Porsche-Driving 'Top Gear' Producer Caught Speeding

Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court

Porsche-driving ‘Top Gear’ producer Andrew Wilman was yesterday banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding near his London home.

He was executive producer of the BBC show between 2002 and 2015 before leaving with old school pal Jeremy Clarkson to create spin-off ‘The Grand Tour’.

Wilman, 62, who lives in a £6m house in Lyford Road, Wandsworth Common pleaded guilty to driving his grey 2.9 litre Porsche Macan in excess of the 20mph limit.

Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court heard an automatic speed camera captured Wilman speeding along The Avenue, Clapham on December 23, last year at 24mph.

He was educated at £52,000-a year Repton School, Derbyshire - also attended by Clarkson - and has also produced ‘Clarkson’s Farm’.

Working extensively with his school chum Wilman has also produced ‘Jeremy Clarkson’s Motorworld’; ‘Jeremy Clarkson’s Extreme Machines’; ‘Jeremy Clarkson: Meet the Neighbours’ and ‘Jeremy Clarkson: The Greatest Raid of All Time’.

BAFTA-nominated Wilman was fined £666, with £110 costs and ordered to pay a £266 victim surcharge.

He was also disqualified from driving for six months and his licence was endorsed with three penalty points.

Private Nursery Worker: "I Don't Accept Punching, Slapping, Scratching."

"I wasn't rough": Lecka 

A nursery worker, accused of physically abusing multiple toddlers at a £1900-a-month Montessori, told a jury today her behaviour did not go beyond “firm handling” of the youngsters.

Roksana Łęcka, 22, was employed at the Riverside Nursery, Twickenham Green, where she is accused of repeatedly pinching, punching and grabbing the youngsters.

After the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury watched CCTV of her putting her hand to a boy’s mouth she said: “I have a habit of squeezing and playing with lips and that is what I was doing there.”

Wearing a light grey sweatshirt, tight grey leggings and white trainers Polish-born Lecka gave straightforward,
matter-of-fact evidence in response to the many CCTV clips played to the court.

One captured her throwing a little girl onto a mat on the floor of the sleep room, which drew gasps from the public gallery, made up of the kids’ families.

“I firmly placed her on the mat. It was firm,” Lecka replied when her lawyer Arlette Piercy asked if her actions were ‘towards the edge of handling.’

She also diminished the charges of child cruelty she has pleaded guilty to, insisting: “I don’t accept punching, slapping, scratching.”

The prosecution allege the CCTV provides evidence of Lecka “rough handling” the boys and girls, aged eighteen to twenty-four months.

In relation to one boy she denies being cruel to she told the jury: “I’m trying to get him to sit down. I firmly placed him down on the floor.”

She also denied “force feeding” the same boy. “I was trying to feed him and he kept moving his face away. He was a difficult child and putting food on his lips would help, I don’t accept force feeding.”

The trial also watched Lecka seemingly drag him out of a cot by his arms, but she said: “I don’t think it’s rough handling.”

She admitted vaping in the sleep room near a little girl and CCTV shows her roughly shoving the toddler into a cot, say the prosecution.

“I firmly placed her in the cot, I lifted her bum and put her in the cot. It was firm handling.”

The prosecution also say there is evidence of Lecka “pinching” the girl’s stomach, but she denied this, explaining: “I’m cuddling her. I was not pinching her stomach and my hands are facing downwards. I’m just sitting, zoned out.”

Another girl was knocked by the defendant. “I was trying to sit down and nudged her accidentally. I did not see that she was behind me.”

On another occasion the prosecution say she pinched the girl’s face. “I just squeezed, touched her lips. I did not pinch her.”

Lecka was also caught pulling another girl’s hair as she walked behind her in a corridor away from other staff members, say the prosecution.

“I did not pull her hair, I was playing with it, twiddling my fingers through her hair,” said Lecka as she watched the CCTV footage.

Asked why the toddler was in tears at that moment she said: “They are tearful before and after sleep. That is why she is tearful.”

She is accused of tipping another boy into his cot head first, but Lecka told the court: “I lifted up his bum and put him in the cot. I wasn’t rough.”

Regarding another incident with the same boy she said: “I was not force feeding him, I was trying to make him taste it. They will tend to eat it once they taste it.”

She denied pinching another boy as he tottered down the steps of a play area. “I did not pinch him, I was helping him down the stairs. He was quite teary so I sat him down and hugged him.”

Lecka also denied other physical behaviour by her towards the boy was abusive. “I stroked his face and they were playful pokes to the side.”

On another occasion the prosecution say Lecka is caught on CCTV pulling the seated boy’s hair as she walks past. “I didn’t pull his hair. It was ruffle with my fingers,” she claimed

When Ms Piercy asked why the boy was crying in response to her actions Lecka said simply: “Children cry.”

Lecka, of Avro Place, Hounslow has pleaded not guilty to twenty-two counts of child cruelty, but has admitted two identical charges, relating to a boy and a girl.

When asked why she waited until the eve of the trial to admit one of the counts, she said: “The prosecution gave us the enhanced video CCTV on the first day of the trial and that is when I saw.” 

Lecka was eventually sent home on June 28, last year after fellow-staff became alarmed by her behaviour and police charged her after analysing months of internal CCTV.

Regarding one of the counts she has pleaded guilty to Lecka told the trial: “I am just squishing his face and just put my hands up to him.”

She was engaged with the boy near the nursery’s unofficial ‘naughty step’ when recorded on CCTV.

“He clearly wanted to run away and I sat him down and said ’no’. I think it was more firm, not rough as he was trying to get away and I was trying to get a grip.”

The jury watched Lecka interacting with the boy on her last day at work. “I squeezed his cheek and don’t accept it was a pinch. There is no intent behind that movement, it was just a squish to the cheek.”

The prosecution called a paediatrician earlier in the trial, who gave evidence that the many injuries suffered by the children were “non-accidental.”

One count of cruelty Lecka denies allegedly occurred at her previous place of employment - another Montessori in nearly Hounslow, ‘Little Munchkins’. 

Another member of staff says she heard the defendant scolding a little girl, shouting: “You’re so annoying,” before inflicting an injury to the toddler’s thigh with a hard pinch.

“I would not use that kind of language,” Lecka told the trial, today, insisting she had no recollection of pinching the child.

Trial continues…………..

That's Pants: Two-Bob Self-Styled "Criminal Mastermind" Is Binned

A self-styled “criminal mastermind” who sold crack cocaine and heroin from his underpants is starting a prison sentence of three years and two months.

Elijah Henry-Gooding, 27, regularly travelled to Richmond-upon-Thames to peddle Class A drugs, but was caught by British Transport Police (BTP).

Officers destroyed his County Lines drug-supply scheme, which he operated around the train station and local area.

He was stopped by BTP undercover officers on Tuesday, July 30, last year after their investigation revealed he had a County Lines phone and was dealing in the area.

Wrapped in clingfilm and hidden inside Henry-Gooding's underwear was found sixty-four individual wraps of crack cocaine and thirty-seven individual wraps of heroin.

At Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court Henry-Gooding, of Tavistock Avenue, Ealing pleaded guilty to two counts of possession, with intent to supply, Class A drugs.

He also pleaded guilty to three counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, plus possession of a bladed article.

During the search, Henry-Gooding was also found to be in possession of £760 in cash and two mobile phones. 

One of these was a Nokia burner mobile, confirmed as the drugs line phone. 

A folding lock knife was also found to have been concealed internally.

Supervising officer, Sergeant Julian Mason said: “Now that Henry-Gooding is behind bars Richmond and its surrounding communities can breathe a sigh of relief that a prolific drug dealer is off the streets along with the illegal substances he was peddling.

“Henry-Gooding believed he was a criminal mastermind and above the law but once again the work of our County Lines Taskforce proves that we will stop at nothing in dismantling and disrupting the menace of drug and knife crime on the railway.”

OAP Beaten To Death With His Own Walking Stick

Sekai Miles Beat Bernard Fowler To Death

A drug-crazed killer, who beat an OAP to death with his own walking stick, was detained in a secure psychiatric hospital last month.

Pensioner Bernard Fowler, 87, was taking an early-morning walk to Harold Wood Underground Station just before 4.30am to pick up a copy of the free Metro newspaper.

He was targeted by paranoid schizophrenic Sekai Miles, 23, who was under the influence of synthetic drug 'Spice' and subjected to a merciless beating.

Miles, of Brent Cross, Hendon had just also threatened a member of station staff before setting his sights on the frail victim on February 27, last year.

CCTV captured him striking the pensioner nineteen times “with great force”, using the OAP's own walking stick.

He also viciously stamped on the victim's head eight times, repeatedly kicked him and gouged his eyes.

After the fatal attack he stood triumphantly, with his arms raised, over Mr Fowler's lifeless body.

The pensioner suffered a fatal head injury, including bleeding to the brain.

The prosecution at the Old Bailey accepted a not guilty plea to murder and instead Miles admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

He was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.

Mr Fowler, a father and grandfather was described by his family as a “kind, loving” man.

The killing was investigated by British Transport Police (BNP) who have not said either way if the offence was racially motivated.

A member of the public dialled 999 and Mr Fowler was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers in the area quickly located Miles walking near the station with the victim's walking stick, and was arrested and taken into custody.

Senior Investigating Officer DCI Sam Painter said: “This was a horrific and brutal act of unprovoked violence which claimed the life of a much loved and respected father, brother, and grandfather.

“I know that no result can possibly make up for the pain and devastation that the tragic loss of Bernard has brought, but I hope that today’s outcome will help them find some comfort.”

Square Mile Shoplifter Spat In Policeman's Face

A City of London shoplifter was caught by police with stolen alcohol and meat, which he was selling in the street to passers-by.

Officers spotted Marc James, 35, in the heart of the Square Mile outside a pub in Monument Street, near London Bridge.

Plain-clothed officers on March 26 saw him trying to sell a bottle of Baileys, with the security tag still attached.

He was followed to King William Street, where he walked into a supermarket and grabbed a heavy-duty 'bag for life' carrier bag and tried to leave.

He was challenged by staff and as he left walked straight into the officers, who arrested him on suspicion of theft.

James is now starting a twenty-four week prison sentence after spitting into one of the officer's face and attempting to headbutt another.

Several joints of meat, still bearing shop security tags were found in his trousers when searched.

PC Ethan Bullock, who was spat on, said: “I was in shock after it happened and the suspect then continued to resist arrest. 

“Police officers join the job to serve the public and should be able to do so without the threat of violence.

“When I arrived on the scene, it was clear the suspect’s intentions was to cause harm to the officers.

“There is no excuse for any kind of abuse and we will hold people accountable for their actions.”

James was also caught on CCTV at a supermarket on Eastcheap stealing meat at around 8:50pm.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault on an emergency worker and stealing goods, valued at £102.

Ferrari-Driving Scuba Businessman Banned For Speeding

A Ferrari-driving international scuba diving instructor has been banned from the roads for six months after being netted speeding yet again.

Businessman Simon Liddiard, 57, was caught on camera speeding at nearly double the limit in his silver 3.8 litre £150,000 car, sporting his personalised D111VER number plate.

He appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court today, where he pleaded guilty to driving at 36mph in a 20mph zone on the A4 Cromwell Road, Earl’s Court on January 7.

Liddiard, of Bulls Bushes Farm, Oakley, Hampshire was also fined £692, with £110 costs and ordered to pay a £277 victim surcharge.

City of London Police prosecutor Miles Hendley told the court it was 2.33pm when an automatic camera captured Liddiard’s Ferrari Roma speeding along the busy stretch of road in west London.

The court heard Liddiard - founder of Blue Marlin Dive - had nine penalty points on his driving licence at the time.

The three penalty points for his latest offence brought Liddiard to twelve points, which automatically triggers a minimum six-month ban.

However, he claimed such a disqualification would cause him and others ‘exceptional hardship’, but this was rejected by the magistrates.

“I rarely drive into London, but I had to meet someone and had no choice,” Liddiard told the court. “There was a massive traffic jam and roadworks everywhere and I thought Cromwell Road was a 40mph, not 20mph limit.”

He explained to the magistrates keeping his driving licence in the rural area he lives is vital to allow him to continue caring for his 87 year-old mother, who lives some miles from him.

“I retired twelve years ago and last October my mother had a fall and has had a shoulder replacement; full knee replacement; hip replacement and back surgery.

“She is very frail and after dropping off one of my children at their school I go to my mother’s, get her dressed, get her lunch and then collect my son from school.

“She does need full-time care and I am there every day at the moment, Monday to Friday and she has had three falls recently.”

Other siblings attend at the weekend, when Liddiard says he drives all over the county to various events his three children participate in, plus his own scuba diving responsibilities.

“All three of them play multiple matches all week and we would not be able to get them to all their matches with just one of us driving,” he told the hearing.

His wife is in full-time employment and Liddiard also own a Land Rover, in which he transports large amounts of scuba diving equipment - particularly to private Twyford School, Winchester, where he teaches the skill.

Bench Chairwoman Gay Cheyne dismissed Liddiard’s arguments for ‘exceptional hardship’ announcing: “We have heard his mother is vulnerable and lives alone, but we believe other arrangements can be made and the school arrangements can be temporarily rearranged.

“We do not find exceptional hardship has been made out,” she added, telling Liddiard: “If you drive while disqualified it is a very serious offence.”

City Of London CRIMBO Shoplifter Sentenced

A prolific shoplifter - banned from the City of London - found himself locked-up for three weeks after being caught in the Square Mile.

Oyas Ali, 53, of neighbouring Barnet Grove, Shoreditch is the subject of a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order ‘CRIMBO’ for repeated offending, disqualifying him from entering the City.

He pleaded guilty to breaching the order on February 24 when he was present in Aldgate High Street - having been banned last July.

Described by police as a “professional thief” Ali was given the CRIMBO along with a fourteen week prison sentence last year.

He regularly made the short journey from his home to Boots, Moorgate in particular, stealing over £1600 worth of goods.

The drug addict already had twenty-five convictions when sentenced for five counts of theft.

After being caught by police in Aldgate High Street Ali was remanded in custody for three weeks for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

At Westminster Magistrates’ Court he received sixteen weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

He must also complete 80 hours community service within a year and comply with a drug rehabilitation requirement under the direction of Tower Hamlets Drug Intervention Programme for six months.

Ali must also observe twenty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and pay a £154 victim surcharge.

District Judge Daniel Sternberg agreed instead of paying the sum Ali could simply be detained within the courthouse until the end of the day.

Sicknote Chelsea Defender Wesley Fofana Gets Two-Year Speeding Ban

Chelsea FC’s Wesley Fofana has been banned from driving for two years after eight more offences in three expensive high-powered vehicles.

The £70m centre-half was also slapped with a whopping thirty-eight penalty points - taking the total on his driving licence to forty-seven.

The 24 year-old Marseille-born French national did not appear at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, where he was also fined a total of £5,328, plus a £2,131 victim surcharge.

“The minimum disqualification today is twelve months, but we take into account the fact he is a habitual speeder, with access to powerful motorcars, who speeds at nearly double the speed limit,” announced bench Chairman John Soones.

The injury-plagued star committed five of the speeding offences while behind the wheel of his white 6.7 litre Rolls Royce Cullinan, which start at approximately £300,000 new.

Two offences were while driving his blue 4.0 litre Audi  and he was once caught speeding in his Lamborghini Urus, which retail from £200,000 new.

The former Leicester City defender won the 2021 FA Cup with the Foxes, but is regarded as a “sicknote” by Blues fans, having missed the entire 2023-2024 campaign with an ACL.

He is currently out with a season-ending hamstring injury.

Fofana, who lives in a detached £2.8m seven-bedroom house in Coombe Lane West, Kingston-upon-Thames, where rapper Stormzy is a neighbour, has only made fourteen Premier League appearances this campaign.

He signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea FC in August, 2022 and today his lawyer Imogen Cox told the magistrates he earns in excess of the £1,000-a week court maximum used for calculating fines.

All five speeding offences in his Rolls Royce were in a 50mph zone on the A3 Esher bypass, which Fofana regularly uses to get to and from his home to the club’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey.

A speed camera caught him at 77mph on December 26, last year; 68mph the next day; 90mph on December 30, 2024; 88mph on January 11, this year and 67mph on February 2.

Prosecutor Laura-Ann Harding told the court it was 3.02am when Fofana was caught at 77mph; 1.00am when caught at 90mph and approaching 1.00am when caught at 67mph.

The other two offences were at 10.00pm and 9.46pm.

He was caught again in the same spot on the A3 while driving his Audi at 62mph on September 10, last year and at 83mph the next month on October 21.

The earliest offence was when Fofana drove his Lamborghini at 26mph in a 20mph zone at just before 1.00am in Acre Lane, Brixton on March 12, 2024.

Fofana had so many speeding offences at Lavender Hill they were scattered throughout the building’s courtrooms and Chairman Mr Soones quipped: “He’s got a flush. He is in Court One, Two and Three, but we have gathered them all together”

The French international admitted all the offences and his personal ‘Executive Assistant’ worked closely with Ms Cox to bring them all together to be dealt with at one hearing.

The court also heard Fofana was disqualified for six months in January, 2023 for speeding offences and before today’s sentence had nine points on his licence - again for speeding in 2022 and 2023.

“Mr Fofana means no disrespect by not attending court today,” said Ms Cox. “He clearly faces a disqualification and knows he is going to be disqualified and I asked him to not drive after 9.30am today.

“He has a significant gap on his driving record where he is not committing offences,” added the lawyer, referring to one in 2022 and one in 2023 before this latest batch.

“He was doing more driving miles and he accepts he disregarded the rules of the road and he asks me to apologise on his behalf.

“There is no ‘exceptional hardship’ argument put forward by Mr Fofana. He knows he is going to be off the road for at least twelve months,” added Ms Cox.

“He earns in excess of the one thousand pounds a week maximum we use for these offences and he realises he is likely to receive the maximum fine.

“He is a young man that plays football for a living and he works extremely hard, training and has foolishly not complied with the rules of the road.

‘He is a young man and he moved over here for work and knows that he has done wrong. He has appointed his executive assistant to liaise with me.”

Fofana must also pay £110 costs and was given fourteen days to pay the entire sum in full.