Bogus Licence Lands Italian In Jail

An Italian who tried to hoodwink London police with a fake driving licence he bought for £100 in a back street shop has been jailed for four months.

Jobless driver Massimillano Mantovani, 44, was stopped by cops because his Lexus had no vehicle insurance near Elephant and Castle - where he bought the badly forged Italian licence.

He pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court (pictured) to possessing a false identity document on March 17, with intent to deceive.

The court heard officers immediately identified the licence - valid until 2019 - as a "poor quality" fake which Mantovani confessed to buying in a shop.

The first-time offender has never passed a driving test in his home country.

"You wanted to persuade people you could lawfully drive in this country when you couldn't," Judge Roger Chapple told Mantovani.

Romanian Cashpoint Crooks At It Yet Again

A crooked couple, caught by police with nearly one hundred cloned cards they used to raid cashpoints of £1600 in the heart of London’s financial district, were each caged for six months today.

Builder Sorin Vornicu, 22, and cleaner Nicoleta Buziuc, 23, both of Curzon Crescent, Barking, Essex pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal in Ludgate Circus on February 8.

Southwark Crown Court heard the Romanian-born first time offenders were spotted acting suspiciously at various bank cashpoints by a plain-clothed police officer – repeatedly using different cards in a small area.

When stopped 65 blank cloned cards with magnetic strips and four-digit pin numbers printed on them were found on Buziuc along with £1,000 cash.

Inside Vornicu’s underpants police found another 23 similar cloned cards and £600 cash.

Many of the cards were Australian, suggesting a well-planned international fraud, but the defendants insist they were mere “foot soldiers” sent out by organisers who manufactured them.

“This was an extensive and well planned fraud,” Judge Deborah Taylor told the pair, who have been in custody since their arrest, sentencing each of them to six months’ imprisonment.

Burglar Leaves DNA At Break-In

This is the face of bungling burglar Joe Fagan - who left tell-tale DNA at a break-in after cutting his hand smashing through a rear window - and is now starting a two-and-a-half year prison stretch.

The 30 year-old of Davis Way, Sidcup, Kent pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to burgling the residential property in nearby Erith on October 24, last year, stealing a Nintendo Wii and accessories worth £310.

Officers from Bexley's burglary squad investigated after the couple who live at the address returned home to find their rear kitchen window damaged and the property taken.

Police forensic scene examiners found traces of blood on the windowsill and Fagan, who is on the national DNA databse after earlier crimes, was identified and arrested on November 9.

Detective Sergeant Shelley Barrett said: "Burglary is a crime that can be both financially costly and emotionally devastating for victims and their families.

"In the absence of any witness to this burglary the blood sample obtained by the forensic scene examiner, which transpired to be a full DNA match for Fagan, was vital in securing a conviction against him in court."

City Stockbroker's Rogue Trade Cost Company Over £2 Million

A rogue City trader whose shares "gamble" resulted in £2million-plus losses was told he faces prison after admitting a cover-up involving over four million HSBC shares.

Jonathan Bunn, 31, of The Villiers, Gower Road, Weybridge, Surrey, a broker with Bishopsgate-based Lewis Charles Securities Ltd. hoped the share price he would pay after agreeing unauthorised sales would plunge - resulting in huge profits.

However, the price he had to pay rose, wiping out any potential profit, leaving the company in the red and Bunn's immediate boss Loizou Stavros with a £350,000 personal loss.

Prosecutor Mr. David Levy told Southwark Crown Court: "It was a gamble. The defendant hoped the shares would drop. He made no personal gain, but there was a massive loss."

Bunn pleaded guilty to falsifying a document required for an accounting purpose, namely a trade slip, which was misleading, false or deceptive regarding 4,350,000 HSBC shares between July 22 and 23, last year contrary to the Theft Act.

He denied that between July 20 and 31, 2009 he dishonestly abused his position by engaging in unauthorized trades resulting in losses in excess of £2 million, contrary to the Fraud Act and that count will lie on the file.

"The defendant has accepted the totality. He has acted improperly in his position as a trader by engaging in trades where he agreed to sell shares before he bought them," explained Mr. Levy.

"The defendant is responsible for these losses and caused a personal loss to the owner in excess of three hundred and fifty thousand pounds."

The Recorder of Westminster Geoffrey Rivlin QC told Bunn: "This is a very serious matter. You know I cannot make any promises and custody is the likely sentence.

"I don't want you to read anything into the fact I am granting you bail," added the Judge, bailing Bunn until June 24 for a pre sentence report on condition he resides at his recorded address, reports twice a week to police and cooperates with the probation service.

The Financial Services Authority were alerted to the rogue trades and alerted the City of London Police's Economic Crime Department.

Dancefloor Victim Scarred For Life By Drunken Woman

A woman who claims her bottom was groped on a pub’s dance floor by another drinker, who she left permanently scarred following violent retribution, has been caged for sixteen months.

The male victim needed seventeen stitches to his mouth after being repeatedly punched and kicked by her and an accomplice, who continued the attack outside.

Monika Friedrich, 26, of Charlgrove Road, Tottenham, North London pleaded guilty to assaulting 35 year-old Paul Krzywdziak, causing him actual bodily harm, at McGowan’s, Neasden Circle, Neasden, (pictured) on June 22, 2008.

Inner London Crown Court heard first-time offender Friedrich, who only gave birth to her first child four months ago, took part in a joint attack on the victim with a male friend still wanted by police.

The victim was struck about the face and back and escaped into the street, where he was followed by the defendant and her friend, beaten to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the face.

Mr. Krzywdziak suffered deep lacerations to his upper and lower lips, swollen eyes, bruising to his nose, back and shoulders and lumps to his head.

“ I asses you as a dangerous woman due to the nature of the injuries, the prolonged attack and the way in which you took out your fury,” Judge Diana Faber told Friedrich.

“You are a lady of wholly unpredictable character who inflicted serious injuries to your victims face.”

When quizzed by police the defendant insisted the victim groped her as she enjoyed a night out with friends, but was further angered after losing a front tooth in the initial fracas.

“He touched my bum and I said: ‘What are you doing? F*** off’,” Friedrich told officers. “I was drunk, I pushed him and he pushed me and I decided I would leave and continue the fight.

“I gave him a lot of kicks everywhere,” she admitted and CCTV evidence proved Friedrich returned to the victim three times to deliver more kicks and blows.

Judge Faber told the defendant: “You accept kicking him repeatedly while he was on the ground. You were responding to your fury at having your tooth knocked out.”

Friedrich almost collapsed in the dock when told she was going to prison and extra staff were alerted to escort her to the cells.

“She is suffering quite badly through stress as a result of these proceedings,” her lawyer Harry Bentley told the court. “It has been a thoroughly shameful experience for her.

“She admits her response to the events of that evening were completely over the top and says she is sorry these injuries were caused to the gentleman.”

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."