High-Rolling Benefit Cheat With Expensive Tastes Is Jailed

Sussams protesting his innocence to BBC's Panorama

A Bentley-driving benefit cheat, who lived a double life as a gastropub boss serving a wealthy yachting community £125 truffle and champagne burgers, received twelve months imprisonment yesterday for a £32,000 fraud.

Businessman Stephen John Sussams, 59, the ex-boss of the landmark Royal Dart, The Square, Kingswear, Devon treated the council flat he received housing benefit for as his London "pied-à-terre" during the scam.

He will now swap his old gourmet menu, which included crocodile, impala and ostrich, for prison grub after he was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court.

Sussams was featured in a BBC Panorama investigation screened last year called 'Britain on the Fiddle' and when confronted while sitting in his Bentley said he refused to engage in "trial by television."

He deliberately kept his business interests and three companies secret from Croydon Council, who continued paying £14,625 to cover the rent and council tax on the one-bedroom flat he shared with his younger civil partner at 2 Marston Way, Upper Norwood.

Sussams also drained the account of the flat's deceased former tenant, Keith Dickinson, who  once worked for nightclub boss Peter Stringfellow, stealing £17,600 in carer's allowance payments.

'It is clear from the verdict of the jury that you knew full well that was money the council mistakenly paid into the account of Keith Dickinson after he died," Judge Peter Gow QC told the defendant.

"I have no doubt you knew that money was for providing a care service to him and you equally knew it was no longer needed for that purpose.

"Instead of returning these precious resources to the council you used them for yourself."

Sussams took over the flat's tenancy after Mr. Dickinson's death and immediately claimed housing and council tax benefit.

"There was no suggestion by you that you were living with a civil partner, who was working. Your claim for these benefits was fraudulent from the outset and you failed to declare the highly successful business you were running at the Royal Dart hotel," added the judge.

The jury took just ninety minutes to unanimously convict Sussams of stealing the allowance payments from the London Borough of Croydon between August 28, 2008 and January 13, 2009 and dishonestly making a false statement on or about September 19, 2008 in relation to a housing and council tax benefit claim by failing to declare he was living with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.

He was also convicted of fraud between June 1, 2009 and March 31, this year by dishonestly failing to disclose to Croydon he was the company director of Jireh Investments and Assets and similarly that he was the company director of Kingwear Inns between October 29, 2010 and March 31, this year and Kingswear Inns (Assets) between December 2, 2010 and March 31, this year. 

"This defendant was living in Devon as the landlord of that pub, he was not living in Croydon," prosecutor Miss Nancy Udom told the jury. "The flat he was claiming housing and council tax benefit on was a pied-à-terre in the south-east for Mr. Sussams."

"He had a responsibility to tell the council he was linked to a business in Devon ," added Miss Udom. "This was dishonesty, this was fraudulent.

"He knew that if he told the truth the payments would stop and he chose to be dishonest rather than lose the flat in Croydon."

The jury were told Sussams was the primary carer for Keith Dickinson, the former tenant of the flat in Marston Way, Upper Norwood.

When he died on August 28, 2008 the direct carer's payment continued being made into his bank account and the defendant helped himself to £4,000 the very next day.

"Mr Sussams, as the primary carer, had access to this bank account and would have been aware that very large sums were coming into the bank account.

"This defendant made large withdrawals from the account, some coincided with the payments going in or within a couple of days," explained Miss Udom.

"This was simply stealing. That money should have been left where it was or returned to the council, not withdrawn by Mr. Sussams."

Croydon council invoiced Sussams for the overpayment, but he simply told them all the money had been dispersed in accordance with Mr. Dickinson's will.

Sussams, who was in receipt of incapacity benefit, successfully claimed housing and council tax benefit as a sole occupier, but deliberately failed to tell the council he was sharing the property with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.

"He did not declare his true personal circumstances and failed to declare that he was living with his partner, Mr. Vasin, his civil partner," said Miss Udom. "In fact he went further and told outright lies and claimed he was the sole occupier."

The couple had a civil ceremony on August 8, 2006.

Sussams told a pack of lies to the jury, insisting he thought the allowance payments to Mr. Dickinson were his Stringfellow's pension and that he honestly believed Croydon Council knew he had his own business.

Sussams received a suspended prison sentence in 1978 for deception and theft and three years imprisonment in 1986 for cannabis production.

Croydon will pursue compensation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Capital Trip Results In Assault Arrest

A Swansea woman, involved in an ugly incident during a trip to the capital last summer, has been fined and ordered to pay compensation to her victim.

Natasha Dodds, 29, of Westport Avenue, Mayals was arrested after an episode of violence in Victoria.

She was originally charged with racially aggravated common assault by beating against Chirag Patel in Buckingham Palace Road (pictured) on August 21.

Dodds was fined £150, with £85 costs and ordered to pay £75 compensation to Mr. Patel and a £20 victim surcharge.

Insurance Scam Charge: Couple In Court

A Wigan couple, accused of a £26,000 motor vehicle insurance fraud, appeared for the first time at City of London Magistrates' Court today.

Joseph Garner, 64, and Geraldine Garner, 53, both of Lockerbie Place, Winstanley indicated a not guilty plea and were bailed unconditionally until February 21 for committal to the Crown Court.

Both face one count of fraud in that between June 17, 2010 and October 10, last year, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, they dishonestly made a false representation to Esure Insurance Services.

The magistrates declined jurisdiction in the case.

The couple were arrested after an investigation by the City of London Police's unique Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, which was launched lasy year and is the only dedicated insurance fraud unit in the country.

Six Years For Lottery And Inheritance Scammer

An online conman, who convinced victims all over the world to pay him a total of £788,000 in 'advance fees' for non-existant windfalls, has been jailed for six years yesterday.

Patrick Bomboi Emuh, 54, (pictured) of Bromhedge, Greenwich snared twenty victims in the UK, USA, Germany, Romania, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.

After emailing and cold-calling them Emuh convinced the people they had a lottery win or had received an inheritance and neded to pay fees, taxes and handling charges to release the funds.

He also posed as a lawyer to supposedly help the victims claim the money – for an additional fee.

Some of the victims from abroad were talked into travelling to the UK, where they were met by people posing as businessmen.

Several were shown banks notes they were told were theirs, but were contaminated.

The victims were instructed to pay money up front in order for the cash to be cleaned to "legitimise" it – another ruse to extract more money from them.



The total sum of money Emuh took from his victims was £788,297.



Police began investigating Emuh in 2006 after they found him carrying £10,000 cash.

They seized the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act and financial investigators examined his bank accounts.

They found large sums of money being deposited into his account and officers were able to identify and contact some of the payees, all of whom told the same story about Emuh.

Confronted with this evidence, Emuh told police he had a diesel oil business and the victims were customers in Nigeria.

This was untrue and despite claims that he could provide evidence to prove his story, Emuh never did.

He was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of 19 counts of acquiring criminal property.

Police have already seized £60,000 cash from Emuh and are now applying for a confiscation order from which victims will be compensated.



Accredited financial investigator Doug Ferns, of the Specialist and Economic Crime Command said: “This sentence is well deserved.

“Emuh span a convoluted and convincing web of lies to con victims, who he had no concern for, out of their money.

“We are determined to continue uncovering scams like this and seeing that the perpetrators receive the kind of sentence that Emuh has.

"Emuh tricked people into believing they had struck it lucky and when he was caught out he had the audacity to claim that the victims were in fact business customers.

“A thorough investigation of his bank accounts, mobile phones and computer combined with the many witness statements allowed us to see right through his story.



"People like Emuh are driven by greed and because of the potential pay off of a con like this they will go to unbelievable lengths to convince their victim that it is genuine, as Emuh did. 



"If a stranger contacts you saying you have inherited money or won a lottery and must pay fees to access your windfall, do not believe it. Call the police."


Online Ticket Touts' "100% Profit"

David Rolls & Gary Agar

Three bogus online touts masterminded a multi-million pound scam that ripped-off music and sports fans who paid a fortune for non-existent tickets, a jury were told today.

During 2009 and 2010 Good Time Entertainments Ltd. sold thousands of tickets for concerts in london's Hyde Park featuring performers including Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon, plus expensive festival tickets for Scotland's T in the Park, featuring stars such as Jay Z, Kasabian and Stereophonics and the V festivals in Staffordshire and Essex.

They are: Andrew Lagan, 44, of Northcliffe Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough; Gary Agar, 44, of Victoria Road, South Ruislip and David Rolls, 48, of Westcott House, East India Dock Road, Poplar.

"The defendants operated Good Times Entertainments and through this company the defendants offered tickets for sale to members of the public over the internet for major sporting and entertainment events," prosecutor Mr. Toby Fitzgerald told the Harrow Crown Court jury.

"They did not provide these tickets to their customers, they did not intend to provide these tickets to their customers," explained Mr. Fitzgerald. "They deliberately attracted payment from members of the public and having taken their money from them they never provided the goods.

"They produced a one hundred per cent profit for themselves by never providing the tickets."

The court was told the credit and debit card payments, which were processed by First Data International and paid into the defendants Allied Irish bank account, were laundered through a Victoria money exchange called Link FX and the money sent to bank account in Budapest, Hungary and Thailand.

"Having received the money from their customers that money was credited by First Data International into a bank account controlled by these defendants," said Mr. Fitzgerald "That money, very swiftly, was removed from the bank account to ensure when the inevitable time of reckoning come the money had disappeared."

Explaining the scam the prosecutor explained: "These tickets scan be expensive if there is a great demand for them and a customer who has seen the company website could order these tickets online and provide payment details by either debit or credit card and payment was then processed through the defendants company.

"That effected the customers who never received tickets and effected the companies associated with the payments being processed."

First Data International provided a merchant terminal to Good Time Entertainment, which allowed credit and debit cards to be charged without the holder being present.

The defendants paid cheques, signed by Agar, to themselves via the money exchange.

"From there they have money paid out in cash to themselves and considerable sums are transferred to separate bank accounts, one in Budapest and one in Thailand.

"They are concerned they are going to get caught and want to get the money out of the country."

The jury were told Good Time Entertainment was established in June, 2003 by Agar and in November, 2006 Lagan became a director.

All three defendants have pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud and one count of money laundering.

Trial continues………… 

Stud Farm Bosses Who Bought Illegal Medicines Must Surrender Profits

Stud Farm Bosses Connelly & Jones

A couple – who ran a respected horse stud farm – were ordered to pay a total of over £90,000 today following their convictions for involvment in Europe's largest-ever illegal veterinary medicines scam.

Management consultant Richard Jones, 61, and June Connelly, 70, of Winchcombe Road, Sedgeberrow, Evesham both appeared at Croydon Crown Court to hear the outcome of Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings.

Each were ordered to pay £37,950 within six months or face fifteen months imprisonment and Jones must pay an additional £15,000 costs.

They ran the Henry Field Stud, Naunton Beauchamp, Pershore when arrested as a result of a huge invesigation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Jones denied, but was convicted on nineteen charges and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to perform 200 hours community service.

Connelly admitted possession and importation of illegal medicines and was sentenced to four months, suspended for two years and ordered to perform 140 hours community service.

"You worked as a team, the jury found as much and they were right," Judge Ainley told them during sentencing in 2011.

The couple had a close friendship with ringleaders Ronald Meddes, 73, and Regine Lansley, 62, enjoying holidays on their French estate, and bought £57,000 worth of illegal medicines.

Regarding Jones and Connolly DEFRAS’s senior investigating officer in the case, ex-cop Derrick Price said: “They both exhibited a cavalier attitude towards the welfare of horses and knew exactly what they were doing in selling illegal drugs in the Worcestershire and Warwick areas.”

The court heard the couple bought illegal anti-inflammatories, anabolic steroids, tranquilisers, antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers and other miscellaneous products administered to horses, household pets and farm animals.

Jones was convicted by a jury of buying £61,000 worth of illegal medicines from the disgraced French-based 'Eurovet' wholesalers, which bought products form India and Australia.

He told the court the fifty-horse stud was his retirement plan, insisting his animals and those of his clients were not given illegal medicines.

“You are saying the horses were drugged up to the eyeballs, but they would not have been,” Jones insisted. “To my knowledge we did not do it. I certainly did not.”

Cannabis User Smuggled Drugs From Jamaica

A Huddersfield smuggler, who claims he needs large amounts of cannabis for medicinal reasons, pleaded guilty last Thursday to importing the drug.

Aldwin Renardo Gooden, 44, (pictured) of Gilbert Grove, Crosland Moor was stopped by the UK Border Agency at Gatwick Airport after stepping off a flight from Jamaica.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to importing a quantity of herbal cannabis on October 4.

The court heard there is a dispute concerning the weight of the drugs because the packaging was included on the scales.

A Newton Hearing will take place on February 4 when Gooden will attempt to convince the court the several kilos of cannabis were for his personal use.

Paedo Caught With Child Porn Cache

A Croydon man, caught at home with a collection of sexual images of children, has dodged prison with a suspended sentence.

Mark Brittain, 37, of Lansdowne Road was arrested on June 16, last year and his sordid cache was confiscated.

He was charged with four counts of possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, ranging from level one to level four in seriousness.

Brittain pleaded guilty immediately when he appeared before Croydon Magistrates' Court, who felt their sentencing powers were insufficient, and was committed to the crown court to hear his fate. 

At Croydon Crown Court (pictured) he was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, and ordered to complete a sixty day activity requirement under the supervision of the probation service.

Wannabe Student's Lies Land Her In The Dock

A mature student, originally charged with telling lies on a university application form and lying about her entitlement to work in the UK, has dodged prison with a suspended sentence.

Jennifer Gitau, 35, of Beverley Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to complete one hundred hours community service work when she was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court (pictured).

Gitau was charged with fraud by false representation, namely that between September 1, 2009 and April 30, 2011, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, she made a false representation on a university application form, intending to make a gain, namely university admission.

She was similarly charged with fraud by false representation on or before March 28, 2007 in that she dishonestly made a false representation, namely that she was entitled to work, intending to make a gain, namely paid employment.

Pizza Man Caught Taking A Large Slice Of Cash

A pizza joint employee, originally charged with stealing thousands of pounds from the restaurant he worked at, has escaped prison with a suspended sentence.

Ivan Majolovic, 38, of Falconry Court, Fairfield South, Kingston-upon-Thames was arrested and charged with the theft of £12,778 cash.

He was bailed and banned from visiting any Papa Johns Pizza establishment until the case was concluded.

He was convicted of stealing cash from the Lower Addiscombe Road, Addiscombe (branch) branch of the restaurant chain, run by a company called Rich and Famous Ltd. between December 4 and 13, 2011.

At Croydon Crown Court Majolovic was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

He was also ordered to perform one hundred and twenty hours community service work, pay £2,750 compensation to his former employers and £500 costs.

'Parking Rage' Row Mechanic Jailed For Breaking Neighbour's Arm

A garage boss, who broke a neighbouring mechanic's arm with a heavy-duty spirit-level during a 'parking rage' row, was jailed for sixteen months today.

Mark Evans Blackburn, 46, of Bakers Gardens, Carshalton swung the four-foot long wooden weapon at Matthew Ward's head during a furious row over blocked access.

“You walked away from the argument, entered your workspace, and armed yourself with an industrial-sized heavy-duty spirit-level and attempted to hit Mr. Ward over the head,” Judge Peter Gow QC told Blackburn at Croydon Crown Court.

“He raised his left arm in an attempt to protect himself and suffered a fracture when struck, by you, with that weapon.”

Father-of-two Blackburn (pic.top) was convicted by a jury of inflicting grievous bodily harm in Bensham Lane, Thornton Heath on January 5.

The court heard trouble began when Mr. Ward, who had just pulled up in his car, complained a small transit van Blackburn had just parked was blocking the entrance to his garage (pic.bottom).

The defendant shouted: “I'm not going to move the fucking van,” and admitted in the witness box: “I think I told him to fuck off.”

The pair then had a face-to-face confrontation, shouting abuse at each other, when Mr. Ward's friend got out of a car with a dog.

“I was looking at the floor for something to arm myself with because I thought the dog was going to attack me,” Blackburn told the jury.

Mr. Ward said the defendant warned: “Wait there. I've got something to show you.”

Seconds later he returned with the spirit-level and, swinging it like a baseball bat, struck Mr. Ward, breaking his left arm, and causing him to fall to the floor.

Blackburn claimed the blow was in self-defence because he feared Mr. Ward was going to grab a weapon from the back of his own vehicle.

Prosecutor Mr. Nicholas Bleaney said: “Essentially this injury ruined Mr. Ward's professional life.

“As a direct result of his injuries he has had to give up his business.”

Mr. Robert Rye, defending, told the court: “This is someone who is a hard-working family man and the working relationship he had with Mr. Ward has been lost due to this aberration.

“The impact on Mr. Blackburn is going to be very hard and dramatic indeed. If he receives a substantial prison sentence he will inevitably lose his business.”

Blackburn suffered a minor stroke on Christmas Eve while on remand.

“That must have been brought about by the stress of being in custody,” said Mr. Rye. “This was a moment of madness an isolated incident.”

Judge Gow told Blackburn: “It is clear to me you are a hard-working, family man, kind and peaceful in the normal course of events and what you did was out of character.”

Music Teacher Facing Jail For Decades Of Abuse

A notorious paedophile, who admitted a second string of decades-long abuse committed while emloyed as a respected music tutor, will be sentenced later this month.

Michael Crombie, 75, of Monkhams Avenue, Woodford Green admitted molesting sixteen young girls over four decades between 1964 and 2007 while employed at two schools in Redbridge, East London and teaching from home.

He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to forty-nine counts and will be sentenced on January 25.

A further twenty-six counts of indecent assault and two of rape were dropped.

Crombie appeard at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2010, where he was convicted on 26 counts of abusing nine young girls between 1992 and 2002.

He was also convicted of a further seven counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing indecent images of children.



Publicity arising from this case led to many more victims approaching the Met’s Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) at Woodford to make the additional allegations.


Twelve Years For Gunman Caught By B.O.B Squad

A North London wannabe gangster – caught by police with guns and drugs – has been locked-up for twelve years.

Dean Richards, 30, (pictured) of Wycombe Road, Tottenham desperately tried to phone an associate, shouting: “Get rid of everything,” as officers moved in.

He was chased on March 25 by Operation Trident cops – who investigate violent black-on-black crime in the capital – from a property in Winchester Road, Edmonton to another in nearby Marlborough Road.

Richards was found hiding in the bathroom with the keys to the Winchester Road address.

Inside police found a two loaded self-loading pistols – one capable of automatic fire – two silencers, an empty magazine, ammunition and one smoke grenade.

Under the wardrobe was found a knife, scales and three seperate packages of heroin.

Detective Sergeant Paul Dempsey said: “This conviction is the result of the determination and commitment shown by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Trident North West Proactive Team.

“It demonstrates Trident's determination to bring those who are willing to indiscriminately use firearms to justice.



“I hope the sentence imposed gives a clear message to those members of the community who believe it is acceptable to carry and use firearms, and that it will reassure the communities of London of our ability to bring those involved in gun crime before the courts and in doing so encourage more people to report crime impacting on their community.”

Bent Bookseller Caged For Forgeries

A bookseller, who forged the signatures of famous authors, including Sir Winston Churchill and TS Eliot, to falsely inflate the value of his stock has been jailed for ten months.

Allan Formhals, 66, (pictured) from Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire bought the books at car boot sales and second-hand shops and signed them himself – duping buyers all over the world.

He was convicted at Southampton Crown Court on eight counts of fraud and two counts of possessing articles for use in fraud.

The case was a success for the Met's Art and Antiques Unit, which began investigating Formhals in January 2011.

Officers were alerted to a number of Winston Churchill books and memorabilia, supposedly carrying Sir Winston's signature, being offered for sale in London.

Working closely with the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (ABA), they identified that the signatures were forgeries.



Formhals was arrested at home on February 3, 2011 and a large quantity of books were recovered, bearing forged signatures of a number of authors including Winston Churchill, TS Eliot, JRR Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, Aldous Huxley and Robert Louis Stevenson.

In addition, autograph books bearing thousands of 'practice' signatures were recovered, together with a calligraphy pen and ink.



The investigation revealed that Formhals had been purchasing large quantities of unsigned books for just a few pounds before selling them on 'signed', for several hundred pounds each.

He would offer a signed book for sale on E-bay before building up a relationship with the buyer and then continuing to sell large quantities of books and memorabilia to the unsuspecting victims.



One customer paid £10,000 to purchase approximately sixty-eight genuine Sir Winston Churchill items.

ABA's Pom Harrington provided essential evidence as an expert witness whom a victim had approached to check the authenticity of Churchill signatures in books he had bought from Formhals.



Detective Constable Ian Lawson, of the Met's Economic and Specialist Crime Unit, said: "This was a lucrative fraud in which Formhals purchased unsigned books for just a few pounds.

“Over an eighteen month period he released them onto the market bearing forged signatures and fake provenance, selling them at vastly increased prices.

“We have recovered more than one hundred items bearing forged signatures, but it is believed that many more have been released onto the market.

“We would ask dealers to be vigilant when trading in books signed by the authors listed above."



Formhals is subject to a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, where an application will be made to confiscate money which he has made from his criminal activities. 



Laurence Worms, President of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association, said: "The tough sentence handed down to former Hampshire antiques dealer Allan Formhals represents a major breakthrough in the fight against internet auction fraud.

“Law enforcement agencies around the world have previously found it difficult to secure convictions in this field and the Art and Antiques Unit and the CPS are to be congratulated for obtaining a result which will make life very much more difficult for internet auction forgers in future. 




“We are pleased to say that the work and testimony of our own member, Pom Harrington, has been key to that success.

“The ABA will continue to work closely with the Art and Antiques Unit to publicise details of these forgeries, to remove them from the market and to ensure that collectors can continue to buy with confidence from reputable dealers."

Fatal Hit And Run: People Carrier Sought

Police are hunting the driver of this vehicle – suspected of being involved in the tragic fatal hit-and-run of a young Brazilian dad.

Motorcyclist Christian Borges, 29, of Gladstone Park Gardens, Cricklewood died after the collision in Baring Street, Islington on November 29.

Engaged Mr. Borges was employed as a takeaway deliveryman and recently became a father to a baby boy.

Police were called at 6.00pm to reports of a motorcyclist in collision with a taxi and the other vehicle, which quickly left the location.

Mr. Borges was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination held on Monday December 3 at St. Pancras Mortuary gave the cause of death as a traumatic neck injury.



The vehicle that did not stop is described as a green people carrier.



Officers from the Road Death Investigation Unit at Northolt are leading the inquiry and
Detective Sergeant Chris Osborne of the unit said: "We are continuing to study a vast amount of CCTV, but it is clear it was a very busy time and there were a lot of people in the area at the time.



"We would urge those people to come forward with information no matter how trivial it is."



Anyone with information should call police on 020 8842 1817. 

Robbery Duo Behind Bars For Crime Blitz

A violent knife-wielding robber, who targetted seven stores on the edge of East London during a fifteen-day crime blitz, has been locked up for at least twelve years.

Ian Edwards, 45, (pic.top) picked on soft targets and was helped by his look-out and getaway driver Kenneth Westfield, 37, (pic.bottom), of Chantry Way, Rainham, who received six years.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Fareed Mirza, from The Flying Squad said: "Edwards and Westfield were engaged in a spate of violent robberies that impacted on local businesses and instilled a real sense of fear amongst members of the local community.

"Edwards is a violent career criminal. He showed no remorse and disregarded the impact his actions would have on the lives of his victims and their businesses.

“The conviction of these two men reaffirms the commitment of the Flying Squad to bring to justice men of violence and improve the safety in which businesses operate."


Detective Chief Inspector Ian Corner said: "This is an excellent example of work carried out by the Flying Squad in partnership with local borough officers, where linked cross border knife robberies at commercial premises was investigated.

“Officers from the Flying Squad supported the local investigation by bringing about the arrest and conviction of both suspects, ending an episode of violent offending."



The offences began on 23 April 2012 at 13.35hrs at Gayatri Newsagent, Broadway, Rainham.

Edwards went inside and approached the counter where the elderly female victim, a frail lady in her 70s, was working alone.



He forced his way behind the counter and grabbed hold of the victim around her wrist. He twisted her arm and dragged her violently across the floor while demanding she open the safe.

A customer entered the premises and Edwards told him to leave, threatening to stab the victim if he didn't.

As the victim screamed in fear the suspect produced a large kitchen knife with a blade of between eight and 12 inches, brandished it at her and made demands for money from the till. He stole about £400 before making off. 



DC Mirza said: "This was a particularly horrific robbery. There was no need for Edwards to use such excessive force on such a vulnerable victim.

“She suffered injuries to her arm, neck and back and was so traumatised by the robbery that she has never returned to work.



"Since the death of her husband, working in the shop gave her an opportunity to leave her house and interact with people. Sadly, following this robbery, she has become withdrawn and now seldom leaves her home."



On 30 April 2012, at 17:15hrs at Britcrown Pharmacy, Upminster Road, Hornchurch

Edwards approached the female victim working at the counter.

He pulled out a large knife and started shouting at her and the pharmacist, demanding money and threatening to stab them if they did not comply.

He stole money from the cash register and threatened to stab the victims if they followed him out of the shop.

Again, the threat of violence put the cashier in fear for her safety and left her shocked and distressed.


On 1st May 2012 at 18.29hrs at Lloyds Pharmacy, Tadworth Parade, Hornchurch Edwards forced his way behind the counter where the victim was serving.

He pulled out a large kitchen knife from his jacket and brandished it at the victim, demanding she open the till.

Terrified, she did as he asked. Edwards then complained there was not enough money in the till and threatened to stab her unless she opened the safe. 
He then left, warning the victim not to follow him, saying that he would stab her if she did.



On 3 May 2012 at 19:55hrs at Tesco, Bridge Road, Rainham
Edwards approached the tills and asked to speak to the manager.

The victim told him he was the duty manager at which point Edwards pulled out a knife from his jacket and pushed it against the victim's throat with such force that it left a bruise.

He threatened to kill the victim unless he opened up the till. He committed this robbery whilst the shop was trading with numerous other members of staff and public in the premises. The level of violence used left the victim shocked and traumatised.



On 6 May 2012 at 14:26hrs at Premier Stop Once Express, Suttons Lane, Hornchurch Edwards forced his way behind the counter where the victim was serving.

He produced a large kitchen knife and brandished it at the victim demanding that he open the till.

Edwards emptied the till of its contents and threatened to stab the victim if he followed him out of the shop. Kenneth Westfield was parked nearby as look-out and get-away driver.



On 7 May 2012 at 21.35 at Hainault Food & Wine, New North Road, Ilford
Edwards went inside and engaged in conversation with a cashier.

When the last remaining customer left the premises Edwards suddenly forced his way behind the counter and pulled out a large kitchen knife.

He started shouting at the staff and brandished the knife.

Other staff members heard the disturbance and ran out from a back room.

A struggle then ensued during which Edwards cut his hand and dropped the knife he had brought into the shop. It is believed he ran into a getaway car parked nearby.



On 8 May 2012 at 18.01hrs at Bows Chemist, Upminster Road North, Rainham Edwards forced his way behind the counter and into the dispensary.

He threatened the pharmacist with a large knife and demanded that the till be opened.

The victim was shaking and struggled to open the till; Edwards told him he had five seconds before he would get hurt.

When the till was opened, Edwards emptied the contents of the cash drawer into a carrier bag and fled. He ran into a waiting getaway car driven by Westfield.



The Flying Squad launched an operation to tackle the series of robberies and arrested Westfield on 8 May and Edwards two days later in Dagenham Heathway. 

Italian Restaurant 'Glassing': Do You Know These Thugs?

Police are trying to trace these two suspects after one have-a-go-hero was 'glassed' and his friend violently punched at an Italian restaurant in Central London.

A 32 year-old passer-by suffered serious facial injuries and his 52 year-old companion lost a tooth at Sergios, Great Titchfield Street, Marylebone in the early hours of November 10.

The victims were outside the restaurant with friends when they saw the two suspects attacking a waiter inside.

As they intervened the younger man was struck with a glass, which shattered in his face and his friend was punched in the mouth.

Police are looking to identify the people in the picture, who were dining at Sergios prior to the incident.

They are described as both being approximately 5ft11 in height, around 55 years of age and of heavy build.

One was wearing a white shirt and has short grey hair the other was wearing a dark shirt and has bald or thinning grey hair.

Both had a strong London accent



A third person, a woman aged approximately 40, around 5ft 6 tall with long blonde hair and wearing a dark top, was also dining with these two men, but she is not suspected of any involvement in the attack.

If anyone has any information in relation to who these persons are, or if they witnessed the incident, they are urged to contact DC Anna Petherbridge from the Westminster Serious Violence Team.

Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting crime reference 6561164/12.

'Advance Fee' Fraudster's £788K Scam Smashed

An online conman, who convinced victims all over the world to pay him a total of £788,000 in 'advance fees' for non-existant windfalls, will be senenced in the new year.

Patrick Bomboi Emuh, 54, (pictured) of Bromhedge, Greenwich snared twenty victims in the UK, USA, Germany, Romania, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.

After emailing and cold-calling them Emuh convinced the people they had a lottery win or had received an inheritance and neded to pay fees, taxes and handling charges to release the funds.

He also posed as a lawyer to supposedly help the victims claim the money – for an additional fee.

Some of the victims from abroad were talked into travelling to the UK, where they were met by people posing as businessmen.

Several were shown banks notes they were told were theirs, but were contaminated.

The victims were instructed to pay money up front in order for the cash to be cleaned to "legitimise" it – another ruse to extract more money from them.



The total sum of money Emuh took from his victims was £788,297.



Police began investigating Emuh in 2006 after they found him carrying £10,000 cash.

They seized the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act and financial investigators examined his bank accounts.

They found large sums of money being deposited into his account and officers were able to identify and contact some of the payees, all of whom told the same story about Emuh.

Confronted with this evidence, Emuh told police he had a diesel oil business and the victims were customers in Nigeria.

This was untrue and despite claims that he could provide evidence to prove his story, Emuh never did.

He was convicted of 19 counts of acquiring criminal property and will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on January 8.

Police have already seized £60,000 cash from Emuh and are now applying for a confiscation order from which victims will be compensated.



Accredited financial investigator Doug Ferns, of the Specialist and Economic Crime Command said: "Emuh tricked people into believing they had struck it lucky and when he was caught out he had the audacity to claim that the victims were in fact business customers.

“A thorough investigation of his bank accounts, mobile phones and computer combined with the many witness statements allowed us to see right through his story.



"People like Emuh are driven by greed and because of the potential pay off of a con like this they will go to unbelievable lengths to convince their victim that it is genuine, as Emuh did. 



"If a stranger contacts you saying you have inherited money or won a lottery and must pay fees to access your windfall, do not believe it. Call the police."



Happy Christmas!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers - regular and new - a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

There are no news updates on this special day, there will be plenty of time for them in the coming months.

Instead we would like to convey our best wishes and thank you for your continued interest in this site over the last year

Hopefully we can maintain your interest in the coming months.

Merry Christmas!

Gunman Caged Over £500 Loan Row

A gunman, who shot another man who refused to lend him £500 as they sat in a parked car, is starting a fourteen year prison sentence.

Iziah Smith, 23, (pictured) of Jenner Road, Stoke Newington was siting in the rear of the vehicle when he pulled the trigger – shooting the front passenger seat under the armpit.

He was convicted at the Old Bailey of inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent, outside his home address on April 26 and also convicted of possession of a firearm, with intent to endanger life.

The victim and his girlfriend had driven to Smith's home believing he was interested in buying some clothes for a holiday to Jamaica.

However, the defendant began agressively demanding the loan from the girlfriend and when the victim intervened he was shot.

He was driven to Homerton Hospital by his girlfriend, and was later transferred to the Royal London Hospital as his injuries were deemed life-threatening.

The victim has now recovered physically from his injuries but is still traumatised by the incident.


Detective Constable Simon Ager of the Trident Gang Crime Command North East Team, said: "This significant sentence sends out a clear message about the grave consequences of carrying and using a weapon.

“This was a complex investigation and has successfully led to the imprisonment of a dangerous offender.