Wife Of Misfiring Crystal Palace Striker Caught Drink-Driving After Late-Night Champagne

Christian & Fortunata Benteke

The wife of Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke was banned for drink-driving today after crashing into another vehicle after a late-night champagne celebration.

Wimbledon Magistrates Court was told officers were called to the scene of the collision seven miles from 25 year-old Fortunata Benteke’s £3.1m home.

The Dutch mother-of-two, of Heavenly House, Warren Drive, Tadworth, Kingswood, Surrey pleaded guilty to driving her brand new white three-litre Mercedes-Benz with excess alcohol in her breath.

She gave a reading of 42 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath after the crash in Stanley Park Road, Carshalton on October 22. The legal limit is 35.

Fortunata was also fined £230, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a £32 victim surcharge.

She now joins her 28 year-old Belgian international husband on a twelve-month driving ban after he was penalised for three speeding offences at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court last week.

The £30m signing was caught on camera driving his £136,000 Bentley at 80 and 89mph in 50mph and 40mph zones respectively and at 64mph in a 30mph zone. 

Her lawyer Eddie Tang told the court today: “She was at a friend’s house, who was upset about the end of a relationship.

“It was late at night and the friend wanted to toast the end of the relationship and she had one glass of champagne.

“She is extremely apologetic and has made amends for the damage to the other vehicle.”

Prosecutor Miss Victoria Murphy told the court: “The defendant was seen to be the driver of a white Mercedes.

“Officers were on patrol and were assigned to a collision and spoke to the driver of the Mercedes and the defendant was asked to provide a breath test and the lowest reading was forty-two.

“The case summary shows the defendant was extremely apologetic at the time of the incident. There was another person there, who was the driver of the other vehicle who was present.

“This is aggravated by the fact she was involved in an accident.”

Fortunata, who was whisked to and from court in a luxury vehicle with blacked-out windows and accompanied by a minder, spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth, address and nationality.

Mr. Tang added: “There is very little I can say. She has pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

“She is a married woman with two children aged five and three years-old.

“She is a housewife and mother supported by her husband and she does not try to minimise her culpability.

“She is supported by her husband and given money every month for the children and the rest is disposable income.”

The court heard Fortunata, dressed in a white polo top and checked blazer, has a Belgian driving licence and is in the process of applying for a UK one.

She wrapped a scarf around her face and said nothing as she left court.

Lone Woman Jumped: E-Fit Released Of Suspect

Police have released this e-fit of a suspected Middle Eastern sexual predator after a lone woman was pounced on from behind in west London last summer.

The victim was attacked as she walked along Avenue Gardens, Acton on Saturday, July 27 at around 7.30pm. 

The suspect grabbed the victim from behind and a struggle took place before the man fled down Avenue Gardens.

He is described as a light skinned male, maybe of Middle Eastern origin, aged around 20 years-old, 5ft 11ins tall and of medium build.

The victim did not suffer any physical injuries, but was shocked and alarmed by the attack.

Anyone who has information concerning the identity of the male shown in the e-fit should contact detectives at West Area Command Unit via 101 or Tweet @MetCC quoting CAD1286/5AUG19.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visitcrimestoppers-uk.org.

End Of Thieving Cop's Career

A policeman facing internal disciplinary proceedings after stealing from a dead man after a call-out to the deceased’s home has resigned on the day of the hearing.

Former Police Constable Oliver Levi Darby, 42, is suspected of maximising his earnings by failing to quit his job until the very last moment.

Scotland Yard announced today that the ex-Royal Engineer Lance Corporal, of Sand Cottage, Docking Road, Burnham Market, King’s Lynn, Norfolk resigned on November 14.

It was the same day he faced a misconduct hearing regarding his Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct and honesty and integrity.

He was based at AW-BCU (Central West Basic Command Unit).

The hearing’s Chair ruled that had Darby still been a serving officer he would have been dismissed without notice.

He was on the uniformed response team in the northern part of Westminster Borough and was responsible for securing the deceased man’s property.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard earlier this year the items were found when fellow officers searched his room in the Gilmour Section House, Kennington Lane, Lambeth on January 11, 2018.

The search occurred because a WPC accused him of spying on her two days earlier while she was showering, a charge Darby was acquitted of last year. 

Also found during the search were three further bank cards he stole from the post of two people who formerly resided at a Wimbledon rented home once occupied by father-of-one Darby.

He pleaded not guilty, but was convicted, of stealing those three cards.

He was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which included 200 hours community service and twenty days rehab. 

He was also ordered to pay £1500 costs.

He also pleaded not guilty, but was convicted, of stealing the provisional driving licence and bank card belonging to the estate of Gary Steel, of Randolph Avenue, Maida Vale on January 6, 2017.

Recorder Richard Smith told bearded Darby: “Your crime was carried out while on duty as a police officer, the very antithesis of what is expected of a police officer, let alone during a sudden death call which you are expected to deal with great respect and sensitivity.”

Darby told the jury he had little recollection of how he came into possession of the stolen property, which did not impress Recorder Smith.

“You may not have fully come to terms with the responsibility of your offending and I put little weight on your supposed remorse.” 

The recorder told Darby he would not be sending I’m to prison due to his personal circumstances. “You had an unblemished record until this point in your life and the convictions will continue to have consequences for your family and your risk of further offending is low.”  

Darby’s lawyer Heather Oliver told the court: “The offences seem spontaneous, opportunistic with little or no planning.

“He will also be punished by the termination of his career and the isolation from friends and  colleagues and the shame and humiliation of the public nature of these verdicts.

“They have been writ large in the press and his local community.

“He has found this whole process extremely traumatic and the stigma of his criminality is a real stigma for this man that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“He is an Army veteran who served his country for sixteen years and his community as a police officer for five years.

“He faces the loss of employment and his income. He lives with his mother and step-father and cares for his mother who in the last twelve months has suffered a heart attack and had a hip replacement.” 

Prosecutor Mr. Oliver Doherty told the court: “PC Darby falls to be sentenced on three counts of theft, having been convicted by the jury at trial a few weeks ago.

“The motivation the for offending in this case must have been financial. In the pre-sentence report Mr. Darby expresses what is described as remorse for the offences, but there is no explanation given as to why he stole the bank cards.

“You may feel he must have been financially motivated,” the prosecutor told the recorder. “The jury heard he had to take out a six thousand pound loan at the time and told people at the Wimbledon address he didn’t want to stay there due to financial pressures.

“At the time he was taking holidays abroad to Cancun, New York and Copenhagen that you may feel are not consistent with a police constable’s pay.

“The most serious offence is the theft of the Barclaycard and provisional driving licence belonging to the estate of Gary Steel.

“PC Darby and the other officer attended Gary Steel’s address when people who knew him were concerned for his welfare and they found him at the address.

“There can scarcely be a higher degree of trust put into a police officer, entrusted with going into someone’s house.

“He was an opportunistic thief who took that moment to steal the card. I put that to him in cross-examination.

“I do not think it is right to say there was any degree of planning in respect of Gary Steel’s card.”

Regarding the Wimbledon occupants Mr. Doherty added: “The theft of bank cards out of the postal system when one is sharing accommodation with these people is also a breach of trust.

“The reason the police officers searched his room was because there had been an allegation of voyeurism by another police officer at that location and he was found not guilty after a trial last year.”

Mr. Doherty told the jury during the trial: “The reason why Mr. Darby wanted these cards isn’t entirely clear, but at the time he was having some financial difficulties.

“He had cause to tell other people he had financial difficulties, but it is not the prosecution case he ever used the cards even though one was used to pay a Cyprus-based internet dating site.”

During the search a Halifax Visa and MasterCard, still attached to the original letters, were found in a shoe box and a Barclays Visa card was found on a shelf.

The late Mr. Steel’s Barclaycard and licence was found in a red bag by Darby’s bed.

He was one of two officer’s who attended the deceased man’s home where property was officially listed. “There was no recording of the licence or bank card later found,” explained Mr. Doherty.

“Darby does not dispute the items were in his room, but does deny dishonest possession.”

Scum On The Run: Police Hunt Convicted Thug

A violent thug, who stabbed his victim in the face and back during an attack in the West End, remains on the run.

Danny Vernon jumped bail and dodged his crown court trial, where he was convicted and sentenced in his absence.

Officers are now appealing for assistance in tracing him so he can begin serving his twelve-year sentence. 

At Southwark Crown Court on September 19 he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm, with intent.

He was found guilty of stabbing a 32-year-old man in Oxford Street on September 30, 2017. 

The victim of that attack was discharged from hospital, having been treated for stab wounds to his back and face, leaving him with a serious facial scar.

Having been charged, Vernon appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on December 27, 2018. 

He was bailed ahead of a trial at Southwark Crown Court, where he failed to appear on August 5.

Officers believe Danny Vernon knows he is wanted by police and is taking steps to avoid apprehension. 

He has links to the Wimbledon area of London and to Bournemouth, Dorset.

If sighted, members of the public are urged not to approach him, but dial 999 immediately.

If anyone has any information as to Vernon’s whereabouts, please contact the police on 101 quoting reference CAD 5847/12OCT19 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Romanian Pickpocket Targeted Lady OAP's

A Romanian pickpocket, who deliberately targeted elderly ladies who withdrew large cash sums from their banks, has been locked-up.

A total of £11,200 was taken by Daniel Calinescu, 43, who travelled all over London to stakeout banks and steal from vulnerable locals.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Southwark Crown Court heard he was a member of a pickpocketing gang and enquiries are ongoing to identify and bring to justice the other members of the group.

Metropolitan Police officers linked Calinescu to incidents in which a 78-year-old woman had £2,500 stolen in St John’s Hill, Battersea on July 9.

A 62-year-old woman, who had £2,500 stolen in Shrewsbury Avenue, Harrow on July 19. 

A 73-year-old woman, who had £1,700 stolen in Barrett’s Grove, Hackney on July 29 and a 72-year-old woman, who had £4,500 stolen in High Street, Ealing on August 20.

In each case, Calinescu watched elderly and vulnerable people withdraw large sums of money over the counter at banks. 

He then followed them as they walked away and stole the cash from each victim as she was boarding a bus. 

On two of these occasions a razor blade or knife was used to slash the victim’s bag to steal the cash.

The Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) proactive team led the investigation and identified Calinescu through intelligence work. 

Sentencing him Judge Joanna Korner told Calinescu: “You have pleaded guilty to four counts of theft, the most unpleasant and nasty offences which can be committed within this category of crime. 

“No doubt you were deliberately targeting victims because of their obvious vulnerability. 

“No other punishment is suitable other than immediate imprisonment. It must be of some length to mark public disapproval of people such as yourself and your activities.

Detective Sergeant Shaun Holyhead of RTPC said: “I am pleased with the conviction and sentence handed down today. 

“We are working hard to identify Calinescu’s associates and other criminals who target Londoners in this way.”

Aristocrat On The Run Again

An aristocrat, who is 65th in line to the British throne, is on the run again after being convicted of another racially-aggravated offence.

Rowan Nash Lascelles, 42, the son of The Hon. James Lascelles, 65, the second son of the 7th Earl of Harewood, was found guilty after a trial he did not bother turning up to.

In his absence he was convicted at Hendon Magistrates Court yesterday of the racially aggravated harassment of Avi Daoudi at Victoria Station on April 18.

A second charge of racially aggravated harassment against Shubhamangla Sampanguramareddy was dismissed.

A warrant, without bail, was issued for his arrest.

He will only be sentenced once he is physically before the court.

Lascelles was convicted last July of the racially aggravated assault of a Leicester Square casino doorman and racially abusing his supervisor.

On that occasion he spat blood in the bouncer’s face after fighting outside with some homeless men and called the supervisor a: “Paki.”

Again Lascelles jumped bailed and did not appear for the trial.

Ex-Top Cop Used Old Police Warrant Card For Free Travel

A retired senior Scotland Yard detective was chased and rugby-tackled to the ground when caught using his old warrant card to dodge a train fare.  

Ex-Detective Inspector Brian Tarpey, 58, a counter-terror expert who was in charge of the police response to the London 7/7 bombings, is now a “completely broken man,” the court heard.

Serving Metropolitan Police officers receive free travel within a 70-mile radius of the capital and their professional standards department were making checks at Victoria Station that this benefit wasn’t being abused. 

Tarpey, of The Green, Ewell, Surrey pleaded to impersonating a police officer on May 2, with intent to deceive and travelling without paying his £7.40 fare.

A charge of stealing the warrant card was withdrawn.

Today he was conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs, a £20 victim surcharge and £7.40 compensation.

Prosecutor Malachy Pakenham told Westminster Magistrates Court: “At 9am the officers were made aware that someone had produced a police Inspector’s warrant card and went over to speak to the individual.

“The railway staff waved to the police and said this defendant had identified himself at the ticket barrier as a police officer and flashed his warrant card.

“When one of the professional standards officers spoke to Mr. Tarpey he admitted he was not a police officer and did not have a ticket.

“The defendant began to run and the police officers gave chase and told him to stop running. He continued to run to the platform exit and the pursuit continued into the street.

“The defendant tried to get something out of his jacket pocket and threw it on the floor, still attached to a blue lanyard.”

The chasing officer said in his statement: “He was fiddling around with something and I was concerned he was reaching for a weapon and took him to the ground and he was arrested and handcuffed.”

The discarded item was Tarpey’s old warrant card, but he insists he dropped it accidentally when tearing a hamstring during the chase.

“He told the officers he retired from the police nine years ago and was taken into custody and booked in,” explained the prosecutor.

Tarpey had jumped on a train at his local station as it was about to depart, claiming he did not have time to buy a ticket.

He told police: “I can’t explain why I didn’t pay for a ticket. I stupidly did what I did to get through the barrier because that’s what we used to do.

“Yes I was dishonest and stupid and I knew I had done something wrong.

“The card was in my hand and I dropped it, I didn’t intend to throw it away, but I tore something in my leg and I was in agony when I discarded it.”

He denied previously using the warrant card for free travel, adding: “No, I wish I never had. Look, I did a stupid thing running off like that.”

Mr. Pakenham told the court: “He runs off and that does not go in his favour and he should have known it should have been handed in.”

Michael Field, defending, said Tarpey was on leave when he retired on May 31, 2010 so there was no final-day handover and the warrant card remained in the bottom of a satchel for years.

“He is truly remorseful and utterly regrets this moment of panic and says it has simply destroyed him.

“He is a completely broken man that came from the heights to this position here.

“This is at the bottom end of offending, presenting a card that he had previously possessed lawfully. He failed to hand it back and used it to obtain free travel to a value of £7.40.

“At the station he did not have the opportunity to buy a ticket and when he arrived at Victoria simply panicked and wondered if he still had possession of the warrant card.

“In a moment of madness and rather stupidly he decided to present it even though he had money for the fare.

“He does accept running off in panic, but not deliberately throwing away the card. He ruptured his hamstring and dropped the card. 

“In a very distinguished and impressive thirty year career in the Metropolitan Police he rose to the position of Inspector and has a number of very impressive achievements on his record.

“He was awarded the long service and good conduct medal and worked in anti-corruption, organised crime, child protection, murder and for the last ten years counter-terrorism at Scotland Yard.

“He was the anti-terror duty officer on 7/7, the day in 2005 when London was subject to bombings and directed the initial response to those bombings.

“Since retiring he has been engaged in the security industry and held important and responsible jobs with the Royal Bank of Scotland and financial services company Fidelity International.

“There will be residual damage as a result of the convictions and he is worried he will never work again in the industry.”

District Judge Gary Lucie announced: “My gut feeling is that it is quite serious, but he is a man of good character.”

He told a dejected and shame-faced Tarpey, who kept his head down throughout the hearing: “You knew it was dishonest and you ran off due to panic.

“You are a man of positive good character and you have lost that today. I accept it was out of character and has been described as a moment of madness, an incredibly stupid thing to do.

“You had a distinguished career in the Metropolitan Police, you were an Inspector and received commendation medals. You were a credit to the police.”

Tarpey investigated the polonium poisoning murder of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and claimed his tea had also been poisoned on the Kremlin’s orders during a visit to Moscow.

Tarpey later appeared in the Channel 4 documentary: ‘Hunting the KGB Killers’.

He describes himself on his professional profile as a: ‘senior security professional with a comprehensive portfolio in both the public and private sector.’

He also boasts to be a: ‘highly knowledgeable security professional with a thirty-year police and significant corporate portfolio.’

After working in the financial security sector Tarpey moved onto the Home Office as a senior operation manager regarding security between July, 2018 and July, last year.

Builders' Plot To Swindle £870K Home From Pensioner's Relatives

Tony Casey

Three builders’ plot to swindle an isolated octogenarian out of his £870,000 Earlsfield home was ruined when a “shocked and surprised” distant relative saw it up for sale, a court heard today.

Batchelor Henry James Bennett - known as ‘Jim’ - died aged 88 years-old in the house he had resided all his life and immediately the trio tried to cash in, the jury were told.

They are: Tony Casey, 34, of Brookes Place, Potters Bar; Jeremiah O’Connor, 38, of Broadway, Morecambe, Lancashire and John O’Connor, 37, of Knatts Valley Homes, Sevenoaks, Kent.

Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard Mr. Bennett received £20,000 in 2007 for the freehold in exchange for a 21-year lease that allowed him to continue living at 51 Brookwood Road.

Prosecutor Mr. Nicholas Alexander said a company owned by John O’Connor provided the funds and the property was signed over to his brother Jeremiah before ownership was transferred to Casey.

Isolated Mr. Bennett, who did not even have a home phone died, on March 23, 2016 and two weeks later Casey had his death certificate and was arranging the cheapest cremation he could find.

He told the funeral directors Mr. Bennett was his uncle, but changed his story and claimed he was his grandfather to locksmiths and a solicitor.

Jeremiah O'Connor

When the solicitor questioned the whereabouts of Casey’s father, potentially the next-of-kin, the defendant said he disappeared to Ireland twenty years ago and had not been seen or heard of since. 

Casey insisted on “low key” marketing of the property, but once the estate agents persuaded him to advertise on the internet it was spotted by Mr. Bennett’s second cousin in Dorset.

“I found out the house was on the market and I was shocked and surprised and very curious,” Linda Sutton told the jury.

“It was very upsetting the cremation had taken place and the ashes were still with the funeral directors,” added Mrs Sutton, who paid the £2,000 balance Casey had avoided.

She had only met Mr. Bennett once, back in 1990, but exchanged occasional letters with him and sometimes received calls via a public telephone.

John O'Connor

“I was seeking to right the wrong,” said Mrs Sutton, who reported the house sale to police and was awarded the property in civil court, a judgement unsuccessfully challenged by Casey.

Casey says he was “treated like a grandson” by Mr. Bennett, who he gave “friendship and emotional support.”

He also says Mr. Bennett was of “sound mind” when the freehold was transferred. 

Jeremiah O’Connor says he was in the USA when the property was transferred, denying he had knowledge of the purchase or its change of ownership to Casey.

All three have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to defraud Mr. Bennett and his beneficiaries between January 1, 1997 and April 11, 2019.

Trial continues…………..

Benefit Cheat Continued Collecting Dead Mum's Money

A benefit cheat continued collecting her deceased mother’s pension for nearly eight years during a £77,000 fraud, a court heard.

School clerical assistant Hilary Wilson, 46, did not report the sudden death, which occurred during a visit to Jamaica and was never registered in this country.

The other-of-two, of Solon Road, Brixton pleaded guilty to defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between August 10, 2009 and February 12, 2017.

Inner London Crown Court heard Wilson’s mother’s state pension was paid into a joint account she held with her daughter so continuing to access the payments was not a problem for the defendant.

Inner London Crown Court she received fifteen months imprisonment, suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 120 hours community service.

Wilson must also complete fifteen days of rehabilitation and the DWP will make deductions from benefits she continues to receive for herself rather than pursue full confiscation.

Prosecutor Sam Barker told the court: “It is seventy-seven thousand she is not entitled to. She dishonestly received a benefit she was never entitled to.”

The fraud was exposed during a review of Wilson’s finances. 

Her lawyer told the court she was the only breadwinner in the household following the death of her husband and has a son, 10, and daughter, 24, who have health problems.

Judge Ian Darling told Wilson: “You pleaded guilty to a dishonest course of conduct that lasted a very long time. You continued to receive your mother’s pension even though she died many years ago and that continued until your arrest.

“You became used to having these monies available to you and it became part of your daily life.

“You have been very dishonest, but in circumstances that mitigate that dishonesty I suspect the longer it went on the harder it was for you to do anything about it.”

Ex-Bankrupt Denies Emptying Parents' Bank Accounts

Denials: Giuseppe Masella

A former bankrupt businessman looted his dead mother’s bank accounts of £48,000 before targeting his octogenarian father’s £33,000 savings, a court heard.

Giuseppe Masella, 48, of St. Dunstan’s Road, Hammersmith emptied his mother’s account just three weeks after her death, leaving only £10 for his father, the jury were told.

Two years later he opened an internet account in his father Antonio’s name without permission and in two weeks drained it of cash, say the prosecution.

Masella has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud; two counts of acquiring criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property regarding his mother’s account in March, 2015.

He also denies two count’s of fraud and one of acquiring criminal property and transferring criminal property regarding his father’s account between February and June, 2017.

Prosecutor Mr. Tyrone Silcott told Isleworth Crown Court today: “In 2015 and 2017 this defendant took money out of his parents’ accounts without permission.”

Masella’s mother Anna, who had three sons, died on March 5, 2015.

Tenner Left: Antonio Masella

“By March 28 all of her savings, apart from £10, had been transferred out of her account,” said the prosecutor.

“In December of that year Antonio went to the Nationwide so he could share the money amongst his three sons, including Giuseppe who is the oldest, but found it had all gone, save that £10.

“All of those transfers had been made by this defendant and all of them were made dishonestly.

“The defendant and his family moved in with Antonio after the death of Anna. He had previously been made bankrupt, but this was lifted in 2015.

“A new Nationwide online account in his father’s name was opened in 2017, which the prosecution say is a fake account and Antonio will tell you someone else opened it.

“That was a fake account set up online to syphon money away from his father.

“The defendant has dishonestly moved money out of his parents’ accounts to his own by making dishonest false representations to the bank.”

Trial continues………….

Hackney Al Qaeda Terrorist Caught By Syrian Video

An Al Qaeda terrorist – questioned by police for acting suspiciously in Whitehall – was identified as a combatant filmed in Syria six years ago.

Mohammed Yamin, 26, featured in an online video by VICE news posted on YouTube of armed terrorists in Syria.

Yamin, of Southwold Road, Hackney, east London was investigated by the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

At the Old Bailey he was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years and ordered to serve a further year on license for Engaging in Preparation of Terrorist Acts contrary to Section 5(1) Terrorism Act 2006.

He was also sentenced to four years consisting of three years imprisonment and one year on license for Membership of a Proscribed Organisation contrary to Section 11 Terrorism Act 2000. 

Both sentences are to run concurrently.

On July 10, 2013 Yamin left the UK and travelled to Syria via Romania.

On May 32, 2014, upon returning to the UK, Yamin was arrested at Heathrow Airport under Section 17, TACT 2000 as officers believed he had travelled to Syria in order to provide clothing and equipment to others involved in terrorist activity in the region. 

Yamin denied this, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, he was released with no further action.

In 2015, a VICE news film, which had by this time been posted on YouTube, was brought to the attention of police. 

The film, which had been taken in 2013, featured interviews and footage of various people said to be fighting alongside Al Qaeda in Syria. 

Two of the men interviewed on the film wore combat clothing and spoke with British accents. 

One of these men was also seen in the film brandishing an automatic rifle. 

However, the faces of the men were covered and officers were unable to identify who they were at this time.

In 2017, police officers were alerted to a man acting suspiciously by the ‘Women at War’ memorial in Whitehall. 

The man – who was later identified as Yamin – was spoken to by officers. 

Whilst he was not arrested at this point, the encounter was flagged to Counter Terrorism officers and, given his suspicious behaviour and the account he gave to the officers, further enquiries into Yamin were made.

As a result of the further enquiries, the officers identified that Yamin may have been one of the men in the VICE news video. 

The news video was compared to body-worn video footage taken when police spoke to Yamin in Whitehall, and further enquiries with experts in facial and voice analysis confirmed that the man in the VICE news video was likely to be Yamin.

Further enquiries were carried out, which led to Yamin’s arrest on January 30, this year and he was charged the following day.

Detective Chief Superintendent Alexis Boon of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “The Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is absolutely committed to investigating and bringing to justice anyone who travels to Syria, or anywhere else in the world, to join or engage in terrorist activity.

“Anyone who is thinking of returning to the UK having been involved in terrorism abroad can expect to be investigated and as we’ve shown with this case, we will examine all evidence available so that they are held to account for their actions.”

Any suspicious behaviour or activity can be reported via the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) website at www.gov.uk/ACTor alternatively, call the police in confidence on 0800 789 321.