Skull Fracture Victim Forced To Re-Learn How To Walk

A vigilante, whose victim needed to learn how to walk again after being temporarily paralysed when smashed over the head with a heavy-duty tyre lever, was locked up for five years today.

Father-of-two Alistair Rycroft, 31, of Watermill Way, Feltham believed his target’s son had harassed his family and sought violent justice.

The builder pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to maliciously wounding 44 year-old Kevin Austin, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in Hospital Bridge Road, Whitton, Twickenham, West London on October 28, last year.

The victim was left in a pool of blood and needed life-saving emergency surgery after he was felled by the 7lb metal lever, which caused a depressed skull fracture and a brain haemorrage.

“You did use it on him without any possible justification. You could easily have killed him,” Judge Andrew Campbell told Rycroft.

The court heard the defendant approached Mr. Austin (pictured) in the street at 9.30 pm on his bike and as usual had the tyre lever attached to the handlebars.

Prosecutor Mr. Benedict Kelleher said Rycroft believed the victim’s son used his Rotweiler dog to intimidate his own girlfriend and young children.

“He was shouting and waving the pole at me,” Mr. Austin, who was confined to a wheelchair after the attack, told police.

“He must have hit my head with the pole as I tried to get away.”

Mr. Kelleher explained: “That led him to suffer paralysis of the lower part of his body. It is improving and he is able to some extent walk.”

Mr. Austin, who attended the hearing with the aid of a walking stick, needed neurosurgical rehabilitation and will not be able to return to work for another six months.

“You caused a very serious injury to him, a depressed skull fracture, plus paralysis with no feeling in his arms and legs,” Judge Campbell told Rycroft.

“He discloses how frightening that was and Mr. Austin has now feeling in his arms and legs and can walk slowly.

“The effect on him and his family has been devastating.”

God's Cop Confesses To Thirty Year Old Child Sex Crimes

A disgraced ex-cop and overseas religious missionary - who eventually admitted sex attacks on a teenage girl and ten year-old boy over thirty years ago - has dodged prison.

Retired police officer Malcolm Spreckley, 65, of Sparrow Drive, Orpington, repeatedly fondled the girl's breasts as she lay in the upper bunk bed above her younger sister and once caressed the young boy between the legs.

Spreckley, who through his church has volunteered for missionary work in Ghana, and was supported in references by his former Police Inspector was placed on a three-year community order which includes a supervision and sex offender requirement.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown court to two specimen counts of indecently assaulting the girl when she was aged 14-16 years and one count of indecent assault on the boy on dates between 1977 and 1981.

Prosecutor Mr. James Stansfeld told the court: "Mr. Spreckley would come into her bedroom while she was asleep and start to touch her around the breasts as he was standing there and masturbating.

"She could not move. she was rigid," added the prosecutor, explaining the victim resorted to wrapping her duvet tightly around herself or kept chatting to her sister - six years her junior - into the early hours to thwart Spreckley.

The attacks ended when the girl reported the defendant to police, but no charges were brought against Spreckley (pictured) - then a serving police officer.

He was watching television on the sofa with the boy - wearing only a dressing-gown and some underpants - when he began cuddling the victim.

"Mr. Spreckley put his hand inside the boy's pyjama bottoms for a minute of two," explained Mr. Stansfeld. "He then put the boy's hand on his semi-erect penis and said words to the effect of: 'Do you like it?"

Three years later the boy, who later attacked Spreckley, reported him to police, but no further action was taken.

The offences only reemerged during counseling sessions the troubled male victim had with police after committing offences involving drugs and violence and he has now emigrated to Australia.

First-time offender Spreckley's only other brush with the law was a warning for harassing a 16 year-old girl and inviting her to meet him via email.

The court heard Spreckley's "faith and conscience" inspired him to admit the offences and avoid forcing the victims to give evidence.

He served thirty years in the police force with "distinction" the court was told.

Judge John Tanzer said of the victims: "The conviction will allow them to place a line under this matter and help them."

Pro Footballer Loses Cool In Ice Cube "Riot"

A young pro footballer thug, who left a pub victim with a fractured eye socket when he and two pals started a "riot" after ice cubes were thrown, can help his club's promotion bid after dodging custody with a suspended sentence.

Dagenham & Redbridge right-back Abu Ogogo, 20, clashed with two young cricketers - punching one in the face - and kicking another after he was knocked to the floor in the Croydon night-spot.

Epsom-born Ogogo, of Chetwood Drive, Epsom, who was on Arsenal's books at the time pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Thomas Peach and assaulting Adam Prickett, causing him actual bodily harm, on August 9, 2008.

Croydon Crown Court heard trouble started at the 'Walkabout' bar when ice cubes were thrown and the defendant and his pals blamed the victims.

He punched Mr. Prickett in the face, causing a 2 cm cut under the left eye, and joined in kicking Mr. Peach, who suffered a fractured eye socket.

Judge Timothy Stow QC told £750 per-week Ogogo, who will be involved in his club's League Two promotion play-off this weekend: "This was an extremely unpleasant incident in this pub and there is far too much of this violence, usually fuelled by alcohol.

"It was a sort of riot at the Walkabout in which people were injured as a result of your joint actions."

He sentenced Ogogo (pictured) to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months and ordered him to perform 120 hours unpaid community service work.

Ogogo must pay £4,000 compensation to Mr. Peach, £750 compensation to Mr. Prickett and £1,200 costs.

"I am sure on this occasion you behaved out of character and it will not happen again," Judge Stow told him. "You are a young man of considerable gifts in the football world, you earn well and should pay compensation to the victims."

Prosecutor Mr. Hal Watson told the court: "This defendant got involved in a fight in a pub where people were drinking. Other people started it and he became involved and things got out of hand."

Ogogo's co-defendants Jake Butler, 20, and Scott Roberts, 21, will be sentenced on June 11. "This was a joint-enterprise. All three were actively involved."

Mr. David Barnes, defending, said: "He has remained out of trouble since these offences and has not been in a pub or club since the day of this offence.

"He has been a regular in his team throughout this year and has a match on Saturday and Thursday and a match at Wembley if they get through."

Judge Stow added: "These are offences of violence and there is too much of this sort of violence in the clubs and pubs, people being attacked and injured. It's shocking and frightening for other people and is behaviour the courts must discourage."

Queen Horseman Jailed For Child Porn Pics

A disgraced ex-Household Cavalry soldier is starting a two-year prison sentence after police caught him with 6,769 pornographic images of young girls.

Married father-of-two Michael Watlow, 48, led a double-life - sharing the explicit hardcore material with an Internet ring then visiting his family in Brecon, Powys, Wales at weekends.

The first-time offender stayed with in-laws in Smith Street, Rotherhithe, when working at a private security company in London.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to nine counts of possessing indecent images and four counts of distributing indecent images by email.

“They are shocking activities involving young children being sexually abused, penetrated orally and anally,” Judge John Price told balding Watlow.

“Some of these girls are in tears when they are filmed,” added the Judge. “Without the demand there would not be the abuse of the children and you are part of the demand and you have two girls that adore you.

“You have worked hard and you have looked after your family, but when in London you locked yourself in your room and looked at this disgusting material.”

Watlow, who has an exemplary discharge from the Household Cavalry – the Queen’s personal bodyguard – gave himself the username ‘Little Girls Lover’ when signing-up for the file-sharing service.

The worldwide site was probed by the Metropolitan Police’s Paedophile Unit and led to them to Watlow’s South-East London address, where he was arrested in May, last year.

Prosecutor Mr. Martin Whitehouse told the court half of the images were at the lowest level of indecency, but there were hundreds more moving up the scale and 133 at the most explicit.

“He was leading two different lives,” said Mr. Alex Taylor-Camara, defending. “He was working in London for a security company and at the weekend went back to Wales.”

The images were accessed in London because the family home is isolated with no Internet connection.

Watlow’s youngest daughter is still at school studying for ‘A’ levels.

“Without his income his family will be unable to maintain the mortgage and their lifestyle in Wales,” added Mr. Taylor-Camara. “The whole experience has been difficult for them and they are aware of the offences.”

Since his arrest Watlow has sought counseling for his compulsion and describes the images as “repugnant.”

The charges carry a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.

“Of all the offences that I have to deal with this type is the one I do not understand,” announced Judge Price. “I do not understand how men are excited to the point of masturbation while looking at indecent images of children.”

Gang-Bang Rapists: Ten Years Apiece

Two pals have each been jailed for ten years for the “dreadful” gang-rape of a drunken Crawley office worker one of them picked-up in a nightclub.

The 25 year-old victim had drunk a cocktail of vodka and wine before going drinking at the town’s Bar Med, where she met and agreed to have sex with one of the defendant’s at a two-bedroom flat in nearby Fenchurch Street in the early hours of October 25, 2008.

Once there a third man – still wanted by police – joined the group and the trio attacked the girl after she started having sex in the bedroom with her date, Croydon Crown Court heard.

Heathrow Airport security officer Anouar Ben-Rejab, 36, of Tithe Barn Drive, Bray, Maidenhead, Berkshire was convicted on two counts of rape and taxi driver Nizar Baccar, 31, of Climping Road, Ifield, Crawley on one count.

Both were also convicted after the week-long trial of assaulting the woman by penetration and Ben-Rejab alone was found guilty of sexual assault.

“This dreadful incident has had a devastating impact on her life,” the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon told the Tunisian-born defendants, who appeared shocked at the verdicts.

“Three men were involved in the gang-rape of a woman who trusted you in going back to the flat,” added the Judge.

“She was prepared to engage in intimacy with one of you, but not all three at once and one of you took a photograph of what was going on.”

A third suspect, Ahmed Farjallah, jumped police bail before he could be charged and is still wanted.

“It’s a tragedy for you at your ages of good character to be where you are and a tragedy for your families and the victim,” added Recorder McKinnon. “This was a joint enterprise by all three.”

Married father-of-one Ben-Rejab (pic top) picked-up the complainant and married dad Baccar (pic. bottom) drove them to the flat, where the victim concedes she started having consensual sex.

Prosecutor Miss Alexandra Healy told the court: “Two other men came into the bedroom and began to join in. She protests and makes it clear she doesn’t want to be involved sexually with three men.

“Despite her protests the three men continue to sexually assault and rape her,” the prosecutor told the jury.

“She had made it quite clear in her actions that she no longer consented to sexual activity. She was crying and said ‘No’ over and over again.”

The rape included penetration of the victim’s vagina, mouth and anus and Ben-Rejab later grabbed her by the hair and tried to force her to her knees to perform oral sex on him.

After leaving by taxi the victim raised the alarm and police swooped on the flat the same morning arresting Ben-Rejab and later Baccar when he surrendered.

Nigerian Illegal Fleeces Taxpayers Of Over £30K And Has Two Kids

An illegal Nigerian immigrant, who claimed over £30,000 in benefits using a bogus U.K. passport and had two children, has been locked-up for a year and will be booted out of the country on her release.

Oluwakemi Ibitoye, 37, obtained details of a successful asylum applicant and used them to also receive a genuine National Insurance number, entitling her to benefits and apply for a driving licence.

Croydon Crown Court heard Ibitoye, of Battersea - who claims her mother gave her the details of a Nigerian asylum-seeker - went to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) office in Tooting and tricked them into believing she was a lawful resident.

She pleaded guilty to using a false instrument, namely a U.K. passport; making a false representation to the DWP on May 10, 2006; obtained leave to remain in the U.K. by deception on August 14, 2009 and made a false statement to obtain a driving licence in a false name on September 26, 2009.

She was arrested in Sutton by police on February 25.

Ibitoye told police she was abandoned by her family and then brought to the U.K. by her mother in 2000.

She has children aged eighteen months and two-and-a-half years who were born in the U.K. and enjoy full citizenship.

Purse-Snatch Thief Trapped By DNA

A sneak-thief, who turned up at a deaf friend's house after midnight claiming she needed a glass of water, walked out with the woman's purse then dumped it months later on the steps of the local police station.

Patricia Malcolm, 52, of Stanstead Road, Catford, South-East London pleaded guilty to stealing the purse and contents from the house in nearby William Booth Road, Anerley, (pictured) on September 16, last year.

Croydon Crown Court heard the 48 year-old victim only knew the defendant as 'P' and occasionally gave her cash.

Malcolm persuaded the victim's 14 year-old son to allow her in for a drink of water then went upstairs to use the toilet and entered her friend's bedroom.

Three minutes later she ran out of the room and fled the house with the purse, leaving the victim to explain what happened to her son with sign language.

Police identified Malcolm after a DNA test on the glass she drank from and the purse, still containing some bank cards, was found on the front steps of Penge Police Station on April 16.

She claims she left the purse where it could be found because she "felt guilty."

The Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon - taking into account Malcolm has spent eleven days locked up on remand - conditionally discharged her for twelve months.

"Party's Over" For Jailed Hotel Credit Card Fraudster

A champagne-loving rookie hotel boss who stole guests’ credit card details and ran up a £14,000 bar bill at an exclusive Mayfair club during a spending spree that left American Express £100,000 out of pocket has been jailed for 18 months.

Private-school educated Saad Lakhdar-Ghazal, 23, began working at the luxury Durley House Hotel, Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, on July 1, last year and copied multiple credit card numbers until he left on October 28.

He then moved to the Queens Hotel, Bayswater and had access to an apartment in Beaufort Mansions, Beaufort Street, Chelsea.

When arrested by City of London Police outside a nightclub in Cavendish Square, Marylebone, on December 13, Lakhdar-Ghazal told officers he was living in North Mews, Chancery Lane, Holborn.

The French-Moroccan, (pictured) whose shocked parents – both doctors – offered £25,000 bail to get their son out of jail following his arrest remained lock-up due to fears he would abscond.

“You were sucked into this world of greed to have fun,” Southwark Crown Court Judge John Price told the defendant. “Well, the party’s over.

“You got a job at a leading hotel and worked in management and got your hands on information relating to people’s credit cards and fell in with a dishonest high-living group of people and you gave them information.

“It all went on high-living, girls, drinking, clubs and you spent large sums. Nothing was obtained, but a good time and it has all gone.”

Lakhdar-Ghazal pleaded guilty that on November 22, at the British Luxury Club, New Bond Street, he falsely represented he was entitled to use an American Express number to pay a £5522.50 bill for thirteen bottles of champagne.

He also pleaded guilty that on November 28, at the same club, he used another Amex number to pay bills of £2660 and £6000.

Lakhdar-Ghazal also admitted possessing a counterfeit American Express card, details of seventeen bank accounts on bits of paper and details of another fifty-four on his mobile phone, in connection with fraud on December 13.

He also admitted fraud at Durley House Hotel, namely obtaining bank details and falsely representing to Eurostar he was entitled to use a card to pay a £572.00 fare.

A search of his Queens Hotel room revealed Amex card numbers which had run up charges of another £85,000, plus attempts totaling £26,000.

Lakhdar-Ghazal insists his spending totaled only £15,000, but accepts associates used numbers he supplied to spend £85,000 at other top private members clubs, luxury retailer Luis Vuitton, Noura Brasserie and Piccadilly’s Moroccan Momo restaurant.

One of the victims is movie tough-guy Dolph Lundgren.

He attended a hotel management course in Marbella, Spain, and the Durley House management internship was his first job in the U.K.

Prosecutor Mr. Stephen Winberg told the court Lakhdar-Ghazal convinced the British Luxury Club his father was phoning him card details to pay the huge bar bill, but on all three occasions he was using victims’ details.

His collection of bankcard details included numbers, expiry dates and the three-digit ccv security code.

“He began to associate with gentlemen who were indulging in a lavish lifestyle and saw an opportunity that led him down a road resulting in disappointment for him and his family,” said Miss Rachel Ramez, defending.

“He noted down numbers and his benefit was several very expensive nights out. The cards were used much wider by other people, but he admitted he started the ball rolling.

“He is embarrassed and ashamed he went after a lifestyle of this sort at such cost,” added Miss Ramez. “All he wants to do is return home with his family. He is struggling being apart from them.”

DI Richard Fisher, head of the cheque and credit card unit at City of London Police said: "Today's sentencing is the result of hard work by our officers and again sends out a clear message that criminals will not be allowed to get away with credit card fraud "

Dad Killed Crying Tot Who Disturbed His Computer Game

A young father with a history of child neglect, who killed his 25-day old daughter because she cried as he played a computer game the first time he was left alone with her, was caged for five years today.

Relatives twice tried to alert Kent social services of the potential risk 24 year-old refuse collector Christopher Sellman posed, but information was not passed on.

“This is a tragic case,” Mr. Justice Bean told the defendant (pictured) at Inner London Crown Court. “Your daughter Tiffany was left in your care the first time and within one hour she was effectively dead.

“Playing a computer game you were an annoyed when she cried and slammed her down on a nappy-changing pad.”

Sellman – who was previously cautioned by police for child neglect – was convicted of little Tiffany Sellman Burdge’s manslaughter at the former family home in Greggs Wood Road, Tunbridge Wells.

He was cleared of murdering the tot who died at King’s College Hospital, Camberwell, South-East London on November 1, 2008 from a pre-existing fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.

With time on remand and the usual discount Sellman will walk free in eighteen months.

Sellman, of The Hurst, Tonbridge was arrested on suspicion of murder the next day, but throughout the police investigation he could not give an accurate account of what had happened to Tiffany prior to his 999 call.

“You intended her no harm, but you treated her roughly and unlawfully killed her,” Mr. Justice Bean told the defendant.

“I accept she was more than usually vulnerable because of a skull fracture received at birth, but any one month-old baby is tiny, fragile and vulnerable.”

The court heard how Sellman had told a number of people at least five different accounts of what had happened.

Relatives twice sought to alert agencies that Sellman's partner, Pamela Burdge, was pregnant with Tiffany, an executive summary of a serious case review by Kent Safeguarding Children Board said.

On the first occasion they spoke to a health visitor but the information was not passed to Kent children's social services (CSS). The second time relatives raised concern a social worker failed to register it.

Two other children under his care had been taken away from him and a former partner in the past by children's social services following concerns about them.

The report concluded any child born to the couple would be “high risk.”

Sellman’s QC Sarah Forshaw told the court: “All the evidence is that this man was a loving and devoted father to Tiffany. He was delighted at the news they were to have a baby.”

The QC said the death occurred during a “momentary” lack of care. “A single moment in an instant. Not pre-meditated.

“The baby before this incident was well cared for and well loved.

“Nothing will bring back Tiffany in this case. If he could Mr. Sellman would.”

While in custody the defendant has been attacked twice by other inmates. “He has been treated as something of a pariah,” added Miss Forshaw.

Sellman’s ABH conviction was for attacking his older uncle, who had a previously dated the defendant’s then girlfriend, and reportedly tried to rape her.

The neglect caution was for bringing up the same girlfriend’s young son in “untidy and unsanitary” conditions.

Phone-Box Thug Stabs Young Dad To Death

A knife-wielding thug, who brutally stabbed a young dad-of-two to death in an unprovoked late-night attack in historic Greenwich, is starting a life sentence with a 22-year minimum.

Local man Paul Martin, 25, was stabbed five times by 28 year-old stranger Michael Bowden who suddenly emerged from a phone box in an agitated state and launched his deadly attack.

He was convicted by an Old Bailey jury of murdering Mr. Martin, who has a daughter Elle, 3 and a son Tommy, 2 in Greenwich Church Street on March 29, last year.

Police were called at 2:15 am to reports of a fight and found Mr. Martin (pic.top) – who had been enjoying a quiet night out with friends - with stab wounds.

He was taken to Kings College Hospital, Camberwell where he died later that morning.

Self-employed plumber Paul had been out with his partner Jesca Ryan – the mother of his two children - and another couple, enjoying a meal before moving on to a nightclub.

They left the club and were waiting for a friend to pick them up and take them home when Bowden (pic.bottom) came out of a nearby phone box and started verbally abusing Paul for no reason and moved to attack him.

The killer - who was undergoing treatment for drink-related anger issues - had failed to get in touch with his girlfriend on the phone and took his frustration out on the first person he saw - Mr. Martin.

Paul's friend tried to intervene by standing between Paul and Bowden and as he did so Bowden kept lunging at Paul as if he was punching him.

During the attack Bowden shouted to the friend to 'move your girlfriend out of the way' before lunging at Paul again who put his arms up to try and block him.

The incident only lasted a minute before Bowden ran off from the scene towards Roan Street.

It was at this point that Paul's friends realised he had been stabbed and that he was bleeding profusely from his face, neck and chest and soon lost consciousness.

Paul's friend's tried to stem the blood loss as best they could before the ambulance arrived but he sadly died later that morning in hospital despite having undergone emergency surgery.

The post mortem examination gave cause of death as massive blood loss caused by stab wounds to the neck and chest.

Detectives from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command launched a murder enquiry and calls made by Bowden from the phone box to his girlfriend led police to him.

Detective Inspector Chris Stanley said: "This was a heinous crime. I would like to thank the CPS and police team for a professional prosecution, and I would like to express my admiration for Paul's family who have shown great dignity and courage throughout this trial.

"Bowden was a vicious and calculating thug who deserved to face the full force of the law."

Paul’s mother Lydia Martin said: “I have found it difficult to put into words how I feel and I don't think there are words which express how Paul's death has affected us as a family.

“My son was only with us for 25 years and no mother or father should have to bury their child.

“The news of the death of our son in such a needless and violent end was absolutely devastating.

“I could not believe what I was hearing and I was in a state of disbelief. I have found the situation so hard to come to terms with.”

Jesca said: “When I had to explain to my two year old daughter, Elle, that her daddy had been taken from us by a bad man my heart just sank and I died a little inside.

"This has had a permanent overbearing effect on our daughter's life. She is always asking me about her daddy. She doesn't sleep properly at night because she worries that the bad man is going to come and take her away.

"Our son Tommy's birthday is just two weeks after the anniversary of Paul's death and although he may not have any memories of his father, his birthday is always going to be tainted with a sadness which will never be forgotten.

"I lost my best friend and my soul mate. Our children lost a father and a role model, and the world lost the most genuine and original person I have ever known.

“Paul will never be forgotten by any of us. Rest in peace Paul, I will always love you."