Man charged following incident in Hemel Hempstead

Following an extensive investigation by detectives, a man has been charged in connection with an incident that occurred in Hemel Hempstead last month.

It was reported that a woman was walking along St John’s Road sometime between 4am and 4.20am on Thursday 11 January, when she was allegedly grabbed and verbally threatened to get into a vehicle.

She collapsed to the floor in fear and her handbag was stolen before the suspect left the area.

An extensive investigation was launched by the Dacorum Local Crime Unit and a man was arrested on Thursday 18 January before being released on conditional bail.

As a result of further enquiries by the team, charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) today (Friday 23 February).

Michael Hayes, aged 54, from Edmonton, has been charged with attempted kidnap and robbery. He has been remanded into custody and will appear in court tomorrow (Saturday).

Investigator Lisa Brown, who is leading the case, said: “This has been a thorough investigation, which has seen hours of CCTV footage reviewed and other police tactics utilised. I’d like to thank those who came forward with information as part of our enquiries.

“Now that a charge has been made, it’s important that the case is allowed to proceed through court unimpeded.

“We are continuing to provide support to the victim.”