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.”

Barber-To-The-Stars' Drink-Drive Lamborghini Row

A boozy barber-to-the-stars charged around in his £180,000 bright yellow Lamborghini, speeding and mounting pavements with his wife and three children in the car during a midnight row, a court heard.

Ahmed Al Sanawi, 35, lost his temper during a row at Grappelli Italian restaurant Cobham, near Chelsea FC’s training ground, where he trimmed the locks of stars including John Terry, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard.

This led to the £90,000-a year crimper’s introduction to footballers including Paul Pogba; Kylian Mbappe; Erling Haaland; Jack Grealish and Reece James - all customers of the barber.

At Guildford Magistrates’ Court last week married Al Sanawi, who lives in a £950,000 Cobham property when he is not  also cutting hair in Dubai, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously on November 1, 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to driving in excess of the alcohol limit with 129mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80.

The court heard trouble began around midnight when Al Sanawi got into a heated row with his sister-in-law’s partner, Connor Barbury and jumped behind the wheel of his powerful four-litre SUV-style vehicle.

“Both this defendant and Mr Barbury were driving alongside each other, stopping and then driving again and when Mr Al Sanawi attempted a U-turn he hit his sister-in-law’s car,” said prosecutor Ms Sophie Childs.

“She had been trying to reverse and this led to a physical altercation and Mr Al Sanawi got out as people tried to break things up.

“The children were very, very distressed at this point and even the restaurant staff were trying to help and the police received reports of him driving very dangerously in the High Street.

“He was swerving in between cars at high speed, drove on the pavement and stopped in front of Mr Barbury when there was another verbal dispute with people filming this.”

The court heard the men exchanged blows and police said the “highly intoxicated” Al Sanawi had a bloody nose and bruised face when they eventually arrested him.

There was also a fight between Al Sanawi’s wife Tanya and her sister.

“Mr Barbury returned to the restaurant and the defendant drove along the pavement in front of the restaurant,” added the prosecutor. 

“He drove off down Cobham High Street and the police attended at 12.40am and stopped him.

“There was damage to both the mens’ faces because they were fighting.

“The offence included speeding along the pavement, disregarding the risk to others, stopping multiple times and carrying out highly-dangerous manoeuvres all while impaired by alcohol.”

Al Sanawi’s lawyer Ralph Pickering told the court: “There was no driving alongside each other and no damage to any vehicles.”

The court heard Iraqi-born Al Sanawi is the face of his business - ‘A Star Barbers’, located in Chessington, south-west London.

“He knows how serious it is and realises he has to face the consequences,” added Mr Pickering. “My aim is to persuade the court not to send him to prison today.

“He has built a successful business, hairdressing and styling and he has built his business from the ground up and is the face of the business, with the financial backing from a Sheikh in Dubai.

“This is a hardworking, responsible, loving, supportive man and it was an act completely out of character,” added the lawyer, saying Al Sanawi used his high-profile to raise over £200,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

“This was not Mr Al Sanawi at his best. In fact, it was one of the worst days of his life.

“He feels guilt and shame at letting his family down so badly and has received medical attention for anxiety.

“The events were short-lived and Mr Al Sanawi came off the worst from the physical altercation,” said Mr Pickering. “He received injuries, having been punched multiple times and was confused and scared for his family.

“Those were the primary drivers for his behaviour that evening. 

“He knows what he did was wrong and nobody feels more regret than him and he is deserving of a second chance. He is terrified of the prospect of imprisonment.”

Al Sanawi was sentenced to 200 hours community service work; fined £1,207, with £85 costs, plus a £114 victim surcharge and disqualified from driving for twelve months.

“It is two really serious offences, aggravated by the presence of children and members of the public were so scared they called 999,” announced bench  chairwoman Louise Tyrrell.

“However, these are your first offences, you have pleaded guilty, you have a clean driving record and you have demonstrated remorse.”

OAP Flouts Local Church Ban

An OAP, banned from his local church, has been fined for turning up to “pray for compassion,” a court heard.

Chris Ward, 74, is in dispute with St. Paul’s Community Church, Augustus Road, Wimbledon, which has taken several steps to ban him from the place of worship.

Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard the defendant was made subject to an anti-social behaviour warning, which was upgraded to another notice before being slapped with a Community Protection Notice (CPN).

He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the CPN on November 10, last year when he attended the church and was fined £268, with £85 costs, plus a £107 victim surcharge.

Ward, of nearby Windlesham Grove told the court he was volunteering at the church’s food bank in their community centre on a previous occasion when he was made subject to a complaint.

“I was accused of entering the community centre before it opened by the manager in front of the vicar.

“There was a cleaner in there and I said: ‘Good morning,’ and she left.”

The prosecution told the hearing there was an ongoing issue between Ward and the Reverend of the church and community.

On November 10, Ward was seen entering the church through the front entrance, taking a seat and remaining for thirty minutes and was reported.

“I went there to pray for compassion,” Ward told the court.

Life Coach Gets Suspended Sentence For Grooming 14 Year-Old Girl 'Decoy'

A ‘practising psychic, hypnotherapist, life coach and spiritual healer’ who groomed a decoy 14 year-old girl online for oral sex has received a suspended prison sentence.

Author and former civil servant Jonathan Quinnell, 62, was snared by Dank Dragon - a volunteer group of online paedophile hunters - and reported to police.

Judge Edward Connell told the father-of-three at Croydon Crown Court: “A paedophile hunting group was posing online as a fourteen year-old girl on the Mingle2 app and you began communicating with her.

“You moved those conversations to WhatsApp and sent texts and voice messages of a sexual nature.

“You described sexual acts you wished to engage with her and said if anyone saw the messages they would say it was grooming and you should go to prison.”

At his first appearance at Bromley Magistrates’ Court Quinnell, of Lea Close, Reading pleaded guilty to attempting to meet the decoy 14 year-old girl after sexual grooming between December 1 and 20, 2023.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between the same dates, namely touching, kissing and oral sex.

Until his arrest Quinnell was living in Orpington with his wife and son and living off a £1,000 per month private pension.

He boasts in his online profile of having over twenty years experience in his field and planning workshops for his clients.

He claims to have Higher Diplomas in hypnotherapy; life coaching; psychotherapy; philosophy and consumer affairs from the School of Natural Health Sciences.

Prosecutor Martin Ingle told the court: “He looked into journey times and train times, confirming his intention to meet her and spoke about what they would do when they met.

“At first it would be kissing and holding hands, but by December 16 he was messaging her to lay across his chest as he touched her skin.

“On December 17 the most sexually explicit message was sent at 11.17pm concerning her touching the inside of his thighs and putting his ‘p----‘ in her mouth.

Quinnell messaged: ‘I will show you everything.’

“He said he would be gentle and loving and would not hurt her,” added the prosecutor.

The group confronted him on the doorstep of his former Orpington home and posted the footage on their facebook account.

The police were informed and found evidence on Quinnell’s phone of communicating with a 12 year-old female decoy and other unknown under sixteen years-olds.

“There were solicitations message, asking the decoy child to send pictures of herself.”

Quinnell’s lawyer James Kelly said: “He has had to wait over two years between his arrest and sentencing. He has had this hanging over him.

“He is in bad health and has a mental and physical disability caused by oxygen deprivation when he had a heart attack, aged fourteen, causing brain damage.

“He walks with a cane and has a history of heart attacks in 2016 and 2017 and retired in 2005 after nineteen years in the civil service on medical grounds. 

“He will continue to suffer. He is suffering family disruption, plus the shame and publicity he has been subjected to for his evil deeds.”

Judge Connell told Quinnell: “You said you were attracted to her and wanted to hug and kiss her, but later on that escalated and you talked about kissing her all over her body.”

In his probation report Quinnell refused to accept he has a sexual attraction to children, but suffered Executive Dysfunction - a brain syndrome that affects his ability to control emotions and impulses.

He wrote a letter to the judge, who announced: “You have expressed your horror and revulsion at these matters.

“The Probation Service are of the view you are a good prosecute for rehabilitation and I come to the conclusion, by the narrowest of margins, that I can suspend the prison sentence.”

Quinnell received twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years and must complete 26 therapy sessions and 20 days of rehabilitation.

He was made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, must sign the sex offenders register for the same period and pay £150 costs.