Couple Sentenced For Defrauding Neighbours Of Freehold Share

Housebound: Dagg

A couple defrauded their upstairs neighbours out of their freehold share then charged £60,000 for use of the stairs up to their flat, a court heard.

Retired Douglas Dagg, 72, and Julie Green, 70, also extended their own lease for free, but charged the couple above £24,500 to do the same thing.

“People should have been treated well as neighbours. You were both extremely mean and made living in that building a complete nightmare,” said Judge Owen Davies QC.

“Your neighbour upstairs had years and years of misery, including arguments over communal parts of the building you were trying to prevent other people using or charge them.

“You extended your own lease for free, but tried to charge large sums of money to extend the other leaseholders. The atmosphere in that house must have been terrible for years and neither of you have the slightest remorse for what you have done.”

They both pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position, namely transferring the freehold of the property in Durand Gardens, Stockwell to themselves and were sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

Court Date: Green 

Judge Davies ordered they must also pay the £16,000 legal bill of their upstairs and downstairs neighbours for restoring the freehold share. “I see no reason why these defendants should not pay the entirety of the costs to the victims of their wrongdoing.”

He also ordered they pay £2,000 compensation each to Bradley Burden and Marc Todd. “I want to reflect in a small measure the misery you have subjected your victims to.”

The couple claim downstairs flat leaseholder Mr. Todd was a buy to let landlord, who failed to contribute to running costs as did upstairs couple Mr. Burden and partner Lisa Clayton.

“The fact the freehold devolved to us looks terrible on paper, but they were not paying their bills, which was mostly insurance,” said retired market researcher Green from the couple’s flat in the leafy Stockwell Park Conservation Area.

“The judge really had a downer on us that we were greedy and nasty, which isn’t the case,” said her housebound partner Dagg, a former factory boss. “We have been left with a twenty thousand pound bill, which is more than we can possibly afford.”

Prosecutor Mr. Oliver Newman told Inner London Crown Court Green was the company director and Dagg the company secretary of Durand 42 Ltd. 

“In October 2010 they took complete ownership of all shares in the company and were sending the other flats invoices for work and there was a substantial management fee.

£60K: Stairway To Hell

“They said Mr. Burden and Ms Clayton had no right to cross the landing outside their flat to access the stairs and demanded sixty thousand pounds to grant access to the top floor.”

In his victim impact statement first-time buyer Mr. Burden said: “This has had a negative impact on our lives, health and well-being for ten years.

“We had regular threatening correspondence, demands for payment and told we had no rights to the common parts of the building.

“There were barricades blocking communal areas and exits and our post was taken and found in Douglas and Julie’s flat. We were fearful and intimidates and scared to return home.”

The couple did not pay the fees for stair access or lease extension.

Dispute: Durand Gardens

Mr. Newman added: “They were a young couple, purchasing their first flat, had their first child and were unable to sell and move on to a house and were at the mercy of the defendants because they took over the freehold.” 

Green, who says the couple will probably have to sell-up to pay the money, added: “We were astonished the police were involved. They came here at 8am with a search warrant.”

Dagg said: “We were paying their insurance, we did not make any money out of it. We wanted to tend to the leases because they were so badly written up.

“They were all Buy To Let and they have not lost out. Upstairs rented the flat out regularly for £400-500 per week and that was contrary to the lease.”

Jail For 'Solitary' Pervert Who Amassed 20,000 Pics And Videos Of Children

A 34 year-old mummy’s boy, caught with over 20,000 sick pictures and videos of young children, plus disturbing publication ‘The Pedophiles Handbook,’ has been jailed for 32 months.

Department store worker Matthew Costar described in court as a “solitary” individual who lives with his mother had another handbook called ‘Kids and Sex Toys.’

“Over a lengthy period of time you were collecting dreadful images of young children being raped and terribly abused,” Croydon Crown Court Judge Nicholas Ainley told him on Friday.

“You joined with people of the same mind and distributed the material so others could view. I agree this was all fantasy on your part, but the children being abused were real enough.

“We are dealing with young children here, many are six or seven years-old and go down to three years of age.”

Costar, of Elmcroft Road, Orpington pleaded guilty to three counts of making a total of 22,211 images; possessing the two manuals and distributing indecent images.

Prosecutor Mr. Jonathan Loades told the court police raided Costar’s home on September 15, 2017. “The defendant had a large number of computers and laptops and hard drives.

“It was clear there was peer-to-peer software allowing others to search his hard drives and download material and all items were seized and submitted for forensic analysis.”

Costar’s lawyer Mr. Mark Bagshaw said: “He is a solitary man and does not have access to children and has from an early age looked at pornography online.

“He looked at adult pornography, but also child pornography and has reflected on what he has done.

“He has not accessed pornography for the last two years and resigned from his department store job yesterday.

‘He got himself into a habit without particularly thinking about it and there is no suggestion his viewing of images has gone any further than that.”

Costar was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and made subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Speeding Motorist Pleads Guilty To Moped Death Crash

A speeding motorist has pleaded guilty to killing a moped food delivery courier performing a u-turn from behind a coach in West Kensington.

Manish Patel, 32, of Elms Park Avenue, Sudbury Hill, Harrow appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, which sent him to Isleworth Crown Court for sentencing.

He pleaded guilty to one count of causing the death of Adam Benalhachmi by careless or inconsiderate driving in Holland Road on May 13, last year.

A police investigation concluded Patel was driving his black 1.6 litre VW Golf at approximately 40mph in a 30 mph zone.

Prosecutor Malachy Pakenham told the court it was just after 11pm and Patel was with his wife driving back home from visiting friends in Bromley.

“The deceased was riding a Honda 125 motorcycle and was not wearing any specific motorcyclist clothing apart from a crash helmet.

“He was delivering food to customers and stopped behind a coach parked in a bay.

“This defendant was not distracted on his phone and he was wearing his glasses for driving and there was not much traffic on the road.

“He braked and swerved to his left to avoid the motorcyclist and collided with a traffic post, but not before unfortunately colliding with the deceased.

“Mr. Benalhachmi had attempted a u-turn from behind a coach where he had parked up.

“The defendant was travelling at a speed he should not have been travelling at. If he had been he would have been able to stop in time.

“The victim was hit and knocked off the bike and an ambulance and air ambulance attended and there is a doctor’s statement that is pretty distressing.

“He made efforts to save Mr. Benalhachmi’s life, but he died at the scene just after midnight.

“The police have calculated Mr. Patel’s speed in excess of the 30 mph limit, possibly 40 mph.”

Patel was bailed pending sentencing, but made subject to an interim driving disqualification.

"High Flyer" Accountant Graduate Had 1700 Upskirt Clips Of Women

A young accountant with a first-class degree was caught with 1700 ‘upskirt’ images of women he had filmed when stopped by a store detective, a court heard on Monday.

Leon Chan, 24, of Rampart Street, Whitechapel, who works for industry giants PricewaterhouseCoopers, was detained in Top Shop, Oxford Circus while trying to film a female shopper.

He pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency, namely filming or attempting to film up the skirts of female members of the public on or before January 1, this year.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard the charge relates to 97 sample images of ‘upskirting’ found on his iPhone’s memory stick, but a total of approximately 1700 were on the device.

This was discovered after a store detective at the women’s boutique spotted Chan behaving suspiciously with his phone behind an unsuspecting woman who was bending over. 

“He can be described as a high flyer, having achieved a first class degree in economics from Leeds University and he is in a very, very good job,” said Michael Magarian QC, defending.

“When he was caught by the store detective he handed over his grey iPhone and gave the PIN straight away, which we know not every suspect does willingly.

“All of this behaviour was during a short period over Christmas and he will now face professional disciplinary proceedings as a result of this conviction.

“He was embarrassed and ashamed when he had to tell his employers and couldn’t bring himself to talk about it over the phone.

“When he was arrested he told the police officers: ‘I’m really sorry, I’m really stupid.’ Maybe he wanted to be caught.”

Prosecutor Mr. Malachy Pakenham disputed a suggestion from the QC the offence was less serious because the women filmed were not aware of what Chan was doing. 

“This has become more and more prevalent and has been reported in the media, as the media have a right to do.

“To say there is no harm I disagree with. If women wearing skirts have a fear or trepidation that men near them may use devices to record them then that will have an impact on society.

“Courts when they sentence reflect the errors of society and the fact these women did not know what he was doing does not go in his favour at all.

“If the harm was non-existent it wouldn’t be a criminal offence would it?”

Chan was committed for sentencing to Southwark Crown Court and magistrate Victoria Readman told him: “We are very concerned in relation to the seriousness of the offence.

“It is not just the ninety-seven specimen incidents on your memory stick, but the sheer number of images, there were one thousand seven hundred of them.

“We feel this does exceed our sentencing powers.”

Harry Styles: Alleged Stalker In Court Charged With Following One Direction Star

Styles: Called Police

A man has appeared in court, charged with stalking One Direction star Harry Styles by sleeping outside his Hampstead home and posting notes through his letterbox.

Spanish national Pablo Tarazaga-Orero, 26, of no fixed address appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court last Friday, where he entered a not guilty plea.

He was remanded in custody and appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday. 

Tarazaga-Orero is charged with stalking without causing fear, alarm or distress in Spaniards Road between April 6 and June 1, this year.

The charge also alleges he made unwanted approaches to the singer-actor in the street outside the address.

Tarazaga-Orero initially appeared in court after his airport arrest returning to the UK from a two-week holiday to his native Spain.

Due to the high-profile nature of the case he was remanded in custody to appear before Emma Arbuthnot, the Chief Magistrate of England and Wales, sitting at Westminster Magistrates Court.

However, the case was eventually heard by Deputy District Judge Ross Johnson.

Tarazaga-Orero: Weekend In Nick

He bailed Tarazaga-Orero to appear at Hendon Magistrates Court for an all-day trial on October 14 on condition he surrenders his passport to the police, does not contact Styles and does not enter the NW3 postcode.

Styles will be the main prosecution evidence and an application by the Crown Prosecution Service to remain behind a screen in the courtroom was granted.

There are two more civilian prosecution witnesses, including a Michelle Raycroft.

Tarazaga-Orero’s lawyer Ms Angharad Marshall told the court: “He denies some things that are alleged, but accepts other things.

“He does not agree he tried to grab the complainant, but does agree he was in the park and at the pub and denies it was harassment or stalking or that he was looking at him in a funny way.”

Skinny dark-haired Tarazaga-Orero appeared in the dock wearing a lavender t-shirt and off-white trousers. He had beads around his neck and both wrists.

An original trial date in September was scrapped due to Styles’ unavailability.

Married Benefit Claimant Said She Was Single

A benefit cheat, who claimed she was single while living with her husband, has received a suspended prison sentence.

Debbie Jones, 44, of Ferney Meade Way, Isleworth dishonestly declared she had no potential additional income coming into her household.

During this time she was paid Housing Benefit; Income Support; Employment Support Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance.

At Bexley Magistrates Court she was sentenced to twelve weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

Jones was also placed on a twelve-month Community Order, which includes up to ten days rehab and must pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

She pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to notify the London Borough of Hounslow she was living with her husband between February 16 and August 9, 2015.

Jones also pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false statement to the London Borough of Greenwich on August 12, 2015, namely that she was single.

She also admitted fraud by dishonestly failing to disclose to the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) on May 11, 2017 she was living with her husband.

Jones similarly made a false statement to the DWP on May 24, 2016; September 20, 2017 and between February 10, 2015 and May 18, 2016.

The court found Jones co-operated with the investigation, admitted her guilty early and showed genuine remorse.

Tranmere Rovers Fan's Racist Wembley Rant

A drunken Tranmere Rovers fan missed his team’s dramatic Wembley play-off victory after shouting: “You f***ing p*** c***,” at an asian security officer.

Electrician Jordan Unsworth, 23, of Mavis Drive, Birkenhead, Wirral claims he was agitated by police sniffer dogs outside the stadium.

The dad-of-one pleaded guilty at Willesden Magistrates Court to racially aggravated threatening behaviour and trying to enter a sporting event while drunk on May 25.

Tranmere Rovers beat Newport County 1-0 in the final seconds of injury time to secure promotion to League One.

The first-time offender was conditionally discharged for eighteen months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Prosecutor Ms Neeta Minhas told the court on Friday: “At the football match police dogs indicated this defendant should be searched and he took umbrage and was extremely difficult with the officers.

“He appeared to be intoxicated and the officers had to restrain him and police began escorting him away from the ground.

“The defendant turned to one of the security officers and said: ‘You f***ing p*** c***,’ and these words were captured on the police bodywork footage.”

The audio of the footage was played in court and police officers could be heard repeatedly telling Unsworth to “calm down” and “chill out” before the racial slur.

He could also be heard shouting: “You think I give a f***?” and: “This is embarrassing this.”

The security officer did not hear Unsworth’s words at the time, but after hearing the police recording said: “I was upset by the comment made to me, but unfortunately I am used to it at the football.”

Police could be heard telling Unsworth his behaviour was “unacceptable”, considering there were so many families and children around.

The Crown Prosecution Service applied for a three-year football banning order, but this was rejected by the magistrates.

“It was a brief incident after he was approached by dogs. He has a fear of dogs and told them he was very scared,” said Ms Ruta Mikailaite, defending.

“It was a negative search, no drugs were found, but he was detained and his arm was put behind his back and he was in pain.

“His shirt was ripped as a result of being detained.

“His girlfriend and her family are the real supporters of the team and he went out of loyalty to them and to his village. They are a small team from a small village.

“He was on the coach and they were all drinking, which he could not handle. He missed the game after paying for a ticket and the coach.”

Unsworth was released from police custody at 3am.

“He had never been in custody before and was terrified of coming to court today,” added Ms Mikailaite.

“I have never met anyone so anxious, fearing they would go to prison.

“His father did not speak to him he was so ashamed and my client is also ashamed.”

After reading a letter from Unsworth magistrate Ms Sonal Dave told him: “These are serious offences. There were families and children there.”

Psychiatric Hospital For Mother & Son 'Witchfinders'

Leonora & Mark Joseph

A born-again Christian mother and son ‘witchfinders’, who shouted “death by fire” chants at their upstairs neighbour, have both been committed to secure psychiatric hospitals by a court.

Leonora Joseph, 76, and her son Mark Joseph, 56, targeted 45 year-old Samantha Ginsburg, believing she was a witch, Wimbledon Magistrates Court heard.

District Judge Andrew Sweet announced at the conclusion of their trial he found the allegations proved and they committed the acts claimed.

The Joseph’s, of Cromwell Road, Wimbledon both pleaded not guilty to harassing upstairs neighbour Ms Ginsburg between August 27 and November 30, last year.

The charge accuses both Joseph’s of shouting: “Death by fire,” playing their television loudly and calling their neighbour a: “Witch.”

After Ms Ginsburg eventually reported them to the police she logged 38 separate incidents between August 28 and making a second police statement on January 4, this year.

Mrs Joseph will be admitted to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and her son to Springfield University Hospital, Tooting.

Samantha Ginsburg

Mrs Joseph told the trial: “Somebody in witchcraft will not like the name of God and in particular Jesus. I will call her a witch, because that is what she is, that’s not hateful, that’s her occupation.”

Mrs Joseph claimed Ms Ginsburg was exposed as a witch when she “reacted in horror” upon first meeting her, behaviour a local “Godly” woman said was a tell-tale sign.

“The woman, who I met in Waitrose, told me: “She sees Jesus in you. No-one will know, only a witch will know you are a follower of Jesus.”

During prayers for her failing health Mrs Joseph said she saw an image of Ms Ginsburg on her bedroom wall and said flatmate Klaudius Barran was also involved.

“How can they say we are chanting? Christians don’t chant. We fight against the spirit, we don’t fight against the human.”

She conceded playing religious Trinity Broadcasting Network and God TV at high volume so the neighbours would hear the words.

Quoting Exodus Mrs Jospeh told the court: “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live. That is the word of God.

“We want to destroy this witchcraft. It doesn’t just attack us, but also non-believers and they wouldn’t be aware.

“It comes to us this witchcraft and it is the work of Satan.”

She confirmed the loud prayers and TV were designed to be heard. “It was intended to upset the spirit in them. These are people dealing with evil, with Satan. They are haters of God.”

Her son Mark told the court: “We are in spiritual warfare. They are practicing witchcraft. This is not something a court or police force can deal with.

“We have had a life of hell with them as neighbours. They are tracking us, eavesdropping, all our activities are monitored.

“They are trying to murder us.”

Solicitor And G.P. In Four-Year : 'Battle Of The Bins' Feud

Not Guilty: Hugh Sorrell

A veteran solicitor charged with harassment was simply defending his strip of land during a four-year wheelie bin battle with his Harley Street doctor neighbour, a judge has ruled.

Hugh Clement Sorrell, 76, found himself arrested and prosecuted after repeated run-ins with Dr. Jayshree Pillaye, 72, outside their apartments in leafy Pinner.

The pair were involved in a dispute over the bins, repeatedly moving each other’s out of the way and Dr. Pillaye also claimed he moved her religious artefacts, with both parties accusing the other of digging up their flowers.

He claims neighbourly relations soured when the general practitioner lost a civil claim against the other leaseholders of Tudor House, Pinner Hill Road in 2013 and was ordered to pay £450,000 court costs.

On Friday at Willesden Magistrates Court Sorrell, a property and lease specialist, was found not guilty of harassing Dr. Pillaye by abusing her between February 17 and August 20, last year.

“The defendant did nothing more than protect his proprietary rights, apart from one incident in four years when he called her a bitch,” ruled District Judge Dennis Brennan.

Giving evidence behind a screen Dr. Pillaye told the trial: “I was in fear every time I stepped out to my bins. Mr. Sorrell said things that were hurtful, fearful and caused me to panic.

“He said that I didn’t own land to the side of my kitchen, that I was squatting and trespassing and that I didn’t own my part of the freehold.

Bins Battle: Dr. Pillaye

“He said that I was a thief and made me doubt whether I owned my flat. Mr. Sorrell is a solicitor and he said it so often I wondered what is the truth and what isn’t and had to look at my own deeds.”

Sorrell told the court: “I was annoyed that she was trespassing, virtually on a daily basis, not one bin, but three and would shunt mine aside.”

He also alleged she dug up lavender flowers he planted.

Dr. Pillaye began recording their confrontations on her phone, saying her neighbour would abuse her from an upstairs window.

“He would say: ‘You are unworthy, go and squat somewhere else.’ I should not be living in fear, I should be enjoying life, I love my flat and neighbours and social network.

“He would refer to my brain as: ‘Sawdust between your ears’ and say: ‘How can you be a doctor if you can’t read?’

“He also used the derogatory term ‘coolie’ and called me a bitch a couple of times and called me a cow and made a moo sound.

“It is dehumanising, I despaired, I felt helpless, there as no civility.”

Battle Of The Bins: Tudor House

Both Sorrell and Dr. Pillaye have resided in their apartments for over thirty years, with the lawyer telling the court he tried to keep her: “As distant as possible.”

She told the court: “It is a constant barrage, saying I’m unworthy to be a human being and he is digging up my plants now.”

As a Tamil Hindu Dr. Pillaye placed artefacts in the disputed area. “Mr. Sorrell said: ‘I don’t care if they are religious things. You are trespassing, that’s my part of the garden.’

“I want to enjoy what belongs to me and planted flowers that reminded me of my childhood, but he dug them up three or four times.”

Sorrell told the trial Dr. Pillaye’s behaviour was motivated by her expensive civil court defeat. “She did not like that she was condemned to indemnity costs.

“She would move her bins onto land comprising my lease and I would move them off. She put her bins totally in my area virtually on a daily basis.

“She did not tend to come out after dark so at sunset I would move them.”

After the not guilty verdict was announced the court heard Dr. Pillaye made a further complaint to police, regarding more recent incidents, which may be subject to investigation.

Anarchy In The UK: Illegal Sierra Leone £164K Cheat Still Here

Bangura: £164K Cheat

A Sierra Leone fraudster, who used a bogus identity to get UK residency and swindle over £164,000 in benefits, is still demanding to remain in the UK, a court heard.

Single-mum Aminata Bangura, 44, was refused leave to remain as a student in 2004, but won her Home Office case under the fraudulent name.

She was accelerated up the council waiting list after having a son, now aged ten years-old, who needs lifelong NHS care for sickle cell anaemia. 

Bangura, of Laird House, Redcar Street, Camberwell was sentenced to two years imprisonment in May, last year for the immigration offences, but was released after eight months.

At Inner London Crown Court Judge Silas Reid questioned why she had not been automatically deported as a non-UK resident who had received over twelve months imprisonment.

“She’s a Sierra Leone citizen so what’s going on there with automatic deportation that should have followed sentencing?” he asked.

“I thought people were kept in custody. The Home Office have obviously decided she can have her liberty,” added the judge, who was sentencing Bangura for a Southwark council benefits scam that came to light after her prison sentence.

“The Home Office are still processing her application for leave to remain,” said Mr. Edward Duncan-Smith, defending. “The Home Office did not take any steps to detain her.”

Bangura pleaded guilty to three new charges of fraud by false representation in relation claims for income support; housing benefit and council tax benefit by using the false name of Marie Buli.

She applied for the benefits from March, 2008 and collected approximately £64,100.

The prison sentence she received last May included her also fraudulently obtaining a £50,000 student loan, plus around £50,000 in working tax credits, child tax credits and child benefit.

Prosecutor Mr. Orlando Gibbons told the court: “The Crown say it was sophisticated. She planned it.”

I Wanna Stay In The UK: Bangura

Mr. Duncan-Smith claimed Bangura was under the control of the father of her son when committing the offences and was of good character before the scam.

“She has been used by a dominant male, who used her to line his own pockets,” said the lawyer. “She has served a year in custody and it had a profound effect on her.”

However, this was not accepted by Judge Reid, who said: “I am not impressed by you saying she has no criminal convictions when she has been doing this for ten years.

“She is here for offences for which she should go back to prison.

“This is her stealing from the state so she can live. She is not entitled to be in the country from what I can see.”

The probation service even limited the number of community service hours they recommended because Bangura can’t afford to travel to their projects.

The judge told her: “You illegally came to this country and lived under a false identity for a decade and applied for benefits you continued to receive until you were sent to prison.

“You were given a council flat and all this money was stolen from the public and you had no right to that money or to be in this country.

“You knew you were stealing this money and could have said it at the time when you were sent to prison to make a clean sweep.

“I take into account your genuine remorse and the fact that apart from this there there has been no other offending and you are caring for and are the sole parent of your ten year-old son.

“I am not going to put you back in prison and take you away from your son today.”

Bangura was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months and ordered to complete 80 hours community service.

“You stole from this country so you have to pay something back,” the judge told her.

Ex-Boyfriend Admits Sending Boob And Bum Pics Of Former Lover To Her Dad

A man who sent half-naked pictures he took of his ex-girlfriend to her father during a post-break up dispute has eventually admitted his guilt.

Kevin Bolenge, 30, of Ludovick Walk, Barnes, sent close-up underwear snaps of her breasts and bum and had initially claimed they were of another woman.   

He pleaded guilty to disclosing private sexual images of the woman, with intent to cause distress, between October 8 and 10, 2017.

Bolenge denied a second charge of racially-aggravated threatening, abusive words and behaviour and this was dropped by the prosecution.

Prosecutor Helen McCormack told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court the pair had a relationship that was “tempestuous at times.”

“The defendant sent the pictures to her father and they were pictures of a sexual nature, clearly provocative, taken during the course of their relationship.

“This was because she was declining to keep in touch with him.”

Judge Martin Barklem bailed Bolenge until August 2 for sentencing, saying of the images: “She is always clothed. They are not indecent.

“An immediate custodial sentence is extremely unlikely.”

Ms McCormack said the prosecution will be applying for a restraining order against Bolenge, prohibiting him contacting both his ex and her father.

The racially aggravated charge that was dropped was in relation to alleged texts by Bolenge, which read: ‘Keep taking selfies with your Paki friend,’ and: ‘White slag.’  

OAP Gun Charge: CPS Drop Case

A Surbiton OAP, arrested and prosecuted for having a powerful .44 gun, had the charge against him dropped the day he was due to stand trial before a judge and jury.

Michael John Bensley, 75, had a year-long wait from the day the weapon was found to discovering he would walk free.

He had always fought the charge of possessing a prohibited weapon, namely the Russian-made gun, which allegedly had a barrel of less than 30cm in length and was less than 60cm long overall.

Bensley was charged with having the gun on June 11, last year at his home in Tolworth Road.

When he initially appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court the case was immediately transferred to Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

At the crown court the Crown Prosecution Service announced that after a review of the charge they decided it was not in the public interest to prosecute Bensley.