Slick Pair Accused Of £250m 'Ponzi' Fraud

Two smooth-talking businessmen masterminded a £250 million-plus international ‘Ponzi’ fraud from a former RAF base, duping investors with outlandish promises of huge returns, a court heard.

Imperial Consolidated, based at Binbrook, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, and several overseas offices, collapsed in June 2002, owing £150m.

Lincoln Julian Fraser, (pic.l), 38,of Orford Hall, Brookenby, Binbrook, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire and Jared Bentley Brook, (pic.r) 39, of Sefton Drive, Worseley, Manchester, attracted 3,000 clients from all over the world.

“Instead of receiving their money back plus the generous rate of return which had been promised to them most investors lost everything,” prosecutor Tim Barnes QC told the Blackfriars Crown Court jury.

“This was an international fraud which cost investors hundreds of millions of dollars, they were promised high returns, they thought that their money was safe.

“These two defendants were masters of getting money from investors. They told a great story of capital protected investments, returns far above the normal rates of interest, investments in solid and successful trading businesses in the U.K.

“The published material on behalf of Imperial Consolidated was glossy and well put together,” explained the QC. “In layman’s terms they could certainly ‘talk the talk'.

"They projected themselves as dynamic entrepreneurs, proud of creating a great international business empire under the grandiose title ‘Imperial Consolidated’.”

Both men have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud investors in investment schemes between January 1, 1998 and June 30, 2002 and fraudulent trading, knowing it was for a fraudulent purpose between May 1, 2000 and June 30, 2002.

The court was told £253.9 million was invested in Imperial Consolidated over four-and-a-half years and over £150 million has vanished, despite investors being convinced by the pair their savings were safe.

“It was illusion and not reality,” Mr. Barnes explained. “The investments were not protected, the UK businesses were not solid and successful.

“The rates of return for those who were fortunate enough to redeem their investments before the crash came from utilizing new investor funds for that purpose and not from the profits of established successful businesses as the investors believed.”

The jury was told neither Fraser nor Brook, who lived in Beacon Lodge, near Louth during the fraud, have any accountancy or formal financial qualifications.

They were banned from being company directors after a previous venture – Progressive Leisure – which ran the Midland Hotel, Morecambe, Lancashire, ceased trading, leaving a string of unhappy creditors.

“These two men in reality treated the investors with contempt,” added Mr. Barnes. “They speak of pandering to the greed of the investors in setting rates of interest that would bring the money in.

“They made promises which could not be kept and were not kept. They diverted investor funds for their own use to pay for their own lifestyle and to enable them to pursue a range of personal and uniformly unsuccessful business interests of their own.”

The duo blame Administrators – who tried to solve the mess left by Imperial Consolidated – plus a host of others, including the police, Price Waterhouse Coopers and Internet whistle-blower David Marchant for the massive losses, the jury were told.

“The truth is that these two men were simply fraudsters or conmen,” continued the QC. “They were slick and professional and extremely successful in getting money from investors worldwide.

“They were fundamentally a couple of selfish and dishonest individuals who for some years perpetrated a highly successful fraud.”

The jury was told the overall benefit to the defendants totaled £20 million and investors funds were secretly ploughed into a string of failed ventures including a hotel, bar, South American mine, Sierra Leone granite quarry and a mobile field hospital.

Fraser spent £111,000 on Orford Hall, turning his cellar into a Panic Room with bulletproof doors and hundreds of thousands of pounds was lavished on his pet project of buying and restoring old military vehicles.

From May 2001 Fraser drew £50,000 a month from the Fraser Brook Partnership – a firm funded by investors – and pocketed a £2 million salary from Imperial Consolidated, which even paid his £1 million tax bill.

The jury was also told the pair used investors money to buy a £1 million Kingair plane then trousered £550,000 when they sold it.

“The only way in which Imperial Consolidated kept going for so long was by paying old investors from new investors money,” explained Mr. Barnes.

“The defendants knew that as soon as the flow of new investment money dried up that their game would be up.

“That is why they tried so hard to keep the flow of incoming funds by promising higher rates of interest and seeking to persuade existing investors from redeeming.”

Offshore branches of the company were opened in the Bahamas, Grenada and the British Virgin Islands, plus an office in posh Mayfair.

“The scale of the deficiency was enormous. Over £150 million of investor funds had apparently disappeared. How had this come about?” asked the QC.

A string of associated companies were created, convincing investors these firms were the driving force behind overall profits.

“Those UK businesses were simply a fig-leaf to cover the increasing black hole at the heart of Imperial Consolidated,” said Mr. Barnes.

Huge yields of 15%-36% were promised and investors were wowed by impressive statistics the defendants paid to be published in the respected Financial Times.

“Imperial paid for supposed performance figures to be listed in the F.T. That newspaper did not authenticate the claims, they merely published the information provided to them by Imperial in return for a charge.

“It gave the investment some creditability and the investors some comfort,” added the QC, explaining the company used terms such as ‘Capital Protected’ and ‘Total Asset Protection’ to impress customers.

Investors received bogus statements boasting the company was profitable. “Documents showing the purported increase in the value of the clients’ investments were not worth the paper they were written on.

“There was no successful underlying business activity to generate the rates of return,” said Mr. Barnes.

“The only way in which the fraud operated as long as it did was through lying about the true trading performance of the companies and by manipulating the Imperial Consolidated financial statements to give a false picture of their profitability and solvency.”

Even though RAF Binbrook was rented on a five-year lease in 1997 it was listed as a £6.95m company asset on the books, following a dubious valuation including false information regarding planning permission, the jury was told.

Brook was described by the QC as an “effective and persuasive spokesman” skilled at selling the funds and without his talents the fraud would have failed.

The pair even tried to convince the Bahamas Securities Commission their company had a growing £120m a year turnover.

Eventually the Serious Fraud Office moved in and the pair were arrested in 2004.

Death-Threat Kidnap Gang Jailed

Three ruthless kidnappers – who threatened to kill their terrified victim with a samurai sword in a £250,000 international plot – have been locked-up for a total of twenty-one years.

The 24 year-old victim, who was meeting one of the gang for a meal, was beaten, bundled into a car boot, tied to a chair, had a sock stuffed in his mouth and his head wrapped in tape.

Dipeshkumar Chauhan, 28, (pic. centre) of Elmsleigh Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, lured his pal to dinner and met the victim at Kingsbury Underground Station, driving him to Cool Oak Lane, Woodfield Park, Hendon.

After a violent struggle, during which the victim was punched and kicked in the head, he was forced into the BMW’s boot and driven to a house in Glenalmond Road, Harrow.

Chauhan was sentenced to nine years imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court after a jury convicted him of kidnap, false imprisonment and blackmail following a two week trial.

Accomplices Shujah Khaliq, 26, of The Mall, Harrow, (pictured l.) and Arif Aga, 26, of Glenalmond Road, (pictured r.) pleaded guilty to the same three charges and were jailed for six years.

The victim was forced to phone his father in Gujarat, India, on October 17, last year, telling him he would be killed by the gang if the ransom was not paid.

He was held for several more days as the gang phoned his family with more threats and demands, but the relatives – who did not have the money – tipped-off police in the U.K.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Kidnap Unit identified the house in Glenalmond Road and followed Chauhan and Khaliq when they left the residence on October 20.

Chauhan was arrested driving a Skoda in Shrewsbury Lane, Harrow, and Khaliq was captured driving a van in Honeypot Lane, Queensbury.

Moments later armed cops burst into the gang’s HQ and rescued the victim, catching Aga after he threw himself through a glass back door in a futile escape bid.

DC Greg Trinder of the Kidnap Unit said: "The victim does not come from a wealthy family.

“To receive a phone call to say your son has been kidnapped and that the kidnappers want money that you do not have must have been incredibly distressing.

“I am glad that they made the right decision and contacted police immediately so that we could locate the victim and ensure that he was returned to the family safely.

"The evidence against these three individuals was overwhelming. It showed the thought and planning that had gone into the crime and their motive of greed.

“Khaliq and Aga had the sense to plead guilty but Chauhan believed he could claim the defence of duress. I am grateful the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty alongside the other two defendants.

"Kidnaps are fortunately still comparatively rare in this country. We are grateful to all those who have assisted us in our investigation, ensuring the victim was returned to his family and the three defendants were put before the courts."

Man Denies Raid On Famous Fifteenth Century Church

A Southend man accused of a double raid on a famous fifteenth century church in the heart of the City of London pleaded not guilty when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court.

Andrew Alleyne, 35, of Chancellor Road, Southend-on-Sea spoke only to confirm his name during the five-minute hearing and was remanded in custody to stand trial on a day to be set the week beginning January 4, next year.

He is charged with burgling Saint Olave’s Church, Hart Street, - the burial place of Samuel Pepys - with intent to steal, on January 29 and March 31.

The famous diarist saved the church (pictured) from the great fire of London in 1666 and Mother Goose was buried there on September 14 1586.

Author Charles Dickens also had a fondness for St. Olave's and mentions the church in his writings.

Alleyne does not dispute he entered the church, and there is CCTV evidence, but denies entering a private area to steal.

The trial is expected to last two days.

Thug Squaddie's Brain Damage Attack

A thuggish soldier disgraced the name of our heroic armed forces after violently kicking and stamping another man’s head – leaving his victim with severe brain damage.

Wayne Bowe, 24, launched his frenzied attack on 25 year-old Michael Hewitt, who was walking to a nightbus stop after enjoying a night out in the West End with a pal.

Bowe, (pictured), pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr. Hewitt in Chandos Place, Covent Garden, in the early hours of February 28 and was jailed for five years and four months at the Old Bailey.

The court heard it was 3.30am when Bowe attacked the victim, kicking and stamping on his head up to twenty times as he lay helpless and unconscious.

The soldier fled the scene, but left behind telltale DNA which police matched to a sample he gave nine months earlier for an unrelated matter.

Detective Sergeant Louise Cornwell, of Westminster's Serious Violence Team, said: "This was an unprovoked and random attack, which has left the victim with serious injuries.

"We are lucky that we held Bowe's DNA evidence on file, as it enabled us to trace Bowe quickly and bring him to justice."

Bandit Brothers' Bookies Blag Blitz

Two old-school blaggers, who donned masks and threatened staff with shooters during a string of armed stick-ups, were caged for six years today (Friday) after being captured by The Sweeney.

The 70’s throwback brothers – who targeted bookies in North London and Hertfordshire - were collared following a Flying Squad surveillance operation codenamed Catchwater.

Nelson Muzinga, (pictured), 23, and Ivo Muzinga, 18, both of Moree Way, Edmonton, were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court after admitting the crime spree.

They burst into betting shops wielding guns, threatening staff and customers and made off with large amounts of cash.

Their reign of terror was ended by Finchley’s Flying Squad team who swooped on the pair on June 18.

Both pleaded guilty to four robberies, two attempted robberies, plus five counts of possessing a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to rob.

Nelson asked for three further robberies to be taken into consideration, plus three counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to rob.

Ivo asked for five further robberies to be taken into consideration, plus five counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to rob.

Detective Inspector David Malcolm, whose investigation nailed the pair said: "The Muzinga brothers terrified the staff and customers they encountered as they raided bookmakers with handguns.

“The weapons were often pointed straight at the victims to ensure the maximum amount of money was handed over.

“Robberies of this nature are a priority for the Flying Squad and the conviction of these men demonstrates the Met's continued commitment to bringing such dangerous criminals to justice."

Armed Robbery Spree: Photo Update

This is Ivo Muzinga, 18, caged for six years along with his partner-in-crime older brother Nelson for a string of armed raids on bookies.

Police Use C.S. Gas To Break-Up Boozy Stag Party

A drunken stag party reveler, whose rowdy group was sprayed with C.S. gas by police during an angry confrontation outside a City pub, was fined for violently striking an Inspector.

Jobless Reagan Rajkumal, 28, of Larkspur Close, Kingsbury, was arrested in the shadow of Tower 42 after officers were called to the Corney and Barrow pub.

He pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court (pictured) to assaulting Police Inspector Simon Douglas in Old Broad Street on July 26.

Prosecutor Miss Ravindra Hayre said: “When police arrived they saw a large number of aggressive people. Most of them were drunk and they were starting to fight with each other.

“Police tried to split up the parties and they became surrounded by a group of males. One of them was the defendant.

“They were shouting at the officers and were very aggressive towards the police,” added Miss Hayre.

“They tried to push the officers and one of them tried to punch an officer and C.S. gas was used against the group.

“The defendant then struck the Inspector in the chest area forcing him backwards and was told C.S. gas would be used,” explained the prosecutor.

“The defendant ignored the warning and continued to be aggressive and struck the Inspector again in the chest, forcing him backwards.”

First-time offender Rajkumal, who admitted drink played a part, was fined £200, plus £90 costs and ordered to pay Inspector Douglas £100 compensation.

'Ladygarden' Grope Spells End For Floral Team

An award-winning floral duo split after one half of the platonic partnership allowed his green fingers to wander in his teammate’s ladygarden as she dozed on the sofa.

A twenty-one year friendship and mutual love of gardening was shattered in seconds when 73 year-old Peter Power patted his knickerless companion twice between the legs.

The recently widowed Irishman, of Litchfield Gardens, Willesden, was sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months, after pleading guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court to sexually assaulting the 56 year-old in the early hours of August 2, last year at her Camden home.

“They won the Camden Garden of the Year two years running,” Power’s lawyer Dianne Chan told the court. “That is now at an end. He has lost a friend and she has lost a friend.”

The victim was in tears the next day when chatting to her sister on the phone, recalling how she woke up to discover her trusted pal with his hand between her legs.

“There is some ancient romantic history between the two of them and they have been very close over the years,” explained Miss Chan. “He would help put her to bed, help with chores, walk the dog and they watched television together.

“He was trying to wake her up. He knows it is inappropriate to wake someone up by touching them in a private area, but it did the trick.

“Those two pats brought twenty-one years of friendship, a very close friendship to an end,” added Miss Chan. “The saddest thing is it is such a loss for the both of them.”

The court was told Power took care of the heavy lifting and manual labour in the victim’s garden and she concentrated on design and presentation.

“To lose a companion of many years after the loss of his wife was a double blow,” said Miss Chan. “They have not seen or contacted each other since.”

Judge Deva Pillay also ordered Power to sign on the sex offender’s register for the next five years and placed him under probation supervision for twelve months.

“I am sure you utterly regret what you did that night,” the Judge told Power. “There were many other ways you could have woken her.

“Your behaviour was utterly unacceptable, but you lost your good name and a long friendship.”

Arrest In 'Body In Suitcase' Death

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering 37 year-old care worker Leah Questin, whose decomposed body was found stuffed inside a suitcase in a dried-up pond.

Police believe she had arranged to meet an internet blind-date after responding to a personal ad on website Gumtree.

Philippines-born Questin, (pictured) of Sneyd Road, Cricklewood, disappeared near the Elephant and Castle on September 12 and was discovered off Buckland Road, Cliffe, Rochester, Kent, on September 24.

A 35 year-old man, an IT professional, was arrested today (September 29) in Malpas Road, Lewisham, and is being questioned by officers from Hendon’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command at a North London police station.

Forensic tests on Questin’s body are continuing after an initial post mortem proved inconclusive as to the cause of death.

She was reported missing to Brent’s Missing Persons Unit by a friend on the evening of September 16/17 after last being seen at home.

Detective Chief Inspector, Peter Lansdown, said: "As a result of enquiries into Leah's disappearance, we have established through CCTV footage, that she travelled alone on the 172 bus in the area of Elephant and Castle and was heading south on 12 September.

"She boarded this bus on the New Kent Road shortly after exiting Elephant and Castle underground station. It is still not clear where she was heading to.

"Leah is described as 4ft 11 inches tall with a petite build. She has a light complexion and long black hair. Leah was wearing a red top and blue jeans.

"I appeal to anyone who saw Leah in south east London or on the 172 bus or its route on Saturday 12 September to contact us.

"We also need to hear from anyone who may have seen her after 12 September and up until her body was found as we need to understand where she was going, who she was meeting and how she came to be murdered.

"We continue to liaise with our colleagues at Kent Constabulary and I would like to thank them for their work during the early stages of this enquiry."

G20 Riot Cop Facing Court For Assault

A riot cop, caught on camera slapping a female protester then striking her leg with a police baton during the City of London G20 disturbances earlier this year, will face court in seven weeks time accused of assault.

Police Sergeant Delroy (Tony) Smellie, (pictured),a member of the Metropolitan Police’s elite Territorial Support Group has been suspended pending an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

He has been summonsed to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 16 accused of assaulting Brighton protestor Nicola Fisher, 35, on April 2.

Contoversial footage of the officer’s confrontation with Ms. Fisher has been broadcast on television and the internet after demonstrators captured the incident on mobile phones.

A second woman also lodged a formal complaint against PS Smellie, but the Crown Prosecution Service announced there was insufficient evidence to proceed on those allegations.

In a statement, a CPS spokesman said: "The Crown Prosecution Service has decided that there is sufficient evidence to charge Police Sergeant Delroy (Tony) Smellie with the offence of assault by beating of Nicola Fisher on 2 April 2009 at a demonstration in the City of London."

The incident happened on the second day of the G20 protests as Ms. Fisher joined a large crowd attending a vigil for newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson who died the previous evening after being struck by a T.S.G officer.

Jail For Chemical Bomb Hoaxer

A hoaxer who triggered an evacuation after warning U.S. officials a chemical bomb was about to explode in busy Times Square, New York, was locked up for four years following copycat claims in London.

Jobless Jamal Ahmed, 20, of Miersfield, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, made a string of bogus calls to Scotland Yard, the NYPD, the CIA and other security agencies.

New York cops evacuated several addresses on West 45^th Street, including Frankie and Johnnies’s Steakhouse – where the bomb was supposedly planted – closed the street and ushered in bomb experts.

Ahmed, who claimed he was bored and high on cannabis when making the terror calls, pleaded guilty at Aylesbury Crown Court to two counts of communicating information which he knew or believed to be false with the intent of inducing false belief that a chemical bomb was to detonate.

The day after the New York scare Ahmed made a similar chemical bomb hoax call to the Home Office, claiming he was a foreign spy with knowledge of an Al Qaeda London plot.

Ahmed, fortunate not to be rotting in an American Supermax Prison in the middle of the Nevada desert for terror offences, was sentenced to thirty-two months imprisonment for the New York call, plus sixteen months for the London hoax.

Detectives from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command traced the calls – made on a pal’s SIM card - to Ahmed’s home address where they arrested him.

G20 Trio Appear

Three G20 protesters, arrested following violent clashes between demonstrators and police in the City of London during the meeting of world leaders earlier this year, have appeared in the dock for second time.

Pascal Bouzenard, 39, of Alvington Crescent, Hackney is charged with violent disorder and was bailed unconditionally until October 15 to apply for legal aid.

Michael Wells, 50, of Rutland Gardens, Finsbury Park, pleaded not guilty to causing £1,200 worth of criminal damage to an ITN camera during a live news broadcast and was bailed until his trial on January 15, next year.

Phillip Georgopoulos, 26, of Prestonville road, Brighton is charged with violent disorder and was bailed until November 6 for Crown Court committal.

It is alleged he threw two scaffold brackets at police lines during the height of the disturbances and threw a flat-screen monitor through a window at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

All three appeared before JP’s at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

Kiwi's St. James' Park Rape Ordeal

A young Kiwi who made the mistake of choosing lawless London for a working holiday was raped and robbed in the shadow of Buckingham Palace after meeting three strangers on a nightbus home.

The 21 year-old New Zealander had missed the last tube train after enjoying an evening drinking with pals and in the early hours was taken to historic St. James’ Park by the three men.

She was subjected to a two-and-a-half hour rape ordeal by two of them who face lengthy prison sentences when they return to Southwark Crown Court on October 23.

Ismail Acar,(pictured), 21, of Millfield, Six Acres Estate, Finsbury Park, pleaded guilty to raping the victim three times, assault by penetration and robbing her of jewellery and a handbag containing cash, bank cards and an ipod on August 25, last year.

Jobless Callem Fearnehough, 21, also of Millfield, Six Acres Estate, denied, but was convicted by the jury of raping her twice and robbing her of the same items.

The third man, jobless Dimitri McKenzie-Saunders, 21, of Holloway Road, Upper Holloway was acquitted of three rape counts and robbery.

She attempted to escape her assailants, but was recaptured and the ordeal continued.

The attackers demanded her PIN number so they could empty her bank accounts, but Acar was foiled at a Charing Cross cashpoint, after the victim gave a bogus number.

A park security guard detained McKenzie-Saunders just before 5am and Acar and Fearnehough were arrested two hours later on Horse Guards Road after two PCSO’s identified them from a circulated description.

The victim was taken to a Haven centre where she received medical care and counselling from specially trained staff who guide victims of sexual assaults through the immediate aftermath of the trauma.

DS Ivon Beer, of Westminster’s Sapphire Unit – which was commended by the trial Judge - said: "This was a horrific attack on a woman who has shown great courage throughout this investigation and who was brave enough to come into court and give evidence against her attackers.

"We hope this conviction will reassure the victim in this case and the public that all allegations of rape are fully and comprehensively investigated, no matter what the background or circumstances of the incident."

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Lesley Jones said: "I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case who, despite the horrific ordeal she endured, felt brave enough to stand up in court and give evidence.”

St. James's Park Rape: Photo Update

Pictured (right) is rapist Jobless Callem Fearnehough, 21, of Millfield, Six Acres Estate, who will return to Southwark Crown Court on October 23 for sentencing.

Barclays Bank Man Charged

A Barclays Bank customer account advisor, accused of stealing £34,350 from his employers, was committed to Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday.

Jason Philip Hopgood, 24, of Hollingworth Close, West Molesey, Surrey, was bailed by City of London Magistrates’ Court to appear for a plea and case management hearing on October 27.

He is charged that between March 1, 2008 and January 24, this year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, he dishonestly abused his position with intent to gain, by manipulating various personal accounts of customers, falsified messages and carried out other improper acts, contrary to the Fraud Act.

He is also charged with stealing £34,350 from Barclays Bank between January 1 and 24, this year.

Cashpoint Crook's Crime Blitz

An ingenious cashpoint crook who launched a £6,000-plus nighttime blitz on a building society’s machines after copycat crimes in Northern Ireland had an extra six months added to his jail term on Tuesday.

French-Algerian Abdel Karim Redjel, 30, of 25 Alveston Drive, Belfast, targeted the Coventry Building Society and fleeced cashpoints using his top-secret technique.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to seventeen counts of Transactional Reversal Fraud on various dates between May 25 and June 2, 2007 totalling £6,300.

The court heard Redjel opened a string of bogus accounts, but employed a system whereby withdrawls were not debited.

Outside, Detective Constable Dave Job of the joint Metropolitan and City of London Police's Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit said: “I don’t know how he does it.

“He puts a card in, adds the PIN, requests £500 and as the cash comes out of the drawer he physically interferes with the machine. If I knew how he did it I might not be doing this!”

Redjel, who is also wanted in Germany for similar crimes, was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on each count to run concurrently with each other, but consecutively to four-and-a-half years he is serving in Lurgan Prison.

“I bear in mind this was a skillful and organized attack on the banks. You moved very fast and were fully aware of your dishonesty,” Judge James Wadsworth QC told Redjel.

Prosecutor Mr Martin Whitehouse told the court: “This was a transactional reversal fraud. The defendant would place his legitimate card in the machine and as the money came out manipulated the machine.

“The machine would send a message to the Coventry Building Society to recredit the account.”

Redjel moved swiftly around Coventry at night, hitting six cashpoints between 10.30 and 11.30pm with one card and then blitzing six more with another two cards from 3am the next day.

“It is extremely clever,” added Mr Whitehouse. “The cards are legitimate, but wether the process of obtaining them is legitimate, I doubt.

“He also tried to get away with a further £1,500,” added the prosecutor.

In 2005 Redjel was sentenced to three years imprisonment, suspended for five years, in Northern Ireland.

This was activated in March this year when Redjel was sentenced for further cashpoint crimes in Ulster.

Beverley Murder: Man Charged

A man accused of the brutal killing of a 30 year-old woman who suffered fatal head injuries was due to appear today (Tuesday) at Woolwich Magistrates Court.

Chef Adam Mann, 28, of Springfield Road, Welling, is charged with murdering Lisa Beverley at her home in Coupland Place, Plumstead, on or before September 16.

A 26 year-old woman arrested on September 21 is currently on police bail and will return to a South London police station early next month pending further enquiries.

The police and London Ambulance Service, responding to an emergency call, arrived at the deceased’s home at 6 am on September 16 and recovered her body.

A post mortem examination at Greenwich Mortuary resulted in an official cause of death as severe head injuries.

Miss Jailed For Lesbian Love Match With Pupil

A schoolteacher at a prestigious all-girl private school, who enjoyed a six-month lesbian affair with a 15 year-old pupil, even whisking the schoolgirl off to Paris for a romantic weekend, was jailed for 15 months today.

Popular music teacher Helen Goddard, 26, a talented trumpeter who performed at the Sydney Olympics, and nicknamed ‘The Jazz Lady’ by children at the fee-paying school had sex with the pupil during secret trysts.

Goddard, of Thornham Street, Greenwich, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to six sample counts of sexually touching the consenting pupil 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.

Her career is in tatters after Judge Anthony Pitts also banned her from working with children for life and ordered her to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

The only good news for tearful Goddard (pictured above) was the Judge’s refusal to ban her from seeing the girl for five years.

“I think it would be draconian and unnecessarily cruel to her as well.”

Police launched an investigation after the £13,000 a year school received a tip-off and when officers raided Goddard’s home they seized various sex toys including vibrators and “fluffy handcuffs”.

The girl's parents condemned the teacher for the “complete betrayal” of trust.

“This is a difficult case. The evidence showed you were having a full-on sexual relationship with the girl for many months,” Judge Pitts told petite Goddard.

“She has made it clear that the sexual contact between you was consensual and she says in her statement that in fact it was instigated by her.

“It is, of course, against the law to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16, even with her consent. These are serious offences in their own right.

"But the particularly aggravating feature evident here of course is that you were her music teacher throughout this period and from well before the sexual relationship started,” added the Judge.

“In this case you clearly knew it was wrong to a start a sexual relationship with her and you knew the dangers to your career as a teacher.

“The relationship involved a fair degree of deception not only in respect of the school, but also to the girl’s parents.

“They made a statement they felt you betrayed their trust. They feel particularly betrayed by the deception of the Paris weekend.

“This case is so serious that an immediate prison sentence is inevitable.”

Goddard grew up in Farnborough, Hants, where she played the trumpet from an early age and was a member of Hampshire County Youth Band.

She was one of only five young musicians from England invited to play at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony in 2000.

Prosecutor Mrs. Regina Naughton said the affair came to light on July 7 when the school reception received an anonymous email headed “concerned parent” and expressing concerns about a sexual relationship between a teacher and a pupil.

The following day it was followed by another, identifying the defendant and the girl and saying: “Please act quickly.”

Mrs. Naughton said when officers first spoke to the child she denied anything wrong had occurred, but 24 hours later confessed to her mother.

“She said she, the girl, had instigated the relationship and felt guilty for the situation she had put Ms Goddard in and that she wished to continue the relationship.

“She also told her mother she was devastated that Ms Goddard would go to prison.”

“She describes the pair having feelings for one another, and that that was not planned or expected,” added the prosecutor.

“This developed into them flirting with each other and sending text messages to each other.

“They went for a walk one day and she describes kissing Ms Goddard on the lips, which Ms Goddard responded to.”

The youngster also spoke of lying to her parents to stay at the trumpet teacher’s home where they shared a bed and kissed.

Further lies and more overnight stays followed as the relationship developed.

Mrs. Naughton said the pair also had “sexual relations” at her parents’ home.

In June, having declared they “loved each other” the girl told her parents she was going to spend a weekend with a relative in France, the girl and her teacher caught a plane to Paris.

“As part of the weekend, they went to the Gay Pride March,” said Mrs. Naughton.

Later she admitted, “both of them knew what they were doing was legally wrong, but that it felt right”. Since then the matter had “made her miserable and destroyed her”.

The couple’s mobile phones were also seized. They revealed 157 texts from the youngster to her teacher and 60 replies.

“Many of these were of an intimate and affectionate nature, some explicitly sexual.”

One from the teacher read: “It’s gonna be a beautiful day. I love you, you were on my mind all night.”

Goddard’s lawyer Anthony Heaton-Armstrong said his client was now “very remorseful” about what had happened and insisted she was “not in any sense a sexual predator”.

Serial Rapist Locked Up

This is the face of an evil rapist – caged for 14 years - who repeatedly attacked an 11 year-old girl following his release from a brutal gang-bang sentence.

Jobless and homeless predator Colin Miller, 29, was hunted down after a nationwide Crimewatch appeal and convicted at Wood Green Crown Court on five counts of raping the schoolgirl.

Miller, (pictured) attacked the girl in Tottenham between March and September 2005 and was arrested in July, last year, following a public appeal.

After Friday’s sentencing Detective Inspector Noel McHugh, the investigating officer from the Child Abuse Investigation Team at Haringey, said: "Miller's conviction demonstrates our total commitment to all allegations of serious sexual assault no matter how long ago the offence was committed.

"A successful conviction was achieved through the courage and bravery of the young victim and an exceptional investigation carried out by officers.

"I would also like to thank the media and the public for their support and assistance in capturing Miller.

"I hope Miller's conviction can go some way in assisting the victim in moving forward with her life."

On February 11, last year, the Child Abuse Investigation Team at Haringey launched an investigation, but despite enquiries to trace Miller, he evaded arrest.

Following a countrywide media appeal, including a Crimewatch plea, Miller was traced to an address in Tottenham.

During the trial, the court heard Miller was a convicted rapist who was jailed for five years for his role in a 1997 Wood Green gang-rape.

Miller had also pleaded guilty to a charge failing to comply with the Sex Offenders Register on 5 February 2009.

Phantom Pregnancy Triggers Toilet Tirade

A commuter experiencing a ‘phantom pregnancy’ hurled a torrent of abuse at a Waterloo Station toilet attendant who made her pay to use the facilities in the midst of a miscarriage panic.

Carer Florett Creary, 42, of Newenden Close, Ashford, Kent, and boyfriend Lee Nethercott, 30, of Ramsey House, Vassall Road, Brixton, pleaded guilty to using threatening words and behaviour at the station on February 19.

A joint charge of assaulting toilet attendant Miss Danuta Miszkiewicz was dropped by the prosecution when the pair appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard Creary launched a foul-mouthed tirade towards the attendant as she left the ladies because Miss Miszkiewicz had lowered the entrance barrier, making the defendant pay.

Nethercott joined in the shouting and swearing in front of bustling commuters and this continued when police arrived.

“She had been drinking. She had three pints or cans that day,” explained Creary’s lawyer Mr. Quinton Newcombe. “She believed she was pregnant and had bleeding and feared a miscarriage.

“She did rush to the toilets and the attendant did put the barrier down to force payment,” added Mr. Newcombe. “An argument ensued and a second member of the public and the police got involved.

“She genuinely believed she was miscarrying and accepts she overreacted because she was upset and her behaviour after the police arrived was abhorrent.”

Medical tests before this date had confirmed Creary was pregnant, added the lawyer, but this was later dismissed by further evidence.

The mother-of-two has also attended an alcohol awareness course since the incident. “The amount of alcohol led her to behave in a way she would not normally have done,” said Mr. Newcombe.

Nethercott’s lawyer Mr. Robert Katz confirmed his client’s guilty plea put him in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed by Inner London Crown Court and he was committed there by the JP’s for sentencing on September 21.

“He acted to prevent harm to his partner who he perceived to be under attack or suffering a miscarriage,” explained Mr. Katz. “He felt the police had not apprehended the right person and became voluble and there was waving of arms and shouting.”

Nethercott had also been drinking that day, confirmed Mr. Katz, adding his client has since attended a detox course.

The JP’s deferred sentence on Creary until March 22, next year, ordering her to keep out of trouble and produce a report from her alcohol awareness course.

The Chairman told her: “Your behaviour was appalling and must have caused unpleasantness and distress to observers at Waterloo Station.”

Fashion Wannabe's Crooked Cash Cover-Up

A drug-money launderer, who fabricated a career in the fashion industry to cover her life of crime, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after police found heroin-tainted cash stuffed inside a safe during a raid on her house.

Lisa Raitt, 42, of Windmill Road, Slough, was also ordered to forfeit £259,000 after a Kingston Crown Court jury convicted her off possessing criminal property and five counts of fraud.

Central Task Force detectives armed with a search warrant swooped on Raitt’s home on February 6, last year, seizing £16,500, which the defendant claimed was an inheritance.

Police also discovered she made a fraudulent £12,000 housing and council benefit claim as well as bogus mortgage applications, telling lenders she was earning a legitimate living in the fashion industry.

Examination of her bank accounts and other evidence revealed Raitt (pictured above) was laundering tens of thousands of pounds in crime proceeds.

Investigating officer DC Barry Byron said: "This conviction is another example of how the Central Task Force exploits every opportunity to dismantle the networks against which we are tasked and target the individuals involved in this area of criminality.

“It also shows our commitment to work with other agencies to ensure that any public funds which have been unlawfully obtained can be recovered."