Convicted Romanian Robber's Double Sex Attacks Within Weeks Of UK Arrival

A “dangerous” Romanian criminal, who targeted two lone women in sexually-motivated attacks within weeks of arriving in the UK, has been locked-up for 16 years.

Heavily-tatooed Nicusor Ion, 41, of Islip Gardens, Northolt was armed with a knife on both occasions when he struck at the same underpass.

Fortunately Ion – who is a convicted robber in his homeland - was disturbed by passers-by, which cut short the attacks as he dragged each victim into bushes.

He was convicted by an Isleworth Crown Court jury of sexually assaulting a 28 year-old woman at 6.45pm on August 9, last year near the Target Roundabout, Northolt.

Ion was also found guilty of attempting to rob the woman and possessing an offensive weapon.

The victim was grabbed from behind by Ion and forced into bushes at knifepoint.

She was robbed and sexually assaulted by Ion, who fled when disturbed by a member of the public.

Three days later, at 9.30am on August 12, he attacked a 47 year-old woman in the same underpass.

Ion grabbed her and tried to drag her into bushes before pushing her to the floor.

He was again disturbed by a member of the public and ran off.

Ion was convicted of attempting to sexually assault the woman, robbing her and possessing a bladed article.

Police took her on a drive around of the local area and she pointed him out as he stood outside a betting-shop in nearby Mandeville Road.

The first victim also picked Ion out from an identity parade.

Detective Constable Ben Robinson from Ealing CID said: "These were violent and sustained attacks on two lone females in broad daylight which must have been terrifying for the victims.

“However, due to their courage officers were able to quickly identify Ion following the second offence and arrest him.

"Ion is a dangerous man who will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars.

“Such offences will not be tolerated and we will do everything within our power to ensure offenders are brought to justice."

Lone Woman Mugged By Three Cowardly Youths: CCTV Of Suspect Released

Police hunting for three youths, who snatched a mobile phone and bank card from a lone woman in south-east London have released this CCTV image of a suspect.

On October 12 last year at approximately 6.15pm the victim, a 37-year-old woman, was walking in Lewisham Road by the junction with Quince Road, Hither Green when her phone was taken.

The phone case contained her bank card which was subsequently used to make purchases in Surrey Quays, Lewisham and Deptford.

Three male teenagers were seen fleeing from the robbery on mopeds.

Detectives are keen to identify a male that was captured on CCTV later that day at a petrol station in Surrey Quays at 7.53pm.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested on 23 October, last year in connection with this incident and was bailed pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information should ring Detective Constable Carly Walker on 020 8284 7700 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 3620866/15.

Council Continue Hunting Suspect Who Smashed Their CCTV 10 Years Ago

A man suspected of vandalising a council's CCTV system a decade ago has ironically been captured on camera and circulated as wanted.

Hackney council's coverage of the Shoreditch area suddenly stopped working at 7.00am on July 25, 2006.

Council staff visited the roof of a building in Stanway Street on the Harman Estate, Hoxton and found the transmitter to the cameras damaged.

The damage was caused by a scaffold pole found nearby on the roof.

A video clip taken at the time of the offence was identified by Hackney council staff on a social media website earlier this year and reported to police.

The video clip shows a man with short brown hair hitting the transmitter with a scaffold pole.

He is seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise this man, or who witnessed the man carrying out the attack.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 020 7275 3449 or via 101 quoting reference number 202265, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Burglary Suspect Caught On CCTV

Police are hunting this scaffold-climbing burglary suspect after offices were broken into.

Officers on Islington Borough are appealing to identify the man they would like to speak to following a break-in at a business address in Clerkenwell.



At about 8.00pm on Wednesday, January 6 the premises in Charterhouse Buildings, EC1 was closed and locked for the night.

However, when staff returned the following morning at about 8.30am, it was discovered that a burglary had taken place.



An Apple MacBook, cash and earphones were among the items stolen.



CCTV seized from the premises shows a man who is believed to have used scaffolding to access the building.



Officers would like to identify this man, and are asking anyone with information to contact them via 101, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.



Enquiries are also underway to establish if this incident is linked to previous burglaries at other business in the building. 

Bonnie Prince Charlie Star's 'Last Call' Pub Assault

Bonnie: Jamie Bacon

A young actor who stars in the title role of the latest Bonnie Prince Charlie historical epic attacked a bar manager when his girlfriend was refused an after-hours drink.

Jamie Bacon, 24, is set to play the Jacobite pretender in the multi-million pound production of movie The Great Getaway, which is due to start filming in Scotland later this year.

He was picked to play the role of Charles Edward Stuart - who was defeated at Culloden in 1746 - by Scottish writer-director Robbie Moffat, who is rumoured to have also cast Kristen Stewart  and Brendan Gleeson.

Bacon and actress girlfriend Beatrice Colwyn-Foulkes, 22, were celebrating her final performance at Arts Educational, a drama school near The Tabard pub, Bath Road, Chiswick.

He splits his time between his parents residence at Carina Court, Banks Road, Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset and her Battersea home and is also an alumni of Arts Educational.

Bar manager Saman Aljaf, 27, told Feltham Magistrates Court yesterday the pub stopped serving at midnight on December 6, last year.

"The defendant walked behind the bar and said: 'C'mon mate, you can serve one more' and I started to guide him, using very gentle force, away.

"People don't usually act with that level of arrogance or confidence to walk behind the bar," added the manger, who told Bacon he had the power to bar him from the premises. 

"He was resisting and reluctantly moving backwards and did push me in the chest and said: 'Don't touch me, don't touch me.'

Attacked: Saman Aljaf

"He said: 'F*** you, you can't tell me what to do, you can't bar me' and became progressively more defiant.

"He said if I tried to take his drink off him, he'd put me on the floor. He said: 'I've paid for this drink, I'm not going outside.'

"I said: 'Just f***ing leave now' because my staff were getting distressed and I put my hands on his shoulders with open palms to usher him out of the door.

"He immediately grabbed the scruff of my neck by the back of my shirt and forced me against the wall with his full body weight, his full force. It was a heavy thud.

"He still had a bottle of cider in his hand and I was afraid he'd bottle me.

"He did seem intoxicated, but not really drunk, but whatever he had gave him the confidence to do what he did.

"I had a bit of a sore neck, a fabric burn where he grabbed me."

Barmaid Michaela Burton, 24, called the police and told the court: "I saw Saman being pulled back by his shirt, which was tight around his neck and his neck was pulled backwards.

"The defendant kept saying: 'Come outside.' It was like he wanted to fight," added the New Zealander.

"His group were making fun of my accent and were egging the situation on. One woman said to me: 'Come outside so I can put you on the ground'."

Collusion: Beatrice Colwyn-Foulkes

Prosecutor Mr. Vijay Khuttan said: "The defendant's girlfriend was seeking more alcohol and accepted the explanation, but the defendant demanded alcohol.

"He became boisterous and aggressive and when ushered away said he would not leave and would fight anybody.

"Mr. Aljaf ushered him out by placing his hands on him and the defendant got hold of the back of his shirt, around the neck, and pushed him against the wall.

"The friends of the defendant intervened and prised him away from the manager." 

Bacon, who has two convictions for violence as a teenager, told the court he had two glasses of wine earlier in the evening and went behind the bar in an attempt to get served by a barmaid he knew.

"The bar manager came aggressively at me and grabbed the top part of my chest and began pushing me backwards, shouting at me to: 'F*** off.'

"In self-defence I've pushed his arms off me and went outside with my girlfriend. Twenty minutes later the police turned up and arrested me in front of everyone."

Bacon spent the night in police cells and when questioned nine hours later told officers the bar manager was: "Heavy-handed and aggressive."

Mr. Khuttan asked him: "You wanted your friend the barmaid to break the law to serve you and your friends drinks?"

Beatrice backed-up her boyfriends's account saying: "He pushed back in self-defence when the manager aggressively moved towards him. It was quite scary."

She had enjoyed a champagne dinner with her family and Bacon after the play and the pair joined around 30 drama students who had been drinking all night at the pub.

"Arrogant": Young Star

However, magistrate Mr. Chris Hack rejected both their accounts: "There may have been some collusion and your evidence was less than credible," he told Bacon.

"We believe Mr. Aljaf and his account that you grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall

"This was an unfortunate incident that got out of hand and you assaulted Mr. Aljaf during an intentional act of aggression."

Bacon was found guilty of assaulting the manager and was fined £180, with £400 costs and was ordered to pay £50 compensation to Mr. Aljaf and a £20 victim surcharge.

"We have hear the facts of this case and the seriousness of it," added Mr. Hack who heard Bacon assaulted a bouncer 6 years ago and was convicted of actual bodily harm as a youth.

"There's clearly a little bit of a pattern and we should caution you as to your future actions. We don't want to see you in court again. We don't think you are a bad person."

Bacon's lawyer Mr. Andrew Moxon told the magistrates: ''He is a very pleasant and likeable young man who went behind the bar maybe trying to impress the ladies by getting them a drink."

He said the young actor, who is supported financially by his parents, has no alcohol or drug issues. 

Outside court Mr. Aljaf said: "He was arrogant, like he was above us and we could not tell him what to do."

Consultant Gynaecologist Accused Of Groping Female Patients

A consultant gynaecologist groped six female patients during private and NHS consultations, even asking one woman to reveal her tattooed bum, a court heard yesterday.

Mahesh Patwardhan, 53, was turned on by rubbing himself against women while "groping" their breasts from behind as they bent over an examination couch, the jury were told.

Patwardhan, of Alderton Hill, Loughton, saw NHS patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlton and private patients at The Blackheath Hospital and The Holly, Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

He has pleaded not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to six counts of sexual assault between July 2, 2008 and September 24, 2012.

He also denies two counts of fraud relating to falsely billing private medical insurers for work he did not perform.

Prosecutor Miss Kate Bex said the first woman, aged 37, was an NHS patient referred by her GP who says the consultant groped her between her legs.

"It lasted ten seconds, but she was so shocked and surprised she did not say anything at the time."

She reported Patwardhan to the police after reading he was disciplined by the General Medical Council.

The second woman, a mum-of-three aged 32, was also seen at the Queen Elizabeth. "He came behind her and put his arms around her and onto her breasts.

"He groped her breasts and squeezed them with his hands and she was in total shock," said Miss Bex, explaining the woman made an excuse to avoid removing the rest of her clothing.

In digitally-recorded interview with police the woman explained: "He came behind us and that's when he put his hands on us. He wasn't talking, he was just groping my breasts.

"It was horrible, I was in total shock. I didn't know what to do, I felt sick and disgusted.

"When he said: 'Take your knickers off' I knew something was wrong. If I had lied on that couch and took my knickers off what would he have done?"

The third woman, a 35 year-old private patient, says Patwardhan groped her between her legs. 

"She says she heard him making a groaning noise and he asked her about her sex life and if she had orgasms," said Miss Bex.

Patwardhan performed intimate cosmetic surgery on the woman, but billed her insurers - AXA PPP - for cyst removal because they would not cover the true operation, the jury were told.

"Afterwards he told her she would soon be having: 'Lots of sexy sex and orgasms' in a way that gave her the creeps."

The fourth woman, a 37 year-old mum-of-two, says Patwardhan became more intimate after sizing her up.

"The cuddling started after her second or third visit," explained Miss Bex. "He'd hug her goodbye and push his body into her, grab her bottom and kiss her on the cheek.

"He examined her breasts after asking her to bend over the couch and asked her to show him the tattoo on her bum."

The fifth woman, aged 30, was a private Blackheath Hospital patient, who had an ovarian cyst.

"The defendant put his arms around her, his hand on her knee and told her she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.

"He asked her to bend over the couch and she could feel his body pressing against hers from behind while cupping her breasts.

"She thought he became aroused and she was embarrassed so put her clothes on and left the room as fast as she could."

Patwardhan offered to investigate the back pain of a sixth woman, aged 26. "He felt her spine and then cupped her breasts.

A private BUPA patient, aged 21, came forward to report Patwardhan for making her sign a claim form for a £195 non-existent pre-surgery consultation.

She was seen at The Holly, where the defendant's wife was the anaesthetist, and said she did not make a fuss because she was in the couple's hands.

When questioned by police Patwardhan mainly answered "no comment" to questions, but did deny making dishonest claims and conducting sexually-motivated examinations.

The trial is expected to last three weeks…………

Drunken Royal Designer To The Stars Whacked Stewardess When Ordered Off Dubai Flight

Pain In Neck: Leena Romu

 A drunken royal designer to the stars whacked an air stewardess when ordered off a flight to Dubai for her foul-mouthed behaviour.

Leena Romu, 63, who has worked for iconic British fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Anthony Price, struck Lisa O'Keefe in the back.

Romu, of Bromyard House, Bromyard Avenue, Acton, who now designs bridal and evening gowns, was being led off the Virgin plane.

On boarding she was unsteady on her feet and bumped into the bulkhead and nearly fell into another passenger's lap before getting into a row with a father travelling with his young son.

He told her to stop swearing and when ordered off the plane Romu shouted at him: "Shut up. It's your f***ing fault."

Romu, who has worked on designs for the Royal Family and the Harry Potter film franchise, denied, but was convicted of assault and fined £105, with £300 costs and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.

Ealing Magistrates Court heard the stewardess noticed Romu boarding the Heathrow flight on December 20, last year with bottles of duty free alcohol.

"She stumbled into the bulkhead of the aircraft, was unsteady on her feet and the passengers behind her told me they thought she had been drinking," said Ms O'Keefe.

"She was asking one passenger where her seat was and nearly fell into the lady's lap. The father of a young boy was asking her to refrain from using foul language."

"Hurt": Lisa O'Keefe

Ms O'Keefe said a colleague detected alcohol on Romu's breath and she was told to leave the plane.

"She was shouting in my ear that she was going to sue Virgin and me and I got a shove, slap between my shoulder blades.

"It felt like the heel of the hand between my shoulder blades and she said: 'I didn't hit you, I pushed you.'

"Two hours into the flight I said to my colleagues: 'I think she's really hurt me' and after going to sleep I couldn't move my neck and saw a physio for six sessions."

Prosecutor Mr. Bhavin Patel told the court the row escalated with Romu asking Ms O'Keefe: "What do you mean?" and "What are you trying to say?"

Staff told first-time offender Romu they had concerns she was well enough to fly.

"She was becoming more unreasonable and it was having an effect on other passengers and Ms O'Keefe went to speak with the captain."

Another passenger described Romu as "angry" and said she deliberately barged into the stewardess.

Police were called and Romu said three pins in her hip made her unsteady and she accidentally stumbled into Ms O'Keefe when she stopped abruptly in front of her.

Romu has also worked on designs for Batman film The Dark Knight, plus Duran Duran and Joan Collins. 

Pensioner Robbed At Gunpoint After Bank Visit: CCTV Released

Police have released a CCTV image of a suspect they wish to speak with after an elderly man was robbed at gunpoint in Woolwich.

At approximately 10.15am on Thursday, January 7, the victim - a man aged in his early 70s - returned to his van in the Wilkinsons car park after withdrawing a substantial amount of money from a bank on Woolwich New Road.

He was approached by the suspect, who got into the car and produced a black handgun, before telling the victim to drive.

They drove past the Woolwich Ferry and turned into Farmdale Road, close to the flyover for the A2, Blackwall Tunnel approach.

The suspect told the man to stop the van before stealing the money and running away.

The suspect is described as black, aged in his early thirties, 6ft 2ins tall and of athletic build.

He was wearing a black coat and had a scarf over his face.

Detectives from Greenwich are investigating and would like to speak with anyone who either saw the suspect get into the van at the car park, or running away from Farmdale Road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Millwall v Crystal Palace Pub Punch-Up: CCTV Released

Police hunting two violent thugs after a boozy clash between Millwall and Crystal Palace supporters have released this CCTV image.

The two groups became abusive towards each other after watching football in the Gordon Arms pub, Park Road, Chislehurst on December 13, last year.

They continued drinking for five hours after watching a televised game and at around 10.00pm violence broke out and one of the men is believed to have been armed with a knife.

Three people sustained injuries to their heads, necks and arms and the fight continued outside the pub.

Detective Constable Max Ndobho, from Bromley CID, said: "We are keen to speak to the men in the images.

“Anyone who knows their identity or whereabouts, or who witnessed the fight is asked to get in touch with us."

Anyone with information should contact DC Ndobho at Bromley CID via 101, or alternatively, they should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Cheeky Shop Burglar Nicked Cash & Cigs: CCTV Released

Detectives from Tower Hamlets investigating a burglary at a convenience store have issued CCTV footage of a man they wish to identify and speak to in connection with the incident.

On Wednesday, January 6 police were called at around 6.40am to a report of a burglary at a food and wine store on Hackney Road in Tower Hamlets, east London.

The burglary was reported to have occurred at some point between 2.00am and 5.20am that day.

Cash and tobacco were stolen.

CCTV overlooking the front counter captured a man just after 2.00am go behind the till and remove the cash drawer and cigarettes.

The suspect is described as a white man, aged in his thirties and 6ft tall.

He was wearing a dark blue hooded top with a white stripe in the middle of the hood, an Adidas tracksuit and light brown shoes.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the man shown on CCTV.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police via 101 quoting reference number 201015 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Greedy £78m Ponzi Fraudsters Jailed For Olympic-Sized Scam

Seven Years: Spencer Steinberg

Three Ponzi fraudsters who used fake contracts with the London 2012 Olympics and international hotel chains to swindle £78m out of family, friends and other investors have been jailed.

A small east London electrical wholesale company was the vehicle used in the scam, which financed the purchase of Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari's and Porsche cars for the organisers, plus yachts and million pound homes.

Chartered accountant Spencer Mitchell Steinberg, 46, of Lodge End, Radlett, Hertfordshire and garment storer Michael Strubel, 54, of Princes Manor, Royal Drive, New Southgate denied the charges.

They were both sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Both men had pleaded not guilty to conspiring between January 1, 2006 and May 31, 2010 to defraud investors in Saunders Electrical Wholesalers Ltd; Zac Fashion; Camlet Capital Investments; Camlet Capital and Hole In One.

Seven Years: Michael Strubel

They falsely promised Saunders Electrical Wholesalers Ltd had high-value electrical contracts with blue chip hotel chains and with London 2012's Olympic Village. 

Jolan Marc Saunders, 40, of Almonds, Avenue, Buckhurst Hill, Essex pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge.

He also pleaded guilty to contravening a company director disqualification order by running Saunders Electrical Wholesalers Ltd. between December 19, 2008 and May 31, 2010.

He was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.

Approximately 91 investors, many from the north and east London jewish community, were cheated.

"Investment deals were around the massive supply of electrical goods to hotel chains and later on those involved in the construction of the Olympic Village in Stratford," said prosecutor Miss Sarah Foreshaw QC. 

"These defendants, using the vehicle of a small electrical company, were saying: 'We've secured the contract for the whole of the athletes village.' The contracts to supply were fictitious."

Investors put money in with the promise they would receive up to 7% interest on contracts to supply the Hilton and Marriott hotel chains with trousers presses, lightbulbs, air conditioning units, television sets and other electrical equipment.

"The vast pool of money was never used to buy electrical goods for hotels," explained the QC. "The defendants skimmed off huge sums of money for themselves.

Jolan Saunders: Six Years Nine Months 

Ironically some investors joked the scheme, which ran from 2006 until May 2010, was a scam similar to notorious Ponzi fraudster Bernard Madoff, 77, serving 150 years for an $18 billion fraud.

"You will hear the name Madoff in this case. Ironically his sentence in 2008 made the news and some of the investors joked whether this was a similar Ponzi scheme because it all seemed too good to be true.

"They were assured by the defendants that it was not. In their joke they had hit upon the truth.

"This fraud involves persuading people to part with their money on the promise these defendants were going to invest it for them in a very good profitable business, but they effectively pocketed the money for themselves.

"It made them rich. Rich at the expense of their investors.

"You will hear about Bentley's, Ferrari's, Porsche's, Rolls Royce's, yachts and million pound houses. You will hear that these defendants, for a while, lived the life of Riley.

"When it all unravelled and the victims discovered what they had done there were tears and expressions of regret from both these defendants.

"Some of those tears may have been genuine because they knew by then they were in trouble, they had been found out.

"Many of those who lent money were friends, they trusted them. The defendants hoped the fraud would continue for longer so the closest of their friends and family members would cash out when the scheme imploded.

"The tears of regret were as convincing as the lies they told to convince professional people to invest money. They are conmen and they do it well."

   

The trio were arrested in December 2010 by the Serious Fraud Office, assisted by officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Met, Essex and Hertfordshire police raided five residential addresses and one commercial premises during Operation Canon.

"Saunders Electrical Wholesalers Ltd (SEWL) was a one man and van set-up," explained Miss Foreshaw.

"It did sometimes do business with hotels on a small scale and that was useful because it had some genuine purchase orders and invoices from electrical suppliers.

"They provided useful templates to create documents that suggested SEWL was involved in a fantastic multi-million pound contract.

"The basic lie was that SEWL had mega-orders that required large short-term financing. 

"Bank statements and company accounts were falsified and emails doctored.

"Vulnerable victims parted with tens of thousands of pounds and sometimes their life-savings.

"Many were business acquaintances, many were from the Jewish community in north and east London, friends, family, people who trusted them, some knew them from childhood.

"The defendants, caught up in gold fever and with the trappings of wealth ploughed on."

Saunders rented space for SEWL at a warehouse run by Strubel in Hainault Business Park, Fowler Road, Ilford.

Strubel has a background in the garment trade and ran Zac Fashion - a storage company - and his accountant was Steinberg.

Both Steinberg and Strubel handed over cash-stuffed envelopes to investors. "They were, these three, the prosecution say, as thick as thieves.

"They bought properties together and went on holiday together during the fraud," said Miss Foreshaw.

"All grew rich from the fraud and Strubel, in particular, treated himself to luxury cars and a yacht."

Saunders forged genuine hotel purchase orders to impress investors, in one case doctoring a genuine £120 lightbulb order to show a fictitious £90,000 order and on another occasion a £4.71 order became one for £79,000.

Lone Woman Mugged In Early Hours: Suspect Named

Police are hunting this suspected mugger after a lone woman had a bicycle lock looped over her head during a terrifying early-hours attack.

She was approached from behind at 1.30am in Ecclestone Road, Victoria on November 12, last year as she spoke on her mobile phone.

When she began to resist, the man dropped the lock and ran off.

Officers at Westminster CID would like to speak with Scotsman Aaron Sinclair, 25, in connection with the investigation.

Sinclair also has links to the London, Surrey and Hampshire areas.

If seen, please do not approach but call the police on 999.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts please call Westminster CID on 020 7321 7620 or via 101.

Alternatively information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Irish Burglar Wanted

Police are hunting this young Irish burglary suspect, wanted in connection with crimes in east and south-east London.

Officers in Barking and Dagenham would like to speak with 21-year-old Johnny Connors of Northampton following three burglaries in the Dagenham and Orpington areas. 

The offences occurred between March 1 and November 2, last year. 

As well as London, Connors is known to frequent the Kent and Northampton areas.

He is described as white, 5ft 7ins tall, of slight build, with short brown hair and green eyes.

Connors has a six inch scar down his right forearm and speaks with an Irish accent.

Anyone with information should contact Barking and Dagenham Borough's Fugitive Desk on 020 3276 1167 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

NOT GUILTY: Fireman 100% Innocent Of 'Rape' That Never Was

Carnival Threesome: Edwards 

A hunky fireman model was cleared yesterday of raping a drunken privately-educated young graduate in the entrance of a £3.6m house during the Notting Hill Carnival.

Kristian Edwards, 37, who has posed for Firemen Models - an agency specialising in genuine firefighters - claimed the 23 year-old scholar, currently studying for her Masters, consented to a threesome with himself and a mystery black man.

The DNA of a second man was found during tests on the young woman, which supported his evidence and he was unanimously acquitted by the jury in less than thirty-five minutes.

Edwards, of Nevendon Mews, Basildon, Essex, who is based at Poplar Fire Station, always denied raping the woman, who he had just met in a pub, on August 25, 2014.

Harrow Crown Court heard the student and her friend had been drinking all day when they arrived at the ticket-only party at the Prince Bonaparte pub.

Edwards told police: "They were being very flirty with a black guy and I thought: 'Okay, I may have a chance with these two.'

"They started touching my arms and playing with my muscles and kept undoing my top and putting their hands down there."

The muscular six-footer revealed to the jury it was the second time in a few years he had picked-up a woman at the carnival and had sex in the street.

His bio on the modelling website reads: 'Kristian is a charming hunk from the south east. He loves carnival (from Notting Hill to Rio), his pets and family.

"The cutest animal he has rescued was a little hamster stuck in her cage, from a smoke-filled house.'

Pose: Fireman Hunk

The young woman told the jury she had little recollection of events in the pub that night. "It was Carnival. We drank all day, every kind of alcohol under the sun."

She says she was grabbed from behind after leaving the pub at around 9pm: "He was forcing me down and his hands were pulling my tights.

"His arm was around my waist, pulling me towards him while I was bent over. I don't know why I didn't make more effort to get away at the time, I was so drunk."

The pub's CCTV shows the woman kissing Edwards, but she repeatedly replied: "I don't know" and: "I can't remember," when questioned about the night's events.

She had consumed rum, vodka, wine, tequila and sangria that day and prosecutor Mr. James Dawson told the jury: "She had so much she couldn't have agreed to have sex in the street.

"He pulled her tights and knickers down and she was pushed to the ground. She did not even know who raped her and was in a very poor way."

By the morning her mother had reported her missing to the police and the first thing she told her friend was: "I was raped last night."

She did not remember unzipping Edwards' sleeveless gilet to expose his tattooed bare torso and said: "He seemed quite proud of his fingerprint tattoo or maybe it was an excuse to take off his gilet.

"There are huge parts of the night I don't remember, which makes me think our drinks may have been spiked or whatever."

Police tests did not show any evidence of drugs in the complainant's system.

She agreed the pub's CCTV showed her throwing her arms around and "flirting" with Edwards, who claims he also enjoyed a three way kiss with her and her friend.

However, the young woman insisted she did not agree to sex: "We flirted, we kissed, but I did not consent to that. I asked him to stop."

Edwards told police Tanya's friend, referring to the complainant, said: "My mate likes black guys and I like mixed-race guys."

He saw both young women making-out with unknown black men in doorways outside the pub and joined in with the complainant and her companion.

They moved to the house entrance, where she gave them both oral sex and had full intercourse.

"He pulled her trousers and her knickers down slightly. 

"I'm having sex with her from behind, then swapped with the black boy and then we swapped again."

Edwards told the jury: "She seemed to be enjoying it. I did not rape her."

He admitted hoping to have a threesome with the complainant and her friend when he first saw them: "If I was lucky. Yes."

He denied "taking advantage" of the young woman and failing as a fireman to protect her. "There was no way of saying she needed protecting."

CCTV showed the pair returning to the pub afterwards and the woman did not say anything to the staff or many police who were still in the area. 

Pensioner Pickpocketed: Two Scumbags Hunted

Police hunting two heartless pickpockets, who stole £1,000 from a female elderly pensioner, have released these CCTV images of their suspects.

The 77 year-old woman, who is physically impaired, was followed from her bank, where she had just withdrawn the cash, to a Money Store branch, where the thieves struck.

Detectives from Barking and Dagenham Borough are investigating and have issued this footage of the two women they wish to identify and speak to in connection with the incident.

On December 1, last year police were called at around 2.50pm to a report of a theft in the Money Store on Station Parade, Barking.

The victim had placed the money in an envelope into her bag and then zipped it up when she was followed inside.

One of the suspects stood in front of the victim and pick-pocketed the envelope from her bag as they stood in the queue.

The suspects then left the shop and as soon as the victim got to the counter, she realised her envelope was taken.

The suspects are described as: 'Suspect 1' a slim built white woman, with long blonde hair. She was wearing a white scarf, a black jacket, blue jeans and carrying a black shoulder bag.

'Suspect 2' is described as a slim built woman with tied up brown hair held with a black band. She was wearing a black jacket and carrying a shoulder bag with a light coloured strap.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the two women shown on CCTV are has any information that may assist officers.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.