LBC's Iain Dale Banned For Speeding.....Again

Award-winning radio presenter and well-known petrolhead Iain Dale has been banned from driving again after clocking-up four new speeding offences.

The 63 year-old LBC broadcaster and author claimed a disqualification would impact the free motivational speeches he delivers to schoolchildren, but this did not sway the magistrates.

Cambridge-born Dale, of Priory Farm, Romford Road, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court yesterday, where he was banned for six months.

He admitted exceeding the 30mph limit on the A22 Eastbourne Road, Halland, East Sussex on September 5, last year when he was caught travelling at 43mph, approximately four miles from the £1.5m detached farmhouse he shares with husband John Simmons.

The court heard Dale - who once owned the late Princess of Wales’ Gomera Pearl racing green Audi Cabriolet convertible - already had three speeding offences on his driving licence.

These were committed on November 19, 2022; July 22, 2023 and July 13, last year and he received three penalty points for each offence.

Today’s four penalty points triggered the six-month automatic disqualification under the totting rules.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and multi-coloured spotted tie  Dale was also fined £666, with £130 costs and ordered to pay a £266 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Emily Begley told the court it was 7.33pm when Dale’s black electric Audi was caught exceeding the speed limit.

In 2012 Dale received a six-month driving ban for four speeding offences and also wrote about his experiences attending a speed awareness course when caught breaking the 30mph limit in Brixton at 3.00am on another occasion.

Last year he was cleared of speeding on the A20 dual carriageway after instructing ‘Mr Loophole’ Nick Freeman’s law firm.

He once confessed to previously selling an F-type Jaguar due to the temptation to drive fast. “I started picking up speeding tickets like it was going out of fashion.”

Asking not to be disqualified on the grounds that a ban would cause ‘exceptional hardship’ Dale told the hearing: “My day job is a radio presenter, but I also speak at political meetings, literary festivals and most importantly schools.

“I have never thought of myself as a motivational speaker, but I get a lot of feedback from schools, where I talk about politics and the media.

“I have a letter from the headteacher of a school in Ilford that after one of my speeches a pupil felt such an impact she wanted to change her career plans to do what I do.

“The Head of Media at the University of Gloucester said that a student had told her about me and was studying media because of that.”

Visibly emotional and choking up, Dale said: “You can imagine how that feels.

“I have not taken on all there engagements because of this case as some of the schools are remote and not easily accessible by train.

“It is the impact on other people more than me. I do not get paid for it, in fact it costs me.”

Dale’s chequered driving career began early, crashing his Ford Cortina Mark III when driving to the pub on his twentieth birthday.

This resulted in injuries to both his passenger sisters, with one suffering a fractured skull and the other losing her front teeth on impact with the windscreen.

Perhaps that its why more recently Dale has advocated for newly-qualified drivers to take a compulsory speed awareness course.

“I have a lot of links in Norfolk and if I go to a school in the north of the county it is difficult by train and the same for Devon and Cornwall,” he told the magistrates.

“Time is also a factor, with most schools wanting me there at ten or eleven in the morning.”

When questioned about his earnings he asked: “Can I write that down rather than say it’s in open court?”

Bench Chairman John Edwards told Dale: “You have pleaded guilty to speeding and we do not find ‘exceptional hardship’ in this case.

“Four penalty points have been added to your licence and that makes you a totter, which brings a disqualification of six months.

“You cannot drive any motor vehicle on a public road for six moths. If you do drive while disqualified it is a serious offence and you may be sentenced to custody and disqualified again.”

"Where's The Money?": NHS Manager's £132K Fraud

An NHS administrator defrauded £132,596 from two GP surgeries - and still refuses to say what happened to the money.

Robert Nsiiro, 36, paid a total of 271 invoices into his own bank accounts while occupying both positions and not a penny has been recovered.

At Croydon Crown Court today
he received three years-and-nine months imprisonment and confiscation proceedings will follow.

“He stole over one hundred thousand pounds and the court would like to know where that is. Please take instructions,” asked Recorder Valeria Swift of Nsiiro’s lawyer.

“He doesn’t have any money and paid it to others he owed money to,” said Adil Syed, defending, after initially refusing to ask his client about the issue.

“I am not satisfied with that answer and there should be further enquiries into his finances,” announced Recorder Swift, after insisting Mr Syed take instructions.

“He is not in a position to pay compensation, but I am going to instigate these proceedings to investigate. I have the power to do that.”

Nsiiro, of Towpath Walk, Homerton, east London pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between June 12, 2020 and August 31, 2023 at The Bermondsey Spa Medical Practice, Southwark.

He also pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at The Neaman Practice, Barbican, City of London between September 23, 2023 and April 26, 2024.

Nsiiro made 246 fraudulent payments to his account totalling £73,000 at The Bermondsey Spa and 25, totalling £59,596 at Neaman Practice.

He further pleaded guilty to once count of money laundering via multiple bank accounts on or before April 26, 2024.

Prosecutor Louise McCollough told the court: “He defrauded monies and sought to launder the proceeds via bank accounts in the name of suppliers that were under his control.

At Bermondsey Spa Nsiiro was trusted to pay the practice’s rent and locum expenses and was employed as a manager at the Neaman Practice, which is still reeling from his fraud.

His first employer reported him to Action Fraud after he left and the police probe also investigated the accounts at the second practice.

The courtroom was packed with Nsiiro’s supporters and Mr Syed said: “He comes from a very good family and his siblings and loved ones are hard-working professional people.

“He has raised his step-daughter as his own for the past ten years and this morning he told her he was going to court and custody was on the cards and came here today with a bag of his belongings.

“He has let a lot of people down and it has been quite a shock to the family that he has been involved in this criminality.

“He has tarnished the reputation of himself and the family, who are here for him, not thinking any family member would ever be involved in anything like this.”

“This was fraud in breach of a position of trust and your employers were both NHS GP practices,” Recorder Swift told Nsiiro. “Having defrauded that money you laundered it via bank accounts.

“But for your arrest you would have continued to offend for a considerable period of time.

“Bermondsey Spa speak of your considerable betrayal and that you were a trusted and valued employee and placed considerable trust in you.

“The partners are doing their best to serve the community and are heavily reliant on staff, but were utterly betrayed. You essentially stole from the NHS and the public,” said Recorder Swift.

“One of the partners at Neaman says she was in total shock and her life has changed and she now has sleeplessness, anxiety, insomnia and has endured a turbulent six months of her life.

“She is so concerned as to how the practice is going to pay their bills and tax and she can no longer afford the family holiday for her children.

“She feels she has left everyone down , but it is you who has let everyone down,” the Recorder told Nsiiro. “They had to cancel staff parties and morale is at rock bottom.

“You must realise the burdens you have placed on the victims of your crimes. 

“Neaman have cancelled their refurbishment and new medical equipments plans and contemplated closing down completely and the doctor says she can no longer afford a car and has taken her two children out of school.

“Your actions have had the most devastating impacts for these hard-working people serving the community.”

Recorder Swift initially sentenced Nsiiro to four years and four months imprisonment, but after considering the term over lunchtime reduced it by seven months.

Ex-Hospital Chief Accused Of Battersea Park Sex Offences

The former chief executive of Moorfields Eye Hospital has appeared in court accused of exposing himself to a female park sunbather and molesting the arresting WPC.

Dr Martin Kuper, 57, is charged with exposure at Battersea Park, south-west London, plus a charge of sexually assaulting the female officer on April 28, last year.

Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard Kuper, of St. George’s Avenue, Holloway allegedly straddled the sunbathing female and exposed himself.

He is said to have run into bushes and when police were called, groped the officer between her legs.

Kuper was appointed chief executive to Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in September, 2021 until his departure in July, last year a few months after his arrest.

He was previously chief medical director of Northwick Park Hospital and was also employed at north London’s Whittington Hospital.

Kuper indicated not guilty pleas and elected trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, where he will appear on March 10.

He was bailed on condition he does not enter Battersea Park.

OnTime Property Millionaire Kipping On Pal's Couch

Benefits: Armstrong

A self-styled television property guru, who claimed to once own a £30m housing portfolio, is now kipping on an old schoolfriend’s couch and claiming benefits, a court heard.

Glenn Armstrong, 66, once appeared on ‘Secret Millionaire’ spin-off show ‘How The Other Half Live’ boasting of his wealth, but is now on benefits and banned from contacting his ex-wife.

The bankrupt former video shop owner set up Glen Armstrong’s Property Millionaire Academy Ltd. to teach wannabe investors how to make their fortune.

However, the company ran into difficulties with customers chasing him for their money back and in 2021 Armstrong was declared bankrupt for the second time with debts of over £4m.

After selling his luxury seven-bedroom home, Carisbrook House, Sherington, Buckinghamshire, which went on the market for £3m, Armstrong and his wife ‘Lady’ Charlotte, 39, moved into the landmark ‘Boomerang’ building, Bankside.

However, the couple ran up rent arrears at their luxury apartment of £209,747 and a County Court eviction order was made in August, 2021.

His ex, ‘Lady’ Charlotte Robertson was reportedly rehoused by the council and now resides in the more modest Newlands Park, Sydenham, south-east London.

Armstrong, who claimed to once own over two hundred properties in the Milton Keynes area, was today sentenced at Bromley Magistrates Court for flouting court orders not to contact her.

Now housed by a lifelong friend in Pearcy Close, Harold Hill, Romford Armstrong pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a non-molestation order on September 20; October 10 and November 14, last year.

Ex: 'Lady' Charlotte

Watching from the public gallery were two of his creditors, who said outside court the sum pursued by individuals and the taxman was nearer £13.6m.

Prosecutor Paloma Rao told the court the couple have four young children, who reside with the mother, who has a court order until May, banning Armstrong from contacting her or attending her home.

The October breach was due to Armstrong messaging her and the other two were when the defendant visited the address.

“This was as a result of childcare arrangements for the children,” explained the prosecutor. “The victim admits Mr Armstrong stayed at her home address for two weeks.

“During the September breach of the order Mr Armstrong said that he would take two of their children to the shops, but he was called by the victim, who was concerned about the children’s welfare and about where they were.”

The ex also said she felt “guilt tripped” by Armstrong into not reporting him to the police for breaching the order, describing herself as a “nervous wreck.”

“She has asked him many times to leave her alone, which he has failed to do,” added Ms Rao.

“Mr Armstrong is a man of sixty-six years-old, who has never been in trouble before, is of good character and now finds himself in court,” said Sonia White, defending.

“It is his second relationship for him and they have children aged three; five; six and eight, which is a handful for him and his ex-partner, who is much younger than him.

“Their relationship has broken down and he has had financial difficulties as well. It is obvious she is struggling to look after four children.

“She has asked for help with the children and he has gone along, prioritising the children over the court order.

“The children were placed in foster care, but are now back with their mother and social services are very involved with the family,” added Ms White.

“He will be assessed to see if he is suitable to look after the children and is currently staying with a friend. 

He does not have his own property at the moment because he does not know if he will have the children and there is no point in securing a home that is not suitable.

“On certain days of the week he will be able to collect the children from school. It is important for the children to have a relationship with their father.”

Armstrong was placed on a twelve-month Community Order, which includes twenty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also fined £80, with £85 costs, plus a £114 victim surcharge and successfully requested to pay at the rate of £5 per-week as he is on benefits.

“We took on board the recommendation of the pre-sentence report,” bench Chairman Ian Rubie told Armstrong. 

“You pleaded guilty to the three breaches when you were trying to be helpful with the children.

“However, there was a court order and you breached it.”