Bus Driver Spat On And Beaten: Four Thugs Wanted

Police are hunting these four suspects, wanted for punching and kicking a bus driver in east London.

Officers from the joint Transport for London and Metropolitan Police Service Workplace Violence Unit are appealing for help in identifying them.

At 1.50pm on Sunday, April 27 an altercation broke out on board the Route 25 bus in Stratford Bus station between the suspects and the driver.

All four passengers got off the bus before one of them spat at the driver through his open cab window.



The driver was then attacked by all four suspects - who punched and kicked him - before leaving the scene.



The driver was taken to hospital with concussion.



The suspects are described as:



Suspect 1 - A black woman aged approximatly 18-20 years old and of slim build.

Suspect 2 - A black man aged approximate 20-25 years old of medium build.

Suspect 3 - A black man aged approximatly 20-25 years old of medium build and wearing glasses.


Suspect 4 - A man of mixed race and slim build.



Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Constable Annie Garrard, who is leading the investigation for the Workplace Violence Unit on 07766 248505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Christening Party Guest Accused Of Slashing Ex-Pal's Neck With Lager Bottle

A christening party guest slashed his former best man's neck with a broken lager bottle – inflicting a wound requiring 42 stitches – when a row broke out between their respective partners, a jury have been told.

Steven Beckford, 24, of Skipper Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire is accused of pursuing life-long friend Neil Thompson from The Palace community centre in south London and attacking him from behind with a broken Heineken bottle.

He has pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon in Coburg Crescent, Tulse Hill on July 28, last year.

Prosecutor Mr. John Evison told the court the happy occasion, which began on a warm Sunday afternoon, turned sour when an argument erupted between Beckford's wife Keisha and Mr. Thompson's girlfriend Monique Hutchinson.

“Neil and Monique decided to leave, they had their young son with them, and thereafter the assault took place.

“This defendant and Keisha ran after them and the defendant grabbed an expensive gold chain Mr. Thompson was wearing around his neck and wouldn't hand it back.

“The defendant, who had a Heineken bottle, smashed it on the ground and ran after Neil and stabbed him in the neck and back as Neil was running away.”

As well as the neck wound Mr. Thompson also received six separate injuries to his back, which also required stitches.

Fellow party-goers pulled the defendant off and he left with Keisha and their child and an ambulance rushed Mr. Thompson to Kings College Hospital, where he remained for twenty-four hours.

Police traced Beckford to his Aylesbury home and he was quizzed at Peckham Police Station the next day, where he claimed Mr. Thompson and Monique were the aggressors.

“He said Neil punched him in the mouth, causing bleeding and said Neil picked up the Heineken bottle and flung it at his red Fiesta car, smashing the driver's side window.

“The defendant said Neil kicked him in the head and there was a tussle between them on the ground for the bottle, which had fallen to the floor.”

Company Boss And Pharmaceutical Dealer Deny £1.1m Stolen Pills Charges

Vincent Quigley: Old Bailey Date

A company director and a pharmaceutical dealer, accused of handling £1.1 million worth of medicinal drugs stolen from a lorry nine years ago, denied the charges when they both appeared at the Old Bailey.

Vincent Quigley, 67, of Daleside, Thornhill, Dewsbury and Kenyan-born Mahmoud Azizi, 56, of Princess Court, Bryanston Place, Mayfair will return for a trial on November 24.

Quigley pleaded not guilty to one count of handling and one count of receiving stolen goods on or before October 16, 2007, namely 1,620,000 Comtan tablets; 510,000 Lopressor tablets and 480,000 Femara tablets.

The tablets, which had been stolen in 2005, were traced to a warehouse in Yorkshire on October 16, 2007 by a private detective hired by the loser, Swiss-based Norvartis International.

Comtan is prescribed to patients with Parkinson's Disease; Lopressor is for the treatment of high blood pressure and Femara is for breast cancer patients.

Canadian citizen Azizi, who was extradited from Vancouver, pleaded not guilty to one count of receiving stolen goods on October 16, 2007, namely medicinal products belonging to Norvartis International.

Eurostar Heroin Smuggler Had Swallowed Drugs

Isleworth Crown Court

A heroin smuggler, who swallowed sixty-five packets of the drug before boarding a Eurostar train from Brussels to London, had been jailed for three years.

William Sowersby, 46, of High View Road, Crystal Palace was stopped by Border Force officers at St. Pancras International.

He pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing 749 gms of 15-16% pure heroin on June 24.

Prosecutor Mr. Douglas Adams told Isleworth Crown Crown two suspicious packets fell to the floor from Sowersby's groin area when he was stopped.

A further nine packets containing white powder and one packet containing brown powder were discovered and the defendant admited to the officer he was a heroin user.

He claimed he had travelled to Belgium to lay flowers at the roadside where his daughter died in an accident two years ago, but later conceded this was a lie.

Sowersby admitted swallowing more packets and later passed sixty-five of them while in custody.

He showed officers marks on his arm indicting intravenous heroin use and agreed his trip to Brussels was simply to collect the drug.

Sowersby, who lives on disability benefit and housing benefit, said he owed a drug dealer £1200 and £1500 in other debts.

The dealer bought the ticket so he could wipe out the debt, said the defendant. 

Prison For National Lottery And Oyster "Confidence Trickster"

Southwark Crown Court

A “confidence trickster”, who duped small shopkeepers into handing over nearly £11,500 by posing as a Camelot and Transport For London agent who could install lucrative terminals in their store's, has been jailed for twenty-seven months.

Jobless James Anthony Keane, 38, of Cause End Road, Wootton, Bedford was described as “selfish” by a judge and motivated by “pure greed.”

He pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation between April 15 and and August 8, 2012.

Seven different London area shopkeepers paid him between £350 and £700 for National Lottery terminals and and eighteen paid similar sums for Oyster terminals.

Southwark Crown Court heard Keane, who was convicted of a scam involving second-hand cars seven years ago, researched which shops did not have terminals then telephoned them posing as a representative of the relevant organisation.

The victims were eager to pay a fee to speed up the process of installation and Keane had opened four different business accounts with convincing names, which the monies were paid into.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC told him: “Small shopkeepers are keen to have on their premises facilities to sell National Lottery tickets and Oyster cards and you knew more than anyone they face difficult times and making a profit is very difficult.

“If they are offered an opportunity to have these machines they will take it and you knew that and you knew it was not always easy for them to get machines in.

“It depends on whether other shops in the area have facilities or if the shops are suitable to Camelot or tfl.

“It takes time to apply for and get the machines and you took advantage of that with your knowledge, your experience and research.

“You contacted them and made out convincingly you were an agent of Camelot or tfl and could arrange for the facilities to be installed and expedited for a fee that was refundable.

“You were addicted to a lifestyle that you could not afford and that is another way of saying it was sheer greed.

“You are a confidence trickster. If you want money and can't earn it you persuade people, by criminal methods, to pass it over.

“You needed money for selfish reasons, to live a lifestyle you thought you were entitled to and committed this offence with a great deal of preparation and sophistication.”

Train Ticket Inspector Jailed For £90K Eighteen-Year Disability Benefit Swindle

A London Underground ticket inspector has been jailed for forty weeks for a £90,000-plus eighteen-year benefit scam, during which he claimed he could hardly walk and was paid at the highest-rate in mobility an care allowances.

Dean Shulton, 48, of Ryecroft Road, Streatham was employed throughout the claim and was expected to travel all over the network, hop on and off tube trains, and even descend to the tracks in an emergency.

"This is a really serious class of offence because of the extended period of time," said Inner London Crown Court Judge Michael Wood QC. "This has been going on year after year, claiming benefit on the basis of not being able to work while holding down a job."

Shulton pleaded guilty to obtaining property by deception from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) between June 8, 1995 and January 29, last year, namely Disability Living Allowance (DLA) totalling £93,485.35p.

Prosecutor Miss Tamsin Ryder told the court Shulton applied for DLA on August 16, 1994, stating he could not walk 100 yards without becoming "tired and breathless" and was prone to chest infections and suffered depression.

"He said he constantly felt tired, was unable to walk, was very weak when trying to prepare food, he became tired when attempting to get dressed and said his legs felt like they weighed ten tons."

A doctor approved the application and Shulton was awarded the highest rate of mobility benefit and the middle rate of care benefit, which he successfully appealed and began receiving the maximum for both.

"This award meant he was virtually unable to walk," explained Miss Ryder. "He said he could not get out of bed, needed help to go to the toilet and needed massages to get the feeling in his legs."

Shulton also said he needed a paid carer to help turn him in his bed at night.

The DWP received intelligence that since the early 1990's Shulton was a revenue control inspector.

"He had powers of prosecution on the trains and held a 'Safety Critical Licence' which assessed his mobility for the job."

London Underground were concerned about the number of sick days Shulton was taking and a doctor examined him on June 8, 1995. "He was fit for duty and the doctor found him to be extremely well."

When eventually caught he was questioned by investigators. "His discussed his illnesses and disabilities, but admitted he should not have been working and his condition had improved."

Shulton has sold his house, moved in with his parents, and promised to pay compensation in full within seven days.

He remains an employee of Transport for London, but is currently the subject of disciplinary proceedings, which he expects will end his career.

His lawyer Miss Joanne Cecil said: "He spent considerable time on paperwork and administration and essentially had a desk-bound office job.

"He did not effectively travel and check tickets and was based at Oval, where he checked tickets at the barrier.

"This claim was not fraudulent from the outset and even though his condition improved he could not be considered to be a well person."

Judge Wood added: "The dishonesty is to continue to get these benefits that were plainly for someone unable to work and he was in work."

However, he told Shulton: "I accept you did suffer from significant disability and your symptoms did fluctuate. You behaved with tremendous realism once you were caught."

Counter-Demonstrator Who Hurled Object At Chanting English Defence League Supporters Is Sentenced

An anti-fascist demonstrator, who hurled an object towards a group of chanting English Defence League supporters near Downing Street, has been conditionally discharged after he was convicted of threatening behaviour.

James O'Brien, 30, of Eastfield Road, Peterborough was part of a group standing in the central reservation of Whitehall exchanging chants with the EDL protesters, who had gathered outside a pub.

He denied, but was convicted at Hammersmith Magistrates Court, of using threatening behaviour on March 15 and must also pay £325 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

It was a day of multiple planned ptotests in the area and the EDL had been attracted by a gathering of the right-wing English Volunteer Force, which in turn drew counter-demonstrations.

The court heard the EDL group had gathered outside the Red Lion pub and the counter-demonstration – which included O'Brien – stood in the middle of Whitehall separated by a line of British Transport Police.

The opposing groups were chanting and gesticulating at each other and a beer can was thrown from the EDL supporters towards towards O'Brien's demonstrators.

The defendant was then seen hurling an unknown object overarm and with force towards the EDL group.

The object was never identified and it is not known if it struck anybody or caused any damage.

Hooded O'Brien immediately turned and fled, but ran straight into another group of police officers, who had just emerged from a van as the tension between the opposing groups escalated.

He was detained and arrested and the court rejected his defence that the police were incorrect in their identification of him.

Race Charge Following Heathrow Stun Gun And CS Gas Find

Isleworth Crown Court

A Bishop's Stortford man, charged with having an illegal stun gun and CS gas cannister at Heathrow Airport, where he is also charged with racially-motivated threats after getting off an international flight, has appeared in court.

James William Forbes, 28, of Waytemore Road indicated he will fight the case, insisting he did not know the items were in his luggage.

He is charged with importing prohibited weapons at Terminal Five, namely a stun gun and CS spray, both designated as firearms, on February 11.

He is also charged with possession of a firearm, namely a stun gun, disguised as another object, and possessing a weapon designed or adapted to discharge a noxious liquid, namely CS gas.

Forbes also faces one charge of using racially-agravated threatening behaviour towards Manzar Akhtar.

Isleworth Crown Court bailed him to return for a plea and case management hearing on October 30 and scheduled his trial for January next year.

Heathrow Stun Gun Arrest: Accused In Court

A Durham man appeared in court yesterday accused of having an illegal stun gun at Heathrow Airport after stepping off an international flight.

Tony O'Brien, 26, of Carr House Mews, Consett, wa stopped at Terminal Four by UK Border Agency officers.

He is charged with possessing a firearm, namely a stun gun, which was disguised as another object on April 18 and is alternatively charged with possessing a weapon designed or adapted to discharge an electrical charge.

O'Brien was bailed unconditionally at Isleworth Crown Court to return on October 31 for a plea and case management hearing.

Airport Stun Gun Charge

Isleworth Crown Court

A High Wycombe man, accused of having an illegal stun gun, disguised as a torch, at Heathrow Airport after stepping off an international flight, appeared in court today.

Alan Aldous, 42, of Normans Court, Micklefield Road, will fight the charge, claiming he did not know it was a firearm that discharges electricity.

He is charged with possessing a firearm, namely a stun gun, which was disguised as another object in the airport's Terminal Three on May 4.

If convicted the offence has a statutory minimum of five year imprisonment, save for exceptional circumstances.

Isleworth Crown Court bailed him to return for a plea and case management hearing on October 30 and scheduled a trial for January, next year.