facial injuries after they were hit with iron bars.

They were then handcuffed together and left in the engine compartment before the criminals made off with the money.

Sadly, Mills never fully recovered from the trauma and died seven years later.

The crime took place at Bridego Railway Bridge (Bridge Number 127) in Ledburn which is considered a hotspot for trainspotters.

2. Bilal Abdullah and the Glasgow Airport attack

A qualified doctor who was born in Aylesbury, Abdullah worked at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Scotland.

He, along with Kafeel Ahmed, were attempting to cause terror in London on June 29, 2007, when they planted car bombs in the English capital, only for the explosives to be discovered and disabled by the authorities.

A day later on June 30, 2007, the two tried to ram a Jeep Cherokee filled with petrol cans and propane gas cylinders at around 30mph, into the departure area at Glasgow Airport.

The Jeep that was used in the Glasgow Airport attack in June 2007 (PA) (Image: PA)

However, their plan failed after they smashed into some concrete bollards outside the airport.

This prevented them from entering the airport in the vehicle, which had roughly 4,000 people inside.

As the car failed to explode, it was reported that Abdullah threw petrol bombs from the passenger seat whilst Ahmed doused himself in the liquid and set it alight.

Ahmed died in August 2007 as a result of the attack, suffering fatal burns that covered 90 per cent of the body, whilst Abdullah survived the incident.

Bilal Abdullah was jailed in 2009 (PA) (Image: PA)

Thankfully, no members of the public were killed with there being only five injuries.

Abdullah was eventually sentenced to life behind bars, where he must serve a minimum of 32 years.

He was jailed in 2009 and remains incarcerated.

1. The Jimmy Savile Sexual Abuse Scandal

One of the most disturbing and concerning scandals to ever rock the country, October 3, 2012, was the day that the British public discovered about the sordid actions of the disgraced and deceased media personality Jimmy Savile, who had died one year earlier.

Most of Savile's crimes took place at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury (Google Maps) (Image: Google Maps)

A documentary, which was aired on ITV, revealed that Savile had sexually abused hundreds of people across the country ranging from children to OAPs.

More shockingly was that most of his crimes had taken place at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, a venue he would frequently visit as part of his ‘charity work’.

In all, 22 reports were made to the authorities between 1965 and 1988 when Savile visited the hospital but to no avail.

Jimmy Savile (pictured in 1992) committed most of his horrific crimes at Stoke Mandeville Hospital (PA) (Image: PA)

A report published on February 26, 2015, confirmed that more than 50 people were on the end of Savile’s behaviour, which included patients, staff, and visitors.

If you have been impacted by the article, please call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/talk-us-phone