Widow Forged Will To Get £900,000 Inheritance

Kamarah Graham-York

A widow was caught trying to disinherit her two children and her step-son out of a £2m house by clumsily forging her late-partner’s will to become the sole beneficiary.

Former singer Kamarah Inessah Graham-York, 66, who had never married, suddenly produced a will she claimed was hidden between old books at the six-bedroom Chiswick home.

Today she received two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, after eventually pleading guilty to defrauding the London Probate Office on June 20, 2010.

Graham-York, who was evicted from the home she shared with musician Norton Brian York at in Marlborough Road, admitted falsely representing the will was valid to receive the entire £901,200 estate.

The house was in Mr. York’s sole name and after thirty-three years of living as his common-law-wife she discovered the entire estate would go to his three children.

The couple had been part of BBC music performances and had attempted some other business ventures over the years.

“You were concerned that you were going to be left high and dry so planned your own method to obtain what you could from the estate,” Isleworth Crown Court Judge Phillip Matthews told her.

“The charge relates to a bogus will and there was an earlier attempt at a bogus will with your daughter, but she had second thoughts.

“You were shocked by the fact there was no will, but that is no excuse for making the lives of your family a misery for years and the criminal deception went on for years.

“You involved others through pressure, it was sophisticated, you forged a document with your ex-partner’s signature.

“It appears the purpose of your deception was to take the lot.”

Evicted: Family Home In Chiswick 

After years of legal proceedings and hearings at the High Court and Brentford County Court the estate has been whittled down to £458,085 after the mortgage was paid off.

Graham-York is now living in one room provided by the council following her eviction and during the legal fight refused to accept 25% of the estate to end court proceedings.

Mr. York passed away in June, 2009 and the beneficiaries were sons Graham Laurence York, 40, Adrian York, 41, and daughter Ilona Gidney, 39.

Graham-York concocted a bizarre plan to create a non-existent daughter, who would inherit everything and then hand it over to her, the court heard.

She then tried to recruit her reluctant daughter into a scheme to get her hands on the estate. 

“She said her mother was out of control, refusing to accept the whole estate wouldn’t be hers,” said prosecutor Miss Yetunde Martin.

“The defendant threatened that she would commit suicide and was scared by the thought of being left without anything.”

Step-son Adrian has spent £120,000 fighting the case in the civil courts. “He saw the signature on the will bore no resemblance to that of his father,” said Miss Martin.

“He also found documents that suggested evidence of the defendant practicing his father’s signature.”

Graham-York was arrested two years ago. “She stated that she found the will in the house amongst some music books and denied forging the signature, saying all the money she ever earned went to the deceased.”

Father-of-four Adrian says his father’s estate has been drained by legal costs. “It has taken a toll on my health, I have a stress-related illness, anxiety and insomnia.”

He also said in his victim impact statement: “I am taking medication and my wife and children have suffered with anxiety.”

Adrian describes his step-mother as a “serial liar” who falsely told him about his dad being abusive to Ilona in the 1980’s resulting in a “fall out” that lasted for the rest of his father’s life.

“He has also fallen-out with his half-brother who would not support him to get justice,” added Miss Martin. 

In her statement Ilona describes the forged will as a “culmination of a lifetime of lies.”

She added: “The civil cases have cost the estate hundreds of thousands of pounds and have caused a stress and strain on myself and my family.”

Son Graham says he has PTSD and severe depression, describing his mother as “abusive”, “threatening” and “manipulative” and only interested in her “own criminal gains.”

“He expresses disbelief that his mother faked a will, saying it was the sort of thing you would see on a tv show,” added Miss Martin. 

Graham concluded: “She has defrauded the family out of any inheritance whatsoever.”

Julian Waskett, defending, told the court: “She was shocked there was no will providing for her after thirty-three years together and thought she would be disinherited to the advantage of her children.

“Having started she couldn’t and wouldn’t stop it. She took an entrenched position.”

Brothers Sentenced After Teen Stabbed During Royal British Legion Fight

Gary (L) & Lee (R) Warren

Two brothers have been sentenced after a teen was slashed with a knife the older of the two brought to a fight outside a Royal British Legion in the outskirts of east London.

The victim, eighteen year-old Ryan O'Donnell, received life-saving treatment from his friend, a trainee paramedic, after the blade severed an artery in his neck.

Gary Warren, 48, of Jaywick Lane, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex received 12 years imprisonment after being convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent.

Lee Warren, 40, of Lowshoe Road, Collier Row, Havering received 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years after pleading guilty to affray.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard Lee started a fight with a group attending a 21^st birthday party at the club in Collier Row, near Romford on July 9, last year.

Ryan O'Donnell's Neck Wound

He phoned brother Gary for help and he arrived armed with a knife and within seconds had stabbed the victim.

Mr. O'Donnell said: "This was an extremely scary experience. I was just lucky to have a very calm and smart friend who saved my life.

“It is a positive result from court and I would like to thank the police for the professionalism shown throughout this investigation.”

Acting Detective Sergeant Ben McNish, who led the investigation, said: “This conviction sends a powerful message to those who choose to carry knives on the streets of London, and makes everyone aware of the consequences of such actions.

“I hope that the lengthy sentence handed out to Gary Warren gives some comfort to the victim and his family.

“The victim was present through the whole trial and conducted himself with dignity and bravery.

“This conviction was the product of exceptional detective work by my team and has ended in two violent men being convicted.”

Moped Sex Beast Who Attacked Lone Young Women Is Caged

A moped-riding sexual predator, who attacked two lone women days apart, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Shahan Ai, 23, of Shurland Gardens, Willowbrook Estate, Peckham pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

Woolwich Crown Court also made him subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

On the morning of Saturday November 11, last year a 19-year-old woman was walking to work in Lewisham when she was followed by a black moped being ridden on the pavement.

The moped followed her as she crossed the road multiple times to get away, before Ali - the pillion passenger - jumped off the bike and pushed the woman against a wall.

Ali sexually assaulted the victim and tried unsuccessfully to take her handbag.

The woman managed to free herself and ran away, but Ali sexually assaulted her further and then shouted after her.

Ali then jumped onto the moped and the rider - who remained on the moped for the entirety of the assault - drove off.

On Tuesday November 14 at 1.45am, a second 19-year-old woman was in Southwark walking home when a moped rode up behind her and Ali – again the passenger - sexually assaulted her.

Ali subsequently got off the moped, pushed the woman against a wall and sexually assaulted her whilst making threats towards her.

As two cars passed by, Ali walked away momentarily and the woman escaped, however Ali got back on the moped and chased her down the road, before getting back off the moped and subjecting the woman to a further sexual assault.

After some minutes, Ali returned to the moped and the woman hurried to the nearest doorway.

Before the woman could ring the doorbell, Ali approached her for a third time and trapped her in the doorway; making sexual demands and threats towards her.

Ali subjected the victim to a further sexual assault for over ten minutes, during which time he physically prevented her from ringing the doorbell or calling for help.

Ali wiped the woman with an item, in an apparent calculated attempt to remove DNA evidence.

Ali got back on the moped and the rider - again, who remained on the moped for the entirety of the assaults - drove off.

Detectives from the Met's Venice Investigation Team identified Shahan Ali as a suspect, and a warrant was executed at his home address.

The second suspect, the driver of the moped, remains unknown.

He wore a black helmet, balaclava, and black clothing. He drove a black and silver coloured moped.

Detective Constable Henry Vernon, who led the investigation said: "Shahan Ali and his accomplice targeted lone females and subjected them to protracted sexual assaults.

“Both men present a potential risk to the public, and although Ali is now imprisoned, I implore anyone with information regarding the driver of the moped to come forward."

Cocaine Arrest For Partying Wolverhampton Mum

A Wolverhampton mother-of-two was caught with cocaine after police spotted her acting suspiciously during a late-night out in the capital.

Jamaican-born Tanya Edwards, 42, of Park Lane, Low Hill appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday.

She pleaded guilty to possessing a small quantity of the drug in Cambridge Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue during a trip to the West End on January 15.

The court heard it was in the early hours of the morning when officers became suspicious of Edwards and approached her.

She spat something white out of her mouth and when searched police found a small wrap of cocaine on her.

When questioned Edwards admitted she was in possession of the illegal drug.

The court heard she has fifteen previous convictions, three of them for drug offences.

She told the court she was guilty of “the recreational use of drugs” and had not been in trouble for four years.

Edwards was conditionally discharged for twelve months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge, which will come out of her child benefit and child tax credit payments.

Home Office 0 - Indian Alcoholic 1 : Away Win For Boozy Brawler

An alcoholic criminal celebrated his seven-year Home Office battle to avoid deportation to his native India with a dangerous vodka-fueled brawl on a busy rush hour Victoria Underground Station platform.

Ashwani Kumar, 53, of Red House Way, Swindon twice kicked a commuter on the tube train before dragging him off when it pulled into the station.

He pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court to assaulting economics graduate Ademide Edgal on November 28, last year and received a six-month community order, which includes an alcohol treatment requirement and twenty-four day rehab requirement.

“This was potentially a very dangerous event, brawling and rolling around on the station platform could have resulted in a tragedy. It’s a tremendously dangerous event,” magistrate Mr. Richard Lewis told him today.

His lawyer Arlene Mansoor told the court the Home Office had been trying to deport him since 2010, but Kumar, who has a long history of alcohol-related offending, finally won the right to remain in the UK last November.

“He lost his business, his home, his family and he drinks to drown out the reality of what his life is,” she said. “He has depression and anxiety and has made multiple suicide attempts.”

Prosecutor Mr. Malachy Pakenham said: “The defendant had been drinking vodka and it was 6pm and busy at Victoria Station when police were called to reports of a fight on board a tube train.

“The victim says: ‘I was standing in the carriage and felt a kick to the back of my right foot and turned and saw a male. I thought it was just a mistake, but again felt a kick to the back of my foot.’

‘I asked: ‘Why are you kicking me?’ and the male replied: ‘Ask yourself.’ 

‘Other passengers told me to ignore him because he had been doing this all the way through the journey.

‘At Victoria he pushed me off balance and I pushed him back. He grabbed me by the jacket and pulled me of the train.

‘He pulled me three times and pulled me to the floor and I fell on top of him.’

“When a police officer approached Mr. Kumar said he had been drinking vodka and was panicking about missing his coach home,” added Mr. Packenham.

“He said he was drunk and had alcohol problems and if he saw the guy again he would apologise.”

Kumar, who had been visiting friends in Ilford, has been living a chaotic, semi-homeless existence for nearly twenty years, said Ms Mansoor. 

“I think this is your last chance saloon,” Mr. Lewis told Kumar. “There is an opportunity to live a good life again.

“You must keep positive and work towards a better outcome. You must address your alcohol issues, it is ruining your life.

“A plea from us is to get your life back together. We don’t want to see you back here again.”

Kumar, who is paying other criminal fines from his benefits, was ordered to pay £85 compensation to the victim.

Career Criminal Behind Bars For Nicking Sentimental Keepsakes From OAP

A heartless burglar tricked his way into an 89 year-old man’s caravan - snatching a gold locket containing his only photo of his late mother and a gold florin coin that had been in the family three generations.

Stanley Butler, 39, had only been released from prison five days earlier when he posed as a roofer needing to borrow a pen to blag his way into the pensioner’s home.

The Slough career criminal received five-and-a-half years imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court after he was convicted of the burglary.

The court heard how last May Butler convinced the victim he had permission to carry out work on the Hillingdon site and began quoting prices for roofing work.

After asking to borrow a pen he followed the OAP into the caravan without permission and snatched the sentimental valuables, which have not been recovered.

Detective Constable Woolford of Hillingdon CID said: “The elderly victim went inside to fetch a pen and Butler followed him in uninvited.

“Once inside he distracted the the victim and stole sentimental items that cannot be replaced, such as a gold locket containing a picture of his late mother, the only photo he had left of her and a gold florin coin that had been passed down to the victim from three generations.

“Butler is a dishonest male with previous convictions for burglary particularly using distraction methods.”

Former Chelsea Youth Prospect Caught With Cocaine Again

A once-promising Chelsea FC footballer, whose career has been wrecked by drugs, was caught by police with cocaine less than three miles from Stamford Bridge stadium.

Ugandan-born Joel Kitamirike, 33, of Hoskins Close, Canning Town pleaded guilty to possessing a small quantity of the Class A drug in Castelnau, Barnes on August 7, last year.

He was part of the youth set-up at Chelsea, but his only first-team appearance was in a UEFA Cup tie away to Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv when several first-teamers did not travel because of a security threat.

Defender Kitamirike then moved to neighbours Brentford on loan and had short-lives spells at Mansfield Town and Dundee.

In November, 2008 he received twenty months imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court after being caught with heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis.

He tried to swallow the drugs when stopped by police, but spat out six wraps of cocaine, one wrap of heroin and the cannabis. He had £344 cash on him and another £2,000, plus skunk cannabis was found at his address.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard his latest arrest was near Hammersmith Bridge and he was fined £276, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge.

Kitamirike also pleaded guilty to obstructing police on the same occasion and for that offence was conditionally discharged for twelve months.  

Drunken Underground Sex Pest Banned From Network

A sex pest has been slapped with a three-year ban from London's Underground after drunkenly groping a woman.

Glenn Dumper, 26, of Clay Lake, Spalding pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the female at Liverpool Street Station on July 22, last year.

At Westminster Magistrates Court he was placed on a two-year community order, but was also made subject to the travel ban and ordered to participate in a 100-day accredited programme and rehab for up to 90 days.

Dumper must also pay £250 compensation to the victim, a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Additionally he must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

The court took into account Dumper's early guilty plea, but also noted the offence was aggravated by alcohol consumption and occuring in a public place.

Wife Stalked 'Other Woman' During Six-Month Car Scratch Campaign

Ian & Emma Hunt Leaving Court

The wife of a former successful Hong Kong businessman drove from their £2m home to repeatedly ‘key’ the car of his ex-mistress during a six-month stalking campaign.

Emma Hunt, 62, of Leaside Avenue, Muswell Hill even deliberately placed a screw in front of the tyre, causing it to deflate, when ‘other woman’ Ngai Mann drove off.

She pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates Court yesterday to stalking Ms Mann between March 30 and October 16 and causing damage to her white Toyota Yaris.

The mother-of-two was placed on a twelve-month community order and must complete 100 hours community service and pay £1,000 compensation.

Ms Mann became pregnant during the affair with husband Ian in Hong Kong and the Hunt’s say they gave her a £250,000 pay-off to settle all financial claims.

The couple also claim Ms Mann tricked the husband into giving her £7,500 for medical treatment after fabricating a terminal illness and fraudulently using a credit card in Mr. Hunt’s name to buy £30,000 worth of gold in Hong Kong.

Police CCTV proved Mrs Hunt was driving in the area when the vandalism occurred outside Ms Mann’s £850,000 Wimbledon home in Florence Road, which she shares with her toddler daughter.

Prosecutor Miss Damilola Eniola told the court: “The complainant and defendant are known to each other.

“She had an extra-marital affair with the defendant’s husband in Hong Kong and four years ago she gave birth to their child.”

Ngai Mann Was Stalked

Last Spring Ms Mann received a letter at the address. “This caused her distress and was written as if Mr. hunt had written it.

“She also received a hand-delivered letter from Mrs Hunt.”

The wife accepts she is the author of the second letter, but maintains the first was genuinely written by her husband and is not a forged by her.

A few weeks later the damage began. “The complainant found long scratches from the back to the front of her Toyota Yaris in June.

“In July she saw a scratch running from back to front and reported it to the police, feeling she had been targeted.”

There was a more serious incident in September. “The complainant, while driving her car in Wimbledon, heard a loud noise from the front and found her left tyre had been deflated by a large screw.”

Hunt pleaded guilty on the basis she visited the address on four occasions, but the prosecution say it was at least seven.

When arrested she told the police she was interested in how Ms Mann as able to recently pay cash for the house. “She visited because she wanted to know if the complainant was in full-time employment,” added Ms Eniola.

When police asked her about causing damage she replied: “No comment.”

The court heard the Hunt’s remortgaged their home to finance the quarter of a million pay-off to Ms Mann and the husband did not pursue the gold ‘fraud’ for the sake of the baby.

The couple have reported Ms Mann to the police here, suspecting her house purchase was with the proceeds of fraud.

Mrs Hunt said via her lawyer her visits were motivated by curiosity as to how Ms Mann was financing her lifestyle.  

Her husband is still making payments to Ms Mann via the Child Support Agency and is a witness in a Home Office investigation.

“This is a serious matter, sustained over a period of time and damage has been admitted,” said magistrate Mr. David Mulholland.

“This was a series of offences that took place over six months, a sustained set of offences, many of which you have agreed to,” he told retired Hunt, who receives a private pension.

The court heard she enjoys an “active retirement” spending time with her one grandchild and still lives with her husband.

The court also made her subject to a restraining order, prohibiting her contacting Ms Mann and visiting Florence Road.

She must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

'Fling' Playboy Avoids Jail For Drunken Attack On Fiance

Life's A Beach: Marco & Toni

A privately-educated playboy, whose £17m photo messaging app Fling collapsed earlier this year, has received a suspended prison sentence for drunkenly attacking his fiancé at their luxury Thames side apartment. 

Marco Nardone, 29, the son of a millionaire wine merchant, dragged his partner of two years Toni Allcock by her hair and slapped, throttled and kicked her in the stomach at the £2m flat.

Nardone, who was educated at £36,000- year Charterhouse, and is a physics graduate of Imperial College London was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.

“As the author of the probation report says this was a really serious offence. It was vicious, spiteful and sustained and very shocking actually,” Westminster Magistrate Ms Amanda Barron told him. 

Nardone pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Allcock at the apartment in

Distillery Wharf, Regatta Lane, Hammersmith on December 12, last year.

He was also ordered to complete forty sessions of a Building Better Relationships Programme and twenty days of a probation-ordered rehabilitation activity requirement. 

Prosecutor Miss Katie Bryan told the court: “The victim and the defendant were partners residing together. They had been in a relationship two years and have no children.

“She says that six months into the relationship there were some difficulties.”

Tension built over Nardone exchanging WhatsApp messages with an ex-girlfriend he was allowing to stay at the apartment when Ms Allcock was away.

Court Date: Nardone

“She was in bed at 2.30am and had a dispute with the defendant about a WhatsApp message.”

Nardone had been out late that night enjoying dinner with dad Remo, 81, owner of Enotria Winecellars and returned home drunk.

“She said he returned later and had been drinking and she went down to the kitchen to make a hot chocolate drink.

“The defendant followed her down and blocked her from leaving the kitchen and took out his phone and tried to film her and then put his two hands around her neck.

“He slapped her across the face and she describes ear ringing due to the impact and decided to leave the property.”

Throughout the assault she was shouting: “Leave me alone.” 

“She left the door ajar, but the defendant locked the door and she is screaming and banging on the door, asking to be let back in.

“Mr. Nardone opened the door and said: ‘Get your stuff’ but she did not go in because she thought the defendant was trying to lure her in.”

Ms Alcock then tried to raise the alarm with the building’s 24-hour concierge, but Nardone blocked her from ringing the bell with his hand.

“She then made a run for the lift and the defendant followed her and dragged her back by her hair.

“She managed to get away and call the lift and the defendant followed her back and to use her words: ‘booted her in the stomach.’

“She then describes taking the lift down and running across the lobby to get help.”

Her ordeal lasted approximately twenty minutes and it was not the first time police had been called to a row between the pair.

There was another incident earlier last year. “There was a fall-out in the property,” explained Ms Bryan. “A neighbour describes screams from the balcony and they called the police.” 

Fortunately the lift’s CCTV captured the moment Nardone kicked Ms Allcock in the stomach, but this was not played in court.

Ms Barron added: “We put this in the highest category of common assault, Category One. It was a sustained attack and there were four parts to it.

“You grabbed her around the throat, slapped her around the face, causing her ear ringing and kicked her in the stomach, having previously pulled her by the hair.

“She tried to escape, but you kept going and it is aggravated by you being very drunk that night and she was in her home and tried to leave. It must have been awful for her.

“This is a pattern of behaviour and in the report she says you have slapped her in the past and grabbed her around the throat in the past. We are very concerned about her.

“We have thought very hard about sending you to prison today.

“It is important you have specific domestic abuse counselling so you don’t do this again.

“It says in the report you are hot a heavy drinker and don’t use drugs, but you were obviously out of control due to the alcohol.”

The magistrates indicated why they did not immediately jail Nardone. “There were no long-term injuries and you have shown some remorse.

“You have to turn up to all the sessions. I know you are trying to run a business, but this comes first, there are no excuses.

“This really is hanging over you, but it is allowing you to get on with your life and improve your relationship,” added Ms Barron.

Nardone must also pay £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge within seven days. No compensation order was made in favour of Ms Allcock. 

His lawyer Mr. Martin Lewis handed the court a letter from Nardone’s therapist at the Sloane Court Centre. 

“The defendant has gone to seek counselling and Ms Allcock wants to join in on those counselling sessions.

“This is a couple who hope to remain together for a long, long time. They are engaged, they work together, they are business partners, they are together twenty-four hours a day.

“They are two very highly ambitious people, who wish to stay together. Since being caught he’s grown up and realises this has to be addressed.”

Mr. Lewis has viewed the phone footage shot by Nardone. “We can see Miss Allcock is in quite a high state because he was late coming home from dinner with his father.

“There is evidence of her shouting at the defendant and calling him a liar and the defendant can be heard saying: ‘please calm down’ not in a harsh voice, but a soft voice.

“She is shouting loudly and it is a residential block of flats and the row spills into the common parts.”  

Nardone’s app Fling - which allowed users to send photos to random people - was effectively hijacked by sexting and never made a penny.

He was backed by his father, who reportedly gave him £1.5m when aged 23 to develop the app.

Nardone was the chief executive of Fling, which at its height claimed to have four million users , who sent fifty million messages.

However, while the app struggled to turn a profit for investors, estimated to have ploughed in £17m, Nardone featured his party lifestyle on his Instagram account, which included holidays in Ibiza, fine dining at Michelin-starred restaurants and relaxing at the riverside apartment.

The company is believed to be in administration, owing twitter £120,000; Google over £45,000 and £95,000 to the taxman.

Nardone was employed for a year as a trader at Credit Suisse after leaving university before launching his own business.

However, Fling was never in profit and was criticised as a forum for men to harass women with explicit nude photographs.

Despite this Nardone started a new music company called Gig FM, boasting on facebook to have created ‘the world’s first proper Music live streaming app.’ 

Footballer Jailed For Nightclub KO Punch

Clack Attack: 27 Months

Chichester City FC star Josh Clack was jailed for twenty-seven months for a devastating KO punch outside a nightclub on a lone passer-by picked-on by his pals.

The 24 year-old winger’s young victim suffered bleeding on the brain, plus two facial factors and spent ten days in hospital.

“You are fortunate that you did not kill him,” Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court Judge Stephen John told Clack. “If you had it would at least have been a charge of manslaughter.” 

Semi-pro Clack, of Oakwood Close, Midhurst, West Sussex was convicted after a week-long trial of inflicting grievous bodily harm on 20 year-old Kieran Smithers.

Ironically one of his last tweets a week ago read: “Waking up on a Sunday and knowing you’re in the last 16 of the FA Vase is lovely!”

He will now be behind bars when that fixture, away to Cheshire’s 1874 Northwick FC, kicks off on February 3 and he will miss the remainder of his club’s Southern Combination Premier Division season.

The jury returned an 11-1 majority verdict that Clack was not defending himself when he struck the blow just after 3am outside Guildford’s Casino nightclub on October 18, 2015.

The delay in coming to trial has weighed heavily on Clack, said his lawyer, but Judge John told the footballer: “It is your fault it has taken this long to sentence you.

“You were the aggressor and it is aggravated by the fact that at no stage have you expressed any remorse for this offence.”

Clack had already consumed a beer, two vodkas and two other drinks during a night out with a group of pals, one of whom playfully startled Mr. Smithers.

Smithers: Bleeding On Brain

The complainant pushed back in surprise and was backed-up by two concerned off-duty soldiers as the incident escalated. 

“In the second incident the prosecution say Josh Clack deliberately punched Kieran Smithers in the face or head, causing really serious harm,” said prosecutor Mr. John Coates.

“This defendant deliberately punches him in the face, but that is not caught on CCTV. He squared up to get in Kieran Smithers’ face and was swinging for him and that punch knocked him out.

“Kieran Smithers fell to the ground like a tree. He was out cold and fell backward and hit the back of his head on the concrete. 

“This defendant then walked off across the bridge and disappeared.

“He had a fracture above his left eye and a fracture of his nasal bone and a blood-filled swelling to the back of his head.”

Clack fractured his hand delivering the punch and it was still in a cast when he was questioned by police.

Banged Up: Clack

Clack hid the truth from medical staff at Chichester’s St. Richard’s Hospital, claiming that he suffered the injury when punching a wall.

He told officers. “I said I punched a wall. I did not want to look bad, I know a lot of people in Chichester, I play football for Chichester.”

Mr. Smithers recalls nothing of the incident, but the court heard he has been on anti-depressants since the assault and has had trouble sleeping.

“The aggravating features of this case outweigh the mitigating factors,” added Judge John. “The offence is so serious any sentence cannot be suspended.”

A large number of family and friends were in court to support Clack, who signed-off his season with a pair of goals in Chichester’s 4-0 league away win at Hassocks.

“You and your family must know this is a very serious offence,” the judge told him.

During the trial Clack told the jury he is not a violent person or a heavy drinker, yet has a police caution for assault and a drink-drive conviction.

“I might have been hurt myself. I did not think I had any other options,” he claimed. “He pushed me in the chest with both hands and I punched him as soon as he put his hands on me.

“I was trying to protect myself and just did what I thought was necessary at the time. It was a split-second decision in an instant.”