Fiddling Commons Clerk Follows Crooked MPs Lead

An ex-House of Commons official was caught swindling £6,000 in bogus secretarial expenses by forging MPs’ signatures on claim forms.

Andrew Gibson, 50, (pic.l.) of Athol Square, Limehouse, Docklands, a former enquiry officer in the House of Commons fees office, was only discovered because of the huge probe into MPs expense claims.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to three counts of obtaining money transfers by deception.

His friend and co-defendant Toni Pomfret, 49, (pic.r.) of Pembroke Drive, Goffs Oak, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to three counts of acquiring criminal property.

The pair - both keen gamblers who ran up huge debts - met while working at the Royal Mail during the 1990s and after taking voluntary redundancy found new jobs.

At the request of the Audit Committee, former MPs were asked to examine past expense claims before they were published in the media under the Freedom of Information Act.

When copies of claims for the years 2004/2005 were sent to former MP for Linlithgow, West Lothian, Tam Dalyell, his wife – his parliamentary secretary –spotted a bogus signature, which was not his.

The MP had never received services of that nature from the company described.

The form had been submitted to the House of Commons 'Department of Finance & Administration' in July 2005, for the allowance years 2004/2005.

The claim purported to be from Tam Dalyell.

Attached to the claim form was an invoice from 'TP Typing & Secretarial Services'.

The invoice described 'four weeks typing and secretarial services, April 2005' and amounted to £1,600.

The total charge (including VAT at 17.5 per cent) was £1,880.

The claim was not questioned at the time as Tam Dalyell had already left Parliament when this claim was submitted.

Further enquiries conducted by the House of Commons revealed that a further two false expense claims had been submitted in the name of two other MPs by the same 'company'.

These were in the name of Linda Perham, former MP for Ilford North, and Matthew Green, former MP for Ludlow, Shropshire, both of whom had also left the House of Commons after the 2005 election.

All of the claims - totalling £6,000 - had been paid in to a bank account opened in the name of T Pomfret.

Staff at the House of Commons alerted officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's Economic and Specialist Crime Unit who began an investigation.

Officers quizzed Pomfret and shortly afterwards they were contacted by Gibson, who was arrested.

It emerged that Gibson - whose job as an enquiry officer involved advising MPs on expenses procedures - owed Pomfret money.

Using his intimate knowledge of the Common's expenses system he submitted the false claims in a bid to repay his debt.

Both defendants will be sentenced at the end of the month.

Police Hunt Lithuanian Murder Suspect

This is the face of a murder suspect police are offering a £20,000 reward to capture as they continue their hunt for the killer of a young Lithuanian man stabbed through the heart in a crowded house.

Tomas Lapsevic, 21, was fatally wounded on August 30, last year in Hyde Way, Hayes, West London.

Police are seeking fellow-Lithuanian Eineris Olsevicius, 26, (pictured), who lived at the address and fled, leaving personal items behind, after the murder.

“Despite releasing a picture of a man we wish to speak to in connection with this enquiry and offering a substantial reward, a full year-on, we have been unable to hold anyone to account for the death of Tomas,” said Detective Inspector David Kennett of the Met’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

“I have no doubt there are people out there who can assist us and ensure that those responsible for Tomas's death are identified and located so that they can be placed before the courts.”

Police were called at about 3am to a stabbing at a residential address occupied by up to nine people who were present when an argument started.

Many of them were either present or close by when the victim was stabbed.

Others, having been woken up by the noise came downstairs to find their friend/flatmate stabbed.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem gave the cause of death as a single stab wound to the heart.

Any witnesses or anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8247 7821 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

There have been no arrests at present.

DJ Paralysed By Nightclub Attack

A brutal nightclub thug, who left a popular DJ paralysed for life following a row over a spilt drink, will be free to maim again in just 15 months.

Iraqi-born Ali Abdul-Hamid, 27, of Lanark Road, Maida Vale, West London left 29 year-old Sami Shariff (pic.top) unable to walk or talk and needing 24-hour care for the rest of his life.

Performing a Latin-music set at the ‘La Bomba’ event at SeOne Club, Weston Street, London Bridge as DJ Sami Sanchez, the victim was accused of spilling the defendant’s pal’s drink.

He was assaulted by the man and after closing-time was pulled from a taxi by Abdul-Hamid, (pic.bottom) thrown against a wall and punched and kicked as he lay helpless on the floor.

The defendant, who fled to his homeland, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Sami on May 4, last year and was sentenced to three-and-half years imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court.

He will be released after serving half that period, minus six months spent on remand following his extradition from Iraq.

Sami travelled to his home in Weymouth Street, Marylebone, but when friends failed to contact him police forced their way in and he was rushed to hospital in critical condition with severe bleeding to the brain.

He was later transferred to Putney’s Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability, making great progress after originally being declared brain-dead (pic.mid.).

CCTV footage of the attack identified Abdul-Hamid as the assailant.

“Sami was an energetic, popular and creative young man who loved spending time with his family and friends and performing as a DJ,” said Detective Constable Suzanne Litton.

“This assault has ruined his life and that of those close to him.

“Sami has suffered significant life changing injuries, he is paralysed on his left side, has lost the ability to speak and is fed via a peg.

“He will spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair and will require 24-hour nursing care.

“A minor incident involving a drink has led to this young man's life being destroyed following a senseless attack and nothing can ever be done to bring him back to the person he was before.

“I know that today's sentence will not lessen the pain felt by those that love him, but I sincerely hope that the fact that Abdul-Hamid has been brought before the court to face justice will bring some sense of closure to this tragic event.”

Stokoe Porno No-No

A Croydon chauffeur, who downloaded 4,236 stills and moving images of children aged seven to twelve being sexually abused, has lost his family and his liberty.

First-time offender Peter Stokoe, 56, of Warren Avenue was raided by officers from the Met’s Paedophile Unit who seized a quantity of laptops and computers from his home.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court (pictured) to fifteen sample charges of making indecent images from online file-sharing and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment.

Prosecutor Miss Usha Shergill told the court police, also assisted by officers from the Clubs and Vice Unit, executed a search warrant at the defendant’s home on January 20.

“An investigation by the Paedophile Unit had identified Stokoe as a downloader of a significant number of child abuse videos,” explained the prosecutor.

As a result Stokoe’s third wife has left him and his eldest daughter, who has four of the defendant’s grandchildren, refuses to have any further contact with her father.

“The images were of an extremely disturbing and graphic nature,” added Miss Shergill, telling the court the investigating officer, who has spent five years in the field, found them the worst examples he had ever seen.

When quizzed by police Stokoe initially only admitted looking at pop-up’s sent to his computer without consent, but then admitted downloading child pornography.

The moving images and pictures depict under-age boys and girls involved in sexual activity with adults, sometimes including bondage.

Stokoe’s lawyer Mr. Howard Jones told the court: “His eldest daughter has made it clear she no longer wishes to have ant contact with him at all. He is suffering real consequences of his offending.

“He downloaded multiple images in one click. His interest is in teenage girls.

“He got into something that became a habit and then an obsession,” added Mr. Jones. “He is not a manipulative paedophile and come into this late in life, in his fifties.

“He was shocked to discover in the police interview how serious this was.

“Prison is going to be a culture shock to him. It’s is likely he will have to be on a protective wing.”

Judge Peter Testar told Stokoe, who has also served in the Royal Navy: “I’m afraid it must be a custodial sentence.

“When children are subjected to the most appalling abuse, which is depicted in these images, they are going to suffer for the rest of their lives.

“The reason these images are made in the first place is so they can be passed on for others to see. People who are downloading these images are fuelling the market.

“The children are very young and are children who are really suffering quite considerably as a result of what is being done to them,” added the Judge.

Stokoe was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and was made subject to a sexual offences protection order for five years, which limits his ability to offend in a similar way on release.

Lady Cabbie Fondled By Blind Passenger

A blind serial groper, who grabbed his female mini-cab driver’s breasts a she drove him to his mother’s house, has been sent to a secure hospital for psychiatric treatment.

Neil Middlehurst, 55, of Boundary Road, Wallington has an obsession with fondling women – often innocent Good Samaritan’s assisting him – and has twice previously been jailed.

He appeared at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) after being convicted at Sutton Magistrates’ Court to indecently assaulting the driver on November 13, last year and breaching an ASBO prohibiting such conduct.

Prosecutor Miss Shahnaz Ahmed told the court Springfield Hospital, Tooting booked a mini-cab to take Middlehurst home for the weekend to visit his 84 year-old mother.

“The victim says during the journey he touched her on the top of her thigh and she told him: ‘Keep your hands to yourself’.

“He then grabbed her left breast and she says she knew it was not an accident,” added the prosecutor.

When they arrived at Boundary Road Middlehurst’s mother was not at home and the driver was groped again as she leaned into the car. “He grabbed her left breast again.”

A male driver returned the defendant to Springfield Hospital, where concerned staff called police.

Middlehurst told officers: “I don’t know why I did this.”

Afterwards the victim told police: “More needs to be done, I was incredibly angry at what he has done and with the hospital for letting this happen.”

In June 2004 he was sentenced to sixteen months imprisonment for three counts of indecent assault on women helping him cross the road.

He was also jailed for a year in 2001 for a similar offence.

Dr. Paul Cantrell of Woodleigh Community Hospital, Elmwood Road, Croydon, where Middlehurst will be treated, told the court: “Throughout his life he has offended in a similar fashion.

“I think there is a link between his mental condition and his offending,” added the doctor who will treat the defendant for a bipolar disorder.

“This was a nasty offence as far as the victim was concerned and must have frightened her,” Judge Nicholas Ainley told Middlehurst.

Making the Section 37 Hospital Order the Judge added: “We can imagine how terrified any other potential victim would be and there would be one without a treatment and hospital order. You have a compulsion.”

Judge Ainley also made a Section 41 order, forcing Middlehurst to apply to an independent tribunal before he can be considered for release.

Benefits Cheat Grasses Herself Up

A benefits cheat who pocketed over £16,000 in taxpayers cash while employed full-time with a high street estate agent's has dodged jail.

Mum-of-two Desire Easmon, 40, of Kingscroft, Clapham, South-West London continued claiming income support while earning £350 per week and receiving holiday and maternity pay.

She pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to failing to notify a change of circumstances to the Department of Work and Pensions between February 24, 2003 and January 10, 2007, namely employment with Haart estate agents.

The court heard Easmon began claiming benefits in 1994 and continued after getting a job as a branch administrator, but this was only revealed when she informed her local Jobcentre in January, 2007.

The first-time offender received a total of £16,506 and has not repaid a penny.

Easmon claims the loss to taxpayers is only £2,000 because she was entitled to the bulk of the money anyway in working tax credits.

She was placed on a 12 month community order and must complete 180 hours community service work.

Notorious Crime Family: Car Chase Robber Brother Binned

A wanted robber, who snatched a necklace from a shop assistant’s neck then fled from police in a high-speed chase through residential streets in a car snatched from his grandmother, has been locked-up for twenty-five months.

Jobless Dujon Fyle, 18, of Witton Lane, Bromley, formerly of George Lane, Lewisham was being hunted by police after he was identified on CCTV ripping the chain from the diminutive female victim.

Fyle pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to robbing the victim in Costcutter, (pictured) Brockley Road, Brockley on May 15.

He also pleaded guilty to the aggravated taking and driving away of his grandmother’s Renault Megane on June 4 and driving it dangerously and without insurance in Adelaide Avenue, Brockley Road and Lewisham Way.

Prosecutor Mr. Shiraz Ruston told the court it was 3.30pm when Fyle entered the shop and as the victim stacked shelves grabbed her £300 necklace from behind.

“A degree of force was used. She was a small vulnerable victim who had no chance of fighting back,” explained the prosecutor. “She says she was very shaken by it.”

Three weeks later police tried to stop Fyle who had snatched his grandmother’s spare car keys and took her vehicle behind her back.

“The Megane made of at speed and during the chase a red light was shot, with the vehicle overtaking on the wrong side of the road, reaching 60 mph in a residential area,” said Mr. Ruston.

Two parked vehicles were also damaged during the pursuit as Fyle collided with them.

The court heard Fyle, who has been offending since aged seven, endured a violent family background and his 22 year-old brother Leon, of Laleham Road, Catford was convicted in August of the murder of transsexual Destiny Lauren, 29, in Leighton Crescent, Kentish Town.

“He saw the chain and in a moment of opportunism grabbed that chain,” said Fyle’s lawyer Mr. Nigel Serjent. “In desperate times he acted stupidly and horribly.”

Fyle has previous convictions for multiple assaults, plus offences of robbery, theft, criminal damage and drug possession and also admitted he was in breach of a sixty hour community service order imposed last year.

“You went up behind her, grabbed her from behind and pulled at the gold necklace repeatedly and would not stop until you took it,” Judge Daniel Flahive told the defendant. “She was small and vulnerable.

“You also took your grandmother’s car and drove it dangerously through the streets of south-east London.”

Judge Flahive sentenced Fyle to twelve months youth custody for the robbery, plus twelve months consecutive for dangerous driving and one month’s consecutive for breaching the earlier order.

He received nine months concurrent for aggravated vehicle taking, was disqualified from driving for fifteen months and given eleven penalty points.

Hunt For Home-Invader Who Attacked 83 Year-Old Woman

Police have released this e-fit in the hope somebody can identify a “cowardly” home-invader who slashed an 83 year-old woman with a knife and tied her up before searching the home for valuables.

The victim was taken to hospital with serious injuries after the late-night break-in at her address in Sprowston Road, Forest Gate, East London on August 20.

When she disturbed the intruder he punched her in the face, threw her to the floor and demanded to know where she kept her valuable items.

When she refused to tell him he slashed her in the face and arms with a penknife.

He then forced a cloth into her mouth so violently to silence her – a tooth was chipped - and tied her hands and went on to search the property.

After stealing the victim’s white mobile phone he fled the scene, leaving the victim bound.

Her cries alerted a relative also staying at the address and emergency services were called.

The victim was treated for a dislocated arm; puncture wounds from the knife; a bruised and swollen face and the chipped tooth.

Inquiries continue to establish whether any further items aside from the phone were stolen.

The suspect is described as a dark-skinned black man, approx 5'4"-5'6" tall, with big dark eyes, small features and a full beard.

He was wearing dark clothing and a distinctive woolly hat with coloured stripes.

“This was a cowardly and vicious assault on a defenceless elderly woman in her own home for what would appear to be a theft of minimal value,” said Detective Inspector Andrew Furphy of Newham CID.

“The victim is understandably very shaken up by her ordeal and is anxious that police find the person responsible.”

“Do you recognise the person in the e-fit? Were you in the area at the time of the incident? Did you see anything suspicious? I would urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they think it might be, to contact police as a matter of urgency on 020 7275 5009. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

Grasping BA Boss Banged-Up For Ticket Swindle

A greedy British Airways ticket manager, who masterminded a £300,000 scam to rip-off last-minute customers, has been jailed for three years.

Mark Smith, 36, (pictured) of Eleanors Close, Thundridge, Ware, Hertfordshire bought-up cheaper advance flight tickets – changed the dates – then sold them on for a healthy profit.

He even set-up a company in 2007 to handle the sales and used the money to help buy a five-bedroom house with hot tub, a yacht and cars.

Smith was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court of conspiracy to defraud, plus four counts of transferring criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

British Airways alerted police in May 2008 to irregularities in relation to the purchase of their flight tickets.

“Mark Smith abused his trusted position to defraud his employers and mislead the general public who purchased tickets from him in good faith,” said Detective Inspector Barry Slade.

“This conviction shows that police will work closely with an airline to detect this type of crime and bring those responsible before the court.”

Police Still Hope To Catch Killer 8 Years On

Police have not given up their hunt for the killer of a North London man bludgeoned to death in his first-floor masionette over eight years ago and have reappealed for witnesses.

The battered body of 57 year-old Richard Watson (pictured) was discovered at his home in Kennedy Avenue, Ponders End on August 18, 2002.

There was no evidence of forced entry and Richard had died as a result of repeated heavy blows to the head with a blunt instrument.

Richard, who lived alone, was last seen alive six days earlier when he visited a building society in New Southgate.

He rarely allowed anyone access to his home, which he would routinely leave each morning, returning in the late afternoon/early evening.

Richard was seen most days in the community pushing his shopping trolley and regularly visited the Southgate area where he was a local betting office regular and ate at a nearby McDonald's.

“It is now eight years since Mr. Watson was brutally murdered in his own home. This case has never been closed and will remain open until the person/s responsible have been brought to justice,” announced Detective Inspector Neale Baldock of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

“Despite the passage of time, I believe there are people in the community who may know who is responsible for Mr. Watson's murder.

“Allegiances and loyalties can change in the intervening years and I appeal directly to those individuals with information to get in contact.

“I also appeal to anyone who has information, no matter how small or insignificant you feel it may be, to call the incident room.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 0208 345 3775. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Death-Wish Wheelchair Yob Bust's Cop's Jaw

A notorious wheelchair-bound thug, who broke a policeman’s jaw with a single punch while threatening to burn down his own Tolworth home, has been forced to continue hospital psychiatric treatment.

One-legged amputee Abraham O’Carroll, 62 - a serial ASBO breacher known as ‘Tipperary’ to long-suffering neighbours – will not be released until an independent tribunal says so.

The Irishman pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to maliciously wounding PC Nick Bondonno, inflicting grievous bodily harm, on September 2, last year at the Surrey address in Fullers Avenue.

Prosecutor Miss Anne Davies told the court: “Police were called by an ambulance crew because this defendant was threatening suicide.

“When police arrived at the scene at 9.25am they found him in a wheelchair threatening to burn the house down and he had a lighted piece of paper in his hand, causing his partner to fear for her safety.”

O’Carroll shouted: “I’m serious. I’m going to burn the house down.”

“The defendant raised himself up from the wheelchair and the officer moved in to ask him to sit down when Mr. O’Carroll clenched his fist and punched very hard in an upward motion,” added Miss Davies.

The officer was rushed to Kingston Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department and was transferred to St. George’s Hospital, Tooting for specialist care.

In a statement he explained: “I felt a crack and my lower jaw collided with my upper jaw and the force of the punch caused my head to flip back and there was a ringing sensation in my ear.

“I am very upset Abraham has done this to me when I explained to him I was at his address to help.

“I cannot eat solids, it’s hard to sleep and I have been removed from front-line police duties.”

In the tussle that followed O’Carroll (pictured) fell to the floor, knocking over the dining room table, before being handcuffed and arrested.

One paramedic, who regularly attended the defendant’s home, said in his statement: “He was desperate to know if police were going to attend and seemed as if he would have attacked any officer that had come to speak to him.

The attack was completely unprovoked.”

Doctors confirmed there was a fracture to the right side of the police officer’s jaw.

“When Mr. O’Carroll was questioned he said he was depressed because he had not had a drink since January and was a recovering alcoholic,” explained Miss Davies.

“He said he wanted to burn the house down and was trying to take his own life.”

O’Carroll has a record of offences stretching back forty years and in more recent times has been jailed for assaulting police, battery, causing actual bodily harm, common assault, has multiple ASBO breaches and a record of drunkenness and threatening behaviour.

He will continue receiving residential care for his agitated depressive state at the Priory Hospital, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire.

“This is a serious offence, an imprisonable offence,” Judge Fergus Mitchell told O’Carroll, making a Section 37 hospital order.

“He suffers from a mental disorder that makes it appropriate for him to be detained.

“This serious charge arose when he was in a wheelchair and with enormous force broke that officer’s jaw who was there to assist him.

“This is a case of serious violence and there is a history here.”

The Judge also made a Section 41 order, forcing O’Carroll to make a successful application for conditional discharge to an independent tribunal, before he can be allowed home.

Cocaine-Dealing Not Smart Says Judge

A wannabe Royal Engineer's dreams of a successful Army career are in tatters after he was locked up for dealing cocaine.

Jobless Ben Jeffery, 20, of Court Farm Road, Eltham, South-East London pleaded guilty to possessing 13 gms of cocaine, with intent to supply, on March 30.

He also admitted possessing criminal property from the sale of cocaine, namely £790 cash on the same date.

"This is class A drugs, not Smarties, he is dealing in," announced Croydon Crown Court (pictured) Judge Heather Baucher, sentencing Jeffery to two years youth custody.

"It is an immediate custodial sentence. We simply cannot have people running around the streets dealing drugs."

The first-time offender's lawyer told the court: "He was led astray by friends and wants to put his life back on track.

"He wants to join the Royal Engineers."

Millwall FC's Ex-Kids Coach Caged For Drugs Cache

An ex-Millwall Football Club schoolboys’ coach, who threw £12,000 worth of heroin and crack out his bedroom window during a police dawn raid, was jailed for five years and eight months today.

Operation Trident officers – who investigate violent black-on-black crime in the capital – were assisted by the Territorial Support Group and also seized £11,000 in drug-tainted cash.

Jobless Taurean Davis, 25, of Ardoch Road, Catford, South East London pleaded guilty to possessing 118 gms of heroin and 90 gms of crack cocaine, with intent to supply, at the address on January 20.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing a small quantity of cannabis and the proceeds of crime, namely £6,000 at the house, plus another £5,000 seized at his mother’s house in Ivydale Road, Nunhead.

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Ramsubhag told Croydon Crown Court officers armed with a search warrant used an ‘enforcer’ to smash their way through the front door.

As they did a large black plastic bag was hurled out of an upstairs window, which contained 787 wraps of heroin and 450 wraps of cocaine.

In that bedroom police arrested Davis and found £6,000.

A simultaneous search warrant was executed at his mother’s address and there officers found £5,000 stuffed inside a pillowcase.

“Large trace amounts of heroin were found on both quantities of cash and on mobile telephones seized,” explained Mr. Ramsubhag.

“He was a football coach at Millwall Football Club coaching under elevens and had the relevant qualifications to do that,” said Mr. Khurram Arif, defending.

Davis, who has an eight year-old daughter and admits he was once a drug addict, was previously convicted of possessing 19 wraps of heroin and crack hidden inside his boxer shorts.

Judge Simon Pratt told Davis: “So often it happens that people start drug dealing as a result of drug taking and this is what seems to have happened in your case.

“This shows you to be a drug dealer in a significant way, this is a lot of heroin and cocaine in the various bags.

“You are a significant dealer in class A drugs, that is reflected by the significant amounts of money.”

Police forfeited the £11,000 cash and the drugs will be destroyed.

Davis received five years and eight months for the two drug supply charges, three years concurrent for possessing the proceeds of crime and three months concurrent for possessing cannabis.