19 November 2025

Dorset Police Team Honoured with Investigation of the Year

Congratulations to our colleagues from the Dorset Police Major Crime Investigation Team who have jointly won the Police Federation's Investigation of the Year Award.

Operation Lion was the Dorset MCIT response to the fatal stabbing of Amie Gray and the attempted murder of Leanne Miles on Bournemouth beach in May 2024.

Working as a dedicated team under exceptionally intense public and media scrutiny, Dorset investigators executed a comprehensive multi‑strand inquiry that included large‑scale scene preservation and searches, extensive CCTV and financial enquiries, complex digital investigations, expert forensic and gait analysis, and the management of significant disclosure demands.

The team’s work established a coherent pattern of premeditation and travel by the offender, secured key witness identifications and digital evidence, and sustained a tightly prepared case which led to the conviction of Nasen Saadi for murder and attempted murder and a subsequent minimum term of 40 years’ imprisonment.

The investigation involved hundreds of witness statements, substantial documentary disclosure and careful courtroom preparation completed within stringent timeframes.

The prosecuting counsel and others highlighted the exemplary professionalism and thoroughness of the Dorset team throughout the investigation and trial.

Chris Wood, Chair of Dorset Police Federation, said: “I am incredibly proud that our Major Crime Investigation Team have been recognised for their work on Op Lion.

“This was both a challenging and difficult incident which impacted a huge number of our members across multiple teams in Dorset.

“Our first responding officers from Patrol and Armed Response were faced with a chaotic and horrific scene on the beach. Their quick thinking and decisive actions helped save one life. Sadly Amie Gray’s injuries were so severe they were not survivable despite officers best endeavours.

“However, it is at this stage that the tireless work of our MCIT takes over. The work of our Detectives to identify and locate the offender is remarkable and the detailed evidence they compiled to ultimately prove he was the man responsible for this despicable and unprovoked offence on one of our beaches was nothing short of breathtaking.

“Nothing I can say will adequately describe the impact the events of that evening had on so many of our members. I would like to thank every officer that was involved in this complex investigation and for getting the justice for the victims and their families, our thoughts remain with them.”

Ben Hudson, Chair of the PFNDF added: “The panel noted that this was an exceptionally horrendous murder. It was an attack on a public beach in May and a very small investigation team had to take on a category-A cold-start murder, which for even a large experienced team such as the Met for example, would be an overwhelming prospect.