Elusive Swindler Behind Bars

A notorious conman, who cheated innocent victims out of over £750,000 - even appearing in a Crimewatch appeal for defrauding a businessman while on the run from police - has been jailed for nine years.

Amir Akhalaghi, 43, (pictured) of Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood specialised in selling non-existent cars and other hi-value property.

He was originally charged with fraud in March 2007, but jumped bail and three years later was the subject of a BBC TV Crimewatch appeal for a £50,000 swindle.

Akhalaghi was eventually arrested on September 22, last year and charged with fifteen counts of theft and fraud.

Police believe his crime wave was nationwide and international and police have appealed for more victims to come forward.

They may know the defendant by one of his many aliases, which include

Amir Ali Akhlaghi; Reza Akhlaghi; Emir Ahmed Behrouzan; Emir Ahmed Behrouzan; Ibrahim Ahmet; Desmond James Mabbutt; Gulam Kiatavoosi and Ghulam Kiatavoosi.

Detective Constable Karl Lewis the Metropolitan Police’s Serious Violence Team said: “We are really pleased this sentence has been handed down to this individual who stole money from many victims over a period of over at least a year.

“We believe he has committed further offences up and down the country.

“If you believe you have been a victim of a related crime or have any information relating to this man, please contact us.”

Anyone with information can contact the team on 0207 321 9374 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Satellite Dish Engineer's Roof Tragedy: Company Prosecuted

A Brentwood satellite TV maintenance company, prosecuted after an employee plunged to his death from the roof of a four-storey house, were committed to stand trial at the Old Bailey yesterday.

Foxtel Ltd. of Unit 6, Wates Way have pleaded not guilty to a summons brought by the Health and Safety Executive that they failed to ensure the health and safety of an employee.

Satellite engineer Noel Sahnae Corbin, 29,(pictured) was tragically killed on February 3, 2008 by a 44 foot fall from the roof of 54 Belsize Park Gardens, (pictured) Hampstead, North London.

Foxtel Ltd. – which has ceased trading and claims to be in debt – were subcontracted by AVC who have a BSKYB maintenance contract.

They claim Mr. Corbin had finished working on the two Sky dishes he was contracted to maintain and fell when returning to the roof a second time to work on a flat owner’s private dish.

The Health and Safety Executive claim Foxtel failed to properly equip, train and monitor Mt. Corbin.

Foxtel Ltd. will appear at the Central Criminal Court on May 19.

An inquest in March, 2009 recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mum-Of-Three Stabbed To Death: Teen Charged

A teenager hunted for stabbing a mother-of-three to death at a flat in suburban South-West London has been captured by police and charged.

Reece Ludlow, 18, (pic.bottom) of Oakwood Court, Sutton is charged with murdering Yorkshire lass Louisa Jane Brannan, 35, (pic.top) on March 14.

He has appeared before Camberwell Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on June 27.

Police were called at 6:45am on March 14 to a body found at a flat in Oakwood Court, Sutton, later identified as ex-heroin addict Louisa, originally from Huddersfield.


A post-mortem examination at nearby St. Hellier Hospital on March 16 confirmed the cause of death to be multiple stab wounds.

The Homicide & Serious Crime Command circulated that Ludlow was wanted in connection with the murder and a £5,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture.

Louisa’s parents said in a statement: “The death of our lovely daughter Louisa has come as a terrible shock. We are all devastated and we will miss her terribly.”

Louisa Brannan lived in Water Street, Springwood until she was jailed for robbery in 2009 and she had previously lived in Bradley Mills.

A friend revealed she had been clean from heroin for over two years adding: “She was very remorseful and sorry for her crime. Her children love her and are so proud of her, so are we. She was off drugs and doing so well.”

Somalian Gang Murder On Streets Of London

A murderer involved in bloody Somalian gang warfare on the streets of North London – leaving a fellow-countryman dying from multiple stab wounds – has been caged for life.

Ahmed Farah, 25, (pic.top) is the fifteenth person convicted in relation to the murder of 18 year-old Mahir 'Smiley' Osman (pic.bottom) who was attacked at a bus stop in Camden Road on January 28, 2006.

After Farah – who tried to flee to Canada – was ordered to serve a sixteen-year minimum Detective Chief Insepctor Steven Lawrence of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said:
”This is the 15th conviction in connection with the murder of Mahir in 2006.

“I hope it sends out a clear message to all those intent on violence that they will be held to account, no matter how long it takes to identify and capture those responsible.

“Farah was part of a group of men who went to Camden with the sole intention of attacking anyone belonging to an opposing rival group.

“It was a premeditated attack using a level of violence I have rarely seen.”



He is the fourth defendant to be convicted of murder.

Police were called after mechanical engineering student Osman, of Adelaide Road, Hampstead, was attacked at 10:40pm by up to forty suspects. He was pronounced dead four hours later.

Nineteen stab wounds punctured the back of his body alone, which ultimately proved fatal, and the gang were heard shouting: “Stab him through the heart, stab him dead through the heart.”



The group was seen earlier that evening arming themselves with bottles, knives, hammers and pieces of wood and were determined to settle a score with a rival Somalian group.

Osman was singled out because of his association with that group - Chalk Farm's Centric Boys - with his attackers made up of Tottenham-based North London Somalis (NLS).

He was present during a fight in the Eros nightclub, Edmonton six weeks earlier and a serious assault two days later, resulting in a friend’s arrest.

Thirty attackers piled onto a number 253 double-decker bus in a bid to escape, but were stopped by police.

Weapons – mostly kitchen knives – rained down from the open top-deck windows along with bottles as they tried to dump evidence.

Farah was eventually arrested at Heathrow Airport on July 20, last year, attempting to board a flight to Canada.

His fingerprints had been found on three knives seized form the bus and CCTV showed him armed with a large kitchen knife, striking out at the victim.

Chief Inspector Louis Smith, of Camden Borough said:
”Since Mahir's murder, our work in preventing and reducing levels of youth violence has increased significantly, as have the efforts of partners, notably Camden Council.



”The Youth Engagement Team has been a key part of that work, as has the use of anti-social behaviour legislation led by the ASB team.

“Youth Disorder Engagement Workers from the Council work hand in glove with police officers, conducting home visits, engaging in diversionary work, including the whole family of some troubled young people in finding ways out of seemingly impossible situations.



“Along with the engagement has been enforcement, policing youth violence off the streets, targeting drug dealing which supports gang activity and progressing offences through CCTV evidence whether anyone has come forward as a victim or not.

“We will help those involved to get out of this cycle of youth crime and disorder and keep trying to help, but if that help is disregarded, we will do whatever we can to end the violence.”

Do You Know These Ug Mugs?

Police are hunting these three suspects after a string of phone thefts on late-night buses – in which often lone victims were targeted – and their mobiles snatched.

Officers have recorded at least fourteen incidents in the first seven weeks of this year, with the gang favouring Camden, Islington and the City of London.

All the thefts were committed late at night or in the early hours of the morning on night buses between December 29, last year and February 16.

Typically, the suspects board a bus and snatch phones from usually lone victims who are on their mobiles, while their accomplices crowd the automatic doors to assist escape.

Two victims received minor injuries as they tried to snatch back their stolen phone.

Suspect 1 is described as a black man, stocky build with a scar on the right cheek, who often wears a hat.



Suspect 2 is described as a white man with a large nose, slim build, who often wears a hat.



Suspect 3 is described as a tall black or Asian man, who often wears a dark jacket and hat.



Anyone with information is asked to contact the Camden Robbery Squad on 020 8733 6963 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Detective Sergeant Chris Minnighan, leading the investigation, said: “We are doing everything we can to find those responsible for these incidents and we are asking people to remain vigilant and discreet with their belongings.

“The Camden Safer Transport Team are increasing their patrols and Camden Robbery Squad are carrying out extra patrols at night.

“If you see anyone suspicious please do contact police.”



Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing at Transport for London, said: “Although London's bus network is a low crime environment, with only 11 crimes per million passenger journeys, we will be working with the Metropolitan Police to ensure that criminal activity and anti-social behaviour remains at a minimum.”

"Cocky" Big Brother Star Decks Dad In Boozy Attack

Big Brother bad boy Victor Ebuwa has been convicted of punching and kicking a dad in the face during a boozy late-night attack - leaving the victim scarred - after he was branded a "cocky loser" while posing for photos in a busy street.

The 30 year-old, (pic.top) of 21 Field Road, Forest Gate, East London, infamous for his role in BB5's 'Fight Night', stormed across the road and left his victim needing up to nine stitches, City of London Magistrates' Court heard.

Ebuwa denied, but was convicted, of assaulting 46 year-old Islington man Tony Tomlin (pic.bottom) of Central Street in The Minories, Aldgate, on October 15, last year and was fined £200, with £200 costs and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £100 compensation.

Ebuwa, who returned for last year's Ultimate Big Brother finale was posing for photos with fans outside the Abbey Bar just before midnight when Mr. Tomlin's son's girlfriend Sayeda Ali shouted: "You did not even win Big Brother. I don't know why you are being so cocky, you're a loser."

Ebuwa responded: "Shut up, you're fat," and confronted Mr Tomlin's son Nick, turning his attention to the victim when he tried to intervene.

"I don't watch Big Brother, but apparently someone who was on the show came across and put his head up against my son's," Mr. Tomlin told the court. "There was lot of shouting going on.

"I was kicked in the right side of the face and punched in the top lip and now I have a scar," said Mr. Tomlin. "The paramedics said I had to go to hospital to have seven to nine stitches, but I don't like needles and I refused.

"The wound took five to six weeks to heal up and I can still see a lump on the top of my lip. I remember a black shoe coming into my face. That's it."

Eye-witness Lauren Plester told the court: "He looked quite aggressive and stormed over to the group. He then hit the older man, punched him in the face, punched him to the floor and kicked him in the face.

"His friends were telling him: 'Leave it' and 'It's not worth it."

She confirmed hearing a girl from Mr. Tomlin's group shout: "Why are you being so cocky? You never won Big Brother. You're not a celebrity."

Miss Ali said: "I saw the defendant hit Tony and while he was on the floor kick him. I saw it connect. His mouth was bleeding."

A nearby PC, Jonathon Bish, told the court: "I saw a group of men pushing and shoving each other and suddenly saw an arm starting to swing.

"The shouting and flailing of arms continued and one of the white men fell to the ground.

"Whilst on the ground one of the black men kicked the white man in the face.

"I arrested him and he smelled strongly of intoxicating liquor. In my opinion he was drunk."

Insisting he only punched Mr. Tomlin in self-defence and made no contact with his kick Ebuwa said: "Completely by surprise a gentleman came out of my peripheral vision throwing a hail of punches. I was able to sidestep, to take evasive action.

"I threw one punch at him that connected once I realised this guy was not going to stop throwing punches at me. I had to defend myself. His son then attacked me and we were involved in a grappling match.

"I did swing a kick, but I did not want to hurt him and I tried to pull out of the kick and instead kicked the ground. One hundred per cent my foot did not connect with his head."

Hearing abuse levelled at him in public is something Ebuwa claims he has had to endure since appearing on Big Brother.

"On this occassion I began to hear heckling and insults thrown in my direction. They were swear words and quite vitriolic," he told the court.

"I did my best to ignore her. It is not the first time I have heard it and you get used to ignoring them.

"What I should have done is completely ignore it altogether and I should have tried to block out the insults."

He claimed Nick called him a: "fat, black cunt."

"Bringing it down to that level upset me deeply and we were squaring up, staring each other down in a show of bravado."

It is then, Ebuwa claimed, Mr. Tomlin attacked him.

Fulham FC Superfan Avoids Jail For Heathrow Theft Scandal

Fulham FC’s unofficial number one fan – who helped thieves sell valuables looted from Heathrow flights – dodged prison with a suspended sentence on Friday.

Mark Cosstick, 46, (pictured) of Burns Close, Hayes, Middlesex, a regular contributor to the Premier League club’s online fanzine Cottage Corner, lost his airside pass and was sacked.

He pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on February 7, to two counts of handling stolen goods and due to the seriousness of the case was committed for sentence to Isleworth Crown Court.

The Heathrow Airport employee, who enjoyed privileged access to aircraft and their contents, helped thieves cash-in the stolen items at a local pub.

The first-time offender was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, was ordered to perform 100 hours community service and pay £350 costs.

Mugging In The Square Mile: Police Hunt These Men

Police in the City of London are hunting these two suspects after they mugged a man for his mobile phone in a “brutal” night time attack.

The 22-year-old victim was walking along Bishopsgate just before 1am in the heart of the Square Mile on February 18 when he was suddenly punched and his phone violently snatched.

He chased his attackers down an alleyway, but they turned and attacked him again – throwing him to the floor and kicking him in the face.

Police believe the suspects had spent the evening in nearby so-called trendy Shoreditch.

The first man is described as a black male, wearing a baseball-style, dark waist-length jacket with light coloured arms and he wore light coloured trousers.

The second man is described as a balding black male wearing dark clothing.


Detective Constable Kelly Schonhage of City of London Police’s CID, said: “The victim of this attack is fortunate not to have suffered more serious injuries, given the brutality of the attack he suffered, and all for the sake of a mobile phone.

“We would urge anybody who can help us to identify the men pictured to call us and help solve this crime.”

If you have any information about this incident contact City of London Police CID on 020 7601 2670 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Multi-Million Pound Fake-Medicines 'Charmer' Jailed For Eight Years

A "charming, clever and charismatic" fraudster, who masterminded a £4.7m fake-medicine scandal - Europe's biggest-ever - was jailed for eight years today.

Chartered accountant Peter Gillespie, 65, (pictured with his QC Daniel Janner) of Carey Close, Windsor, Berkshire imported fake Chinese-manufactured drugs for life-threatening conditions with 100,000 doses ending up in patients hands.

"They were high-value drugs that were in big demand for serious illnesses," Croydon Crown Court Judge Stephen Waller told the defendant. "They were manufactured at a factory in China and imported via Singapore and Brussels.

"They were very good counterfeits, the packaging looked just like the real thing and you knew they would go through quickly and be consumed with little trace."

The charges relate to 'Casodex', used to treat advanced prostate cancer, 'Plavix', a drug prescribed to prevent blood clots and prevent heart attacks for angina patients and 'Zyprexa' a anti-psychotic drug prescribed to schizophrenic and bipolar patients.

Medicine watchdogs ordered a Class One recall of all suspected drugs - taken by heart and cancer patients and the mentally ill - resulting in shelves cleared in pharmacies all over the country and half of the 73,000 fake packs recalled.

Bankrupt Gillespie ignored a company director ban and ran Basingstoke-based Consolidated Medical Supplies (CMS) where the drugs were repackaged for the UK market and delivered to unsuspecting wholesalers.

"You are a charming, clever and charismatic man, the leader all the way," Judge Waller told Gillespie. "But you have always dealt on the edge of legality.

"Despite being a disqualified company director you set up and ran CMS and because of your bad reputation you were unable to trade honestly and resorted to the importation of counterfeit drugs."

Despite his bankruptcy Gillespie continued to live a lavish lifestyle, driving Bentley's, Ferrari's and top-of-the-range Mercedes owned by his Luxembourg-based company.

Square Mile News had the only reporter in court and saw his visibly relieved four co-defendants cleared of all charges.

They are: his accountant brother Ian Gillespie, 58, of The Green, Marsh Baldon, Oxford; Ex-Kemco boss Richard Kemp, 61, of School Lane, Y Waen, Flint Mountain, Clwyd; salesman Ian Harding, 58, of Lower Westwood, Bradford-on-Avon and company director James Quinn, 69, of Gillespie House, Holloway Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey.

Gillespie was convicted after a four-month trial that between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007, he conspired together and with others to defraud pharmaceutical wholesalers, pharmacists, the public and holders of Intellectual Property Rights in pharmaceuticals by dishonestly distributing for gain counterfeit medicines.

He was also convicted on two counts of selling or supplying the three drugs without authorisation and selling or supplying counterfeit goods, namely the three medicines, between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007.

Gillespie was additionally found guilty of one count of breaching a company director disqualification order between July, 2005 and June, 2007, following his bankruptcy.

The drugs were manufactured by the notorious Chinese pharmaceutical counterfeiter Lu Xu aka Kevin Xu, currently serving a six-and-a-half year prison sentence for a similar scam in the United States.

"For several months you were highly successful and relied on the trust of those in this field," Judge Waller told Gillespie, who showed no emotion after being left in the glass-enclosed dock alone.

"Counterfeits are very rare in the UK market so traders were not on the look out for counterfeits and it was one person's sharp eye that led to a class one recall."

Gillespie was also disqualified from being a company director for twelve years.

Two Years For Regent Street Bomb Hoaxer

A bomb hoaxer – who shut down busy Regent Street for five hours while police negotiators urged him to give up – has been jailed for two years.

Homeless Malcolm Tripp, 46, (pictured) told officers he had planted a bomb in a building he broke into at midnight and pleaded guilty to the hoax.

Southwark Crown Court heard police were called to a security alarm shortly after midnight on January 13 and spotted Tripp inside the building.

He ordered them not to approach as he had a bomb, resulting in the building being cordoned off and other premises evacuated.

Tripp eventually left the building voluntarily at 5:15am, following a negotiation process, which lasted almost five hours,

He was immediately arrested and it was quickly discovered his bomb threat was a hoax.

Detective Sergeant Matt Fields, said: “Malcolm Tripp effectively shut down an extremely busy part of central London for over five hours.

“He was also responsible for taking up the time of many officers who were unable to deal with real policing incidents during this period.

“This sentencing is reflective of the impact this incident had on the area and highlights the fact that we take any type of hoax extremely seriously.”

Lithuanian Drinking-Session Ends In Deadly Stabbing

A Lithuanian who stabbed a fellow countryman to death at the West London house they shared during a heavy drinking-session – then fled to France – has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Eineris Olsevicius, 27, (pic.bottom) was convicted of murdering 21 year-old Tomas Lapsevic (pic.top) at 12 Hyde Way, Hayes in the early hours of August 30, 2009.

Olsevicius, who headed north to Scotland then caught ferry to France after the stabbing, will serve a minimum of fourteen years after his Old Bailey conviction.

Police were called at 3:00am and found the lifeless body of the victim slumped in the hallway.

He had been stabbed in the chest with a six-inch kitchen knife.

Olsevicius and Lapsevic had been out drinking with friends on Saturday night and continued boozing “heavily” when they returned home.

Suddenly a fight broke out between the victim and the defendant, and Lapsevic was fatally stabbed with a knife taken from the kitchen.

Another man received a serious stab wound to his arm as he attempted to break up the fight.

The defendant was driven north by a friend and despite being stopped on the M6 for no car insurance he was able to continue his journey to Glenrothes and on to Frances.

In October 2009 a BBC ‘Crimewatch’ appeal led detectives to Nice, where French officers arrested Olsevicius on a European Arrest Warrant on August 31, last year as he sat in an internet café.

He was extradited on September 16 and officers met him at Gatwick Airport and charged him with murder.

Detective Inspector Tony Bishop of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “Once again we have seen the appalling consequences of young men going out, consuming vast quantities of alcohol and then becoming involved in violent, meaningless arguments, where the use of a knife has produced the death of one young man and a serious injury to another.

“Tomas Lapsevic was an only child and no-one could have been unmoved by his Mother's impact statement in which she described not only losing her son but also the fact that she now faced a very uncertain and lonely future in Lithuania where, by tradition, children bear the responsibility of looking after their elderly parents.

“I would also like to pay tribute to my team who used their specialist skills and knowledge to track and ultimately arrest the suspect, despite him fleeing initially to Scotland and then onto France”

Olsevicius’s friend who helped him escape, 26 year-old Viktoras Shecharas, admitted perverting the course of justice and was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

He will be deported to Lithuania on his release.

The victim’s mother Leokadija Lapsevic, 52, said: “The death of my only son Tomas has changed my life, both, mentally, emotionally and financially.

“The sudden and brutal death of my son left me unable to realize and believe what had happened until his remains reached Lithuania.

“It took about a month and half and during that time I was not myself, living unconscious of what I was doing and how I was doing things.

“During that period, I was so baffled that friends and acquaintances had to help me with all the solemnities.

“I did not know how to get the money for transportation of my son’s remains to Lithuania and for the funeral.

“I have borrowed some money from friends and have taken a bank loan. I have still been in debt.

“It has ruined my health. I became insomniac and depressed. After the funeral, spells of depression have occured again and again, I have started losing my hair and have been suffering from high blood pressure.

“I have to take sedatives and medicine against hypertension all the time. I have been seeing a counselling psychologist. I have not been able to put up with the loss of my son yet.

“I have been preoccupied with ideas about him only. Whatever I do, it seems to me he is still around. I rush home but when I open the door I can see only an empty space, just a speechless picture of Tomas meets and greets me.

“Tomas would take care of me in all ways, he helped with the housework, supported me emotionally and financially as his income was higher.

“I am worried about my future. I had brought up my son by myself and now, having lost him, I am alone.

“I do not have anyone to support me now and in the future either. My life is no longer meaningful. I am not going to hear my son’s voice. I am not going to have growing grandchildren.

“I am afraid to look ahead. I do not know what may happen in future years and whether I will be able to survive on my pension.

“Our social services have not been developed yet. In our country, children traditionally support their aging parents and take care of them. I took care of my ill and ageing mother as my father died many years ago. Pityingly, I am not going to have such care at the end of my days.

“It took a month to screw myself up to write this letter. Recollections and the experience hindered me. Only someone who lost their only child themselves might be able to understand how I felt then, how I am feeling now and how I see my future.

“It is against nature. Parents are not supposed to bury their children.”