Late Night Knifeman Chase

A late-night knifeman, high on a cocktail of booze and cocaine, had to be blasted with C.S. gas by police after chasing a stranger.

Jobless Ricky Donovan, 24, of 146 Beresford Road, Hornsey pleaded guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court to possessing an offensive weapon, namely a lock knife, in Camden High Street, Camden on May 3 and possessing  £80 worth of cocaine.

The court heard Donovan confronted another man at 2.20 am shouting: "I'm not a little boy," and pulled out the unopened knife.

Fearing a stabbing the victim ran to the nearby Underground Station and was chased by Donovan who confronted him again.

The pair scuffled and were broken up by police who used C.S. gas on the defendant to restrain him.

Donovan confessed to an all-day drinking binge and taking cocaine.

He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years, placed on two years probation, including an alcohol treatment course, and ordered to obey a nightime curfew for six months.

Big Brother Is Watching You Dopey!

Big Brother Britain claimed two dope-smoking victims, casually puffing away on the illegal weed in the middle of the most densely monitored CCTV zone on the planet.

Police rushed to Broadgate, City of London after a CCTV operator - purportedly on the lookout for terrorists - spotted the duo smoking a joint outside an office building.

Adoow Pinto,31, of Grange Road, Plaistow and Justyna Wlodarczyk,28, of Breamore House, Friary Estate, Peckham pleaded guilty to possessing a quantity of cannabis on August 10.

City of London Magistrates' Court heard the pair - cautioned by police for an identical offence in May - threw away the joint and a wrap of cannabis when officers arrived, but later admitted the drugs were theirs.

Both were fined £200, plus £75 costs and ordered to pay a £15 surcharge.

Harley Street Doc's Radiation Scare

A top Harley Street cancer consultant – who lectures on radiation safety – was exposed to levels 6 times above normal at an NHS hospital and has been fined £4,000 for flouting safety rules.

Dr. John Buscombe, 50, a Nuclear Medicine specialist, based at The London Clinic, 149 Harley Street has published 151 medical papers and 4 books and is a senior lecturer at Kings College and University College London.

As Consultant Physician in Nuclear Medicine to the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, he was in particular peril of radiation exposure and also ignored procedures.

The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, of Pond Street, Hampstead admitted two summonses brought by the Health and Safety Executive at City of London Magistrates’ Court and was also ordered to pay £9,704 costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.

They admitted failing to take all necessary steps to restrict the extent their employees were exposed to radiation by failing to take adequate dose control measures and failed to designate Dr. Buscombe as a classified person between January and June 2007.

Prosecutor Mr. Michael La Rose told the court the hospital were duty-bound to monitor the radiation levels employees were exposed to and medical staff had to wear Thermo Luminescent Doseneters – basically badges that absorb radiation.

However, Dr. Buscombe (pictured above) failed to properly hand his badge in on several occasions – and the hospital failed to ensure he did – resulting in no records of his radiation exposure.

The consultant was exposed to danger when injecting cancer patients with radioactive matter used to track tumours.

Eventually checks detected Dr. Buscombe’s radiation exposure was six times the level normally associated with his role.

“We had safety at the forefront of our minds. We had competent people in place,” the Trust’s lawyer Mr. David Wood told the court, adding Dr. Buscombe himself lectures on radiation safety.

“There is no failure to provide protective equipment. It was all there for staff to use,” added Mr. Wood. “With the exception of Dr. Buscombe they utilized that equipment.”

The consultant was urgently referred to the Occupational Health Clinician and he was removed from duties involving exposure to radiation when the true levels were discovered and there have been no known ill effects.

The Trust agree they failed in not ensuring and insisting on the prompt return of the radiation badges.

“Dr. Buscombe’s badges were returned late or not at all,” added Mr. Wood. “They were also left in a different office and not with the others handed in by clinical staff.”

Bench Chairman Mr. Simon Morrison announced: “The Trust clearly fell short in its duty, however a significant part of the blame lies with the medical and technical staff and with Dr. Buscombe. He chose not to comply.”

A spokeswoman at The London Clinic said: “I don’t think it would be right for me to say anything about this.”

£7.5m Mortgage Fraud Investigated

A Nottingham man, arrested by officers from City of London Police’s Economic Crime Unit investigating a £7.5m ‘ghost’ mortgage fraud, has appeared in court.

Jobless Khawar Khan, 27, of 5 Fernleigh Drive, Mapperley is charged with money laundering in that between October 1 2008 and August 12, this year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court he concealed, disguised, converted, transferred or removed proceeds of crime, namely £1m.

Police raided a two-bedroom flat at 701 Victoria Centre, Nottingham, on June 2, seizing £13,000 cash and £43,000 in gold ingots.

Charges were brought by the Fraud Prosecution Service who allege multiple mortgages were obtained for non-existent ‘ghost’ properties and other defendants are due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in February, next year.

Khan is also charged with possessing up to two hundred credit cards and two hundred chequebooks plus computers and banking documents at 244a Longbridge Road, Barking, Essex, on August 12 for use in the course of or in connection with fraud.

He is also charged with possessing three forged Pakistani Passports, nine U.K. passports and a driving licence he knew to be false at the same time and place.

Khan is further charged with possessing computers, credit card readers, chequebooks and a quantity of driving licences on June 2, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, for use in the course of or in connection with fraud.

He was remanded in custody by City of London Magistrates' Court to appear at Southwark Crown Court on October 20.

Boozy Slap-Happy Hubby's City Arrest

A volatile Stratford-upon-Avon couple’s wedding trip to the capital ended in a boozy late-night bust-up in the heart of the City, a court heard.

Daniel Wayne Lambert, 29, of Yarranton Close was arrested by police despite protests from wife Laura Murphy who has pleaded with prosecutors to drop the case.

Lambert, employed in the accounts department of a Coventry-based airline, was charged with assaulting Mrs Murphy in Ludgate Hill on May 9.

He did not enter a plea at City of London Magistrates’ Court (pictured) and will now be cautioned for the offence.

Prosecutor Miss Regina Naughton told the court it was an incident of domestic violence, with Lambert admitting he slapped his wife across the face.

The victim did not give a statement and for the past week has rang prosecutors every day, asking for the case to be dropped and confirming the couple are attending an anger-management course.

“They had been attending a wedding and the defendant was inebriated,” said Miss Nasreen Tincey, defending. “An argument ensued and Mr Lambert accepts he slapped her.

“She never wanted the matter to be pursued and begged police at the scene not to arrest her husband,” added the lawyer. “Both have now been attending anger management sessions.

“He assures me and the court he will do whatever he can do to put this relationship back on track.”

Bench Chairwoman Jane Reynolds told Lambert: “You have a responsible job and are obviously a man of intelligence. I hope that you are not going to let down the generous spirit of your partner.”

The couple had traveled to court together and Mrs Murphy sat at the back throughout. The case was adjourned until September 2 so police can administer the caution to Lambert.

Harrods Glamour Girl's Cell Phone Sneak

A glamorous Harrods sales girl, who abandoned her modeling career after falling pregnant, sneaked a mobile phone to her criminal boyfriend as he sat in a Crown Court dock.

Holly Salter, 22, of Buckingham Road, Hampton, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to conveying an article to a prisoner, namely a mobile phone, to inmate James Kerr, 20, on July 4, last year at Harrow Crown Court.

“She was in a relationship with Mr. Kerr who incessantly asked for the phone and she felt pressured,” said Miss Sarah Turnoch, defending. “He had been in prison for five months up until that day and she thought it was also a way she could keep in contact with him.”

Kingston Crown Court heard Salter, a Miss Selfridge model and Miss London finalist, was seen by dock officers handing over the pay-as-you-go phone during a preliminary hearing.

She was arrested a few weeks later by police and said nothing when quizzed. Kerr, who had been arrested on robbery and burglary charges, was later caged for five years.

The 35-25-33 model (pictured above) is represented by top showbiz agents Atmosphere Entertainments and All Star Acts and Artists.

She has played bit part roles in film and television and appeared in commercials and pop videos.

“It was her own phone she had in court for her own use and was a spontaneous decision to give in to the requests Mr. Kerr was making from the dock,” explained Miss Turnoch. “She did not realize the seriousness of what she was doing.”

Kerr is not the father of her fifteen week-old baby daughter Poppy, who is brought up single-handedly by Salter.

“An immediate custodial sentence would be disastrous,” added the lawyer. The maximum penalty for smuggling a phone to a prisoner is two years imprisonment.

“She is on maternity leave now. She works as a sales girl in Harrods. Her employment would be something she would lose if she was sent to prison today.”

The last contact Salter had with her daughter’s father was a text message three weeks ago.

Sentencing her to three and a half month’s imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, Recorder Richard Bruce told tearful Salter: “The introduction of mobile phones into court cells and prisons puts pressure on other prisoners, allows prisoners to contact witnesses in their cases and acts as a form of currency.

“I accept you may have committed this offence while under considerable pressure from your boyfriend,” added Recorder Bruce. “When I first saw this indictment I believed an immediate custodial sentence was inevitable, but due to your new circumstances it can be suspended.”

He also ordered Salter to perform 120 hours unpaid community service work.

Professional Gooner's Drugs Own Goal

Arsenal FC’s unofficial No.1 fan – who has penned two novels chronicling his love affair with the Gunners – was exposed as a heroin junkie as he dodged jail for having £1,700 worth of the drug.

Author Bernard Azulay, 47, who published ‘On The Double’ in September 2002 and ‘All 4-1’ in August 2004 also writes a column for the Irish Examiner, The Gooner fanzine and the Arsenal-World website.

Azulay, of 14 Highbury Quadrant, Highbury pleaded guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court (pictured) to possessing 34 gms. of heroin outside his home on July 31, last year.

Police pulled over Azulay in his girlfriend Rona Murphy’s Ford Fiesta following a near-collision and found two golfball-sized lumps of brown powder, later confirmed as heroin after lab tests.

The officers had to force Azulay to the ground and handcuff the struggling suspect as he lunged for the drugs when they were placed on the car roof.

Police searched his mother’s home at Hibiscus Close, Edgware, but nothing was seized.

Azulay, who also blogs his ‘Gooners Diary’ has previous convictions for drug offences.

Judge Deva Pillay, sentencing Azulay to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years, told him: “Initially I thought you should receive an immediate custodial sentence and you are still hanging by a thread.

“The reality is anyone caught with that sizable amount of contraband, being also class A, should expect to go to prison immediately.”

The court heard Azulay is determined to beat his drug addiction and manages to maintain a heavy work schedule, despite his problem.

The Judge also ordered him to comply with a drug-testing programme that subjects Azulay to twice-weekly checks.

Girlfriend KO's Punch Drunk Charge

One half of a warring Northamptonshire couple – accused of punching his girlfriend in the face and body – walked free from court after the alleged victim played down the attack.

Thomas Ian Curtis Dilley, 22, of Valley Road, Brackley was visiting long-time girlfriend Rebecca Elson, 23, a BA History student at London’s King’s College when the drunken row erupted.

He was cleared of assaulting Miss Elson on April 18 at Page Street, Pimlico, by JP’s at City of London Magistrates Court (pictured).

The court was told a row erupted over Dilley’s drinking and the defendant pushed Miss Elson to the floor and punched her in the face and body.

Police and an ambulance were called and photo’s taken of her injury.

However, Miss Elson told the JP’s: “A nosey neighbour put her nose in where it was not wanted. I did not need an ambulance and the paramedics said I was fine. I told the police it was a waste of time.”

Dilley splits his time between his parents home and Miss Elson’s student flat and turned up drunk that afternoon.

“I heard bottles clinking and knew he had been drinking,” she told the court.

“There was an empty vodka bottle in the bin and he was clearly drunk. I was very angry and threw the vodka bottle at his head and it hit him on the back of the head because he was looking me in the eye and lying to me.

“I walked into the bedroom and he shoved me from behind onto the bed and punched me in the eye. It was one punch. I think anybody would have done the same if they had a bottle thrown at them.”

Miss Elson insisted she was not assaulted despite giving a statement to police three days after the attack and claimed she had not been persuaded to give favourable evidence.

'Miss Trumpet's' Teen Sex Charge

A female teacher at a prestigious all-girl private school, accused of sexual activity with a 15 year-old pupil, has appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

Helen Goddard, 26, of 96 Thornham Street, Greenwich, employed at the £13,000 a year Central London school, was bailed unconditionally to appear at Southwark Crown Court on August 18.

She faces six sample counts under Section 9 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Goddard is charged with intentionally sexually touching a girl aged 15, involving the penetration of her vagina with a finger between February 15 and March 1; February 28 and April 1; March 31 and May 1; April 30 and June 1; May 31 and July 1 and June 30 and July 11.

Wearing a white blouse, black waistcoat and black trousers blonde Goddard, who gave trumpet lessons to the girl, spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address during the ten minute hearing.

Prosecutor Mrs. Regina Naughton told the court the charges were indictable-only to the Crown Court because penetration is alleged.

City of London Police charged Goddard hours earlier following an investigation into her two-year teaching relationship with the pupil who occasionally stayed overnight at the defendant’s home.

Contempt of court orders stand preventing publication of the name and address of the victim and identifying the school.

Fraud & Stun Gun Charges

A Hemel Hempstead man accused of a £390,000 fraud involving 523 different credit and debit card numbers appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

Shawan Ali, 23, of 161 Leys Road is charged with possessing counterfeit bank cards, compromised account and personal account details and compromised credit card details stored on computers in the course of or in connection with fraud on October 1, last year.

He is also charged with possession of a weapon, namely a Panther electric stun gun, designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, or other thing at his home on the same day, contrary to the Firearms Act.

City of London Police executed a search warrant and allegedly seized manufactured cards, a card reader, a USB memory drive and Nat West chequebook.

Ali was bailed until September 17 on the condition he surrenders his passport, does not apply for international travel documents and resides at his recorded address.

Bogus Chinese Student Scam Arrest

A woman accused of forging university and college documents for bogus Chinese students to apply for and extend their visas was remanded in custody at City of London Magistrates Court.

Officers from the City of London Police’s Economic Crime Unit raided a Holborn address on June 4 in their investigation said to involve sixty-five universities and colleges in England and Wales and seized  £13,000 cash hidden in a wardrobe.

Jiao Wang, 25 of 3 Magellan Place, Walthamstow is charged with forging university letter heads, university authentication stamps and Chinese Embassy stamps knowing it was in the course of or in connection with fraud between December 1, 2007 and June 4, this year within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court.

She also faces a money laundering charge in that she acquired, used or had possession of criminal property, namely  £75,000 between June 4 and August 6 this year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court.

The bogus certificates are alleged to have been sold for between  £600 and  £3,800 and were presented with visa applications to the UK Border Agency.

Wang will return to court on August 13.

£10k Cashpoint Blitz Charges

A Belfast French-Algerian accused of an ingenious £10,000-plus Transactional Reversal Fraud campaign on Coventry Building Society’s cashpoint machines was committed in custody to Southwark Crown Court.

Abdel Karim Redjel, 30, of 25 Alveston Drive, Belfast was arrested by officers from the joint Metropolitan and City of London Police's Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit and appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

Redjel is accused of perfecting a top-secret technique whereby he withdraws cash from accounts opened in false names without the amounts being debited from his balance.

He faces twenty-three charges of stealing a total of £10,180 from the Coventry Building Society on various dates between May 25 and June 1, 2007 and attempting to steal an unknown sum from the society on June 2.

£600,000 Charity Plot Alleged

Three men accused of a £600,000 plot to defraud charitable organisations, including the National Lottery and Comic Relief, appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

Following a lengthy investigation by Scotland Yard’s Fraud Team charges were brought by the Fraud Prosecution Service.

They are: Kyalemaninwa Mazambi, 31, of 149 Winsford Avenue, Coventry; Kitumbula Mazambi, 43, of 7 Tewkesbury Close, South Tottenham and Bulunda Lungumbu, 51, of 11 Brancaster Road, Manor Park.

All three face one charge of conspiring together between December 31, 2001 and January 1, 2005 within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court to defraud grant and award making bodies and charitable organizations my making fraudulent applications for funding and using charitable grants for their own purposes.

A fourth defendant, five months pregnant Mapendo Kasiba, 39, of 7 Tewkesbury Close, South Tottenham will appear on bail at Enfield Magistrates Court on August 11.

The three men were all bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on October 6 on the condition they continue to reside at their recorded addresses.

Jealous Party Girl's Bottle Attack On Ex

A party girl who downed twenty pints during an all-day birthday celebration flew into a jealous rage and sent her ex to hospital with a head wound after hurling a beer bottle across a crowded bar.

Youth worker Lisa Penfold, 23, of Bernard Close, Wallington, Surrey had thumped ex-boyfriend Jack Highett twice in the face before running up behind him and throwing the bottle in the midnight attack.

Mum-of-one Penfold pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to assaulting her ex, causing him actual bodily harm, at The White House bar, Clapham Park Road, Clapham, on April 13.

Prosecutor Mr. Peter Pride told the court Penfold (pictured above) and Mr. Highett, her ex-boyfriend, were in separate groups at the popular bar.

The victim was approached by friends of Penfold, telling him the defendant did not approve of his new girlfriend, so he approached her to smooth things over.

After simply saying ‘hello’ Penfold snapped: “Don’t you fucking talk to me. Bollocks, I’ve got a real man now.”

“She then punched him in the mouth with her right fist which caused a cut to the left side of his mouth,” explained Mr. Pride. “She then punched him again over the left eye.”

Mr.Highett turned and began climbing stairs. “He heard running behind him and felt a heavy object hit him on the left side of the head and then saw a glass bottle flying over his left shoulder.”

Bleeding Mr. Highett was rushed to St. Thomas’ Hospital with a 4 cm laceration to his scalp and police arrested Penfold at the scene.

She told officers: “Yeah. I did it. Nobody threatens me.”

When quizzed later Penfold told police she had drunk twenty pints during an all-day birthday celebration for a friend in her group, added Mr. Pride.

Penfold claims she threw the bottle in anger and with no intention to seriously hurt her ex and deeply regrets her behaviour.

“The aggravating feature is that you threw a bottle,” Recorder Anthony Dinkin QC told the tearful first time offender. “This is a serious matter and you did cause injury, but fortunately it was not permanent, but did require hospital treatment.”

Penfold was sentenced to an eighteen-month community order, including a six-month alcohol treatment requirement plus 100 hours of unpaid community work.

She was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr. Highett.

Ticket Inspector's Blackmail Charge

A ticket inspector accused of blackmailing the Financial Services Authority after finding their paperwork on a Liverpool Street to Stanstead train appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

Ian Aitken, 49, of Pearson Avenue, Hertford is charged that between June 2 and 6, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, he made an unwarranted demand of monies from the Financial Services Authority, with menaces.

It is alleged Aitken demanded money from the FSA or he would sell the information to the press.

He was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing on October 6.

City Bar GBH Glassing Charge

A Woodford Green man accused of smashing a glass over the back of a fellow drinker’s head in a Bishopsgate’s bar appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

Jordan Griggs, 22, of  Turpins Lane is charged with maliciously wounding Paul Harper at the Prohibition Bar, 1 – 3 Bishopsgate, on March 5.

He was bailed to return on September 15 when he is expected to be committed to Southwark Crown Court.

TSG Condemned To Be 'Toothless Tigers' Says Met Cop

The fall-out from the G20 Tomlinson death case will be a "Rioters' Charter" and the demise of the Met's elite Territorial Support Group, according to one serving officer.

"We are now faced with the prospect of the Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group being reduced to toothless tigers at the expense of public order," observed the officer.

"As a result of this officer potentially facing a manslaughter charge police will be very reluctant to get hands on. The outcome will inevitably be a rioters' charter.

"It will probably spell the demise of the TSG, which will be a spent force and have no option but to rebrand itself the Neighbourhood Assistance Team to soften it up a bit," added the officer.

CPS Considers Police Manslaughter Charge In Tomlinson Case

The Metropolitan Police have learned one of its officers could face prosecution for the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson at the controversial April 1 G20 demonstrations.

The unnamed officer, a member of the Met's Territorial Support Group (TSG), struck a seemingly drunken Tomlinson with a baton and shoved him to the ground moments before he died.

Announcing that it had completed its criminal inquiry into the newspaper vendor's death, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)said it had handed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Senior lawyers from the Special Crime Division of the CPS will now consider the evidence provided by the IPCC to decide whether to prosecute the officer, and if so, on what charges.

The IPCC questioned the officer under caution for manslaughter in April.

In determining whether he should face trial, CPS lawyers will consider the footage, along with other documents and witness statements.

The nature of the case means the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, will be involved in deciding whether charges should be brought.

His lawyers are bound by a two-test rule requiring a "realistic prospect of conviction" in a prosecution that is deemed to be in the public interest.

In the event that the CPS successfully prosecutes the officer for Tomlinson's killing, he would become the first British police officer ever to be convicted for manslaughter for actions while on duty. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

In a statement, the IPCC said the investigation had been one of the largest it had ever undertaken and had been "the subject of huge public scrutiny".

More than 40 IPCC investigators and other members of staff from all five regional offices were involved in the case, it said.

"We have had a remarkable response from the public and I would like to thank those people who have contacted us for all their help," said Deborah Glass, the IPCC commissioner for London.

Tomlinson's widow, Julia, said: "It has been a very difficult four months since Ian died and it is a relief to see some progress. The last information that the coroner put out was Dr Cary's view that Ian died from internal bleeding.

"Video footage made it clear to us, and everyone else, that Ian was the victim of an unprovoked assault by a police officer.

If there is going to be any justice then it must be left for a jury to decide if the police officer is guilty of killing Ian. 

I hope the CPS will get the case in front of a jury as soon as possible. We would like to thank everyone who came forward as witnesses."

Glass said most of the video evidence passed to the CPS was collected by members of the public on cameras or mobile phones.

"Over 190 premises were visited during a CCTV trawl. This resulted in footage being obtained from more than 220 cameras.

In addition, police footage has been reviewed, including that taken from police evidence gatherers and the police helicopter, as well as footage from people's mobile phones and cameras. 

This amounted to over 1,200 hours of footage, which has been reviewed by a dedicated team of IPCC investigators."

Statements were taken from 193 members of the public, as well as police officers and staff, and medical experts.

The 47-year-old Tomlinson had been trying to walk home from work past police cordons around the Bank of England when he was attacked on Royal Exchange Buildings, a pedestrianised passage, at about 7.20pm on. The officer's badge numbers were covered and his face concealed beneath a balaclava.

Tomlinson had his hands in his pockets and his back to the officer when he was attacked. No police officer went to his aid, and it was left to a bystander to lift him to his feet. He stumbled around 100 metres down Cornhill, clutching his side, before collapsing a second time.

The officer is understood to have faced allegations of aggression earlier in his career, after becoming involved in a road rage incident while off duty. The Met's vetting procedures are said to have failed to notice that the officer had an unresolved disciplinary matter.

Police initially led Tomlinson's wife and nine children to believe he died of a heart attack after being caught up in the demonstration. In statements to the press, police claimed attempts by police to save his life by resuscitation were impeded by protesters.

City of London police were allowed to run the inquiry with some supervision from IPCC investigators. 

After watching the video of the attack, a senior City of London investigator told the family Tomlinson's assailant could be a member of the public "dressed in police uniform".

The IPCC is still conducting a second inquiry into whether the Met and City of London police misled the public over his death.

An early postmortem examination concluded that Tomlinson died of a heart attack.

Police released a statement that he "died of natural causes" on the way home from work, but failed to mention the numerous injuries the pathologist found on his body, including bruises, lacerations and large amounts of blood in his stomach.

A second examination concluded that Tomlinson did of internal bleeding in the stomach, discrediting the first, which was conducted by a forensic pathologist who has since been suspended from an accredited government register of experts pending two investigations into his conduct.

G20 'Armoured Car 11' Charged

A group of G20 activists stopped in an armoured car near the Royal Bank of Scotland during the height of the April 1 protest have been charged with impersonating police.

The six-wheel Alvis Saracen, a model once used by the British Army in Northern Ireland, was emblazoned with the word 'Riot' and police-style black and white chequered livery.

The vehicle allegedly contained protesters wearing blue clothes and helmets when stopped in Bishopsgate.

The eleven - seven men and four women - were bailed to appear at City of London Magistrates Court on September 3 and 4 each charged with two offences under section 90 of the Police Act 1996 - impersonating a police officer and wearing an article of police uniform.

 

Romanians At It Again

A Romanian cashpoint thief has a date with the Old Bailey after police caught him red-handed fitting a ‘Lebanese Loop’ device to a hole-in-the-wall in the City.

Gheorge Laeselu,41, of 130a Barking Road, Forest Gate pleaded guilty to possessing an article in connection with fraud at Barclays Bank, Minories, Aldgate on June 3.

City of London Magistrates Court heard police were called after Laeselu and a fellow-Romanian accomplice were seen acting suspiciously near the cashpoint and he was arrested after a short chase.

When searched the ‘Lebanese Loop’ – a plastic sleeve fraudsters insert into the card slot – was found on Laeselu along with a tube of glue used to fix it to the machine.

When inserted the thin sleeve holds unwitting customers’ cards in the cashpoint as the fraudsters watch them repeatedly type in their PIN number.

Victims believe the machine has swallowed their card and leave, allowing the criminals to then fleece the account.

“This is a prevalent offence of potential high value,” bench Chairman Edward Lord told Laeselu, committing him in custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on August 28.

Bank Fraud Four In Court

Four men accused of plotting together to defraud banks have appeared at City of London Magistrates Court.

They are: Jatinder Barum,22, of 11 Birch Grove, Slough; Lukhlinder Badhwal,28, of 296a Harrow Road, Wembley; Dhaman Ahluwalia,24, of 61 Bathurst Walk, Iver, Buckinghamshire and Randeep Assi,25, of 7 Burgett Road, Slough.

They face charges brought by the Fraud Prosecution Service and were all bailed unconditionally to appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 29.

All four are charged with conspiring together to defraud U.K. clearing banks between April 29 and August 16, last year, within the Jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court.

Barum is also charged with possessing a PIN Entry Device for use in the course of or in connection with fraud between July 1 and July 30, last year.

Badhwal is also charged with possessing a Schematics Keystroke Logger on April 30, 2008 and Credit Card Data on October 22, 2008 for use in the course of or in connection with fraud.

Ahluwalia is also charged with possessing a PIN Entry Device for use in the course of or in connection with fraud on July 29; August 9 and August 15, last year.

Assi is also charged with possessing a PIN Entry Device on July 17, 2008 and a Toolkit and False Identification on July 29, last year for use in the course of or in connection with fraud.

Old Boy's Child Sex Shame

A child porn addict – who attended illustrious Shrewsbury School - was caught when an outraged internet café customer flagged down police after spotting him viewing hard-core images of teenage boys in public.

Journalist Hugh Sohn, 49, a member of the Old Salopian Football Club, was arrested on the spot and a police search of his nearby home at Flat 1, 104 Harmood Street, Camden, revealed a collection of child porn.

In Sohn’s day Shrewsbury School was a boy’s only private boarding school for thirteen to eighteen year-olds.

Founded in 1552 - motto 'If right within, trouble not' - the  £27,000 a-year school occupies a 100-acre site and attracts pupils from all over the country.

Well-known Old Boys include Charles Darwin, Monty Python's Michel Palin, late DJ John Peel and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees.

First-time offender Sohn pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing indecent photographs of children aged between eight and fifteen on or before August 21, last year and six counts of making indecent photographs on or about the same date.

Prosecutor Miss Laureen Fleischmann told Blackfriars Crown Court Sohn was arrested at a Camden internet café when another customer reported him to police.

Officers seized his computer, plus CD’s and a video and found a total of 37 images of boys aged between eight and fifteen engaged in sexual activity. “They all involved boys on boys.”

Sohn’s lawyer Mr Ian Dowty told the court: “This was someone who’s psychiatric health was deteriorating and he chose this method as a form of self-medication.

“The outrageousness of his actions in a public internet café suggests he wanted to be stopped.

“He expresses deep remorse and sorrow and is coming to appreciate what he has been doing and how wrong that is,” added the lawyer. “He is determined this will not happen again.”

Judge John Hillen, sentencing Sohn to three years probation and ordering him to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for five years told him: “You have an addiction to pornography of this kind.

“The images were offensive and it is upsetting to see children being encouraged to engage in behaviour of this kind. They were being encouraged to do it for your masturbatory pleasure.”

Sohn, a freelance sub-editor, who has been off work with depression was ordered to comply with a sex offender’s treatment order as a condition of probation and was slapped with a three-year pornography ban.