Suburban Bloodbath: Ex-Boyfriend Strangles Schoolteacher After Stabbing Her Parents

A "mild-mannered" primary school assistant, who bought three kitchen knives and stabbed his ex-girlfriend's parents  so he could strangle their daughter during a horrific suburban nightmare has been jailed for sixteen years.

Luke Nicholson, 29, (pic.top) who had never been in trouble with the police before, stabbed his former girlfriend's father - severing an artery - on the doorstep of the family's home, slashed the mother and finally throttled ex Cheryl Slim, 30, in the back garden.

Schoolteacher Cheryl, (pic.bottom l.) who had leapt from an upstairs bathroom window, played dead and Nicholson only released his grip and fled when the next-door neighbour tried to smash through the garden fence to stop him.

Nicholson, of Athill Court, St. Johns Road, Sevenoaks, who assisted primary school children with special needs, pleaded guilty to three counts of grievous bodily harm, with intent, in relation to Robert Slim, 59, (pic.bottom r.) Annette Slim, 55, and Cheryl on January 24.

A charge of attempting to murder Cheryl was dropped by the prosecution, who found the defendant had attempted to make Facebook contact with his ex of five years, and made other internet searches for her in the period before the attack.

Croydon Crown Court was told the defendant rode his moped twenty miles in the snow, buying the knives from Tesco's on the way, and ended up outside 15 Ernest Grove, Elmers End, Beckenham - the Slim's family home, where he had once spent an enjoyable Christmas years before.

Mr. Slim described Nicholson as having a "vacant emotionless expression" when he answered the door to him and was stabbed in the upper arm without warning and sustained further injuries as they fought in the hallway.

Mrs Slim emerged from the living-room, where the couple had been watching television, and smashed Nicholson over the head with a plant pot several times without effect.

"He turned his attention to Mrs Slim and she tried to grab the knife from his hand," explained prosecutor Mr. Patrick Moran. "In the ensuing struggle the defendant lashed out at her several times with the knife."

She suffered severed tendons to one of her hands as she successfully prized the knife from Nicholson, who then began hunting the house for Cheryl, leaving a trail of bloody footprints up to the bathroom, where she had locked herself in.

"Fearing that someone would break through the bathroom door to find her she opened the bathroom window and climbed out of it," added Mr. Moran.

"The window overlooked the back garden and it was into that garden Miss Slim fell as she tried to lower herself from the edge.

"No sooner had she got up than the defendant tackled her back to the ground and smashed a hard object against her head - possibly a garden ornament.

"The defendant then dragged Miss Slim down to the end of the garden, further from her parents, who had no idea that the defendant had her, quite literally, in his grip.

"She struggled on the ground underneath the defendant as he gripped her neck and it was only at that stage that she believed she recognised her attacker as a former boyfriend.

"She was struggling to breathe as she felt her windpipe being crushed and sought to defend herself by clawing at the defendant's face.

"Miss Slim could do little more to defend herself, as she felt as if she was losing consciousness, and decided to stop struggling and lie still."

After the neighbour disturbed the heavily bloodstained Nicholson he made his way back through the blood-splattered house, past Mr. Slim, who had collapsed on the kitchen floor from excessive bleeding, and out the front door.

Police stopped him a few street away and an obviously drunken Nicholson said: "I don't know what you are talking about," with officers describing him as being in an "agitated" state.

Miss Charlotte Newell, defending, said: "What led this mild-mannered, gentle young man to behave this way may never be clear.

"His family are devastated by the havoc that has been wreaked. His actions do not square with the young man the family raised."

The court heard Nicholson attended London Metropolitan University, which recently awarded him a diploma and Miss Newell added: "His true nature was not on display that evening.

"His relationship with Miss Slim did not end well, but he did not bear her any ill will and even though she had been on his mind this exploded from nothing. There is no real grudge against the Slim's."

Judge Stephen Waller heard Nicholas had abused alcohol and cannabis throughout his adult life and announced: "I think he poses a risk to any person with whom he has a grievance while under the influence of drink and drugs.

"There was carnage in the hallway of that suburban house," he added. "This was a pre-meditated sustained attack on three defenceless people in their own home.

"They will find it difficult, if ever, to recover from such a horrifying experience.

"There is nothing in your background that gives any clue as to why you acted in that dreadful fashion that night."

The probation service found there was a "high likelihood" that Nicholson would re-offend and a restraining order was made to protect the Slim family once he is paroled.

Judge Waller told Nicholson he would have to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence and would be subjected to an extended licence period of an additional five years.

Paedo Who Trawled The Internet For Child Porn Convicted Of Touching Two Young Girls

A paedophile, who hunted the internet for child porn, has been convicted of having “acted out his fantasies with two girls” - sexually abusing one of them on his lap during a game of 'It'.

Father-of-two Peter Ross, 56, of Camrose, Beech Drive, Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey claimed the girls, who were aged between twelve to thirteen and nine to eleven years-old respectively at the time, simply invented the allegations.

He is now in custody and will be sentenced on November 8 at Croydon Crown Court.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Wilkins told the jury the defendant downloaded child pornography on his computer and: “acted out his fantasies with two girls.”

The offences took place at Ross's former Croydon home, which he and his family suddenly abandoned when he was initially reported to police in 2006, the court heard.

“The defendant made the first complainant play a game called 'It' and when she was 'It' she would have to sit on his lap and that is when he touched her,” explained Mr. Wilkins.

“Sometimes his hand would go down her trousers and this happened quite a few times and sometimes he would put his fingers inside her vagina.

“She said it hurt and also says the defendant would play with himself while undressed.”

The victim reported Ross to the police and he abandoned his home so quickly the doors were left open, added the prosecutor.

The second victim found herself alone in the property with the defendant, explained Mr. Wilkins. “He pulled her jeans down and rubbed her just above the vagina.

“He says both girls are lying, that they have made it up.

“When the police went to arrest him for these allegations that the girls made they searched his home computer and on it there were forty or so indecent images of girls downloaded from the internet.

“The computer had been used since 2007 to search for the same imagery.”

The 2006 investigation was not pursued, but after the allegations were discussed on Facebook in 2010 by the complainants they came forward and made statements to police.

Ross was convicted on two counts of indecently assaulting the older girl between May 1, 2004 and June 13, 2006 and indecently assaulting the younger girl between May 1, 2004 and May 20, 2006.

He was also found guilty of six counts of making indecent images on or before July 24, last year.

Hong Kong Race Ding Dong In Restaurant 'Ping Pong'

A drunken troublemaker racially abused the manageress of a Chinese restaurant just two weeks after making a 999 bomb hoax call when another eatery refused to serve him.

Christopher North, 38, shouted: "Who the f*** do you think you are? You're not from this country, I am," while demanding a drink at the restaurant's bar.

North, of Roundhay Drive, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland pleaded guilty to racially aggravated threatening behaviour at the Ping Pong restaurant, Westbourne Grove, Bayswater on July 6.

He also admitted communicating false information, namely a bomb hoax, on June 23 after he was refused service at cafe in Leicester Square.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court North entered Ping Pong at 6.30pm and sat on a stool at the bar.

The restaurant's employees were either from Hong Kong or had connections with the former UK territory.

"He was noticed by staff to be very drunk and was asking for a beer and the female restaurant manager was called over to deal with him.

"He kept asking where she and the staff were from and said: 'F*** off,' and the police were called and the defendant was arrested."

At the time he was still being hunted by police for a hoax bomb call to the emergency services and was eventually traced to his home address on July 29.

"He made the call at 3.52am and said he was the Real IRA and that there was a bomb in a cafe in Leicester Square," explained Mr. Gill.

"The recording was seized and the defendant was identified.

"The call was in the early hours of the morning in a busy part of London, but many places would have been shut and I have no details of any upheaval.

"He said he was angry at not being served in a restaurant because he was drunk."

Mr. Alexander Gorst, defending, told the court: "Mr. North has bi-polar disorder and when it is not managed correctly this results in manic periods.

"He has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in the past and when he was released from hospital in May he was readmitted to the community without receiving the treatment he had previously.

"Without that support network he was drinking, taking legal highs and not taking his medication, which created the toxic combination that resulted in these offences.

"His family have moved Mr. North back home to Teeside and he resides at the family home and is under a community treatment programme.

"Mr. North and his family have taken steps to ensure this will not be repeated.

"He doesn't drink anymore and does not take drugs and is under supervision through his family and care worker.

"He is aware of the perils of living alone in London and at the time of these offences he was a man of good character."

District Judge Andrew Sweet sentenced North to four months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, for the bomb hoax, conditionally discharged him for twelve months for the race offence and made a six-month supervision order.

"The bomb hoax is one the courts take very seriously and most would send you to prison immediately," he told North.

"One can only imagine the amount of mayhem caused by your telephone call and I see no reason why anyone should be subjected to racist remarks, it is unacceptable and it is abusive."

North was also ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge.

Youngest Member Of Paedophile Family Facing Prison

A member of a notorious Essex family of paedophiles, who admitted trying to meet a ten year-old boy for sex, was told yesterday that he will probably be joining his father and uncle by having a stretch in prison.

David Michael Lane, 24, of Hubberd Road, Little Canfield, Dunmow was arrested after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Child Protection Command linked him to the non-existent boy in south London.

The first-time offender pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court (pictured) that on October 8 he arranged or facilitated an act that involved the commission of an offence, namely oral rape, and was remanded in custody for sentencing on January 15, next year.

“It gives me no great pleasure to say this, but given the sentencing guidelines imprisonment is almost inevitable,” announced Judge Roger Chapple, referring to a three-year starting point for such offences.

Lane's lawyer Miss Ann-Marie Talbot told the court: “Mr. Lane's father was convicted and imprisoned for sexual abuse and Mr. Lane's uncle was imprisoned for sexually abusing a child.

“He has been co-operating with the police and certain things have been said that, in my opinion, makes a psychological report necessary.

“Mr. Lane is entitled to credit for his guilty plea and the psychological report may give a background as to why this offending took place.

“A suspended prison sentence with local community support may be a better way of dealing with Mr. Lane rather than locking him up and throwing away the key.

“That is not what Mr. Lane wants and it is not in the best interests for him.”

Judge Chapple told Lane: “Do not read too much into the fact I am adjourning your sentencing for reports. The final sentence may well be a custodial sentence.”

Martial Arts Instructor Had 76,000 Sex Pics Of Kids

A Tae Kwon Do master, who taught the martial art to children in schools and church halls, was sentenced yesterday for secretly collecting 76,000 sick sexually-explicit images of youngsters for eight years.

David Crump, 55, tried to kill himself after his fiancé exposed the sordid truth, but the ligature he used to hang himself snapped and his partner came to his aid.

Crump, of Fieldgate Close, Monks Gate, Horsham, West Sussex pleaded guilty to eighteen counts of possessing and making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography on or about March 7.

He is the co-founder of Kent-based Crown Tae Kwon Do, and also taught children in the back garden of his former suburban home in Mount Pleasant, Biggin Hill, Westerham.

Prosecutor Miss Shahnaz Ahmed told Croydon Crown Court Crump's fiancé Natasha Foskett discovered a suspicious link on his computer and told his adult children what she had found.

"The defendant then went to the police and surrendered himself, his hand had been forced, and he told the officers: 'I'm a sick man, I need help.'

"The police then seized a computer tower and laptop."

Officer stopped categorising the images once they had reached 32,981 and 66% of those were at Level One, at the lower end of the scale, but there were 3,707 at Level Four and 383 at Level Five - the most serious.

Crump's lawyer Mr. Robin Ghosh said: "Following two suicide attempts he is on a heavy dose of anti-depressants.

"When the material was discovered he did not want it to go any further, but then he decided he was going to have to face the music."

Crump handed himself into Bromley Police Station, confessed to officers and then moved out of the family home.

"He did not receive any sexual gratification from these images, which he built-up over eight years after a breakdown when he was made redundant.

"It became an addiction and he still stands by that statement today.

"There were also never any suggestions of issues with the children he was teaching during the Tae Kwon Do lessons."

A probation officer who prepared a pre-sentence report felt Crump failed to take adequate responsibility for the offences.

His July wedding was scrapped, however Mr. Ghosh revealed there were hopes his client would re-unite with his ex-partner.

"There are plans for them to re-engage as a family unit."

First-time offender Crump was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 100 hours community service work.

Judge Jeremy Gold QC told him: "This was a depressing obsession with child pornography and extreme pornography.

"You are perpetrating the sexual abuse of children by your actions.

"Your relationship, if not finished, is on hold, you have lost your Tae Kwon Do business and are living an insular life.

"This is an absolutely enormous quantity of material, one of the highest amounts I have ever dealt with. Make sure you keep clear of this filthy material in the future."

Crump must also sign the sex offenders register and a ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which restricts his internet use and contact with children, was made.

He must also attend an internet sex offenders treatment programme and was disqualified from working with children.

Cocaine Smuggler Caught After Canada 'Shopping' Trip

A Blackburn cocaine smuggler, who stepped off a flight with £896,000 worth of the drug hidden inside the bases of her two suitcases, was jailed for five years today.

Self-employed pub manager Jacqueline Millar, 50, of Livingstone Road was stopped by the UK Border Agency at Gatwick Airport after a week-long trip to Toronto, Canada.

She pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to importing a total of 4.98 kilos of cocaine split into two quantities of 66% and 69% purity on September 1.

Prosecutor Mr. Hamish Reid told the court: "The cocaine was in the bases of two suitcases carried by Millar.

"She said she was travelling alone and had gone to Toronto for a week for shopping.

"The suitcases were searched and the base of one of them seemed very bumpy and heavy and an incision revealed a white powder that tested positive for cocaine."

Millar made no comment when formally questioned, but said on the way to the custody suite: "I knew it was there, but not where. Was it a tip-off?"

First-time offender Millar,s lawyer Mr. Dennis Kavanagh said: "This is a plain-speaking, realistic lady and her position has always been: 'I'm guilty. I'm not making any excuses.'

"She has been as frank as she can be and is not going to use her age or family circumstances as an excuse.

"She was working hard in the bar trade for many years as a self-employed relief manager and fell into financial difficulties.

"There were rent and council tax arrears and she gave into a stupid temptation," added Mr. Kavanagh.

"She is not going to be in contact with her son and she has not been in contact with her family while she has been on remand at Bronzefield Prison, Surrey.

"She has not asked me to labour these points, but she is going to miss much of her son's young adulthood and she has a sister who is ill with cancer."

Judge Jeremy Gold QC told Millar: "When you take these sort of risks you are playing for high stakes and if you are caught importing cocaine certain consequences follow.

"You were hardly a sophisticated drugs courier given your age and your good character."

Six Years For Paedo Who Had Sex With His 12 Year-Old 'Girlfriend'

A paedophile, convicted of rape after having sex with his twelve year-old girlfriend, who became “infatuated” with him after months of grooming, was jailed for six years today.

Anthony Bailey, 23, made threats to the girl and told her if the truth ever came out she should say she had sex with his innocent brother.

Engaged Bailey, of 6 Dunheved Road West, Thornton Heath, whose fiancé is due to have triplets in three months time, was convicted of raping the girl at an address in Rutherwick Rise, Coulsdon on November 26, 2011.

Croydon Crown Court Judge Jeremy Gold QC told him: “You befriended her and that friendship led to full sexual intercourse.

“You did not use force and she did consent, but you took advantage of her vulnerability to groom her over the proceeding months and committed this offence.

“She was infatuated with you and not mature enough to deal with your sexual advances.

“You were not sexually inexperienced, but maybe you would not have found it easy to socialise with people your own age.”

Prosecutor Mr. Nicholas Alexander told the court: “The aggravating features are that there were threats to the victim if she reported the incident and she was told to say it was the defendant's brother.”

Bailey was cleared of a further three counts and his defence said he was not a “predatory paedophile” but an: “intelligent hard-working man who will find a lengthy prison sentence devastating.”

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made restricting his contact with children.

Police Appeal: Alleged Wannabe Robber On Run

A woman accused of two attempted robberies in west London is still on the run after jumping bail.

Samantha Brooks, 28, (pictured) of Heritage Close, Uxbridge failed to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on August 8.

She was charged on May 4 and two counts of criminal damage are also alleged at the same time two days earlier.

Samantha Brooks is described as a slim female who wears her dark hair in a very short style, has slightly protruding front teeth and wears male clothing.

She is known to frequent Uxbridge, west London and recent information is that she may be in the Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and East Anglia areas.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Uxbridge Jigsaw Unit on 0208 246 1719, the police non-emergency line on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Online Paedo Locked-Up For Raping 12 Year-Old Girl

A paedophile, who groomed a 12 year-old girl online then encouraged her to perform a sex act on him in a stairwell when they met for a 'date' will remain locked-up under the Mental Health Act.

Sami Tesfay, 22, (pictured) from Lewisham, south-east London made contact with the girl on a social networking site and arranged to met her and a friend on January 19.

They met again and four days later on January 23 he persuaded her to go to his home address, where the sex offence took place.

He was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of raping the girl and was sentenced to remain under a section 37 hospital order and was given a section 41 indefinite restriction order.

Detective Constable James Taylor of Sapphire, which invesigates sex crimes said: "Tesfay used a social networking site to befriend his victim.

“He groomed her, gained her trust and exploited her for his own needs.

“The victim has now seen him convicted for what he did to her. 



"This case highlights the negative side of social media and the need for parents to be vigilant around who their children are communicating with online.

“This successful outcome I hope should encourage other victims of sexual crime to come forward and report what has happened to them." 



Detective Chief Inspector Pete Thomas, said: "Tesfay befriends vulnerable children and exploits them. In this case the victim was beguiled by his attention and belief that he was sincere about their relationship. 



"He has now been found guilty and will be held in a secure facility to prevent harming others.

“Anyone who has been a victim of rape should come forward and tell us what has happened so we and other agencies can provide them with the necessary support."

Army Boxer's Knockout Punch During Boozy Mini-Cab Row

A former soldier, who boxed for the British Army team, knocked a man unconscious with a single blow during a late-night row over a mini-cab.

William Hutton, 22, of Well Cottage, Patch Hill, Munstone, Hereford served in Afghanistan, but found himself arrested for the fourth time in two years for alcohol-related disorder.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to assaulting Brian Ford, causing him actual bodily harm, outside Sutton railway station on December 9, last year.

The court heard Hutton self-medicated his post-traumatic stress disorder with alcohol, and had three convictions in 2011 for disorderly behaviour.

“This was a single punch that knocked the victim unconscious and resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance,” Judge Stephen Waller told the defendant.

“You have experience as a boxer and a fist in these circumstances can be as serious as a weapon.

“All of this was the result of a trivial dispute over a taxi and was all your fault.

“You were drinking excessively and you acted in a reckless, violent fashion without justification.”

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Mazibrada told the court Hutton followed-up with several more blows aimed at the prone Mr. Ford, which the defendant disputes.

The victim also applied for an additional £515 compensation to replace his clothes, which had been ruined as a result of the attack.

“The ambulance crew attended and almost all of Mr. Ford's clothing had to be cut off,” explained the prosecutor.

“Mr. Hutton was a boxer in the army, he represented he army,” said Mr. Ronald Bostwick, defending. “It was just a single punch he did not need to do anything else.

“With the Queensbury Rules in his mind he did not have to strike Mr. Ford again.

“He can fit in as a good citizen. What happened that night was an aberration in his improving control over his life, his control over alcohol and improving mental condition as the memories of Afghanistan fade bit by bit.

“This young man has served his country and he has expressed his remorse and he regrets the pain and injury that Mr. Ford subsequently suffered and has told me he is sorry for what he has done.”

Judge Waller ruled it made no difference to sentencing whether Hutton landed one or several blows and told him: “You served your country in difficult and dangerous circumstances as other young men have.

“I have read the medical reports and you are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and sought refuge by excessive drinking and combined with a quick temper that has led you to your fourth experience before the courts.”

Hutton was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which includes 80 hours community service work and was ordered to pay Mr. Ford £500 compensation and £250 costs.  

Harrods Chef's Sex-Pest Calls To Co-Workers

A Harrods chef made repeated sexually-explicit mystery phone calls to five attractive female co-workers at the department store because "he knew he could not have them," a court heard today.

Married Robert Perez, 31, (pictured) admitted breathing heavily down the line while playing with himself - using pay-as-you-go numbers or his wife's friend's phone.

The first-time offender, of Princes Way, Bletchley, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to five counts of stalking, involving serious harm or distress, on or before September 30.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court: "Five employees received sexually explicit phone calls from a male and a large number of pay-as-you-go numbers were used.

"The victims believed the defendant was masturbating and he made references such as: 'I will f*** you in the a***'."

The police were informed and a court order revealed the source of the calls were somewhere in the Milton Keynes area and Harrow, which Perez often visited.

"One of the phones used belonged to a friend of the defendant's wife," added Mr. Gill.

When arrested Perez immediately confessed and told officers: "I made the calls, I admit it was me."

Mr. Gill added: "He admitted harassing all five women and said he knew he could not have them and did it as a sexual fantasy.

"He knows all five females and said he would never approach them.

"He admitted masturbating and touching himself while on the phone and admitted breathing heavily down the phone and was either at home or visiting family in Harrow when he made the calls.

"He admitted to making moaning noises down the phone while playing with himself down below."

The Crown Prosecution Service applied for a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order prohibiting Perez making phone calls on a withheld number and ordered him to report his phone numbers to the police and make his phones available to police inspection without deletions.

He was bailed to November 7 for a pre sentence report on condition he does not contact any of the victims or enter Harrods without the management's permission.

Financial Advisor Accused Of Battering To Death Millionaire Client He Stole From

A "devious and clever" financial advisor battered a wealthy client to death in his Mayfair flat after looting £343,000 to fund a lifestyle of flash cars and expensive hotels, holidays and restaurants, a court heard

David Jeffs, 36, murdered wealthy socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, (pic.top) who had received a large inheritance from his late his civil partner, interior designer Anthony Feldman, the Croydon Crown Court jury were told.

Jeffs, (pic.bottom) of Larch Close, Arnold, Nottingham has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan at the Mount Street address on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.

"This defendant took advantage of a frail and vulnerable man for his own gains over a long period," explained prosecutor Mr. Edward Brown QC. 

"As a result he was able to live the high life, but all at the expense of the deceased, who when the defendant first met him was a rich man. He died less rich by hundreds of thousands of pounds thanks to this defendant's dishonesty.

"The defendant kept the true source of his spending power from everyone. He had come to rely on the deceased, or his wealth, for his own lifestyle.

"When the life to which the defendant happily had become accustomed appeared to him to be about suddenly to come to an end and that there was a real possibility that his callous acts would soon be found out, he killed him."

Jeffs was employed by London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus, a partnership of financial and wealth management firms and invested £1.2 million for Mr. Troyan in an off-shore bank.

The jury were told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.  

Mr. Troyan, who suffered fatal head injuries,  was one half of the first-ever civil partnership in the UK and Mr. Feldman's clients included Princess Michael of Kent and Jonathan Aitken.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.

Mr. Troyan had enjoyed spending his ex-partner's inheritance and hosted cocaine parties at the flat and was known to have had several gay lovers. 

The prosecution say CCTV evidence shows Jeffs spent 15 minutes inside the flat after Mr. Troyan buzzed him in and afterwards bought identical clothes and cleaned-up his Lotus car and himself at a petrol station.

He told police there was no answer at Mr. Troyan's door, but after the deceased's blood was found on his briefcase he claimed to have had a confrontation on the landing with an angry blood-stained mystery man.

"This was plainly a wholly false account. It was invented to cater for the blood that had in truth come from his own contact with Mr. Troyan and Mr. Troyan's wet blood during the attack," added Mr. Brown.

"The deceased's blood came to be on that briefcase because this defendant, in those fifteen minutes, was the one who, perhaps in just a few seconds or minutes, beat that frail man, most likely because he was about to bring to an end his gravy train, his lifestyle and very possibly his liberty."

The court heard Mr. Troyan had voiced his dissatisfaction with Jeffs to his cleaner/housekeeper Mrs Davey Aganon and was becoming increasingly concerned about his investments and cash flow.

His rental lease was due for renewal on March 9 and he had arranged to meet Jeffs the day before so more cash could be withdrawn from his bank account to meet the expense.

Jeffs told police he was Mr. Troyan's £1,000 a week "financial concierge" and had been paid two years salary in advance. 

  

The trial is expected to last six weeks………….

Alleged Internet Perv Denies Sex Attacks On Two Young Girls

A paedophile, who hunted the internet for child porn, “acted out his fantasies with two girls” - sexually abusing one of them on his lap during a game of 'It', a jury were told today.

Father-of-two Peter Ross, 56, of Camrose, Beech Drive, Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey claims the girls, who were aged between twelve to thirteen and nine to eleven years-old respectively at the time, have simply invented the allegations.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Wilkins told Croydon Crown Court the defendant downloaded child pornography on his computer and: “acted out his fantasies with two girls.”

The offences took place at Ross's former Croydon home, which he and his family suddenly abandoned when he was initially reported to police in 2006, the court heard.

“The defendant made the first complainant play a game called 'It' and when she was 'It' she would have to sit on his lap and that is when he touched her,” explained Mr. Wilkins.

“Sometimes his hand would go down her trousers and this happened quite a few times and sometimes he would put his fingers inside her vagina.

“She said it hurt and also says the defendant would play with himself while undressed.”

The victim reported Ross to the police and he abandoned his home so quickly the doors were left open, added the prosecutor.

The second victim found herself alone in the property with the defendant, explained Mr. Wilkins. “He pulled her jeans down and rubbed her just above the vagina.

“He says both girls are lying, that they have made it up.

“When the police went to arrest him for these allegations that the girls made they searched his home computer and on it there were forty or so indecent images of girls downloaded from the internet.

“The computer had been used since 2007 to search for the same imagery.”

The 2006 investigation was not pursued, but after the allegations were discussed on Facebook in 2010 by the complainants they came forward and made statements to police.

Ross has pleaded not guilty to four specimen charges of sexual activity with a child between May 1, 2004 and June 13, 2006 in relation to the first complainant and is alternatively charged with four indecent assaults in relation to the same incidents.

He also denies sexually assaulting the second girl between May 1, 2004 and May 20, 2006 and is alternatively charged with indecent assault in relation to the same incident.

Ross has also pleaded not guilty to six counts of making indecent images on or before July 24, last year.

Trial continues...............

Trader In Court Accused Of Scamming 83 Year-Old

An alleged rogue trader, accused of ripping-off an 83 year-old customer in a £9,350 scam, pleaded not guilty to fraud when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.

Jason Jones, 42, of Worcester Road, Titton, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire is said to have taken advantage of the south London man, who is described as “very trusting and very friendly.”

Jones was bailed to return for the trial on December 9.

He pleaded not guilty to five counts of fraud involving charges for work on the roof, guttering, patio, walkways and driveway of 16 Ryefield Road, Upper Norwood on dates between August 24, 2012 and February 21, this year.

He also denied engaging in aggressive commercial trading that involved harassment, coercion and influence.

Man Cleared Of Double Assault In His Local Pub

A pub customer, accused of attacking two drinkers after accusing one of them of looking at his wife, has been cleared of the charges.

Patrick Charles Brindle, 51, of Abbots Way, Beckenham was alleged to have elbowed one man to the jaw and punched his friend to the ground, inflicting a cut to his neck and above his eyebrow.

He pleaded not guilty to assaulting Dean Muzio, causing him actual bodily harm and assaulting Paul Wilson in the garden of the Rising Sun public house in Elmers End on April 18.

At Croydon Crown Court last week the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on the charges.

The victims claimed Brindle approached them angrily, elbowing one to the left side of his jaw and while holding something in his clenched fist, possibly keys, punched the second man in the face, injuring his right eye.

They claimed he then followed-up with a flurry of further punches while the victim, Mr. Muzio, was lying on the ground.

He was taken to King's College Hospital and received treatment for a deep cut to his right eyebrow and a puncture wound to his neck was sealed with medical glue.  

Gatwick Airport Drug Smuggler Caught

A young drug smuggler, caught with 18 kilos of cannabis when he stepped off a flight at Gatwick Airport, has been sent to prison.

Gareth Craig Orrow, 22, of Jarden, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire fought the case at Croydon Crown Court (pictured).

He pleaded not guilty to importing the class 'B' drug on December 13, last year, but was convicted after a trial.

Orrow was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment.

He must pay £2,000 prosecution costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

Twenty-one days he has already spent in custody on the charge will be deducted from the sentence.

C4 Racing Filly's Red Light Photo Fine-ish

Channel Four horse racing presenter Emma Spencer was fined £265 yesterday for jumping a red light while driving her Mercedes in Central London.

She did not appear at City of London Magistrates' Court, but pleaded guilty by letter to driving at 38mph through a traffic light 1.2 seconds after it turned red.

Prosecutor Mrs Varinder Hayre told the court it was 7.19pm when a camera at the junction of Victoria Embankment and Temple Avenue photographed Spencer on July 10.

Mother-of-three Spencer, 35, of Newmarket, Suffolk already has three penalty points on her licence for speeding in 2011.

She was given an additional three points and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge and £85 costs.