Birmingham man jailed for plotting burglary on first date
Conman uses first date to arrange house raid
Leon Powles, 36, from Birmingham — also known as Leon Richardson or Hamza Islam — is wanted by police on suspicion of two serious assaults. Meanwhile, Islam, 29, has just been sentenced for a shocking crime committed on a woman’s first date.
Deceptive first date ends with burglary
Islam spent weeks grooming a 22-year-old woman with calls and texts, begging her out for a date. When she agreed, he arrived at her Solihull home by taxi and asked to use her bathroom before they left. Instead, he left a window open so a friend could break in while they were gone.
After the pair left, Islam messaged his accomplice, giving the green light. The woman returned to find her plasma TV and laptop stolen.
Guilty verdict and prison time
Investigator Mark Delaney revealed: “He manipulated and misled the victim for several weeks, using her trust to facilitate a burglary. Islam has a history of offending against women and this was a particularly cruel and calculated crime.”
CCTV caught Islam’s 28-year-old accomplice dumping the stolen TV by a skip near the victim’s house, waiting for a taxi away from the scene. The accomplice was jailed for 17 months in February.
Justice served
Islam denied involvement but was found guilty and sentenced to 27 months in prison. He received an extra six months for threatening a police officer with scissors during arrest. Delaney added:
“He might not have carried out the burglary himself, but he played an instrumental role and rightly got a tough sentence. We thank the victim for coming forward—no one should feel ashamed to report crimes, no matter the circumstance.”
Police appeal: Have you seen Leon Powles?
If you have any information on Leon Powles’ whereabouts, call 101 quoting 20BW/178038H/20.
