Hammer Maniac Tried To Kill Mother And Daughter Outside Home

Hammer Mayhem: Xuereb

A hammer-wielding former mental health patient has been detained for trying to kill a mother and daughter during a sudden unprovoked attack.

Heavy cannabis smoker Joe Xuereb, 28, only lived three doors from the victims, a 30 year-old Polish woman and her mother, 64, who was visiting her.

He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted murder and one of possessing an offensive weapon.

Xuereb, of Adderley Gardens, Eltham was outside his home just after midday on Sunday, August 19, last year when he approached the victims from behind.

Xuereb, armed with a hammer, repeatedly struck both victims over the head and face in a sustained and unprovoked attack which left both victims unconscious.

As they lay prone in the street, Xuereb continued to strike them both in the head and face before he fled the scene.

Following the arrival of the emergency services, the victims were taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Both remained in hospital for a number of weeks and were left with life changing injuries.

Officers issued an urgent appeal for information and Xuereb was identified by a member of the public in Bexley later the same day and was arrested at 7.36pm.

Judge Richard Marks said if not for the presence of psychiatric illness, a life sentence would have been inevitable.

Detective Sergeant Matt Deans, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This was a brutal and unprovoked attack, which both victims are incredibly lucky to have survived.

“This horrific incident has had a significant impact on both of their lives and we hope this conviction will bring them some kind of closure.”

Police Hunting Acid Robber In PRIDE Hat

A shop robber, who assisted his disguise with a gay-friendly PRIDE baseball cap, is being hunted after staff were threatened with acid.

Police have released this image of the raider they want to trace following the robbery in Islington on Tuesday, July 2.

At around 3.00pm, a man entered a supermarket on White Conduit Street, where he threatened staff and demanded money from the till.

He claimed to have a bottle filled with acid and warned the female staff member not to make any calls to police.

He then left the premises on foot with a quantity of cash.

The man is described as a black male aged in his early thirties, around 5ft 6ins tall, with a short scruffy beard which was black and grey in colour.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black cap with the word PRIDE written in different rainbow colours across the front of it and large, square sunglasses with black frames. 

He was also wearing a large and baggy black jacket.

Detective Constable Rob Griffiths, leading the investigation, said: “This was a terrifying incident for the victims which left them with significant financial loss.

“We believe that the man walked in the direction of Chapel Market, Islington and we are urging anyone who may recognise him to come forward and help prevent others from becoming victims of crime.”

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 with CAD 2240/11JULY2019 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Pawnbroker Gets Life For Murdering Girlfriend After Jury Reject Insanity Claim

Guilty: Ian Levy

The murderer of mother-of-three, who could be heard by a neighbour screaming for her life minutes before she was stabbed her to death, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. 

Ex-pawnbroker Ian Levy, 55, of Lime Court, Great North Way, Hendon, repeatedly plunged a large kitchen knife into his 50 year-old girlfriend Elize Stevens, the Old Bailey was told.

He pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Stevens, a welfare officer with the Jewish S&P Sephardi community, at his home on March 2, claiming diminished responsibility.

However, a jury convicted him and Levy must now serve a minimum of twenty-one years before he can be considered for parole. 

Afterwards Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: “Through our investigation we’ve had the privilege of getting to know a little bit of the late Elize.

“She was a wonderful mother and decent person, always willing to support others in need and totally selfless.

“Behind the locked door of Levy’s flat Elize would suffer a mindless and frenzied attack for no reason.

“Levy tried to erase a beautiful person from our community, but he has failed. Elize will always be remembered as a loving mother and decent person.

“By its nature a murder investigation is distressing. It is unthinkable why people stab each other, but then you come across someone like Levy, whose actions are beyond comprehension.

“Levy is a cruel and sadistic man. He inflicted multiple injuries to Elize.

Stabbed: Elize Stevens

“One can never articulate the pain that a family goes through when they lose a loved one to murder and Elize’s family have endured a very difficult and distressing trial, which has involved listening to the appalling injuries their loved ones suffered.” 

Sadly, divorcee Ms Stevens was last seen alive by her family at a Golders Green restaurant the night before, skipping the meal so she would not be late for Levy.

Just after 10am the next morning downstairs neighbour, musician Michael Hardy, heard her screams for help, explained prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC.

“He ignored it for ten seconds then heard running and thudding as if people were running into things and heard a woman shout: ‘Help, help’ in a loud piercing scream.

“He could hear the woman’s voice saying: ‘Ian, Ian stop it. Leave me alone or you are going to kill me.’

“This was followed by loud screams and: ‘You’re strangling me. Murder! Ian, please stop, you’re going to kill me.

‘Ian please stop. You’re stabbing me. You’re going to kill me.’”

Levy refused to answer his front door to Mr. Hardy, who called 999 and returned with two neighbours.

Arrested: Levy

“There was, by this time, complete silence,” added the QC.

Only when police threatened to smash Levy’s front door open with a battering-ram ‘enforcer’ did the defendant open up.

“He came out into the communal hallway completely naked and covered in blood.

“The police could see a large amount of blood on the floor and spattered up the walls and the legs of a prone female.

“She was naked, on her back and covered in multiple stab wounds.

“Lying on the floor next to her was a large kitchen knife, a hammer and a pair of mens’ tracksuit bottoms covered in blood.

“Her body was then taken away after attempts to save her life that were futile”

There was evidence of the attack occurring in the bathroom. “There was lots of blood dripped onto the floor of the bathroom and onto the edge of the bath and sink.”

The court heard the pair began a relationship after Levy attended a ‘Shiva’ hosted by Ms Stevens, following the death of her father in January, last year.

“They met that week and seemed to have formed or rekindled a relationship,” said Ms Bickerstaff.

Life Imprisonment: Levy

Ms Stevens had moved to the heart of north London’s Jewish community in 2011 after an unhappy, violent marriage in Israel and had also become a grandmother.

Levy, who had tried online dating and has a background in the jewellery business, attended Slimming World appointments with her and was introduced to her family in October, last year.

She tried to help him find work by assisting with his CV after he quit a Burnt Oak pawnbrokers in January, this year and helped him overcome issues of depression and anxiety, the court heard.

On February 18, this year Levy called the police, expressing “suicidal intentions” and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

Ms Stevens sent him a supportive text two days later, which read: ‘Ian. I’m so happy to hear your voice, even though you are not feeling well.

‘You are extremely good enough to have a relationship, a job and be happier than you are now…..The future will be happier and I want to be part of your future.’

On February 28 - two days before the killing - Levy was discharged into the care of the Barnet Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team after telling a psychiatrist his anxiety had improved.

“Ms Stevens was supportive of his discharge,” said the prosecutor. “She was affectionate, patient and understanding of his condition.”

Penis-Obsessed Weirdo Jailed For Harassing His Female MP

"Nonsensical": Guy

A penis-obsessed constituent, who sent his local MP Helen Hayes a picture of the famous Cerne Abbas Giant chalk-man during a year-long email harassment campaign, has been jailed.

Richard Guy, 43, also attached a photo of a man’s naked backside in an email, plus a full-length mirror image, despite a police warning to stop sending up to twenty “nonsensical” messages per day.

Today at Westminster Magistrates Court he received 15 weeks imprisonment and was made subject to a five-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the MP.

He was convicted of harassing the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood between September 1, last year and April 24 after a trial three weeks ago.

On that occasion at City of London Magistrates Court Guy jumped bail and did not attend the trial, which heard the emails began in April, 2018.

Guy was only charged for the period after uniformed police attended his address in Furneaux Avenue, West Norwood and issued a prevention of harassment warning.

A warrant for his arrest was issued by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who announced: “These matters have caused her distress due to the content and nature of the emails, which also contained an image of an indecent nature.”

The court heard Guy sent a total of 576 emails after the police warning and plenty more before and was banned from the MP’s regular Friday constituency surgeries due to his strange behaviour.

Cerne Abbas Giant

Prosecutor Mr. Philip Stott told the court the emails contained Guy’s views on a vast array of subjects, including current affairs, politics, Brexit, his own sexuality, anti-semitism and homosexuality.

The Labour MP’s assistant Bethany Currie told police about Guy last August after his emails became more explicit. “He started talking about his penis and I became concerned.”

Last Christmas he enquired about Ms Hayes’ whereabouts in an email, asking: “Where are you this am?”

The assistant checks the MP’s parliamentary emails, but was overwhelmed by the sheer volume from Guy. “They were sent on a near daily basis,” explained Mr. Stott.

“Due to the volume she was unable to read them all and was concerned in the current climate there may have been something in them she missed.”

Helen Hayes MP

Ms Currie said in her statement: “They are hard to read due to their unpleasant nature, length and nonsensical nature.”

Because Guy ignored the harassment warning he was arrested, now sporting dyed ginger hair, on April 24, this year.

PC Richard Gallipo said: “He was immediately aggressive and agitated…..He said he had the right to free speech.”

District Judge Baraitser said: “Whatever his grievances his conduct clearly became harassment. He sent a barrage of emails, sometimes ten or more in day.

“This was capricious and irrational behaviour.

"In light of the possibility of a mental health issue I don’t want to proceed to sentence, which at this point would be custodial.”

Gay Blackmailer Jailed For Demanding Cash From Grindr Dates

An NHS phlebotomist has been jailed for blackmailing his gay Grindr matches by sending embarrassing naked pictures of them to friends and family.

Patryk Hrymak, 27, demanded cash after exchanging nude images with his eight victims during online chats and followed through with his threats in relation to two of them.

The victims include a banking auditor; a private bank’s IT boss; a university admissions officer; a project manager and a couple of student nurses. 

Hrymak, of Norbury Crescent, Norbury pleaded guilty to eight counts of blackmail, plus two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs, with intent to cause distress, between November 4 and 12, last year.

Jailing him for two years and four months Croydon Crown Court Judge Deborah Charles told tearful Hrymak today: “You contacted these victims on Grindr and sent naked photographs of yourself to build up rapport.

“You encouraged them to send naked pictures of themselves to you and blackmailed them by threatening to send the pictures to their family and friends.”

Using the alias ‘Thomas’ Hrymak continued communicating with the men via Facebook, Instagram and other social media, giving him access to their contacts.

“He would ask to borrow small amounts, of money, thirty, forty or fifty pounds, which they all refused and then threatened to pass on the naked photos he obtained,” said prosecutor Shekinah Anson.

“To back this up he sent screenshots to prove he still had the images, plus screenshots of the victims’ online contacts.”

Hrymak met and had sex with the banking auditor, who gave him £20, but refused any more when blackmailed. He said the “traumatic” episode left him “scared and afraid.”

The IT boss suffered panic attacks as a result and says he felt “sick to my stomach” and “nauseous” at having naked pictures sent to two female friends, describing the ordeal as being “cyber raped.”

The openly gay project manager said the blackmail was an attempt at a return to the attitudes of the 1950’s when shame of sexuality could be exploited. 

One victim did transfer £110 to Hrymak. “He paid that out of fear these pictures would be sent to family and friends,” added Ms Anson.

“He is ashamed of his actions,” said Chris Johnston, defending, adding Hrymak, a respected employee at Croydon University Hospital, fell into £7,500 debt financing an expensive cannabis habit.

“He was not motivated by desire to ‘out’ these people, but just to send the naked images.”

Judge Charles told the first-time offender: “This has had a significant impact on your victims and blackmail is regarded as a nasty offence.

“As a man who says he was bullied over his sexuality as a youth you were well-placed to appreciate the consequences of gay men being ‘outed’ when it was not something they wanted to do.”

Bermudian Mother's New UK Life In Prison Cell

A woman who left the island of Bermuda to start a new life in Hull with her son has been jailed for four years after she was caught at Gatwick Airport smuggling four kilos of cocaine.

Shaketa Raynor, 44, of Peel Street pleaded guilty to importing the Class A drug on June 23 on a flight from Cosa Rica.

Croydon Crown Court heard the cocaine was concealed within various items of her luggage.

It is estimated the eventual street value would have been £316,000.

“You were mainly a courier, but were doing this for money,” Judge Deborah Charles told her. “You emigrated to this country and brought your son and his family with you.

“You were unable to find work and took the stupid decision to try and make money by importing drugs.”

Award-Winning Gardener Must Obey Court-Ordered Shift Pattern To Tend Blooms

Crown Court Fight: Michael Oram

An award-winning gardener, prosecuted for taking his neighbour’s shears as he tried to protect a flowering bush, has been threatened with jail if he flouts a new restriction.

Pensioner Michael Oram, 74, was preventing what he describes as “environmental vandalism”, but the act put him in breach of a ‘Crimbo’ - imposed after years of bitter gardening disputes.

The twice-married former Kew Gardens gatekeeper, of The Barons, St. Margaret’s, Twickenham pleaded guilty to breaching the Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and will be sentenced later this year.

However, today at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court Judge Judith Coello told him: “You have had four years of this now and it must be wearing you down like everyone else.

“The court is trying to prevent conflict between you and your neighbours, but if you do not comply there is only one outcome I’m afraid and that’s imprisonment.

“You say you have been kept in police custody for a weekend and it wasn’t that bad because they treated you well, but it would be a different experience in Wandsworth or the Scrubs. It is horrendous.”

Oram has three conviction for harassment, plus a police caution for harassment since 2015 after leading a law-abiding life for seven decades.

The judge rejected a police and Crown Prosecution Service request to completely ban Oram from his rear garden under the terms of the CBO, but limited his allowed time to 10am-3pm, Monday to Friday.

The two-year ‘Crimbo’, imposed after Oram was convicted of harassing downstairs neighbour Jasmine McMurdo, 56, an NHS employee, also prohibits him talking to her and another neighbour and interfering with their gardening.

The Winchester College-educated retired employment agency boss once ran a King’s Road, Chelsea business, which supplied domestic staff to the aristocracy and the rich and famous.

Oram Despairs At Bush Cutting

Oram, who describes himself as a “peace-loving Buddhist”, moved into the housing association flat after losing his £3m Richmond Hill home in a divorce after an affair with he and his wife’s Peruvian au pair.

His devoted gardening secured Richmond-upon-Thames’s ‘Borough in Bloom’ silver prize and during a previous garden ban he continued tending to his plants by leaning over the wall from the street.

There have been so many police call-outs to the quiet suburban corner of Twickenham, opposite the famous film studios, locals have seen their insurance premiums rocket.

Grandfather Oram says he is being harassed and when he recently used his garden shed he found a wooden board with the message: “F*** off! Oram. Smile. You are on CCTV! Leave this alone!” 

Oram was arrested when Ms McMurdo called the police after he took away the shears she was using to trim a bush on the pathway to her basement flat on April 19.

“You cannot cut a flowering bush, you have to wait until the flowers bloom for a few weeks,” said Oram in his garden, looking horrified at the results of his neighbour’s trimming.

She has also received a police harassment warning for her behaviour towards Oram and landlord Richmond Housing installed CCTV cameras all over the property.

Challenging the prosecution application to ban him from the rear garden Oram told the court: “Richmond Housing appointed me what they call: ‘The Green Fingers.’

“I would be devastated if I could not use the garden. I would have to write-off thousands of pounds of investment in flowers, shrubs and fertilisers.

Oram Says He Was Left This Sign

“They are the size of two tennis courts and reflect my years of back-breaking effort. I also enjoy reclining in the back garden and reading the newspaper and I’ve constructed a BBQ.

“I also need to use the laundry lines to hang my washing. It saves a few pennies and every penny counts. I am a pensioner.

“I love looking out of my window at the garden, at the wildlife and birds and squirrels that feed. If I was banned the impact would be substantial.

“Ms McMurdo commenced cutting back a large flowering shrub that provides a good supply of nutrients to butterflies and bees and I advised her to wait until the plant finished flowering.

“It was just sad to see the plant decimated in that manner. She laughed and said she was going to call the police. She’d like to see me evicted, that’s her main ambition in life.”

Oram says he’s now plagued by flies around his window since Ms McMurdo put a cat litter tray outside her back door. “I think she did that to provoke me.

“These complaints are instigated by a neighbour who has a grievance against me,” he told the court.

However, prosecutor Mr. Paul Casey suggested Oram was exaggerating his love of the gardens. “What is fundamental to your life is making your neighbours and Ms McMurdo’s life a misery, isn’t it?”

Downstairs Neighbour: Jasmine McMurdo

Oram denied this, adding: “I will not stand for my right, my human rights, English law rights to be rolled over.”

Oram’s lawyer Martin Scott told the court: “He removed shears that that were on the back steps of the property, not in the rear garden. 

“He has got a right to a family life and the prosecution want to put in place orders that prevent him doing things that don’t cause anyone any harm, like gardening.

“The neighbour in her time has been warned for harassment against him and filmed him and the parties are trying to score points against each other at every turn.”

Previously Ms McMurdo said: “I have suffered harassment over the years. Mr. Oram has targeted me to drive me out and I have often been in tears.

“He has tried to make my flat uninhabitable and has now turned to vandalising my vegetables and flowers.”

She said Oram sent her a text warning: “If we don’t find peace the future is going to be very grim for you and your son.”

She added: “I’ve been torn in two. I feel so unsafe with Mr. Oram living above me.

“I feel on edge all the time. I have a feeling of dread in my chest. I never know what I’m going to walk into.

“I just wait for something to happen. I have no enjoyment at being at home anymore.”

Cabbie Controller Posed As Doctor During £15,000 Romance Fraud

A mini-cab controller, who sent his new internet fiancee a photo of him wearing hospital scrubs during a £15,000 scam, has been jailed.

Mohamad Yousef, 37, of Loxwood Road, Tottenham knocked four years off his age and claimed he was a doctor while romancing his victim.

He convinced her to take out a loan for the sum and give it to him to cover their wedding costs and was never seen again until police arrested him.

At Wood Green Crown Court Yousef pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Hemet the 30-year-old female victim on a well known dating site in May 2017. 

Yousef told the victim that he was a 33-year-old doctor and sent her a picture of him wearing his hospital ‘scrubs’.

The relationship progressed quickly and the couple became engaged within the month.

At the end of May 2017, Yousef asked the victim to loan him some cash as he was short of money for their wedding, which he was arranging at the Dorchester Hotel. 

She transferred £800 into his bank account. In addition, he convinced her to take out a loan of £15,000 to cover the cost of their wedding.

However, once he had the money, Yousef broke off all contact with the victim and despite trying, she couldn’t reach him.

When she contacted the hospital where he claimed to work they had no knowledge of him. 

She called the Dorchester and found that no booking had been made for the wedding.

Mohamad could not be located and so was circulated as wanted on the Police National Computer.

On September 13, 2017 Yousef was arrested at Heathrow when he landed on a flight from Africa.

He claimed that the victim took out a loan against his wishes, but he still accepted the money from the loan into his account.

He said he received over £14,000 from the loan, but only had £6,000 left, having spent the rest on an emergency as his father was not well.

During interview Yousef was asked about the picture of him wearing hospital scrubs that he sent to the victim on the dating site. 

He claimed that the photo was taken when he was doing voluntary work with Oxfam, when he was providing vaccinations. 

He said that his actual occupation was mini-cab controller.

Detective Sergeant Milan Pandya, said: “It is so important that anyone scammed by online fraudsters comes forward so that we can make a start in putting a stop to their activities.

“Victims should absolutely not be embarrassed. These unscrupulous people are convincing and tenacious in their deceptions.

“Please don’t hesitate to contact police if you have been a victim of this crime – at the very least contact us to ensure that you receive any support that you may need.”

Customer's Revenge For Door Snub

A customer refused entry to a late night bar returned minutes later and deliberately drove his car into a group outside, inflicting broken bones and other injuries.

Mustafa Esmail, 21, was jailed for 16 years after pleading guilty to five counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The Old Bailey heard that at around 3.00am on Saturday, December 2, 2017, Esmail and his group were refused entry to the bar in Stockwell Road, south London.

Esmail became aggressive and a male victim was assaulted and then threatened before he left the scene.

Minutes later, he returned in a white VW Golf, driving onto the pavement outside the bar and hitting a group of pedestrians.

He then abandoned the car and fled on foot, along with a number of other occupants of the vehicle.

The five men injured, aged between 23 and 42, suffered multiple broken bones including leg fractures, a broken shin and a spleen injury. 

A number of the victims required surgery; none suffered life changing injuries.

Officers from Lambeth CID launched an investigation and identified that the car used in the attack was a rental vehicle, hired the previous day.

A phone in the car linked it to Esmail, as did blood found on the airbag and fingerprints on the windows.

Police established that a call was made to a taxi firm minutes after the incident, with the driver confirming he picked up Esmail and two other men.

On Thursday, June 21, last year, following an extensive manhunt, Esmail was stopped on Brompton Close, Hounslow and arrested.

Despite giving false details, fingerprints revealed his true identity and he was charged in connection with the Stockwell Road offence.

Detective Constable Tom Baxter, from the Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “Esmail’s deliberate actions left five victims with significant injuries and it is only down to sheer good fortune and the work of the emergency services that the consequences were not more grave.

“Esmail attempted to evade police, but will now have a considerable period of time to reflect on his behaviour that night.

“We hope this sentence brings those involved some closure and demonstrates our commitment to getting individuals intent on causing harm off our streets.

“This conviction was achieved thanks to a diligent and thorough investigation by officers and is a good example of the excellent work undertaken by MPS detectives to investigate crime and bring those responsible to justice.”

Former Fiancee Of Prince Charles's Godson Accused Of Slapping Mother At £5.4m Family Home

Maria & Emma Chaing Leaving Court

The ex-fiancee of Prince Charles’ troubled godson Lord Brabourne repeatedly slapped her mother when refused £200 cash at the family’s £5.4m Chelsea home, a court heard today.

Jobless hip hop performer Emma Peggy Chaing, 31, was engaged to be married to Nicholas Knatchbull, 38, two years ago and destined to become Countess Mountbatten.

However, last January Eton-educated ex-drug addict Knatchbull revealed he was now engaged to professional mermaid Ambre Saint-Clare.

Chaing - who performs as Emma Stayhear - appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, accompanied by her mother Maria Eye Sui Chaing, 60.

She pleaded not guilty to assault on July 16 at the family home in Royal Avenue, Chelsea, and will return for a trial on October 8.    

Prosecutor Mr. Robert Simpson told the court: “The complainant is the defendant’s mother and the defendant wanted two hundred pounds from her and the mother was unwilling to give it to her.

“She had gone to a mental health appointment and we say slapped her mother around the face two or three times, causing reddening and a small bruise.”

An allegation Chaing, who has moved out to her uncle’s home in Lillie Road, Fulham, also assaulted her father will not be proceeded with.

He is Benjamin Ka Ping Chaing, 67, company director of Cathay Investments Ltd. and her mother is a named company secretary.

The family home was purchased for £5.4m in August, 2014.

The Crown Prosecution Service were granted a witness summons to serve on Mrs Chaing to ensure she attends and co-operates with the trial.

Ms Ellen Wright, defending, said: “The case summary says ‘punching’. There was no punching and any contact was in self-defence.

“There may have been contact with hand or arm and the mother, but it certainly was not a punch.”

Unemployed Chaing is applying for Legal Aid so she can be represented at the trial.

“She is living with her uncle and still has a close relationship with her mother, her mother accompanied her to court today,” added Ms Wright.

“The defendant receives a lot of support from her mother in terms of mental health difficulties. They had a very close relationship.”

In her statement Chaing said her relationship with her parents was “not good” and she was keen to move out of the family home.

She was bailed on condition she continues residing with her uncle and does not visit Royal Avenue, Chelsea.

Prowler Wanted For East London Sex Attack

Detectives are appealing for information after a man broke into a woman’s home on the Isle of Dogs and sexually assaulted her.

Officers are now releasing a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.

Police were called to Glengarnock Avenue at the junction with Manchester Road, Poplar at around 6.00am on Sunday, May 12 to reports of a woman assaulted at home.

The victim reported that she was asleep in bed when she was woken up by the male suspect carrying out a sexual assault.

The woman managed to run out of the room and the culprit left soon after via the front door.

Officers investigating the incident believe the same man was seen in another flat in the block just moments before.

Again, the occupants woke up to find the man in their bedroom, who then turned and left before he could be confronted.

The suspect is believed to be a white male, in his twenties, and at the time was dressed in black, wearing a black coat with a white collar and white trainers.

Detective Constable Daniel Cooke, from the Metropolitan Police's Central East CID, said: “This was a terrifying assault for a young woman who woke up to find someone in her own bedroom, a place she should have been safe.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who might recognise the man in this image, particularly from the clothing he can be seen wearing. 

“Enquiries into both break-ins continue.

“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, can be reported to us by calling 101 with reference 1575/12May or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”