More Points On Licence For Speeding Pret A Manger Millionaire

Court Out: Metcalfe Leaving City Magistrates'

The multi-millionaire founder of restaurant chain Pret A Manger has already received three points on his driving licence for speeding - a couple of weeks after getting it back after a six-month ban.

Julian Metcalfe, 65, sold the business for £364m and went on to establish another High Street success - Japanese fast food giant Itsu.

The Old Harrovian, who splits his time between a manor house in Great Haseley, Oxfordshire and a property in North Terrace, South Kensington appeared at City of London Magistrates’ Court.

He pleaded guilty to driving his £120,000 black three-litre hybrid electric Mercedes Benz over the speed limit in Upper Thames Street, near Southwark Bridge on September 1, last year.

Prosecutor PC Steven Reid told the court it was 1.44pm when Metcalfe was caught on a speed camera driving at 29mph in a 20mph zone.

Ironically, the following day Metcalfe appeared at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, where he was disqualified for six months after receiving six penalty points for using his mobile phone while driving.

That brought him to a total of twelve penalty points - triggering an automatic six-month ban under the totting regulations that only expired around the beginning of this month.

“He has totted so now has a clean licence,” said PC Reid. “The previous offence was when he was caught using a mobile phone so he totted out then.

“So, Mr Metcalfe, as far as I can see, has a clean licence.”

Metcalfe, who was unrepresented and wore a dark grey suit, blue shirt and gold-coloured tie did not address the magistrates.

Bench Chair Simon Mansfield announced that Metcalfe would be fined £146, with £110 costs and ordered him to pay a £58 victim surcharge.

He also received three penalty points.

“I can pay that today,” said father-of-three Metcalfe,  who co-founded Pret A Manger in 1984 with college friend Sinclair Beecham and sold it in 2018.

His grandfather Edward was best man to newly-abdicated Edward VIII at his marriage to Wallis Simpson.

Train Creep Targeted Teen

A train creep, who exposed himself to a 19 year-old young woman and pursued her to the next carriage, has been locked-up.

Shane Youngman, 43, of Icarus Avenue, Burgess Hill, West Sussex deliberately targeted the lone female and stared at her while pleasuring himself.

He received twelve months imprisonment after pleading guilty at Crawley Magistrates' Court to exposure.

On February 19, 2023 Youngman was travelling on a train between London Bridge and St Albans when he sat opposite the victim, even though there were seats available elsewhere.

Youngman stared at her, making her feel uncomfortable, before touching himself over his trousers and then exposing himself. The teenager managed change carriages, but a short time later Youngman followed. 

In desperation, the woman moved again and told a group of other women what had happened.

Police were called and Youngman was arrested at St Albans City railway station.

On release Youngman will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a Criminal Behaviour Order for five years.

The SHPO means Youngman has to notify his allocated offender manager at least 24 hours before travelling on the railway network.

It also bans him from approaching, following, touching, or making any attempts to communicate with any females while doing so, as well as undoing or removing any clothing in a public place or touching himself in a way which would be considered lewd in a public place.

Detective Constable Stacey Adams said: “Youngman’s behaviour was absolutely disgusting and there is zero tolerance for this on the rail network. 

“I would like to commend the victim for reporting what happened and thank the group of women on the train who helped her.

“Not only has Youngman received a custodial sentence, but he will also live with the restrictions of his SHPO for five years to prevent him reoffending. 

“Tackling violence against women and girls is one of our key priorities. 

“Anyone who is a victim of a sexual offence can report it discreetly to us by texting 61016. Always call 999 in an emergency.”

City Exec Assaulted During Restroom Row

Restroom Assault: Comptoir Libanais

A City executive was attacked in the female toilets of a Broadgate Circle restaurant after parroting the mobile phone conversation of a young woman in the next cubicle, a court heard.

Clumps of blonde hair were ripped from 30 year-old Marzena Grabiec’s head at Lebanese restaurant Comptoir Libanais in the heart of the Square Mile.

Another customer, Yasmin Behal, 20, of Towpath Way, Croydon pleaded guilty to assaulting her at the venue on November 7, last year.

She was fined £200, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay £50 compensation to Ms Grabiec, plus an £80 victim surcharge.

Her friend, 22 year-old Lia Elkan, of Hill Green Road, Stockbury, Sittingbourne denied the same assault charge and was found not guilty by City of London magistrates.

“I heard banging on the cubicle door and when I opened the door I was attacked,” Ms Grabiec told the trial. “Two people were in front of the cubicle door.

“I was pulled down by my hair by both of them, very low to the floor and I am one hundred percent sure it was both of them pulling from both sides.”

She admitted moments earlier repeating words of the telephone conversation Miss Elkan - who was in the next cubicle - was having with Behal, who was upstairs in the restaurant.

“The lady mimicked in a squeaky voice a few things Yasmin said to me on the phone,” Miss Elkan told the trial. “She did it twice again, mimicking in a high voice.”

Ms Grabiec admitted repeating some words of the phone conversation, but stressed she had no intention of poking fun or mocking her cubicle neighbour, who she said had told her: “Don’t mug me off.”

Describing the 10.00pm assault she continued: “I had no opportunity to get out and could feel both of their hands on me.

“I told them: ‘Let me go,’ but that didn’t work and one of them said: ‘Take her, take her,’ and they pulled even more aggressively.

“I felt a kick in my ankle and started screaming at the top of my lungs so somebody would hear me. I remembered there was a security guard outside and in five to ten seconds he opened the door and they let go.

“Out in the corridor one of them came very quickly at me and I got slapped.

“My hair was everywhere and there was pain in my scalp for the next forty-eight hours.”

When cross-examined Ms Grabiec stressed: “I did not mimic anyone, but I did repeat the last sentence, but did not want the person next to me to think it was insulting.”

During her evidence she failed to specifically identify Miss Elkan as somebody who deliberately grabbed her hair.

Police were called and one officer described Miss Elkan as “very intoxicated, slurring her words and unsteady on her feet” and she was arrested and handcuffed.

When questioned by officer she said she tried to break-up the fight between her friend and Ms Grabiec and did not assault the complainant.

She admitted consuming four glasses of wine that evening, but denied ever saying the words: “Don’t mug me off.”

Miss Elkan told the trial her friend Yasmin came down to the toilet and they both gave Ms Grabiec a “funny look” when she emerged from the cubicle.

“I was brushing my hair, Yasmin was doing her lip gloss and then the woman did the voice again for a fourth time and Yasmin and her got into an altercation.

“They were having a bit of an argument and the lady was saying: ‘I’m only joking,’ and she kind of pushed Yasmin and Yasmin at that point did slap her and they both went for each other.

“The lady got in Yasmin’s face and they each pulled each other’s hair and I pulled Yasmin back again and when the security guard opened the door that lady left.

“I was trying to apologise on Yasmin’s behalf. I did not pull her hair.”

Forte Hotels Daughter's Mercedes Drive By

Bexley Magistrates' Court

The daughter of luxury hotelier Sir Rocco Forte has been fined for driving her Mercedes too close to a cyclist on Chelsea Embankment.

Lydia Forte, 37 - Group Director of Food & Beverage at Rocco Forte Hotels - claims she had to swerve to avoid an oncoming motorcyclist.

She did not appear at Bexley Magistrates’ Court, where she was fined £146, with £110 costs, plus a £58 victim surcharge and given three penalty points on her licence.

The magistrates had no financial information on Lydia, who has an executive role within her celebrated hotelier family, who have an estimated wealth of over £300m.

She admitted driving her blue two-litre Mercedes without reasonable consideration for other road users on January 31, last year on Chelsea Embankment, half-a-mile from her £4.5m home in Shawfield Street.

Mother-of-two Lydia was reported to the police by the unnamed cyclist, who was recording other road users and captured footage of her poor driving.

Prosecutor Alison Larkin told the court Forte only admitted the offence after her lawyers examined the video footage.

“She overtook a cyclist without being leaving 1.5 metres between her vehicle and the cyclist and then moved near the kerb while the cyclist was still present.

“There is no evidence of any contact or injuries.”

The video footage was not played in court.

In a letter read to the magistrates Forte’s lawyers confirmed they viewed the video evidence and after a case conference the offence was admitted.

However, they stressed Forte only drove her Mercedes to the left due to an oncoming motorcyclist approaching her on the wrong side of the road.

Announcing their fine, based on an estimate of Forte’s means, the Chairman Mehmet Tahsin announced: “The bench feel that is commensurate with what we have heard.”

Dockland Light Railway Robber Jailed For Attacking Lone Women

A “predatory and violent” mugger, who deliberately targeted lone females on the Docklands Light Railway, has been caged for eight years.

Edward Ampeh, 33, of Carpenters Road, Stratford, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of two counts of robbery.

The court heard how just after midnight on Friday, May 6, 2022 Ampeh followed a woman off a service at Greenwich DLR station. 

He began to verbally abuse her, swearing at her and threatening her and forcing her towards the railings on the platform.

The woman turned away at which point Ampeh struck her head from behind. 

He continued to follow the woman down the stairs and through the station, asking what was in her bag.

She handed over a phone charger and some money, before Ampeh began to ask where she lived. 

He then asked her to email her phone number to him as well as follow him on Instagram and left the station.

A month later on Sunday, June 5, 2022 Ampeh approached a woman from behind at Limehouse DLR station, grabbing her handbag strap and pulling hard. 

The woman began to scream as she attempted to pull her bag back.

The ensuing struggle caused the woman to be swung down the staircase, landing on her leg and twisting it. 

After she fell to the floor, Ampeh began to go through her handbag before running out of the station, discarding her handbag on the floor.

During police interview, Ampeh showed no remorse for his actions and denied any connection to either incident.

Investigating Officer DC Tom Bolton said: “I am extremely pleased with the outcome in this case. 

“Ampeh acted in a predatory and violent manner, targeting lone women for his own gain. 

“His actions will have a lifelong impact on his victims and I hope this result will bring them some closure.”

Speeding Knifeman Caught By Square Mile Firearms Cops

A knifeman, who fled police in the Square Mile when his cannabis-smelling Mercedes was pulled over, is starting a prison sentence.

Joseph Ayorinde, 25, sped away from the officers and tried to flee the City of London, but was quickly apprehended by armed police.

He was sentenced to twenty-one weeks imprisonment for possession of a bladed article and was also convicted of possession of cannabis and driving uninsured.

On October 21, last year the City of London Police's Clyde Team stopped Ayorinde, of Forest Road, Edmonton in Warwick Lane.

Before a search of the vehicle could begin he sped away with the drivers' door still opened, dangerously overtaking vehicles on the wrong side of the road.

Within five minutes Ayorinde was arrested by officers from the Tactical Firearms Group and the lock-knife was found during a search.

Police Constable David Parker, of the City of London Police Cycle Team, said: “Within five minutes of us making the call in that Ayorinde had fled from police, the firearms team were quickly at the scene to apprehend him.

“It was also due to our extensive camera network in the City, which helped us pinpoint the location of Ayorinde, leading to the quick arrest.

“Joseph Ayorinde could have posed a risk to the public with his dangerous driving after fleeing from the police.

“Our proactive work into his arrest and sentencing means that there is now one fewer knives on the street and one fewer uninsured drivers on the road.”

Piano Man Hits Bum Note

Famed songwriter and composer Sir Richard Stilgoe OBE has been caught speeding in his Tesla X in south London.

The lyricist behind Cats, Starlight Express and Phantom of the Opera - known for his witty jingles - was sentenced at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court.

Sir Richard, 81, of the Grade II-listed Trevereau Manor, Trevereau Hill, Limpsfield, Surrey was fined £40, with £110 costs and ordered to pay a £16 victim surcharge.

His driving licence was also endorsed with three penalty points.

The father-of-five was convicted of driving along the A23 Brixton Road, Lambeth in excess of the 20mph speed limit on April 27, last year.

Amy Anzel Fined For Speeding

Actress turned entrepreneur Amy Anzel has been fined for breaking the 20mph speed limit in north London.

The New York-born 51 year-old, who appeared in Kick-Ass 2, also received three penalty points on her driving licence.

She was convicted at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court last Friday of driving her electric red Peugeot 208 in Stoke Newington Road in excess of the 20mph limit on June 10, last year.

Anzel, of Evelyn Gardens, South Kensington was fined £146.

She also has a background in musical theatre, appearing in touring productions of ‘Grease’ and ‘Annie’ and produced the UK tour of ‘Legally blonde’.

Anzel is also the founder of beauty company Hollywood Browzr, is a brand ambassador and presenter on the QVC UK channel.

In 2022 Anzel was fired in week 6 of BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, where she was seeking investment in her new toothbrush design.

NOT GUILTY: Top Army Chef Cleared Of Breaking BTP Cop's Ankle During Missed Train Dispute

Not Guilty: Andrew Saupe

The Honourable Artillery Company’s Executive Chef has been cleared of breaking a policeman’s ankle at Waterloo Station after missing his last train home.

Andrew Saupe, 44, who has over two decades service in the British Army, found himself charged with GBH after being manhandled to the station floor in the early hours.

He was found not guilty at City of London Magistrates Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm on PC Luca Amante - who has not returned to active duty - on July 8, last year.

Saupe, of Watertower Way, Basingstoke told the one-day trial the British Transport Police officer’s ankle snapped due to the policeman’s own aggressive behaviour.

The officer had grabbed Saupe by the arm seconds earlier and admits he attempted to take the chef to the station floor, but ended up screaming in agony and needing surgery, plus a plate and six pins to his ankle.

Saupe had sprinted to the station from The Gherkin building, where his works all-day Summer Party had concluded, during which he consumed ten bottles of beer.

“I’d say I was tipsy, not drunk. Ten bottles with my military and chef experience is light drinking really,” he told the trial.

Broken Ankle: PC Luca Amante with PCSO Philip Morgan

“I was working on the assumption there was a 1.05am train and another female passenger was in a heated debate. By this point my OCD was triggered.

“Where is my train? Where can I stay safe in London? I once tried to walk home and it took me two hours to get to Clapham and I did not want to be walking the streets of London.

“I felt threatened by PC Amante, his body language, his facial movements, his rolling of the eyes,” said Saupe, the ex-Head Chef of the British Academy on The Mall.

Another officer and PCSO Philip Morgan struggled to convince Saupe his last train had departed and there was little they could do for him before eventually getting him moving.

“I was feeling threatened and took a step or two backwards because PC Amante is charging towards me. He grabbed my right arm and pulled me forward and the other policeman grabbed my left arm.

“We have tumbled forwards and gone down and PC Amante grabbed my neck with both hands and pulled me on to top him. I then heard him screaming out in pain.

“I think the injury was caused by him grabbing me.

“I did not want to be grabbed by this person. He charged towards me and grabbed me in an aggressive manner, but I am a twenty-four year soldier and if I am grabbed I am going to get them away.

“I was being grabbed hold of left right and centre and was struggling to speak because someone was around my voice box.”

Earlier PC Amante, a former prison officer, told the trial: “He was required to leave and we tried to persuade him to leave the station and he eventually agreed to go to reception.

“He was quite upset with me for whatever reason, saying I was disrespectful to him and he said that I should not follow him.

“The gentleman was very upset, speaking loudly was very argumentative and coming across in a very unpredictable way.

“I walked towards him to take his right arm to eject him from the station and at that point he tried to punch me in the face.”

PCSO Morgan’s body-worn camera captured the entire incident and there was no obvious evidence of an attempted blow delivered by Saupe.

“I tried to throw him on the floor and fell and he rugby-tackled me and my legs went under and with his weight and my bodyweight my left ankle snapped and was broken in two places.

“He was on to top of me and I felt the crack in my ankle. The pain was instant.”

The body-worn footage captured PC Amante screaming: “My ankle!” and Saupe dismissively responding: “I’ve not touched his ankle. He is playing up like a footballer.”

The officer was keen to tell the trial he was down £3,000 due to lost overtime and dog-walker costs and spent twenty days at home on painkillers before surgery, plus a lengthy recovery period.

“Since this happened I have been in constant pain and I am still restricted to desk duty. I may need another surgery and have ligament damage.

“I cannot run and cannot have any impact on my foot and I do not know if I will ever return to duty.”

When questioned by police Saupe said his military career, which included duty in Northern Ireland; Kosovo; Iraq and Germany, left him with PTSD.

He hoped the station or train company would provide him with accommodation for the night or an alternative way to get home.

Saupe told the trial his military background and mental health issues resulted in his “fight or flight” behaviour that night.

“I am sorry his ankle was broken, but I do not feel it was caused by my actions.”