Drugs Money Launderer Jailed After 8 Years On Run

A Dutch antique dealer who went on the run after Customs men caught him exchanging £5.13m in drug-tainted cash was jailed for five years today.

Lambertus Wolters, 67, was the target of an undercover surveillance operation investigating a drugs gang when he was arrested with £102,000 in cash on him.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown court to transferring criminal proceeds, namely a quantity of banknotes between October 1, 1998 and January 25, 2001.

Wolters, who stayed in various West End hotels, was originally arrested by Customs and Excise on January 25, 2001 after he was observed collecting bags of cash from suspected drug dealers.

Under the guise of his antique business he exchanged British Pounds for Dutch Gilders, other European currency and U.S. dollars at Thomas Cook foreign exchange bureaus and TTT Moneycorp.

Notes he exchanged at Thomas Cook, Marble Arch (pictured) were drug-tested by investigators and were positive for traces of heroin and ecstasy.

He was released on £600,000 bail, but fled in February 2002 and a European Arrest Warrant was issued.

His sureties lost every penny.

Married father Wolters was eventually re-arrested in Holland on January 25, this year and extradited back to the U.K. on March 30.

Mercedes-driving Wolters originally told investigators he was exchanging cash at a favourable rate for Dutch gypsies who sold pots and pans all over Europe.

Violent Boyfriend Turned A Deaf 'Un During Attack On Partner

A violent Huddersfield man, who throttled his deaf pregnant girlfriend in the middle of London’s busy King’s Cross Station, was ordered to attend domestic abuse classes when given a community order.

Jobless Dean Stanton, 20, of Brent Street, Newsome ignored a police community support officer (PCSO) who tried to stop the assault and repeated the attack.

Deaf Stanton was convicted at City of London Magistrates’ Court of assaulting Siobhan Keogh at the station (pictured) on November 19, last year.

Prosecutor Mrs. Varinder Hayre told the court: “This case related to a domestic violence incident.

“The victim, who is the defendant’s partner, approached the PCSO at 5 pm and by a combination of gestures and sounds she indicated she had been grabbed by the throat and was pregnant.

“The victim pointed at Mr. Stanton who was walking towards the station and the PCSO asked him to stop, but Mr. Stanton ignored him.

“The victim then told Mr. Stanton to stop and he used his hand to grab the victims throat and pushed her to the ground.

“The officer asked him to stop, he ignored him and again pushed the victim to the ground.”

Police were alerted and rushed to the scene. “The officers say the victim was distressed and they had no doubt he presented a threat to the victim.”

Stanton was arrested, but could not be interviewed because of a lack of a sign-language interpreter.

He was re-arrested in Huddersfield on March 26 and charged.

Stanton has five police cautions, including one for assault against his girlfriend, and the couple remain together.

His lawyer, who refused to give her name, said: “Mr. Stanton does want to make a change in his behaviour. He takes this very seriously.

“They now have a child who is just a few weeks old.”

Stanton, who lives on disability living allowance, and Miss Keogh are being assisted by social services and foster carers.

“He is also being assisted finding housing in Huddersfield,” added the lawyer. “They are a family unit and they want to continue as a family unit.”

Magistrates placed Stanton on a two-year community order, which includes completing a domestic abuse programme and ordered him to pay £75 costs.

Iraqi's Dodgy Passport Paris Trip

An Iraqi asylum-seeker used somebody else’s British passport to take the Eurostar train to Paris and back - returning with a knife in his luggage.

Jobless delivery driver Mohammed Alipour, 30, of Davison Street, Stoke-on-Trent claimed he found the passport near his home and used it to visit a friend in the French capital for five days.

He was a stopped by a U.K. Borders Agency official at St. Pancras International (pictured) railway station and a search of his bag found the folding lock-knife hidden amongst clothing.

Alipour pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court to unlawfully possessing an identity document and a bladed article on June 9.

Prosecutor Mrs. Varinder Hayre told the court the passport photograph was clearly somebody else when Alipour showed it to immigration officers.

The defendant had stuffed his driving licence – revealing his true identity – down his sock.

The court was told Alipour’s immigration status was “unclear” and the cells confirmed the official form giving them permission to hold him was incomplete and missing a photo.

Alipour claims he bought the knife in a Paris antique shop to peel fruit in his hotel room.

The magistrates placed Alipour on a twelve-month community order, which includes 120 hours unpaid work and ordered him to pay £75 costs.

Silver-Tongued Robber Hunted

This is the face of a smooth-talking intruder who talked his way into a woman’s house in the middle of the afternoon – attacking and robbing her – then starting a fire before escaping.

He targeted exclusive Penfold Street, St. John’s Wood, Westminster – which includes ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney as a resident – stealing gold necklaces, bracelets, rings and cash.

The 40 year-old victim helped local police compile this e-fit after her ordeal on September 18, last year, which left her requiring hospital treatment.

The suspect is described as a light skinned black man, aged between 30 to 35 years, of large build and approximately 6ft in height.

He was wearing a grey jumper, blue jeans and brown shoes.

Detective Chief Inspector Alexis Boon said: "This attack left the victim traumatised and feeling unsafe in her own home.

“We have issued an e-fit which we hope someone will recognise and come forward.

“I would ask anyone who thinks they may recognise the man in the picture to call us at Marylebone police station on 020 7321 9314 or alternatively call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

East London Teen Gang Murder Appeal

The mother of a murdered teenager has joined detectives in renewing appeals for information and witnesses that will nail the culprits of a gang-attack on her son who was stabbed to death earlier this year.

Isschan Nicholls, 18, from Poplar, East London died after the attack in nearby Parnell Road, Bow on January 13 by a gang of up to fifteen youths armed with knives and baseball bats.

Police who were called to the scene at about 9.10 pm discovered Isschan (pictured) and another 17-year-old boy suffering from stab wounds and both were rushed to the Royal London Hospital.

Isschan died early on 15 January.

A post mortem gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the abdomen and thigh and the second victim was treated and discharged.

"Isschan was loved by so many people,” said his mother Jennifer Williams. “He was a real family person who was passionate about his music, which was his main hobby whilst attending college.

"Our son has been put to rest, but the fact remains there are people harbouring others who have carried out this evil, vicious attack.

"This is what we, Isschan's family, are finding hard to comprehend. There are no excuses, reasoning or justification for this kind of violence and those involved must come forward to take responsibility for their actions and for the lives they have ruined.

"We have been robbed of someone precious to us and we will be grieving his loss for the remainder of our days. The emotional and mental pain that we go through daily is unexplainable, it is a surreal experience for us.

"We are asking if anybody knows anything regarding this incident, no matter how small the information- we are pleading with you to come forward and call police. Every piece of information is important right now, no matter how insignificant you may think it is."

"Exactly what sparked the fight which led to Isschan's death remains unclear at this time and we are keeping an open mind regards motive,” said Detective Inspector Dave Manning of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

"We know that shortly before the fight, Isschan and four friends had been traveling in a blue Rover which parked in Parnell Road.

"The vehicle was parked close to a Ford Fiesta which entered the road moments earlier containing four males.

"I appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident who may have seen what happened to contact police if you have not done so already.

Even if you feel you have no information to give, we would like to hear from you.

"There are people out there with vital details about what happened. I urge those people to tell us what they know.

“We understand some might have concerns about speaking to us, but it is important they do, so we can offer reassurance and support.

"Many may not see this as any of their business, but it is. You are all part of the community and have a vested interest in ensuring those who commit serious violence are held to account."

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8721 4054; if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

To date 12 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation. All were bailed to return to an east London police station pending further enquiries.

Watch Your Bags. Lithuanians About!

Two Lithuanian heroin junkies caught in CCTV rifling through a bag snatched moments earlier from a pub customer in the Square Mile were fined at City of London Magistrates' Court today.

The jobless couple, Marius Stokas, 26 and Jovita Novikovaite, 28, both of Western Road, Plaistow, East London pleaded guilty to dishonestly receiving a stolen shoulder bag on April 27.

The court (pictured) heard it was 9.15 pm when an office security guard spotted the couple looking through the bag in the street and called the police.

They were arrested in Newgate Street and Novikovaite admitted she was looking through the bag for cash before dumping it.

Both defendants tested positive for drugs and have previous convictions for theft.

Stokas was fined £75 with £90 costs and Novikovaite £50 with £90 costs.

Face Of G20 Demo Cleared

A Glasgow G20 protestor – arrested at last year’s City of London demonstration – was cleared of violent disorder by a jury today after telling them he was simply appealing to aggressive police.

Harvey Brown, 30, of Cathcart Road became the face of the demo after his bloodstained bare-chested image was shown all over the world and television cameras zoomed in as he confronted police lines.

“I was hit on the head with a baton after already having been punched and was trying to keep an eye on the officer who hit me and see any serial number,” he told Isleworth Crown Court.

“I could feel the blood coming down my face and I was a bit shocked and upset,” added Brown, who was arrested on April 1 outside the Bank of England.

“I was watching the police in case they came forward and tried to hit me again and was asking them why they had hit me because I had not done anything and why they were hitting other people.

“I said I was a peaceful protestor and that I was not going to hit them back.”

The prosecution alleged Brown had deliberately “inflamed” the crowd to be aggressive against the thin police line, which was bombarded with bottles, batteries, bleach, scaffold clips, bits of wood and other objects.

He admitted kicking out at the police line, but insisted it was in self-defence. “I thought the policeman was going to hit me with his baton so I kicked out towards him to keep him at bay.

“I was quite emotional about everything, crying. I was weak and tired by this point.

“I was knocked to the ground and kicked by a police officer as people tried to pick me up,” added Brown.

“I was trying to walk through the police line. I thought we had been there long enough and I wanted to continue the march.”

It took the jury ninety minutes to unanimously find the defendant not guilty of violent disorder, a charge that has seen other G20 protestors jailed for two years.

Internet Romance Sparks Jealous Ex's Deadly Knife Attack

An "obsessed" jilted boyfriend - enraged his his ex's new Facebook lover - killed the mum-of-two by plunging a seven inch kitchen knife through her heart after she confessed, a court heard.

Builder Paul Fender, 44, of The Parade, Greatstone, New Romney, Kent told a close friend he would rather kill 28 year-old Karren Martin then see her with another man, the jury were told.

The couple's two year-old daughter Lilly was in the lounge of Miss Martin's rented bungalow in nearby Hardy Road (pictured) when angry Fender arrived just before 10am and stabbed her after she told him: "Yeah. So what. I am seeing someone."

Fender has pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court to murdering Miss Martin - who also has an 11 year-old son Callum - on November 20, last year, claiming he was the victim of provocation.

Prosecutor Mr. Dominic Connolly told the jury the victim began a sexual relationship with an old schoolfriend she met again via Facebook a few weeks before her death - telling friends this was the man of her dreams.

Fender confessed to police he did go around to her house to confront her about the new boyfriend and flew into a rage when she confirmed it was true.

"He said at that point he lost the plot and picked up the knife from the kitchen side and lurched at her," explained Mr. Connolly.

The defendant told detectives: "I just wanted all the pain to go away, I'd had enough, I just thought she'd be injured. I was shaking in anger. It was jealousy after she told me she was seeing this bloke."

Mr. Connolly added: "Paul Fender could not come to terms with the break-up of the relationship. He became obsessed with Karren Martin and that culminated in the events of the morning of November twenty.

"They had a conversation in the kitchen and that led to Paul Fender stabbing Karren Martin in the chest with a kitchen knife and she died almost immediately."

The couple endured a troubled relationship between 2005 and 2007, the jury were told, ending when Miss Martin moved out three months after the birth of their daughter in November.

She had to leave her new boyfriend's house the night before she died so Fender would not spot her car absent from the drive, said Mr. Connolly.

In the early hours happy Miss Martin's final Facebook entry read: "Yippydee doo daa, yippydee day. My oh my, what a wonderful day."

A customer of Fender's, Zoe Gill, even witnessed his anguish that morning. "He told her he was beating himself up inside because his ex was with another man and he was sure that man was at her house the previous night," said the prosecutor.

The same morning Fender was buying building materials with a workmate and told the colleague "he was burning up inside."

After the stabbing Fender called 999 and sat outside the bungalow hugging Lilly in the back of his car as ambulancemen battled in vain to save Karren.

He also later told police: "Let this be a lesson to you. Don't love someone too much."

Officers then spoke to Fender's friend Mark Francis, who gave an insight into the defendant's troubled mind.

"On more than one occasion Paul Fender spoke about killing Karren Martin. He said if he saw her with another man he would kill her. He said he couldn't face the thought of her being with another man," added Mr. Connolly.

The trial is expected to last three weeks......

Internet Pervert's 'Hand Shandy' During Dawn Raid

A pervert caught red-handed pleasuring himself to Internet child porn in his bedroom as officers from the Met Police’s Paedophile Unit walked in in was jailed for eight months today.

Batchelor Mark Walter Harrison, 50, of Brookfield Avenue, Sutton was tracked down by police investigating an online child porn community and arrested during a dawn swoop.

The delivery driver pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing a total of thirty indecent videos of a child and fifteen indecent photographs of a child on or about March 18.

Prosecutor Miss Shekinah Anson told Croydon Crown Court: "He was found masturbating in his room to an image of a child on his laptop aged twelve to fourteen years-old."

The laptop's hard drive was examined and police discovered further downloads of child porn featuring young girls from file-sharing sites.

"He is ashamed of what he has done," said Harrison's lawyer Mr. Fraser Croxhall. "When police found him in his bedroom he volunteered what he was doing."

Judge Nicholas Ainley told Harrison: "For these types of offences involving girls of this age I have no option, but to pass a custodial sentence."

The Judge also made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order prohibiting Harrison from accessing file-sharing sites and using the Internet to search for porn for five years.

Bloody G20 Protestor "Inflamed" Mob Jury Told

A terrified policeman at last year’s G20 riot outside the Bank of England told a jury today: “We were fighting for our lives” as a bloody Glasgow man “inflamed” the hostile crowd.

Harvey Brown, 30, of Cathcart Road has pleaded not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to violent disorder in Threadneedle Street, City of London on April 1.

Bottles, batteries, scaffold clips, pieces of wood, bleach and rotten fruit were among objects hurled at police by rioters who gathered to protest against the summit of G20 nations.

“He seemed to be inciting the crowd,” PC Paul Darrow told the court. “His actions were entirely aggressive. I wouldn’t say he was the ringleader, but his actions inflamed others.”

The jury was shown T.V. footage of the demo, with Brown – bleeding from a head wound - at the front just feet from the thin police line, which eventually collapsed.

“It got to the point where we were fighting for our lives,” explained the officer. “Mr. Brown was at the front lashing out and very aggressive.

“I was scared. I have never experienced such aggression against police in all my career.”

Prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Foy told the court: “A number of people attended for other reasons. They were not there peacefully.

“They were there to cause trouble, to have a ruck with the police and Mr. Brown falls fairly and squarely in that category.

“He is seen being aggressive, violent, is goading the police and egging on the crowd and inciting them.

“Thanks to Mr. Brown and others the mood of the crowd changed and became ugly and became a scene of public disorder, with violent clashes breaking out between protestors and police.”

Brown (pictured) was eventually bundled to the ground by three police officers, handcuffed and led away.

“He appeared intoxicated, very aggressive and was playing up to the crowd,” said PC Darrow. “He was drawing a lot of attention to himself.

“He was shouting at officers and there were various chants from the crowd of ‘kill the police, kill the pigs and reclaim the streets’.”

Brown was treated at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington for his head wound, but said nothing to police when quizzed.

He now says his response was a reaction to police aggression.

The trial continues on Wednesday……….

Lift Death Tragedy: Firm Fined

A West Kingsdown company has been fined £20,000 at the Old Bailey after a lift engineer they sub-contracted at a prestigious Mayfair development was crushed to death despite desperate efforts to save his life. .

J Brown Services Limited of Nirvana House, London Road had pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court to a summons brought by the Health and Safety Executive and were committed for sentence.

Andrew Bates, 40, was tragically crushed to death when a lift he was fitting safety equipment to suddenly began moving at 17 Woodstock Street, a four-storey terraced office block, on December 6, 2005.

Cables hanging from the shaft got snagged on bolts sending a rogue signal to the lift and causing it to move and then trapping Mr. Bates, the court heard.

Men on the site report they heard screams and Mr. Bates was trapped between the top of the lift roof and the shaft and they were unable to free him.

They had to call the fire brigade to free Mr. Bates who later died in hospital.

The court was told the building refurbishment included the removal of the old lift and installation of a new one and J Brown took over the half-finished job when the original contractor ran out of time.

Mr. Bates was not an employee of the company, but was a sub-contractor they knew and was working with a member of the Brown family when the tragedy occurred.

The Health and Safety Executive say Kent's J Brown should have used five-core cable instead of three-core which reduces the chances of a rogue signal.

They also maintain a person should have been assigned to manually control the lift.

The company’s lawyer told the court J Brown ceased trading on August 31, 2007 and will be wound-up at the conclusion of the prosecution.

It’s current assess total £11,300.

The tragedy is if he had stayed where he was he would have been in a safe place designated for that purpose.

An inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court recorded a verdict of accidental death.

The Health and Safety Executive’s expert Dr. Anthony Wray told the inquest Mr. Bates would have had only a split-second to react when the lift started moving.

The company admitted that being an employer they failed to ensure that the safety, as far as was reasonably practicable, of persons not in their employment would not be effected by their work installing a lift between November 30 and December 6, 2005.

The company was also ordered to pay £25,000 costs.

Guns And Drugs Seized In String Of Dawn Raids

A huge gang-busting swoop by police investing gun and drug crimes has resulted in eighteen arrests and the seizure of sixteen firearms during a string of armed dawn raids.

Operation Peyzac – an eighteen-month probe in Enfield, North London – targeted serious and organized crime and twenty-two addresses were raided.

The operation involved opening a shop in a neighbourhood where intelligence indicated gang activity and associated criminality took place.

The 18 suspects - 17 men and one woman - were arrested at addresses in Enfield, Haringey, Redbridge and Leeds on suspicion of offences including conspiracy to supply firearms and supplying controlled drugs.

At the address in Haringey a suspected gun conversion factory was discovered and ammo and firearms components seized.

The 16 firearms - all handguns - were recovered prior to the arrest phase, along with over a kilo of controlled drugs, samurai swords, knives and air rifles.

David Tucker, Enfield's Chief Superintendent, said: "Today's arrests follow a lengthy operation by Enfield Borough Police to combat criminal networks within the borough after concern was raised by the local community some time ago.

"Significant resources have been devoted to Operation Peyzac over many months.

We will not tolerate violence and associated gang activity within the borough and will always ensure we use a variety of police tactics to track down criminals and bring them to justice.

"We know that we have the support of the wider community in this area to combat violence and we will be working with communities in the future to build sustained peace in the area."

Pub Attack Leaves Drinker With Fractured Skull

A drunken pub customer, who left a fellow-drinker with a fractured skull after suspecting the stranger of “chatting up” his aunt, has dodged prison with a suspended sentence.

Building surveyor student Adam Harvey, 24, of Jessop Court, Graham Street, Islington pleaded guilty to wounding the victim, causing him grievous bodily harm, outside the ‘Narrowboat’ (pictured) in nearby St. Peter’s Street, on December 12, 2008.

He also pleaded guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court to assaulting the victim’s male friend and was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The court heard Harvey, whose girlfriend is a social worker with Islington’s youth offending team, became angry with a group of four men outside the pub late at night.

He punched the first victim to the ground and delivered two kicks – one to the man’s head – then punched his friend several times to the side of the face.

The semi-conscious victim, who was convulsing, was rushed by friends to hospital where it was confirmed he suffered a fractured skull.

“You pleaded guilty to an immensely serious offence, punching and kicking a stranger outside a pub,” Judge Daniel Worsley told the first-time offender.

“You kicked him twice, fracturing his skull and chased and assaulted another man.

“You started the fight. In your mind you thought he and his friends were being offensive to your aunt.

“You are lucky you did not cause him more serious long term injury. A kick like that can kill someone, you could have been here on a murder charge,” added the Judge.

Harvey was also placed under one year’s supervision, must complete sixty hours unpaid community service work and obey a nighttime curfew for six months.