Trainee Solicitor Jailed For Sex Attacks On Two Lone Women Within An Hour

Caged: Monster Marodza

A trainee solicitor – dubbed a “dangerous predator” - has been caged for 14 years for sex attacks two lone women within an hour of each other while prowling the late-night streets.

Wilfred Marodza, 28, repeatedly raped a young woman, 21, he pounced on from behind in the early hours and attacked the second woman, 25, sixty minutes later.

Marodza, of Kingston Road, Eastbourne pleaded guilty to four counts of raping the first woman in Dickens Fields, Great Dover Street, Southwark on July 20.

He also pleaded guilty to kidnapping the second woman from a bus stop in nearby Borough High Street, plus an additional charge of kidnapping her, with intent to cause a sexual offence. 

He denied one count of kidnap in relation to the first victim and this was dropped by the prosecution.

Marodza was in the capital on a work trip, but was quickly traced to his family's home on the south coast.

Prosecutor Mr Edward Lucas told Inner London Crown Court: “The offences are incredibly serious, snatching strangers from the street.”

He said of Marodza, who has never been in trouble before and was employed by solicitors firm Cripps Pemberton Greenish : “The details are extremely serious, the most serious of this type of offence.” 

The first victim was walking home at 2.37am after a night out when she was approached from behind by Marodza, who was unknown to her and marched to a nearby wooded area.

She was then threatened and raped multiple times by the suspect.

The victim managed to escape and ran, fearing for her life, to a nearby street. 

A passing motorist stopped and the suspect claimed that they were having a domestic argument.

The victim got into the motorist's car and was taken to a local police station.

Marodza: Legal Career In Tatters

So traumatised and desperate to get to safety was she that she ran into an adjacent fast food restaurant, where staff called police.

Just an hour later, the second woman was waiting at a bus stop when Marodza approached her and began speaking to her offering to escort her to a nearby cab office.

The victim began walking with him before he grabbed her and pulled her into a side street, where he threatened the victim to do as she was told. 

He pushed her to the ground before the victim managed to scream and Marodza fled.

Officers from the South Central Command Unit launched an immediate investigation and Marodza was identified and arrested that same day.

He was charged and remanded in custody, where he remained until being sentenced. 

Mobile phone and CCTV evidence linked him to the offences and he answered ‘no comment’ during interviews for both offences.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Jonny Norman from the South Central Command Unit, said:"These two young women were subjected to ordeals that no person should ever have to endure. 

“I would like to recognise the dignity and courage of both women, who were subjected to horrifying ordeals after having the dreadful misfortune of being targeted by Marodza.

“He is a dangerous predator, who took advantage of being in London to violently attack two women.

“Both were left in fear of their lives and he will now serve a substantial amount of time behind bars, where he can bring no further harm to women.

“I would like to thank the investigative team who worked tirelessly to track and arrest Marodza. Most importantly I would like to thank the victims, whose bravery and courage in supporting our investigation has been instrumental. 

“I hope that, in time, this will allow them some form of closure and that they can begin to move on with their lives.”

Marodza had been determined to pursue a legal career and had been employed in the corporate transactions department with his latest employer.

He has previously been employed as a paralegal for firms in London and Kent and has a law degree from the University of Kent and attended BPP Law School.

Key Charge Prison Officer Caught With Cannabis During Police Road

A HMP Wandsworth officer being investigated for copying keys at the jail was caught with cannabis during a police raid on his home.

Lithuanian-born Andrej Martynov, 40, appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court charged with both offences.

Martynov, of Routh Street, Beckton, east London was sent to Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to appear on February 10 on the more serious charge.

He is accused that while the holder of a public office, namely the Key Controller at HMP Wandsworth, he misconducted himself on September 13, last year my making moulds of prison keys and removing them.

However, he pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis at his former address in Earlsfield Road, Earlsfield on the same date.

Prosecutor Mr. George Crivelli told the court officers executed a search warrant at Martynov’s former home.

“He had two containers of cannabis, which were sealed. I small amount of cannabis.

“He said it was for personal use and paid eighty pounds for it from a cyclist in Wandsworth Park.”

Martynov’s lawyer Caroline Reeve said: “The cannabis was a small amount for personal use and he made full admissions in interview, is of good character and should receive credit for his guilty plea.

“This has cost him his job and he now does casual work and his income is varied and limited.”

Marytnov was fined £246 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Sleazy Halloween Uber Driver Exposed Himself To Party Girl

An Uber driver, who subjected a lone young woman to a Halloween horror when he exposed himself during their extended journey while asking for sex, has been sentenced.

Nadeem Afzal, 51, deliberately took a longer route from north to south London while trying to persuade the woman, in her early twenties, to perform sex acts on him.

Fortunately the victim used her phone to make an audio recording of Afzal’s sleazy demands, which was used as evidence against him.

The Pakistani national, of Limes Avenue, Chigwell pleaded guilty to exposure in the early hours of November 1, last year and was committed by Wimbledon Magistrates Court to Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court for sentencing.

On Thursday he was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years and must sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

Afzal was also made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The woman had been out on Halloween and used the Uber App to request a cab home and Afzal arrived to collect her for what should have been a forty minute journey.

However, twenty minutes into the journey Afzal exposed himself to her and asked several times for her to touch him intimately.

She refused, but continued recording his sexually-explicit requests.

After nearly two hours in the vehicle she was eventually dropped-of at a takeaway near her home in south-west London.

When she got home she immediately called the police and Afzal was quickly identified.

It took nearly a year for him to be charged with the offence. 

Sergeant Jonny Harris of the Metropolitan Police’s Roads and Transport Command said: “Afzal preyed on this female passenger in his minicab and was extremely persistent in his sexual advances and behaviour, leaving the passenger feeling scared and vulnerable.

“The victim showed courage coming forward to police and reporting Afzal, who is now a registered sex offender and can no longer work as a cab driver.”

Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport Policing and Community Safety at Transport for London said: “Nobody should ever be subjected to this kind of revolting and predatory behaviour and we are pleased to hear that Afzal has been brought to justice for his actions.

“We applaud the bravery of the victim for coming forward.

“We expect the highest standards from TfL licensed taxi and private hie drivers, which is why Afzal is no longer a licensed driver.

“We take every report seriously so it can be investigated by the police.”

Solicitor Denies £82K Legal Aid Fiddle Involving Boyfriend's Translation Firm

Alexandru Major & Babita Attra

A solicitor and her boyfriend used his translation company to falsely inflate Legal Aid claims during an £82,743 scam, a court heard.

Babita Attra, 41, worked for top Fleet Street criminal firm Carson Kaye and ensured over-priced translation work went to Alexandru Major, 35, the jury were told.

The couple, of Muncies Mews, Catford have both pleaded not guilty to conspiring to defraud the Legal Aid Agency between March 1, 2016 and February 1, 2017.

They have both also pleaded not guilty to forgery on or before February 23, 2017 and transferring criminal property, namely £15,300.

Attra alone also denies false accounting between March 1, 2016 and February 1, 2017.

Prosecutor Eleanor Mawrey told Inner London Crown Court four overseas clients of Carson Kaye, who were facing criminal charges, needed important evidence against them translated from English to their native language.

“The Legal Aid process was manipulated by these two defendants and these four criminal cases were manipulated in the same way.”

One Romanian client with poor English needed 113,000 words translated, but Attra falsely claimed for 450,000 words and awarded the £33,800 contract to Major’s company Madison Translations.

That fee was met by taxpayers, via the Legal Aid Agency.

“This was a gross overestimate of the words needed to be translated. She quadrupled it,” explained Ms Mawrey.

Another company provided a cheaper quote, but the contract went to Madison Translations.

“A partner of the solicitors’ firm discovered what was going on and Major assured them everything was okay and there had been some technical problems uploading the correct information.”

To justify the translation fee the work was padded with extra necessary words, the court was told.

“They tried to cover their tracks and come up with translated documents that came up to the figure,” said Ms Mawrey. 

“Large chunks of unnecessary legislation were added, for example the Road Traffic Act was added to a drug importation case.

“Once the payments were received by Major he transferred significant portions to Attra,” added the prosecutor.

They were both arrested at home on November 6, 2018 and Attra agreed she submitted quotes, but relied on Madison Translations’ word count.

Major denied any dishonesty and insisted the work was not falsely translated and money he transferred to his co-defendant was cash he owed her.

Attra’s old boss, solicitor John Kaye, told the jury she was employed on a self-employed basis and introduced Major as somebody qualified to act as a police station legal representative.

“He was never employed by the firm and they had a professional relationship as far as I knew.”

Trial continues……………

Schoolteacher And Her Wife Both Nicked After Bust-Up At London Palladium

"Punch": Kenward (L)

A drunken schoolteacher attacked London Palladium staff when she and her her wife were ejected for loudly complaining about the quality of US star Todrick Hall’s flamboyant show.

Kate Kenward, 35, Head of Technology at Leytonstone School, thumped the door manager, who wears a pacemaker and shoved his female colleague into a door.

Her wife Nicole Casey, 35, was restrained to the floor by staff as the pair were told they would have to leave the American Idol performer’s spectacular Haus Party Tour show.

Police were called to the theatre and the drunken couple were arrested, with Casey headbutting an officer when taken into custody at West End Central Police Station.  

Magistrate Dr. Lynne Gailey told the couple: “This was an unprovoked attack on people carrying out their duties at the theatre and at the police station and you both had been drinking.

“We have heard you are both of previous good character, remorseful, have stopped drinking and sought counselling.

“Headbutting a police officer is particularly nasty, but you have both shown remorse and are clearly upset about this.”

Kenward, of Belgrave Road, Leytonstone pleaded guilty to assaulting Michael Hamer and Loretta Belsham at the Argyll Street theatre in London’s West End on October 13, last year.

US-born Casey, also of Belgrave Road pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Amil Georg.

"Headbutt": Casey (R)

A charge against the pair of threatening behaviour was dropped.

Prosecutor Leila Nahaboo-Osman told Westminster Magistrates Court staff were called to the Royal Circle due to a disturbance caused by the couple.

“There were complaints from other theatre goers and both defendants were obviously drunk and were complaining about the performance.

“They were asked to leave and Casey had to be restrained by members of staff.”

The court heard Casey claim she was in pain as she was held down near the foyer due to a metal rod in her right arm from previous surgery and Kenward repeatedly shouted: “Let her go.”

As she rushed to assist her wife Loretta Belsham says she was shoved into a door by Kenward, who describes it as more of a rigorous brushing past. 

Casey described her physical appearance to the court as “androgynous”, which had resulted in previous episodes of violence because she had been mistaken for a man and was seen to be more threatening.

Kenward admitted thumping the door manager in the side when the couple were escorted into the foyer, but stressed he had put his hands on her earlier during the fracas.

She says she is now worried she will be reported to the Teaching Regulation Agency for professional misconduct  although her current employers are sympathetic.

She is also worried how a conviction for violence will effect entry to the USA and future trips to her wife’s home country.

The court heard the couple also plan to adopt a child and are stressed as to how the convictions will effect their suitability.

“It has turned her life upside down,” Kenward’s lawyer told the court, confirming she and her partner had both quit alcohol.

“It was a momentary act of stupidity and the consequences are far reaching,” added her lawyer.

The court heard when Casey saw police arriving she thought it was to rescue the couple from the “abysmal treatment” of the staff.

She does not understand how she got into the situation and has no recollection of the police station headbutt.

The couple subsequently wrote apology letters to the victims.

Kenward was fined £200 for assaulting Mr. Hamer, who she must also pay £150 compensation, £100 for assaulting Ms. Belsham and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Casey was fined £274 for assaulting PC Georg and ordered to pay him £100 compensation, plus £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

West Norwood Schoolgirl Flasher: E-Fit Released

Police hunting a sex pest, who twice flashed West Norwood schoolgirls during disturbing early-morning incidents, have released this e-fit of their suspect.

Both incidents of indecent exposure occurred between 6.00am and 6.30am.

The first was in Cedar Tree Grove on June 19 and nearby Knight's Hill on September 23, last year.

Police believe the offences were committed by the same suspect. 

He is described as being a white man, possibly of Eastern European origin, aged in his early thirties, with short black hair.

Detective Constable James Stallabrass, said: “Indecent exposure is extremely distressing and the effect on victims, particularly ones so young, can be long term. 

“It is crucial that this man is identified as a matter of urgency.

“I am keen to hear from anyone who thinks they have the seen the man described in the area where the offences took place, or perhaps you think you know him?

“If you can assist the investigation please do get in touch. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting 1076/28NOV19, Tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Staring At Four Cell Walls: Robber Who Nicked Specs From Multiple Opticians

An opticians robber, who armed himself with a bottle of ammonia during a series of Central London raids, has been jailed for ten-and-a-half years.

Richard Royston Dyer, 50, pleaded guilty to eight counts of robbery and two counts of theft between July and September, last year.

In five cases, Dyer threatened staff members with a bottle, which he said contained acid before stealing multiple pairs of glasses and leaving the store.

On two occasions he sprayed staff members with the liquid, causing minor injuries.

Dyer was arrested after an officer spotted him in Peter Street in Soho on September 13. 

He was tackled to the ground and found to be in possession of a bottle of ammonia.

He was remanded in custody until trial.

The offences took place at several opticians, sometimes twice, in Upper Street, Islington; Victoria Street, Victoria; Charlotte Place, Marylebone; Regent Street and King's Road, Chelsea.

Sickie Cop's Fraud Exposed By His Online Dog-Walking Business

A policeman, who moonlighted as a professional dog-walker while defrauding the Met of over £100,000 in full sick-pay, claiming he could barely move, received a suspended prison sentence today.

Police Constable Richard Williams, 40, told a senior officer he would probably need a wheelchair or at least two walking sticks after two car crashes while on duty.

“You did experience some health difficulties and symptoms in early 2015, but you exaggerated them during the trial and in this courtroom,” Judge Christopher Hehir told him.

“This was demonstrated in that you established and ran, with no little enthusiasm and energy a dog-walking business.”

Williams received two years imprisonment, suspended for two years and must comply with a probation-ordered rehabilitation activity requirement for up to twelve months.

“I have my own views about the extent of your health problems, but the probation service find you are not fit for community service work” added the judge.

Williams served the Metropolitan Police on the Estates Police Team, based in Dagenham, but after the second collision was hospitalised with back, pelvis, groin and side injuries.

Southwark Crown Court heard he repeatedly used correction fluid to alter genuine medical certificates from three GP’s, resulting in him being declared unfit for work.

Williams, of The Olde Walnut House, Aylesbury Road, Bierton, Aylesbury grimaced and struggled to rise to his feet with the aid of a walking stick throughout the trial.

He was convicted of seven counts of defrauding the Met by providing fraudulent and altered medical certificates between April 24, 2015 and November 27, 2017. 

He was also convicted of an additional fraud of dishonestly representing to a doctor he received police sick notes for the debilitating condition fibromyalgia.

Commenting on that diagnosis the judge told Williams: “You have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and you enthusiastically diagnosed yourself with fibromyalgia.”

Being the sole care for his troubled 16 year-old son contributed to Williams avoiding prison, added the judge. “I don’t want to ruin his life and depriving him of your care could add to your problems.”

Williams’ lawyer Robert Morris said: “He has obviously lost his good name and reputation and that is a considerable matter for a man ins forties who was a police officer.

“He’s had his reputation destroyed in the media as you’d expect in case like this.”

Prosecutor Mr. Daniel Higgins told the trial: “Mr. Williams had been working as a professional dog walker, a profession you may feel one needs to be physically active for.

“There were some positive reviews from the customers of ‘DreamyDog Complete Care’ and of ‘DreamyDogWalking’ with one customer saying: ‘I’d highly recommend Richard to everyone’.

“There are other glowing recommendations for Mr. Williams,” said the prosecutor, adding the defendant was paid nearly £11,500 by dog owners while on £100,000 sick pay, plus pension contributions.

“What the Crown say is this is a case of fraudulent activity by Mr. Williams, who while a service police constable, presented fraudulent or altered medical certificates to the Metropolitan police.

“This was in order to obtain extended sick leave on full pay and ultimately be pensioned off.”

Williams was involved in a traffic collision in early 2014, suffering back and knee injuries and again on March 26, 2015 when another vehicle reversed into the drivers’ side of a police car he was a passenger in.

The former officer, who resigned in February, last year received £20,000 compensation for the more recent accident.

“This was a low impact collision, but Mr. Williams was taken to Queen’s Hospital, Romford and on discharge he seemed to be in pain and not able to walk properly and it seemed the accident aggravated his old injury,” explained Mr. Higgins.

Williams never returned to duty and his sergeant received medical certificates from three different GP’s Williams had found.

“Mr. Williams altered the second certificate, adding the words: ‘injury not fit for work’. He has written on this medical certificate for his employer to allow him to remain on sick leave.

“The Crown say the alteration of the medical certificate forwarded to his employer for sick leave is clearly a dishonest act,” added Mr. Higgins.

Williams was prescribed morphine and pain killers during the period and complained of constant pain to his back, knees, legs, arms and shoulders, headaches, stiffness, poor sleep, burning sensations, stabbing pain, dizziness and clumsiness and numbness and pins and needles in his hands and fingers.

He told one GP he was suffering musculoskeletal pain from fibromyalgia, but the prosecution say Williams simply lifted the symptoms from the NHS’s website.

Williams did not even sometimes visit the GP’s on days he claimed the medical certificates were issued. “He knew he could manufacture his own fraudulent one,” said Mr. Higgins.

He ruled out returning to work on restricted duties, claiming he could not sit or stand for longer than five minutes, struggled to get up in the morning and could not travel in on public transport, the court heard.

“He informed his sergeant there was even the possibility of needing a wheelchair or two walking sticks and a doctor had told him he may never walk properly again,” added the prosecutor.

One police doctor Williams had to see concluded after twelve months of physical and mental treatment he could return to duty and his planned ill-health retirement was scrapped, a decision the defendant appealed.

There was no neurological reason found for his condition and all Williams’ scans were normal.

When one senior officer googled Williams’ address for a scheduled home visit he found the defendant was the director of three companies involved in dog care and dog walking.

Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards with a search warrant raided the address on October 3, 2017 and filmed their search.

“Mr. Williams appears to move about unaided and there were no signs of any aids to assist his movement.

“The copies of medical certificates with the hardened correction fluid on were seized,” said Mr. Higgins.

Dog Owner Who Stabbed Pet During 9/11 Breakdown Cleared Of Causing Suffering

9/11 Trauma: Christiane Ewing

A former theatre and film production designer, who stabbed her miniature schnauzer dog ‘Pepe’, has been cleared of inflicting suffering because she was in the grip of suicidal post-9/11 trauma.

Christiane Ewing, 52, plunged a kitchen knife into her beloved five-year old dog’s abdomen and slashed her wrists after seeing a news items about the bin Laden family on the tv.

She told Wimbledon Magistrates Court yesterday she suffered PTSD, depression and anxiety after being evacuated from an American Airlines plane moments before it was due to take off from New York’s JFK Airport on September 11, 2001.

The court was shown images of the bloody scene, with a large pool of blood in the living room, with a large black-handled kitchen knife next to it, plus bloodstains in the hallway, bannister and outside the bathroom.

Fortunately she phoned her ex-husband minutes after the stabbing and he rushed bleeding ‘Pepe’ to a vet for successful emergency surgery.

Ewing, of Florence Road, Wimbledon, who has a First Class degree in theatre, was found not guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog at her home on August 1, last year.

She told the trial she had been drinking white wine from 3am and saw a news items about the death of Hamza bin Laden, son of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Pepe Recovering After Stabbing

“I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and was immediately sick. It felt like my head was full of black mist and Pepe and I must escape this world,” she said.

“The two of us would be up in the sky together, away from this terrorism horror. It was a moment of complete despair.

“I was going to end my life and Pepe’s life and we would be safe, off this awful planet.

“I stabbed him and cut him.”

The vet found seven different knife injuries on the dog and told the court he would have died without surgery to his spleen.

There were also wounds to his colon and intestine and more superficial slashes around body and fortunately he recovered after three days.

Ewing phoned her ex-husband Adam Nice in tears that morning, telling him: “Pepe’s dead and I’m next. Get round here and get Pepe to the vet.”

He said in a statement: “I could hear Pepe whimpering at the top of the stairs and he had a big cut behind his ear and his belly was hanging out.

“It isn’t safe for him to live with Christiane anymore and I will look after him when he is better.”

Ewing, who was backed up by a psychiatrist who gave evidence, told the trial: “I couldn’t trust anyone to look after him. He is by my side all the time.

“The whole of nine eleven came at me like a tsunami.”

Reflecting on the stabbing she added: “Horrendous is too small a word. A day does not go by that I am not in tears and praying to God for his welfare.

“I am disgusted and don’t know what words I can say. My heart is absolutely broken, shredded.

"It was not an act of cruelty, but an act of love and we would be together, forever.”

Company Boss In Dock

Court Date: Westminster Magistrates'

A company director has been fined for for a Public Order Act offence against another man around the corner from his Pimlico home and business base.

Che Frantz Jeffreys, 50, boss of electrical manufacturing firm Tower Power Ltd. appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

He pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour, with intent to cause fear or or provoke unlawful violence towards Mark Dunsby in Constitution Street on November 21, last year.

The offence was in breach of Section 4 of the Public Order Act.

Jeffreys, of Gloucester Street was fined £80, with £85 costs and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32.

He agreed to immediately pay £20 and the remainder at the rate of £5 per week.

Deaf Bank Worker's £22K Sign Language Swindle

A deaf Lloyds Bank apprentice, who pocketed £22,700 in benefits awarded to him for sign language interpreters, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Dominic Olanya, 32, took advantage of the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) Access to Work grant, which assists people with disabilities to remain in employment. 

Olanya, of Westcroft Square, Hammersmith pleaded guilty to defrauding the DWP between July 6, 2015 and May 20, 2016 by making false claims for sign language interpreters.

Croydon Crown Court heard he either took the money and did not use an interpreter or employed their services and never paid them, resulting in one pursuing a civil claim against him.

Judge Elizabeth Smaller told Olanya: “A grant scheme paid by the taxpayer is available to provide you with support to enable you to work for Lloyds Bank.

“Over a period of ten months you repeatedly made claims for interpreter services that had not taken place and this was for your personal monetary gain.

‘You had worked hard to make your family proud of you and despite your deafness had achieved a lot in life and built up a good reputation for yourself and had a responsible job.

“You achieved this because you worked hard and are intelligent, but I suspect you will never have such a job again.”

Olanya was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months and ordered to complete 50 hours community service.

He must also comply with an electronically tagged curfew for four weeks between 8pm and 6am and pay £500 compensation to the DWP.

Prosecutor Grace Ong told the court Olanya claimed the grant for multiple hours per week for assistance working on his laptop; meetings; for handwritten notes; telephone calls and communicating with his manager and colleagues.

“Instead of the interpreter payments going to the interpreters he arranged for monies to be paid into his own bank account under the name of a real interpreter.”

Olanya was interviewed by the DWP on November 30, 2017. “He claimed he had no idea payments were going into his account, but alter admitted he was using the money for day to day expenses.

“He admitted he took a big risk in doing so and was wrong and the largest purchases we can find he made were for Apple products, including a laptop.”

The court heard Olanya arrived in the UK as a young child when his parents, who supported him in court, had to “take flight” from their home country.

“It is sad that twenty-two thousand pounds can be disposed of with so little to show for it apart from a criminal conviction,” added Judge Smaller. 

“This gentleman was in receipt of a wage, but was receiving an extra two thousand a month tax free.”

Bankrupt Businessman Jailed For Raiding Parents' Bank Accounts

Jailed: Giuseppe Masella

A former bankrupt businessman, who looted his dead mother’s bank accounts of £48,000 before targeting his octogenarian father’s £33,000 savings, has been jailed.

Giuseppe Masella, 48, of St. Dunstan’s Road, Hammersmith emptied his mother’s account just three weeks after her death, leaving only £10 for his father, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Two years later he opened an internet account in his father Antonio’s name without permission and in two weeks drained it of cash.

Masella denied, but was convicted of two counts of fraud and one count of transferring criminal property regarding his mother’s account in March, 2015.

He was also convicted of two count’s of fraud and one transferring criminal property regarding his father’s account between February and June, 2017.

His greed has split the family with his two brothers taking different sides in the bitter dispute.

“The jury found you guilty after a two week trial of the deliberate and fraudulent looting of your mother and father’s savings accounts,” Recorder Joseph Boothby told Masella.

Sentencing his to eight months imprisonment he told Masella: “You did this in a cruel and calculating way, taking advantage of your father’s trust and lack of understanding of english over a two-year period.

Betrayed: Antonio Masella

“He was living with you, all of his interests in his other houses being extinguished by your actions.

“You never apologised, co-operated or engaged and were repeatedly evasive until the end of the trial.

“Your conduct cannot be so easily forgiven.”   

Prosecutor Mr. Tyrone Silcott told the trial: “In 2015 and 2017 this defendant took money out of his parents’ accounts without permission.”

Masella’s mother Anna, who had three sons, died on March 5, 2015.

“By March 28 all of her savings, apart from £10, had been transferred out of her account,” said the prosecutor.

“In December of that year Antonio went to the Nationwide so he could share the money amongst his three sons, including Giuseppe who is the oldest, but found it had all gone, save that £10.

“All of those transfers had been made by this defendant and all of them were made dishonestly.

“The defendant and his family moved in with Antonio after the death of Anna. He had previously been made bankrupt, but this was lifted in 2015.

“A new Nationwide online account in his father’s name was opened in 2017, which the prosecution say is a fake account and Antonio will tell you someone else opened it.

“That was a fake account set up online to syphon money away from his father.

“The defendant has dishonestly moved money out of his parents’ accounts to his own by making dishonest false representations to the bank.”

The money represented the life savings of Masella’s mother and father and in his victim impact statement Antonio said not only he was effected, but also his two other sons.

Masella’s lawyer Mr. Benjamin Waidhofer told the court: “There is not a pot of money floating around with tens of thousands of pounds available.

“How can he pay anything if he is in custody? He can’t, but he can if he is in the community.

“His defence always was that he had permission and he says the last two years have been a living hell.

“He is the main breadwinner for his family and has three children aged nine, seven and three and the trial sadly set one brother against the other and the father.

“He became tearful when explaining the circumstances regarding his children who want to see their grandfather and uncle.”

The prosecution have indicated they will pursue Masella for financial compensation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.