Caribbean New Year Holidaymaker Denies Smuggling Over £300K Worth Of Cocaine

A cocaine smuggler, was caught "red handed" with over £300,000 worth of the drug hidden in the lining of his luggage after stepping off a flight from the Caribbean, a jury were told today.

Simon Brown, 38, of Osmaston Park Road, Derby claims the suit carrier was given to him by "some geezer" in an Antigua nightclub and he was delivering it as a favour.

He has pleaded not guilty at Croydon Crown Court (pictured) to importing 1.86 kilos of 100% pure cocaine at Gatwick Airport on January 9, last year.

"The Crown say he was caught red handed with an enormous amount of cocaine and has given a ridiculous story," said prosecutor Mr. Mark Stern.

"That enormous quantity of cocaine was imported into this country by this defendant, hidden in the lining of a black suitcase."

Brown was stopped in the airport's south terminal ten days after he had jetted off to the Caribbean island.

"The defendant said he had been to Antigua for a holiday and had family there and his mother had bought the ticket.

"He said he had packed the suitcase and knew it was illegal to carry drugs," added Mr. Stern.

"All that was inside the case was an empty holdall, three tops and some smaller items, but it still felt heavy when emptied.

"An x-ray confirmed there were packages in the lining. One was spiked and the white powder inside tested positive for cocaine."

The total weight of the packages were 3.72 kilos, of which 1.86 kilos was 100% pure cocaine.

Enquiries revealed a 'Simon Brown' had bought the Virgin Atlantic tickets in cash.

When questioned Brown denied knowing the case contained hidden cocaine.

"He claimed he had been at a club called 'Mystique' for a new year's party and claimed he got the suit carrier from his cousin's friend.

"He said it was just: 'One of the geezer's' at club 'Mystique' added Mr. Stern. "He said he had been given a phone number to return the bag to this geezer's friend in London."

However, the prosecution claim the phone number was Brown's and there is no person in London expecting to receive the bag.

"That number belonged to this defendant, it was his bag, his drugs.

"There are also texts consistent with someone selling cocaine and those texts were found on this defendant's phone."

The trial continues………

House of Reeves Arsonist Jailed

An arsonist who destroyed a 150 year-old landmark family furniture business during last Summer’s Croydon riots has been jailed for eleven years-and-a-half years.

Gordon Thompson, 34, (pictured) set light to a sofa inside the shattered window of The House of Reeves, Reeves Corner on August 8, last year.

He pleaded guilty to arson two days into his Old Bailey trial and also admitted violent disorder and burgling The House of Fraser and Iceland in nearby Surrey Street.

After looting the frozen food supermarket Thompson was caught on CCTV entering the department store and emerging with armfuls of stolen booty.

CCTV also captured Thompson at The House of Reeves, where he ripped a shattered glass pane from its frame and entered the premises.

He stole a laptop computer and while leaving the store he asked another person for a lighter.

As soon as he was given one, he set fire to a sofa inside the shop. 



The resulting fire was devastating and once The House of Reeves was ablaze, glowing embers from the fire set light to the residential property on the other side of the road and residents were forced to flee for their lives.

The furniture shop was razed to the ground and all that remained were the supporting walls and a pile of smouldering rubble.



The fire produced one of the most iconic images from the disorder, which captured a terrified resident jumping from her burning flat into the arms of police officers below. 



Thompson was arrested on August 14 by a local police officer who recognised him.

He was interviewed on five occasions but refused to comment.



Superintendent Simon Messinger said: “People all across the country were outraged by the shocking images of local businesses and homes being destroyed by mindless criminals on the eighth of August.



“The fire at Reeves Corner provided some of the most iconic images but we must also remember that other businesses and homes were destroyed and local people were lucky to escape without serious harm.



“So far over 400 people have been arrested in Croydon for their involvement in the disorder with almost 300 people charged.

“My officers will continue to trawl through CCTV images and identify all those who were involved.



“I would like to thank the public for continuing to assist us with this investigation, without their help positive identifications of many of the images would not have been made.”

Gunman Caught By Police

A gunman identified driving a car linked to firearms offences has been jailed for seven years after a police stakeout.

Robert Shorter, 34, (pictured) of Ranelagh Road, Wembley was arrested on October 21, last year after exiting the vehicle in Eastcote Lane, Northolt.

He was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court of possessing a converted .38mm Olympic pistol and ammunition.

Shorter realised he had been spotted by police and unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from the car – holing up in a nearby property – but was arrested when he walked out of the front door.

When the vehicle was searched police found the loaded pistol.

Detective Sergeant Chris Hudson from Ealing Borough Police Serious Violence Team said: “We are really pleased with this result.

“Shorter maintained his innocence throughout this trial and claimed he was the innocent victim of lending the vehicle to his associates and had no knowledge of the firearm in the vehicle.

“However, thanks to the evidence presented, this man is now in jail and no longer a danger to the public.”

Jobcentre Civil Servants Facing Prison For £1.7M Benefit Scam

Three Jobcentre civil servants have been convicted of a £1.7m plot involving at least 1,767 bogus claims for maternity benefit, tax credit and jobseekers allowance.

They abused their authorised access to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) database too research claimants all over the country and make multiple fraudulent claims on their behalf, Croydon Crown Court (pictured) was told.

They are: Anthony Ekajeh, 48, of Pinewood Avenue, Rainham; Fiayo Akinwumiju, 35, of The Sycamore, Brighton Road, Coulsdon and Olufemi Kehinde, 47, of Bollo Bridge Road, Acton.

"You will be remanded in custody until sentencing," Judge Heather Boucher told them today.

Three co-conspirators, who have jumped bail and are wanted by police, were also convicted in their absence by the jury.

They are: Folahan Akinwumiju, 34, of Narev Court, Cedar Avenue, Enfield; Charles Okedare, 40, of Barass Close, Enfield and Wale Akande, 45, of Lovett Way, Willesden.

"All six defendants are alleged to have been involved in a sophisticated and organised fraud targeted against the benefit system," said prosecutor Mr. Andrew Evans during the trial.

"It was carried out by submitting a large of false benefit claim forms and the claimants had no idea these claims had been made and did not complete or sign the forms.

"Their identities had been hijacked.

"A large number of claims were made for Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMG) a one-off five hundred pound payment to help persons on benefits or low income to buy clothes or equipment for their new baby," added Mr. Evans.

A total of 1,562 bogus SSMG claims were made, plus 205 false claims to HMRC for tax credits and a lesser amount of jobseeker claims, totalling £4,515.

The civil servants in the dock were all at executive officer grade and Ekajeh worked at Dagenham Jobcentre; Akinwumiju at Crawley and Kehinde at Fulham.

The vast majority of the false claims were paid into Post Office Card Accounts (POCA). "They had also been opened in hijacked identities," said Mr. Evans.

"The three absent defendants can be linked to SSMG's that were falsified or to the POCA's to which the benefit payments are made.

"Accounts were opened in their names or the names of their family or in one case a company under their control."

Ekajeh was suspended in March 2010 after ten years in the civil service, where he also had a deputy management role and responsibility for the stock room, which contained blank claim forms.

"He was seen coming out of the stock room wearing an outdoor coat and carrying a plastic pouch that seemed quite full.

"From July 2009 he carried out a large number of unauthorised searches outside the area of the Dagenham Jobcentre and in his last month searched 105 other offices around the country in relation to 1600 clients.

"He played a key and principal role in these three frauds.

"He was also involved in yet another fraud, diverting payments of genuine jobseeker claims," added Mr. Evans. "He altered the bank details into which the payments should have been made."

Fiayo Akinwumiju was suspended in August, 2009. "In two weeks he accessed forty-three customers he had no legitimate reason to access.

"Shortly after false SSMG claims were made in their identities. In one hour he looked up twenty-four different benefit customers and thirty-six claims were made in the names of those customers.

"In a six-month period fifty-two customers were accessed and false tax credit claims were made in their names."

Kehinde was suspended on October 1, 2010. "On three dates he used the search facility to identify and access benefit customers all over the country and false SSMG claims were made in their identities.

"He also made searches in Bedford and yielded fifteen customers and twenty-one claims were made in those names that were false.

"All the searches were carried out after 6pm when the office was closed. He also played a key role in the fraud."

Folahan Akinwumiju claimed income support as a single parent and was arrested when his fingerprints were found on a bogus claim form and his home searched by police.

"They found a vast quantity of documents for various bank accounts, with various banks and in various names."

Three POCA cards were seized. "They were the end user accounts into which the fraudulent SSMG claims were paid."

Okedare was arrested in August, 2010. "Twenty POCA cards were found in his car and eighteen of them either received or requested fraudulent payments."

The jury were told Okedare was also captured on CCTV at a Post Office in nearby Bush Hill Park using POCA cards in the fraud to withdraw cash.

His handwriting was also identified on fraudulent claims and he had a National Insurance number on his phone involved in a bogus claim.

Akande was arrested in September, 2010. "His fingerprint was identified on two SSMG claim forms and he can also be linked via the accounts."

The six defendants, all of Nigerian origin were convicted of conspiring between January 1, 2009 and October 2, 2010 to defraud the DWP out of £820,000.

Ekajeh and Fiayo Akinwumiju alone were convicted of conspiring between November, 2005 and July, 2010 to defraud HMRC out of £898,000.

Ekajeh alone was convicted of conspiring to defraud the DWP out of £4,515.

A seventh defendant, Akinmayowe Aiyeola, 46, of Primrose Lane, Croydon pleaded guilty to all three counts and and eighth, Kelvin Akhigbe, 37, of Chapel Close, Grays admitted five counts of fraud by false representation in relation to four SSMG claims and a community care claim.

The defendants will be sentenced on May 4.

Junkie Jailed For Mugging Pensioner Of Savings

An East London drug addict, who stalked and mugged a 74 year-old pensioner of £600 cash, leaving the victim with a broken arm and deep gash over her eye, has been jailed for six years.

Hayley Pearce, 23, (pictured) of Church Walk, Stoke Newington attacked the victim – who uses a walking stick – moments after she left a Post Office with the money.

She pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to robbing the pensioner in Richmond Road, Hackney on September 6, last year after following her from nearby Kingsland Road.

As Pearce grabbed the lady’s handbag she was thrown to the ground – losing consciousness and suffering extensive bruising and losing her false teeth - such was the impact.

The defendant then simply grabbed the cash from the handbag and made off.

Pearce was initially identified as she had also accessed her own Post Office account shortly before the attack.

Scene enquiries then traced Pearce to a nearby Probation Service office, where she had an appointment after receiving a community order for theft.

She was arrested ten days later and admitted taking the cash to fund her class A drug habit and pay off debts.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Simon Walsh, said: “Hayley Pearce deliberately targeted a vulnerable elderly member of the public in order to steal the victim’s pension. 



“She took care to attack the victim from behind, robbing her in an isolated location away from CCTV cameras and witnesses.

“She spent the victim’s cash on class A drugs. 



“What Pearce didn’t take into account was the reaction of the local community who were appalled at her actions.

“Numerous members of the community came forward to assist this investigation and it is due in part to the evidence obtained from these witnesses that Pearce pleaded guilty to this offence.”

Betting-Shop Raid: Do You Know This Suspect?

Police hunting an armed robber – who fled empty-handed from a Paddington betting-shop – have released this CCTV image of the suspect.

He walked into William Hill bookmakers, Paddington Street, at 9.50am on December 3, last year carrying a large bag and partially-disguised by a baseball cap.

He pointed the two metal barrels, which were sticking out of the bag, at a member of staff behind the football betting counter and demanded cash.

Fearing for his safety and believing he was staring at the barrels of a shotgun the employee fled to the rear of the shop and the suspect left.

The suspect is described as a white man, approximately 40-years-old, of medium build, approximately 5'10" tall with neatly slicked back hair and a neat dark beard with grey flecks.

He was wearing a dark three quarter length coat, a dark cap and was carrying a bag.

He spoke with a non London/non-regional English accent.

If you have any information please contact the Flying Squad based in Barnes in the strictest confidence on 0208 247 7934 or alternatively if you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Burglar Targets Million-Pound Homes Near All-England Tennis Club

Police have released this CCTV image of a serial burglar, targeting large exclusive homes in Wimbledon Village.

The suspect, who brings a small ladder with him and cuts CCTV and alarm wires, is known to have attempted to break into at least three different properties.

Police were called to an address in Arthur Road on January 12 after the burglar tried to force open the rear doors.

He used the same method multiple times at a property in Church Road and on March 16 cut through security equipment wiring in the rear garden of a Parkside address.

It is believed the suspect drives a Vauxhall Astra or Corsa.

Anyone with information are asked to contact Detective Constable Simon Callcott at Merton police on 020 8649 4044 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Knife Collector Denies Fatal Xmas Night Stabbing

A man accused of the Christmas night killing of a stranger outside his front door, told a jury today the body was already there when he returned home from the pub.

"I saw this bloke lying there and there was blood everywhere," 35 year-old sheet metal worker David Folley (pic.r.) claimed at Croydon Crown Court.

"I walked into my flat. I was confused, I did not know what was going on. I was quite drunk, I was not one hundred per cent with it.

"I sat in the armchair and tried to get the number for the local police station, but I did fall asleep before I made the phone call. To be honest, I was tired."

Knife collector Folley, of 28 Calshot Walk, Bedford has pleaded not guilty to murdering alcoholic Inderjit Singh, 36, - known as 'Raj' to friends - in the early hours of December 25, 2010.

The victim (pic.l.) was struggling to find a friend's flat and was outside the wrong address when his throat was slashed and he bled to death.

The prosecution say the defendant must be the killer because of the victim's blood pattern on his jeans.

However, Folley gave an alternative explanation. "One of the police officers went to pat me down and search me, but he realised he was wearing the same gloves that he had touched the body with. I am pretty sure he touched me around the waist area."

He insisted there was nothing sinister about his large collection of knives explaining: "I like collecting knives.

"I got them at car boot sales and jumble sales. I just like collecting things like that, no particular reason really.

"I have never been arrested for a violent offence or arrested for carrying a knife."

Police found three crossbows - one with a telescopic sight - a 17" 'Bad to the Bone' folding knife, and another knife with a Nazi swastika emblazoned on it amongst Folley's collection.

"They are ornaments, I bought them as souvenirs," said the defendant.

He explained his anti-immigration 'Fuck off. We're full' T-shirt was a freebie from a motorcycle rally and he had never worn it and his BNP flyer had come through his letterbox.

Folley admitted having some BNP sympathies, but insisted he was no racist.

"I believe you should put British people first, whatever colour they are, not just white."

He dismissed his 'Danger of Death - Keep Out' sign above his front door as a "joke" which a pal of his found funny.

However, prosecutor Mr. Stuart Alford asked Folley: "What is the joke. what is funny about it?

"It is how you fell about your flat isn't it? Protective? You felt that was your space."

While on remand awaiting trial Folley was removed from Woodhill Prison, Northamptonshire after a fellow inmate was cut by a sharpened plastic knife he was wielding.

"Out of desperation I did that to get out of the wing," Folley told the jury. "I had never been to prison before and I was being bullied by several prisoners and one in particular.

"I did not mean to hurt him and I staged the attack with the knife to make it look more serious. If you just punch someone they won't do anything."

Folley was transferred to Belmarsh after cutting the inmate's chin. "That was an accident. That happened in the struggle."

Trial continues...............

Fatal Croydon Pub Stabbing: Man Charged

A man has appeared in court accused of murder after 25 year-old Chris Isted (pictured) was stabbed to death outside a Croydon pub.

The victim received multiple stab wounds in the early hours of March 31 near The Ship public house, Croydon High Street.

Carlton McKay, 27, of nearby Thornton Heath appeared at Camberwell Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on July 16.

He is also charged with the attempted murder of a second 25 year-old man, who was also stabbed during the same incident.

Mr. Isted was confirmed dead at the scene and a post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.

Police are also seeking a second suspect, described as a black male, aged in his late twenties and between 5’ 10” and 6-feet tall.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “We would like to hear from anyone who has any information that could assist the investigation no matter how small they think it is.



“We would urge anyone who was in the area at the time who might have seen or heard something to come forward.” 



Superintendent Rob Atkin of Croydon Borough said: “Following the tragic murder and a separate stabbing in the town centre that happened last weekend, I would like to reassure those who live in, work in or visit Croydon town centre that incidents of this nature are relatively rare and arrests were made extremely swiftly in connection with both incidents. 



“I can also confirm that neither the fatal stabbing in Croydon High Street in the early hours of Saturday morning, nor the incident in Dingwall Road on Sunday morning are linked to gangs.”



Officers would like anyone who was in the area at the time and who witnessed the incident to contact them on 020 8721 4005.

If you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Uninsured L-Driver Finally Admits Death Tragedy

A hit-and-run unlicensed driver, who set fire to his car after killing a 14 year-old girl, was yesterday told he would be going to prison after finally admitting the crime.

In a dramatic change of plea Steven Saunders, 22, of Gardeners Close, Motingham admitted causing the death of Alessia Boschiazzo (pictured) by dangerous driving in Moreland Road, Croydon on February 25, last year.

The Carshalton teenager, a pupil at Ursuline High School, died a week later of the injuries caused by Saunders' Renault Clio.

Saunders also pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to causing death by driving while unlicenced and uninsured and perverting the course of justice.

The Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon remanded Saunders in custody until April 26 telling him: "A custodial sentence is unavoidable. It is just a case of doing justice as best I can."

Boyfriend Lied After Partner's Suspected Drink-Drive Crash

The boyfriend of a suspected drink-driver, prosecuted after police found her damaged car abandoned after a late-night crash, dodged jail for perjury today.

Fork-lift driver Ryan Malt, 30, (pic.l.) of Kites Close, Crawley told police he was not in the car and had given Amy Young a couple of hot toddy brandies before they had a chance to breathalyse her.

However, his DNA was on the passenger airbag of the grey Seat Leon, which demolished a road sign and collided with a crash barrier on the A23 Crawley Avenue, near the junction with Gossops Green in the early hours of February 11, last year.

Police eventually tracked down Miss Young (pic.r.) and when blood-tested nine hours after the crash still had an alcohol reading over twice the drink-drive limit.

She was cleared by magistrates of driving with excess alcohol, but Malt was arrested after the trial for lying in the witness box about not being in the car when it crashed.

He had originally told police: "If I knew she had had an accident, I would not have given her a drink."

In reality the couple had been out together that night and Malt had consumed alcohol.

Prosecutor Mr. Gordon Ross told Croydon Crown Court: "His account was that he was not in the car and had given Miss Young two drinks."

His lawyer Mr. John Stark said: "When the police came into the house he says he panicked and believed the police were trying to say he was the driver.

"He admits he lied, he had been consuming alcohol at the time, and he felt he could not back down on what he said to the officer.

"He gave evidence to corroborate Miss young's story about her post-accident alcohol consumption."

Judge Timothy Stow QC told Malt: "Perjury is always a very serious offence.

"One can understand you lying to police at the time because you thought you were going to be prosecuted and wanted to get out of that predicament.

"The criminality arose when you persisted with that lying account."

Malt was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, ordered to perform 150 hours community service and pay £150 costs.