Benefit Fraudster's £12K Empty Flat Scam

A benefit cheat, who pocketed over £12,000 by claiming he lived in his neighbour's flat in a landmark apartment block near Harrods, has been jailed for four months.

Jobless Howard Randall, 54, shares the head porter's flat at swish Lowndes Lodge with his male partner of twenty years, but forged bogus documents, which duped his local council into believing he lived in a vacant apartment.

"This was a calculated deception from the outset, targeting public funds to satisfy your own greed," district judge Howard Fanning told the first-time offender at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court. "You then tinkered with the scam to make further funds for yourself."

After successfully claiming £115 rent per week on the vacant studio flat in Cadogan Place, Belgravia Randall then claimed back pay when he returned from a Far East vacation - even forging more documents to try and pocket £150 per week.

"This was clearly a planned fraud  and the only explanation offered was that he had received requests for council tax payments, which he and his partner did not think he was liable for," said prosecutor Mr. Roger Hodkinson, representing the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

"The flat was empty and Mr. Randall decided to make an application for housing benefit even though he did not occupy the flat and the fraud continued for over two years.

"He went to Thailand for a number of months and his Jobseeker's Allowance was stopped and the council called the case in for review.

"When Mr. Randall returned from Thailand he made another application for housing benefit, but asked for it to be back-dated to January 2012.

"A lease that never existed was forged along with letters from various individuals purporting to be the landlord and the landlord's agent.

"Mr. Randall decided he wanted more and submitted a fraudulent letter that the rent had increased to one hundred and fifty pounds a week.

"Not only was this a fraud initially, but Mr. Randall decided he could get more."

The council visited the flat in July, last year and after confirming it was not occupied called the defendant in for an interview.

"He signed a statement that was effectively a full confession. He admitted it was greed," explained Mr. Hodkinson.

When initially claiming benefits in April 2010 Randall declared he had no savings, but told investigators he financed the Thai trip from a nest egg.

He received £10,324 in housing benefit and £2,104 in council tax benefit.

Randall's lawyer Miss Naomi Alcendor told the court her client needed funds to finance civil legal proceedings in 2010.

"This fraud was run at this time and he knows there is no excuse and there is no justification.

"He was not working an money was extremely tight and under pressure he made some unwise choices and is extremely remourseful," added Miss Alcendor. "Money is now being deducted from his benefits. A nominal amount."

There was no court order for compensation and the council have indicated they will not pursue a civil claim against Randall.

Jailing him Mr. Fanning told Randall: "The use of forged documents and all the circumstances of the offence, which was dishonest from the word go, demands an immediate sentence of imprisonment."

Randall pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation on various dates between May 13, 2010 and July 5, last year and three counts of making an article for use in fraud on various dates between April 20, 2010 and July 3, last year.

Flatmate Gets Life For £240 Drugs Money Murder

A drug addict, who murdered his terrified flatmate then used his bank card to withdraw £240, is starting a minimum thirty-year life sentence.

Glasgow native Richard Hamilton, 46, (pic.top) became a recluse in his own room at the flat he shared with Matthew Tinling, 25, (pic.bottom) as a result of threats and intimidation.

An Old Bailey jury convicted Tinling of murdering Mr. Hamilton, who he repeatedly stabbed in the neck, at the property in Shirland Road, Maida Vale, West London, last year.

Both men had been housed by a charity and it was the first time in years Mr. Hamilton had a place he could call home.

The pair had separate rooms in the flat and CCTV footage captured Tinling leaving the property fifteen minutes before the cash was withdrawn from Mr. Hamilton's account.

Mr. Hamilton's body was found on April 9.

Tinling confessed to an associate he had murdered Mr. Hamilton and forensic evidence also linked him to the crime.

Detective Inspector Colette Smyth said: "Matthew Tinling used brutal violence to murder Richard Hamilton, so he could obtain funds from Richard's bank accounts to feed his daily drug habit.

“He inflicted fear and intimidation on Richard to the extent that he became a recluse in his own room in the weeks prior to his murder.

This was in a place where for the first time in a long time Richard could call home. 



"It is the consequences of Matthew Tinling's violence that will live with Richard's family forever.

“At this time our thoughts are with Richard's family and those who loved him.

“I would like to thank those witnesses who bravely came forward and gave evidence in this trial."

Dealer Jailed After Police Drugs Raid

A drug-dealer, arrested after a police raid at his West London home, which recovered crack cocaine, cannabis and £27,860 in cash, has been jailed.

Tahir Khan, 36, (pictured) of Barrack Road, Hounslow received three years and six months at Isleworth Crown Court.

He was convicted of possessing class A drugs, with intent to supply, and money laundering.

Khan was arrested on August 31, last year when officers executed a search warrant

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Easton said: "People who come to Hounslow to commit crime, need to know they will be investigated, arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.



"Tahir Khan is starting a three year and six month prison sentence and has had a substantial part of the profits from the crimes he committed forfeited.

A total of £27,860 has now been recovered by my officers and recycled into the ongoing fight against crime." 

Fashion Graduate Murder: Man Charged

A man charged with the murder of a fashion designer, who was stabbed to death in her East London home, has been remanded in custody until the summer.

Mother-of-one Daneshia Arthur, 30, (pictured) of Baden Powell Close, Dagenham suffered multiple stab wounds at the quiet cul-de-sac property she shared with her mother and young daughter.

Delton Coley, 36, of no fixed abode, initially appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court charged with Daneshia's murder and was then remanded by the Old Bailey until June 28.

Daneshia, who was a graduate of the London College of Fashion, where she received a BA Honours degree in fashion design died on March 18.

Wannabe Ladies Man Who Shot Nightclub Rival Caged For Twelve Years

A dangerous gunman, who shot a fellow nightclub customer in the stomach when the victim tried to save his female friends from the man's unwanted advances, was jailed for twelve years today.

Leslie Ammah, 23, (pictured) was convicted of blasting the 19 year-old university student outside the South Beach Bar, Brixton Hill in the early hours of September 3, 2011.

An Old Bailey jury fround Ammah, of Copeland House, Lambeth Walk, Lambeth guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm and possessing a firearm, with intent to endanger life.

Detective Sergeant Paul Davis of Operation Trident, which investigates black gun crime, said: “I am pleased with the sentence that has been handed down today.

“The Metropolitan Police Service takes offences of this nature very seriously and will take action to send a clear message to those concerned in gun crime that if they are involved, in any way, they can expect to be identified and convicted for the offence.

“I hope today's sentencing will offer some form of closure for the victim who had enjoyed a night out and intervened in a situation simply because he was concerned for the safety of his friends.”

The victim noticed that two of his female friends were being hassled by a group of men, who were insisting they come with them.



The victim, concerned for the safety of his friends, intervened and shepherded the women towards their car.



The suspect group became angry and a fight began.



Ammah then pulled out a handgun and fired at the victim, hitting him in the stomach.



The victim collapsed to the ground and the suspect group fled towards their Audi TT.



The victim was taken to Kings College Hospital and later recovered from his injury.



Enquiries led to the identification of a member of the suspect group and then the gunman, Ammah.



He was arrested during an armed operation on 24 January 2012 and subsequently charged.



DS Davis added: "The victim had enjoyed a night out and intervened in a situation simply because he was concerned for the safety of his friends.



"His act of kindness led to a situation that escalated and ended with him being shot in the stomach by Ammah, who was armed.”

Facebook Perv Secretly Groomed Underage Teen

An internet paedophile used Facebook to groom a 14-year-old girl and arrange rendevous for sex.

Steven Clive, 35, (pictured) of Snipe Close, Erith masked his identity with a pseudonym and had several secret meetings with the underage teen.

He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He will be sentenced on May 2.

Clive was arrested on July 14, 2011 at his home address after the girl confided in a friend and the police were informed.

Detective Constable Chris Hammond of the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Sapphire Command said: "Steven Clive is a predatory paedophile who has targeted a vulnerable young girl to satisfy his own sexual needs.

“The MPS is dedicated to protecting the public from sexual predators and encourage victims to come forward. They will be fully supported by specially trained officers."



Detective Chief Inspector Pete Thomas of the MPS Sapphire Command said: "The victim was targeted, groomed and exploited by Clive.

“This crime again shows how the internet and social media can be used by paedophiles to snare their victims.

“This conviction will provide reassurance that we will relentlessly pursue those who commit these dreadful crimes against children." 

£1/4M Cocaine Consignment In Two Tins Of Tomatoes

A middle-aged cocaine smuggler, caught sneaking £257,000 worth of the drug - hidden inside two tins of tomatoes – through Gatwick Airport, has been jailed for four years.

Patrick Shorthouse, 53, of Chingley Close, Bromley had just stepped off a flight from Antigua when his luggage was searched by officers from the UK Border Agency.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to importing 964 gms of cocaine on January 17.

The court heard Shorthouse, who is diabetic and suffers with high blood pressure, was tempted by the offer of a free ten-day holiday, plus £300 spending money.

His lawyer Keith Goodhand said: “There is a sense of disbelief as to where he finds himself,” adding his client has been in custody since his arrest.

“He is terrified of these proceedings and keeps his head down in prison.”

Shorthouse's wife passed away in January, last year and the court was told he turned to alcohol and cannabis, abusing both.

“He is a very lonely man. He did not know the weight or value of the consignment.”  

Spanish Nurse Caged For Smuggling Cocaine

A cash-strapped Spanish nurse, who smuggled £380,000 worth of cocaine into Gatwick Airport on New Year's Eve, has been jailed for four years.

Single-mum Yolanda Lopez Avila, 39, had 4.7 kilos of the drug impregnated into the plastic lining of her suitcases and claims she agreed to be a courier for just €1,000.

“She is indicative of the chronic circumstances that exist in some parts of southern europe,” he lawyer Mr. Matthew Pardoe told Croydon Crown Court (pictured).

“She was living at home with her ageing mother, her sister, who was not working, and she has a son aged sixteen who has special needs.”

First-time offender Lopez Avila pleaded guilty to importing cocaine on December 31, last year after stepping off a flight from St. Lucia and attempting to board a connection to Valencia.

She was caught after a drug sniffer dog indicated the presence of an illegal substance in her suitcases and collapsed after she was stopped.

Lopez Avila lost her income as a geriatric nurse in September, last year when her patient passed away.

“She had no knowledge or control over the drugs she was importing, she was told to bring a bag back and was given the suitcases,” explained Mr. Pardoe.

“She did it for the money, of course she did. The pressure was financial and she was clearly naïve and when she was arrested for these offences she collapsed.”

“What a sad story this is,” announced the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon. “Here you have a professional woman, very highly thought of, who has lost her job and been tempted to do this.

“You did this with your eyes open and did it for the money. This is a sorry case.”

Thieving Ex-NHS Carer Dodges Jail Yet Again

A disgraced ex-NHS carer, who stole cash from the “extremely vulnerable” 72 year-old man she was looking after, has received her second suspended prison sentence.

Bibi Leeming, 62, of Shifford Path, Perry Vale, Lewisham deliberately short-changed the victim, who has severe learning difficulties, after he entrusted her with his money.

The prosecution were forced to drop a charge of stealing £11,793 because of evidential difficulties and she pleaded guilty to the theft of £130 from Orpington OAP Trevor McDowall on December 13, 2011.

Leeming was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, ordered to perform 150 hours community service and banned from working with vulnerable adults for a year.

Four years ago she was sentenced to four months, suspended for two years, after a £12,381 swindle on the NHS when she moonlighted in a similar carer's job while receiving sick pay from Bromley Primary Trust.

Prosecutor Mr. Tim Forster told Croydon Crown Court: “Mr. McDowell is an extremely vulnerable gentleman and the defendant started to care for him in the summer of 2009, not long after she was sentenced for dishonesty.

“She was paid by Mr. McDowell on a private basis and made weekly trips with him to the shops and bank to withdraw funds for his living expenses.”

Staff at the victim's residential home became suspicious Leeming was stealing thousands of pounds and a “sting operation” was executed by Bromley Police's Safeguarding Adults at Risk team.

“They took care to note the serial numbers of the banknotes in Mr. McDowell's flat and with the co-operation of the Nationswide, the numbers to be issued from his account,” explained Mr. Forster.

Leeming withdrew £400 cash and was later arrested at Mr. McDowell's flat.

“The money on her was examined and she had a mixture of notes. Some of it was cash from Mr. McDowell's tin, some from the Nationwide and some of her own.”

Leeming had given the victim only £270 change for the £400.

The victim was dreading giving evidence on the charge Leeming stole £11,793 during the five months she worked for him.

“Mr. McDowall was extremely relieved when told about her guilty plea,” said Mr. Forster.

The court heard Leeming has always worked as a carer and previous employers include the Leonard Cheshire Disability Group and the Bromley Autistic Trust.

She was said to be “ashamed by her behaviour” and is currently on anti-depressants.

Web-Cam Perv Facing Jail For Underage Abuse

A web-cam pervert, who exposed himself to two 15 year-old girls on the internet and then met and abused one of them, was yesterday told he will be going to prison.

First-time offender Benjamin Spratt, 28, (pictured) of Evelyn Place, Chelmsford, Essex will also be assessed as to how dangerous he is to underage girls and be made subject to a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity himself, via a web-cam, on October 27, 2011.

He also admitted meeting the girl after online grooming on October 28, with intent to have sexual intercourse, and two charges of engaging in sexual activity with her.

Spratt also pleaded guilty to inciting a second girl to engage in sexual activity via a web-cam on October 24, 2011 and two counts of attempting to meet her after sexual grooming.

“Custody is inevitable and I want a dangerousness assessment,” announced the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon.

“These are very serious matters. I do not see how I can avoid a prison sentence.”

Spratt was bailed until April 24 on condition he is not alone on private premises with a child under sixteen without their parent or guardian and he had to sign the Sex Offenders Register before leaving court.

Cops Grab Stash In South London

An Oxford drug-user, caught with £1,800 worth of cannabis in South London and with individul £10 bags at his home when it was searched by police, will be sentenced on May 9.

Jumoke Brewster, 35, of Bayswater Road told police he smoked large quantities of the drug and sold some of it on.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to possession of 879 gms of cannabis, with intent to supply, in Ambleside Avenue, Streatham on Janaury 30 and possession of six small amounts, worth £60, at his home address the next day.

The court (pictured) heard Brewster told officers: “I smoke a lot of cannabis. I buy in bulk and would have smoked most of it and maybe sold a small amount on.”

Nightclub Gunman Blasted Student During Row Over Girls

A dangerous gunman shot a fellow nightclub customer in the stomach when the victim tried to save his female friends from the man's unwanted advances.

Leslie Ammah, 23, (pictured) was convicted of blasting the 19 year-old university student outside the South Beach Bar, Brixton Hill in the early hours of September 3, 2011.

An Old Bailey jury fround Ammah, of Copeland House, Lambeth Walk, Lambeth guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm and possessing a firearm, with intent to endanger life, and he will be sentenced on April 2.

The victim noticed that two of his female friends were being hassled by a group of men, who were insisting they come with them.



The victim, concerned for the safety of his friends, intervened and shepherded the women towards their car.



The suspect group became angry and a fight began.



Ammah then pulled out a handgun and fired at the victim, hitting him in the stomach.



The victim collapsed to the ground and the suspect group fled towards their Audi TT.



The victim was taken to Kings College Hospital and later recovered from his injury.



Enquiries led to the identification of a member of the suspect group and then the gunman, Ammah.



He was arrested during an armed operation on 24 January 2012 and subsequently charged.



Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Paul Davis, from Trident, said: "The victim had enjoyed a night out and intervened in a situation simply because he was concerned for the safety of his friends.



"His act of kindness led to a situation that escalated and ended with him being shot in the stomach by Ammah, who was armed.



"I am pleased that extensive enquiries led to Ammah's identification and he now faces a hefty prison sentence."

Businessman Must Pay £170K Or Go To Prison For Illegal Animal Medicines Scam

The owner of an Essex riding school - convicted of playing a role in a £6m illegal veterinary medicines scam - has been ordered to pay £170,713.43 - the profits of his illicit trade.

Road haulage boss Peter Lock, 54, of Knaves Hall, Warren Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood owned the Colmar Farm Riding School, Colmar Farm, Weald Park Way, South Weald when it was raided.

It is not known if he is still the proprietor.

He was convicted by a Croydon Crown Court jury of fifteen charges of illegally importing and distributing unauthorised or prescription-only veterinary drugs and was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 250 hours community service work.

The court ordered Lock to pay the money in full by September 17 or serve two years and six months imprisonment under Proceeds of Crime Act legislation.

He was also ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

A DEFRA investigation revealed the illegal trade in veterinary medicines including anti-inflammatories, anabolic steroids, tranquillisers, antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers and other miscellaneous products administered to horses, household pets and farm animals. 

The illegal medication came from the ringleaders, married couple Ronald Meddes, 72, and Regine Lansley, 61, - nicknamed 'Ronnie and Reggie', the bosses of France-based 'Eurovet'.

Lock had told the jury he bought the riding school, but was not involved in the day-to-day running of the business since 2002.

He is the named company secretary for the school and his ex-wife Michelle - who was not arrested - is the listed company director.

"I had nothing to do with it at all," insisted Lock. "It is a mystery to me, it has nothing to do with me," but the jury rejected his account.

When asked why his name appeared on a Eurovet client list along with his phone number, Lock replied: "I can't answer that.

"I never went down the stables a great deal. My wife's words were: 'You run your business and I'll run mine'."

He suggested a mystery man known only as J Hawkins, who rented a stable at the school, may have been responsible for ordering the illicit shipments, but this individual has never been traced by the police or DEFRA.

The court heard the 18-horse school received deliveries of up to half a ton of medication.

Lock was accused of buying £155,000 of veterinary medicines between January 2004 and September 2008 and Judge Nicholas Ainley told him: "I'm sure you were acting as an agent."

Rock Star Bryan Ferry's Son Merlin Caught With Knife

Merlin Ferry leaving Isleworth Crown Court 

The privileged son of rock star Bryan Ferry, who told police to go away and "investigate real crime" after he was caught with a knife, heard he will be locked-up in Wormwood Scrubs if he is caught with a blade again.

Merlin Ferry, 22, was arrested for the second time in two years for having a knife, but complained it was only a problem on London council estates and moaned about having to get up early to travel from Shropshire for court appearances.

He pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to possessing a bladed article in Lots Road, Chelsea on September 29, last year and was placed on a twelve-month community order, which includes 100 hours community service and was ordered to pay £500 costs.

"Two things worry me in sentencing you today," Judge Paul Dugdale told degree student Ferry. "The first thing is that fifteen months before this incident you had a pretty close call in a similar matter and I would have hoped the penny would have dropped.

"Secondly the degree of attitude you have showed. You told the police they should go and investigate real crime and not waste their time with this.

"The probation officer says you showed no remorse for the offences or the issue of public security or costs to the public purse and remained pre-occupied by what you described as a waste of time and an inconvenience because you had to set off very early from Shropshire."

Ferry, who gave an address in Bellefields Road, Brixton was previously arrested in Manchester for possessing a Gurkha knife, which he had strapped to his leg, but the charge was later dropped.

"One of my nightmares is that I give a lenient sentence to someone for having a bladed article and read a few months later that they have stabbed someone," Judge Dugdale told Ferry, who is currently studying in Barcelona.

"You have got everything going for you, you have hard a great education, you are going to university and have a life in front of you that I hope is enjoyable and successful. You are lucky.

"Those that have the chance to make a success of their lives without the normal hardship of life are very lucky and it has taken a bit of time for you to realise that luck and good fortune does not take you out of the normal world or that normal rules do not apply to you.

"You are just another young man carrying a knife and that makes you very frightening to people in West London and that is why people think I should send you to prison.

"If you carry a bladed article again in public again you will spend six months of your life in Wormwood Scrubs and the consequences on your lucky life so far will be devastating. don't think that will not happen, it will."

Ferry had been bailed for the completion of a pre sentence report and the probation officer who interviewed him noted Ferry "lacked insight into the offence," and said of knife crime: "That's to do with London and people on estates."

Prosecutor Mr. James O'Connell told the court it was 4pm when police stopped Ferry driving his uninsured silver Saab car and decided to conduct a drug search.

"A decision was made to search Mr. Ferry and when asked if he had anything in his pocket that may cause possible injury he said: 'Yes' and pulled out the lock-knife from his jacket pocket.

"As a result he was arrested and the vehicle seized as it came back on the PNC check as having no valid insurance.

"He was slightly rude during his arrest and said: "You can just unarrest me now.

"He said his friend had brought it back from Greece and given it to him as a present."

Ferry's lawyer Karina Arden said: "This young man comes from a good middle-class family and he is in his second year at university.

"That knife was given to him in the flat as a present by that other young man and there is no question that the knife was ever used.

"It had been bought in Greece and may be seen as an ornamental knife. He thought it was just a pen knife.

"There is no intention to use that knife. It would probably have ended up in the bin, my client not really wanting it.

"It had been in his possession since lunchtime that day and he should have known better. He had not even opened it that day.

"He has got a bright future, he is an intelligent your man and the penny has dropped. There is a change in his attitude."

Urging the court not to make any financial penalty Miss Arden said: "It seems like he may be highly wealthy from his background, but he just has an allowance of £100 per week and gets his rent paid and has a facility to top up to £500-£600 without having to borrow from other people."

Judge Dugdale told Ferry: "You could walk down the corridor her at Isleworth and go into a courtroom and hear a case where someone had their face opened by a knife and were scarred for life.

"That was caused by somebody who had a knife, problems arose, things happened and it ended up being used.

"You know of the number of deaths and murders in London that are caused because people have knives in their pockets and somebody is left dead and that is why there are a large number of people calling for a minimum of one year's custody for somebody caught with a knife."

Ferry was given six penalty points for having no insurance, bringing him to a total of sixteen and he was disqualified from driving for six months.

The judge agreed to suspend the start of his community service until June so he can complete his Barcelona studies.

'Black Dragon' Cyber Criminal Jailed For £6.5m UN Carbon Credits Hack

Matthew Beddoes & one of his online profile pics

A cyber-criminal nicknamed the 'Black Dragon',  who masterminded an audacious attempt to hack into the United Nations computer systems to steal £6.5m worth of carbon credits, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Matthew Beddoes, 32, created a rogue 'Trojan' programme he called Zeus to transfer 426,108 Certified Emission Reduction credits from an account on the U.N's Clean Development Mechanism Registry in Bonn, Germany - thwarted when an incorrect account number was used. 

Beddoes then targeted the Spanish Carbon Credit Registry and 350,000 European Union Allowances were transferred to a UK broker, who sold €89,000 worth to BP before the remainder were frozen.

He pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to six counts of conspiring to do unauthorised acts, with intent to impair computer programmes, four counts of unauthorised access to business computers, three counts of possessing electronic files containing credit card information and one count of acquiring criminal property on or before November 17, 2011.

He was recruited by Jasdeep Randhawa, 38, of Aber Road, Leicester, who received twenty-one months imprisonment and his friend Jandeep Sangha, 28, of New Street, Leicester, who laundered the stolen money, received twelve months, suspended for two years, was fined £1,000 and ordered to complete 120 hours community service.

Shrewsbury-born Beddoes, (pictured) of Jubilee Avenue, Donnington, Telford, who also nicknamed himself 'Cyber Commander' and 'Secret Squirrel' boasted of his hacking skills online, with his Facebook name 'Matty Net Jackal Beddoes' an 'Old Skool Hacker.'

He spent a short time living in South Tidworth, Wiltshire after setting up Alladin Technologies, a computer security company, specialising in removing malicious software and viruses.

His lawyer Mr. Mark Cotter told the court: "He has had an itinerant lifestyle, bouncing from place to place, but always with the company of his laptop.

"He first became interested in computers at the age of five and if circumstances were different his skills may have been channelled into more lawful use.

"He started his first steps in hacking at the age of sixteen  and is in some ways addicted. He has immersed himself into online computing and hacking and it became a challenge.

"It appear to have been a highly-addictive hobby, a hobby that has ended with him breaking the law. There is a culture of bragging within this community and it has a fantasy element to it.

"You get the feeling with the names Black Dragon and Cyber Commander you are dealing with a James Bond-style secret organisation when in reality it is a bloke on his laptop in a friend's house living an itinerant lifestyle.

"You could describe him as a master online locksmith and he advertised his services to find new challenges and was approached by Mr. Randhawa on the internet.

"The proposal that was put forward in relation to carbon credits was a new challenge for him and he formulated an effective way of putting the operation into effect.

"It came as an enormous surprise to him that it ultimately did work. He did not think in a million years that anyone would open the email and the attachment, particularly in an organisation like the United Nations."

Beddoes received £6,250 for the smaller sale of carbon credits to BP.

"I am sure he would be an extremely valuable asset to any company, telling them where their weaknesses lie and how to stop people getting in," added Mr. Cotter.

Coalminer's son Beddoes, who left school after failing all his GCSE's has been in custody  since his arrest on November 17. 2011. "He has found his time in prison difficult and feels he does not belong there, that he doesn't fit in there."

On Twitter in November 2010 he boasted: "I'm a web/network hacker that is looking to sell my excess data or trade for services. Here is a list of data I am selling for now and more.

"On a mission to code these apps, hack three sites, make some dolla on da forex and debug some router firmwares. Virtually unstoppable."

Randhawa pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to secure unauthorised access to computers and two counts of conspiring to impair computer programmes between June 4 and November 17, 2011.

Sangha pleaded guilty to conspiring to disguise criminal property and acquiring criminal property on or before November 17, 2011.

Judge Nicholas Price told Beddoes:  "From a career, which started with no promise academically, your interest in computers started at an extraordinarily young age.

"You possess considerable IT skills that if harnessed legitimately should have provided you with a rewarding job and a substantial salary.

"You would have been an asset to any company, to point out potential abuses in their computer systems and it is a tragedy that you abused those skills in such a criminal way."

When arrested Beddoes was in possession of 3,000 credit card numbers, 500 email addresses of potential 'phishing' scam victims and he had accessed the computers of HSBC, Virgin, LloydsTSB and other companies.

"You adopted a number of cyber tools to attack websites and to obtain carbon credits as well as usernames, passwords, email addresses and bank details.

"The powerful malware you employed was a so-called Trojan called 'Zeus' which when injected into computer systems was highly-efficient at stealing information."

Bangladeshi Immigration Scammer Gets Eight Years

An illegal immigration fixer, who made thousands of pounds out of successfully arranging for unqualified Bangladeshi families to move to the UK, has been jailed for eight years.

Shuhel Chowdhury, 48, of Arragon Road, East Ham used forged documents and lied on oath before Immigration and Asylum Tribunal's to get six bogus family visas.

He originally applied for nine, which would have seen thirty Bangladeshi's arrive in the UK.

Chowdhury (pictured) was arrested by the UK Border Agency's criminal and financial investigation team in September 2011

Charging the families several thousand pounds for each application he produced documents purporting to show the applicants had sufficient funds to support themselves.

He was convicted after a Croydon Crown Court trial of nine counts of assisting unlawful immigration.

Chowdhury also altered utility bills and bank statements and his fingerprints and signature were found on some of the incriminating documents.

He told a pack of lies to the jury during the ten-day trial, blaming the illicit scheme on a mystery Bangladeshi he allowed to stay at his home.

When the nine application were initially rejected he gave evidence in person under oath to the tribunals and six were overturned and the bogus applicants and their relatives remain in the UK.