Ex-Cop Turned Rogue Trader Must Repay Customers Or Face Going To Prison

A disgraced ex-police officer turned rogue trader, who ripped-off homeowners he charged £112,900 for shoddy work, has been given five months to save himself from prison.

Plumber Steven Trendell, 41, who admitted fraudulent overcharging, resigned from the Met a decade ago when prosecuted for moonlighting while on sick leave.

He appeared at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court today, where Judge Andrew Campbell told him: “I’ll put sentencing off for five months to see how much you have repaid.

“It has to be written confirmation or I won’t believe you. Your sentence will depend significantly on whether I think you have made proper efforts to repay.”

Trendell ,of Monks Green, Fetcham, Leatherhead pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent business, namely Home Edge Plumbing & Heating, between August 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

The charge relates to work at two properties in Evesham Terrace, Surbiton for two loft conversions and an extension and trading standards say the overcharging equalled £51,200.

He also pleaded guilty to making a false representation to the occupiers of a house in Ravenscar Road, Surbiton, namely that he provided a genuine gas safety certificate and was FENSA-registered.

“We have lost our entire life savings and are in serious debt and could lose our home,” said Seb and Serena Riemann, of Evesham Terrace, who paid Trendell £57,200.

The loft extension of their £800,000 home needed to be ripped down and rebuilt and the extension re-roofed, with an extra £30,000 needed to put things right.

The Evesham Terrace Properties

The front door did not close properly, the hall floor was rising, the staircases did not comply to regulations, sink waste drained into their dishwasher and the drains were unfinished.

Their next-door neighbours also hired Trendell, who told them he was a former soldier, who served in Bosnia and protected the US President and other VIP’s for the Met’s protection division.

The court heard Trendell claimed he retired from the force on medical grounds and not because he received a suspended prison sentence for deception in 2006.

They paid him a total of £55,700, but an independent expert valued the work at £17,500 with more money needed to complete the project.

He lied to another couple he was FENSA-registered - a window-fitting competency scheme - when charging £40,000 to convert their property to a single dwelling. 

Trendell also left behind a bogus gas safety certificate and when investigated by the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames refused interview requests.

He was also sacked by his solicitors because he refused to pay them and fought the case until shortly before his trial was due to begin.

Regarding the Riemann’s Judge Campbell told him: “There is no doubt the effects have been devastating and they had to borrow money from relatives.

“It’s a trail of destruction and they’ve suffered torment.”

Trendell told the court: “I’m truly sorry for what happened. Given the opportunity I’d like to pay them back. I acted irrationally and irresponsibly.”

He said his kitchen-fitting company made £80,000 profit in the last financial year.

Judge Campbell told him: “I’m not making any promises. You may well still receive an immediate custodial sentence, but if you make a reasonable start to paying-off the money the length of that sentence will be reduced.”

Domestic Street Assault: Man Convicted

A thug has been convicted of a domestic assault in which a woman was throttled, slapped and pushed onto a car's bonnet in front of her child.

Saif Uddin, 27, of Alexandra Park Road, Wood Green pleaded guilty to the attack halfway through his trial.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard Uddin had an argument with the victim, who he knew, in Fairfield Road, Bow on December 27, last year.

Witnesses said Uddin grabbed the woman round the throat and slapped her during the dispute and he also pushed her onto the bonnet of a parked car.

Officers arrested him a short while after the incident and he initially denied the assault.

However, after contesting the case Uddin pleaded guilty to one count of assault and was conditionally discharged for 18 months. 

Detective Sergeant Rob Brown of Tower Hamlets Community Safety Unit said: "Uddin lost his temper following a dispute and lashed out at this woman, subjecting her to a violent and sustained attack.

“His actions were compounded by the fact that a young child was present during the attack and would have been well aware of the distress caused."

Rapist Gets 8 Years After DNA Nails Him Nearly Two Decades Later

A rapist has been caged for an attack nearly twenty years ago after DNA he gave after a recent arrest identified him.

Andrew Boys, 52, of Reading Road, Sutton posed as a legitimate mini-cab driver in central London and picked-up the then 26 year-old victim.

Southwark Crown Court heard he pulled over in Bagleys Lane, Fulham during the journey to the woman's home in February 1998.

He raped the woman on the back seat of his vehicle threatening to “dump her in the river” if she tried to escape his clutches.

After the attack, Boys drove the victim home and she contacted the police.

An initial investigation failed to identify a suspect, but the breakthrough came years later when Boys was finally arrested for an unrelated matter.

In 2015, a DNA review of forensic evidence gathered at the time of the attack gave a positive match to Boys.

He was arrested at his home on December 3, 2015 and charged with rape and false imprisonment.

He fought the case, but a jury convicted him of rape and the charge of false imprisonment was ordered to lie on file.

He was sentenced on the same day to eight years imprisonment.

Detective Sergeant Gemma Robb, of the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said: "The fact that this attack happened nearly twenty years ago acted as no barrier to us in our pursuit of Boys.

“I hope this sentencing encourages victims that no matter how much time has past, we will continue to pursue those responsible.

“I trust that Boys’ conviction can help the woman he attacked to move on from her horrific ordeal.

“Anyone who has been the victim of such an attack should contact police and report the crime, you will be believed and you will be supported."

NOT GUILTY: Visiting Businessman Cleared Of City Hotel Rape Claim

A Glasgow businessman was found not guilty yesterday of the hotel room rape of a drunken young woman during a trip to London. 

Privately-educated graduate William Paton, 30, was accused of taking advantage of the 26 year-old City worker on March 4, last year after she downed brandy and wine all evening.

Yesterday at Blackfriars Crown Court the Crown Prosecution Service announced they would not be seeking a retrial and offered no evidence against the absent Mr. Paton.

Earlier this month a jury failed to reach a verdict in relation to the case.  

Paton, of Fruin Avenue, Newton Mearns, who attended £12,00 a-year Hutcheson’s Grammar School and is a mathematics graduate of the University of Strathclyde was attending a black-tie event at a City of London livery company.

His family run a nationwide company involved in the insurance and maintenance of taxis and private-hire vehicles. 

He always denied one count of rape and protested his innocence throughout the week-long trial, insisting the complainant had consented to sex.

Both Paton and the complainant told the court they had little recollection of the evening, but the woman claims she woke up at the Holiday Inn, Cavell Street, Whitechapel to find the defendant having sex with her.

“The next thing I remember was being rocked and seeing someone there, I freaked out,” she told the jury. “I did not know if it was real or not and I remember crying in the toilet. I scared myself that I could drink that much.”

She told the court she was “eight out of ten” on a scale of total inebriation, having started on cranberry juice at noon and progressing to double brandy and coke, plus wine.

Paton told the jury he had little recollection of the evening, but stressed: “I would never, ever take advantage of a woman. There’s absolutely no way that I would rape any woman.”

City Fund Manager Denies Fake Porno Frame-Up Of Female Colleague

Davide Buccheri Outside Court

A City investment fund manager today denied creating pornographic images of a young female colleague to discredit her to bosses, 

Italian Davide Buccheri, 25, was employed by the M&G Group - part of financial giants Prudential - where academic high-achiever Rebecca Baker, 22, also worked.

He appeared at City of London Magistrates Court, where he pleaded not guilty to one count of harassing Durham University graduate Ms Baker at the 5 Laurence Pountney Hill HQ between September 9, 2016 and May 29, this year.

The charge accuses Buccheri of obtaining images from Ms Baker’s social media accounts and editing them with pornographic images of females of similar appearance and informing her employer of the images to discredit her.

He will return for an all-day trial on December 21 and was bailed on condition he does not contact Ms Baker a HR department ex-colleague and any employee of M&G Group.

Prosecutor Miss Sonya Foxsmith told the court: “The complainant, Ms Baker, at the relevant time was an intern with the company and met Mr. Buccheri, who worked at the firm.

“He made romantic advances towards her that were rejected and she made a complaint to the HR department.”

Ms Baker left the company for a short time before beginning full-time work as post-grad employee.

“Mr. Buccheri uploaded number of images of Ms Baker with females of similar appearance that were pornographic that he obtained from the internet.

“They were edited and cropped by Mr. Buccheri to make it look like Ms Baker and that is placed in a gallery showing genuine images of Ms Baker.

“These were revealed to the HR department by Mr. Buccheri via the ‘Whistleblower’  scheme.

Academic: Rebecca Baker

“It is a planned and sophisticated approach to cause her distress.

“During a police search various items of computer equipment were seized from his address, particularly a laptop which was interrogated that brings very strong evidence against Mr. Buccheri.”

The court heard the online gallery was created by an account called ‘Flying Gerbil’ registered in Buccheri’s name, with the same date of birth.

“It can be proved this defendant created these galleries with the sole intention to harass Ms Baker.

“It would fall to Mr. Buccheri to explain who, but him had access to creating that gallery.

‘The harassment covers a wider period because of his first romantic advances towards Ms Baker.

“The misconduct began when he was an intern.”  

Buccheri was employed as a Fund Manager Assistant for twelve months up until August, this year after completing the company’s Investment Graduate Scheme.

City HQ: M&G Group

A finance and equities and annuities specialist, Buccheri joined the company as an investment graduate in September, 2015.

He obtained a Master of Science, Finance from The London School of Economics and Political Science and is a graduate of Milan’s Universita Bocconi.

History grad Ms Baker left 800 year-old Colchester Royal Grammar School, where she was Female Head of House, with five Grade A* A-Levels.

Originally from Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk she was also an academic high-achiever at Colchester County High School, which she left with twelve GCSE’s at A*.

Like Buccheri she became a permanent employee at M&G Group after joining their investment graduate scheme and began full-time last month.

Founded in 1931 as Municipal & General Securities Company Limited, the firm launched the first ever unit trust that year.

Father And Son Deny Assault Near Home

A father and son accused of assaulting a man near their south-west London home denied the charge when they appeared in court yesterday.

Anthony Witt, 55, and James Witt, 26, of Hook Road, Chessington entered not guilty pleas to one count of assaulting Terry Phillips on August 31.

They were bailed to return to Wimbledon Magistrates Court for trial on December 1.

It was described as a domestic dispute.

First-Date Thames Speedboat Tragedy: Man Charged With Manslaughter

Leaving Court: Jack Shepherd

A man whose late-night speedboat date ended in a drowning tragedy, appeared in court for the first time today charged with the manslaughter of the young woman.

Charlotte Brown, 24, a business development consultant died in the early hours of December 9, 2015 after plunging into the Thames.

It was her first date with website developer Jack Sebastian Shepherd, 30, of The Laureate, Charles Street, Bristol after meeting on an online app and dining at the Shard.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court, which sent him to appear at the Old Bailey on November 15. 

He is charged with one count of manslaughter at Butlers Wharf, Wandsworth on December 9, 2015. 

Many members of Ms Brown’s family were in court for the short hearing.

At Plantation Wharf near Wandsworth Bridge the pair were in a speedboat that capsized, throwing them both into freezing waters just after 10pm on December 9.

Ms Brown, from Welling, south-east London was pronounced dead at 1.55am the next day.

Tragedy: Charlotte Brown

Wandsworth police and Marine Support Unit searched the area, alongside the National Police Air Service and the RNLI

She pulled from the water at around 11.45pm.

The charge follows a twenty-month investigation by Scotland Yard’s Homicide and Major Crime Command.

District Judge James Henderson bailed Shepherd unconditionally.

Benefit Cheat Had £153K In The Bank

A benefit cheat, who continued claiming despite having £153,000 in his bank account, was told yesterday he faces imprisonment when he returns for sentencing.

Builder Jeffrey Hearn, 55, received £87,000 in Employment and Support allowance and Housing and Council Tax benefit for six years and two months.

He told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court he does not want a lawyer to defend him because he wants to keep as much as the money he defrauded to himself.

“The money I saved was for my children. I don’t want to pay two thousand pounds to a solicitor,” he said from the dock.

Hearn, of Cromwell Place, Station Road, Redhill pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement in a benefits application on June 19, 2009 to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

He also pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement in a housing benefit application to the London Borough of Merton on July 1, 2009.

Hearn also admitted dishonestly making a false statement in an Employment & Support Allowance application to the DWP on August 6. 

All three charges  relate to him lying about the amount of savings he had at the time.

“This was fraudulent from the outset,” said prosecutor Francesca Levett.

Hearn, who claims to have a £300 per week cannabis addiction told the court he repaid Merton Council £21,000 and has been making £50 payments to the DWP for 18 months.

The judge told him: “You are at grave risk of custody, a prison sentence,” bailing him until November 6 for a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement assessment.

“This is not an indication of the sentence the judge will pass. The sentencing guidelines suggest a custodial sentence because of the amount of money involved.

“This is a serious case. I can only advise you as strongly as I can to get representation.”

Social Worker And Care Boss Deny Greedy Plot Against Council

"Abused Her Position": Baiyewu

A social worker exploited two vulnerable adults by grossly-inflating their care needs so the private company she ran with a co-plotter could cash-in, a court heard today.

Valerie Baiyewu, 51, also illegally sub-let a private rented flat - effectively turning it into a care home for the men - behind the backs of the council she was defrauding, the jury were told.

Merton Council social worker Baiyewu, of Nottingham Avenue, West Beckton, Newham has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to defraud the council by abusing her position between May 1 and December 15, 2015.

Care company director Ayodeji Aderounmu, 50, of Scotson House, Marylee Way, Lambeth also denies the same charge.

Baiyewu has also pleaded not guilty to fraud by abuse of position between the same dates.

Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard Baiyewu reassessed the care needs of two clients from £1,107 and £5,208 per year to £19,913 and £24,588 respectively.

At the same time she and Aderounmu together arranged for companies they controlled - AAA Carers Ltd and Matrix AA Care Ltd. - to take over the contracts.

Prosecutor Mr. Nick Wayne said: “Baiyewu abused her position  as a social worker for gain. Aderounmu would gain more hours and more money as a carer and potentially make money by subletting houses out to clients of hers.”

The pair rented a Mitcham flat at in

Holborn Way at £1,550 per month, which they sub-let to the men, who were on housing benefit for £850 per month each.

One of the men, Bazhad Bakshe-Riazi, had suffered a brain injury in 2013 and needed speech and language therapy and suffered weakness to the right side of his body and had been referred to the council by a charity.

Care Boss: Aderounmu

The second man, Giovandan Karunanithy, was partially-sighted with limited english and needed help with his shopping and preparing food.

“She concluded Mr. Bakshe-Riazi was no longer able to manage the activities of his daily life because there had been, in her opinion, a degradation of his condition,” said Mr. Wayne.

“She recommended a new care package substantially greater than the original care package.”

She also reassessed Mr. Karunanithy. “She concluded his health and well-being had been compromised by his living conditions.”

The jury were told Baiyewu failed to disclose she was the men’s new landlord to Merton Council.

“Her plan was to house them together and the Crown say this was with a view to make money out of the arrangement.”

The defendants passed themselves off as a couple intending to live in the flat when agreeing the letting with the owner, the jury were told.

“They had no intention of living there, but house clients of Baiyewu in the property.

“They are clearly in a business relationship, the Crown say and none of this was disclosed to Merton Council.”

The fraud was exposed when the flat owner, Louis Broomes, visited to check and a neighbour revealed it was not a couple, but two men living there, the court heard.

Aderounmu was “cagey” during an internal inspection, said Mr. Wayne. “It began to dawn on Mr. Broomes that his property was being used as a care home.

“He wanted everyone out of the property and told Merton Council.”

Baiyewu was arrested at work on November 23, 2015. “She said she thought it would be a good solution for them if they lived together.

“She said she had taken no profit.

“By the deliberate exaggerating of hours of care it was Merton Council who were defrauded.

“They had to pay out for care services that were simply not needed.”

Trial continues………….

Thief Who Pinched £62,500 From Lady Is Locked-Up

Inner London Crown Court

A middle-aged thief, who was charged with nicking £62,500 from a lady, has been sent to prison for eighteen months.

Alan Binstead, 59, of Addington House, Stockwell Road, south London was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court.

He first appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates court.

Binstead was originally charged with stealing the quantity of money from Elsie Bailey in the London borough of Lambeth between January 1 and November 24, last year.

He was also ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.

City Lawyer Fails To Have Sentence Cut For Rowing Club Bum slap

Main: Another Court Defeat

A City lawyer, who repeatedly slapped a woman’s bum after drenching her in beer while calling her an “Australian slut”, has failed in a bid to have his sentence cut.

Alastair Main, 35, who has rowed competitively for England, pursued her into the ladies toilet at The London Rowing Club’s Christmas dinner to carry-out the sex attack as she tried to clean herself up.

He was sentenced at Wimbledon Magistrates Court to a twelve-month community order and must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

He was also slapped with a five-year restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

However, Main – a former captain at the club – appealed the sentence at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, but his attempt to reduce it was dismissed, landing him with a £260 bill for extra court costs.

Prosecutor Mr. Paul Douglas told the original trial: “The defendant followed her into the ladies toilet, where she had gone to clean herself up, having had a beer thrown over her by the defendant.

“He pulled her hair and pulled up her skirt and smacked her approximately five times on the backside.

“There is further CCTV footage of a light tap to the bottom on the stairs as she was leaving the premises.”

This followed an earlier incident that left the 27 year-old woman in fear of Main, who attended £30,000 a year Oratory School, Reading.

Two days after his conviction he was sacked by his global asset management firm employers, who he joined having previously worked for Coutts private bank.

“The beer was poured over her and she was cowering in the office,” said Mr. Douglas. “The defendant is behaving in an aggressive and intimidating way.

London Rowing Club

“He walks out and repeatedly calls her an: ‘Australian slut’ and pursues her and assaults her again.”

The woman told the court she snubbed Main at the bar when he asked for a hug. “He was kind of leaning on the bar, like he was trying to be affectionate.”

She told him: “I don’t think so,” and after hearing her plans to continue the evening with another woman he said: “Off to find some men are we?”

The woman told the court: “His demeanour had changed, something had snapped and there was an anger about him.

“He told me to: ‘Get the f*** out’ and at that point Mr. Main poured a beer over me.

“I was drenched, my hair was so wet. In my handbag, my scarf. He called me an: ‘Australian slut.’

“I knew I was going to have to walk back through the room so tied my hair up so it wouldn’t be so obvious.

“There were other members of the club standing in the doorway. I remember feeling humiliated.

“I didn’t want a scene in front of the members. I was terrified he would cause a scene, particularly after calling me an: ‘Australian slut.’”

A member’s wife tried to tell the woman it was a “wonderful evening” as she tried to flee Main, she said.

“I was hoping she would not notice my hair was wet and make-up running down my face.

“Mr. Main came up behind me and pulled my hair and pushed me forward.

“I went to the bathroom to fix myself up. I could hear heavy footsteps coming into the ladies bathroom.

“He appeared and said: ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ He called me a slut again, I don’t remember having breath to say anything because of shock.

“He was pulling my hair, slapping my head and pushing me around.

“He pulled my skirt up, calling me a slut and asking me if I was wearing any knickers.”

She said the slaps to her bottom occurred before her dress was pulled up by Main and she only escaped momentarily when another woman came into the toilet.

“He was slapping me as I tried to get down the stairs and out of the building. My bottom my thighs.”

She told the court a pal of Main’s pulled him off her outside and she kicked-off her shoes to flee.

He continued calling her “slut”, she added and shouted: “You’d better start running ‘cos I’m coming for you.”

Main later messaged her: “It was totally unacceptable, I realise that. I need to sort my life out and stop ruining yours.”

Main, who shares a £900,000 detached home with his wife Rebecca in Cobham Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, always denied the claims. 

He was found guilty of one count of sexually assaulting the woman at the club in Embankment, Putney on December 12, last year and the racially aggravated assault of the woman on the same occasion.

Married Main joined the London Rowing Club (LRC) during the 2005/05 season after rowing competitively for Nottingham University, Notts & Union and Britannia Boat Club.

He was elected captain for the 2013/14 season.

Six-foot plus Main was a national champion in 2003 and represented England at that year’s Home International Regatta.

He retired from competitive rowing in 2006, having won the Thames Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Main is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Law School.

Dodgy Book Keeper Ordered To Repay Only 0.24% Of £239K She Nicked

A book keeper, who was jailed for swindling a landmark housing estate out of £239,000, must only repay 0.24% of the money she took.

Carol Scott, 67, was jailed for two years and ten months and the repayment order was made after a Proceeds of Crime Act investigation.

She tried to cover her tracks and even blamed fellow-employees while overseeing the finances on Islington's De Beauvoir Town estate.

Blackfriars Crown Court ordered her to repay the estate £588.74p within one month.

Scott, who lived with her ill mother in Spellbrook Walk, Islington pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position between August 1, 2007 and June 11, last year.

She was employed by Englefield Estate Trust Corporation - the latest company to manage the estate during her thirty-nine years of employment.

No money was recovered during the original police investigation and Scott claims it all went on day-to-day living expenses, plus the odd gift for family members.

Prosecutor Miss Rebecca Lee told the court: "She had considerable responsibilities, including the handling of money and cheques for rent.

"She dealt with the banking, receipts, all the finances of the estate."

Englefield's finance director Chris Ferguson noticed a balance shortfall nearing £100,000 in 2014.

"He spoke to Miss Scott about that and she gave an explanation that she was on holiday at that time."

There was a larger shortfall by 2015 and Scott, who was paid £38,000 a year, was questioned again.

"She made admissions that she had been taking money over a period of years and falsifying records to cover up the sums she was taking.

"She estimated she had taken less than one hundred thousand pounds."

The police were alerted and they quizzed the defendant. "She made admissions that she had been taking money for a number of years.

"She said she spent money on day-to-day living and on family members.

"She said that she intended to pay it back, but it escalated and she lost control of the situation.

"There is nothing to indicate a lavish lifestyle and her bank records show she just withdrew money from her account."

Scott's lawyer Miss Marina Williamson said: "She is incredibly remorseful, held her hands up and did not intend to deceive her employers.

"It was a mistake that became a habit that became an addiction.

"She said she was almost relieved she got caught, which would assist her in not taking any more cash.

"She knew the family she worked for, for a number of years so she did feel some guilt.

"She is the sole carer of her mother, aged eighty-seven, who has dementia and kidney and heart disease and is taking eleven different medications.

"She has not explained to her family she is involved in these proceedings. They are not aware how long she will be away."