Pensioner Fined For Spraying Next-Door's Builder

A pensioner who lives in a £1.6m semi-detached house has been fined for assaulting a builder working on a neighbouring home he sprayed with a garden hose.

Lawrence Barclay, 73, of Kew Foot Road, Richmond found himself charged and ordered to appear before Wimbledon Magistrates Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Yesterday he was fined a total of £120 after he was convicted of two counts of assaulting Thomas Hilson outside his next-door neighbour's home on June 27 and 30.

Before the trial he had been banned from contacting any members of staff of contractors Stainsby, who had upset him during work next-door last summer.

School Burglar Nicked Three Laptops

A burglar, who smashed a school's door window with a brick and helped himself to three laptops, is being hunted by police in east London.

Detectives from Newham Borough investigating the burglary at have issued CCTV footage of a man they wish to identify in connection with the incident.

On Thursday, March 24 police were called at around 2.10am after a security guard reported the burglary at Southern Road Primary School, Eastern Road, Plaistow.

The burglary was reported to have occurred around 15 minutes earlier.

CCTV outside the school caught the moment the suspect picked up a brick, threw it at the lower half of the door to smash the glass and break in.

Minutes later the suspect was seen by a security guard jump over the fence into Southern Road.

Various cupboards and trolleys were opened and it was discovered that three laptops had been stolen.

The suspect is described as a man wearing a dark hooded jacket with his hood up.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise this man shown on CCTV or who can assist with the investigation.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or quoting reference number 213724 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

No arrests, enquiries continue.

Passenger Punched Off Bus By Boozy Thug

Police are hunting a boozy thug, who punched another passenger off the late-night bus they were travelling on.

At approximately 11.20pm on Friday, February 5 the suspect boarded a number 93 bus, travelling from Wimbledon to Morden.

He sat on the lower deck where he began drinking from a can of lager.

After a short time he struck up a conversation with the victim, 46, who was standing by the rear door getting ready to get off.

Suddenly and for no apparent reason, the suspect punched the man in the face.

This was with such force the victim fell backwards off the bus and into the street in London Road, Morden.

The attack continued on the pavement before the suspect ran away.

The victim was taken to hospital where he required stitches for injuries to his face.

The suspect is described as white, aged between 20 and 25 years-old, of slim build, about 5ft 5inches tall with dark hair.

He was wearing light coloured jeans, ‘Nike’ trainers, a dark coloured jacket with a fur-rimmed hood and a dark patterned rucksack.

Anyone with information is asked to call PC Jonathan Weller from the Roads and Transport Policing Command on 07771797643.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Women's Lottery-Funded Charity Boss Admits Nicking Thousands Of Pounds

The boss of a National Lottery-funded women’s charity admitted defrauding the organisation of thousands of pounds when she appeared in court yesterday.

Ruth Hiscock, 37, was the co-ordinator of Harrow Women’s Centre, which in February 2014 secured five years of lottery money after the local council removed their £68,000 grant.

When originally charged Hiscock, of The Gables, North Orbital Road, Watford was accused of taking £40,497.67, but she insists the figure is lower.

She pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court to one count of fraud by abuse of position between December 31, 2012 and April 24, last year.

Judge Martyn Barklem released the first-time offender until November 15 for a pre-sentence report on condition she does not contact anyone at the centre and resides at her address.

“You have pleaded guilty to a serious offence,” he told her. “You must not read anything into the fact I’m granting you bail.”

The centre, based in Andrew Close, Bessborough Road, Harrow describes itself as providing, for over twenty years, a safe place for women in need, hardship and distress.

It provides support and counselling, including mental health assistance and legal advice and has thirty-two qualified counsellors, plus volunteers.

Hiscock is also the former director of Harrow Community Action Ltd.

Neighbour Jailed For Fake Facebook Frame-Up Bid

Andrew Currie & Joanna Goodwin

A neighbour-from-hell, who set up a fake hate-filled Facebook account to frame a long-suffering resident a few doors away, has been jailed for ten months.

Scotsman Andrew Currie, 48, was the author of postings made in the name of 57 year-old Andrew Small, who he tried to have arrested and prosecuted.

Currie, who lives off disability benefits, was angered by his neighbour leading a successful battle against a council parking scheme in their South Croydon street.

He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice between April 5 and August 7, 2014 by falsely claiming Mr. Small had made the Facebook insults.

His partner, mother-of-five Joanna Goodwin, 41, who lives with him in Newark Road was also arrested and charged with the same offence, but this was dropped by the prosecution.

Croydon Crown Court heard police were on the brink of arresting Mr. Small, a project manager in the construction industry, of Newark Road, until one officer became suspicious.

Prosecutor Miss Kate Lumsden said: “He set up a Facebook account in the name of neighbour Mr. Small, who is purportedly abusing Mr. Currie.”

Andrew Small & wife Annie 

The account was opened the day after Mr. Small’s PA wife, Annie, 57, was abused by Currie’s children in the street and the police called.

“The next day Mr. Currie attended the front desk of Croydon Police Station to complain about a Facebook page in the name of Mr. Small.”

Entries, supposedly made by the victim, described the Currie’s as a “spastic family”, “inbred”, and threatened to poison their two dogs with anti-freeze.

There were also threats to set the Currie’s house on fire to get them out of the street, plus calls that the “KKK are needed in Croydon.”

The page also said Mr. Small “hates disabled people”, thinks “mixed-race children should be a crime” and enjoys spying on his neighbours in their showers.

“An arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Small, but one officer examined a Freedom of Information request from the victim and saw how well-written it was in comparison.”

Jailed: Andrew Currie

Currie’s bogus Facebook account even used an internet photo of Mr. Small taken by the local newspaper a year before when he complained of a local hate campaign against him.

“Mr. Currie demanded that Mr. Small be immediately arrested and told the police it was a waste of time to investigate the internet IP address of the posts.”

However, officers successfully applied to Facebook for details of the account and arrested Currie, who denied everything, on August 6, 2014.

“The victims found it extremely distressing and don’t feel they can go about their business without being harassed by Mr. Currie and his family.

“They find it intolerable and Mr. Small’s wife is suffering from stress,” added Miss Lumsden.

They have fitted CCTV outside their smart £425,000 home and hope the Currie’s housing association landlord’s will move the family on.

Ex-jailbird Currie was once convicted of a similar crime in his twenties, when he tried to have an innocent person blamed for criminal offences.

His lawyer Thomas Quinn told the court: “He was in a bad place and took it out on his neighbours over a short period of time. It was very amateurish.

“It is very easy to set up a Facebook account and was detected very easily. He’s not a sophisticated person.”

Judge Daniel Flahive told Currie: “You falsely claimed Mr. Small set up a Facebook account and made abusive remarks to you, your family and other people.

“It is not amateurish, it was quite sophisticated and took a bit of time to do.

“Your offending has had a great effect on your neighbours and you expressed little remorse in your pre-sentence report.

“Anyone who makes false allegations to the police and asks for the arrest of others must receive a prison sentence.”

A restraining order was made, which prevents Currie contacting Andrew and Annie and as she left court his partner Goodwin told the couple: “I hope you’re happy now.”

Afterwards Mr. Small said: “He’s a sociopath and it has been going on for years. He won’t learn and will just carry on hurting people.

“He has intimidated a lot of people and is a fantasist. It has escalated and escalated and escalated.

“He is  unemployed and hangs around all day and knows our routine inside out. It is a nightmare scenario.

“He has got two big dogs and hangs over his front fence all day and has made a lot of people move.”

Mr. Small, who is currently on a sabbatical from work with stress, said he led community opposition to the council’s planned controlled parking zone in 2010.

Currie petitioned for the zone, even though he has his own disabled parking space. “He probably saw us as a gang against him because he always feels victimised.

“They walk past and look through the window and she’s still there and we could bump into her at the doctor’s or in Croydon.

“For us it is not over. She’s still there and harbours this hate and it is still causing us great stress and impacting our lives.”

The couple say Currie and Goodwin have reported them to the police multiple times with false complaints.

These include an allegation Mr. Small threatened Currie with a brick and was going to burn his house down when seen in the street with a petrol can for his lawnmower.

Motorist's Nose Smashed With Hammer: CCTV Released

Police are hunting two armed thugs, who broke one man's nose with a hammer and left a second nursing a knife wound.

Footage of the suspects taken on a mobile phone has been released.

On Monday May 16, police were called at around 8.55pm to a report of an assault near Spindrift Avenue close to Millwall Park, Docklands.

It is believed the hammer victim, 30, was the driver of a BMW car, who was attacked by two men after he arrived at the scene of an ongoing dispute.

A second man received a cut to his hand after he tried to defend himself from a man armed with a knife.

The suspect with the hammer then smashed the windows of his car.

The victim who was struck in the face with the hammer was taken to an east London hospital for treatment and later discharged.

Suspect 1 is described as a medium built man, aged in his twenties, and 5ft tall.

He was wearing a dark hooded top, dark trousers and spoke with an English accent.

Suspect 2 is described as a slim built Asian man, aged in his early twenties, and 5ft 4ins tall.

He was wearing a green khaki jacket and carrying a shoulder bag.

He also spoke with an English accent.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise either man or who witnessed the assault.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 020 7275 4550 or via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Brutal Street Attack: CCTV Released

Police have released this CCTV image as they hunt a violent thug, who punched a pedestrian to the ground in the early hours.

The victim, a man in his late twenties, suffered a broken nose and broken left arm after also being kicked as he lay defenceless on the pavement.

On Sunday February 21, police were called at around 1.30am to a report of an assault outside the Sudbury Hill Post Office on Greenford Road, Harrow.

The assault was reported to have occurred at some point between 1.10am and 1.30am that morning.

CCTV cameras captured the moment the suspect approached the victim, who was walking along the opposite side of the road.

The suspect crossed the street, approached the victim from behind, hit him over the back of the head and then kicked him in the head rendering him unconscious.

The victim was taken to a north London Hospital for treatment.

The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his early twenties, of large build, with short dark hair.

He was wearing a hooded jacket, light blue jeans and white trainers.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the man shown in the footage, or who witnessed the assault.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference number 213052, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Youth Club Burglary: CCTV Released

Police hunting a daytime burglar, who nicked a music centre from from an east London youth club, have released this image of their suspect.

On Monday May 9, police were called at approximately 1.30pm to a report of a burglary at Beckton Youth Zone, Beckton Globe, Kingsford Way, Beckton.

The burglary was reported to have occurred at some point around 12.30pm that day.

A portable music centre was taken.

CCTV captured the moment a man was seen to approach the outside of the building, open a window and climb into the office area.

The suspect then took the equipment and left the building.

The suspect is described as a medium built black man, aged between 30 and 40 years-old with a short hairstyle.

He was wearing a blue polo shirt with two white hoops around the chest, tracksuit trousers with a ‘Hugo’ logo on the left leg and dark trainers with white soles.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the man shown on CCTV or who witnessed the burglary.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference number 213058, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Son Jailed For Secretly Remortgaging Dad's House And Buying Three More

Money: Nicholas Forrester

A son who secretly remortgaged his parents’ home to finance a buy-to-let property portfolio while claiming benefits has been jailed today.

Nicholas Leroy Forrester, 50, took out a £300,000 loan on the £1.5m six-bedroom Hammersmith property - his family’s home of thirty-five years.

He used the money to help purchase three properties in east London while having the rent paid on his own discounted housing association flat by taxpayers.

Father-of-two Forrester, of Perham Road, West Kensington was convicted of obtaining a £300,000 money transfer by deception between February 1 and June 30, 2006.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of making a dishonest representation to obtain benefits, namely Jobseekers Allowance; Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit totalling £10,000.

He received three years and four months imprisonment on Friday after Isleworth Crown Court heard he deceived his 83 year-old dad Ivor Forrester.

“Your behaviour as far as your father’s property was concerned was profoundly dishonest and false representations were used towards your father and almost certainly your mother,” Judge John Dennis told him.

“It was well-planned, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals.

“You became fixated with the opinion that this house was your house and when the equity rose you were determined to strip it out to pursue your own commercial ventures, which did not go well.

“Your family has now effectively rejected you and your father feels let-down by you and defrauded.”

Deceived: Ivor Forrester

Forrester no longer owns the three investment properties, which included a house in Napier Road, Leytonstone he bought with the help of a £65,000 cash deposit.

Prosecutor Mr. Benjamin Waidhofer told the court the house was transferred to Nicholas in 1999 during his father’s bankruptcy, with his dad continuing to pay all the bills.

However, in 2006 he persuaded his parents to sign paperwork for a new loan. “The defendant had no right to make this application and Ivor would never have made it.

“This defendant was always saying the house was his in that it was going to be his inheritance.

“He claimed benefits as somebody who was unemployed, owned no properties and had no savings or income.”

The High Court returned the property title to Ivor, who continues to live there, but he must make the £1,100 per month repayments on the loan taken out by his son.

“He was in debt and out of work,” said Forrester’s lawyer Miss Sam Bonner. “The properties he bought were all repossessed and taken from him.

“The family relationships are very fractured now and he is extremely low, very stressed and extremely remorseful.

“This has taken a toll on him physically and mentally as well as financially.”

Department Store Security Manager Jailed For Flogging Nicked Luxury Brands On eBay

Guilty: Clarke

A prison officer turned department store security boss received three years yesterday for selling £59,000 worth of luxury brands stolen from the retailer via his eBay account.

Daniel Clarke, 35, security manager at Kingston-upon-Thames’ Bentalls department store, sold expensive handbags, Armani jumpers, Chanel perfume, Mulberry wallets and keyrings, plus iPads.

When police raided his then home at at Alice House, Laleham Road, Staines-upon-Thames they also seized £12,000 worth of watches and three Ralph Lauren shirts.

Clarke, of Brackenbeds Close, Pelton, Chester le Street, Durham denied, but was convicted of seven counts of fraud by selling items on eBay totalling £59,104.

The married father-of-two was also found guilty of three counts of handling stolen goods and three counts of possessing criminal property.

Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard Clarke was employed between December, 2012 and May, 2014 and he continued selling on eBay until August, last year.

Prosecutor Miss Corinne Bramwell told the jury that two months before starting he opened an eBay account called ‘The Gingerbreadman’ later changed to ‘Part-time Trader’.

Clarke sold approximately four hundred items on eBay, mostly designer goods, handbags, clothing, perfume and Apple products.

Clarke Mugshot

In January 2015 the store identified a “substantial volume of stock missing” and identified ‘Part-time Trader’ as selling identical goods.

“The pattern and timings of loses is clearly linked to Clarke’s eBay account,” she added.

After he was convicted Clarke told the probation service he feared being an “easy target” sent into custody as an ex-prison officer.

He described the prospect of prison as “devastating financially and emotionally to my family.”

Clarke’s lawyer told the court he was “deeply embarrassed and ashamed,” particularly when revealing his conviction to his mother and siblings.

Recorder Emily Formby told the first-time offender on Wednesday: “You were privy to the security details of the store. How stock was marked, protected and accounted for.

“You used your inside information in getting around the various security systems and you knew the CCTV.

“You have told the probation service you were aware of loopholes in the system and exploited them.

“You denied the charges throughout and you blamed an immediate superior, concocting a story that you bought items from him in a pub.

“These are serious offences with a significant amount of money involved and a serious breach of trust.

“A prison sentence will have a devastating effect on your wife and children, but it is your offending behaviour that effects your family.

“You were not thinking of them or the consequences if you were caught and convicted.”

Compensation is sought under the Proceeds of Crime Act.