Child Molester Coaxed Teen To Hotel Room

A Huddersfield man groomed a 14 year-old girl and made out with her in a hotel room after lying about his age.

Atif Siddique, 24, of Bulay Road, Thornton Lodge travelled down to Croydon for the illicit rendevous after telling the girl he was only four years older than her.

He denied, but was convicted of sexual assault, and was fined £185, with £400 costs and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.

He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

However, Siddique, who is currently being held by the UK Border Agency, was allowed to serve one day in custody as an alternative.

He was convicted at Croydon Magistrates' Court (pictured) of sexually assaulting the girl on a date between May 5 and June 30, last year.

Denying he was telling the court “a pack of lies” Siddique insisted his intentions towards the girl were honourable and he intended to marry her when she turned eighteen years-old.

He told police after his arrest: “She told me she was fifteen years-old, but I was not confident about that.

“We kissed and cuddled in the hotel. It was a mutual thing.”

Siddique encouraged the victim to skip school and travelled down to Croydon on three previous occassions for dates, including a trip to the cinema.

After meeting him face-to-face the girl did not believe he was telling the truth about his age and Siddique confessed he was twenty-four years-old.

They had previously communicated online on Skype.

“I booked the hotel at her request,” he told the court. “If I knew kissing and cuddling was a crime I wouldn't have done it.”

They spent three hours in the hotel room and the victim told the court she and Sidique “french kissed and cuddled.”

Unhappy Customer Armed Himself For Car Lot Confrontation

Unhappy car buyer Peter Luke

A disgruntled Hayes second-hand car buyer, who armed himself with a metal pole and chain during an angry face-to-face confrontation with the dealer, avoided prison yesterday with a suspended sentence.

Peter Luke, 50, of Elmlea Drive was arrested along with his brother after returning to the Croydon lot to demand a refund.

Merril Luke, 52, of Lady Margaret Road, Southall was cleared along with Peter of assaulting the dealer and his assistant.

However, Peter was convicted by a Croydon Crown Court jury of possessing the offensive weapons in Redhouse Industrial Estate, Redhouse Road on August 22, 2011.

He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, ordered to perform 100 hours community service work and pay £1,000 costs.

After a series of angry text messages exchanged between the dealer and one of the brothers they arrived at his car lot to 'sort him out' the jury were told.

Trouble started after Peter bought a Chrysler Voyager from Mr. Sohil Nasarzadeh – nicknamed 'Sam' – and complained the battery was flat as well as reporting other faults.

“Peter maintains the car was in unroadworthy condition and reported the problems to Sam who tried to sort them out,” prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Edwards told the court.

“Peter became angry and in text messages was threatening to sort Sam out and these ended with Mr. Nasarzadeh telling him to: 'F*** off.'

“The brothers visited the car lot and Peter was worked up and angry and his grievance with Sam was obvious.

“He was shouting in his face, so close he was spitting in Sam's face.”

Peter, the jury were told, shouted at Mr. Nasarzadeh: “Don't talk to me like that you foreign c***.”

Mr. Edwards added: “Sam tried to call the police and Peter tried to grab the phone and then he tried to grab the keys from out of Sam's car.”

As the row escalated Peter produced the iron bar and the heavy-duty chain was found in his pocket when he was searched by police.

When quizzed, Peter Luke complained the car he bought was unroadworthy and the alleged weapons were not to be used, but merely act as a “deterrent.”

Museum Paper Expert's V&A Secret Toilet Camera

A world-renowned paper conservation expert with the Victoria and Albert Museum, who installed a secret camera in a disabled toilet and kept a collection of women's clothes, wigs and make-up under his desk, was placed on 12 months supervision today.

Michael Wheeler, 54, the award-winning Senior Paper Conservator at the V & A in Cromwell Road, South Kensington told police when interviewed: "I suffer from a sexual addiction. The recordings were for my own use."

Wheeler, who been at the museum for seventeen years and lectured all over the world, pleaded guilty last month to voyeurism on August 10 last year in that he installed equipment with intent to observe others doing a private act for his own sexual gratification.

He admitted a second voyeurism charge that on or before August 10 he recorded another person doing a private act for the purpose of his own sexual gratification.

Hammersmith Magistrates' Court heard Wheeler filmed himself installing the covert camera inside the toilet door's coat hook.

"Clearly you gave some thought to this and there were two devices for recording," District Judge James Henderson told Wheeler, also ordering him to sign the sex offenders register for five years, attend up to twenty-five counselling sessions and pay £85 costs.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill explained: "On August the tenth at the Victoria and Albert museum, where the defendant was working as a conservator for seventeen years as an expert in his field, a female member of staff was using a staff disabled toilet on the fourth floor.

"She noticed a strange hook on the back of the door and it was found to be a covert camera.

"The SD card was viewed and among the images of males and females using the lavatory was this defendant attaching the camera and sitting back and viewing his handiwork."

When his work area was searched Wheeler said: "The jiffy bag under my desk. That's all you need."

Inside was a second cover camera and also recovered was a red cloth shoulder bag and women's clothing, wigs and make-up and what was previously described as "other items for sexual gratification."

His lawyer Mr. Hulus Ali told the court: "The minute he was arrested he went to these counselling sessions and has attended eight already.

"He may have lost his job, but his wife is in employment and he has over twenty thousand pounds in savings and can easily afford these sessions.

"These images were for himself. They were not to be sighted by anyone else."

Mr. Henderson told Wheeler: "You could go to prison for this. In theory for eighteen weeks plus, but that is for the most serious category, which is recording and distributing."

Wheeler, who lives on a boat in South Dock Marina, Rope Street, Rotherhithe graduated from the University of Northumbria and specialises in Indian and Asian art on paper and architectural drawings.

He has lectured in Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Finland, India and Singapore and advised on projects in India and Egypt.

Wheeler was the head paper conservator at the Auckland City Art Gallery from 1987 and in 1990 was awarded the Andrew W Mellon fellowship at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

He is also an accredited member of the Institute of Conservation since 2000 and is a member of the professional accreditation committee.

Torture Charges: Nepalese Colonel In Custody

Colonel Kumar Lama

A serving Colonel in the Nepalese army has appeared in custody at a London court, accused of torturing two detained men at his home barracks over seven years ago.

Kumar Lama, 46, of St. Peter's Road, St. Leonards's-on-Sea, East Sussex allegedly committed the offences at the Gorusinghe Army Barracks, Kapilvastu, Nepal.

His home country has been embroiled in a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the charges relate to two detainees captured by the military.

He is charged that as a public official, or a person acting in an official capacity, he intentionally inflicted pain or suffering on Janak Bahadur Raut and Karam Hussain in the performance or purported performance of his official duties between April 15 and May 1, 2005.

Lama is currently serving as a United Nations peacekeeper in South Sudan and has previously served in a similar capacity in Sierra Leone and twice in the Lebanon.

His wife is a nurse and they have two children, a 21 year-old university student and a 17 year-old studying A-levels.

Lama was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on January 24.

High-Rolling Benefit Cheat With Expensive Tastes Is Jailed

Sussams protesting his innocence to BBC's Panorama

A Bentley-driving benefit cheat, who lived a double life as a gastropub boss serving a wealthy yachting community £125 truffle and champagne burgers, received twelve months imprisonment yesterday for a £32,000 fraud.

Businessman Stephen John Sussams, 59, the ex-boss of the landmark Royal Dart, The Square, Kingswear, Devon treated the council flat he received housing benefit for as his London "pied-à-terre" during the scam.

He will now swap his old gourmet menu, which included crocodile, impala and ostrich, for prison grub after he was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court.

Sussams was featured in a BBC Panorama investigation screened last year called 'Britain on the Fiddle' and when confronted while sitting in his Bentley said he refused to engage in "trial by television."

He deliberately kept his business interests and three companies secret from Croydon Council, who continued paying £14,625 to cover the rent and council tax on the one-bedroom flat he shared with his younger civil partner at 2 Marston Way, Upper Norwood.

Sussams also drained the account of the flat's deceased former tenant, Keith Dickinson, who  once worked for nightclub boss Peter Stringfellow, stealing £17,600 in carer's allowance payments.

'It is clear from the verdict of the jury that you knew full well that was money the council mistakenly paid into the account of Keith Dickinson after he died," Judge Peter Gow QC told the defendant.

"I have no doubt you knew that money was for providing a care service to him and you equally knew it was no longer needed for that purpose.

"Instead of returning these precious resources to the council you used them for yourself."

Sussams took over the flat's tenancy after Mr. Dickinson's death and immediately claimed housing and council tax benefit.

"There was no suggestion by you that you were living with a civil partner, who was working. Your claim for these benefits was fraudulent from the outset and you failed to declare the highly successful business you were running at the Royal Dart hotel," added the judge.

The jury took just ninety minutes to unanimously convict Sussams of stealing the allowance payments from the London Borough of Croydon between August 28, 2008 and January 13, 2009 and dishonestly making a false statement on or about September 19, 2008 in relation to a housing and council tax benefit claim by failing to declare he was living with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.

He was also convicted of fraud between June 1, 2009 and March 31, this year by dishonestly failing to disclose to Croydon he was the company director of Jireh Investments and Assets and similarly that he was the company director of Kingwear Inns between October 29, 2010 and March 31, this year and Kingswear Inns (Assets) between December 2, 2010 and March 31, this year. 

"This defendant was living in Devon as the landlord of that pub, he was not living in Croydon," prosecutor Miss Nancy Udom told the jury. "The flat he was claiming housing and council tax benefit on was a pied-à-terre in the south-east for Mr. Sussams."

"He had a responsibility to tell the council he was linked to a business in Devon ," added Miss Udom. "This was dishonesty, this was fraudulent.

"He knew that if he told the truth the payments would stop and he chose to be dishonest rather than lose the flat in Croydon."

The jury were told Sussams was the primary carer for Keith Dickinson, the former tenant of the flat in Marston Way, Upper Norwood.

When he died on August 28, 2008 the direct carer's payment continued being made into his bank account and the defendant helped himself to £4,000 the very next day.

"Mr Sussams, as the primary carer, had access to this bank account and would have been aware that very large sums were coming into the bank account.

"This defendant made large withdrawals from the account, some coincided with the payments going in or within a couple of days," explained Miss Udom.

"This was simply stealing. That money should have been left where it was or returned to the council, not withdrawn by Mr. Sussams."

Croydon council invoiced Sussams for the overpayment, but he simply told them all the money had been dispersed in accordance with Mr. Dickinson's will.

Sussams, who was in receipt of incapacity benefit, successfully claimed housing and council tax benefit as a sole occupier, but deliberately failed to tell the council he was sharing the property with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.

"He did not declare his true personal circumstances and failed to declare that he was living with his partner, Mr. Vasin, his civil partner," said Miss Udom. "In fact he went further and told outright lies and claimed he was the sole occupier."

The couple had a civil ceremony on August 8, 2006.

Sussams told a pack of lies to the jury, insisting he thought the allowance payments to Mr. Dickinson were his Stringfellow's pension and that he honestly believed Croydon Council knew he had his own business.

Sussams received a suspended prison sentence in 1978 for deception and theft and three years imprisonment in 1986 for cannabis production.

Croydon will pursue compensation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Capital Trip Results In Assault Arrest

A Swansea woman, involved in an ugly incident during a trip to the capital last summer, has been fined and ordered to pay compensation to her victim.

Natasha Dodds, 29, of Westport Avenue, Mayals was arrested after an episode of violence in Victoria.

She was originally charged with racially aggravated common assault by beating against Chirag Patel in Buckingham Palace Road (pictured) on August 21.

Dodds was fined £150, with £85 costs and ordered to pay £75 compensation to Mr. Patel and a £20 victim surcharge.

Insurance Scam Charge: Couple In Court

A Wigan couple, accused of a £26,000 motor vehicle insurance fraud, appeared for the first time at City of London Magistrates' Court today.

Joseph Garner, 64, and Geraldine Garner, 53, both of Lockerbie Place, Winstanley indicated a not guilty plea and were bailed unconditionally until February 21 for committal to the Crown Court.

Both face one count of fraud in that between June 17, 2010 and October 10, last year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, they dishonestly made a false representation to Esure Insurance Services.

The magistrates declined jurisdiction in the case.

The couple were arrested after an investigation by the City of London Police's unique Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, which was launched lasy year and is the only dedicated insurance fraud unit in the country.

Six Years For Lottery And Inheritance Scammer

An online conman, who convinced victims all over the world to pay him a total of £788,000 in 'advance fees' for non-existant windfalls, has been jailed for six years yesterday.

Patrick Bomboi Emuh, 54, (pictured) of Bromhedge, Greenwich snared twenty victims in the UK, USA, Germany, Romania, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.

After emailing and cold-calling them Emuh convinced the people they had a lottery win or had received an inheritance and neded to pay fees, taxes and handling charges to release the funds.

He also posed as a lawyer to supposedly help the victims claim the money – for an additional fee.

Some of the victims from abroad were talked into travelling to the UK, where they were met by people posing as businessmen.

Several were shown banks notes they were told were theirs, but were contaminated.

The victims were instructed to pay money up front in order for the cash to be cleaned to "legitimise" it – another ruse to extract more money from them.



The total sum of money Emuh took from his victims was £788,297.



Police began investigating Emuh in 2006 after they found him carrying £10,000 cash.

They seized the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act and financial investigators examined his bank accounts.

They found large sums of money being deposited into his account and officers were able to identify and contact some of the payees, all of whom told the same story about Emuh.

Confronted with this evidence, Emuh told police he had a diesel oil business and the victims were customers in Nigeria.

This was untrue and despite claims that he could provide evidence to prove his story, Emuh never did.

He was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of 19 counts of acquiring criminal property.

Police have already seized £60,000 cash from Emuh and are now applying for a confiscation order from which victims will be compensated.



Accredited financial investigator Doug Ferns, of the Specialist and Economic Crime Command said: “This sentence is well deserved.

“Emuh span a convoluted and convincing web of lies to con victims, who he had no concern for, out of their money.

“We are determined to continue uncovering scams like this and seeing that the perpetrators receive the kind of sentence that Emuh has.

"Emuh tricked people into believing they had struck it lucky and when he was caught out he had the audacity to claim that the victims were in fact business customers.

“A thorough investigation of his bank accounts, mobile phones and computer combined with the many witness statements allowed us to see right through his story.



"People like Emuh are driven by greed and because of the potential pay off of a con like this they will go to unbelievable lengths to convince their victim that it is genuine, as Emuh did. 



"If a stranger contacts you saying you have inherited money or won a lottery and must pay fees to access your windfall, do not believe it. Call the police."


Online Ticket Touts' "100% Profit"

David Rolls & Gary Agar

Three bogus online touts masterminded a multi-million pound scam that ripped-off music and sports fans who paid a fortune for non-existent tickets, a jury were told today.

During 2009 and 2010 Good Time Entertainments Ltd. sold thousands of tickets for concerts in london's Hyde Park featuring performers including Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon, plus expensive festival tickets for Scotland's T in the Park, featuring stars such as Jay Z, Kasabian and Stereophonics and the V festivals in Staffordshire and Essex.

They are: Andrew Lagan, 44, of Northcliffe Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough; Gary Agar, 44, of Victoria Road, South Ruislip and David Rolls, 48, of Westcott House, East India Dock Road, Poplar.

"The defendants operated Good Times Entertainments and through this company the defendants offered tickets for sale to members of the public over the internet for major sporting and entertainment events," prosecutor Mr. Toby Fitzgerald told the Harrow Crown Court jury.

"They did not provide these tickets to their customers, they did not intend to provide these tickets to their customers," explained Mr. Fitzgerald. "They deliberately attracted payment from members of the public and having taken their money from them they never provided the goods.

"They produced a one hundred per cent profit for themselves by never providing the tickets."

The court was told the credit and debit card payments, which were processed by First Data International and paid into the defendants Allied Irish bank account, were laundered through a Victoria money exchange called Link FX and the money sent to bank account in Budapest, Hungary and Thailand.

"Having received the money from their customers that money was credited by First Data International into a bank account controlled by these defendants," said Mr. Fitzgerald "That money, very swiftly, was removed from the bank account to ensure when the inevitable time of reckoning come the money had disappeared."

Explaining the scam the prosecutor explained: "These tickets scan be expensive if there is a great demand for them and a customer who has seen the company website could order these tickets online and provide payment details by either debit or credit card and payment was then processed through the defendants company.

"That effected the customers who never received tickets and effected the companies associated with the payments being processed."

First Data International provided a merchant terminal to Good Time Entertainment, which allowed credit and debit cards to be charged without the holder being present.

The defendants paid cheques, signed by Agar, to themselves via the money exchange.

"From there they have money paid out in cash to themselves and considerable sums are transferred to separate bank accounts, one in Budapest and one in Thailand.

"They are concerned they are going to get caught and want to get the money out of the country."

The jury were told Good Time Entertainment was established in June, 2003 by Agar and in November, 2006 Lagan became a director.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering.

Trial continues………… 

Stud Farm Bosses Who Bought Illegal Medicines Must Surrender Profits

Stud Farm Bosses Connelly & Jones

A couple – who ran a respected horse stud farm – were ordered to pay a total of over £90,000 today following their convictions for involvment in Europe's largest-ever illegal veterinary medicines scam.

Management consultant Richard Jones, 61, and June Connelly, 70, of Winchcombe Road, Sedgeberrow, Evesham both appeared at Croydon Crown Court to hear the outcome of Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings.

Each were ordered to pay £37,950 within six months or face fifteen months imprisonment and Jones must pay an additional £15,000 costs.

They ran the Henry Field Stud, Naunton Beauchamp, Pershore when arrested as a result of a huge invesigation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Jones denied, but was convicted on nineteen charges and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to perform 200 hours community service.

Connelly admitted possession and importation of illegal medicines and was sentenced to four months, suspended for two years and ordered to perform 140 hours community service.

"You worked as a team, the jury found as much and they were right," Judge Ainley told them during sentencing in 2011.

The couple had a close friendship with ringleaders Ronald Meddes, 73, and Regine Lansley, 62, enjoying holidays on their French estate, and bought £57,000 worth of illegal medicines.

Regarding Jones and Connolly DEFRAS’s senior investigating officer in the case, ex-cop Derrick Price said: “They both exhibited a cavalier attitude towards the welfare of horses and knew exactly what they were doing in selling illegal drugs in the Worcestershire and Warwick areas.”

The court heard the couple bought illegal anti-inflammatories, anabolic steroids, tranquilisers, antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers and other miscellaneous products administered to horses, household pets and farm animals.

Jones was convicted by a jury of buying £61,000 worth of illegal medicines from the disgraced French-based 'Eurovet' wholesalers, which bought products form India and Australia.

He told the court the fifty-horse stud was his retirement plan, insisting his animals and those of his clients were not given illegal medicines.

“You are saying the horses were drugged up to the eyeballs, but they would not have been,” Jones insisted. “To my knowledge we did not do it. I certainly did not.”

Cannabis User Smuggled Drugs From Jamaica

A Huddersfield smuggler, who claims he needs large amounts of cannabis for medicinal reasons, pleaded guilty last Thursday to importing the drug.

Aldwin Renardo Gooden, 44, (pictured) of Gilbert Grove, Crosland Moor was stopped by the UK Border Agency at Gatwick Airport after stepping off a flight from Jamaica.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to importing a quantity of herbal cannabis on October 4.

The court heard there is a dispute concerning the weight of the drugs because the packaging was included on the scales.

A Newton Hearing will take place on February 4 when Gooden will attempt to convince the court the several kilos of cannabis were for his personal use.

Paedo Caught With Child Porn Cache

A Croydon man, caught at home with a collection of sexual images of children, has dodged prison with a suspended sentence.

Mark Brittain, 37, of Lansdowne Road was arrested on June 16, last year and his sordid cache was confiscated.

He was charged with four counts of possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, ranging from level one to level four in seriousness.

Brittain pleaded guilty immediately when he appeared before Croydon Magistrates' Court, who felt their sentencing powers were insufficient, and was committed to the crown court to hear his fate. 

At Croydon Crown Court (pictured) he was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, and ordered to complete a sixty day activity requirement under the supervision of the probation service.

Wannabe Student's Lies Land Her In The Dock

A mature student, originally charged with telling lies on a university application form and lying about her entitlement to work in the UK, has dodged prison with a suspended sentence.

Jennifer Gitau, 35, of Beverley Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to complete one hundred hours community service work when she was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court (pictured).

Gitau was charged with fraud by false representation, namely that between September 1, 2009 and April 30, 2011, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, she made a false representation on a university application form, intending to make a gain, namely university admission.

She was similarly charged with fraud by false representation on or before March 28, 2007 in that she dishonestly made a false representation, namely that she was entitled to work, intending to make a gain, namely paid employment.

Pizza Man Caught Taking A Large Slice Of Cash

A pizza joint employee, originally charged with stealing thousands of pounds from the restaurant he worked at, has escaped prison with a suspended sentence.

Ivan Majolovic, 38, of Falconry Court, Fairfield South, Kingston-upon-Thames was arrested and charged with the theft of £12,778 cash.

He was bailed and banned from visiting any Papa Johns Pizza establishment until the case was concluded.

He was convicted of stealing cash from the Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe (branch) branch of the restaurant chain, run by a company called Rich and Famous Ltd. between December 4 and 13, 2011.

At Croydon Crown Court Majolovic was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

He was also ordered to perform one hundred and twenty hours community service work, pay £2,750 compensation to his former employers and £500 costs.

'Parking Rage' Row Mechanic Jailed For Breaking Neighbour's Arm

A garage boss, who broke a neighbouring mechanic's arm with a heavy-duty spirit-level during a 'parking rage' row, was jailed for sixteen months today.

Mark Evans Blackburn, 46, of Bakers Gardens, Carshalton swung the four-foot long wooden weapon at Matthew Ward's head during a furious row over blocked access.

“You walked away from the argument, entered your workspace, and armed yourself with an industrial-sized heavy-duty spirit-level and attempted to hit Mr. Ward over the head,” Judge Peter Gow QC told Blackburn at Croydon Crown Court.

“He raised his left arm in an attempt to protect himself and suffered a fracture when struck, by you, with that weapon.”

Father-of-two Blackburn (pic.top) was convicted by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm in Bensham Lane, Thornton Heath on January 5.

The court heard trouble began when Mr. Ward, who had just pulled up in his car, complained a small transit van Blackburn had just parked was blocking the entrance to his garage (pic.bottom).

The defendant shouted: “I'm not going to move the fucking van,” and admitted in the witness box: “I think I told him to fuck off.”

The pair then had a face-to-face confrontation, shouting abuse at each other, when Mr. Ward's friend got out of a car with a dog.

“I was looking at the floor for something to arm myself with because I thought the dog was going to attack me,” Blackburn told the jury.

Mr. Ward said the defendant warned: “Wait there. I've got something to show you.”

Seconds later he returned with the spirit-level and, swinging it like a baseball bat, struck Mr. Ward, breaking his left arm, and causing him to fall to the floor.

Blackburn claimed the blow was in self-defence because he feared Mr. Ward was going to grab a weapon from the back of his own vehicle.

Prosecutor Mr. Nicholas Bleaney said: “Essentially this injury ruined Mr. Ward's professional life.

“As a direct result of his injuries he has had to give up his business.”

Mr. Robert Rye, defending, told the court: “This is someone who is a hard-working family man and the working relationship he had with Mr. Ward has been lost due to this aberration.

“The impact on Mr. Blackburn is going to be very hard and dramatic indeed. If he receives a substantial prison sentence he will inevitably lose his business.”

Blackburn suffered a minor stroke on Christmas Eve while on remand.

“That must have been brought about by the stress of being in custody,” said Mr. Rye. “This was a moment of madness an isolated incident.”

Judge Gow told Blackburn: “It is clear to me you are a hard-working, family man, kind and peaceful in the normal course of events and what you did was out of character.”

Music Teacher Facing Jail For Decades Of Abuse

A notorious paedophile, who admitted a second string of decades-long abuse committed while emloyed as a respected music tutor, will be sentenced later this month.

Michael Crombie, 75, of Monkhams Avenue, Woodford Green admitted molesting sixteen young girls over four decades between 1964 and 2007 while employed at two schools in Redbridge, East London and teaching from home.

He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to forty-nine counts and will be sentenced on January 25.

A further twenty-six counts of indecent assault and two of rape were dropped.

Crombie appeard at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2010, where he was convicted on 26 counts of abusing nine young girls between 1992 and 2002.

He was also convicted of a further seven counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing indecent images of children.



Publicity arising from this case led to many more victims approaching the Met’s Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) at Woodford to make the additional allegations.


Twelve Years For Gunman Caught By B.O.B Squad

A North London wannabe gangster – caught by police with guns and drugs – has been locked-up for twelve years.

Dean Richards, 30, (pictured) of Wycombe Road, Tottenham desperately tried to phone an associate, shouting: “Get rid of everything,” as officers moved in.

He was chased on March 25 by Operation Trident cops – who investigate violent black-on-black crime in the capital – from a property in Winchester Road, Edmonton to another in nearby Marlborough Road.

Richards was found hiding in the bathroom with the keys to the Winchester Road address.

Inside police found a two loaded self-loading pistols – one capable of automatic fire – two silencers, an empty magazine, ammunition and one smoke grenade.

Under the wardrobe was found a knife, scales and three seperate packages of heroin.

Detective Sergeant Paul Dempsey said: “This conviction is the result of the determination and commitment shown by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Trident North West Proactive Team.

“It demonstrates Trident's determination to bring those who are willing to indiscriminately use firearms to justice.



“I hope the sentence imposed gives a clear message to those members of the community who believe it is acceptable to carry and use firearms, and that it will reassure the communities of London of our ability to bring those involved in gun crime before the courts and in doing so encourage more people to report crime impacting on their community.”

Bent Bookseller Caged For Forgeries

A bookseller, who forged the signatures of famous authors, including Sir Winston Churchill and TS Eliot, to falsely inflate the value of his stock has been jailed for ten months.

Allan Formhals, 66, (pictured) from Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire bought the books at car boot sales and second-hand shops and signed them himself – duping buyers all over the world.

He was convicted at Southampton Crown Court on eight counts of fraud and two counts of possessing articles for use in fraud.

The case was a success for the Met's Art and Antiques Unit, which began investigating Formhals in January 2011.

Officers were alerted to a number of Winston Churchill books and memorabilia, supposedly carrying Sir Winston's signature, being offered for sale in London.

Working closely with the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (ABA), they identified that the signatures were forgeries.



Formhals was arrested at home on February 3, 2011 and a large quantity of books were recovered, bearing forged signatures of a number of authors including Winston Churchill, TS Eliot, JRR Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, Aldous Huxley and Robert Louis Stevenson.

In addition, autograph books bearing thousands of 'practice' signatures were recovered, together with a calligraphy pen and ink.



The investigation revealed that Formhals had been purchasing large quantities of unsigned books for just a few pounds before selling them on 'signed', for several hundred pounds each.

He would offer a signed book for sale on E-bay before building up a relationship with the buyer and then continuing to sell large quantities of books and memorabilia to the unsuspecting victims.



One customer paid £10,000 to purchase approximately sixty-eight genuine Sir Winston Churchill items.

ABA's Pom Harrington provided essential evidence as an expert witness whom a victim had approached to check the authenticity of Churchill signatures in books he had bought from Formhals.



Detective Constable Ian Lawson, of the Met's Economic and Specialist Crime Unit, said: "This was a lucrative fraud in which Formhals purchased unsigned books for just a few pounds.

“Over an eighteen month period he released them onto the market bearing forged signatures and fake provenance, selling them at vastly increased prices.

“We have recovered more than one hundred items bearing forged signatures, but it is believed that many more have been released onto the market.

“We would ask dealers to be vigilant when trading in books signed by the authors listed above."



Formhals is subject to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, where an application will be made to confiscate money which he has made from his criminal activities. 



Laurence Worms, President of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association, said: "The tough sentence handed down to former Hampshire antiques dealer Allan Formhals represents a major breakthrough in the fight against internet auction fraud.

“Law enforcement agencies around the world have previously found it difficult to secure convictions in this field and the Art and Antiques Unit and the CPS are to be congratulated for obtaining a result which will make life very much more difficult for internet auction forgers in future. 




“We are pleased to say that the work and testimony of our own member, Pom Harrington, has been key to that success.

“The ABA will continue to work closely with the Art and Antiques Unit to publicise details of these forgeries, to remove them from the market and to ensure that collectors can continue to buy with confidence from reputable dealers."