School Caretaker Jailed For Vile Sex Attacks On Young Girls

A trusted school caretaker, who preyed on two young girls during end of term camps in the Easter and Summer holidays, has been jailed for 12 years for the sickening sex attacks.

John Lyon, 40, (pictured) of Latymer Way, Edmonton lured a seven year-old girl to a bathroom and as a result of a police investigation a six year-old girl reported a similar sexual assault.

Wood Green Crown Court heard the seven year-old was subjected to Lyon's vile advances on July 30, last year at the camp in Churchbury Road, Enfield.

The six year-old was similarly targeted during the previous Easter holidays.

Lyon was placed on the sex offenders register for life, and an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed. 



He was arrested on August 1, last year, charged on January 17 and pleaded guilty on September 16.

Detective Constable Mark Tester of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: "This has been a complicated and protracted enquiry and I wish to thank the victims and their families for their patience and assistance throughout. 



"Lyon betrayed his position of trust as a caretaker at the school in the most heinous way, his actions demonstrated a pre-meditation and it is my belief that he poses a very real risk to children, and this was reflected in the summing up and sentence imposed by the court."


Burglars 'Fence' Jailed For Firearms Hoard

A fence, who was caught with a sawn-off shotgun and illegal ammo after a stolen computer was traced to his home via a California tip-off, is starting a four-and-a-half year sentence.

Ousama Rhanmia, 25, (pictured) of Bedford Hill, Balham had property from ten different London burglaries at his home when officers raided it on January 8.

He was convicted at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court of possession of the shortened shotgun, 23 rounds of ammunition, 46 CS gas cannisters, a silencer and three 9mm rounds as well as handling stolen goods.

Rhanmia was traced after a burglary in Elm Road, Kingston-upon-Thames on January 26, last year when items including a desktop computer, laptops and an iPhone were taken.

On February 2 a Californian friend of the burglary victim reported files were being deleted on their shared 'Dropbox' folder and the stolen laptop was traced by police to Rhanmia.

Detective Sergeant Tony Skinner, from Kingston CID, said: "This was a protracted investigation which uncovered thousands of pounds worth of stolen property from burglaries committed across London not to mention deadly weapons.



"It has taken eighteen months of hard work to get this result and thanks must go to Detective Constable Nicola Stopps who oversaw the case from the beginning.

“Her diligence paid off resulting in Rhanmia's conviction today."


Another Race Rant Passenger Caught On Croydon's Tram

Another Croydon female tram passenger has been caught hurling racist abuse - this time at a black ticket inspector, who tried to check her Oyster card.

Karen Smith, 52, (pic.top) of North Downs Road, New Addington shouted: "F*** off you black c*** and stop harassing me."

Her appearance at Croydon Crown Court yesterday follows the conviction of neighbour Emma West, 36, who admitted racially aggravated disorderly behaviour and was sentenced last July.

Judge Nicholas Ainley ruled Smith was unfit to enter a plea, but a jury found a charge of racially aggravated threatening behaviour towards Junior Williams on February 15, 2011 proved and she received an absolute discharge.

The court heard Mr. Williams (pic.bottom) tried to check Smith's card after it "double bleeped" on the platform reader outside East Croydon Station.

She told him: "I'm the only person you checked, you black c***," and shouted to the inspector's colleagues: "People like him shouldn't do this to me in my own country. I've been here longer."

Smith was blocked from boarding the tram and replied: "F*** off coon. Just try and stop me."

Mr Williams told the jury: "She described my white colleague as a disgrace to her race. 

"I'm there doing a job, it's belittling."

Smith eventually stormed off, after telling Mr. Williams to: "Go back to your own country," but was arrested after lodging an official complaint about the way she was treated.

She reported in a statement: "I was spoken to like I was a piece of dirt by the inspector."

Concert Pianist Accused Of Groping 15 Year-Old Girl While "Smooching" With Her Mum

An internationally renowned concert pianist seduced a love-struck new fan, "french-kissing" her on his sofa, while simultaneously fondling the woman's 15 year-old daughter after plying the pair with alcohol, a court heard yesterday.

Oxford-educated pianist Robin Zebaida, 49, a graduate of the Royal College of Music had an arm around each on the two-seater, but secretly groped the teen while making advances on her mother.

"While embracing them in that way Mr. Zebaida, as he brought his hand down on the girl's hip, put his hand under the top she was wearing on her bare flesh" prosecutor Mr. Mark Gadsden told the Isleworth Crown Court jury.

"He stroked her there and moved his hand up to her breast, where her bra was, but did not touch her breast.

"He started kissing the mother, 'smooching' as the daughter described it, french-kissing.

"The daughter then lay on the floor, complaining of the effects of the alcohol the defendant plied them both with, she had been drinking miniatures, and consumed more then the adults.

"He coaxed her back on to the couch and caressed her thigh and bottom in a slow and deliberate way," explained Mr. Gadsden. "He also kissed her on the neck and she felt unable to stop it happening.

"The mother never saw any of this sexual touching of her daughter and the defendant may have been disinhibited from the effects of the alcohol, the music, the romance."

The court heard both the widowed mother and her daughter struck up a friendship with Zebaida when he performed during a Mediterranean cruise in the summer of 2011 and sat in the front row of his performances.

"The mother and the defendant became friendly with each other and made arrangements to meet in England and some sort of romantic attachment may have grown as far as the mother and the defendant were concerned."

The mother always travelled from her Essex home with her daughter for dates, twice to the Steinway studios, where Zebaida was practising, and once to the Imperial War Museum and they returned to his St. John's Wood apartment on November 24, last year after dining at an Iranian restaurant.

"We sat on the sofa and he put some music on and we had some alcoholic drinks," the mother told the jury. "My daughter had one or two vodka miniatures and I think he had some whiskey.

"He had an arm around each of us and he kissed me, which turned into a french kiss," she explained. "It was a bit of a surprise.

"He had an arm around my waist and an arm around my daughter's back and French-kissed me several times within bouts of conversation."

The daughter reluctantly shared the sofa-bed with her mother that night, the court heard. "She was uncomfortable with Robin and she wanted to leave.

"She told me his hand had been under her shirt and against her stomach."

The pair left early in the morning, despite the defendant encouraging them to stay, claimed the mother. "He said we should stay longer and began cuddling me and started undoing my bra."

The girl shared her experience with a counsellor three months later and the police were informed.

Zebaida, who also teaches music masterclasses around the world with the British Council is an examiner with the Associated board of the Royal Schools of Music.

He is also a certified masseuse and claims he had previously given the girl an innocent back rub above her clothing at the Imperial War Museum.

British-born Zebaida, of Grove End Gardens, Grove End Road has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault by touching.

The trial continues…………. 

Private Eye's Convicted Of "Blagging" Sensitive Personal Info

Hungry For Info: Spencer (L) & Stanton (R)

The bosses of a private investigation company who illegally 'blagged' sensitive, personal information from GP surgeries, utility companies, banks and other institutions on 1,900 occasions were convicted today

of the first-ever conspiracy to source such details.

While hunting individuals who owed unpaid bills, community charges and other debts staff lied and posed as other people during phone calls to extract information on behalf of ICU Investigations Ltd and their 330 clients.

ICU's named clients included Leeds Building Society; Allianz Insurance; Dee Valley Water; Brighton and Hove City Council and Mint Credit. 

The identities of other institutions and companies are shielded behind the many solicitor's firms who instructed ICU on their behalf. 

The company's director and sole shareholder Barry Spencer, 41, of Hook Common, Hook, Hampshire and former company secretary Adrian Stanton, 40, of Vicarage Road, Sunbury-on-Thames will be sentenced on January 24.

They were found guilty by an Isleworth Crown Court jury of conspiring to illegally obtain data, without consent, between April 1, 2009 and May 13, 2010.

Five ex-employees, who have already admitted conspiracy charges, will be sentenced on the same date.

The company, of Legacy Centre, Hanworth Trading Estate, Hampton Road West, Feltham was also convicted on the same summons brought under the Data Protection Act.

Even though MP's have voted for a two-year maximum sentence for the offence it has not been enacted and the only penalty available to the judge is an unlimited fine.

"This case is unique in that it is the first time conspiracy has been charged," prosecutor Mr. Ben Summers told the court, announcing the prosecution will pursue financial confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act and apply for Mr. spencer to be banned from being a company director.

Mr. Summers told the jury during the three-week trial: "They would trick the people they were calling at utility companies and the television licensing authority etc into disclosing information that involved personal data.

"That information would be used to complete reports on people they were trying to trace and then sent to ICU's clients.

"This case is about blagging, getting information about people by deceiving others and both defendants and ICU were involved in this practise.

"All three agreed to systematically commit offences under the Data Protection Act as part of the business they provided as a tracing agent."

Companies contacted for information include Vision Express; npower; E.ON;  British Gas as well as GP surgeries.

"During the period somewhere in the order of nineteen hundred separate offences were committed with blagging phone calls being made," explained Mr. Summer.

"Personal details were blagged out of the people who were contacted."

A favourite method employed was to call an organisation, posing as the person they were trying to trace, and confirm details such as addresses and contact numbers.

"The defendants were involved in agreeing these calls should be made and through them the company is also responsible.

"They ran and administered the company and its day to day operation.

"Telephone calls were routinely made that did breach the Data Protection Act because they were blagging information from people by misrepresenting who they were and what they were after.

"It is inconceivable the offences could have been committed without Mr. Spencer and Mr. Stanton knowing what was going on," added Mr. Summers.

Judge Phillip Matthew told the two men: "You have been convicted by the jury and you will be bound to provide the financial information."

Financial Advisor Continues Pleading His Innocence From The Witness Box

A financial advisor, accused of battering his millionaire client to death after stealing £343,000 from him, told a jury: "I have never hurt anyone in my entire life."

David Jeffs, 36, of Larch Close, Arnold, Nottingham denies murdering  wealthy gay Mayfair socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, who suffered fatal head injuries at his home in Mount Street on March 8.

Twice-married father-of-one Jeffs (pic.bottom) told the Croydon Crown Court jury he was confronted outside Mr. Troyan's apartment by a bloodstained mystery man who was probably a "rent boy" or "angry pimp."

He admitted driving to Guildford and buying identical fresh clothing after hearing Mr. Troyan (pic.top) was dead to separate himself forensically from the event.

"I wanted to avoid a connection with the man I met at Robert's place and all the madness that surrounded his life," Jeffs told the jury.

Prosecutor Mr. Edward Brown QC told the defendant: "You knew you killed Roberto Troyan and needed a new set of clothing," but Jeffs replied: "That's not true."

"I never went into that flat on that Friday," insisted Jeffs, dismissing the suggestion he looked "more dishevelled" on CCTV, which recorded him leaving the building.

"Except for my scarf not being tucked into my jacket I'd say I looked the same."

Jeffs admitted trying to "disavow" himself from any connection with the mystery man, but complained: "At many times I've felt that the entire weight of the Metropolitan Police force is against me."

Mr. Troyan, the civil partner of the late interior designer Anthony Feldman, invested bonds of £650,000 and £550,000 on the advice of Jeffs, who also became his £1,000 per week 'financial concierge'.

The defendant was also earning £53,000 per year with London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus and enjoyed an annual expense account of £8,000.

The jury have been told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.

Jeffs has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.

The trial continues…………

London Cyclist Killed

Another London cyclist was killed on the capital's roads today – fatally injured after colliding with a dump truck.

The tragedy occurred at the junction of Camberwell Road and Albany Road, Camberwell, south London at approximately 12.07pm.

The dump truck was turning left at traffic lights into Albany Road when the bike ended up trapped under its wheels.

Police and the ambulance service responded to the emergency and attended to the male cyclist, aged in his early sixties.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:37pm.

Next of kin have been informed.



The male driver of the lorry stopped at the scene and has not been arrested at this time.



Detectives from the Road Death Investigation Unit have been informed and enquiries continue.


Violent Punch-Up After QPR v Ipswich Town Match

An Ipswich Town supporter, who battled in the street with a rival fan – landing eleven blows as police struggled to separate the pair – has been banned from matches for three years.

Construction site manager James Ballantyne, 36, of Church Road, Friston, Saxmundham, Suffolk pleaded guilty to affray outside QPR's ground on August 17, but claimed he is not a follower of the club.

Hammersmith Magistrates' Court heard it was approximately 5pm when a home fan approached Ballantyne and his group aggressively in South Africa Road following QPR's 1 – 0 win.

“CCTV shows that a fight breaks out and Mr. Ballantyne threw eleven punches, which landed on either the head or body of the other man,” said prosecutor Mr. Martin Edwards.

“The QPR fan, who was also arrested, threw approximately eight punches, but Mr. Ballantyne, the much bigger of the two, started to get the better of him.

“Police officers moved in to break up the fight that was now on the floor, but that did not deter the two men continuing to try to get at one another and the officers used batons and distraction punches.”

Police later questioned the defendant. “He said he did not know the area and that is why he was lingering outside the ground and he admitted that he threw punches.”

Ballantyne, who has convictions for assault and threatening behaviour told the court: “I did not initiate the fight and I had gone to the match with some close friends that I used to play football with.

“I don't support Ipswich, but I admit that when I was attacked I went too far and I used excessive force to defend myself.

“I should keep my job as long as I don't go to prison and I am the sole provider for my family.”

District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe sentenced Ballantyne to 200 hours community service and ordered him to pay £80 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

“This was a nasty incident and fortunately it did not escalate into a larger fight involving twenty, thirty, forty people and you did not stop when the police arrived. It was unwarranted.”

Child Rapist Turned Peeping Tom Eventually Caged

A primary school caretaker, who raped a four year-old girl, sexually abused a thirteen year-old and secretly filmed a married couple with a hidden camera when he accommodated them in his spare bedroom, has been jailed for thirteen years and three months.

Tony Cunningham, 54, (pictured) was a guest at the couple's home in Bridlington Road, Skipsea where he molested the girl when she was a teenager, Croydon Crown Court heard.

Cunningham, of Norbury Avenue, Thornton Heath, Croydon, claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy, but this was rejected by the jury and he received twelve years for raping the child between December 5, 1985 and December 4, 1986 and a concurrent term for indecently assaulting her when she was aged either eight or nine years-old.

Prosecutor Mr. Tim Forster told the jury: “When she was about four years-old she remembers the defendant getting into bed next to her, moving her legs aside and pushing his penis into her.

“She remembers it hurt and that the following morning she was sore and she has that firmly in her mind.”

Cunningham was also convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting the Skipsea girl between October 18, 2006 and October 18, 2007 and received an additional nine months imprisonment.

He was further convicted of voyeurism on March 24, 2005 in that he recorded the girl's parents for his own sexual gratification at his former home in Woodside Road, South Norwood and received another six months.

Mr. Forster told the jury the Skipsea complainant, now aged 19, confided in a friend just before Christmas, last year that she had been touched by Cunningham

“She remembered that five years ago when the defendant came to stay with her family that while she was watching television Mr. Cunningham pulled a blanket over her and put his hand on her hand and moved it towards his groin.

“Two or three months later she was taking laundry upstairs when Mr. Cunningham asked her if she wanted a cuddle.

“He pulled her on top of him on to the bed and she could feel him thrusting between her legs with his erect penis.”

After the allegations were made Cunningham was asked to leave the matrimonial home by his wife, who then found two VHS cassettes among his belongings.

“She was absolutely shocked to find it was rather grainy footage of their spare room and the couple in bed, or undressing or getting up in the morning with particular emphasis on the wife.

“There was some sexual activity and footage of the wife without any clothing and the husband lying naked on the bed,” explained Mr. Forster.

“The footage had been recorded with a concealed camera and edited down to the best bits, into a compilation.”

The police were called and it was obvious the camera had been hidden inside an air vent cavity, which had been adjusted to allow images to be recorded, the jury were told.

“Mr. Cunningham is obsessed with cameras and he installed a CCTV system in the house,” added Mr. Forster. 

Among some of Cunningham's pornographic dvd's his wife also found a computer disc that contained four images of the Skipsea girl.

“They show her in a paddling pool and they include two close-ups of her crotch.

“Mr. Cunningham was the gifted and keen photographer in the house. Does it reveal how his mind was working?

“They are a window into his mind,” the prosecutor added. “If you have any doubt about what the Crown says happened in Yorkshire these pictures will remove that doubt.”

Mayfair Millionaire Murder Trial: "I Would Never Contemplate Harming Robert" Says Accused Financial Advisor

A financial advisor, accused of battering a Mayfair millionaire to death after stealing £343,000 from him, has told a jury: "I would never contemplate harming Robert."

David Jeffs, 36, of Larch Close, Arnold, Nottingham denies murdering wealthy socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, who suffered fatal head injuries at his home in Mount Street on March 8.

Twice-married father-of-one said: "I had a very good relationship with Robert, we were friends. He bought us a nice wedding gift."

Mr. Troyan, (pic.top) the civil partner of the late interior designer Anthony Feldman, invested bonds of £650,000 and £550,000 on the advice of Jeffs, who also became his £1,000 per week 'financial concierge'.

The defendant was also earning £53,000 per year with London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus and enjoyed an annual expense account of £8,000.

"I was doing a lot of work for Robert, some of it overpaid, but at no time was it fraudulent," Jeffs (pic.bottom) told the Croydon Crown Court jury. "He was very vigilant about his money, it was very precious to him."

The defendant admitted not declaring his income to the taxman after 2008 explaining: "It became less and less of a priority and became my ongoing shame. 

"Everyday it was a crashing reality and every day looked worse in my mind."

Jeffs claims a blood-stained mystery man confronted him on the landing outside the flat on the day of the murder and told the jury there were often random men present and evidence of drug-fuelled sex parties when he arrived for meetings.

"I saw a lot of evidence of cocaine taking and sometimes there would be men I did not know there.

"Leather paddles and pornography was poorly hidden in a wicker basket and I once found Robert completely naked, passed out in his lounge surrounded by sexual paraphernalia."

There was also evidence of whips and sex toys used during the parties, the court heard, and Jeffs said gay porn would still be on the television when he arrived.

The jury have been told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.

Jeffs admitted using cocaine and ecstasy, claiming he was introduced to the drugs by one of a string of girlfriends he had after his first marriage ended in 2008.

He was introduced to Mr. Troyan in early 2008 and tasked with getting a grip on his finances.

"He'd been left an awful lot of money from the sale of the matrimonial home and had an undesirable group around him that were encouraging him to spend a lot of money at a quick rate and his society friends were concerned.

"Robert's main aim was to have the money at arms length so it wouldn't be frittered away. 

"He had all these hangers-on that would march him down to the bank and spend his money for him.

"He was probably the most unusual person I've met, very flamboyant, very loud, very flighty and his attention span was extremely short and he wilfully misunderstood things if they were things he did not want to hear.

"Robert was a lot of work for my staff, demanding money at odd times and at odd places," added Jeffs. 

"The staff at Columbus felt he was very offensive, he'd talk down to them, yell at them, call up drunk."

Jeffs estimated he was spending three to four hours per week sorting out Mr. Troyan's everyday finances and charged him his financial consultant rate of £250 per hour to be his 'concierge'.

"Out of some sense of guilt for the work I was doing for him he said: 'We have got to work out a way to pay you for this.'

"It was a generous four hours per week and you have to take into account the time he took up with his calls, sometimes in the middle of the night and all through the day.

"It was deliberately excessive, not a role I enjoyed."

After doing financial "bits and bobs" for free for eighteen months Jeffs told the jury he was paid a lump-sum of £60,000 in back-pay by Mr. Troyan.

When asked if he defrauded Mr. Troyan the defendant replied: "Absolutely not."

Jeffs has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.

The trial continues………….

Popular Music Teacher Facing Prison For Groping 9 Year-Old Pupil

A primary school music teacher, who downloaded child porn, has been convicted of fondling a nine-year old boy during a lunchtime piano lesson and warned by a judge to expect to go to prison.

John Gowers, 52, of Great Water Farm Cottages, Ashurst Wood, East Grinstead was bailed to return to Woolwich Crown Court for sentencing on December 6.

"You must understand that even though I am granting you bail that is no indication of the likely outcome," Judge Andrew Lees told Gowers. "The most likely outcome is an immediate custodial sentence for these matters."

He denied, but was convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting the boy on December 5, last year at the unnamed school in the London Borough of Lewisham.

Before the trial Gowers pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing indecent images, which relate to sixteen at Level One - the lowest category - six at Level Two and one at Level Four.

The vile content was found on his home computer, which was seized and examined by police investigating the sexual assault allegation and revealed internet searches including: 'pre-teen boy nudity' and 'boy sex'.

Gowers' lawyer Miss Lauren Soertsz asked for the probation service to prepare a pre-sentence report and revealed she will be urging the court to pass a suspended prison sentence.

The sentencing guidelines suggest a period of imprisonment of between one and four years, but Miss Soertsz said: "I am going to attempt to persuade the court to take a course that allows this man to retain his liberty."

During the trial prosecutor Mr. Patrick Moran told the jury: "Mr. Gowers was the boy's piano teacher and he was giving the boy a private piano lesson during the school lunch break.

"The defendant is alleged to have touched parts of the boy's body, his penis, his bottom and he touched them for several seconds, long enough for it to be no accident.

"The boy was fully clothed in school uniform and in the middle of playing a piece of music.

"Mr. Gowers said nothing and just kept his hand there and the boy felt very awkward, did not say anything and left after the lesson.

"That evening the boy told his mother, she contacted the school the next morning, and the police were informed.

"The defendant denied having touched the boy in the way described," explained Mr. Moran. "He said he remembered touching his leg, above the knee, but only because he was leaning over.

"He denied touching the boy's penis at all."

The police have prepared the conditions of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order they feel is necessary to impose on Gowers, who has already signed the sex offenders register since admitting having child porn.

Mr. Moran told Judge Lees: "Your honour will have to consider the breach of trust element to these offences."

Cowboy Trader Admits Ripping-Off Pensioner

Carry On Cowboy: Jason Jones

A rogue trader, who aggressively sold thousands of pounds worth of shoddy work to an 83 year-old customer, who paid for improvements to his home, has finally admitted four offences.

Jason Jones, 42, of Worcester Road, Titton, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire harassed the pensioner – described as “very trusting and very friendly” - who paid approximately £9,350 for the work on the south London property.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to engaging in aggressive commercial practise between August 23, last year and February 22 that amounted to harassment in relation to work on the driveway, patio, walkway, roof and gutters of the house in Ryeland Road, Upper Norwood.

Jones also pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening professional diligence, which included the unnecessary jet-washing of the property's roof and carrying-out the jet-washing, sanding and gritting of the driveway and walkway to a poor standard.

He will be sentenced on December 5.

Property Owner Collected Rent While Pocketing Housing Benefit During £16K Scam

A benefit cheat, who secretly rented out his own house while living in a London property for free, has escaped prison with a suspended sentence for the £16,000 scam.

Mini-cab driver Akpanolou Etteh, 51, of 200 Oxlow Lane, Dagenham ripped-off the London Borough of Southwark who paid his rent and council tax for nearly three years.

The first-time offender pleaded guilty at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court to two counts of dishonestly making a false statement on September 9, 2008 in relation to housing benefit and council tax benefit by failing to declare he was the freehold owner of the Dagenham property.

Etteh also pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances between August 1, 2009 and June 20, last year by failing to disclose he was in receipt of rental income.

The court heard Etteh and his wife have a young child with another on the way and had applied to be housed by the London Borough of Southwark before buying the Dagenham home.

“He is very remourseful about what he has done,” said Mr. Clive Johnson, defending. “He has indicated that this has been a wake-up call for him.

“He applied for the Southwark property before he bought the Dagenham property and should have informed the council, but he didn't.”

Etteh claims he is currently earning £460 per week and Mr. Johnson added: “He is struggling to pay his mortgage and if he goes into custody his family could lose their home.”

Bench chairwoman Mrs Susan Williams told Etteh: “This is a very serious matter of fraud.”

He was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to perform 200 hours community service.

Etteh will also pay £832 costs, an £80 victim surcharge and the London Borough of Southwark have indicated they will make their own arrangements to recover the lost money.