Benefit Cheat Kept Inheritance And Bank Savings A Secret

A benefit cheat, who pocketed nearly £50,000 during an eight-year scam while keeping his savings and an inheritance a secret, was bailed for probation reports today after finally admitting the fraud.

Ronald Cooper, 61, (pictured) of King Charles House, Wandon Road, Fulham, who now receives Disability Living Allowance, will return to Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing on August 6.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly making false representations in relation to housing benefit and council tax benefit applications and one count on relation to income support between September 10, 2002 and June 1, 2008.

He also pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances to the Department of Work and Pensions, namely a £25,666 inheritance on or about June 30, 2010.

Investigators discovered savings in a LLoydsTSB bank account of £18,814, increasing to £20,944 during the period of the charges.

Dental Nurse And Her Assistant's £108K Immigration Scam

Gladys Canal

A dental nurse and her assistant ran a £108,000 immigration scam from a Harley Street surgery - ripping-off hopeful applicants they knew had no hope of obtaining a visa, a jury heard today.

Ressie Macaraeg, 42, and her number two Gladys Canal, 43, (pictured) were unqualified to give immigration advice, which they charged a service fee of £3,500 for, while purporting to assist applicants obtain work visas.

Isleworth Crown Court heard Macaraeg, of West Cromwell Road, Kensington and Canal, of Coleridge Way, Borehamwood pocketed a total of £108,288 they obtained from the applicants.

Prosecutor Mr. Nick Mather told the jury 122 visa applicants, who sought advice and help, had been traced. 

"Of those the vast majority were rejected and the defendants must have known what they were doing was wrong and they knew the consequences of a failed application on their customers.

"That applicant would have to leave the UK voluntarily or if they were caught overstaying they would be deported and be less likely to complain and cause trouble for the defendants because they were no longer in the country."

Half of the £3,500 fee was paid in advance of the Home Office application and was non-refundable is unsuccessful, with the balance due only if a visa was granted.

"They must have known they were sending in applications with no hope of success," added Mr. Maher. "They must have known what they were doing was wrong and they kept doing it.

"Macaraeg was providing Tier Two immigration assistance, which she was not qualified to do, because she was not registered with the relevant authority."

When questioned in December, 2011 by the Immigration Services Commission Macaraeg claimed a man named 'Joseph' completed all the paperwork and clients were not given immigration advice.

"She said she knew nothing about the forging of signatures and that she never did any of the paperwork."

The Home Office visa applicants needed sufficient points to obtain work permits and the prosecution say the defendants continued to charge fees, knowing the applications fell well short.

The surgery was also given as the home address for the applicants.

"It was important for Macaraeg that the letters were sent to her home or office so she could continue the fraud," explained Mr. Maher. "It is a dental surgery, nobody lives there.

"The applicants were spun out over a period of time and they were put off time and time again by staff, including Canal.

"People never received the Home Office letters they were supposed to get until it was too late.

"These defendants were lying to people and taking money from them for services they could not deliver."

Macaraeg has pleaded not guilty to five counts of fraud by dishonestly making false representations between August 1, 2010 and July 30, 2011 and unlawfully providing immigration advice between March 19, 2010 and April 12, last year.

Both defendants have denied five similar charges of fraud by false representation between July 1, 2010 and December 28, 2011.

Both defendants have also pleaded not guilty to transferring £62,668 in criminal property between June 8, 2010 and October 19, 2011 and Macaraeg alone denies possessing £45,620 in criminal property.

Trial continues………….

Knifeman Settles Old Dispute By Stabbing Rival To Death

A knifeman, who stabbed a long-standing love-rival to death after they clashed in an east London pub, has been caged for ten years.

Fitzroy Daley, 36, (pic.bottom) went home and armed himself with the blade, which he plunged eight times into Eric Paul, 53, (pic.top) in a local street.

They had rowed earlier in the evening in the Widow's Son pub, Devons Road, Bow - their ongoing dispute flaring up again, which stemmed from the break-up of one of Mr. Paul's previous relationships.

Daley, of Sedgwick House, Gale Street, was convicted by an Old Bailey jury of the manslaughter of Mr. Paul in Devons Road in the early hours of December 22, last year.

He casually walked away from the scene after repeatedly stabbing the victim, who was treated in the street by an off-duty nurse and then paramedics.

Mr. Paul was rushed to the Royal London Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 5.00am.

Detective Inspector Andy Manning of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: "Fitzroy Daley used brutal violence to settle what was essentially a minor dispute with Eric Paul.



"His actions have deprived Mr Paul's long-term partner and her children a father figure and devastated his family.



"I can only hope that this verdict brings some form of closure to Mr Paul's family and friends."

Drug Smuggler's Missus Jailed For £150K Benefits Swindle

Alex Odewale & Oluyemisi Ojofeitimi

The wife of a major drug smuggler has been jailed for her own sideline - a £150,000 decade-long benefits swindle, which saw the couple put together a lucrative property portfolio at the expense of taxpayers.

Mother-of-two Oluyemisi Ojofeitimi, 46, of Northampton Road, Addiscombe created false identities to purchase three properties and either rented them on housing benefit for herself or to other claimants.

She was arrested when police raided the five-bedroom home she shared with her husband Alexander Odewale, 45, who last year received 12 years imprisonment for importing £2.1m worth of herbal cannabis hidden within a shipment of oranges.

"If you had not been detected you would have ended up with three properties, maybe more, that would have increased in value," Croydon Crown Court Judge Ruth Downing told Ojofeitimi.

"You have lived for over a decade on the public purse, passing yourself off as a landlord in one identity and a tenant in another identity.

"There are thousands of women in your position and they do not all start long-term sophisticated frauds to purchase properties that would accrue to your credit."

A Proceeds of Crime Act application will seek to claw back the losses, although one of the couple's homes, 224 Holtye Road, East Grinstead has already been destroyed by a mysterious fire after it was made subject to proceedings.

Ojofeitimi also lied in mortgage applications, claiming she was in full-time work earning up to £62,000 a year, to purchase two of the properties for £240,000 and £105,000 respectively.

Between November 2000 and June 2011 she received £118,063 in housing benefit; £27,336 in income support and £6,000 in council tax benefit.

Prosecutor Mr. Julius Capon told the court police raided the couple's £470,000 home to arrest Odewale and stumbled upon the fraud during a drugs search.

"It was clear a substantial fraud had been carried out over a number of years with the defendant renting properties on housing benefit in a different identity to the identities she used to buy the properties.

"This must have been carefully planned and was fraudulent from the outset and she set up tenancy agreements and provided evidence of paying rent."

Ojofeitimi's lawyer Mr. Andrew Walklate said: "The relationship with her husband was not a happy one, it was an abusive relationship. She suffers from depression and has suicidal thoughts.

"She used the housing benefit money over a long period of time in order to fund living and it was used to prop up mortgages that were obtained fraudulently."

The lawyer asked the court to treat Ojofeitimi as someone of "almost good character" in light of her 1997 attempted deception conviction for trying to obtain a £5,000 Halifax loan in a bogus name.

"It is scant consolation to the British public that the mortgage companies got their money," added Judge Downing. "She has been committing offences for over a decade."

Ojofeitimi pleaded guilty to four counts of false accounting relating to housing benefit applications; six counts of fraud by false representation relating to property ownership and one count of money laundering.

She was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment for the benefit offences, plus six months consecutive for money laundering and was told she would be released after serving half the period.

Runaway Mum Dossed In Field With New Born

A teenage runaway mum, who roughed it in a field with her four-and-a-half month-old baby daughter and homeless abusive boyfriend, has been told to grow up by a judge.

The 19 year-old, of Ingram Court, Sumner Road, West Croydon did nothing to report bruises inflicted on the baby's face by the father, who was jailed for eight months earlier this year.

Now a mother-of-two, the young woman, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to one count of child cruelty between April 1 and May 30,last year.

“You are the mother of a delightful little girl and she looks to you for the support of a mother and she did not get that support,” Judge Ruth Downing told the defendant.

“You have a responsibility as a mother that you are going to have to take very seriously.”

Prosecutor Mr. Peter Clements told the court: “The defendant is emotionally immature and is unable to cope and adapt to the needs of a parent.

“She failed to provide adequate care or accomodation for her daughter and lived for several days in a field in South Croydon.

“Having noted bruising on her daughter's face this defendant did nothing to seek advice or attention for her daughter.

“She would sleep rough despite having a room at her mother's house and she had a history of running away and disappearing.”

Her 20 year-old boyfriend was not welcome at the family home, resulting in the defendant leaving with the baby to be with him.

They have since had a second child and both infants are being raised by their maternal grandmother.

When the grandmother returned home from holiday on May 25 her daughter and the baby were gone and she reported them missing.

A few days later the child was left with a friend of the young couple and had obvious bruising to the face.

The baby was taken to hospital and the police were called.

Eight seperate bruises were identified, caused by “prodding or pinching,” added Mr. Clements and the child had also suffered a scratch to the cheek.

The mother was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which includes six months supervision, and was ordered to perform 80 hours community service.

Hull City Fan Sentenced For Football Match Firework

A Hull City fan, caught with a firework during last season's away clash with promotion rivals Crystal Palace, was today sentenced for the “despicable” offence.

Corey Burnett, 21, of Campion Avenue, Hessle was ejected from Selhurst Park by police after a flare was spotted by stewards in the away section during the match.

“People who go to football matches such as you, and you have admitted having a firework, cause disruption, a lack of enjoyment of the game and most importantly could have caused real danger to public health,” District Judge Sue Green told Burnett at Croydon Magistrates' Court.

“It is despicable behaviour.”

The police and Crown Prosecution Service insist Burnett was in possession of an unlit flare, but the defendant says it was a smoke bomb.

Burnett pleaded guilty to possessing a firework/flare at a designated sporting event on March 5.

Prosecutor Mr Sylvester Folorunso told the court: “A yellow flare was lit in very close proximity to the defendant and stewards and police removed him from the stadium.

“He had an unlit flare in his possession and there was another individual involved who was dealt with by the police.”

The court heard Burnett had spent £200 in travel costs on an aborted Newton hearing last month which was to determine whether he had a flare or smoke bomb.

However, Mrs Green anounced: “It makes no difference to me whether it was a flare or a smoke bomb.

“That was a very expensive and stupid thing for you to have done, I hope you have learned your lesson.

“You are fortunate that you have not been made subject to an application for a football banning order.”

He was conditionally discharged for three years and ordered to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge.

"Clever" Conman Ordered To Pay £5.6M For Fake Medicine Scam

A "charming, clever and charismatic" businessman, who masterminded Europe's largest-ever fake-medicine scandal, was today ordered to pay £5.6m or spend an extra eight years in prison.

Chartered accountant Peter Gillespie, 67, of Carey Close, Windsor, Berkshire imported fake Chinese-manufactured drugs for life-threatening conditions with 100,000 doses ending up in patients hands.

He is currently serving eight years imprisonment for the scam and will have to serve an identical consecutive sentence if he does not comply with the Proceeds of Crime Act order within six months.

The once-respected twice-married pharmaceutical entrepreneur told Croydon Crown Court his only assets were £12 in a Post Office account - a statement described as “incredible” by the prosecution.

Gillespie was convicted on charges relating to fake '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.

Seventy-three thousand fake packets of medicines were imported into the UK via Belgium and Singapore by Gillespie's company Consolidated Medical Supplies and at least thirty-two thousands packets were prescribed to patients.

Today Judge Stephen Waller, who described Gillespie as a: “charming, clever and charismatic man,” when jailing him in April 2011 rejected his lies.

“Peter Gillespie is one of those defendants, who, if they want to, has the ability to hide assets. He is a trained accontant.”

The prosecution were unable to find a personal bank account or property in the defendant's name and he used his ex and currently estranged wife to channel funds, said the judge.

The proceeds from the sale of his French property ended up in a Swiss bank account and he controlled a “complicated web of companies” which could hide money all over the world.

“I find the defendant to have a criminal lifestyle,” added Judge Waller. “He was the dominant party and may have duped innocent business associates.”

Gillespie escaped prosecution for a €5.7m Royal Bank of Scotland ficticious invoice fraud a decade ago, which resulted in the liquidation of a former company and his bankrupsy.

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

“There is a yawning chasm between the prosecution and defence positions, with the defendant saying he has no property anywhere in the world,” said the judge.

“The prosecution ascertion is that he has always hidden his assets and could have easily moved funds abroad.”

During his High Court bankrupsy Gillespie told the judge his laptop hard drive had been wiped when placed on the floor of an underground train.

“He lied on oath,” added Judge Waller. “That hard drive had been professionally wiped.

“I reject he has nothing to show for two substantial crimes. He must have assets.”

When Gillespie was sentenced Judge Waller told him: "They were high-value drugs that were in big demand for serious illnesses.

"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."

Medicine watchdogs ordered a Class One recall of all the suspected drugs - resulting in shelves cleared in pharmacies all over the country and half of the fake packs recalled.

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.

Internet Perv Arrested At Work For Child Porn Stash

An internet pervert, who downloaded hardcore child pornography and told police he enjoyed viewing the sick material because it was “taboo”, was ordered today to undergo three years of sex offender treatment.

Christian Walsh, 21, of Cypress Road, Guildford, Surrey was arrested at work when officers arrived at the west London premises of his employers.

“You are a customer at the lower end of the scale, you did not distribute and you have not downloaded the material for a considerable period of time,” Southwark Crown Court Judge Nicholas Lorraine-Smith told Walsh.

“That allows me not to send you to prison, but if I did it would be for a short period and you would not receive any treatment.

“It is for the good of the public and for you to have extensive treatment that will take three years.

"With the public in mind that is the most sensible sentence.”

Walsh had already pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court to seven counts of possessing indecent images of children on or before January 16.

The court heard police tracked Walsh down to his place of work and he immediately made full admissions and told officers they would find child pornography on his laptop computer.

When the computer was analysed nine images were found at level one, the lowest grade, two at level two, four at level three, nine at level four and one at level five – the most extreme.

Also discovered were two movies with images at level four and level five.

Prosecutor Mrs Usha Shergill told the court: “All were in a live section of the computer, which means Mr. Walsh had ready access.

“He admitted that he was in possession and that he would chat on websites about watersports and occasionally the abuse of children, which he described as embarking on a journey of pure fantasy.

“He said he was sexually submissive and was playing along with people's fantasies and would adopt the role of the child and would masturbate to images and liked the fact that they were taboo.”

Walsh's lawyer Miss Jennifer Oborne said: “This seems to stem from a desire to take part in offending that seems taboo.

“He started out at a lower level and then things escalated.”

Judge Lorraine-Smith said: “If I were to send him to prison it would be for a few weeks and he would get no treatment and he needs treatment.”

The judge told Walsh: “If people look at child pornography it creates a market and more children are sexually abused to feed that market.”

Walsh was sentenced to a three-year community order, which includes a sex offender treatment programme.

He was made subject to a five-year Sex Offenders Prevention Order, which controls his internet use and contact with children, and must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

“If you breach that order I will reserve it to myself so you will be back before me,” Judge Lorraine-Smith told Walsh, also ordering him to pay £250 costs.

Bromley CCTV Spy Car Flouts Own Rules

A London Borough of Bromley CCTV car was spotted illegally parked yesterday

- straddling meter bays on a busy road.

The female council employee failed to properly park in the designated bays in Upper Elmers End Road - an offence that carries a £60 fine.

The 'spy' vehicles, which are equipped with high-tech cameras, roam the borough in search of motorists committing a raft of offences including illegal parking and driving in bus lanes.

I wonder if the driver is going to fine herself?

Police Community Support Officer's Child Porn Stash Destroys Career Dreams

A disgraced PCSO's dreams of following the family footsteps and becoming a full-time police officer are in tatters after he was caught with a collection of child porn.

Daniel Stephen Trayling, 24, (pictured) of Elmwood Close, Wallington was arrested during a police raid on his family's suburban home, where 124 indecent images were seized.

They were stored on his desktop computer and on his Blackberry mobile phone, but despite this he fought the charges right up to his jury trial at Croydon Crown Court.

There, the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon told the first-time offender today: "I will give you credit, because the law says I must.

“You are a man of previous good character and these convictions have destroyed your prospective career of choice."

After his arrest Trayling was charged with nine counts, including one of possessing footage of a woman having sex with a dog, and the child porn images went up the Level Four – one short of the most serious.

He eventually pleaded guilty just before his trial to possessing the material on or before February 24, last year and was sentenced to a twelve month community order and must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

He was also ordered to pay £1354 costs.

Trayling was suspended by the Metropolitan Police after his arrest and resigned before a disciplinary hearing could take place.

The judge made an order restricting the defendant's internet use and told him: "You will have a specified activity requirement order which is designed to bring your thinking back to reality from errant ways you have demonstrated.

“If you breach your sentence you will face an immediate custodial sentence."