ANNUAL CONFERENCE AWARDS


DETECTIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR AWARD


Presented jointly to Dorset Police Major Investigations Team


and West Yorkshire Police Homicide Team detectives for swift justice and decades of determination


Detective work is often defined by persistence, skill and humanity. At the 2025 Police Federation Annual Conference, the Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum (PFNDF) celebrated this truth by awarding the Detective Investigation of the Year, sponsored by Quick Mortgages, jointly to Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) and West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide Team. Their achievements could not have been more different in scale or timespan, yet both exemplified the highest standards of investigative practice. In May 2024, Bournemouth beach


became the scene of a shocking attack: the fatal stabbing of Amie Gray and


18 | POLICE | DECEMBER | 2025


the attempted murder of her friend, Leanne Miles. The incident drew national media attention and placed immense pressure on Dorset Police’s MCIT. Despite being a relatively small unit, the team mounted a comprehensive inquiry. Their work encompassed large-scale scene preservation, extensive CCTV trawls, financial enquiries, digital investigations, forensic and gait analysis, and the management of significant disclosure demands. Within days, investigators pieced together a coherent narrative of premeditation and travel by the offender, Nasen Saadi. Witness identifications and digital evidence reinforced the case, leading to Saadi’s arrest and


eventual conviction for murder and attempted murder. The trial preparation was meticulous: hundreds of witness statements, substantial documentary disclosure and courtroom readiness under strict timeframes. Prosecuting counsel praised the team’s professionalism, and the court imposed a minimum term of 40 years. Operation Lion exemplifies the capacity of detectives to deliver swift justice under extraordinary pressure, balancing forensic rigour with compassion for victims’ families. In stark contrast to Dorset’s rapid resolution, Operation Geneva illustrates the long arc of justice. On 18 November 2005, PC Sharon Beshenivsky was


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