Ugandan Benefits Cheats Must Repay Over £1.6M They Defrauded From Taxpayers

A notorious benefits fraudster, whose eighteen-year scam financed a property empire in her native Uganda, was ordered today to repay £1,512,344 or spend an additional six years in prison.

Ruth Nagubuzi, 50, (pic.top) was the head of the "family business" and is currently serving a six-year sentence after pleading guilty to twenty-eight counts.

Up to 100 fake children's identities were created to cheat even more money from the Department of work and Pensions and Nagubuzi also claimed to have HIV and Aids to obtain free medicine, which she sold in Africa for huge profits.

Those drugs, which were also prescribed to four other fictitious patients, cost the UK taxpayer over £2 million alone and another £154,000 went on education for the scammers.

She controlled fifteen different properties in the UK, sub-letting them to immigrants while receiving housing benefit payments totalling £650,000 and the 'family's' child benefit, disability benefit, council tax and tax credits bill was £900,000.

The rent from the tenants of those overcrowded properties netted her approximately £756,000. 

Nagubuzi, of Manor Park, east London used her illegal profits to finance the construction of two complex's in her home town of Kampala, the 'Bulaga' and 'Zana' which incorporated hotels, restaurants and a shopping centre.

"What she ran was a large scale thriving business and had almost unlimited access to false identification," said Croydon Crown Court Judge Nicholas Ainley today.

Nagubuzi  claimed to have only been motivated to help her fellow-countrymen and women - many of them orphans - to start a new life in the UK, but the judge dismissed this announcing: "She was running a large scale business for gain."

The prosecution have failed to identify her assets in this country, but Judge Ainley added: "She is perfectly capable of hiding money away. How much has gone to Uganda? I don't know.

"There are strong grounds to suggest she has access to very substantial assets in Uganda."

Beside her in the dock was fellow-fraudster Dennis Kyeyune, 30, (pic.bottom) who received thirty months imprisonment in November, 2012 and he was ordered to repay £157,791 or spend an additional two-and-a-half years in prison.

"I do not even know if this is his true identity," said Judge Ainley, describing the defendant as someone who worked closely with Nagubuzi and was involved in the export of luxury vehicles, such as Mercedes and BMW's to Uganda.

Angry Transexual Patient Bombarded Respected Plastic Surgeon With Abuse During Campaign Of Hate

A leading plastic surgeon's career, earning power and reputation were damaged by a transgender patient, who launched a one-person campaign of abusive emails, calls, texts and online postings after claiming the doctor bungled their ear procedure.

Self-employed sales consultant Alexandra Charles, 36, of Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff was a patient of leading surgeon Dr. Brian Mayou, founder of the Cadogan Clinic, Sloane Street, Belgravia.

"This surgeon, who has pressed these charges, has caused me so much pain and distress," Charles told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court. "If you knew the full story and what this man has done to me you would be shocked."

Charles pleaded guilty to harassing Dr. Mayou between December 16, 2010 and May 16, last year by sending numerous unwanted insulting messages and yesterday was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years. 

Charles made unfounded allegations that Dr. Mayou was a peadophile during a two-and-a-half year campaign, resulting in the surgeon's right to work at South Kensington's private Cromwell Hospital being withdrawn.

Dr. Mayou, a former consultant and honorary lecturer at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital, who was the plastic surgeon who first introduced liposuction to the UK, now has the complaint permanently on his General Medical Council record. 

"There have been multiple forms of threats over a long period of time," magistrate Mrs Nicola Leach told Charles. "The threats have impacted Dr. Mayou's family, career, reputation and earnings. The impact is unimaginable."

Charles was also ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to the surgeon, £150 costs an £80 victim surcharge and was made subject to a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Earache: Alexandra Charles

Prosecutor Miss Birgitte Hagem told the court Dr. Mayou performed a procedure on Charles in December, 2010 and after complaints from the defendant repeated the surgery in 2011.

"There followed abusive calls, texts and emails from the defendant, a lengthy course of conduct and prolific," explained Miss Hagem. "After a police warning they stopped, but later began again.

"In November, Twenty-Twelve the Cromwell Hospital received an email from the defendant accusing Dr. Mayou of molesting children."

On April 5, last year he received ten calls from an unknown number, but the voice of Charles was identified leaving threatening messages such as: "I'll be coming to see you. I want to know what you have done to my ears, you are going to pay for this.

"I'm planning what I am going to do, I'm going to strip everything off you, you f***ing bastard, you f***ing shit.

"I'm going to see you dog, f***ing c***. You've deformed me for life."

Charles also mentioned Dr. Mayou's wife and daughters, calling one of his girl's a "pig" and a "slut" and branding the surgeon a "kiddie fiddler."

The doctor was also forced to apply for fifty online posts to be removed from three different websites, which contained content such as: "He's a pedophile and needs to be locked up."

Charles was arrested when arriving in the UK at Bristol Airport on July 22, last year, after a trip to the continent.

In his victim impact statement Dr. Mayou said the abuse gave him sleepless nights and patients had cancelled surgery as a result of Charles' online rants.

"He has carried out a social media campaign against me and the clinic," said the surgeon. "Patients have cancelled as a direct result of the posts."

Charles' lawyer Miss Julie Stanhope told the court: "My client suffers a high-degree of self-hatred and in his early thirties decided to address his gender issues.

"The first step was surgery on his ears by Dr. Mayou and he accepts the behaviour the doctor endured was extreme and unacceptable."

Charles has since had face reconstruction surgery and breast augmentation.

Charles previously jumped bail after telling the court: "I am halfway through a sex-change and sending me to a male penitentiary would be sexual abuse."

Residents Endure Late-Night Car Wrecking Spree

The residents of a comfortable corner of Fulham woke to find a drunken night-time vandal had gone on a nine-car wrecking spree, causing £7,360 worth of damage to their vehicles.

Frank Brackley, 25, of Delorme Street, Hammersmith had been drinking at a local party that night and was seen by a resident who had been woken by a car alarm at 3.20am, throwing a brick at their vehicle, which was parked in it's drive.

He pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court (pictured) today to nine charges of causing criminal damage on November 3, last year to vehicles parked in Stevenage Road, Woodlawn Road and Cloncurry Street on the fashionable side of the River Thames.

He damaged two Honda's; a Range Rover; a VW Tiguan; a Mercedes; a VW Golf; a Mini Cooper; a Citroen and an Audi.

Brackley also pleaded guilty to interfering with six of the vehicles and will be sentenced on April 1 after a probation report has been prepared.

The court was told the same resident heard a second car alarm sound and the defendant hid behind a parked vehicle when he heard the police arriving.

Several residents reported their vehicles had broken windows and had obviously been searched and at daybreak more locals came forward with similar complaints.

District Judge Susan Williams banned Brackley from the three streets as a condition of bail announcing: “At least those that live in those roads can sleep easily in their beds.”

“You were very clearly out of control,” she told father-of-two Brackley.

Crazy Parking Charges Make £1,000 For Enterprising Crooks

This CCTV image shows two opportunistic thieves taking advantage of London's huge car parking charges by ripping off a ticket machine.

The duo were able to snatch an astonishing £1,000 cash from a car park near Canary Wharf.

They entered the NCP car park in Lawn House Close at 9.35pm on October 1, last year and broke into the machines and left on foot.

The first suspect is described as a white male, wearing a grey tracksuit with the hood up and a baseball cap underneath.

The second suspect is a black male wearing a blue top, black trousers and a light-coloured baseball cap.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Constable Darren Guntrip on 020 8345 4248.

DNA Nails Would-Be Rapist Thirteen Years On

Justice has finally caught up with a former burglar and wannabe rapist, who has been locked-up for a crime spree in which he left behind tell-tale DNA years ago.

Romanian Georghita Plesca, 44, (pictured) tried to rape a woman in her late sixties after breaking into her east London home, one of many properties he raided thirteen years ago.

The terrified victim was tied-up with tape and electrical flex by Plesca, who then ransacked the address and subjected her to the sex attack.

He moved to Bedfordshire and would have avoided justice, but was DNA-tested by local police invesigating a theft and linked to the earlier crimes.

Plesca was sentenced at the Old Bailey to thirteen years imprisonment after pleading guilty to attempting to rape the woman and burgling her home in Baxter Road, Canning Town on May 15, 2001.

He also pleaded guilty to two more Canning Town burglaries in Tree Road and Berwick Road on April 14 and May 17, 2001 respectively and a burglary in Rectory Gardens, Northolt, Middlesex on March 23 of the same year.

The court heard Plesca surprised the lone female occupant of the address in Baxter Road during the evening at the victim had been getting ready for bed.

As she tried to enter her bedroom, Plesca - who had broken into the property some time earlier - jumped on her from behind.

He then proceeded to tie her up with tape and electrical flex and then ransacked the property before attempting to rape her.

Plesca then fled the house, leaving his victim bound in the bedroom.

She managed to free herself and raise the alarm.



On all occasions forensic evidence was recovered and stored and this was to prove Plesca's downfall.

In August, last year, Bedfordshire Police arrested Plesca in relation to a theft matter and his DNA sample taken, which linked him to the four scenes and the case being investigated.

Detective Sergeant Michael McInerney of the Complex Case Team within the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command led the investigation.

He said: "Plesca evaded detection for a number of years, but diligent work at each scene meant that, when the opportunity arose, we were able to comprehensively link him to each offence.


"This conviction demonstrates that no matter how much time has passed since a crime, we will continue to investigate it when the evidence is presented to us.



"Sadly the victim of the attack in Baxter Road died before she could see Plesca brought to justice.

“I only hope her family can take some comfort in the fact that he is now behind bars." 

Boozy Businessman Nicked For Airplane Rant

A businessman, who aimed a foul-mouthed drunken rant towards a family on a flight from the Middle-East when an economics discussion got out of hand, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Justin Peter Cross, 46, of Horsham Road, Cranleigh, Surrey was arrested at Heathrow Airport after stepping off a Qatar Airways flight from Doha.

He pleaded guilty to being drunk on the Boeing 777 aircraft on January 23 and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, ordered to perform 150 hours community service work, pay £650 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Miss Pamela Reiss told Isleworth Crown Court: “He had been very disruptive on the flight and very abusive to one family, a mother and father travelling with their two teenage daughters.

“Mr. Cross was shouting and swearing, using the word 'f***' several times, and shouting at the family, calling them: 'F***ing pigs' which is a particularly abusive word to people from Qatar.

“He was staggering and unsteady on his feet and the pilot radioed through and he was arrested after the landing.”

Cross was questioned by police and eventully apologised for his drunken behaviour.

“He did say he was only having a discussion about economics and did say the argument was heated and he used foul language,” added Miss Reiss. 

“He showed little remource, but at the end of the interview he said he was embarrased and sorry for his actions.”

Cross's lawyer Miss Nina Kaikini told the court: “He is extremely sorry, he travels four to six times a year, is a regular traveller and nothing like this has ever happened before.

“He admits he was rude and obnoxious and consumed alcohol that was provided during the flight.

“He was under considerable stress due to business difficulties and everything built up and he behaved in a way he wouldn't normally.”

Recorder John Hobson QC told Cross: “You were drunk and very abusive to a family, using aggressive language.

“All this happened when the plane was airborne. It's a potentially very dangerous situation.”

Paedophile Primary School Teacher Used Ghostly Tales To Groom Boys For Abuse

A Walking Horror Story: Martin Smith

A former primary school teacher was convicted today of abusing two young boy pupils during sleepovers at his home on the eve of organised trips.

Martin Smith, 64, of Llandybie Road, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, Wales was arrested and charged with the decades-old offences after internet communication between the complainants on 'facebook' and 'friends reunited.'

Woolwich Crown Court heard Smith, who transfixed the boys with elaborate ghost stories, used those tales to instigate some of the abuse, which involved the youngsters pleasuring him.

He was convicted of one count of indecent assault in relation to each boy plus two counts of repeated indecency with each child on multiple occassions between 1979 and 1982 and will be sentenced on April 11.

One count of indecency with a third boy was allowed to lie on the file.

Smith taught at a school in Camberwell, Southwark and all the offences took place at his former two-bedroom flat in St. Julian's Farm Road, West Norwood.

The jury were told the boys were aged approximately eight to ten years-old at the time and were “absorbed” by Smith's imaginative ghost tales, which usually involved World War One soldiers.

They stayed at Smith's address to get an early start on various school trips and one of the victim's claimed he thought he felt the presence of a ghost during a visit to an old music hall, such was the influence of the defendant's stories.

The same victim told police in a video-recorded interview that on occassions he was caned and spanked by Smith, who ordered the youngster to 'punish the ghost' by touching him intimately.

The man also told the jury that on one occassion “confirmed batchelor” Smith put him in a nappy and the truth only started coming out when he confided in his wife that a schoolteacher had abused him.

He approached police with his complaint in November, 2011 and officers then contacted the second victim, who confirmed similar abuse occurred when he stayed at Smith's flat.

Smith insisted he never touched the boys and recalled the second victim warning: “I'll get you for that,” after a caning.

He also claimed to have overheard the same boy making plans to get money as a result of sexual activity.

The third complainant told the court that during a sleepover Smith entered the room he and another boy were in, lied between them, and encouraged them to touch him intimately.

M&S 'Trolley Rage' Death: Woman In Court Charged With Manslaughter

A woman accused of the 'trolley rage' killing of a fellow Christmas shopper at a busy Marks & Spencer's store appeared in court for the first time today.

Melanie Serita Buck, 32, of Chelford Road, Bromley is charged with the manslaughter of Michael Buckley, 60, at the town's major shopping mall, The Glades, on December 22, 2012.

She spoke only to confirm her name, age and address during the short hearing at Bromley Magistrates' Court and was sent to Croydon Crown Court on unconditional bail to appear for a preliminary hearing on March 20.

She is also charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on retired widower Mr. Buckley, of Whatman Road, Forest Hill, who died on March 5, last year after sustaining injuries including a broken hip and wrist, plus further complications.

He was injured shortly before 1pm as Christmas shoppers packed the popular store.

Mr. Buckley, who lost wife Irene two years before his death, died at Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, Kent.

He weighed just eight stone and had severe hearing problems and had retired from an office job at Camberwell New Green Cemetery.

After the hearing Buck covered her face with a silk scarf as she left the courthouse.

Millwall Yobs Banned From Matches After Brawling With Burnley Fans

Millwall Ban: Dennis Woodham

Two Millwall FC fans, who fought with away supporters after a home match, have been banned from all designated games for three years.

The pair were caught on CCTV aggressively squaring up to Burnley FC fans after the away team rallied from behind to draw 2-2 in the Championship fixture.

They are: Jobless Dennis Woodham, 18, of High Brooms Road, Tunbridge Wells and David Watkins, 46, of Holder House, Cannons Wharf, Tonbridge.

They both pleaded guilty at Bromley Magistrates' Court to affray outside the New Den stadium on November 2, last year.

Prosecutor Miss Lee Verner told the court yesterday that both defendants were with a third man when they had an ugly confrontation with the Burnley FC fans in the street.

“Watkins stepped into the road, rose his arms and shouted and the Burnley group shouted back.

“Watkins and Woodham approached a Burnley fan and Watkins squared up and punched him and walks away, leaving Woodham.

“Watkins then walks back and a Burnely fan throws a punch and is then pulled away by his group.

“The third man they are with pushes a Burnley fan and Woodham then joins in, throwing punches at the Burnley fan.

“Woodham continues the confrontation and Watkins walks back into the fight with determination.”

Eventually the two groups split, but the CCTV follows the defendants and their pal.

“They all walk away with smile on their faces and they pat each other on the back and cuddle each other,” added Miss Verner.

They are stopped by police and arrested and Watkins, who admitted consuming four to five pints, said: “There was a bit of banter and I put a burger in his face.

“I don't remember much. The incident was all a blur.”

The court heard Woodham was “very remourseful” and claims the Burnley fans started the abuse.

Watkins claims he is not a regular fan, but was attending “in remembrance” of a friend he found dead after hanging himself.

Woodham was sentenced to a four-month 7pm to 7am electronically tagged curfew and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Watkins was ordered to perform 160 hours community service work and pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Both defendants were made subject to a three-year football banning order, which includes not entering the London Borough's of Southwark and Lewisham during Millwall home games or watching games abroad.

Bolton Wanderers Fan From West Country Caught Throwing Coins At Championship Match

A Swindon man, who says he acted out of “frustration” when twice throwing a coin at a Championship football match was fined today.

Adam Corcoran, 22, of Cranborne Chase is a Bolton Wanderers supporter and was caught on CCTV at his team's away fixture with Millwall FC, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

He pleaded guilty at Bromley Magistrates' Court to throwing a missile at The New Den stadium on February 15 and was fined £255, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Miss Lee Verna told the court: “Staff on the CCTV noticed the defendant throwing small objects he obtained from his pocket towards the pitch and was observed doing this a second time.”

Corcoran was removed and taken to the reception area where he confessed: “I did throw the coins, but not at anyone. It was just out of frustration.”

Miss Verna added: “He made a full admission to throwing coins twice onto the pitch and said he was sorry for his actions.”

Corcoran told the magistrates: “I'm sorry for what I did, I held my hands up straight away.

“I did not aim at anyone, it was just out of frustration.

“I was passionate about the team I support, Bolton, I'm sorry.

“I know it was stupid, but I was not aiming at anyone or intending to hurt anyone.”

The bench chairwoman told him: “Throwing coins is very dangerous and you know if you had hit someone you may be facing a different charge.”