Saturday 16 July 2011

Lottery Scrounger On Run From 2-Year Sentence


Police are hunting this greedy blackmailer who penned a string of bogus legal letters to an 83 year-old pensioner – threatening her with prison – if she failed to hand over a £60,000-plus slice of her lottery win.

Mohammed Bashiri, 40, will immediately begin a two-year sentence when captured after a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted him in his absence after a three-day trial.

Bashiri met the elderly lady more than eight years ago and she helped him write letters as his English was poor.

The two became friends and when the victim had a lottery win in March 2006, she gave Bashiri money for bills.

When she halted the hand-outs greedy Bashiri demanded more – now insisting he was a law student.

Between January and April 2010 the victim received four letters from a fake legal agency telling her Bashiri had a right to a share in her winnings.

The letters also threatened the victim with legal action, insisting that if she refused to pay £61,800 Bashiri would report her to police.

She was threatened with potentially serving time in prison if she did not pay him the money.



In April 2010 the victim eventually reported the letters to the police and Bashiri was arrested and charged.

He jumped bail and was convicted in his absence of blackmail and fraud and received a two-year sentence.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mary Jane Paly Vera, said: “I am so pleased that this trial could go ahead, despite Bashiri not being present.

“His treatment of the victim left her frightened to be alone in her own home and hopefully this will give her peace of mind that he will not get away with what he has done.”

No comments: