Stalker Sentenced For Harassing House Of Lords Political Advisor

Khan leaving Westminster Magistrates Court

A herbalist, who stalked a House of Lords advisor at a private gym, where he pestered her with notes and gifts and tried to follow her home, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Jumshed Khan, 50, first met 38 year-old Cambridge-graduate Roshani Palamakumbura, who has a degree in Political Philosophy and is a policy advisor on EU and foreign affairs, during their yoga classes.

They were both regulars at Millbank Bannatyne Health Club, around the corner from her Westminster office and near Khan’s apartment in Peabody Estate, Old Pye Street.

He was convicted of stalking her between June 1, 2015 and August 22, last year and received sixteen weeks imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.

Khan must also perform 150 hours community service work, attend up to thirty days of rehab, and pay £500 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

District Judge Tan Ikram told him at Westminster Magistrates Court: “She left the gym, she stopped going to yoga classes. I think this is more than unpleasant and it went on for years and years.”

Also imposing an indefinite restraining order, prohibiting contact with Ms Palamakumbura, the judge added: “For years you showed unwanted attention towards this lady, who wanted nothing to do with you.

“You did not stop, you sent her letters, you sent her mother a letter and on one occasion she had to seek help from passers-by.

“This is a serious offence and is a million miles away from harmless and you seem to have shown little remorse.

“You ignored her saying to you: ‘Go away’ and that is an aggravating feature. If you speak to her again you will go to prison.

“You came very close to being sent to prison today, but the public are better protected by you tackling these issues rather than going to prison.”

Stalked: Roshani Palamakumbura

The trial heard Khan made inappropriate comments to Ms Palamakumbura, followed her to the nearby Underground Station and gave her a “strange” and “disturbing” 26-page handwritten letter.

Khan also muscled his way into drinks with her boss, former director of the Refugee Council Lord Dubs, 85, then complained to the court about having to pay.

“I had to pay for the drinks because he wouldn’t cough up, it was two glasses of wine in the Westminster Arms that cost £19.95. I was hoping he was going to pay, but he never did.” 

The court heard Khan was angered by her choice of new personal trainer at the gym - a notorious ladies man named ‘Paul’ - and he claimed the pair had concocted the case against him.

“When Roshani began sleeping with Paul they began conspiring together to get me kicked out of the gym. Paul hates me and I think he used Roshani,” claimed Khan.

However, Ms Palamakumbura, a wine expert once employed as a sommelier by Gordon Ramsay, said she lied about the romance to get Khan off her back. “He was shaking, upset, emotional, almost close to tears.

“I did lie to him and said: ‘Yes. I’m sleeping with Paul, we’re in a relationship.’ I thought that was the best way to end things. I had to get him out of my space.

“I began avoiding the gym, I stopped going to yoga and was careful about what I was wearing. I had changed.

“I tried to avoid classes I knew Jay (Khan) would go to and noticed if I started going to a new class he would to or sit outside my pilates class.

“I never went to the sauna again and I felt uncomfortable about going to the swimming pool because I knew he’d be there. I was angry and felt I’d lost control of my life.”

She eventually went to the police on August 22, last year after a yoga class row. “Jay walked in and was extremely angry and said: ‘You’re in my place and you know it.’

“He was seething. It was incredibly scary and he deliberately wanted me intimidated and he was enjoying it.”

That led to the gym banning Khan. “When Jay was banned it changed everything, not having him there.”

Khan claimed the only written paper he gave her was a health drink remedy, however Ms Palamakumbura told the court: “He gave me written pieces of paper and little gifts.

“I made it clear I thought he was a bit of a quack that didn’t know what he was talking about regarding yoga or health.

“He misinterprets slight interest. He has an incapacity to read signals from women and was very interested in giving advice on how I should diet and look.”

Regarding the 26-page letter she added: “It disgusted me at the time. It’s a pathetic unrequited crush.

“The yoga teacher did tell Jay off for staring. How can he tell me I’m wearing too much make-up or my posture is wrong if he’s not staring?

“There was another letter after that, something to my mother and he was begging me to go to dinner or for a drink with him.”

Her gym pal Emma Mackintosh saw the long letter, describing it as “creepy, strange and disturbing,” telling the court: “It was like he was psychoanalysing her, I think he was a bit obsessed with her.”

Khan claimed to be a “devoted friend and confidante” to Ms Palamakumbura. “She would tell me intimate details of her private life and confide in me about other men she was seeing.

“I became more of an advisor and could see she was making a lot of mistakes. She had multiple relationships with men.

“I helped her lose weight and get rid of her spots.”

Prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Bryan said: “He is a classic stalker. He is absolutely obsessed with this young woman, even when she makes it obvious she doesn’t want his attention.”

Cabaret Club Bouncer Molested Female Customer

Midnight Grope: Proud Cabaret

A bouncer at a landmark cabaret club in the heart of the City sneaked up behind a female customer, held her hips and kissed her on the neck.

Desmond Augustus Young, 51, was convicted yesterday of sexually assaulting the woman, who attended the 1920's-themed Proud Cabaret with a group of friends, on January 27.

It is located in Mark Lane, off Fenchurch Street, in the centre of the busy Square Mile.

He claims he was merely trying to usher her away from an area of the club she should not have been standing in.

However, City of London Magistrates Court rejected his claim and bailed Young, of Flat 1, 7 Aberdeen Road, Edmonton to return for sentencing on April 16.

He was warned all sentencing options, including custody, were open.

Prosecutor Miss Carly Loftus told the trial it was half an hour after midnight when the complainant arrived at the nightspot, which boasts burlesque and jazz amongst its live entertainment.

“The defendant was working as security staff and checked the woman and her friends' ID as they entered the club.

“Once inside he approached her from behind, held her hips, pressed himself against her and kissed her neck.”

The woman reported the incident to the club and the police were called.

CCTV was seized, which captured the incident.

Death Plunge Tragedy: Woman's Ex To Be Sentenced For Assault And Sex Pics

A masters degree student shared a sexually-explicit clip of his girlfriend performing oral sex on him in a phone box a week before she plunged to her death.

Alessio Bianchi, 26, also admits throttling her on the balcony of their eighth-floor flat - claiming he was trying to stop her jumping.

Last week he was sent by Westminster Magistrates Court to Southwark Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

The Italian pleaded guilty to assaulting Miss Damilya Jossipaliyena on June 2, last year at his home at Apartment 802, Sunken Beck Building, 5 Hermitage Street, Central London.

He says he was trying to save the life of Damilya, who was threatening to jump, but she sadly apparently took her life shortly afterwards.

Bianchi, who studies at Regent’s College, also admitted disclosing private sexual images of her without consent, with intent to cause her distress on May 25.

He sent a clip to a friend of Damilya performing the sex act on him, which made its way back to her. 

Prosecutor Mr. Edward Cohen told the court on a previous occasion: “In terms of the assault the Crown’s case is the assault started upstairs in the flat between the defendant and the complainant.

“He grabbed hold of her throat and hit her on top of the head and punched her several times.

“He says he was trying to stop her jumping out of the window.”

The struggle continued in a downstairs courtyard. “It is alleged by the Crown he grabbed hold of the complainant and pulled her into a fountain in the building and shoved her head onto a chair.

“He accepts there was a struggle downstairs and she ended up in the water.

“The complainant in this case sadly committed suicide not long after this assault allegation.”

Bianchi’s lawyer Mr. Steven Powles said: “The defendant’s position is inside the flat the complainant was attempting to jump off the eighth floor of the balcony.

“This was not the first time time she attempted to take her life. Outside she was attempting to re-enter and in the course of that is how she ended up in the water.

“In her own statement she says there was pushing into the water. She did not mention slamming into the chair.”

Housekeeper Nicked £30K From £9m Home Of Top International Lawyer

A housekeeper, who nicked £30,000 from the safe of her United Nations lawyer at his £9m home near Sloane Square, has received a suspended prison sentence.

Phillipines-born Evangeline Gutierrez, 46, pounced when Saudi-born Cambridge-graduate Prof. Dr. Malik Rabea Dahlan, 48, was away with his wife, ex-UN consultant Sarah Yamani, 39.

The couple founded London-based Institution Quraysh, a law firm specialising in Middle East legal and political issues, with Dahlan using his skills as an international mediator and academic.

Gutierrez, of Munster Road, Fulham pleaded guilty to stealing £20,000 sterling and $15,000 in US dollars between October 20 and 31, 2016.

She also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation, namely signing a £2,000 cheque belonging to the couple and withdrawing the cash from Barclays Bank, Sloane Square on October 22, 2016.

Southwark Crown Court Judge Martin Griffith told the single mum-of-one: “You had a job as a housekeeper for a couple, who put you in their greatest possible faith.

“Their home, the contents of their home and substantial quantities of cash available to you. While they were away you took advantage of that and took thirty thousand pounds in sterling and dollars.

“This was a breach of a high degree of trust placed in you by your employers.”

Sentencing Gutierrez to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, he told her: “By the skin of your teeth I am not going to send you to prison today.”

She was also ordered to perform 300 hours community service, however Judge Griffith announced: “I am not making any compensation order because you don’t have the means to pay it.”

The court heard Gutierrez had easy access to a cupboard, which contained the key to the legal couple’s safe at the luxury five bedroom, four bathroom house.

“She shows to me a great deal of remorse and victim empathy. She is completely utterly embarrassed and ashamed,” said Mr. Hugh D’Aguilar, defending.

“She quite rightly fears for her four year-old daughter if there is a custodial sentence.

“She has made it clear she is more than happy to pay back the money.”

Dahlan also attended Harvard Law School, where he obtained a masters degree, and is well-known internationally as a Rule of Law advocate in the Middle East.

The father-of-four was also a special advisor to Lord Woolf, former Chief Justice of England and Wales and Sir William Blair and is the founding director of the Qatar Law Forum.

Boozy Businesswoman Spat Drink On Stewardess When Refused Alcohol On Flight

A drunken businesswoman, who was refused alcohol on a flight, spat her soft drink over a stewardess and tried to trip up her cabin crew colleagues as they passed in the isle.

Beverley Chapman, 45, the director of a multi-national construction company, claims she was under pressure due to an acrimonious split with her ex-girlfriend, who sued her for a share of their £1.3m house.

Chapman, of Hill Top, Bury Road, Chingford pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner on the British Airways flight.

Crawley Magistrates Court heard the plane took off from Malaga, Spain, where Chapman was visiting her mother, at 10.30pm on September 1, last year and she immediately began causing problems.

“Whilst taking off she was continually pressing the button to call cabin crew, who could not get up during take-off,” said prosecutor Melanie Wotton.

“They already thought she was intoxicated when she boarded and she continued ringing the bell and demanding more alcohol.

“This was refused because she was already so intoxicated.

“Ms Chapman was seated in the isle and as cabin crew went up and down she put her leg out to try and trip them up.

“She spat some of a soft drink on one of the members of the cabin crew and she had to change her waistcoat because it was sodden.

“The pilot left the cockpit to speak to Ms Chapman and called ahead to Gatwick Airport to report that they needed assistance and when the plane landed price were waiting and arrested her.”

Chapman’s lawyer Mr. Martin O’Rourke told the court: “She accepts her behaviour was unacceptable and wishes to apologise to the crew members and the court.

“She is the director of a multi-national company and flies three times a week and continues to fly with BA.

“This was out of character and during that period her relationship with her partner of eighteen years was breaking down.

“That was acrimonious and she flew to Spain to escape the acrimony of that breakdown.

“She had been prescribed anti-depressants and accepts she was drinking that day.”

Chapman was fined £791, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a £79 victim surcharge.

Magistrate Mr. David Whitehead told her: “Disruption on board an aircraft is very serious and is aggravated by you spitting at staff ad trying to trip them up. Really bad behaviour.”

Heathrow Airport: Thieves Caught Nicking Hong Kong Dollars

Fiona Chaabane

Two Heathrow Airport thieves have been sentenced for preying on a passenger and nicking thousands of Hong Kong dollars.

They are: Fiona Louise Chaabane, 43, of Whittaker Road, Slough, Berkshire (pictured) and 35 year-old Brian Kotey, of Partridge Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire.

At Isleworth Crown Court both received a community order.

Both were charged with stealing $9100 Hong Kong dollars from Fan Zhang at the Swiss Port Office, Terminal Two, Heathow Airport between June 17 and 18, 2015.

Jail For Woman Charged With Frauds On Recording Studio And Hotel

The Powerhouse & Hilton Kensington

A woman charged with ripping-off a landmark recording studio and a top Hilton hotel out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for eighteen months.

Michelle Bushelle, 41, of Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, south-east London was imprisoned by Isleworth Crown Court.

She was originally charged with two counts of fraud by false representation, allegations she fought during many protracted court appearances.

The first charge was obtaining £11,997 in services from Metropolis Group at their Powerhouse recording studios in Chiswick High Road, Chiswick between August 22 and 24, 2015.


The second charge relates to Bushelle residing at the Hilton Kensington Hotel, Holland Park between August 23 and 27 and running up a bill of £7,633.

Not Guilty: Pensioner Cleared Of Historic Rapes Of Young Girls

Isleworth Crown Court

A Metford pensioner, who denied repeatedly raping a 14 year-old girl four decades ago and subjecting another young girl to a similar ordeal years later will not be retried.

Joseph Francis, 77, of 22 Stearns Close always denied the charges, which are alleged to have occurred at his former address in Oldham Road, Hammersmith.

An Isleworth Crown Court jury failed to reach verdicts on all counts and now the Crown Prosecution Service have decided not pursue the case, resulting in Francis's acquittal.

“He came into her bedroom, pushing the wardrobe towards the door,” prosecutor Mr. Timothy Nail told the original trial. 

“Before this there was a period of what we now call 'grooming' when he made inappropriate advances while telling her how much he cared for her.”

The 14 yer-old fell pregnant as a result and had an abortion just days after her fifteenth birthday in 1973.

“The first time it happened was on the floor. He held her down and told her to open her legs and that continued sometimes two or three times a week,” explained Mr. Nail.

“It became repetitive and familiar to her. She says she tried to stop him, but if she was physical he would beat her and become more physical.”

A complaint was made at the time of the alleged offences, but Francis was never charged.

He was arrested after a second female complained he sexually abused her approximately ten years ago when she was 15 years-old.

“Mr. Francis turned the conversation and said he would teach her what it would be like to be sixteen years-old and proceeded to take his trousers down.”

The prosecution say the young girl was then forced to perform a sex act on the defendant that amounts to rape.

“She complained and he stopped and she ran into the toilet,” said Mr. Nail.

Francis was arrested in September, 2014. “He denied the allegations and said they were totally untrue. He said that it was nonsense.”

He pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape in relation to the first girl; plus one count of sexual assault and two counts relating to sexual acts he allegedly made her perform on him.

In relation to the second girl he pleaded not guilty to one count of rape.

Entrepreneur Boss Of 'Tossed' Salad Bar Chain Blames Diet On Drunken Brawl With Club Bouncers

Vincent McKevitt

The drunken boss of the giant ’Tossed’ salad bar chain blamed his low-carb high-protein diet on losing it at a Chelsea nightclub, where he thumped two bouncers.

Entrepreneur Vincent Donald McKevitt, 38, described by one victim as: “the foulest person I’ve ever met,” had a meltdown when told by security not to use a fire exit.

Ironically, the businessman, who has made his fortune from healthy eating, blamed his special diet on succumbing to alcohol that night.

He pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates Court to assaulting Frazer Chamberlain, 28, and Mo Chowdhury, 23, at the Cuban-themed Embargo Republica in King’s Road, on December 9, last year.

McKevitt, who lives around the corner in a £2m apartment in Benham House, Coleridge Gardens, West Brompton, was placed on a 12-month Community Order and must complete 250 hours community service work.

He was also ordered to pay each victim £150 compensation, £620 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Outside court Mr. Chamberlain said: “He pushed a fire exit door in the face of a female security guard and when she tried to explain he could not go through he became aggressive.

“He was saying he could buy out the club and pay our wages for a year. He’s probably the foulest person I’ve ever met.”

Prosecutor Mrs Sharon Michaels told the court: “He had been drinking too much, he was drunk and because of his behaviour he was asked to leave the club.”

McKevitt told two other staff members: “I’m going to leave,” but continued to refuse to budge from the upstairs bar area at 12.45am.

“He is seen waving his arms trying to assault an employee. that is when the decision was made to eject him.

Black Eye: Mo Chowdhury

“They put hands on him to usher him out and got as far as the stairs when the defendant sits down for five minutes not moving until he is physically ushered down by Mr. Chowdhury,” added Mrs Michaels.

“Mr. Chowdhury says: ‘He grabbed hold of my jacket and fell, dragging me down with him and I landed first on the ground and he landed on my left shoulder and I got him in a headlock.’

“The defendant then came back at Mr. Chowdhury and punched him on the left side of the face, which caused bruising and a black eye.

“When the police investigating the assaults told Mr. McKevitt this he smiled and laughed and said: ‘Oh, good.’

“Mr. Chowdhury felt light-headed for a couple of hours,” said Mrs Michaels, adding the victim’s £80 jacket was ripped.

McKevitt was ejected, but returned for his mobile phone and attacked doorman Mr. Chamberlain, who jacket was also ripped in the melee.

“I had my back turned and he jumped on my back and punched me in the back of the head when I wasn’t looking,” said the bouncer. “I took him to the floor and restrained him with the help of colleagues.”

The police arrived and the prosecutor added: “He was swaying from side to side and his eyes were very bloodshot and wide and his speech was slurred.

Punched: Frazer Chamberlain

“He had multiple cuts on his hands and bruising to his knuckles.”

McKevitt’s lawyer Mr. Hector MacLean-Watt said: “He is not a man that has indulged in violence and fisticuffs. He’s a successful, driven, conscientious businessman.  

“He admits he was under the influence of alcohol at the time, but his diet is a form of starvation and lowers alcohol tolerance considerably.

“Upon seeing the CCTV for the first time this morning it demonstrates to him how drunk he was and portrays him in an unfavourable light.

“Seeing that video he says: ‘Gosh, was I that bad?’

“He also suffered injuries as a result of quite considerable manhandling, quite bad cuts and lacerations.

‘At one point he is being manhandled down stairs and suffered quite a lot of small, but significant injuries.

“It was an uncivilised and deplorable way to behave and is a salutary lesson. He is remorseful and deeply embarrassed by his behaviour that night.”

Magistrate Mena Rego told McKevitt: “This offence was clearly fuelled by alcohol. The offence was aggravated by the fact you were drunk and the victims provide a service to the public.”

Salad bar chain Tossed has 14 central London locations, plus outlets in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and Stratford and six motorway service stations. 

McKevitt founded the business with one Paddington store in 2005, two years after graduating with a first in business studies from the University of the West of England.

The company enjoys a multi-million pound annual turnover and recently opened two cafes in Dubai.

House Of Lords Advisor Stalked At Her Private Gym By Yoga Classmate

Stalker: Jumshed Khan

A House of Lords advisor was stalked by a “creepy” member of her yoga class at a private gym, where he pestered her with notes and gifts and tried to follow her home.

Cambridge-graduate Roshani Palamakumbura, 38, who has a degree in Political Philosophy and is a policy advisor on EU and foreign affairs was targeted for over two years by herbalist Jumshed Khan, 50.

The full-time carer, of Peabody Estate, Old Pye Street, Westminster was convicted today of stalking Ms Palamakumbura between June 1, 2015 and August 22, last year.

They met at Bannatyne Millbank - owned by former Dragon’s Den star Duncan Bannatyne - located a few minutes from her Westminster office.

Hendon Magistrates Court found Khan made inappropriate comments to Ms Palamakumbura, followed her to the nearby Underground Station and gave her a “strange” and “disturbing” 26-page handwritten letter.

Khan also muscled his way into drinks with her boss, former director of the Refugee Council Lord Dubs, 85, then complained to the court about having to pay.

“I had to pay for the drinks because he wouldn’t cough up, it was two glasses of wine in the Westminster Arms that cost £19.95. I was hoping her was going to pay, but he never did.” 

Lords Advisor: Roshani Palamakumbura

The court heard Khan was angered by her choice of new personal trainer at the gym - a notorious ladies man named ‘Paul’ - and he claimed the pair had concocted the case against him.

“When Roshani began sleeping with Paul they began conspiring together to get me kicked out of the gym. Paul hates me and I think he used Roshani,” claimed Khan.

However, Ms Palamakumbura, a wine expert one employed as a sommelier by Gordon Ramsay, said she lied about the romance to get Khan off her back. “He was shaking, upset, emotional, almost close to tears.

“I did lie to him and said: ‘Yes. I’m sleeping with Paul, we’re in a relationship.’ I thought that was the best way to end things. I had to get him out of my space.

“I began avoiding the gym, I stopped going to yoga and was careful about what I was wearing. I had changed.

“I tried to avoid classes I knew Jay (Khan) would go to and noticed if I started going to a new class he would to or sit outside my pilates class.

“I never went to the sauna again and I felt uncomfortable about going to the swimming pool because I knew he’d be there. I was angry and felt I’d lost control of my life.”

She eventually went to the police on August 22, last year after a yoga class row. “Jay walked in and was extremely angry and said: ‘You’re in my place and you know it.’

“He was seething. It was incredibly scary and he deliberately wanted me intimidated and he was enjoying it.”

That led to the gym banning Khan. “When Jay was banned it changed everything, not having him there.”

Khan claimed the only written paper he gave her was a health drink remedy, however Ms Palamakumbura told the court: “He gave me written pieces of paper and little gifts.

“I made it clear I thought he was a bit of a quack that didn’t know what he was talking about regarding yoga or health.

“He misinterprets slight interest. He has an incapacity to read signals from women and was very interested in giving advice on how I should diet and look.”

Regarding the 26-page letter she added: “It disgusted me at the time. It’s a pathetic unrequited crush.

“The yoga teacher did tell Jay off for staring. How can he tell me I’m wearing too much make-up or my posture is wrong if he’s not staring?

“There was another letter after that, something to my mother and he was begging me to go to dinner or for a drink with him.”

Her gym pal Emma Mackintosh saw the long letter, describing it as “creepy, strange and disturbing,” telling the court: “It was like he was psychoanalysing her, I think he was a bit obsessed with her.”

Khan claimed to be a “devoted friend and confidante” to Ms Palamakumbura. “She would tell me intimate details of her private life and confide in me about other men she was seeing.

“I became more of an advisor and could see she was making a lot of mistakes. She had multiple relationships with men.

“I helped her lose weight and get rid of her spots.”

Prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Bryan said: “He is a classic stalker. He is absolutely obsessed with this young woman, even when she makes it obvious she doesn’t want his attention.”

Bailing Khan until March 19 for a pre-sentence report District Judge John Zani told him: “She made it clear to you that your interest in her was not welcome.

“You did stalk her and all options, not excluding imprisonment, are available."

Met Police Employee Jailed For Exhibit Thefts And Child Porn

A Metropolitan Police employee has been jailed for two years and eight months after a probe into his theft of shotgun cartridges and mobile phones also exposed his fetish for illegal porn.

Adrian Milton, 49, had reported the 300 cartridges and two phones as 'destroyed', but the ammo was found during a police raid on his former address.

The disgraced property officer, of Swallowdale, South Croydon pleaded guilty to stealing the seized evidential items from Croydon Police Station between August 28, 2010 and March 17, 2016.

He also pleaded guilty to five counts of possessing extreme, prohibited and indecent images at his address on March 16, 2016.

Those counts related to pornography involving live animals, plus 46 prohibited images of a child.

Milton also had 446 Category A images of children; 379 Category B and 1675 Category C.

He was arrested on March 17, 2016 at Croydon Police Station, his place of employment after an investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) into the theft of items from the criminal exhibits store.

Milton was arrested again for the indecent images on June 1, 2016 and charged with all the offences on February 9, last year.

He was suspended from duty and later dismissed.

Detective Sergeant Andy Griffin of the DPS said: "There is no place for dishonesty within the Metropolitan Police Service, and those who breach either the law or the standards expected of officers or police staff will be brought to account.

"During the investigation we also uncovered that Milton had disgusting images of children being abused.

“Demand for these repugnant images fuels abuse and he has rightly been further imprisoned for this offence."

No Jail For £64,000 Kenyan Benefit Cheat Who Masterminded Five-Year Scam

A benefit cheat, who lied she was a struggling single-parent whil secretly living with her husband and sub-letting her council-funded flat during a five-year £64,000 swindle, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday. 

Kenyan-born Gladys O’Brien, 44, collected money from tenants who rented her in-demand flat in Gilbey Road, near Tooting Broadway Underground Station.

She was claiming housing benefit for the property to cover rent to the real landlord while living on the other side of the capital in Lavender Grove, Hackney.

At Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court she received eight months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.

O’Brien was also ordered to complete 120 hours community service and she is subject to Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings to recover the money. 

Now residing at a family address in

Ibbertson Road, Bournemouth O’Brien pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify a change in circumstances to the London Borough of Wandsworth.

Between April 26, 2010 and November 8, 2015 she did not inform the council she was in receipt of rental income.

Prosecutor Miss Amanda McCabe told the court: “She was not entitled to that benefit because she was living with her partner at another address.”

O’Brien submitted the housing benefit claim on January 24, 2007 on the basis she was “a single-parent on a low income,” but began renting it out three years later.

“The defendant had not declared she was sub-letting the flat while living with her husband.”

Mum-of-two O’Brien married in 1997, but says she left her husband and successfully applied for a non-molestation order before reconciling and moving back in.

On March 7, last year she was called into a Jobcentre for interview, where she admitted living with her husband.

“She did deny renting out the flat in Gilbey Road and receiving rental payments for it since 2010 and continuing to sign new tenancy agreements with the landlord while sub-letting it.

“She accepted her actions were selfish.”

O’Brien initially repaid Wandsworth Council £1,777 per month until October 30, last year, but that has dropped to £50 per week since February 2 after losing her job.

“She informed the benefits agency she became unemployed.”

Wannabe Model Drunkenly Abused Passengers On Flight After St. Valentine's Getaway

A self-styled model, actress and dancer was met by police as she returned from a romantic St. Valentine’s Day getaway after drunkenly abusing fellow passengers on the flight.

Mum-of-two Parise Leandra Marciano Gale, 27, was so drunk she thought she was still in Marrakesh, Morocco after landing at Gatwick Airport.

The former property lettings agent, of Ifield Road, West Brompton pleaded guilty today to being drunk onboard the EasyJet flight on February 21.

Prosecutor Mr. Mark Kateley told Crawley Magistrates Court: “A few weeks ago there was an incoming EasyJet flight from Marrakesh and this defendant was onboard that aircraft.

“There are reports to the fact she was in a very intoxicated state and quite loud and some passengers told her to be quiet and she responded with unpleasant abuse.

“The police were told there was a drunk female onboard and she was met off the aircraft by police, who recorded her being loud, shouting and extremely inebriated.

“She was so inebriated she was under the impression she was still in Marrakesh and not the UK.”

Gale, who studied performing arts at Hammersmith College, has three previous convictions for assault, receiving a suspended prison sentence in 2016.

Her lawyer James McAllister told the court: “She apologises and expresses her remorse and embarrassment.

“She has anxiety and had stopped taking her medication and was nervous on the flight and got drunk to get through the flight and there was an argument with another passenger that boiled over.

“She was on a St. Valentine’s weekend with her partner of two years Mr. Bashir.”

The court heard Gale is now a full-time carer for her grandmother, who is battling cancer, and has a son, aged seven and a six year-old daughter.

“She is a regular church attender and has discussed this incident with her minister.”

Magistrate Lesley Overington told the emotional Gale: “You know why you’re here. It was not a good thing to get drunk on an aircraft.

“It is a serious offence. Don’t do it again.”

Gale - who could have received up to two years imprisonment if the case was sent to the Crown Court - was fined £115, with £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

“I’ll never do this again,” Gale told the court. “I’m never going to drink on a plane ever again.”