Cardiff City Flare Fan Nicked During Season Finale

A talented teenage athlete, who waved a blue flare above his head during Cardiff City's final league match of the season at Crystal Palace, was conditionally discharged yesterday.

James Glaves, 18, of Village Farm, Bonvilston, who has competed regularly in the Welsh Schools' Championships and represented Barry and Vale was arrested after a steward pointed him out.

He pleaded guilty to possessing a firework at a sporting event, namely a smoke bomb at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground, on April 28, contrary to the Sporting Events Act.

Prosecutor Mr. Terry Curtis told Croydon Magistrates' Court: "A steward at Crystal Palace Football Club saw smoke emitting from the stand.

"The defendant was pointed out to the police. He was arrested and agreed he had a smoke bomb.

"He said he held it above his head during the football game and there was blue residue on his hands from holding the flare."

Glaves' lawyer Miss Sarah Anderson said: "It was the last match of the season and Cardiff City had the opportunity to get into the play-offs.

"He travelled on the supporters coach down to the game and did not bring a flare with him and there were no flares on the coach.

"After Cardiff City scored during the game and the supporters were celebrating he saw on the seat in flint of him a smoke pallet and picked it up and waved it around."

The court heard Glaves is currently studying maths, chemistry and physics and has won a university place to study mechanical engineering.

"Well, you will not be going to any premiership games next season," magistrate Mr. Tim Stevens told Glaves, referring to Cardiff City's play-off loss to West Ham.

Glaves (pictured) was conditionally discharged for twelve months and ordered to pay £85 costs.

Eastenders Star 'Big Mo's' Son In Cocaine And Booze-Fuelled Joyride Car Crash

The alcoholic son of Eastenders actress Laila Morse - who plays 'Big Mo' in the BBC soap - crashed her Audi car while joyriding after a booze and cocaine binge.

Gerry Bromfield, 43, of Coppleston Road, Peckham, who was jailed for eight months, was nearly four times the drink-drive limit and has three bans after three previous excess alcohol convictions.

Bromfield, who has committed 87 previous crimes, pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to the aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving of his mother's Audi Q7 in Elm Grove, Peckham Rye on February 28.

He also pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, driving unlicensed, driving without insurance and failing to stop after an accident and was also disqualified for four years.

Police were called to an allegation of a roadside drug dealing in the early hours of the morning involving the Audi's three occupants and three pedestrians.

Bromfield (pictured) and his two passengers - who were not charged - later claimed this was inaccurate and the three pedestrians had walked in front of the vehicle, causing a confrontation.

Prosecutor Mr Mark Cotter told the court yesterday: "Police attending some form of dispute in the street saw an Audi drive off.

"It was followed, lost, and then found with front end damage and it had also caused damage to two other vehicles."

The two passengers were stopped and at 5.20am Bromfield gave himself up to police.

"This defendant walked into the police station and said: 'I was driving, I nicked my mum's car and I crashed into the other cars. I wanted to kill myself.'

"He was interviewed and made full admissions."

When tested Bromfield gave a reading of 136 micro-grammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

His lawyer Abdul Kapadia said: "It is a vehicle of his mother's that he took while under the influence of alcohol.

"There was considerable consumption of alcohol.

"He has admitted the offence, he is remorseful and realises he was a danger to the public.

The court heard Bromfield has an eleven year-old child and two step-children.

"He has an alcohol problem that he wishes to be treated for and on this occasion his drinks were spiked with cocaine," added Mr Kapadia.

"He has been off drugs for five years, having had a problem since he was fifteen years-old and is on a methadone programme.

"He has had a drink problem for eight years.

"He has a good family background and sees his mother and sister. He has not had contact with his father since he was two years-old.

"He wants to turn his life around, but alcohol and drugs are a problem.

"He has taken full responsibility for his actions."

Judge Andrew Lees said: "This is a bad case of aggravated vehicle taking because he was four times over the limit."

He told Bromfield: "You took your mother's car and had no regard for the fact there were two other people in it and you were four times the limit.

"That presented a danger to people on the road and the people in the car. You are lucky no one was seriously injured."

Bromfield received eight months' imprisonment for aggravated vehicle taking, four months concurrent for drink-driving, two months concurrent for driving unlicensed with no separate penalty for no insurance and failing to stop.

Train Sex Beast Off The Tracks

A sexual predator, who targets victims on trains, is wanted by police after vanishing on his release from prison.

Colin Franklin, 46, (pictured) was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and has failed to keep police informed of his permanent address and whereabouts.

He was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court for a series of sexual assaults and made also made subject to a 5-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order – banning him from the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway.

Franklin was released from custody on December 16, last year and was being monitored by Bromley Police’s Jigsaw Unit.

Anyone with any information are asked to call the Jigsaw Unit on 020 8284 8773 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Fatal Maida Vale Stabbing: Arrests Made

Four men have been arrested in connection with the murder of 45 year-old Richard Hamilton (pictured) who was fatally stabbed in the neck at a West London address.

Police were called at 4.20pm on April 9 to Shirland Road, Maida Vale and the victim’s body was recovered.

Four men aged, 25; 32; 42 and 43 were arrested at the scene and taken to separate police stations.

The 43 year-old was released without further action and the three remaining suspects were bailed to return on a date later this month.

Officers from the Homicide and Crime Command are investigating.



Detective Inspector Colette Smyth said: “I am appealing for anyone who may have information regarding this incident to come forward and assist us with this investigation.”



Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to call the incident room at Hendon on 020 8358 0100.

If you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

Gunman Jailed For Blinding Rival

A gunman who shot a rival during an early-morning confrontation – blinding the victim in one eye – has been locked-up for a minimum of fifteen years.

Roger Aiken, 34, (pictured) of Springett House, St. Matthew’s Road, Brixton shot the 38 year-old victim at an East London industrial estate as the man was on his way to a nearby party.

He was convicted by an Old Bailey jury of attempted murder and possession of a firearm in Creek Road, Barking on August 27, last year.

The victim – who was known to Aiken – was shot just after 6.00am at point blank range with a handgun.

The defendant then shot at the vehicle containing the victim’s friends, but nobody else was injured.

Aiken escaped in an Audi TT car, which has never been recovered.

The victim suffered gun shot injuries to his head and left arm.

His head injury resulted in him being left permanently blind and the bullet remains lodged under his right eye, and he is also still receiving treatment for his arm injury.

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Abbie Warde of Operation Trident said: “Roger Aiken is a dangerous man who believed that he could avoid justice.

“Communities in London are safer for his imprisonment.



“This sentence sends out a clear message to those who are involved in gun crime and they should take note that the police and criminal justice system will not tolerate this type of violent behaviour.



“Trident is committed to working hard to bring to justice those who carry and commit violent offences with firearms.”

"Big Splash" For Crooked Sainsbury's Potato Buyer

The disgraced director of a company, which bribed a senior Sainsbury's potato buyer with bungs totalling £4.9m, told a jury yesterday the owners were determined to make a "big splash" for his fortieth birthday with a £350,000 twelve-day holiday to the Monaco Grand Prix.

Greenvale AP account manger David Baxter, 50, who spent 30 years with the company, said the three senior directors who ran it orchestrated the corrupt payments to buyer John Maylam, 44, (pic.top) in return for an annual £40m contract with the supermarket giant.

"It was about keeping John sweet and he was probably getting a bit more greedy when he asked us to fund a holiday," Baxter, (pic.mid.) of Holly House, Chester Road, Hinstock, Market Drayton told Croydon Crown Court.

Baxter, who along with Maylam has pleaded guilty to corruption and acquiring criminal property, worked from offices in Tern Hill, Warrant Road, Stoke Heath and is giving evidence against Greenvale finance director Andrew Behagg, 60, (pic.bottom) who was based in Harvest House, Bridge Street, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.

The company also picked-up Maylam's £200,000 tab at Claridge's Hotel and Baxter held the firm's Clydebank credit card. "It was laid behind reception at Claridge's as a third-party payment means.

"Myself, John and any other guests stayed there and the invoices from Claridge's went to Chatteris," explained Baxter. "At Christmas John pulled out and he said to me: 'The rooms are going to be there anyway so go yourself."

Baxter insisted Behagg, of London Road, Cambridge, who has pleaded not guilty to corruption, and his two fellow senior Greenvale AP directors, Alan Owens and Angus Armstrong knew about the corrupt payments.

"They should have known about it," he said, referring to Maylam's lavish 2007 trip to the Monaco GP. "It was his fortieth and we wanted to do a big splash, including a week's holiday either side of the race in the south of France for John and his partner, but I never knew it would cost that much."

The bill for the trip was divided into smaller invoices to avoid suspicion within Greenvale. "It would have raised an eyebrow if the full amount had come in."

The corruption began when company bosses became worried in 2005 about what would happen to their income when their two-year Sainsbury's contract ended, said Baxter.

"What would happen after the two years had elapsed? That was the biggest concern. There was a point in time when Alan Owens said he wanted to change the way we incentivised.

"He said: 'We have to look after John' and he took steps to ensure the business did not suffer.

"Alan Owens got a knock back first. John did not want to take up the offer of looking after his expenses, but a few months later John did want to do something.

"The whole thing was discussed with Alan, Angus and Andy (Behagg) and it was agreed John would send receipts to my home address and I would send them on to Andy at Chatteris and he would arrange for cash to be sent to me and I would forward it to John. It happened on many occasions.

"I would usually arrange a business meeting in London and hand over the brown envelope to John."

Baxter had another meeting with the three senior directors when Maylam demanded more money from 'The Fund' - a cash pot under Greenvale AP control, which Sainsbury's had been paying into.

"Andy was there as the person who had the strings on the finances and we discussed John's desire to take more out."

As a result Behagg allegedly suggested Maylam bill for a consultancy report and received another £85,000.

Greenvale AP also funnelled money into two Spanish-based companies and John Maylam Potato Consultants.

"I knew them to be accounts set up to facilitate larger payments that were to end up with John and Alan instructed Andy to set up the necessary facilities.

"They were to be phrased as high-risk storage and haulage, which are the highest costs for a potato company and Andy would say to me there were large amounts going through those accounts. Clearly it was not right," added Baxter.

As for the lavish corporate entertainment Greenvale AP showered on Maylam he said: "There were so many of them in the end they did not bother checking."

The court heard "dozens and dozens" of bottles of expensive vintage Dom Perignon champagne were consumed by Maylam and Baxter at Claridge's - often followed by a fine claret.

Baxter alone enjoyed an all-expenses trip to Antigua - financed by 'The Fund' - and Maylam bought him a brand-new £80,000 BMW M5 car.

"I was convinced if I did not know where the money came from it would be alright," Baxter told the court.

"I thought I was doing my job, but it got a bit out of hand. At the time it was the way we did things. It was the use for which the fund was there."

Baxter spent a total of 77 nights at Claridge's during 49 trips to the luxury Mayfair hotel.

Receipts also proved he enjoyed a £200 bottle of Dom Perignon at the five-star Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge before a £843 sushi meal - all financed by the Sainsbury's-funded account controlled by Greenvale AP.

Further receipts prove Maylam's room bill for a presidential suite during the Monaco Grand Prix came to £48,000 alone.

He was also entertained at the luxury Blue Palace Resort & Spa, Crete, where Greenvale ensured there was a bottle of chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne on his arrival, plus a bouquet of freshly-cut flowers and strawberries and cream.

Trial continues…….

Crooked Jobcentre Civil Servants And Cohorts Jailed For £1.7M Benefits Plot

Three Jobcentre civil servants, who were the ringleaders of a £1.7m plot involving at least 1,767 bogus claims for maternity benefit, tax credit and jobseekers allowance, were jailed for a total of twenty-three years today.

They abused their authorised access to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) database too research claimants all over the country and make multiple fraudulent claims on their behalf, Croydon Crown Court (pictured) heard.

They are: Anthony Ekajeh, 48, of Pinewood Avenue, Rainham, who received 10 years; Fiayo Akinwumiju, 35, of Brighton Road, Coulsdon, who received 7-and-a-half years and Olufemi Kehinde, 47, of Bollo Bridge Road, Acton, who received 5-and-a-half years.

"These were frauds committed against the state using individuals personal information for their own gain," said Judge Heather Boucher. "It was public money for the most vulnerable in society and this conspiracy shows a massive amount of planning."

Three co-conspirators, who were not employed by the Jobcentre, and have jumped bail each received five years.

They are: Folahan Akinwumiju, 34, of Narev Court, Cedar Avenue, Enfield; Charles Okedare, 40, of Barass Close, Enfield and Wale Akande, 45, of Lovett Way, Willesden.

A seventh defendant, Akinmayowe Aiyeola, 46, of Primrose Lane, Croydon received 6-and-a-half years and eighth, Kelvin Akhigbe, 37, of Chapel Close, Grays received 12 months.

Neither of them were Jobcentre employees.

"This hijacking of identities is something that concerns society as a whole," said Judge Baucher. "These conspiracies were on a large scale, sophisticated an cleverly done."

All eight defendants are Nigerian, who have been either granted full British citizen ship or the right to permanently reside in the UK and have fathered at least 18 children between them.

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Evans told the court: "It was carried out by submitting a large amount of false benefit claim forms and the claimants had no idea these claims had been made and did not complete or sign the forms.

"Their identities had been hijacked.

"A large number of claims were made for Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMG) a one-off five hundred pound payment to help persons on benefits or low income to buy clothes or equipment for their new baby," added Mr. Evans.

A total of 1,562 bogus SSMG claims were made, plus 205 false claims to HMRC for tax credits and a lesser amount of jobseeker claims, totalling £4,515.

If the conspiracy achieved 100% success it would have made £1,722,562 - in reality over £270,000 was obtained and a Proceeds of Crime Act investigation will follow.

The civil servants were all at executive officer grade and Ekajeh worked at Dagenham Jobcentre; Akinwumiju at Crawley and Kehinde at Fulham.

The vast majority of the false claims were paid into Post Office Card Accounts (POCA). "They had also been opened in hijacked identities," said Mr. Evans.

"The three absent defendants can be linked to SSMG's that were falsified or to the POCA's to which the benefit payments are made.

"Accounts were opened in their names or the names of their family or in one case a company under their control."

Ekajeh was suspended in March 2010 after ten years in the civil service, where he also had a deputy management role and responsibility for the stock room, which contained blank claim forms.

"From July 2009 he carried out a large number of unauthorised searches outside the area of the Dagenham Jobcentre and in his last month searched 105 other offices around the country in relation to 1600 clients.

"He played a key and principal role in these three frauds.

"He was also involved in yet another fraud, diverting payments of genuine jobseeker claims," added Mr. Evans. "He altered the bank details into which the payments should have been made."

Fiayo Akinwumiju was suspended in August, 2009. "In two weeks he accessed forty-three customers he had no legitimate reason to access.

"Shortly after false SSMG claims were made in their identities. In one hour he looked up twenty-four different benefit customers and thirty-six claims were made in the names of those customers.

"In a six-month period fifty-two customers were accessed and false tax credit claims were made in their names."

Kehinde was suspended on October 1, 2010. "On three dates he used the search facility to identify and access benefit customers all over the country and false SSMG claims were made in their identities.

"He also made searches in Bedford and yielded fifteen customers and twenty-one claims were made in those names that were false.

"All the searches were carried out after 6pm when the office was closed. He also played a key role in the fraud."

All the defendants, except Akhigbe, were convicted of conspiring between January 1, 2009 and October 2, 2010 to defraud the DWP out of £820,000.

Ekajeh, Fiayo Akinwumiju and Aiyeola alone were convicted of conspiring between November, 2005 and July, 2010 to defraud HMRC out of £898,000.

Ekajeh and Aiyeola alone were convicted of conspiring to defraud the DWP out of £4,515.

Akhigbe admitted five counts of fraud by false representation in relation to four SSMG claims and a community care claim.

'He'll Be Out In Four': Summer Looter Who Killed Pensioner

A looter, who killed a pensioner with a single punch as the victim tried to extinguish a fire during riots in West London last summer, has been jailed for eight years.

Darrell Desuze, 17, (pic.bottom) of Bath Road, Hounslow punched 68 year-old Richard Bowes (pic.top) in the face – causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground.

He pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to manslaughter and violent disorder in Springbridge Road, Ealing on August 8, last year and burgling four nearby shops immediately afterwards.

His mother, Lavinia Desuze, 31, received 18 months for perverting the course of justice after she dumped her son’s clothes in a bid to destroy important forensic evidence.

Police did not comment whether the killing was racially-motivated.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Rowell, Borough Commander at Ealing, said: “Whilst today's sentencing has concluded the investigation into the killing of an innocent man last summer's violence in Ealing, we continue to investigate and pursue those involved in the disorder.

“We have already examined hundreds of hours of CCTV and continue to do so, this will inevitably lead to further arrests in the near future.

“Mr Bowes was an innocent man trying to do the decent and honest thing of protecting life and property; tragically he lost his life whilst doing so.”

In Ealing at around 10:00pm Desuze became involved in one of many stand-offs against the police, during which hostile mobs threw missiles at officers.

A number of fires were also being deliberately lit and shop windows and cars were being smashed.

At around 10:30pm along Springbridge Road, officers came under sustained attack from rocks, bricks and glass bottles.

On the same road, at 10:45pm, Mr Bowes attempted to extinguish a fire which was started in an industrial rubbish bin.

As he tried to stop the blaze, Desuze went up to Mr Bowes and punched him in the face.

He fell backwards and struck the pavement.

Desuze, who left Mr Bowes lying motionless on the ground, went on to loot shops close by, including William Hill, Tesco Express, Fat Boys Thai restaurant and Blockbusters.

Officers who went to his aid then became the subject of continual missile attacks from a hostile mob around them.

Mr Bowes was taken by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital in a critical condition with severe head injuries. He remained in intensive care for three days and sadly died on August 11.

A post mortem examination held on August 11 at Uxbridge mortuary and gave the cause of death as a head injury.

Prior to Mr Bowes' death, detectives had already begun the detailed and laborious task of going through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage in connection with his assault and the widespread rioting.

Media appeals to trace the suspect then followed.

Members of the public, some of whom had witnessed and recorded events first-hand, began to provide information and pass on recordings made on personal mobile devices on the night.

A number of these recordings have formed the basis of crucial evidence presented at court.

On the night Desuze had been wearing a distinctive black hooded sweatshirt which had a "Robbers and Villains" logo across the front, and a white t-shirt underneath.

These were items of clothing which Lavinia Desuze immediately recognised via the circulated images released by police, as belonging to her son.

She found the garments, tore them up, and dumped them in a number of public dustbins in Hounslow.

'Only Two Free Lunches' Said Corrupt Sainsbury's Buyer

A senior Sainsbury's buyer, who accepted bribes totalling £4.9m in cash and lavish hospitality, told bosses he had only received two modest lunches from potato supplier Greenvale AP - who he recommended for a £40m annual contract.

John Maylam, 44, who joined the retail giants as a teenager and earned £64,000 a year - a buyer's top pay grade - plus a £15,000 bonus, told Sainsbury's nothing about luxury stays at Claridge's hotel or twelve-day trips to the Monaco Grand Prix, financed by Greenvale.

"He would have had a significant influence and would have conducted a review of potential suppliers and come back to Sainsbury's with a recommendation," Maylam's immediate boss Conor McVeigh told Croydon Crown Court today where a Greenvale director denies corruption.

After the lucrative contract was agreed Maylam secretly rubber-stamped higher payments to Greenvale, without Sainsbury's knowledge. "There were no grounds under which prices should have varied," added Mr. McVeigh.

"The prices paid to Greenvale should have been comparable with other suppliers, but I found a number of instances where this was not the case. The prices paid to Greenvale were significantly higher."

Maylam, (pic.top) of Bearstead, Maidstone has pleaded guilty to corruption between January 1, 2006 and January 1, 2008 by accepting gifts from Greenvale AP and acquiring criminal property, namely £1,158m held in a Luxembourg bank account.

Greenvale's account manager, David Baxter, 50, (pic.mid.) of Hinstock, Market Drayton has pleaded guilty to corruptly giving Maylam gifts and consideration between the same dates and acquiring criminal property, namely goods, services and cash between June 1 and July 1, 2007.

Both men will be sentenced after the trial of Greenvale finance director Andrew Behagg, 60, (pic.bottom) of London Road, Cambridge, who denies corruption and told police he was the victim of "extortion" by Maylam.

Sainsbury's also felt they were not receiving value for money from Maylam himself while he was secretly paid millions by Greenvale.

"I began to have concerns in the second half of two thousand and six, initially around attendance in the workplace," said Mr. McVeigh. "I began to record the number of occasions John was not in attendance through sickness and absence and part-day occasions when he would arrive at the office, but was not at his desk for large parts of the day.

"It continued into two thousand and seven and there were concerns about his role of buyer. The concerns about his attendance continued and worsened."

Mr. McVeigh told the court Sainsbury's hospitality police was clear to Maylam. "Hospitality had to be modest, appropriate and more importantly recorded."

A Greenvale accountant also told the jury he found illicit payments to bogus companies under Maylam's control.

Cash was transferred to a Spanish-based company, but accountant Simon Forster said: "I did not believe we stored potatoes in Spain so why would we have an invoice for storing potatoes in Spain?

"The question I asked myself was: 'Does it exist?' and my deduction from what I was seeing was that it did not."

Suspicious payments were also made to a company called Greenwood Storage. "I came to the same conclusion that it probably did not exist."

Further scrutiny revealed another questionable account. "Initially I believed it was in relation to entertaining, but as I looked at it more I found it was in a separate file, not in the main filing system, and by the time the year end was approaching I had the view this activity was not normal and had to cease," added Mr. Forster.

"I took the view the best way forward was to inform the auditors what my fears were at the time."

Trial continues…………

£23K Rolex Robbery Suspects Caught On CCTV

A Kensington fashion designer had her £23,000 Rolex Daytona watch ripped from her wrist after being followed home from a night out in Soho.

The 26 year-old victim, who had spent the evening at the notorious Box fetish club in Brewer Street and Jet Black nightclub in West Central Street, was robbed by two muggers.

She was pounced on from behind as she walked with a friend towards her home in Clareville Grove at 6.00am on November 3, last year – moments after exiting a mini cab.

Police from the Notting Hill Robbery Squad have released these CCTV images of two men they are hunting.

Detective Constable John Cahill believes the victim was followed after leaving the second club.

“It is here we believe the suspects first saw the victim and her friend by a mini-cab office as they left to go home at about 05:45hrs.”

One of the suspects grabbed the victim from behind, covering her mouth whilst his accomplice pulled the watch from her wrist.

The suspects then ran off towards Gloucester Road. 



DC Cahill added: “We believe the victim was targeted for her watch after being seen leaving the Jet Black nightclub and the suspects followed her to where the taxi dropped her and her friend off.



“This was an extremely nasty robbery and fortunately the victim did not sustain any serious injuries.



“I am appealing for anyone who recognises the men in the CCTV images which were taken from outside the Jet Black nightclub to contact police as we strongly believe these are the two who committed this robbery.”

Suspect One is described as being of Mediterranean/Arabic appearance, aged 25 to 30 years, of slim build with black hair. He was wearing a dark jacket with hood. 



Suspect Two is described as being of Mediterranean/Arabic appearance, aged 25 to 30 years, of slim build with short black hair. He was wearing a blue jacket. 



Any information in relation to the identity of the suspects please contact DC John Cahill at Notting Hill Police Station on 020 8246 0231 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.