BNP Hate-Monger Forced To Attend Left-Wing Race Classes

A failed BNP election candidate, who attacked four anti-racist demonstrators while hurling a torrent of abuse, dodged prison, but must attend race awareness classes.

Jobless David Robin Clarke, 41, of Dunley Drive, New Addington only polled 518 votes in the Heathfield ward during the May 6 Croydon council election.

He was placed on a twelve month community order at Croydon Magistrates' Court which includes an education, training and employment requirement as well as the diversity awareness programme.

He denied, but was convicted after a trial of asaulting Hope Not Hate campaigner Silvia Beckett and Nigel Green outside East Croydon railway station on May 27, last year and assaulting Lorna Nelson-Homian and James Cox on May 29.

Prosecutor Angela Williams told the court it was nearly 7pm on May 27 when anti-BNP protesters were handing out leaflets and angry Clarke (pictured) approached.

"He knocked the leaflets out of Mr. Green's hand and knocked them out of Ms. Beckett's hand and returned with threats telling them: 'The Morden lot will be here'."

Mr. Green told police Clarke pushed him and grabbed his arm then returned, pushing Ms. Beckett out of the way, almost knocking her off her feet.

Clarke, who was wearing a 'Screwdriver' T-shirt - the notorious Blood & Honour' right-wing rock band - at the time claims he reacted to "Nazi" slurs hurled by the group.

Two days later he confronted the pacifist protesters again shouting: "Fucking scumbags. Filth on our streets, taking our jobs."

Again he snatched leaflets and pushed and shoved both victims and was arrested after being identified on CCTV.

"He is deeply regretful and remourceful," Clarke's lawyer Diana Payne told the court. "He feels the actions of the complainants was aggressive and provocative and brought on the situation.

"He has been in conflict before due to his political allegiances, but this incident, he feels, was not of his own making and the complainants were unprofessional politically in the way they were behaving.

"It was an unfortunate clash of characters that day."

Clarke has previous convictions for violence, but has stayed out of trouble for twelve years.

District Judge Robert Hunter told Clarke: "You must realise the complainants have the same right to express their views as you and must have the right to do that without fear of assault.

"I hope you successfully complete this order and put this behind you. If you fail to comply you can be brought back and re-sentenced."

Rookie Drug-Dealer Falls Foul Of Police

A rookie drug-dealer's academic career lies in tatters after he was locked-up for two years when undercover police caught him red-handed selling heroin and cocaine in a midnight street deal.

Lambeth College student Dominic Marfo, 19, of King George House, Stockwell Road, Stockwell had offers from four different universities to pursue a degree.

He pleaded guilty to possessing small amounts of the class A drugs, with intent to supply, in nearby Clapham, South-West London on August 8, last year.

Inner London Crown Court's annexe (pictured) heard plain-clothes officers - employed in an anti-drug operation - heard a scruffy male approach the defendant and shout: "Oi. Have you got it?"

The pair walked down a quiet side street where the male paid Marfo £50 for three wraps of heroin and three wraps of cocaine.

First-time offender Marfo was arrested and when his bedroom was searched police found all the usual evidence of drug-dealing; electric scales, clingfilm, plastic bags, rubber gloves and £140 cash.

When quizzed the defendant told officers: "You don't know how much pressure I'm under," claiming he was forced to the streets to repay a debt to a violent drug dealer.

Sentencing him to two years youth custody Judge John Wakefield told Marfo: "The police are doing their best to stamp out heroin and cocaine. Anyone who takes part in the trade must expect a severe custodial sentence."

Two-Year Hangover Begins For Champagne-Loving Swindler

The boss of a luxury car hire firm who swindled creditors and a retired gay couple in a £610,000 fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle in London and St Tropez has been locked-up for two years.

Iranian-born Koroush Pour, 33, of Glasswater Road, Crossgar, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, tricked victims into believing he was a playboy member of the Kuwaiti royal family with an eight-figure trust fund.

Heartless Pour smooth-talked the retired nurses out of £150,000 – their life savings - and took almost half a million pounds from business creditors.

Pour was a regular on the international party scene, spending thousands of pounds on a night out even paying 10,000 euros on a bottle of champagne while on the town in St Tropez, France.

Southwark Crown Court heard Pour befriended the couple while on holiday and persuaded them to hand over their savings and pension pot with the promise of investing the cash in euros at a high exchange rate.

At the same time he was the director of Kensington-based Swift Hire Ltd. specialising in the sale of expensive cars to the very rich, including Bentleys and Lamborghinis – lending one to BBC’s Top Gear show.

In November 2008 financers became suspicious of Pour’s business dealings and alerted the City of London Police.

Following an eight-month investigation he handed himself in and was arrested.

The company accounts revealed he obtained money for vehicles he did not buy, sold vehicles on without clearing the finance and in some cases purchased vehicles by forging existing customers details without their knowledge.

Pour used his ill-gotten gains to fund a life-style well beyond his means and to convince partygoers he was something and somebody he was not.

Detective Inspector Perry Stokes from the City of London Police fraud sqaud, said: "While it lasted Koroush Pour enjoyed a champagne lifestyle funded by other people’s money.

“Now, however, the party is over and all that Pour has to look forward to is a prison sentence.

"This conviction sends out another warning to all those fraudsters who think they are too clever to be caught.

“The banks and the City of London Police are working together to crack their codes and bring fraudsters to justice.

“I would also urge anyone who is thinking of using a private investor to make detailed checks before handing money over.

“This is the best way to protect yourself against people like Pour.”

“It is a sophisticated fraud,” prosecutor Mr. Angus Bunyan told the court. “The company dealt in high-value cars and started off legitimately, but he defrauded a bank by obtaining credit for purchases of vehicles he either did not purchase or obtained credit in false names, using names of customers.”

Pour pleaded guilty to knowingly carrying on the business of a company, namely Swift Hire Ltd., with intent to defraud a creditor, namely Lombard North PLC, contrary to the Companies Act, between January 1, 2006 and September 31, 2007 and between October 1, 2007 and October 5, last year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court.

He also admitted that between January 1, 2006 and October 1, this year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, he was knowingly party to the carrying on of a business, namely Swift Hire Ltd. for a fraudulent purpose, namely dishonestly completing vehicle hire purchase agreements, contrary to the Companies Act.

Pour is accused of financing vehicles through Lombard North Central PLC, a division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and financing the same vehicles through his customers, therefore doubling up and also using customers details to finance from Lombard.

Pour also pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation to Martyn York and John Mercy that he would exchange £150,000 for Euros at an exchange rate of £1 to 1.39 Euros and credit their account between February 9 and October 31, 2008, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court.

Many of the luxury vehicles have been sold to repay Lombard’s debts, but the couple are still suffering outstanding losses of £122,000.

Pour had shared a home with his Irish wife and three children.

Fake-Sheikh Fraudsters Jailed

Two fraudsters, who posed as agents for a multi-millionaire Arab sheikh in a $58m property deal to scam three South African businessmen, have been jailed for two years each.

The property developers, who had jetted to the U.K. seeking investment for a huge ranch project, became suspicious when asked for a £35,000 cash deposit and tipped off police.

Nigerians Chukwuma Emetu, 34, (pic.l) and Ifeanyichkwu Kalu, 34, (pic.r) both of Parrock Street, Gravesend, Kent, pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation to Bernhardt Richter on April 6 that an Old Mutual plc bond was genuine, with intent to make a gain.

They were arrested when City of London police suddenly burst in on a Canary Wharf meeting the fraudsters had arranged to exchange the bogus bond for cash.

They were jailed at the Old Bailey after City of London Magistrates’ Court committed the pair in custody for sentencing.

The victims had published their proposal and were seeking investment of $58m when contacted by the defendants, who claimed they represented Sheikh Mohammed of Qatar and a London meeting arranged.

They had employed false names and identities in a bid to convince the businessmen they were working on behalf of a middle-eastern venture capitalist.

The South-Africans arrived believing they were entering legitimate negotiations to sell 40% of their company.

As part of the deal the defendants demanded a £35,000 deposit, which would be invested in a bond issued by Old Mutual plc and given to the three businessmen.

The victims became suspicious at the meeting, held in an office available for hourly hire, and asked the men for id, but were refused.

Enquiries with Old Mutual plc revealed the bond was fraudulent and City of London police were contacted, arresting the defendants at a follow-up meeting, when they again hoped to get their hands on the cash.

Detective Inspector Perry Stokes of the Economic Crime Directorate, said: “ This was a particularly audacious scam, which would have succeeded were it not for the awareness of the South African businessmen and the quick response from my team.

“What is most pleasing for me is it took only thirty-seven days from receiving the initial complaint to when these two criminals were sent to prison. This shows sophisticated fraud investigations do not always have to be lengthy enquiries

“Advances in communication methods mean fraudsters often target individuals from different nationalities living in different countries, however these criminals can be stopped and brought to justice by people staying vigilant and reporting their suspicions to the police.”

Three Years For 16 Year-Old Gang Gunman

A Hackney teen, persuaded by a notorious local street gang to ‘mind’ a sawn-off shotgun recovered by police from his bedroom in an early-morning raid, was locked-up for three years today after admitting his first-ever crime.

The 16 year-old, of Eastdown House, Amhurst Road, pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to possessing a prohibited weapon at the address on February 10.

His lawyers had suggested the teen was intimidated into looking after the weapon, but Judge Roger Chapple did not find exceptional circumstances to pass a sentence less then the three-year statutory minimum.

Along with the weapon police recovered violent handwritten gangster-rap lyrics glorifying the ‘A-Road Gang’ with lines like: “Fuck with us and you’ll see the barrels of a twin-gauge.”

Prosecutor Mr. Colin Hart told the court officers armed with a search warrant entered the flat, which the defendant shares with his mother and sister, at 7am and found the gun hidden under clothing in the bottom of the wardrobe.

When quizzed by police the teen confessed having the Italian-made 20-bore gun for a month. “He claimed a member of the Amhurst Road Gang told him to look after it.”

He also told officers he had forgotten whether he was the author of the violent lyrics or had been given them by somebody else.

“These lyrics refer to firearms, shooting and killing people,” Judge Chapple told the youth, who cannot be identified because of his age. “You have pleaded guilty to a serious offence.”

OAP Murder: Grandson Charged

A man accused of murdering his 83 year-old grandmother – found battered to death at her North London home – has appeared in court.

James Malcolm Langlands, 26 - known as Jack – was the subject of a police manhunt and was arrested in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

His grandmother, Doris Langlands, died from head injuries at her two-storey semi-detached house in Green Dragon Lane, Winchmore Hill.

Langlands (pictured) appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court after being charged by officers based at the Sutton incident room.

Girl Teen Stabs Race-Row Dad

A 19 year-old, who stabbed her father during a violent race row - plunging a 5" vegetable knife into his leg - has dodged custody with a suspended sentence.

Crystal Bembridge followed her father upstairs at the family's Mitcham, South-West London home, and stabbed him as the row turned violent.

Neighbours called police and officers discovered bloodstained Henry Bembridge leaving via the back door and he was rushed to Mayday Hospital's casualty department for emergency surgery.

Crystal pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court (pictured) to maliciously wounding her father on August 15, last year, causing him grievous bodily harm.

The court heard the defendant lives at the house with her parents and three other siblings and an argument broke out with Mr. Bembridge accusing Crystal's 15 year-old visiting friend of being a racist.

Family members joined in the row - taking the side of the 15 year-old - and the shouting and name-calling escalated until things got physical.

Mr. Bembridge pushed the defendant over a couple of times while unleashing a torrent of abuse and stormed upstairs, closely followed by Crystal who had grabbed the knife from the kitchen.

The mother tried to calm things down, even threatening to call 999, but Mr. Bembridge simply yanked the phone out of her hand and was then stabbed in the thigh by Crystal.

He received a two-inch wound that required seven stitches and refused to lodge an official complaint against his daughter, who confessed to the stabbing when quizzed by police.

Crystal was sentenced to fifty-one weeks custody, suspended for eighteen months and was placed under probation supervision for the same period.

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.