Church Scout Leader Accused Of Abusing Three Boys

A “deeply manipulative” church activist and cub scout leader plied two young brothers and another boy with treats and organised fun events in order to sexually abuse them, a jury were told today.

The boys, aged four to ten years-old, were entertained by mock-medieval swordfighting duels, swimming trips, videos and given sweets, ice-cream and cash, Croydon Crown Court heard.

James Edward Bailey, 69, (pictured) of Kettering Court, Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath has pleaded not guilty to fifteen charges dating back twenty years when the boys were aged between four and ten years-old.

The brothers, now aged twenty-eight and twenty-four, attended a church in Thornton Heath in the early 1990's where Bailey was a parishoner and trusted by their parents to look after them.

Bailey – known as Jim – later became a cub scout leader at a church in Addiscombe and is accused of abusing the third boy, now twenty, in his car after a group trip to South Norwood Leisure Centre, Portland Road.

“It seems apparent at the time that Bailey was a single man, keen on the church and cub scouts, both of which gave him access to young boys,” explained prosecutor Mr. Tony Badenoch.

“It also involves manipulation by an abuser with offers of sweets, ice-cream, money and the opportunity to watch grown-up action films.

“Bailey has an unhealthy interest in young boys and is deeply manipulative.

“They were not treats. They came with a price and that price was abuse,” Mr. Badenoch told the jury.

The brothers reported Bailey to the police three years ago after a chance encounter with him at Tesco's in Thornton Heath and the third man, who they do not know, came forward nearly two years later.

“The older brother told police that as a child he spent quite a bit of time with Jim and what was laid on the quite good fun.

“This included Jim running a medieval club, staging sword fights and assisting in school fetes and performances,” added the prosecutor.

“Their father, a missionary, very much trusted Bailey and he was a regular visitor to the family home.

“The older brother told police Jim touched him and got him to touch him back and said: 'Don't tell your parents.'

“He started taking him home and let him watch grown-up films and told police Jim had filmed him at the defendant's former home in Clifton Road.

“The younger brother told police Jim had put his hand down the front of his trousers and rubbed his penis and testicles.”

There was also a sexual incident involving the boy and Bailey's pet dog, the jury were told, and an incident when the defendant took him swimming.

Bailey is accused of performing a sex act on the third boy after a different swimming pool trip when he also offered him sweets and cash.

He denies three sample charges of indecently assaulting the older brother, plus five counts of indecency with the same child.

He has pleaded not guilty to two sample counts of indecently assaulting the younger brother plus four counts of indeceny with the child and one count of indecency with the third child.

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

150 MPH Death Crash Driver Jailed

A BMW driver, who crashed into another vehicle at 150mph, killing the occupant, has been jailed for seven years.

Shehzad Munir, 25, (pictured) of Boundary Road, Plaistow was driving his black 645i along the A13 in Rainham on September 9, 2010 at 1.25am when he collided with a red Nissan Primera.

The other driver, 30 year-old Sukhpreet Singh Chimber, of Arterial Road, Grays was pronounced dead at the scene.

Munir taken to an East London police station and arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Detective Sergeant Joe Lock, of the Road Death Investigation unit at Chadwell Heath, said: “This sentence reflects the way the courts view of this type of offence. 



“The defendant in this matter drove his vehicle in excess of twice the national speed limit without any consideration for other road users. 



“As a result, an innocent family man has lost his life. 



“I would hope this sends out a positive message that the Metropolitan Police Service deals robustly with matters of this nature.” 

'Lobster Pot' Cocaine Mastermind Jailed

A 'lobster pot' cocaine smuggler, who tried to import £53m worth of the drug, has been jailed for twenty-eight years.

Edward Henry Austin, 47, (pictured) from Welling, Kent had orchestrated the plot, involving five accomplices who collected the 255kg haul from the English Channel.

The cocaine – packed into eleven holdalls – was dropped into the sea by a container ship sailing from Brazil to antwerp, Belgium in May 2010.

To disguise the smuggling operation as legitimate fishing the holdalls were tied along a rope resembling submerged lobster pots.

The four-man 'fishing' crew and another accomplice were caught and given prison sentences totalling 104 years.

Austin had fled to the costa-del-crime in Spain, but was returned to the UK from Fuengirola in January.

Detective Inspector Colin Stephenson, of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Central Task Force, said: "‘We will robustly investigate organised criminal gangs involved in polluting the streets of London with cocaine.

“These criminal networks employ sophisticated methods to smuggle cocaine to the UK and flood our streets with the drug.

“This multi-agency investigation has shown that the MPS will rigoursly pursue those involved in these criminal enterprises.”

Mob Stormed Fried Chicken Takeaway

A teenage student, trashed a fast-food takeaway shop with a seven-strong gang of friends, after staff tried to detain one of the group for sneaking in the back door.

Staff were left with cuts and bruises during the violent disturbance and one victim needed a total of five stitches to eye and head wounds.

Mayooran Ravikumar, 19, of Cheveral Avenue, Coventry pleaded guilty to affray at Chicken Cottage, London Road, Croydon on May 12, last year and was sentenced to a twelve month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work.

Prosecutor Miss Olivia Kong told Croydon Crown Court today: “A fight took place at the chicken shop after a male entered through the back door and was detained by workers.

“He was asked by the worker: 'What are you doing?' and said: 'I just want to wash my hands.'

“A number of males, including this defendant, entered and tried to take the male out of the shop and a fight took place.

“The police arrived and by the time they got there tables and chairs were everywhere.

“Some of the staff were bleeding and needed medical aid. It was quite a serious fight,” added Miss Kong.

“One of the victims received a laceration to his eyebrow, which recquired five stitches, and a laceration to his forehead, which needed three stitches and there were two other cuts over his eye and bruising to his ear.”

Ravikumar (pictured) was only identified after the incident by CCTV and a hat he left behind at the scene.

The court heard he lives with his parents in Coventry, but is currently studying in Brighton.

Recorder Steven Kay QC said: “It was an attempt to rescue someone who plainly tried to steal from the shop.”

Tyre Slash Stabbing: Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Murder

Police investigating the murder of a man in North London – fatally stabbed shortly after his car tyres were slashed – have made an arrest.

Teon Palmer, 28, (pictured) suffered a single stab wound to the chest at aproximately 11.00pm on October 20 in Montagu Road, Lower Edmonton.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 23 year-old suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder and bailed to return to a police station in early December.

It is believed Mr. Palmer's a car had all four tyres slashed in the moments leading up to the stabbing.

Up to seven black males, described as wearing hooded tops or jackets, were seen making off from the location.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Andy Yeats of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “We know there were people in the area at the time of the assault on Teon Palmer.

“I would ask anyone who was in the area of Montagu Road and Goodwin Road, or the surrounding streets, to contact my team.



“A blue Vauxhall Astra car belonging to Teon Palmer was vandalised prior to the assault on him.

“I believe those who damaged the car knew it belonged to Teon.

“Did you see anyone hanging around the vehicle or an altercation in the vicinity of the vehicle?



“If you have witnessed anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please contact my team - your information could prove vital to this investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8345 1570 or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Mum Sentenced For Bar Brawl

A drunken mother-of-two, who joined a violent group-beating of a man after a row in a South-East London bar, has dodged jail with a suspended sentence.

Stacey Fay, 27, of Dawes Street, Walworth was caught on CCTV striking the victim's head, causing a cut.

She pleaded guilty to assault, causing actual bodily harm, in Blackwater Street, East Dulwich on December 11, last year.

The disturbance began inside the Liquorish bar, (pictured) Lordship Lane when someone bumped into another person, who was using crutches.

The row continued outside, where the victim was surrounded by an angry group of men and women, including Fay, and repeatedly punched in the head.

Fay's shoes were caught on CCTV images and she was identified inflicting a blow.

Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court committed her to Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing because they felt their powers of punishment, limited to six months imprisonment, were insufficient to meet the seriousness of the offence.

Her solicitor told the magistrates' court: “She was very inebriated. The police said she was visibly upset by seeing her own actions.”

The court also heard Fay is in a considerable amount of debt.

She was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for a year, and ordered to perform 100 hours community service work.

Woman Hit Panic Alarm When Harassing Ex Visited

A Bournemouth man, with alcohol and anger management issues, frightened his ex so much she activated a police panic alarm when he banged on the window of her home – breaching a restraining order.

Scaffolder Ian Walker-Smith, 45, of Westby Road also sent text messages and left abusive voicemails, despite a court order banning him from contacting the woman.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to harassing Claire Bullen, of Acre Lane, Carshalton on March 17 and April 18.

The court heard today that Walker-Smith was subject to a restraining order, imposed at the court on December 12, last year.

“She was so fearful of what took place she pushed a panic button and contacted the police immediately,” Judge Daniel Flahive told the defendant.

“You breached the restraining order by making abusive phone calls and by knocking on the window and making a nuisance of yourself.”

The court was told Walker-Smith has turned his life around and successfully completed an alcohol treatment order and has settled down with a new girlfriend.

He admitted the offence put him in breach of a twenty-two week suspended prison sentence, imposed for driving while disqualified and failing to give a sample to police.

Walker-Smith was placed on an eighteen month community order, with 100 hours community service, plus forty additional hours for breaching the suspended sentence.

“If you are back here your feet won't touch the ground,” added the judge.

Fraudster Jailed For Olympic-Sized Ticket Scam

A heartless Olympic scammer – who made €450,000 selling expensive non-existent tickets from two bogus websites – has been jailed for four years.

Amongst the victims, from twenty different countries, were the parents of Olympic competitors from France and Greece.

Christakis Ioannou, 44, (pictured) of Crantock Road, Catford was arrested at Gatwick Airport with €17,500 stuffed inside his shoes as he stepped off a flight from his Portugal hideaway.

The Metropolitan Police's Operation Podium Team discovered Ioannou wired his illicit profits to Portugeuse bank accounts, where he made cash withdrawls.

He pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to participating in a fraudulent business and possessing and concealing criminal property.

Ioannou set up two fake websites nearly a year before the the opening ceremony, which were designed to look like official sites, offering for sale unlimited numbers of tickets for all Olympic events.

Over 400 people, from around the world, tried to buy tickets for the Games from www.2012-londonsummergames.com and www.2012-londonsummergames.org.

In five weeks the sites took over €450,000 in sales for non existent tickets to the Olympics.

Detectives from Podium tracked the websites back to Ioannou, who was based in Portugal, and he was arrested when returning to the UK.

Evidence was taken from victims in over twenty countries around the world including the USA; Italy; Netherlands and Denmark.

Detective Superintendent Nick Downing said: “Ioannou was the first fraudster of this type we identified and the biggest.

“This case clearly shows that online crime of this nature is not a victimless crime.

“Over four hundred people missed out on a chance to be part of the London 2012 Olympic Games and instead were simply ripped off.

“Ioannou set up simple yet genuine looking sites, and made thousands within only five weeks.

“Podium were so concerned about people falling foul of his scam we issued a number of public warnings naming the sites to try prevent additional people from getting conned.

“Once someone had bought their tickets, at vastly over inflated prices, they never heard from the website of his company again.



”These sites were picked up as part of our proactive monitoring of the internet and referrals from LOCOG to spot and then prevent fraudsters like Ioannou from cashing in on the popularity of the Games.

“Three hundred and forty websites were identified in this way. 

“Never buy your tickets from anywhere but the official event organisers, or those people authorised to sell on their behalf.”

Operation Trident Police Seize Illegal Guns

Gangbusting cops have seized six firearms and made six arrests after co-ordianted raids across South London.

Operation Trident officers – who investigate violent black-on-black crime in the capital – executed search warrants at addresses in Southwark, Croydon and Sutton.

They seized a rifle (pictured), sawn-off shotgun and four handguns (one pictured) following the intelligence-led investigation.

Two seventeen year-old male youths, an eighteen year-old male, a twenty year-old male and a thirty-three year old man were arrested along with a 19 year-old woman.

All were taken into custody at various south London police stations and the firearms have been sent for forensic testing.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon said: “Trident officers continually target the suppliers of lethal firearms, protecting the public by removing guns from the hands of organised criminals and gangs.

“The Met has seized over two hundred and eighty firearms and a large amount of ammunition from the streets of London this year alone.

“The number of shootings taking place in London has also significantly reduced, with twenty-eight per cent fewer incidents than last year.”

'Matrix' Knifeman Sent To Mental Hospital

A knife-wielding paranoid schizophrenic, who thought police officers he tried to stab were computer clones from hit movie 'The Matrix', has been sent to a secure psychiatric hospital indefinitely.

University graduate George Asare, 25, of Elsinore Road, Forest Hill, South East London survived being shot five times by armed police and tasered twice during the late-night confrontation.

A Croydon Crown Court jury found he committed the offences, but returned a not guilty verdict by reason of insanity yesterday.

Asare (pictured) was charged with attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on three different officers; causing criminal damage to a neighbour's VW Polo and a police car and affray in the early hours of February 19.

He believed her was under satellite surveillance from his employer and a neighbour and lunged at the officers with a twelve-inch knife when police were called to a report of vandalism.

Prosecutor Mr. Peter Clement told the court: "The charges reflect a frightening episode that was potentially very hazardous to three police officers and potentially lethal to this defendant.

"Residents were woken by a loud and repeated banging coming from the road and they saw this defendant damaging a car belonging to one of the neighbours.

"He was seen to kick the car and climbed onto the bonnet and with a brick smashed the windscreen.

"They describe him as acting clearly out of character and the events of the next thirty minutes speak volumes as an event of acute mental illness on the part of this defendant."

Police Sergeant Ian Fearn and Inspector Mick Chatterton were the first officers on the scene and saw the hooded Asare standing in the middle of the road with his hands in his pockets.

The defendant said: "No" when asked to show his hands and walked towards PS Fearn.

"As he got close he took his left hand out of his pocket in which he held a large knife and lashed out in the area of the officer's abdomen and missed by inches only because the officer arched back.

"The officer ran backwards and the defendant chased him around the car and again lashed out with the weapon and fortunately PS Fearn avoided that by arching his torso for a second time.

"The defendant turned his attention to the Inspector and with the knife at shoulder height and the blade pointing towards the officer he lunged at Inspector Chatterton.

'It was clear the Inspector was the next target and the officer ran around the vehicle. but Mr. Asare continued to chase him with that knife.

"All the officers could do to avoid being stabbed was to run."

Asare then slashed the police car's seats and bonnet, ripped out dashboard equipment and kicked the side panels.

He walked home, but emerged moments later with two large knives and walked into nearby Stanstead Road.

By now armed police had arrived and ordered Asare to: "Drop the knives."

Two officers then shot Asare with electric tasters as he walked forward with a knife in eat hand.

"Despite hitting him the tasters had no apparent effect," explained Mr. Clement.

A firearms officer, identified only as N71, was close to Asare.

"Mr. Asare lashed out with one of his knives towards the officer's head and neck area and the officer, and one of his colleagues, fired.

"Mr. Asare was hit twice, but neither live round had any obvious effect and he remained standing and was shot again.

"He dropped to his knees and stood up, still holding the knives, and was shot two more times."

As Asare received first aid he said: "Tell my dad I am sorry. I want to die, just kill me."

Money Launderer Ordered To Pay Up

A transport boss, who helped launder some of the profits of a £6 million illicit veterinary medicine scam - Europe's largest ever - was ordered to pay over £25,000 today or go to prison for fourteen months.

Mark Harvey, 53, of  Hollyhurst, Wilsley Pound, Sissinghurst, Kent - boss of Paddock Wood-based Trans-Vitesse Ltd. - made £27,777 from the scam.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court last year to laundering £292,000 between September 1 2006 and January 12 2008 in relation to 'Eurovet' profits - a French-based company that illegally sold animal medicines in the UK.

The money was paid through a company he created and Harvey was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 275 hours community service.

A Proceeds of Crime Act investigation revealed realisable assets belonging to Harvey totalling £26,273 and he has six months to pay the sum or go to prison.  

"He must have known it was an underhand business that was best kept as far away from the authorities as possible," announced Judge Nicholas Ainley when sentencing Harvey last year.

"He knew he was dealing with an illegitimate business enterprise and the illegitimate sale of veterinary products in the UK."

Harvey, whose freight company had a lucrative Formula One contract, ran into tax problems in 2006 and owed £41,000 VAT.

He was then introduced to 'Eurovet' boss Ronald Meddes, 73, who was a well-known local personality involved in local hunts and the horse community and agreed to get involved in the business.

Harvey became the company director of BEDRA and his wife Debbie the company secretary, but it was simply a front to funnel illegal UK profits to Meddes.

"We are talking here about millions of pounds," said Judge Ainley. "This business was turning over very substantial amounts of money indeed."

Illegal medicines were seized at Dover and Harvey's forged signature was discovered on paperwork, resulting in him being quizzed on April 3 2007 by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at a motorway service station.

Despite this scare Harvey continued laundering criminal cash for Meddes who told him BEDRA would never file accounts and be struck-off the company register.

"There is no evidence Mr. Harvey had ever been involved in sharp practise before, but he was invited to enter in an underhand business and he knew it," ruled the Judge.

"He knew he was dealing with a crook prepared to forge his signature and use his company to transfer illicit veterinary products.

"He is in it up to his neck and permitted BEDRA to trade and launder money to the Meddes accounts."

The judge told Harvey: It was your fault you were overawed by an extremely dangerous, skilful and impressive conman. A man you wanted to work with.

"This is what happens when you involve yourself with criminals."

Immigrant Family Fleeced UK Of £4M In Benefits

Members of an African family, who masterminded an 18-year £4m plot to defraud immigration and DSS departments by creating and using a string of false identities, were sentenced today. 

"When the phrase 'family business' was used that was no cliche, that was a reality," commented Croydon Crown Court Judge Nicholas Ainley. "Sentences of imprisonment are inevitable in this case."

Ringleader Ruth Nabaguzi, 49, (pic.top l.) of Church Road, Forest Gate, East London was jailed for six years and landed the NHS with a £2,280,000 bill for HIV Aids medication alone by obtaining multiple quantities in different identities.

She pleaded guilty to a total of twenty-six charges.

Lamulah Sekiziyuvu, 36, (main pic. l.) of Palmerston Road, Manor Park received 30 months; Albert Kaidi, 27, (main pic. mid.) received 30 months; his partner, mother-of-two Jordan Sebutemba, 26, (main pic. r.) of South Esk Road, Forest Gate received a 12 month sentence, suspended for 2 years and Dennis Kyeyune, 29, (pic.top r.) of Mitcham Road, Mitcham received 30 months.

The jury found them guilty of conspiring to defraud immigration and DSS departments and other government departments between June 12, 1993 and September 9, 2011.

Kaidi alone was convicted of assisting unlawful immigration on or about September 24, 2006 and making a false statement to obtain jobseeker's allowance between March 26, 2009 and August 24, last year.

The prosecution have calculated the total loss at £3,950,000, which includes £154,000 in state education; £37,500 in higher education; £650,000 form a sub-letting scam involving properties in receipt of housing benefit and £900,000 in other benefits.

"This was a fraud on a huge scale an it is an outrageous abuse of the hospitality you were offered by this country when you came here in trouble," announced Judge Ainley.

"The identities you used and no doubt sold were then used by other people. You had no scruples in bringing children to this country and then involving them in your criminal pursuits.

"This was motivated entirely by greed. All these identities were, for you, valuable commodities."

Mathy Matumba, 50, (pic. bottom r.) received four years for a £350,000 benefit fraud using multiple id's and nurse Lina Katongola, 29, (pic. bottom l.) received one year. 

Another defendant, 31 year-old Eddie Semanda received 4 months, suspended for a year.

"This case is summarised in two words: 'Identity fraud.' It is at the heart of this case against these defendants," prosecutor Mr. Paul Raudnitz told the court.

"The allegation is that they conspired together and with others, in particular Ruth Nabaguzi, to systematically, use, create and exploit false identities to facilitate fraud.

"These identities were misused to facilitate benefit and immigration fraud."

Describing Nabaguzi as the plot's ringleader Mr. Raudnitz added: "She was at the heart of the conspiracy. She agreed with people to use false identities to facilitate fraud.

"Each defendant at different times joined the conspiracy, attaching themselves to the agreement at some stage and it's tentacles went far and would do so for many years."

The prosecution say Sekiziyuvu is either Nabaguzi's daughter or niece and Kyeyune is her son.

"She employed multiple different identities and her true identity may never be known," explained Mr. Raudnitz of Nabaguzi.

"All the defendants are either children of hers or related or associated with her."

During a police and UK Border Agency raid on an address in Mitcham Road, Mitcham on September 8, last year Kyeyune was arrested.

"Concealed in the shed roof in the back garden was a black holdall and inside was a vast array of passports and documents in multiple different identities.

"This was , in effect, a kit bag for identity fraud," said the prosecutor.

"Nabaguzi adopted and ruthlessly abused identities and obtained immigration status for herself in a number of different identities and for a number of other people and from them benefit claims would be made."

Drug Smuggler Had Cocaine In Laptop Bag Lining

A jobless Birmingham man, caught smuggling £80,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport in a bid to wipe out debts, was jailed for four years today.

Daron Omar Falconer, 31, of Abbotsford Avenue had just stepped off a flight from Jamaica when UK Border Agency staff found the cocaine paste hidden in the lining of a laptop bag.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to importing 850 gms of the class A drug on March 19.

Falconer told officers he was acting “under duress” and was awaiting trial in custody when he decided to change his plea to guilty.

“He was a courier who was not going to share in the profits,” said Mr. Jeremy Lynn, defending.

“He was pressured into getting involved by a group of people in Birmingham who seemed to be friendly and helped him find accommodation and were relaxed as to when he paid the rent.

“He became indebted to them and was pressured into travelling to Jamaica, collecting a bag for them, and bringing it back into this country.”

The court heard Falconer has struggled with depression and has at times been “suicidal” and Judge Nicholas Ainley read a lengthy heartfelt letter from the defendant's wife.

“He is a total stranger to drug offending and this league of offending,” added Mr. Lynn.

“You know what you did and why you did it and you know the harm it has caused your family,” Judge Ainley told Falconer.

“I have to give you a sentence that will deter others.”

Falconer was given credit for the 225 days he has already spent on remand.

Landlady Jailed For Benefit Fraud

A benefit fraudster, who continued claiming £100,000 in hand-outs after inheriting her father's house - which she rented to her boyfriend - was jailed today.

Mother-of-two Melissa Urquhart, 34, of Widden Road, Stratford claimed income support and housing and council tax benefit at a property in Croydon for eight years.

The first-time offender, who dropped-out of a psychology degree course, also pocketed rent from her boyfriend, who was also claiming housing benefit.

Croydon Crown Court (pictured) was told it was a “very sophisticated fraud” which ran from 2003 to 2011 after Urquhart inherited the £240,000 East London property after the tragic hit-and-run death of her father.

In February 2009 investigators saw the defendant's name on a land registry document and she was quizzed in December 2010.

Judge Nicholas Ainley told Urquhart: “You ceased to be entitled to claim because you inherited a property and continued to make significant claims for benefits over eight years.

“You were privately renting it out and not letting it go to waste.”

Urquhart was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment.

Greedy Gold Prospectors Caught

The 'Goldfinger of Wallington' Frank Dickson sold four stolen gold bars for less than a quarter of their value – clocking-up his forty-sixth conviction.

The bars – worth nearly £5,000 – were the proceeds of a scam and their sale enraged the criminals behind the illegal purchase.

Apprentice window fitter Dickson, 28, of Barnard Close, Wallington pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to converting criminal property, namely the gold bars, on June 25, last year.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Dean told the court online fraudsters hijacked an innocent man's identity to buy the bars for £4,971 from Baird & Co on June 21.

The fraudsters arranged to have the gold delivered via Royal Mail special delivery to an associate's address in Mitcham on June 25.

“The package was delivered to the address of Tim Lambert, who had been told by a friend to simply sign and look after it.

“Mr. Lambert opened it and found the four gold bars and believing it was his lucky day decided to sell the bars.”

He brought them to an address in Aitken Close, Mitcham, where Dickson agreed he could arrange a sale.

Dickson phoned a contact and sold the gold bars for £1140 – taking a £560 commission.

However, when the fraudsters threatened Lambert for their gold he was forced to go to police for his own safety and was later jailed for eight months for theft.

“You have a troubling record going back to when you were only twelve years of age,” Recorder Niall Quinn QC told Dickson, who has forty-five previous convictions and is currently serving a prison sentence

“You have a history of burglary and dishonesty, but you have made significant progress for the first time in your life with this apprenticeship.

“On this occasion it seems you certainly charged a fee that is more than Cash Converters would have done.”

Dickson was conditionally discharged for eighteen months, fined £50 with a £15 surcharge for failing to appear at an earlier hearing and ordered to pay £100 costs.

When released from his current sentence Dickson will remain under an existing suspended sentence that includes an alcohol treatment requirement.

ASDA Scammers' "Nice Little Earner"

L to R: Parsons, Baldock & Macaree

A greedy group of thieves exploited ASDA's new self-service system to repeatedly steal cash back from the automated machines - hitting the store 150 times in just six days - in a scam described by a judge as a "nice little earner."

They took turns to make tiny purchases with a bank card, but then requested £50 cash back each time, taking advantage of a security lapse, which failed to check whether the card was in credit.

ASDA's total loss was £7,500 and they have since changed the automated tills software to avoid anymore similar scams.

Ringleader Mark Baldock, 34, of Sydney Road, Sutton pleaded guilty to stealing £318; Tyron Parsons, 22, of Washington Road, Worcester Park admitted stealing £1,200; Keeley Macaree, 22, of Senga Road, Wallington admitted stealing £2,350 and Claire Collins, 28, of Kingston Avenue, Sutton admitted stealing £866.

Prosecutor Mr. Julius Capon told Croydon Crown Court that Baldock opened the account on November 22, last year and it was used for nothing other than the thefts, which took place between December 27 and January 3 in the Sutton area.

"Mr. Baldock was the prime mover and this group took advantage of vulnerabilities in ASDA's security and authorisation.

"When ASDA introduced electronic self-service tills they allowed cash back of up to ninety pounds without any authorisation.

"This group purchased very low priced items and requested cash back of fifty pounds and no checks were made to ensure there were funds in the account of the cardholder.

"Mr. Baldock allowed his account to become overdrawn and made no effort to pay it off. It was theft to just obtain the cash."

The gang were rounded up after ASDA and the police checked CCTV of the defendants repeatedly entering stores and withdrawing cash.

The Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon said: "We are dealing here with a nice little criminal venture with repeated attempts to exploit this quirk in the system. This, on the face of it is organised crime.

"This is slightly easier than shoplifting. You get the money and leave and no one is going to stop you.

"Baldock was the driving force behind this nice little earner. He is the number one, whose brainchild this is."

Couple Baldock and Collins are serial shoplifters and she has thirty-six previous convictions, mostly for theft.

Parsons has forty-eight convictions and Keeley a record for alcohol-related offending.

Baldock was sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment; Collins received a 12 month community order with drug rehabilitation; Parsons received 4 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and Keeley an 18 month community order with an alcohol treatment requirement.