Book Keeper's Gang Jailed For Brutal Home Invasion

Turkan & Tuncel Ibrahim

 A disgruntled book keeper, who masterminded a £300,000 jewellery raid on his ex-employers' home by hiring thugs who terrorised the couple with threats of rape and murder, has been jailed along with his accomplices.

Zahid Sait, 42, of was sacked from the catering company run by the victims after they suspected him of stealing £20,000 nearly a decade previously.

He recruited six-foot six Junior Miller, 36, and Kyio Scarlett-Hudson, 20, giving them instructions on the location and most opportune time to raid the large detached house, where he claimed £1m was kept in a safe.

Sait, of Mitcham Close, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, whose cousin is married to the couple's son, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for what was described by Judge Peter Gower QC as: "A brutally and ruthlessly executed robbery of two elderly people."

He was convicted by a Croydon Crown Court jury of conspiring to rob Mr. Tuncel Ibrahim, 69, and 67 years-old Mrs Turkan Ibrahim at their home in Chislehurst Road, Petts Wood, Orpington on June 9, last year.

Both Miller and Scarlett-Hudson pleaded guilty to the same charge, with Miller additionally admitting two counts of false imprisonment and possessing a stun gun when his home was searched by police.

Former semi-professional basketball player, model and actor Miller, of Pyrland Road, Highbury, who pounced on Mr. Ibrahim as he left his house just after 5am and tied him up and beat him received 12 years.

Zahid Sait

Sales assistant Scarlett-Hudson, of Pound Lane, Willesden, who tied up the naked Mrs Ibrahim with her dressing-gown cord, received 8 years.

"You, Sait, identified the Ibrahim's as a wealthy couple. You were aware of their wealth because you worked for Mr. Ibrahim's catering company and believed they were likely to have a large amount of cash and personal possessions.

"You, Miller, threatened to rape Mr. Ibrahim's wife in front of him and you, Scarlett-Hudson, must have presented a terrifying sight to Mrs Ibrahim, who thought you were trying to strangle her and you threatened to kill her husband."  

Prosecutor Mr. Gino Connor told the court: "This was a planned robbery with the expectation of a second safe.

"Mr. Ibrahim was put to the floor, face-down, and struck on his side with punches and knees.

"He was tied-up with his own tie with his hands behind his back and was dragged along the hallway floor by Miller and suffered a dislocated shoulder.

"He was thrown face-down on the bed, a towel was shoved into his mouth and he was covered with a blanket.

Junior Miller

"She was in bed naked and was grabbed around the mouth and there were threats of strangulation by Scarlett-Hudson and threats her husband would be killed.

"She was very frightened and terrified."

Mrs Ibrahim also had a scarf tied around her neck and told: "Shut up or I will kill you, I'll kill your husband," by Miller.

"They threatened to rape her if the husband did not co-operate," explained Mr. Connor. 

Mr. Ibrahim gave the raiders his safe key from his briefcase and £300,000 worth of jewellery, much of it sentimental and in the family for generations, was taken.

They also helped themselves to £15,000 cash the couple had withdrawn for a foreign holiday.

The ordeal lasted twenty-five minutes and the couple were taken to Princess Royal Hospital with shock, where the husband was also treated for bruising and a laceration to his right eye.

Kyio Scarlett-Hudson

The gang were caught after Miller's DNA was matched to a button ripped-off his jacket and police were able to identify his accomplices via his mobile phone records.

Sait had the audacity to attend a family funeral in Edmonton he knew the Ibrahim's would be present at four months later and he was arrested on the spot.

He initially denied knowing the robbers, but later claimed he was "terrified for his life" and fed the gang information under duress to settle gambling debts.

"Mr. Ibrahim is still in a large amount of pain due to this vicious attack," added Mr. Connor.

The victim told police: "I still struggle to walk and will never regain full use of my body. My life has been turned upside down and I struggle to sleep because the pain is too much to bear.

"It is disturbing to know a family member is behind this sick and vicious attack. We did him no harm.

"This attack has shattered my mobility, confidence and self-esteem and I still fear opening my front door every morning."

Mrs Ibrahim said: "I still struggle to sleep and go to bed in constant fear and am terrified of the dark. I regularly break down and cry.

"I constantly visualise the incident over and over again and as long as I live I will never be able to erase these images from my mind.

"We have never done anything to Zahid. We have never bore him ill will, but were subjected to this violence."

Gay Neighbour Performed Sex Act On Late-Night Guest

A gay sex pest took advantage of his drunken neighbour by performing oral sex on the man after he passed out on the couch during an all-night drinking-session.

Andrej Korda, 35, of Butterfield Close, Twickenham had invited the neighbour, 30, and his wife to the flat he shared with his boyfriend then pounced when they were left alone.

The Slovakian-born technical operator, who is employed by a company that provides services to the deaf, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at his home address on March 18 and was bailed until August 6 for a pre-sentence report.

Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard he received a police caution the same month for the sexual touching of another male.

Prosecutor Miss Katrina Rennalls said the victim and his wife watched a film at the address and the man remained chatting with Korda until 5am.

“He woke up to find Korda giving him oral sex and reacted by pushing him off and punching him in the face and pushing him over a coffee table.”

Korda also falsely claimed to have taken photographs of the act.

Forensic swabs confirmed oral sex, which was not consensual, had occurred.

Korda's lawyer said the defendant: “Had a considerable amount to drink and could not recall the act itself.”

The court was told the defendant was at a: “Low point,” and was: “Extremely remorseful,” and blamed alcohol, money troubles, long work shifts and difficulties with his partner for his state of mind.

Korda's five-year relationship has broken down and he says he would like to write an apology to the victim if allowed.

Children's Sports Coach Accused Of Internet Sex With 14 Year-Old Girl

A children's football and P.E. coach, attached to Chippenham's award-winning Stanley Park Sports Ground, has appeared in court charged with internet sexual activity with a 14 year-old girl.

Philip William Boore, 35, of Dover Street, Chippenham is accused of encouraging the girl to expose her breasts and perform sex acts on herself during webcam sessions that lasted three to four hours.

On the local authority's website he is described as a Football in the Community Coach, who has a Bsc degree in Bsc Sports & Exercise Science and holds coaching certificates for Football Level 2 and Cricket Level 2.

He also holds Level 1 certificates in hockey, rugby, badminton, tennis, emergency first aid, child protection and disabled football and works with local schools as a football coach and main P.E. teacher.

Boore gave no indication as to plea when he appeared on bail at Wimbledon Magistrates Court, where he was sent to Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on July 29 after jurisdiction was declined due to the seriousness of the charges.

The court heard Boore allegedly sent intimate images of himself to the girl, who lives in Mitcham, south-west London and they also exchanged mobile phone numbers and were facebook friends.

It is said he encouraged her to pour wax over her breasts and attach clothes pegs to them and was allegedly in possession of extreme pornography when police raided his home.

Boore is charged with two counts of causing or inciting a child, between May 1 and July 31, last year, to engage in sexual activity and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He is also charged with possessing extreme pornography between the same dates; namely acts involving people and animals, which threatened a person's life.

Nightclub Troublemaker Gets Two Years For Hurling Heavy Blocks At Doormen

Convicted: Elizer Palmer-Lewis

A Peterborough man, who led “chaotic scenes” outside a landmark club, where he was caught on CCTV hurling heavy fencing blocks at security staff is starting a prison sentence.

Door staff came under a hail of objects – including traffic cones - thrown by angry customers and one doorman was stabbed during the early hours disturbance.

Elizer Palmer-Lewis, 25, of Goffsmill, Bretton was convicted by a Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury of violent disorder outside Club Colosseum, Vauxhall on March 23, last year and received two years imprisonment.

He was also given a consecutive nine-month sentence for an offence unrelated to the nightclub incident.

His friend, who travelled down to London with him, 26 year-old factory metal worker Guilherme Mendes, of

Spring Close, Huntingdon was found not guilty of violent disorder.

Violence erupted outside the popular club after the two defendants and a friend they met up with were forcibly ejected when trouble broke out inside.

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Dowden told the jury CCTV shows Mendes taking off his belt and wrapping it around his fist before confronting the door staff with Palmer-Lewis hurling heavy-duty fence blocks in their direction.

“He was throwing very large rubber blocks used to secure temporary fencing and they were whistling past Mr. Mendes' ear towards the bouncers.”

Cross-examining Mendes in the witness box the prosecutor put to him: “You knew Mr. Palmer-Lewis was doing that and you were acting together with him and the people around you to attack those bouncers.

“You were shoulder to shoulder with a man in a bobble hat who had a knife. He's holding a knife in the video.

“You were standing next to him and when he lunged into the bouncers on three occasions.”

Not Guilty: Guilherme Mendes

The court heard the crowd also hurled traffic cones towards the door staff amid claims they had been heavy-handed when dealing with the trouble inside.

A large number of police officers were deployed to calm the scene, with one of them describing Palmer-Lewis as having blood on his hands, t-shirt and footwear.

Factory metal worker Mendes told the jury he and Palmer-Lewis had driven to east London to meet up with a friend named 'Idir' and they travelled to the club by taxi, where they met more people.

The prosecution say there was “tension” inside the club between the defendants and their friends and another group and trouble broke out in the early hours.

“I saw a lot of movement and Idir was covering his eye, I think he was hit,” explained Mendes. “People were pointing at the guy who hit my friend.

“We wanted to grab him and tell security, but he ran off and the bouncers grabbed all of us, about ten of them.”

Mendes said he was taken out and was walking towards a bus stop when he looked back and saw 'Idir' lying unconscious outside the club entrance.

“I ran to save him, I needed to get my friend out of there.”

CCTV shows Mendes removing his belt and wrapping it around his fist as he approached the door staff. “I did that to protect myself. They were getting closer and more and more aggressive.”

He also claimed seeing a can of CS gas in a bouncer's hand and an iron bar in another's.

Mr. Dowden told him: “You were on the front line and aggressive towards the bouncers.”

The prosecutor also suggested Mendes deliberately did not tell police about the friends he was with to protect them. “You were all in it together.”

The CCTV also shows Palmer-Lewis brawling with somebody on the the pavement and Mendes climbing a fence to get closer to the door staff.

“I was trying to help my friend,” he explained. “I was not thinking about everything that was going on around me.”

Arrested Policeman Threatened To Fight Fellow Officers If Handcuffed

"I'll fight you": PC Mark Toulson

A policeman's career with the Met is in ruins after he was arrested outside a cocktail bar for allegedly attacking two fellow officers then had to be overpowered by at least four cops when he resisted being handcuffed the next morning.

PC Mark Lesley Toulson, 34, had suffered a head injury and was being taken from hospital when he said: "I'll walk down to the van without a fuss, but if you handcuff me I'll fight you."

The Wandsworth Borough officer, of Summerhill Way, Mitcham pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates Court to obstructing police at St. George's Hospital on November 27, last year.

Yesterday he was fined £325, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a £33 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Mrs Mary Lawrenson told the court: "Mr. Toulson swung around and started swinging his arms and it took the full strength of the Wimbledon officers, plus two Wandsworth officers to restrain him and take him to the floor."

Hours earlier PC Toulson had been arrested at Hemingways Lounge Bar, Wimbledon Village and was charged with assaulting two police officers and using threatening behaviour.

He pleaded not guilty to those counts and the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence

Hemingways Lounge Bar

because they had not replied to a defence expert who supported PC Toulson's claim he was suffering automatism and was not responsible for his actions.

"It cannot be ruled out he was suffering the effects of a head injury and a CT scan was required at the hospital," said Miss Heather Oliver, defending. "This is a man who was not in his normal state of mind."

Once the hospital concluded their checks officers wanted to take PC Toulson to Sutton Police Station. "One of them told Mr. Toulson if it was the other way around then the handcuffs would be put on him," added Mrs Lawrenson.

Miss Oliver said: "Officers were seeking to transport him from the hospital to the van and it was his obstructiveness that led to this incident.

"He has been a serving Metropolitan Police officer since the age of twenty-six and served on the Safer Neighbour Hood Team, the Urgent Response Team and the Task Team.

"This is going to have huge consequences. This is a man who has not only lost his good character and name, but is very, very likely to lose his job as well.

"He is a man who faces the loss of his career."

Magistrate Mr. Jim Peters told PC Toulson: "This offence is in the middle category of seriousness because of the swinging of the arms and the threat to fight."

Clubbers Deny Leading "Chaotic Scenes" And Attack On Doormen

Guilherme Mendes

Two Cambridgeshire men led “chaotic scenes” outside a landmark club, where security staff came under a hail of objects thrown by angry customers, with one doorman stabbed, a court heard today.

Violence erupted outside Club Colosseum, Vauxhall in the early hours after the two defendants and a friend they met up with in London were forcibly ejected when trouble broke out inside.

They are: Guilherme Mendes, 26, of Spring Close, Huntingdon and 25 year-old Elizer Palmer-Lewis, of Goffsmill, Bretton, Peterborough.

Both have pleaded not guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to one count each of violent disorder on March 23, last year.

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Dowden told the jury CCTV shows Mendes taking off his belt and wrapping it around his fist before confronting the door staff with Palmer-Lewis hurling heavy-duty fence blocks in their direction.

“He was throwing very large rubber blocks used to secure temporary fencing and they were whistling past Mr. Mendes' ear towards the bouncers.”

Cross-examining Mendes in the witness box the prosecutor put to him: “You knew Mr. Palmer-Lewis was doing that and you were acting together with him and the people around you to attack those bouncers.

“You were shoulder to shoulder with a man in a bobble hat who had a knife. He's holding a knife in the video.

“You were standing next to him and when he lunged into the bouncers on three occasions.”

Elizer Palmer-Lewis

The court heard the crowd also hurled traffic cones towards the door staff amid claims they had been heavy-handed when dealing with the trouble inside.

A large number of police officers were deployed to calm the scene, with one of them describing Palmer-Lewis as having blood on his hands, t-shirt and footwear.

Factory metal worker Mendes told the jury he and Palmer-Lewis had driven to east London to meet up with a friend named 'Idir' and they travelled to the club by taxi, where they met more people.

The prosecution say there was “tension” inside the club between the defendants and their friends and another group and trouble broke out in the early hours.

“I saw a lot of movement and Idir was covering his eye, I think he was hit,” explained Mendes. “People were pointing at the guy who hit my friend.

“We wanted to grab him and tell security, but he ran off and the bouncers grabbed all of us, about ten of them.”

Mendes said he was taken out and was walking towards a bus stop when he looked back and saw 'Idir' lying unconscious outside the club entrance.

“I ran to save him, I needed to get my friend out of there.”

CCTV shows Mendes removing his belt and wrapping it around his fist as he approached the door staff. “I did that to protect myself. They were getting closer and more and more aggressive.”

He also claimed seeing a can of CS gas in a bouncer's hand and an iron bar in another's.

Mr. Dowden told him: “You were on the front line and aggressive towards the bouncers.”

The prosecutor also suggested Mendes deliberately did not tell police about the friends he was with to protect them. “You were all in it together.”

The CCTV also shows Palmer-Lewis brawling with somebody on the the pavement and Mendes climbing a fence to get closer to the door staff.

“I was trying to help my friend,” he explained. “I was not thinking about everything that was going on around me.”

Trial continues............     

Woman Lied To Police To Get Dangerous Driver Boyfriend Off Hook

Harrow Crown Court

A woman who's boyfriend abandoned her rented car after driving it like a madman in front of police later reported the vehicle as stolen in a failed bid to get him out of trouble.

Reena Popat, 40, of Waverley Road, Harrow tried to blame a mystery joyrider, but her lies were exposed and she was arrested.

She pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court to perverting the course of justice on September 10, last year in Oman Avenue, Willesden. namely falsely reporting to police her white Vauxhall Astra had been stolen when she knew it was driven by her partner Andrew Lewis.

Today she received eight months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, was placed on a twelve month supervision order, which includes eighty hours community service work, and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.

The court heard police officers witnessed the vehicle being driven dangerously and soon after found it abandoned.

Popat was “pressured” into making the false report and claims she was worried about what her boyfriend may do if she did not co-operate. 

Kids Illustrator Jailed For Sexually Abusing Two Young Girls Four Decades Ago

A disgraced children's books illustrator, who sexually abused two young girls four decades ago – molesting one when he took her out for ice-cream and groping the other as she lay in bed – has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Artist Henry Christopher Mendes, 64, of Park an Pyth, Pendeen, Penzance initially denied forcing the first girl, who was approximately eight years-old, to perform a sex act on him and running his hand up the body of the second girl, also aged around eight.

However, after hearing the two victims give evidence at Blackfriars Crown Court Mendes unexpectedly changed his plea to guilty .

Prosecutor Mr. Shaun Esprit told the jury the offences occurred in north London's Kentish Town in the late 1970's and only came to the police's attention when the first complainant reported Mendes in 2013, encouraged by her friend revealing she was also molested.

“The defendant went out to go to the off-licence and he asked the first complainant if she fancied coming with him to get an ice-cream,” he told the court. “He stopped off at a pub and left her outside while he popped in.

“She was left outside on her own and after what seemed to her an eternity the defendant returned and as they walked back he took her through an elevated area, which was higher up and had a swing and concrete blocks.”

This was later identified as the Lismore Circus children's play area.

“The defendant made her sit down on one and she noticed he was mumbling to himself and fiddling with the zip on his trousers and she did not know what was going on.”

The girl then performed a sex act on Mendes, said Mr. Esprit. “Afterwards he seemed relieved and satisfied.”

The girl remained silent until 1989. “She blurted out what happened to her mother. It was an emotional outburst.”

The complainant later emailed Mendes. “She brought up what happened and expressed a lot of anger and was extremely emotional.”

The second complainant also told police she was targeted by the defendant, added Mr. Esprit.

“She was asleep in bed and awoke and was aware of someone next to her, a man, and could hear ponderous breathing.

“She did not open her eyes, but recognised the voice of the defendant saying: 'You're so beautiful' and she felt a hand under the duvet, which bit by bit moved up.

“It stopped short of between her legs when a man's voice outside her bedroom door said: 'Chris, let's go to the off-licence.'

“The defendant was known by his second name, Chris,” the prosecutor told the court.

Mendes was arrested and questioned by police. “He denied the assaults.”

However, during the investigation police discovered his computer contained nearly 400 sick indecent images of children, proving despite the four decades that had passed Mendes was still an active paedophile.

Detective Constable Jo Dell of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command said: “I would like to thank both victims for their bravery in reporting these incidents to police and their ongoing support throughout the investigation.

“They have shown resilience, which enabled the case to proceed to this successful conclusion. Mendes is a serial offender who has abused the trust of his friends and targeted vulnerable young girls.”

Police suspect the artist has abused more youngsters and Detective Inspector Neil Smithson said: “I would appeal to any other victims of Mendes to come forward. The Metropolitan Police will fully support you and seek to bring offenders to justice, no matter when the offences were committed.”

One of the victims said: “One of the things I would like to add is how well treated I have been by the Met Police. It has taken a long time to feel brave enough to come to the police with this, not only confronting what happened within myself, but also having to tell a total stranger.

“I would have no hesitation in recommending that anyone who has experienced any type of abuse to report it, in fact I would urge them to.

“It might be scary at first, but personally speaking it was a cathartic experience that has really helped me to process what happened to me.”

Mendes pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault in relation to each girl between July 8, 1976 and November 27, 1979.

He also admitted seven counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Chelsea Pensioner Kicked Out After Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting Drunken Woman In His Berth

A Chelsea Pensioner has been kicked out of the prestigious Royal Hospital after flouting strict rules by taking a drunken woman - four decades his junior - to his room, where he sexually assaulted her.

Patrick Noel Teegan, 72, played a key role in last year's closing ceremony of the Chelsea Flower Show and was wearing his trademark ceremonial scarlet uniform when he met the 29 year-old fund-raising executive in the hospital's club.

She had already consumed two glasses of champagne that day and says she blacked-out after Teegan bought her a couple of glasses of white wine.

The decorated former Warrant Officer, who joined the Army in Belfast in 1962 and served all over the world, was convicted yesterday of sexually assaulting the woman in the early hours of May 24, last year.

Isleworth Crown Court heard the next thing she remembers is waking up naked in Irishman Teegan's bed with the stripped defendant grinding against her.

"I felt very drunk and being in the club is my last memory," she explained.

"He had his arm around my waist and he was naked as well lying behind me," she told police. "I was shocked I didn't know where I was or who I was with."

She told the court semi-aroused Teegan - known as 'Paddy' - was rubbing his groin against her buttocks and invited her to remain until the morning, describing her as: "Wonderful."

"I just thought: 'What the hell is happening?'"

Teegan will be housed by charity Veteran's Aid over the weekend and plans to move in with family - leaving behind the 320 year-old Sir Christopher Wren-designed hospital and his veteran comrades.

"Because of that verdict as of this moment Mr. Teegan is no longer a Chelsea Pensioner and he will not be able to return to Chelsea Hospital," his lawyer Clare McGrath told the court.

"Arrangements have been made for alternative accommodation."

In return for £175 a week residents, who must be Army veterans over 65 years-old, receive a private berth within the seventeenth century Grade 1 listed building, plus three meals a day and enjoy an active ceremonial and social life.

Recorder Jonathan Davies bailed Teegan until August 28 for a pre-sentence report, telling the first-time offender: "You are obviously going to be low and I recognise you will have accommodation difficulties.

"I consider this passes the custodial threshold and the court will consider a custodial sentence."

Hours before the assault Teegan, who was a Ministry of Defence civil servant for a decade after his Army service, took part in the traditional bell-ringing ceremony, which closes the annual flower show.

The father-of-two spent the rest of the evening drinking in the Chelsea Pensioners Club, where he met the woman. 

"She was smiling and I said: 'Hello, would you like a drink?' I could see she was getting merry and her voice did get loud.

"She was not straight, you could tell she'd had a drink," he told the court.

"I took her out of the club because the barmaid suggested it and she said she was tired, needed a rest and did not want to go home.

"She said: 'Can I come to your room and have a rest?' I said: 'Yes, you can come to my berth and have a rest.'

"I knew I was doing wrong by letting her into my berth, that was breaking hospital rules, the no female rule.

"She started taking her clothes off and got into bed and she said: 'Come to bed.' I got into bed, wearing just my underpants. I wanted to have a rest.

"She took my right hand and placed it on her stomach, but I took my hand away. I think she wanted to initiate more, perhaps sex."

Teegan told the court she then threw up over herself. "I told her: 'I think it's time you went.'"

He walked her to the night bus, which she caught after 3am, but was seen by the police six days later.

Describing how it felt to be arrested Teegan said: "I went into shock," adding that it was "horrible" being on trial.

The woman asked her mother to take her to a psychiatric hospital the next day, fearing she would harm herself otherwise.

Billionaire's Wife Cleared Of 'Keying' Neighbour's Bentley In Parking Dispute

Guatam & Stephanie Thapar

 The case against a billionaire's wife, accused of 'keying' a wealthy neighbour's £120,000 Bentley behind her £21m Knightsbridge home during a 'parking rage' incident, has been dropped.

Mother-of-two Stephanie Thapar, 50, of Cadogan Place was charged with causing £4,153.46 worth of criminal damage to the two-door black 4-litre Continental GT Coupe V8 belonging to Michael Connor in Cadogan Lane mews on January 22.

She was due to stand trial yesterday at City of London Magistrates Court, but the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued proceedings the day before.

She is the second wife of Indian-born Gautam Thapar, 54, an engineering and paper entrepreneur, who founded the Avantha Group and has an estimated net worth of £1.0 billion.

German-born Mrs Thapar resides in a five-bedroom, five-bathroom house, which has an integral lift, private two-car mews garage to the rear and has previously been advertised for rent at £56,333 per month.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge when she initially appeared on March 9 at Hammersmith Magistrates Court, denying she touched the vehicle.

Michael Connor's Bentley

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told the court it was 7pm when Mr. Connor looked out of the window of his home after hearing Mrs Thapar sound her horn as she tried to negotiate past his parked Bentley and enter her garage.

"Mr. Connor saw her reversing into her garage and she then got out of her vehicle, exited the garage and placed some rubbish bags adjacent to the complainant's vehicle.

"The defendant went back inside her garage and on this occasion when she exited her garage, walked to the rear of the Bentley and scratched it five or six times with an unknown small object."

When he inspected his vehicle Mr. Connor found "deep scratches in the paintwork" and called police, who ascertained the damage was recent.

"The defendant was arrested an interviewed and completely denied the offence," said Mr. Gill.

In 2008 Mr. Thapar won Earnst & Young's 'Entrepreneur of the Year Award' for manufacturing and in 2013 King's College conferred an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his "exceptional achievements in the fields of industry and philanthropy.'

Chelsea Pensioner Denies Sexually Assaulting Drunken Woman Four Decades His Junior

A Chelsea Pensioner who flouted the Royal Hospital's strict rules when he allowed a drunken woman - four decades his junior - into his room, took advantage by sexually assaulting her, a court heard today.

Patrick Noel Teegan, 72, played a ceremonial role in last year's closing ceremony of the Chelsea Flower Show and was wearing the trademark ceremonial scarlet uniform when he bought the 29 year-old fund-raising executive a couple of glasses of white wine in the hospital's club.

Isleworth Crown Court heard the decorated former Warrant Officer, who joined the Army in Belfast in 1962 and served all over the world, was asked by the club's barmaid to escort the woman out because of her drunken behaviour.

The complainant had two glasses of champagne earlier in the day and says she remembers nothing until waking up naked in the defendant's bed at 3.40am.

"I felt very drunk and being in the club is my last memory," she explained.

"He had his arm around my waist and he was naked as well lying behind me," she told police. "I was shocked I didn't know where I was or who I was with."

She told the court semi-aroused Teegan was rubbing his groin against her buttocks and invited her to remain until the morning, describing her as: "Wonderful."

"I just thought: 'What the hell is happening?'"

Hours earlier Teegan, who was a Ministry of Defence civil servant for a decade after his Army service, took part in the traditional bell-ringing ceremony, which closes the annual flower show.

The father-of-two spent the rest of the evening in the Chelsea Pensioners Club, where he met the woman. "She was smiling and I said: 'Hello, would you like a drink?' I could see she was getting merry and her voice did get loud.

"She was not straight, you could tell she'd had a drink," he told the court.

"I took her out of the club because the barmaid suggested it and she said she was tired, needed a rest and did not want to go home.

"She said: 'Can I come to your room and have a rest?' I said: 'Yes, you can come to my berth and have a rest.'

"I knew I was doing wrong by letting her into my berth, that was breaking hospital rules, the no female rule.

"She started taking her clothes off and got into bed and she said: 'Come to bed.' I got into bed, wearing just my underpants. I wanted to have a rest.

"She took my right hand and placed it on her stomach, but I took my hand away. I think she wanted to initiate more, perhaps sex."

Teegan told the court she then threw up over herself. "I told her: 'I think it's time you went.'"

He walked her to the night bus, which she caught at 3am, but was seen by the police six days later.

Describing how it felt to be arrested Teegan said: "I went into shock," adding that it was "horrible" being on trial.

The woman asked her mother to take her to a psychiatric hospital the next day, fearing she would harm herself otherwise.

Teegan, of Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexually assaulting the woman on May 24, last year.

Trial continues…………. 

Parish Councillor Jailed For Molesting Schoolgirl Three Decades Ago

A Lincoln parish councillor, whose Facebook contact with a woman he abused as a child three decades ago backfired when she went to the police, has been jailed for two years.

Engineer David Anthony Swinton, 70, of Bath Road, Bracebridge Heath denied sneaking into the girl's room during the night when she was aged between eight and eleven years-old and touching her between her legs over a four-year period.

He tried to derail a potential prosecution by presenting himself to the woman online as a: “Friendly face from the past,” but this simply triggered her complaint to the police.

He was found guilty at London's Harrow Crown Court of two sample counts of of indecently assaulting the complainant in the 1980's.

Jack Talbot, defending, told the court : "There are concerns about his ability to cope with a custodial environment.

"He is devastated by the verdict – it's the most devastating moment of his life. He is in a traumatic state."

Recorder William Featherby QC told Swinton : "You went to the girl's room, stood by her bed, where she was in the top bunk and reached under her night dress, not more than a hand full of times.

"Now in her late 30s she has suffered considerable distress but she was already an unhappy child.

"These are serious offences, including a breach of trust, by exploiting your dominant position, with a helpless victim, exploiting her silence. She suffered in silence."

Swinton was also made subject to a five year Sexual Harm Prevent Order and he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

The court was told the complainant was reluctant to report Swinton, who lived in Harrow at the time, because his family was so well-respected locally, with his civil servant wife Jane sitting on the local council, and his mother-in-law a former mayor of the borough.

Father-of-three Swinton, who lived at Northumberland Road, Harrow, molested the girl at the address, often telling her to: “Shhh,” and be quiet and assuring her she was a: “Good girl.”

Prosecutor Mr. Toby Fitzgerald told the jury the girl regularly slept overnight at the defendant's house, occupying the top bunk of bunk-beds while her younger sister slept below.

“While the children were in his house he took the opportunity to indecently assault the elder sister, touching her indecently and between her legs in particular.

“The defendant would bath them both and throughout this period the defendant would come into the bedroom, approach the girl, and touch her, both over and under her knickers.

“Sometimes he would come in and pretend to tuck the girls in.

“This happened very regularly and the defendant showed a lack of boundaries, when at breakfast and in front of his family he said of the girl. 'She is a woman now'.

“She remembers thinking the defendant was trying to legitimise what he was doing and normalise his sexual activity with a child.

“The abuse ended when she stopped staying at the Swinton's home in 1988,” added Mr. Fitzgerald, explaining the girl told her mother what had happened approximately a year later.

“Her mother seemed sympathetic, but no complaint was made and the girl felt worried that she would not be believed.”

Some time later the complainant was walking past Swinton's house and he waved at her. “She stuck her finger up at him and he would have known the abuse was not forgotten and she was still angry.”

Out of the blue she received a Facebook message from Swinton on June 9, 2013, asking how she was.

“She looked at his page and the photographs of his grandchildren and was angry and upset that she had been contacted.

“Why did the defendant contact her? What was the motivation?” added Mr. Fitzgerald.

“The last few years have become increasingly uncomfortable for sex offenders and the Crown say this defendant wanted to head off any complaint against himself by presenting himself as a friendly face from the past and run with this change in history.

“He wanted to allay those fears so he could continue to live his life, but that was a miscalculation and it rekindled her upset and distress and she contacted the police.”

Swinton was arrested on December 11, 2013. “He absolutely denied any sexual conduct.”


The defendant sits on the Bracebridge Heath parish council and is the vice-chairman of Planning, Lighting and Roads and Chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.