Family Split: Travel Agent Takes Trip To HMP Bronzefield

Shona & Bruce Lyons

The daughter of a well-known local travel agent was locked-up after breaching a court ban from the business and the £1.6m family home on exclusive Eel Pie Island.

Bruce Lyons, 91, has been the face of Twickenham’s Crusader Travel for decades and received a lifetime achievement award from The Travel Network Group.

However, a Family Court case resulted in daughter Shona Lyons, 58, receiving a non-molestation order, prohibiting her from contacting him.

She was forced to move out of the family home and into a Travelodge on London Road, Twickenham, but ended up in HMP Bronzefield after multiple arrests.

At her Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court trial last week she was convicted of three breaches of the non-molestation order on December 27; December 29 and December 30, last year.

Shona had already pleaded guilty to breaching the same order on December 23, last year when she appeared in court in custody on Boxing Day.

She was again in custody when standing trial three days ago, telling the court: “I have all my belongings at the Travelodge and I have been in prison for a month now.”

Today, she received four months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months and was ordered to pay £385 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

The court also made her subject to a three-year restraining order, prohibiting her from contacting her father and going to his home and Church Street office.

Shona told the trial her father was under the influence of others and that she had only visited Crusader Travel to tend the plants outside.

“It is also my office and I was watering the plants. It is a communal garden,” she said from the secure dock. “I tidied them up because they were in a mess and I got all the leaves up.

“I was not going into the business and I caused no damage. I made it better.

“I love my dad and I know he loves me. He is a victim in all this and so am I.”

The court heard Shona was captured on the Crusader Travel security cameras outside the office late at night and once near her father’s home on Eel Pie Island.

She was made subject to the non-molestation order after a hearing at West London Family Court on October 21, last year, where she appeared on a live link and did not contest the application.

“My dad is in an abusive situation. He is a ninety-one year-old vulnerable man and people are abusing him, not me,” Shona told the trial.

“I do not believe the non-molestation order was taken out by him and I have asked the police to look into my dad’s situation.”

She says things changed when her sister and brother-in-law showed up at Eel Pie Island last July. 

“He is being coercively controlled. I do not see him in his garden reading his newspaper or on the company website.

“I have worked, washed, cleaned and looked after him and made sure he was a happy person and protected him, but now I am exhausted by all this.”

Shona had a spell in Springfield psychiatric hospital and was constantly told to stop interrupting the court proceedings with her comments from the dock.

She maintained one particular female employee was a malign influence on her father. “She is his jailer at Crusader Travel. He is a victim of cowardly bullies.

“He is being kept a prisoner in his office and his own home. 

“I had a brief episode of psychosis in 1992, but that does not give people the excuse to say I’m mentally ill.

“Me and my dad are innocent victims being abused by the criminals. The torture for him seems to be extreme.

“I was by his side for twenty years and did everything for him and now I have been conveniently taken away for protecting him.

“My sister and brother-in-law are now living in the house and I was arrested on a whole load of lies and misinformation.

“I keep being arrested by the police and I wish people could see it for what it is. It’s tortuous for me and my dad, cowardly bullies trying to force him to give them his home.

“For the last four weeks I have been in solitary confinement at Bronzefield. I have been arrested four times and in prison three times.

“I can’t get a toothbrush, a mop to clean the floor, a file to clean my nails or a brush for my hair. I am not a criminal, I’m innocent.

“They are trying to get his house from him and get him to sign cheques. They are victimising him and me for monetary gain.”

Shona was born in the flat above the original Crusader Travel shop, near the current location and worked at the business until, she says, her resignation was deliberately “orchestrated.’

“My five weeks in Springfield may have been brought by my brother-in-law and my time in Bronzefield.

“Money means everything to him and he does not care how he gets it.”

The District Judge ruled Shona breached the non-molestation order out of a “misguided intention to assist her father.”

Punched His Ticket: Council Litter Enforcer Blinded

Handcuffed & Arrested: Greenaway

A passer-by, who launched a “frenzied attack” on a council litter enforcement officer he saw giving a woman an on-the-spot fine – leaving the victim blind in one eye – has been locked-up.

Tim Greenaway, 49, of Laud Street, Vauxhall reacted violently when the phone he was recording the victim with was pushed into his face and knocked out of his hand by the officer.

He was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent, and at Inner London Crown Court – sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice – received nine years imprisonment.

On Friday, June 16, 2023, the officer was issuing a fixed penalty notice to a woman for littering outside Vauxhall Station when Greenaway interrupted, shouting at him and filming the interaction on his mobile phone.

The victim walked away to avoid an altercation, but Greenaway followed him into the entrance of the station, continuing to shout abuse at him.

When the victim turned around to face Greenaway, he shoved his phone in his face. 

The victim pushed Greenaway’s hand away causing his phone to fall to the floor.

Enraged, Greenaway attacked the victim knocking him to the ground with a punch before straddling him and repeatedly punching him in the face until a member of the public dragged him off.

Passersby ran to the victim’s aid and managed to restrain Greenaway with the help of an off-duty police officer until British Transport Police (BTP) officers arrived and swiftly arrested him.

The victim spent a number of days in hospital being treated for his injuries, which included an operation on a fractured eye socket and a dislocated shoulder.

He will need a further operation on his eye and doctors have told him his sight in the injured eye will never return.

BTP Detective Constable Steve Potter said: “Justice has now caught up with Greenaway thanks to our investigation, while sadly his victim continues to struggle with the consequences of this unprovoked attack over two years later.

“Greenaway’s frenzied attack has had a devastating impact on the victim. 

“He’s a family man who had to give up his job due to the injuries he sustained and must endure further operations to reconstruct his eye socket.

“A special mention must be given to those brave members of the public who intervened and no doubt prevented the victim from sustaining further injuries. 

“Their continued support throughout the investigation helped secure Greenaway’s conviction.

“This was a man simply doing his job when his life was changed forever by the actions of a thug. 

“He should have been safe to carry out his role without interference, aggression and ultimately violence.

“No one should have to endure violence or intimidation while carrying out their job. 

“Any form of abuse will simply not be tolerated and we will use every resource available to bring offenders like Greenaway to justice.”

St. Pancras Station Thief Struck Same Store Four Times

A shoplifter has been banged up for twelve weeks just two days after transport cops caught him stealing from the same clothing boutique for the fourth time.

Zenith Lawrence, 24, was arrested at St. Pancras International by British Transport Police (BTP) with two leather jackets and two jumpers, worth nearly £1300.

He had just stolen them from the All Saints store.

Two days later, on Monday, January 19 Lawrence appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he received the sentence of imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of theft.

The plain-clothed undercover BTP officers were on the lookout for thieves at the busy station on Saturday, January 17 when they detained Lawrence at approximately 3.00pm.

CCTV checks showed Lawrence had entered the store and calmly took the two jumpers and two leather jackets, before leaving.

Another officer then identified Lawrence as a suspect for a further three offences, all at the same store.

On December 4, last year he had stolen a jumper, while on January 15 he stole two women’s leather jackets and a bag. 

Brazenly, he returned two hours later and stole three more men’s leather jackets.

The total value of all the items stolen in all four offences was nearly £3,800.

BTP Inspector Ben Payne said: “I’d like to recognise the awareness and proactivity of our officers in identifying Lawrence, then quickly working to link him to further offences. 

“This fast-paced investigative work allowed us to arrest, charge, and bring him before the courts in just two days. 

“His imprisonment demonstrates our determination to tackle theft across the railway network. 

“By using targeted patrols, intelligence and thorough investigative work, we are ensuring offenders are identified quickly and held accountable, sending a clear message that theft on the railway will not be tolerated.”

"Vile Assaults" On Moving Train: Predator Locked-Up

A young woman was molested in a train carriage toilet minutes before a teenage girl was groped when a sexual predator carried out “vile assaults” on a moving service.

Daniel Odubanjo, 27, forced himself into the toilet occupied by a 21 year-old female and then targeted a 17 year-old girl, who he exposed himself to onboard the train as it travelled through Essex.

At Chelmsford Crown Court Odubanjo, of Kings Avenue, Clapham was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

He fought the case, but was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of false imprisonment.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from being under the influence of any substance while on public transport, at stations or on Network Rail property.

The court heard how on Friday November 29, 2024, on-board a service from Shenfield to Chelmsford, Odubanjo repeatedly banged on the toilet door while it was engaged.

The young woman inside quickly washed her hands and unlocked the door, expecting to find another passenger needing to use the facilities.

Instead she came face to face with Odubanjo who pushed her back inside the cubicle and locked the door, forcefully grabbing her wrists and sexually assaulting her.

During the struggle the victim managed to open the door and attempt to get the attention of a fellow passenger, but was pulled her back into the toilet where Odubanjo continued the sexual assault as she screamed for help.

It was only when she lied about her age, claiming to be fourteen years-old, that Odubanjo let her go.

In an extremely distressed state, she approached a member of staff and left the train at Chelmsford where she reported what had happened to British Transport Police (BTP).

Just moments later, Odubanjo approached the teenage girl boarding the service and sat opposite her, asking her a barrage of inappropriate questions before exposing himself.

When he left to go to the toilet, the teenager moved seats to sit closer to other passengers, telling them what had happened, but Odubanjo returned and sat next to her and sexually assaulted her.

A passenger then grabbed Odubanjo off the girl.

The train was met by BTP officers at Hatfield Peverel station, just outside Chelmsford, and Odubanjo was arrested at the scene.

BTP Detective Sergeant Hayley Whyte said: "Odubanjo preyed on a young woman and a teenage girl in terrifying attacks just minutes apart.

“Both were left distressed and traumatised by the vile assaults he subjected them to. 

“Despite this, their courage and determination to see him brought to justice has resulted in a suitably lengthy prison sentence.

“I commend their bravery, and that of the bystanders who intervened in the second attack.”

London Underground Robber Sentenced

A London Underground robber, whose violent gang targeted lone passengers during an eleven-day spree, has been locked-up for a short period of time.

Adel Kerari, 27, brought terror to law-abiding passengers on the tube train network and will be back on the streets early next year.

At Inner London Crown Court Kerari, of Lisgar Terrace, West Kensington received two years and eight months imprisonment and will almost certainly only serve half that sentence.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of robbery and one count of fraud committed in June, 2023 with several other young men.

Over the course of those 11 days, the group committed or attempted to commit several robberies, targeting people at Underground stations including Holborn, Chancery Lane, Leicester Square, Russell Square, Notting Hill, Shepherd's Bush, Piccadilly Circus, and Leyton.

The group resorted to violence or the threat of violence to rob commuters, going from station to station targeting lone travellers.

The first incident in the series was on June 1, when a woman was cornered by the group on a train to Holborn. 

When she managed to leave the train, she was followed toward the escalator and through the station before being pushed from behind, punched in the face, and robbed of her mobile phone and headphones. The group then fled the station.

On a separate night the group targeted two people in just 10 minutes, robbing someone of their phone and wallet at Leicester Square before travelling on the train to Russell Square and robbing a second person of their phone.

On June 11, a man was robbed at Leyton Underground station having been pushed to the ground and attacked. 

The group made off with the man's phone and wallet, and only hours later the man's bank card was used at an off licence by Kerari and others.

Kerari was identified by officers in 2023, however he was discovered to be out of the country.

Upon his return to the UK in 2025, officers went to an address he was staying at in West London, and he was arrested on September 4, last year.

For their part in the robberies, Kerari's co-conspirators were sentenced in 2023 and 2024 to a combined total of over 10 years' imprisonment.

Detective Sergeant Tony Gittins, investigating officer in the case, said: “Criminals like Kerari should know that we’ll make sure they face justice for the crimes they inflict on members of the public. 

“Tackling robbery on the London Underground is a top priority for us, and we're working around the clock to catch offenders and ensure they have their day in court.

“Kerari and the rest of the cowardly group worked together to intimidate and target passengers across London for their own benefit. 

“The rail network is covered by extensive CCTV, which we successfully used to prove that they were behind this eleven-day crime spree.

“Our uniformed and plain-clothes teams patrol the rail network every day to deter robbery and keep passengers safe. 

“Fortunately, incidents like this are rare, but we take every report of robbery extremely seriously and will continue to come down hard on those who use the railway network for criminal gain.

“If a robbery has just happened, always dial 999 or speak to an officer or a member of staff – our officers can then quickly deploy to your location and begin immediate enquiries to trace the culprits.”

Real Housewives Star Banned For Speeding In Bentley

Real Housewives of London star Amanda Cronin was banned from the roads today after she was caught speeding in her new £250,000 Bentley.

The 57 year-old ex model turned skincare entrepreneur - famously known for having the ‘longest legs in Belgravia’ - will be using them more now she has lost her licence for six months.

She appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, where she argued caring for her 85 year-old Hampshire-based mother Janet meant keeping her licence was vital, but the court was not swayed.

Cronin, of Grosvenor Gardens Mews North, Belgravia, pleaded guilty to driving her blue 4.0 litre hybrid electric twin-turbocharged V8 Bentley Continental GT in excess of the 20mph limit.

The court heard it was 6.20pm on May 26 last year when a speed camera caught her travelling at 24mph along the A4 Cromwell Road, near the junction with Lexham Gardens, South Kensington.

She received three penalty points for the offence, which took her to a total of twelve - triggering an automatic six-month ban under totting rules.

The wealthy divorcee already had nine points on her licence for speeding offences in 30mph zones on October 10, 2023; August 21, 2024 and November 3, 2024.

The former model, turned skincare entrepreneur was also fined £146, with £130 costs and ordered to pay a £58 victim surcharge.

Wearing a white cashmere-style coat; Prince of Wales check trousers and tan-coloured high-heel boots Cronin told the magistrates her driving licence was vital to run her poorly mother to important medical appointments.

“She is still living on her own and I am very close to my mother and spend as much time as I can with her when I am not working,” Cronin - the former girlfriend of Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley told the court.

“She is a huge part of my life and I am a huge part of her life and she is trying to live independently.”

Her mother has been a widow for twenty years and Cronin’s Leatherhead-based sister does not drive and her freelance cameraman brother lives in Brixton with his own family commitments.

“I have a beauty company and a clinic and a television show as well,” explained Cronin, who is one of six glamorous women who star in the reality show, which began streaming on Hayu last year.

“She has a history of cervical cancer, which is in remission, has two prosthetic lenses on her eyes and a degenerative back condition and osteoporosis.

“She is in a lot of pain and has declined quite rapidly the last two years,” said Cronin of her mother.”

Living in the Hampshire village of Stubbington means there are regular medical appointments in Southampton; Portsmouth and Havant.

“I drive to get to her. I am deeply embarrassed and ashamed that I am here today in front of you.

“My mother will have to lean on me and she is a stubborn woman and may not get the care and medical support she needs if I do not have my car.

“It is going to be stressful. She is not going to accept going in a taxi and going to appointments in the rush hour

“It will be very, very stressful for her to get around by taxi even with me and I feel she will not want to lean on me as much during the driving ban period. That is my greatest fear.

“If it was up to me I would have my mother live with me. We have had that conversation, but she says she is not ready.”

Cronin told the court her mother recently had double hip surgery and fell on wet leaves in her garden, injuring her face and wrist.

“There has been a decline in her mobility and stability and in the last few months it seems to be falling off a cliff.

“Her vertigo has been going on for ten years now and the attacks can be quite long. She has chest infections post-covid and doers not have any neighbours to help.”

However, bench Chairwoman Jo Caseby announced the “high bar” of showing “exceptional hardship” regarding a driving disqualification had not been met.

“We need to make it clear these courts do not often change course. Exceptional hardship is a high bar and the hardship has to be exceptional.

“We have a lot of sympathy for your mother and you are clearly a considerate daughter, but there are solutions to these things.

“You are going to have to put together other arrangements for six moths because you are going to be disqualified from driving.”

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.”