City Lawyer Cleared Of Assaulting Wife

Court Arrival: Boris Telyatnikov

A partner in a leading City law firm, who lost his career when charged with assaulting his wife during a money row at their £2m home, has been cleared by a judge who condemned the woman’s lies.

Solicitor Boris Telyatnikov, 42, always denied grabbing the arm of pharmaceutical executive Sophie Voigt-Firon, who claimed he arrived home drunk, demanding she transfer £4,000 to his account.

“She previously lied to the defendant in the course of their relationship,” announced District Judge Rebecca Saillet. “She lied about having an affair, she lied about her bonus money and lied about hiring a private investigator.”

The intimate details of the power couple’s troubled marriage, during which they both had secret affairs, was publicly laid bare at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court during a tense trial last Friday.

Privately-educated Telyatnikov, the son of former Soviet Union diplomats, was found not guilty of assaulting Sophie on July 21, last year at the five-bedroom former matrimonial home in Surrey Lane, Battersea.

The lawyer arrived at the trial with a large entourage of legal experts and professional supporters, some of whom gave character evidence on his behalf.

He now lives in nearby Albany Mansions, Albert Bridge Road, but in January was forced to quit his partnership with Blackfriars firm Enyo Law, which specialises in ‘advising corporations and high net worth individuals in complex high-value proceedings.’

“I was in shock and did not know how to react,” Telyatnikov told the trial. “This was made up stuff and she seemed to be doing it to gain an upper hand in the divorce.”

Before their marriage in 2014 Sophie insisted on a pre-nuptial agreement. “She was worried about her family’s wealth and me having a claim on that,” Telyatnikov told the court.

“We had a substantial income. I am unemployed at the moment.”

Sophie Voigt-Firon & Catherine Pritchard-Gordon

The wife also lied her annual £50,000 bonus had not been paid and on the evening of the row Telyatnikov was demanding she pay half of the couple’s £8,000 per-month mortgage.

Giving evidence behind a screen she told the trial she was home with her mother, nanny Catherine Pritchard-Gordon and her eight year-old son asleep upstairs, when Telyatnikov returned at 9.30pm.

“He was unhappy to see my mother there and made a cut-throat gesture with his finger,” claimed Sophie. “He told my mother: ‘I want you out now.’

“I could tell he was drunk. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and he was angry, the expression in his eyes and the tone of his voice was angry, his body language was very angry.

“He said that as we were divorcing he could not keep giving me money and I should pay half of the mortgage.

“He said: ‘This is my f***ing money you c***. I’ve spent so much f***ing money on you, you c***.’

“Our marriage had broken down,” admitted Sophie. “I had an affair that I am not proud of and he had an affair with a colleague at work.”

She said during the row Telyatnikov said the couple would have to sack their £1,000 per-week nannies if she did not make the online bank transfer.

“I was holding my phone, but my hand was shaking with nerves as I was fumbling trying to open the banking app, but I think he thought I was recording him and went to grab my arm.

“I dropped my phone and said: ’Ouch, stop, this is hurting me and he did let go.’ It did hurt, it scared me, but excruciating pain? No.

“I was really scared and overwhelmed. Things got out of hand and I was worried about what would happen next, he was self-righteous in his anger.”

She called the police on the insistence of her nanny, with Telyatnikov having already called the emergency services to have his mother-in-law removed from the property.

“Do you think you have exaggerated some of the things that happened?” asked Christine Agnew KC, defending. “You’re exaggerating what happened for your own ends and see this allegation as a weapon in your divorce proceedings.”

Sophie insisted the assault occurred and was critical of her ex’s behaviour during the marriage. “I found out via a private detective he was having an affair.

“I suspected it for many years, it was with someone at work. The detective followed Boris twice and my family told me not to give him any more money.”

That is one reason she lied to Telyatnikov about not receiving her £50,000 annual bonus. “He clearly had enough money to come home drunk and took the money away from the nannies.”

The nanny, Mrs Pritchard-Gordon was also a prosecution witness, even though she was upstairs when the alleged assault occurred.

“I he
ard the door slam and footsteps downstairs and then the shouting, the confrontation between Boris and Sophie. I heard raised voices, particularly Boris and he was demanding money.

“He definitely referred to her as a ‘f***ing c***’ several times. Boris sounded really angry and I was worried for the child’s safety and my safety. I was scared actually.

“I heard Sophie say: ‘No Boris, don’t touch me,’ and she was visibly traumatised and pale. I thought she was going to collapse.”

Telyatnikov conceded the marriage was dogged by infidelity on both sides. “I once saw that she received a message from an unknown number that was sexually explicit and years later she confirmed it was from the same person she was having an affair with.

“I was devastated by what I found out and how long it had been going on for. I had an affair with a fellow-partner between Spring and August, last year.

He discovered his wife had him followed after discovering a £2,000 payment to a detective agency on a bank statement. “That was the end. I decided on divorce.”

Telyatnikov denied making the ‘cut-throat’ gesture when returning home to find his wife and mother-in-law drinking and eating pizza in front of the tv.

“Sophie’s mother is very volatile. I would not be surprised if she started shouting at me and throwing things at me and yes, I called the police.

“I was not drunk. I am a big guy and half a bottle of wine and some snacks will not get me drunk.” aded the lawyer, insisting he was 2-3 metres away from Sophie when she was on the phone.

“I did not grab her arm.”

Judge Saillet did not accuse the wife of lying on oath, but concluded:“The complainant’s evidence was clearly embellished from the account she gave to the police and the words she used come from the evidence of Mrs Pritchard-Gordon.

“She told the court she has not spoken to Mrs Pritchard-Gordon about the incident and that seems incredible given their close relationship and the nanny says they did talk about the incident.

“Why would he grab her wrist when she was doing what he wanted in transferring the money?

“Mr Telyatnikov gave evidence in a clear manner and denied putting hands on his wife and was consistent in what he said to police on arrest and in interview.

“He is a man of good character and this incident would have been totally out of character had it occurred in the manner explained by Mrs Voigt-Firon.”

Forensic Psychologist Guilty Of Seventeen Years-Old Grudge

A forensic psychologist has been convicted of sending a foul-mouthed abusive text to a supervisor she last worked under seventeen years ago.

Bibi Cotman, 55, had not been in contact with the female victim for that same period of time until suddenly sending the evening text, which was full of historic work grievances and wishing a painful death on the victim.

“It was a nasty message, received out of the blue from an unknown number and was quite threatening,” announced District Judge Rebecca Saillet last week.

Mother-of-one Cotman, of Houblon Road, Richmond-upon-Thames fought the case, but was convicted of sending an offensive communication to Wimbledon resident Maureen Duffy on October 23, last year.

“Ms Cotman did not give any evidence today so I have no explanation as to what may have been going on with her that day,” added the judge.

The Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court trial heard the retired victim received the text from Cotman at 9.45pm, which read: “You, my dear are one of the nastiest, self-centred, most narcissistic, self-serving c**** I’ve met.

“I’ve never forgotten the trauma you caused me, thinking you could control people with your ridiculous work ethic to be like the Devil Wears Prada when in reality you were a spinster taking your anger out on others.

“I hope you die a slow cancerous death you c***. Cheers.”

Cotman claims she has no memory of the text and tried to beat the charge by insisting she had her own mental health challenges at the time.

However, Judge Saillet ruled: “Many that come before these courts suffer mental health difficulties, but that in itself is not a defence or having no memory of sending the message.

“There is no evidence she was going through a crisis and it was sent to an ex-employer with work grudges.

“I am satisfied Ms Cotman sent the message with intent to cause stress and anxiety and find her guilty of the offence.”

Prosecutor Lucy Bleichroeder told the trial the victim reported the text to police, who quickly identified Cotman as the sender as they had a record of her phone number from four recent calls she made to emergency services.

In her statement the victim, who lives alone, said: “I worry constantly about being attacked due to this message.” 

Cotman was questioned at Kingston Police Station on December 9, but refused to answer questions and sat in silence.

She suffered a brain aneurysm in 2023 and called her own consultant forensic psychologist Chireal Shallow, who told the trial: “This is a very nuanced and complex situation.”

Cotman’s lawyer Pat Lloyd said: “She had nothing to do with this woman for seventeen years and never saw her or spoke to her.

“She is going to be evicted shortly from her home, which she shares with her sixteen year-old daughter, because she has not paid the rent.

“She does not know where she is going and is in receipt of £1900 per month Universal Credit.

“She says she did not mean it and it is unlike her and it was a one-off and she is at the end of her tether today and she would love to have the chance to apologise.”

From the back of the courtroom Cotman said: “It was a horrible message and it was a shock when it was read to me. It is not okay.”

She was ordered to pay £50 compensation to the victim, plus £100 court costs by Judge Judge Saillet, who told her: “I’ve heard what you said and appreciate that you appreciate it wasn’t a nice message to receive.

“I know you have difficulties in your life, but I did find you guilty of sending a very nasty message to poor Mrs Duffy and the compensation is for the fear and distress you caused her that night.”

Knife Horror During Imperial Wharf Rush Hour

Knife: Aidan Watts

A young knifeman, who repeatedly stabbed a rival with a huge machete-style red-bladed weapon at busy Imperial Wharf station in west London, has been locked-up.

Aidan Watts, 20, of Cremorne Estate, Chelsea received five years and one month custody after pleading at Inner London Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

His accomplices, who struck during the shocking rush hour attack, Jakada Joseph, 22, of Cambridge Gardens, Notting Hill and Stefan Kosavac-Godart, 19, were convicted of affray.

Kosavac-Godart was given a conditional discharge, following time served on remand and Joseph will be sentenced separately.

British Transport Police (BTP) were called to Imperial Wharf railway station in Chelsea, just after 5.20pm on June 18, last year to reports of a stabbing.

Officers raced to the scene with paramedics and found a 20-year-old man with multiple life-threatening stab injuries to his thigh, abdomen and buttocks.

He was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, where doctors and nurses worked to stabilise him.

BTP detectives had been alerted in the meantime and immediately launched an investigation to track down the offenders.

They spoke to several witnesses and established the victim was on the same train as the suspect group, but they had not seen each other because the carriage was so busy. 

He had departed the train and was making his way along the platform towards the exit when his attackers spotted him.

They ran to confront him and ambushed him, chasing him along the platform and tripping him over before Watts launched a frenzied knife attack in full view of onlookers.

After the attack the trio fled and witnesses described seeing Watts carrying a machete with a red 40cm blade as he ran away.

As part of their enquiries, detectives examined CCTV coverage that showed Watts discarding items of clothing in a nearby residential estate after the attack. 

His distinctive, red-bladed knife was found close by after he tried to hide it by a set of maintenance units that formed part of the estate.

BTP Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: “What was a normal summer’s evening at a busy West London station very quickly escalated into serious violence.

“The two parties were on the same train, within feet of each other, and had the group not noticed the victim then the whole incident could have been avoided. 

“As it was, they spotted him and outnumbered him, before Watts launched a spontaneous, but targeted frenzied attack on the platform.

“Our detectives worked tirelessly to gather a wealth of witness statements, CCTV footage and forensic evidence. 

“I’d like to thank them and our colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service and the Crown Prosecution Service for supporting our investigation.”

Tracksuited Suspected Pervert Wanted By Transport Police

A female train passenger, travelling on a service through West Sussex with her young daughter, reported a mystery male to police for indecently pleasuring himself in the carriage.

British Transport Police (BTP) have released this image of the unknown man they would like to speak to.

They are requesting the assistance of the public to help identify him.

On the evening of Wednesday, April 1 the woman was on the train with her child, travelling between London Victoria and Horsham.

They went to use the toilet when the mother saw a man, who was seated and appeared to be asleep. 

He had his hand down his trousers and appeared to be masturbating.

Officers believe the man in the image could have information that may assist their enquiries.

Anyone who recognises him is asked to text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, using the reference 758 of 1 April.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Yer Tube!: London Underground Pervert Finally Locked-Up

A sexual predator, who continued targeting women on the London Underground despite receiving a suspended prison sentence a fortnight earlier, has been locked-up.

Ayman Yanoussi, 21, had also been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to control his perverted behaviour, but also flouted this after two weeks.

He spent December 28, last year travelling around the tube network, exposing himself to various females and pleasuring himself.

At Inner London Crown Court Yanoussi, of St. John's Road, East Ham received fourteen months imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of exposure; breaching his SHPO and possessing cannabis.

On the day of his arrest he was first seen by a woman at Upminster Bridge Underground station at 11.20am, sitting on a platform bench.

She noticed Yanoussi's trousers were around his ankles as he touched himself intimately.

When she took out her phone to record him Yanoussi quickly pulled his trousers up and hid behind a pillar. 

He then boarded a District Line train heading towards Wimbledon.

Not long after he boarded the train, Yanoussi sat next to another woman and pulled his trousers down. 

After that woman moved away, Yanoussi sat opposite another woman, again exposing himself to her before she moved away.

Yanoussi repeated this behaviour a third time, sitting next to another woman and exposing himself as the train approached Elm Park. 

Yanoussi continued to expose himself on different trains across London, while occasionally touching himself intimately until 12.51pm when a woman reported his behaviour to a member of staff.

The train Yanoussi was on was held at Hammersmith Underground station and Yanoussi quickly fled the station.

A British Transport Police (BTP) officer was dispatched to the station and found Yanoussi waiting at a bus stop, where he was promptly arrested for exposure.

After being detained, it emerged Yanoussi had been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order less than two weeks earlier when he was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, having pleaded guilty to three counts of Upskirting that occurred in April, 2024.

While on the way to custody, Yanoussi began to slam his head against the wall of the custody van stating that he regretted his actions and that he was "taking the L.”

BTP Detective Constable Ian Hourihan said: "Yanoussi's actions that day were despicable. 

“He sought sexual gratification on the railway at the expense of dozens of women and other commuters.

"I am pleased to see him put behind bars and would like to commend the bravery of the women who came forward to report his actions and support our investigation so we could secure justice. “We believe that other women may have been targeted by Yanoussi that day and I want to encourage them to come forward and report their experiences so we can secure justice for them too.

"If you've witnessed something similar or see any sexual offending on the railway network, I urge you to report it to us by discreetly texting 61016. 

“We take every report seriously, and officers can be dispatched to intercept trains and arrest offenders.”

'Upskirting' On The Escalator

A female tube train passenger was the victim of 'upskirting' at King's Cross St. Pancras Underground Station.

The woman was targeted by a mystery male who stood behind her on the escalator.

British Transport Police (BTP) have released this image of the man they are hunting.

Investigating officers are appealing to members of the public to assist them in identifying him.

The victim was on the Victoria Line escalator at approximately 6.15pm on Wednesday, March 11 when she was intimately recorded.

Another passenger challenged the man, who then apologised and made off from the scene.

Officers believe the man in the image could have information that may assist their enquiries.

Anyone who recognises him is asked to text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, using the reference 594 of 11 March.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

On Yer Bike: Train Station Cycle Thief Strikes Three Times

A mystery bike thief continues to steal high value branded cycles locked outside various West Sussex railway stations.

He is known to have stolen a Trek and Vitus bike, plus another cycle at Haywards Heath; Hassocks and Burgess Hill stations, all worth hundreds of pounds.

British Transport Police (BTP) have released this CCTV image of the man they are hunting.

Investigating officers are appealing to members of the public to assist identify him.

On Thursday, March 5 a black Trek bike, worth £550, was stolen from a bicycle rack at the rear of Haywards Heath railway station after the victim left it there at around 10.00am.

Officers believe the same man is linked to two other stolen bicycles in West Sussex.

On Tuesday, March 3 the victim left his bicycle locked to a rack at Hassocks railway station at 9.00am, and it was stolen at around 1.00pm.

The bike is a Trek mountain bike with a black frame, beige/brown tyre rims and purple details on it, and worth £1,000.

Previously an £800 Vitus bicycle was stolen from Burgess Hill railway station in February.

Anyone who recognises the man in the images, or has information that could help police, should text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, using the reference 2600028231.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Becks' Pal Dave Gardner Finally Runs Out Of Luck

'Me and My Shadow': Gardner & Becks

The loyal friend and long-term business partner of David Beckham - sports and entertainment agent Dave Gardner - has been fined for speeding in his £100,000 Range Rover.

The diminutive Godfather to Brooklyn Beckham and former fiancé of Hollywood actress Liv Tyler was fined £660, with £130 costs, plus a £264 victim surcharge and received three penalty points on his driving licence.

The 49 year-old did not appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, which heard he pleaded guilty to exceeding the 40mph limit on November 9, last year on the A40 between the junctions of Long Drive and Welland Gardens, Greenford, west London.

Father-of-three Gardner was approximately eight miles from his home in Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, which was purchased for £6.4m in 2022, when a speed camera snapped him driving at 46mph in his Range Rover SE at 8.26pm.

In correspondence to the court former Manchester United youth player Gardner - who befriended teammate Beckham when they were teenagers - declared a monthly income of £27,000.

After failing to make the grade at Old Trafford despite winning the FA Youth Cup in 1995 Gardner established the Elite Sports Agency with Alex Ferguson’s son Jason before founding his own firm. 

Via his glamorous connections with the Beckham he met actress Liv Tyler and the couple enjoyed a relationship between 2014 and March, 2021 and have two children, Sailor Gene Gardner, 11, and Lula Rose Gardner, 9.

He also has a son Gary, following his marriage to socialite Davinia Taylor between 2003 and 2010.

Gardner is currently busily involved in Inter Miami FC and is a co-investor in the Florida club, run by Beckham.

He was not represented in court and did not submit any mitigation.

"National Treasure" Hayley Mills Fined For Speeding In Mercedes

Veteran English actress Hayley Mills was described as a “national treasure” in a magistrates’ court yesterday, which heard she is in hospital, recovering from an emergency operation.

However, this did not stop the court fining her and imposing penalty points after she was caught speeding in her Mercedes-Benz near her £1m south-west London home.

The eighty year-old former child star - related to an acting dynasty - was fined £100, plus a £40 victim surcharge and given three penalty points for the offence.

She did not appear in person at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, but had previously admitted exceeding the 20mph speed limit on the A306 Rocks Lane, Barnes, on October 29, last year.

It was 11.14am when Mills was caught by a speed camera driving at 28mph in her grey diesel Mercedes-Benz not far from her apartment in St. Ann’s Road, Barnes.

“This is the childhood actress and national treasure,” prosecutor Matt Longhurst told the court. “She currently has three penalty points on her driving licence for a speeding offence.”

Her Bombay-born partner, actor Firdous Bamji, emailed the court: “I am submitting this on behalf of Haley Mills, who has recently undergone emergency surgery for a hernia and is in hospital.”

Mills herself told the court: “It is with great regret that I am unable to come to court.”

The surgery took place on June 2 and the actress remains in hospital.

Mills paid the fixed penalty fine outside the time limit, which resulted in the offence being elevated to the magistrates’ court.

She says she did not receive the notification letter due to visiting a friend who had suffered as stroke.

“The fine will be reverted back to when it was a fixed penalty, which was missed on reasonable grounds because she was not at home,” announced bench Chairman John Soones.

Mills is the daughter of legendary actor Sir John Mills and author and actress Mary Hayley Bell.

She is a BAFTA award-winner, Golden Globe recipient and official Disney Legend.

The former child star appeared in six Walt Disney films, including the movie adaptation of her own mother’s novel ‘Whistle Down the Wind’.

Mills is more recently known for her performance in the long-running ITV series ‘Wild at Heart made somewhat of an acting comeback in 2024, appearing as FBI profiler Dr. Josephine Grant in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller ‘Trap’.

The thespian family includes her actress sister Juliet Mills and her brother Jonathan is a writer and producer.

End Of The Line: Serial Train Pervert Back Behind Bars

A serial train sex offender is back behind bars after targeting an eleven year-old girl travelling with her mother.

Tajinder Sabherwal, 44, of High Street, Bedford, stared at the youngster while touching himself over his clothing on the St. Pancras to Peterborough service.

At St Albans Crown Court he was sentenced to two years and two months in prison after pleaded guilty to Outraging Public Decency. 

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

In 2021 Sabherwal received eighteen months imprisonment for exposing himself to women and touching himself inappropriately on multiple occasions at stations and on trains across London and Surrey.

His latest offence occurred on March 22, last year

The court heard how on 22 March last year, a mother and her young daughter were on the train when Sabherwal boarded the service and sat adjacent to them so that the child was in his line of sight.

The mother turned around and noticed Sabherwal was touching himself over his shorts while staring at her daughter.

She turned around again and made eye contact with Sabherwal who, on realising he had been caught in the act, left his seat and walked down the train.

The mother texted 61016, British Transport Police’s (BTP) text-to-report service, and officers boarded the service at Biggleswade, but Sabherwal had already left the train.

BTP detectives identified Sabherwal as the offender and he handed himself in at Luton police station before offering no comment to all questions put to him in police interview.

BTP Detective Constable Agata Barker said: “This was an extremely disturbing incident for the victim and her mother. 

“Sabherwal stooped to a new low, committing this vile offence while staring at a young child.

“He is evidently a repeat offender and poses a serious danger to women and girls, so I am pleased to see him return to jail where he can’t target the public with his repulsive behaviour.”

Square Mile Knifeman Banged Up

A well-known criminal is back behind bars after City of London police found a large serrated kitchen knife on him outside Liverpool Street station.

Officers in the Square Mile spotted him acting suspiciously and search his bag, which contained the eight-inch blade.

Craig Powell, 41, of Drysdale Avenue, Chingford is now starting a nine month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to possessing a blade article.

He also admitted being in breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order.

On Thursday, April 9 at around 11:15am, plain-clothed officers were on patrol around the station when they saw Powell, whose suspicious behaviour led the officers to follow him.

Powell was approached by officers on Harrow Place and after identifying themselves, a search was carried out.

When searching the suspect’s bag, a large kitchen knife was discovered. 

Sergeant Sibyl Beaumont, of the City of London Police, said:

“This was a good result where we were able to quickly make an arrest after which we seize a large knife

“Powell’s actions had drawn suspicion from officers and in a stop and search, a knife measuring eight inches was found. 

“This highlights the benefits of our proactive and plain-clothed patrols working to make our streets safer and for people to feel safe in the City.

“People carrying these large knives are doing so to intimidate and cause fear and we want to send a strong message: that if you’re caught carrying a weapon, we will arrest you and bring you before the courts.”