Jamaican Illegal Hijacked Brit's ID In Decade-Long Benefit Scam

An illegal immigrant, who hijacked an ex-pat's identity and got away with a £47,000 bogus benefits claim for ten years, was jailed for sixteen months yesterday.

Jamaican-born Annette Harrison, 45, was refused leave to remain in the UK after arriving in 2001, but successfully used another woman's birth certificate to illegally claim taxpayers' money and educate her daughter, who arrived with her.

Harrison, of Warwick Road, Thornton Heath pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to five counts of making false statements and representations to obtain benefit, namely jobseekers allowance, and housing and council tax benefit from May 2002.

The scam was exposed when the real Colette Williams, 37, - whose identity the defendant had successfully used for a decade - applied for a British passport in Washington DC.

"The passport matching that birth certificate was issued by the British Embassy," explained prosecutor Mr. Richard Doman. "That rang alarm bells and video evidence of the defendant was compared to the passport photo."

On February 28 Harrison's flat was raided and the Department for Work and Pensions found correspondence in her true identity.

She continued to insist she was the true Colette Williams and told investigators her twenty year-old daughter was her niece. Both have now been served with Home Office deportation papers.

No record was found of Harrison (pictured) entering the UK legally and while claiming benefits she obtained £47,592, mostly made up of jobseekers and housing benefit payments.

"Right from the beginning benefits have been claimed under a false identity," added Mr. Doman. "The real Colette Williams is angry and frustrated because of this.

"There is a black mark against her name on the computers of every government agency and she will be flagged up whenever she comes back to this country.

"She now has atrocious credit in the UK and to use her words she feels her 'life has been taken away' from her."

Harrison's identity had been questioned by the department for two years before the passport evidence.

"It was met by a wall of insistence by this defendant that she was Colette Williams."

Harrison's lawyer Mr. Yogain Chandarana said his client had been targeted by identity fraudsters, telling the court: "There are people who will prey upon those who live in the grey or black economy to provide them with the documents they need."

He said Harrison lived rough with her daughter for two years after arriving in the UK and were then offered shelter by a man, who inflicted "physical and sexual abuse."

"She got hold of these identity documents to try and put a roof over her and her daughter's head and knew there was a time bomb above her, but felt she had no other alternative.

"She has lived within that dark economy, trying to keep her head below the radar, leading a difficult life.

"In this country she has not shoplifted, robbed or stolen, apart from us the taxpayers."

Recorder Niall Quinn QC told Harrison, who sobbed throughout the hearing: "When you came to this country you found yourself in difficulties and fell into the company of people who were professional benefit and identity fraudsters.

"I do not regard your offending in the top. most serious category, but the transactions were fraudulent from the beginning and you knew you were not entitled to those benefits and it continued for ten years.

"Another aggravating feature is that it involves identity theft and has caused stress to the genuine Colette Williams."

No order was made for compensation or costs.

Racial Equality Bosses Fleeced Charity

A director and a treasurer of a taxpayer-funded racial equality charity plotted together to fleece a local authority out of £47,910 by falsely billing for a string of diversity-related services.

Mukham Bajwa, 68, of Park Crescent, Erith, a £46,000 a year director of the Greenwich Council for Racial Equality (GCRE) and Hardev Dhillon, 76, of Woolwich Common, a serving magistrate during the scam, forged invoices and received a total of sixty-four cheques.

Both pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to conspiring to defraud the London Borough of Greenwich between October 7, 2004 and June 12, 2008.

Today they each received twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and were ordered to pay £6,000 costs each to the Royal Borough of Greenwich and £1,000 costs each to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Additionally they were each given a 150 day curfew order, prohibiting them from leaving home between 8pm and 6am.

Between 2005 and 2011 the GCRE - founded in 1968 - received £1.4m from the council, but the scandal forced its closure last year.

Cheques were paid into Dhillon (pic.top) and his wife's accounts and genuine companies and individuals were used to give a veneer of authenticity.

They created bogus invoices for interpreters and translators at an equality open day; racial equality and Human Rights Act training; conferences; focus group meetings and a dvd explaining the Indian game kabaddi.

All the losses have been repaid by the defendants, who tried to negotiate an immunity from prosecution in return, and the council financed the £27,300 costs of the investigation.

"These defendants were in a position of trust and these defendants had control of expenditure," said prosecutor Mr. Simon Sandford.

They resigned in 2009 and a subsequent audit revealed numerous financial discrepancies.

In May 2010 they were confronted by the GCRE. "The defendants made no admissions."

They eventually agreed to repay £36,887, conceding there were some discrepancies.

"The defendants attempted to make it a condition of the repayment that no legal action would be taken against them,' added Mr. Sandford.

"It had been discovered that they had created a large number of fraudulent invoices and the bogus invoices purported to be from genuine companies and individuals who had provided goods and services to the GCRE.

"The defendants signed and counter-signed a total of sixty-four cheques and they were written in favour of either Mr. Dhillon or his wife.

"No one other than these two defendants had to physically see the cheques and considerable efforts must have gone into the creation of these invoices.

"They also used genuine companies and individuals to give the invoices a veneer of authority.

"The invoices, stamps and cashbooks were all consistent with each other.

"Under the cover of racial equality the defendants invented bogus claims for events that did not take place such as the services of interpreters and translators for an open day.

"There was also a Bexley council race equality initiative for which invoices were produced for teacher and parent training in equality, race relations and the Human rights Act.

Non-existent conferences such as 'Raising Cash From The Rich' were invented by the pair to generate invoices.

"The impression they were keen to make was that they were working hard and providing a very good services," added Mr. Sandford.

They successfully made £2,200 from expenses generated by producing an instructional dvd explaining the rules of popular Indian contact sport kabaddi, plus more money from a kabaddi contest at an anti-racism festival and hiring a hall for kabaddi training.

Further sums were paid by taxpayers for a 'facilitator' at a race focus group meeting.

"The invoices were professionally done, they look real," said the prosecutor.

Bajwa, (pic.bottom) who had been with the GCRE since 1983 and a director since 1990 was arrested on April 13, last year.

Dhillon, who stood for Socialist Labour at the last General Election, was arrested on March 15, this year and when questioned admitted producing fake invoices.

"He said they did this to put money into an account for an independent racial equality group because they believed government cuts would result in the closure of the GCRE."

No such bank account was ever opened.

Teen Gets Ten Years For Killing Disabled Guest

A teenager, who stabbed a drunken partially-sighted father-of-two to death during a petty argument, has been caged for ten years.

Jordan Kelly-Flattery, 19, (pic.top) of West Close, Hitchin was cleared of murdering Stondon man Graham 'Snowy' Snowden, 36, at the house in Milestone Road, Hitchin in the early hours of January 8, but convicted of manslaughter.

"You took that knife to the house to have it available if necessary to use it as a weapon," the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon told the defendant. "It is very clear to me that it was your knife that you did carry from time to time."

During the trial Kelly-Flattery, whose brother Sean Flattery is serving life for a Hitchin knife murder, claimed the weapon belonged to Mr. Snowden (pic.bottom) and was dropped as the pair fought in the hallway.

"Killing with a knife in these circumstances does aggravate the offence," added Judge McKinnon.

During the two-week trial the court heard that Mr. Snowden, enjoying a rare night out, ended up at the address after his drinking-pal Shane Howard brought him there.

Mr. Snowden, who used a walking-stick after a serious car crash several years ago, had difficulty rising from the sofa and was twice pushed back down by the defendant, which sparked a row between the pair.

He was stabbed in the hallway by Kelly-Flattery, who told the jury he was acting in self-defence after Mr. Snowden pulled the knife from his waistband and it dropped to the floor.

The defendant fled via the living-room window, dumped the knife in a wheelie bin in Westmill Road, and with the help of a friend hid his clothing on the edge of Brocket Hall Golf Course.

"Mr. Snowden was a vulnerable man, but it was not a case that he was targeted," said the judge. "He did have difficulty getting about, his movement was slow due to brain damage and he had been drinking heavily and had taken cocaine that day.

"The killing was relatively spontaneous and I cannot be sure there was in intent to kill, given how quick the incident was.

"Mr. Snowden protested about what he saw as your obnoxious behaviour, pushing him back down on the sofa and the use of that knife was utterly despicable."

The victim suffered a stab wound to his left and arm and a fatal wound to his chest, severing his aorta.

Kelly-Flattery's QC Mr. Alan Kent said: "There is no evidence the defendant knew of Mr. Snowden's disability or vulnerability or targeted him in any way.

"The pushes were not done in a deliberately vicious or provocative way, but it was either as the defendant said to stop Mr. Snowden falling over or a playful push taken in the wrong way by the victim.

"There was aggression by Mr. Snowden towards the defendant and this was broken up and he was asked to leave the premises, but rather than leave he returned."

Judge McKinnon did not deem Kelly-Flattery a dangerous offender, who must serve a minimum term, and told the defendant he would be released after completing half of the sentence, minus time already served on remand.

Seven Years For Husband's Meat Cleaver Murder Bid

A jealous father-of-four, who tried to kill his ex-wife's new husband with a meat cleaver during a family celebration, has been locked-up for a minimum of seven years.

Girdaware Basra, 55, (pic.top) of Beaumont Drive, Northfleet “exploded in a fit of potentially lethal violence,” said Croydon Crown Court Judge Jeremy Gold QC.

He deemed Basra, who also once stabbed a man to death, a dangerous offender and passed a minimum senentence for public protection meaning the defendant will only be released when the parole board deem him safe.

Basra was convicted of attempting to murder Resham Singh, 32, and inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent, on his ex Sukhvinder Kaur, 41, (pic.bottom) during the Diwali festival on October 26, last year.

He had invited the couple and his four children, two boys and two girls, aged between thirteen and sixteen to his home despite the existance of a restraining order for domestic violence.

“This was a very serious attack with a deadly weapon,” Judge Gold told Basra. “You have not shown a flicker of remourse for your actions.

Both victims and all four children were in court as the judge added: “You tried to say he started it and you only hit him with a lamp.

“You were in an advance state of intoxication caused by cocaine or alcohol or a combination of both.

“The force you used removed a sliver of skull bone from his scalp and your ex-wife suffered a serious hand injury.

“The attack took place in your house where your teenage children were present and enjoying a family evening.

“They saw the result of your violence and the blood-splattered condition of the house. It must have been terrifying for them.”

The court heard Basra was convicted of manslaughter at Maidtone Crown Court in 1983 after knifing a man through the heart during a fight outside a pub.

In 1986 he received five years for aggravated burglary while armed with a knife and was convicted of actual bodily harm for biting a police officer's finger during his arrest for drink-driving.

“You are a man prone to outbursts of serious violence, particularly when intoxicated,” Judge Gold told Basra, who also has convictions for possesing cocaine and a CS gas cannister.

The court heard Sukhvinder has been visiting the defendant in prison and he still maintains his innocence, despite the conviction.

During the trial Mr. Singh refused to give evidence against the defendant and Sukhvinder was treated as a “hostile” witness for the prosecution.

The jury were told there was no sign of trouble as they ate, drank alcohol and let off fireworks. 


Later during an argument in a bedroom, Basra told Mr. Singh to leave, but when he replied he was not leaving without his wife, the defendant went to a cabinet and picked up “something like a cleaver”, with a sharp cutting edge.


He repeatedly brought it down on Mr. Singh’s head, causing him serious injuries, including a gaping wound.


Mr. Singh bit into Basra’s ear in an attempt to stop the attack and Sukhvinder’s left ring finger was badly cut as she stepped in.


African Gangster Jailed For Prison Contraband Smuggling Bid

A notorious gang-member, who claimed his life-of-crime was over as he battled deportation, has been jailed for thirty months for smuggling heroin and three mobile phone sim cards into a top-security prison.

Sierra Leonne-born Mikey Giwa, 23, - one of the leader's of Croydon's notorious 'Don't Say Nothin' gang - had recently been working as a mentor for charity Lives Not Knives.

Giwa, (pictured) of Lancing Road, Croydon was convicted by a Woolwich Crown Court jury on two charges of conveying articles into Belmarsh Prison on November 1, last year.

He has previous convictions for indecent assault; robbery; affray; handling stolen goods and possessing cannabis and this latest conviction occurred following his release from a Home Office immigration detention facility.

The gang, which included Giwa's twin brother Joland, were linked to the murder of 16 year-old Wesley Sterling, an attack on two police officers, plus other offences, including robbery and burglary.

A police source said: "These two thought they could get away with anything. They were part of a massive crime wave across Croydon for a long time."

The court heard Giwa tried to put his trousers into a property box during the prison visit before he was searched, but they were checked and the wrap of heroin and sim cards quickly found.

His lawyer David Barnes said: "He got involved in gang culture, but had the courage to move away from that lifestyle and now works for the Croydon charity Lives Not Knives.

"There is also an issue with the UK Border Agency and an ongoing appeal regarding his status in this country."

Giwa told his local newspaper just three months ago: "I've moved on from being in a gang now, to trying to help people that are in gangs or people that want to get out of gangs.

"When I got introduced to Lives Not Knives I thought: 'This is the answer."

Television Spiritual Healer And Self-Styled Prophet Jailed For Sex Attacks

A self-claimed ‘spiritual healer’ and television preacher – who sexually abused two female patients seeking treatment for back and foot pain - has been jailed for nine years.

Alain Bhatupa, 37, (pictured) of Alston Road, Upper Edmonton titled himself ‘The Prophet Alain’ and promoted his healings on a religious satellite television channel.

The 61 year-old woman, who was seeking help for chronic back pain, was abused by Bhatupa when she visited him at his television office at Crown House, North Circular Road, Willesden.

A 40 year-old, who hoped the defendant could cure her foot inflammation, had also seen him on Religious Wonderful TV and was assaulted during the consultation.

Bhatupa was convicted at Harrow Crown Court on three counts of digital penetration and two counts of sexual assault.

Detective Sergeant Peter Walker, of the sexual offences Sapphire team, said: “Bhatupa platformed himself and his bogus healing techniques on satellite television by targeting devout Christian viewers.

“He used his position of trust and his television credibility to go on and sexually assault women behind closed doors.

“It is possible that there are further victims who have been affected by the actions of Bhatupa, and I urge them to come forward and speak to us.



The 61 year-old reported the defendant to police in August, last year after she was assaulted and asked for a £500 “offering”

A month later the 40 year-old also reported him to police. She had been asked for a £600 offering.

Lorry Driver Gets Four Years For Killing 97 Year-Old Pensioner

A lorry driver, who killed a pensioner just three years short of her one-hundredth birthday, has been jailed for four years.

Nora Gutmann, 97, (pic.top) from West Hampstead was fatally struck by the vehicle in busy Baker Street, Marylebone on June 17, last year.

Driver Joao Pedro Correia Lopes, 56, (pic.bottom) of Ashlin Road, Stratford pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.

He also pleaded guilty to causing false data to be recorded on the lorry’s tachograph and received another twelve months to run concurrently.

This related to his tampering with the tachograph to show his vehicle was stationary and at rest when it was being driven. 



He was also banned from driving for six years and will have to retake his test.



Police were called at approximately 12.00pm to a lorry in collision with a pedestrian on the westbound Marylebone Road, near the junction with Baker Street - opposite Madam Tussauds.



Ms Gutmann was taken by ambulance to St Mary's Hospital where she died shortly after arrival.



A post-mortem gave cause of death as multiple injuries.



Laughing Thugs: Do You Know Them?

Police are hunting these two late-night thugs who laughed as they beat a man unconscious in the busy West End.

It was just after midnight on July 7 when the suspects turned on the thirty-year old victim, who moments earlier they encouraged to fight with some local homeless men.

They repeatedly punched and kicked the victim to the ground outside the Carphone Warehouse shop near the junction of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road.

The suspects were seen to repeatedly run in and attack the victim, hiding behind members of the public who had stopped to try to help him back up on to his feet.

Both men were heard laughing throughout the assault.

It continued until one of the suspects punched the victim so hard he was knocked unconscious and collapsed into the road.

After the brutal attack both suspects ran off through Great Russell Street, then back out in to New Oxford Street where it is believed they may have boarded an eastbound bus.

One of the suspects is described as a possibly mixed race white / Asian man in his early 20’s, 5ft 6ins, athletic build, short black hair, wearing a khaki blazer and speaking with a London accent.

The second suspect is described as a white man in his early 20’s, 6ft 1ins, stocky build, ‘baby-faced’ with short, mousey brown, slightly wavy hair.

He was wearing a red plaid shirt and speaks with a London accent.

Officers from the Westminster Serious Violence Team are keen to identify the two men.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or with information that could assist the investigation, is urged to contact Detective Constable Will Richards at the Westminster Serious Violence Team on 020 7321 9315.

Alternatively dial 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously quoting crime reference 6536603/12.

Cop Accused Of Punching Woman And Trying To Scupper Prosecution

A police detective, who also runs a child nursery with his wife, punched a sacked ex-employee in the face after she reported the couple's business to Ofsted, a jury were told today.

Detective Constable Narinder Bargota, 46, then perverted the course of justice by trying to convince her to drop the complaint with a "sob story" about the the stress he and his family were under, Harrow Crown Court heard.

Nursery manager Kirndeep Gill, 28, was told to: "Fuck off. Fuck yourself. Leave," when sacked from the Willowtree Marina Day Nursery, West Quay Drive, Yeading by Bargota (pictured) and his wife Meenu.

Miss Gill had told the Met officer, based in Hillingdon Borough, the ratio of staff to children was too low and she was unhappy about lies the couple told parents concerning what the children - aged six months to four years-old - were eating.

"She was sacked from the nursery because she refused to follow orders from Mrs Bargota to mislead parents as to what the children had been eating and doing during the day," prosecutor Mr. Neil Guest told the court.

"She took notes of what was going on behind the scenes, but those notes vanished from her locker and she was sacked.

"She took this dismissal rather well, even though it was clearly illegal, but did alert Ofsted as to what was going on at this nursery."

In June, last year Miss Gill was enjoying lunch at the Quayside Bistro, next-door to the nursery, with another sacked ex-employee, who had taken the Bargota's to an employment tribunal, and were confronted by the defendant in the car park afterwards.

"He was shouting at my friend: 'Am I not paying you enough money?' and then Meenu came out and shouted at me: 'You little bitch, you fucking little bitch," Miss Gill told the jury.

Mr. Guest explained: "Bargota was the aggressor and was joined by his wife who was more aggressive."

Miss Gill returned to the bistro to fetch the Marina's landlord, Arthur Bennett.

"He was asked to never allow Miss Gill back into the bistro by the Bargota's. You may think that is rather high-handed."

When Miss Gill did return two months later on August 10 she received a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse from the defendant's wife, who was inside the restaurant, the court heard.

"Meenu yelled less than ladylike: 'Have you come to look, you fucking bitch," added Mr. Guest.

The next day Miss Gill heard a thud near her vehicle after parking near her home and found the defendant leaning against a garage door when she investigated.

"He strolled over to her and without any preamble punched her to the right side of her face," said Mr. Guest.

"She asked: 'Did you just hit me?' so shocked was she by the violence from an ex-employer and police officer."

Miss Gill later attended Hillingdon Hospital where a doctor confirmed tenderness to her jaw.

Bargota was arrested at home on August 22, refused to answer questions, but in a prepared statement denied assault.

On August 31 he telephoned Quayside Bistro manager Chetan Kunwadin, said Mr. Guest.

"He related a sob story that he had a wife, children, elderly parents and the stress was wearing on him and asked Mr. Kunwadin if he would talk to Miss Gill and ask her to reconsider the whole issue.

"It was an attempt to pervert the course of justice, to get Miss Gill to retract her statement and not give evidence."

The jury were warned not to fall for the Bargota's claims they are the victims of a conspiracy of "blackmail and extortion."

"It is a device designed by the Bargota's to deflect your attention from this case," Mr. Guest told them. "It is no more than mud-slinging, hoping some of it will stick and that you will be blinded by a whole mass of allegations."

Miss Gill told the court the ratio of ten children to one staff member was "way over" acceptable levels, but when she brought this to Meenu's attention received "evil eyes" from her employer.

"I noticed a lot of things went wrong at the nursery," she added. "My only concern was for the children so I put a complaint in to Ofsted.

"I was concerned by the staff ratio, whether the children were getting enough food and milk and the fact there was no hazard test when going outside in the garden."

Bargota, of Dane Road, Southall has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Miss Gill on August 11 and perverting the course of justice on August 31.

Trial continues…………

Murder Hunt Continues For Heartless Killers

Police continue to appeal for witnesses as they try and solve the murder of a 76 year-old South-East London pensioner – found tied-up in her home.

Cat lover Pamela Wheeler (pictured) was found dead at the address in Newacres Road, Thamesmead on July 22.

Officers believe Mrs Wheeler was attacked at her home at some point between Thursday afternoon, July 19, and the following morning.

Two separate witnesses have described two males acting suspiciously on that Thursday evening.

The two males - no further descriptions available - were seen near to a car at the front of the victim’s house. 



Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Gwyn of the Homicide & Serious Crime Command said: “Mrs Wheeler was found dead in her own home, with her wrists and ankles tied.

“I need to hear from anyone with any information that will help us bring to justice whoever carried out this shocking and tragic crime.”


Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room at Lewisham on 020 8721 4805 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.



There has been no arrest at present. 



A post-mortem examination at Greenwich Mortuary on July 24 did not establish a formal cause of death. Police await the results of further tests.



Neighbours last saw Mrs Wheeler on Thursday.

She usually leaves out bowls of food for cats, and neighbours noticed the bowls were empty on Friday morning.

Shocking Police Discovery: Mobile Phone Stun Guns

Police have seized two electric stun guns disguised as harmless mobile phones after searching a teenager’s car in North London.

Barnet Police approached a couple sitting in a parked Ford Focus in Gatting Close, Pavilion Way, Edgware on July 18.

They arrested a 19 year-old Edgware man for possession of a prohibited weapon and impounded the uninsured vehicle.

He was taken to a central London police station and later released on bail pending a forensic examination of the stun guns.

The female passenger was not arrested.

The suspect will return to a local police station on a date in September.

Black-Belt Leaves Love-Rival Black And Blue

A jealous martial arts expert – who broke a love-rival’s neck after finding him in bed with a female friend – has been locked-up for seven years.

Erin Dixon, 36, (pictured) of Hargwyne Street, Brixton attacked the 25 year-old victim with his bare hands and violently threw him against a wall

He was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm at the Hackney address on November 27, last year.

Dixon had travelled to the woman’s address and launched the attack because the pair were lying in bed together.

Police and an ambulance attended the scene.

The victim was taken to hospital and a CT scan revealed he had a fractured vertebra in his neck.



Dixon was arrested by officers from Hackney CID.



Acting Detective Sergeant Kevin Ives said: “This was a sustained and serious assault by an individual with a clear capacity for extreme violence.

“The victim could easily have been much more seriously injured.”