Banged up: Some of the most heinous crimes brought to light in and around the Black Country in February

There were some shocking crimes that were detected and criminals brought to justice in and around the Black Country throughout February. 

We've taken a look back at some of the biggest misdemeanours that we have reported on throughout the month across Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire and the Wyre Forest.

Our list includes court cases and police probes including violence, drug dealing, dangerous driving and more.

Here are some more crime cases the Express & Star reported on last month. 

Hit-and-run manhunt comes to an end

Zoaib Hussain, 24, of Borneo Street in Walsall, drove off after mowing down a pedestrian in his powerful black Seat Leon on Brace Street, Caldmore, on May 5, 2022. 

He was eventually arrested last year after an extensive investigation involving trawling through CCTV, Ring doorbell camera footage and cross-referencing car and driver databases. He was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving and first appeared at Dudley Magistrates Court in January this year. 

On February 27, Hussain pleaded guilty to both charges at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He will be sentenced in April.

Death by dangerous driving

Tyrone Moran was travelling at more than 60mph when he struck Salma Rafique on Thorns Road on September 29, 2023.

Salma had been crossing the dual carriageway at just after 8pm when she was hit by Moran's Vauxhall Corsa. She suffered serious injuries and nothing could be done to save her.

19-year-old Moran, of Holcroft Road in Oldswinford, was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

'Blood-splattered warzone'

Two 17-year-olds, who can't be named due to their age, were just 14 when they travelled from Worcestershire to Stourbridge armed with a Samurai sword and a hunting knife on Tuesday, March 2022.

They were intent on attacking another group of boys, with one wearing three pairs of trousers in preparation for a knife fight. After spotting a group of boys and girls at the Ryemarket Shopping Centre the pair followed them into a lift, where they launched the attack.

The victim was flown to hospital by air ambulance required emergency surgery. It was described as "a miracle he lived".

The two boys were sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

SnowDome sentenced

Tamworth's SnowDome activity centre was sentenced last month for failings in health and safety after a 12-year-old boy died at a birthday party. 

Louis Watkiss, from Sutton Coldfield, was killed while he was tobogganing at the SnowDome on September 24, 2021.

At Telford Magistrates Court on February 26, the company was fined £100,000 for the breach and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge, as well as £14,534.20 in costs.  

Human trafficking gang found guilty

An international people smuggling gang who forced vulnerable immigrants to work in a cannabis farm in Tipton were last month found guilty of various crimes. 

Kingpin Mai Van Nguyen, 35, of Jeremiah Road, Wolverhampton, directed operations which spread across the country. He would lease properties in other people’s identities using false identity documents or aliases and put immigrants to work in them.

He was found guilty alongside fellow Vietnamese nationals Doung Dinh, from St Johns Walk and Nghia Dinh Tran, from Lewisham, Shamraiz Akhtar, Millward Road and Tasawar Hussain, Neeches Park Road and Amjad Nawaz, from Blake Lane.