Rogue Developer Fined For Illegal Build

A millionaire property developer with a "criminal lifestyle", who illegally built a £4m house in an exclusive conservation area, yesterday received the U.K's highest-ever fine for ignoring planning rules.

Privately-educated Piers Rance, 42, was fined £100,000 at Isleworth Crown Court and ordered to pay £100,000 costs to Hammersmith & Fulham Council. He will also have to meet his own costs, estimated at £300,000.

Rance (pic.bottom r.) fought the council tooth-and-nail during an original trial at West London Magistrates' Court and a subsequent Crown Court appeal.

However, he lost both legal battles and was told by a Judge he was: "Taking the Mickey" if he expected the court to believe he had zero assets and his only income was a £110 a week per diem from his mother.

Rance, of Inglethorpe Street, Fulham, South-West London paid £2m for the corner property in the nearby Bishops Park Conservation Area - illegally demolished it - and built a larger house complete with basement swimming pool without planning permission.

His assets are hidden in a complicated web of offshore companies based in the Caribbean island of Anguilla, and St. Helier, Jersey as well as in his wife Marianne's(pic.bottom r.) name.

Rance was convicted of causing the demolition of a building in a conservation area, namely 39 Cloncurry Street, Fulham,(pic.top) between June 18, 2007 and March 12, 2008, contrary to the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act.

After he was threatened with imprisonment following his conviction Rance was given thirty minutes to come clean about his wealth to a Crown Court judge then returned to admit he had immediate access to assets totalling £60,000, then a month later revealed the true figure was at least £2m.

Judge Simon Oliver told Rance, who attended £9,500 per-year Bryanston School, Blandford, Dorset: "You are taking the Mickey if you expect me to believe you are not a man of means.

"Own up and give us an answer or you are going through the door to your right. It does not bother me sending you to prison, I will happily do it.

"It is time to 'fess up, come clean, and tell us what is going on."

Rance eventually admitted having £800,000 equity in the Cloncurry Street property and £200,000 equity in his four-bedroom £1m-plus Inglethorpe Street house, which has been advertised for rental at £1100 per week.

His family's Jersey-based trust also own two commercial properties in Exeter, currently rented out, which have a combined equity of £50-£100,000.

Rance's property company AEDS Ltd. has £30,000 in the bank and Fulham and Hammersmith council found resident parking permits for a £15,000 Ford Galaxy and £3,000 Saab.

The Cloncurry Street property was in joint names with Marianne, but has since been signed-over to her alone so the defendant can avoid foreclosure and bankruptcy, Rance claims.

"This is the type of thing businessmen do. Put assets in the name of other people," announced Judge Oliver. "He has been moving the money around offshore and out of the jurisdiction.

"I am not going to take money from his mother. I am not prepared to believe he is a man of straw on one hundred and ten pounds a week."

Rance also admitted being the director of a Hersham estate agent's and a Surrey property company.

Judge Oliver insisted Rance detail his assets in a sworn affidavit. "The reason for that if there are any lies in it he can be done for perjury."

The case had been adjourned previously so Hammersmith and Fulham Council can conduct a full investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act and the court heard Marianne's finances may come under scrutiny.

They have valued the illegal house at £3.4-£4m, but have never gained access.

"In this case distress has been caused, the elderly next-door neighbour had to move out after a crack appeared in her wall and that property is currently undergoing top to toe restoration," said prosecutor Mr. Richard Heller.

"Mr. Rance, on the facts found in the magistrates' court, has a criminal lifestyle, although I am sure he will dispute that.

"Taxation is at the forefront of Mr. Rance's mind in the way he conducts his financial affairs and a further financial investigation is warranted."

Race Rant Charge Tram Woman Finally Bailed

The woman accused of hurling racist abuse at fellow tram passengers was released on bail today (Tuesday) and can now spend Christmas with her family.

Mother-of-two Emma West, 34,(pic.top) of Grenville Road, New Addington was filmed on a mobile phone and footage became an internet sensation when uploaded to the web as "My Tram Experience."

She did not appear at Croydon Crown Court where Judge Warwick McKinnon granted bail during a private fifteen-minute hearing.

West had been remanded in custody by Croydon Magistrates Court for her own protection on a racially aggravated public order charge and was held in HMP Bronzefield, Ashford.

Over 11 million people have viewed the footage since it was posted on November 27 and West appeared in court two days later.

She was bailed on condition he resides at a specific address, does not use the tram and does not discuss the case on the internet or any other public forum.

West is due to appear before the magistrates on January 3.

Her husband (pic.bottom) waited anxiously outside the courtroom for the result of the bail application and told reporters: "Why don't you leave the woman alone, she is mentally ill.

"She has just come out of a psychiatric ward. My wife is not a racist.

"This is ruining our Christmas. She needs to be home with the kids."

Heavy Sentence For Dealer's Weighty Cannabis Stash

A convicted cannabis dealer, caught red-handed by suspicious police struggling to carry £14,000 worth of the drug along a North London street, has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Jobless David Michael Byrne, 44, (pictured) of Trulock Road, Tottenham could not walk upright as he carried 5 kilos of cannabis resin in two holdalls slung over his right shoulder.

He pleaded guilty at Wood Green Crown Court to possessing cannabis, with intent to supply, in Northumberland Park, Tottenham on October 12.

Officers from Haringey’s Priority Crime Team were on patrol at 10:00pm following a stabbing in nearby Philip Lane the day before.



The officers saw Byrne walking slightly hunched over due to the weight of the holdalls and when searched they found 20 large bars of cannabis resin (pictured).

Byrne had been released from prison in May and was on licence for offences of conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Superintendent Chris Barclay said: “The main priorities of stop and search are to prevent and detect crime and deter people from carrying weapons or illegal drugs.

“This conviction shows that where people choose to carry such items, we will do all that we can to catch them and put them before the courts.



“Drug-related anti-social behaviour and motor vehicle crime are ward priorities in Northumberland Park that are being tackled by the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team on a daily basis.

“Acquisitive crimes, such as car break-ins, are often linked to the prevalence of drugs in an area, as users of illegal drugs find ways to fund their habit. 



“This conviction illustrates to the community in Northumberland Park that police teams are working together to tackle the issues that matter most to them.”

Pensioner Kicked To Death: Murderer Jailed

The murderer of a kindly great-grandmother – kicked to death in her neighbour’s East London sheltered housing flat – has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal killing.

Eileen Jones, 73, (pic.top) had just taken a meal to her partially-sighted neighbour when she was violently attacked by visitor Christopher Newton, 45, (pic.bottom).

Newton, of Bow Road, Bow was convicted by an Old Bailey jury of murdering Eileen at Mandela House, Virginia Road, Bethnal Green on March 22.

The defendant was visiting the neighbour and having a drink when Eileen arrived with the meal and was invited to join them.

For no known reason Newton turned on the pensioner and her body was found in the flat the next morning, lying in a pool of blood.

A post-mortem examination at Poplar Mortuary the following day gave the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and chest.

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “Eileen Jones was a much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

“She lived in a home surrounded by good friends in a place where she and her family felt she was safe and secure.

“Christopher Newton shattered many lives that night when he viciously attacked a totally defenceless pensioner.

“He then prolonged the agony for her family by denying any knowledge of the terrible incident and trying to pass the blame onto Eileen’s partially-sighted friend.

“To this day Newton has never fully explained why he turned on Eileen and what actually triggered his actions.

“Eileen’s family is left wondering how such a terrible thing could have happened and why it happened at all.”

Newton was ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years.

Caught In The Act, Fact

Police are hunting this prolific City of Westminster burglar who targeted multiple addresses during a four-month crime wave earlier this year.

The heartless raider snatched cash, mobile phones, a laptop, wallet, MP3 player and Oyster travel cards belonging to a string of innocent victims.

He burgled properties in Portman Square, Bayswater on June 14; Finchley Road, Hampstead on August 27; Praed Street, Paddington on September 6; Marylebone Road, Marylebone on September 15; New Broadway, Ealing on September 21 and Norfolk Place, Paddington on September 23.

The suspect is described as black, aged 25-35 years-old, of slim build with a goatee beard and shoulder-length braided hair.



Anyone with information should call the Detective Constable Will Richards of the Westminster Burglary Squad on 020 7321 6719.

Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Wannabe Marine Confesses To 'Pressure Point' Killing

A failed Royal Marine walked into a police station and confessed to killing and secretly burying his neighbour five years earlier and going on a three-month £50,000 spending spree with the victim's bank card, a court heard today.

Thomas Puxty, 31, told officers he killed 55 year-old father-of-three Lee Clement at a hostel in Burrage Road, Woolwich - using a pressure-point technique he learned in the army.

He then buried Mr. Clement in Partridge Wood, Brabourne, Kent, (pictured) where he remained until a police search team and specially-trained sniffer dogs found and recovered the body.

Homeless Puxty has pleaded not guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to murdering Mr. Clement between March 6 2006 and March 9, this year, but has admitted manslaughter and preventing his lawful and decent burial.

Former central heating engineer Mr. Clement endured a tragic life, with his brother, QPR and England right-back Dave Clement killing himself with weedkiller, aged 34, after a career-ending broken leg.

His mother took her own life when he was just seven and his first wife Barbara died during routine bowel surgery twenty years ago, resulting in the loss of custody of his children, which prompted a spiral into depression and heavy-drinking.

After a second failed marriage Mr. Clement received over £100,000 from the sale of the matrimonial home and spent all day drinking whiskey in the hostel, where Puxty was his basement neighbour.

"This mix of vulnerability and wealth made him an attractive target for anyone with designs on getting their hands on his money," prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Rees QC told the jury.

Mr. Clement was never officially reported missing after vanishing from the hostel in late April 2006 and nothing was heard of him until Puxty walked into Plumstead police station on March 11.

"The defendant said he wanted to confess to a murder," explained the prosecutor. "He claimed he had been asked to kill this person and the body was buried in a field in Kent.

"He said he killed him by applying pressure to a pressure point, something he learned in the armed forces.

"He said he killed the man after being offered ninety-three thousand pounds, which was being held in the victim's bank account and he had been given details of how to get the money out."

Between April and July 2006 multiple cash withdrawals were made from the account and the card was used to buy a watch, television, computer, jewellery, clothing, video games, petrol and alcohol and cigarettes.

"He said he told the victim he was going to kill him and the victim jumped up with a knife, which he took from him," added Mr. Rees.

"He said he killed him by applying pressure above the collar bone and cutting off the supply of blood to the brain."

When the body was recovered on March 10 it was obvious Mr. Clement had been hog-tied with tape, which had also been wrapped around his head.

The pathologist was unable to give an exact cause of death, but agreed it was "conceivable" Mr. Clement could have been killed by pressure to the neck or postural asphyxia.

Investigators discovered Puxty had quit the Royal Marines after five weeks of training while still a teenager, but he boasted to others he could kill with his bare hands and demonstrated the pressure-point technique to at least three women.

He claimed a bullet wound to the knee while serving in Kosovo ended his army career and he had performed a contract killing for Triad gangsters and buried the victim's body in woods.

"This defendant has an active imagination," said Mr. Rees. "He glorified and fabricated stories of great daring and do.

"The prosecution say he deliberately murdered Mr. Clement to gain access to his money and then buried his body."

Trial continues.............

Needle Nightmare For Random Jab Victims

Two bus stop victims of a North London needle maniac face an anxious wait for blood test results after being randomly jabbed my the mystery assailant.

Police have released this CCTV image in the hope somebody can identify the man who struck twice in five days last month.

On November 18 a 24 year-old woman was stabbed in Green Lanes, Finsbury Park and on November 23 a 29 year-old woman was stabbed in nearby Ferme Park Road.

The victims suffered minor injuries during the incidents, but now have to undergo a series of medical tests for a range of diseases, including HIV.

The suspect is described as being of Mediterranean appearance, 6ft in height with dark hair. He wore a baseball cap on both occasions and a dark-coloured jacket.



Detective Constable Ben Jefferd, who is leading the investigation, said: “The man committing these offences loiters at bus stops for some time before appearing to select a victim and attacking them.

“These assaults obviously cause great distress to the victims in the weeks after, while they await crucial test results. I ask anyone with information that could help us locate this man to come forward as soon as possible.”



Detective Chief Inspector Beverly Hawes, at Tottenham police station, said: “Whilst incidents like this are extremely rare we do ask people in the Haringey area to remain vigilant.”



Anyone with information or who knows the whereabouts of the suspect is asked to contact the incident room at Tottenham CID on 07785 381215 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Ex-Aide Of Queen Mum Carjacked And Robbed At Knifepoint

A former royal aide to the Queen Mother was brutally beaten by a carjacking gang - who tied him up and forced him to strip naked in a lock-up - while demanding his bank PIN numbers, a court heard today.

Ex-Army Captain Niall Hall, 50, of Great Munden, Hertfordshire suffered a fractured left eye socket, plus damage to the eye, bleeding to the brain, a broken tooth, swelling and abrasions to his face and cuts to his knees.

He was attacked by three men armed with a mechete on February 1 after parking his Land Rover Freelander in Bridge Lane, Battersea at 11.20pm and driven to the lock-up with his coat over his head.

Derwen Ellis, 30, of Westbridge Road; Brian Gilbert, 19, of Cranmer House, Surrey Lane and Martin Dias, 29, of Parkham Street, Battersea deny kidnapping and robbing Mr. Hall of his vehicle and contents, money, wallet, watch and cufflinks.

Dias's ex-girlfriend Kizzy Miller, 33, of Surrey Lane, Battersea has pleaded not guilty to encouraging or assisting the offences of kidnap and robbery.

A fifth defendant Arron Miller, 21, of Eccles Road, Battersea has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and robbing Mr. Hall and will be sentenced at the conclusion of the trial.

"As he was collecting items from the rear seat he realised he was surrounded by three men," prosecutor Mr. Bill McGivern told the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury.

"Believing he was about to be attacked he started to run off, but was quickly caught, overpowered and brought to the ground. One of them men came up close to his face and threatened him with a mini-machete if he did not co-operate.

"The male then demanded his expensive watch, which he handed over. He was also forced to give up his wallet.

"Mr. Hall was bundled into his car, his head covered with his coat, and the car driven off. As it was travelling he was threatened with a knife, which was held against his upper chest and groin."

The victim was tied and forced onto the lock-up's concrete floor behind a steel door until he gave the gang his bank PIN numbers at knife-point and cash was withdrawn at a Tesco's ATM in Battersea Park Road from two accounts within minutes.

Mr. Hall (pictured standing behind the Queen Mum) was stripped naked and forced into a change of clothes and dumped in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea with a wet towel over his head.

His vehicle was found on May 25 in Francis Barber Close, Streatham and police later identified the lock-up as an electrical shed splattered with Mr. Hall's blood and with items of his clothing still inside.

The prosecution say Ellis, Dias and Miller were the initial three carjackers and Gilbert later went to the lock-up and allowed his flat to be used for a forensic clean up, with Kizzy Miller driving her Citroen to the ATM's to withdraw Mr. Hall's money.

The trial continues on Friday..........

Top Spiritual Healer Convicted Of Sex Ordeal

A spiritual healer-to-the-stars has been convicted today of subjecting a female client - seeking treatment for agonising migraines - to three sordid sex ordeals in which he ordered her to strip naked and fondled her.

Ex-Croydon councillor Graham Dare, 57, who proclaims himself the U.K.'s number one clairvoyant boasts a celebrity client list, which includes actress Joely Richardson; Eastenders star Tamzin Outhwaite; tv presenter's Melinda Messenger, Kate Thornton and Michaela Strachan; Emmerdale star Adele silva and Sky's Lisa Aziz.

Dare,(pic.top) of Taymount Rise, Forest Hill, boss of Sensitives Clinic, 31 Hatton Garden, Farringdon(pic.bottom) denied, but was convicted on three counts of sexual assault and will be sentenced on January 6.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard how he 'groomed' the 31 year-old Japanese student during the first three genuine appointments and waived his usual £95 per hour fee until her migraines disappeared.

"The defendant abused his position, he was building up this young lady's confidence and trust in him," prosecutor Miss Heather Stangoe told the Blackfriars Crown Court jury, explaining the abuse began during a fourth appointment on September 14, last year.

"He asked her to take off all of her clothes and although thinking this was unusual she thought it must have been part of the treatment.

"He said the clothes were getting in the way of spiritual healing and she agreed to take hers off, including her underwear, and lied down covered in a towel.

"The defendant's hands moved towards her crotch and he touched her pubic bone and the outer lips of her vagina, which he told her was necessary to connect with energy levels flowing from her spine.

"She was wriggling in discomfort," added Miss Stangoe, but believing the treatment was genuine booked another appointment for September 16.

"The defendant told her to remove her clothes and began to touch her and this time was more focussed on her crotch and while pressing her pubic bone with one hand touched her left nipple with the other.

"This was no genuine treatment, this defendant was sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman while continuing to claim he was a genuine practitioner."

The victim returned on September 20, but insisted keeping her knickers on.

"He said she would have to take her bra off because it was interfering with her spine and said he would have to use his mouth on her," explained Miss Stangoe.

"He said the mouth was a sensitive organ and ten times more effective in treatment and began to put his lips on her hands, arms, legs and abdomen while making a funny noise the complainant thought was all part of the healing process.

"This lasted thirty minutes and by now she was extremely anxious to put her clothes back on, but the defendant told her it was her turn to perform healing on him.

"The defendant took all his clothes off, wrapped a towel around his hips, and asked this young lady to touch him on the body and she placed her hands on his arms and abdomen.

"She began to notice his abdomen area was heaving, but remained convinced the treatment, although unusual, was genuine.

"However, she saw something on his inner thigh that she believed was semen and became terrified and wanted to get out of that clinic as soon as possible."

The complainant made an appointment for the next day, which she later cancelled and after obtaining advice from another spiritualist who dismissed Dare's methods called the police.

When questioned by officers Dare, who has been a spiritualist for over a decade and charges £375 for home visits and £1,256 for one-week residential healing treatments, insisted there was no abuse.

"He denied touching her genitals or nipple or touching her body with his mouth," said Miss Stangoe. "He said she requested to learn the techniques and he allowed her to perform the treatment on him and denied being aroused or ejaculating.

"The Crown say the defendant chose this Japanese lady because she had poor English and was vulnerable and went on to assault her."

The complainant told the jury Dare performed full body massages on her for thirty to sixty minutes, after telling her to strip naked. "He explained to me this was the way to connect the energy flow.

"I did not like what he was doing to me, but because he was serious about his treatments I wanted to tell him nicely.

"I did not want to offend him because he was not going to charge me until my migraines had gone. Looking back the whole thing sounds very strange

On his website, which is how the complainant discovered him, Dare claims heat permanently radiates from his hands and his healing energy has cured patients, where conventional medical therapy has failed.

He says he has communicated with the spirit of the Princess of Wales and also offers contact with the deceased and tarot and palm readings and hires himself out for stag and hen nights as well as other parties and promotions.

Dare claims to help current artists with advice from dead legends such as Picasso and Van Gough, which he can also claims he can extend to other professions such as fashion and design.

He was healing group leader at Battersea Spiritualist Church from 2000 to 2003, where he was also president in 2000, was a school governor, a Croydon councillor and a youth offending community panel chairman.

The Miss England pageant organiser also stood as the English Democrats Lewisham mayoral candidate last year.

Trainee Detective Sacked For Sex Scandal

A rookie detective – cleared of criminal sex charges against an internet date at a police section house – has been booted out of the force after an internal probe.

The unnamed 32 year-old trainee detective constable – based at Hounslow Police Station, West London (pictured) – was originally charged with three offences, but they were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

However, following a private misconduct hearing, the officer was sacked by the Metropolitan Police.

He was investigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards managed by the IPCC.

Commander Peter Spindler said: “The Metropolitan Police Service takes all allegations of misconduct, whether on or off duty, seriously.

“This officer was the subject of some very serious allegations, and the misconduct hearing having reviewed the evidence found that the case against him was proven.

“He abused his status as a constable for his own gratification in a most appalling way.

“We will not tolerate this type of behaviour, and he has therefore been dismissed from the service for gross misconduct.”


He made contact with the woman involved via a dating website.



The officer, who was off duty at the time of the incident, arranged to meet up with her and took her to a police section house in Brentford where sexual acts took place.

Kilburn Rape: Do You Know These Suspects?

Police wish to identify these two men – one a rape suspect – after a woman was attacked and left critically injured in a Kilburn house.

The 42 year-old victim was visiting a relative in Malvern Road on November 24, but a row broke out with four women at 8:00am and she was struck in the stomach.

She remained in the house and was rescued at 2:30pm, but reported a mystery man at the address had raped her.

The victim was rushed to hospital with serious injuries and remains in intensive care with critical injuries.

Officers from the Brent-based Violent Crime Unit are investigating and
Detective Sergeant Russ Norval said: “We are urging anyone who recognises the two men who have been clearly captured on CCTV, to come forward and speak to us.

“This was a horrendous attack on a young woman who is critically ill and currently receiving intensive medical care.

“We understand that the two men may have frequented the area, and I am particularly keen to hear from anyone within the Somali community who can help us identify these men.

“All calls will be treated with the utmost confidence.



Anyone with information is urged to call the incident room on 0208 733 3747 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.

Mum-Of-Four Jailed For £80K Benefit Fraud

A mother-of-four, who swindled over £80,000 in benefit payments, by deliberately failing to tell Tandridge District Council she was living with her husband was jailed for six months today.

Lorraine Swain, 37, pleaded guilty to three charges at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) of failing to notify a change of circumstances in relation to income support, housing benefit and council tax benefits.

Prosecutor Mr. Alex Chalk told the court the claim dated back to June 2002 and in March 2009 and January, last year she was questioned about evidence she was living with a partner, but denied the allegations.

However, investigators discovered her partner had given the Holly House address to his bank and local G.P. and used the address when obtaining a loan and had registered a vehicle there.

It was calculated since May 2005 Swain had illegally claimed £81,430, with just £10.20 recovered by housing benefit and £335 by council tax.

Her husband, a Territorial Army volunteer, is currently on jobseekers allowance, but will travel to Afghanistan for an 11-month posting in May, next year.

"I find sentencing you deeply depressing, but the amount means you have to go to prison and you have to go to prison today," Recorder Connell told Swain. "This was something you did that was dishonest over a long period."