Bargain-Store Poundland Sold Resealed Biscuits Nibbled By Mice

Bargain store chain Poundland have been caught re-sealing packets of sweets and biscuits, which had been gnawed by mice and rodents, and putting them back on the shelves at one of their busiest shop's.

The company were fined a total of £24,000 today for continuing to sell food at their Whitgift Centre store in Croydon, (pictured) which had been contaminated by mouse droppings and urine and gnawed by vermin.

"An experienced environmental health officer was shocked by what he had seen," prosecutor Mr. David McNeill told Croydon Magistrates' Court.

"Food that had been gnawed by mice, instead of being disposed of, was re-sealed with cellotape by staff and put back on sale."

Poundland, of Wellmans Road, Willehall, West Midlands admitted five summonses of breaching General Food and Food Hygiene Regulations brought by Croydon Council and were also ordered to pay £2,910 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

They admitted failing to withdraw food unfit for human consumption; failing to protect food from contamination; failing to control mice; failing to keep the store clean and in good repair and condition and failing to implement and maintain their own food safety management system.

Mr. McNeill explained customer complaints prompted the inspection on November 22, last year, which revealed mice had gnawed their way through the door brushes of a storage area, which contained many chocolate products.

"In that area the boxes containing chocolate products had droppings inside and there was evidence of rodents eating the food.

"In the main shop food packages on sale had been gnawed by mice and the contents had spilled onto shelves where it mixed with mice droppings," said Mr. McNeill.

"A dead mouse was also found under one of the shelves and it was obvious the shelves had not been cleaned for some considerable time."

Ironically Pestokill, who have a contract with Poundland, had visited the store just five days earlier, but their recommendations of improved cleaning and the placement of mouse traps were not implemented.

Poundland's lawyer Mr. Alan Millband told the court: "The organisation are taking these matters very seriously. Poundland is not in the business of selling sub-standard products.

"If the systems were followed this would not have happened," added Mr. Millband. "There has patently been a store manager failure and the company feels let-down by Pestokill."

The store manager was not disciplined by Poundland and is now assisted by a second manager.

Car Dealer Scarred With Boiling Water During Kidnap And Ransom Ordeal

A successful East London garage owner was kidnapped by a violent, ruthless gang motivated by "sheer greed" who poured boiling water on him during a three-day ordeal while demanding ransom payments, a jury have been told.

Father-of-two Sukjinder Seyan - boss of 'Prestige Car Specialists', Balmoral Road, Forest Gate - needed skin grafts to his legs after his rescue by Scotland Yard's Kidnap Unit and is scarred for life.

Two alleged members of the gang, Ashley Fields, 22, (pic.l.) of Crescent Road, Dagenham and 27 year-old Safeer Rahman (pic.r.) of Tumulus Way, Colchester, Essex deny involvement in the plot.

"To put it bluntly he was tortured," prosecutor Mr. Roger Smart told the Croydon Crown Court jury. "The motive was one of sheer greed.

"They thought it would be easy money to take a local businessman and brutally harm the hostage until a substantial amount of money was exchanged for his release."

The court was told mobile phone records link both defendants with the rest of the gang and Rahman - who knew the victim - was the job's "inside man" providing information on Mr. Seyan.

"This group of people thought long and hard about what they were doing," explained Mr. Smart. "There was reconnaissance and one failed attempt before they regrouped on another day.

"They had a stronghold where they kept Mr. Seyan, they had equipment there, held him there and made him call people to get money and brutally assaulted him.

"Mr. Seyan was held for three days and was badly burned by boiling water being poured over him on a number of occasions.

"He has had to undergo surgery to graft skin over the burns and is permanently scarred as a result."

The victim was held at Express Drive, Ilford by other members of the gang who have already been convicted and neither Fields or Rahman is accused of physically harming him.

Fields' role is alleged to be as a "look out" and general assistant to the plan and Rahman was with the victim minutes before he was abducted - allegedly feeding information to his co-conspirators.

Other gang members, armed with a fake police warrant card, approached Mr. Seyan on January 8, last year and bundled him into a vehicle while demanding £350,000 from his safe.

At the 'stronghold' he was pushed onto a mattress and a blanket was thrown over his head, before the gang boiled a kettle of water and poured it over Mr. Seyan's leg and ankle.

He was gagged and bound with tape before a second kettle of boiling water was poured over his left leg and the next day more boiling water was poured over his left arm.

On January 9 Mr. Seyan's wife received a £50,000 ransom demand and immediately called the police who tracked the victim's location via mobile phone signals.

The gang also phoned the victim's girlfriend, demanding the same sum, and frustrated by a lack of progress poured boiling water over his back.

Mr. Seyan was rescued by police, back-up by armed officers, as he sat in a car with his captors outside Arthur Wallis House.

Both Fields and Rahman have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, falsely imprison and blackmail on or before January 10, last year.

Trial continues………….

Knife-Wielding Rapist Who Broke Into Lone Woman's Flat Is Caged

A knife-wielding sex beast – who broke into a woman’s East London flat in the middle of the night and raped and robbed her – has been locked-up for a minimum of six years.

Salim Ahmed Khan, 38, (pictured) pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to two counts of rape, three of attempted rape and one of burglary involving the same victim on February 25.

He was given an indeterminate sentence for the protection of the public and will only be released when assessed as safe.

The sentencing judge told the defendant: “You are a cold and calculating individual who poses a high risk to the public.”

Khan was quickly arrested by rape-specialist Sapphire officers, who matched his fingerprints to the 41 year-old woman’s Stepney flat.

She had woken up at around 3:30am after hearing a noise.

As she turned on the bedside lamp she saw the suspect standing in her bedroom.

He rushed towards her, switched off the light, and threatened her with a large kitchen knife, which he held to her face and neck before demanding money and raping her.

As Khan was leaving, he grabbed her rucksack, two laptops, a mobile phone and a camera.

During a subsequent search of Khan’s mother’s address in nearby Cable Street detectives recovered the victim’s rucksack and photo identification.

Detective Inspector Michael Reay said: “The victim suffered a terrifying ordeal in what should have been the safety and sanctity of her own home.

“Khan then went on to exploit his elderly and disabled mother by using her address, which he rarely visited, to hide property from the offence.”

"Sexual Predator" Science Teacher Jailed For Raping Schoolgirl

A science teacher who took a 14 year-old schoolgirl pupil's virginity when raping her in a hotel room - before embarking on a secret three-year affair with the teen - was jailed for twelve years yesterday.

Keith Ogunsola, 47, (pictured) of Banstead, Surrey repeatedly had sex with the girl in his car and even at her home, while she was wearing her school uniform, Croydon Crown Court heard.

"The effect you have had on that young girl is devastating," Judge Jeff Blackett told the father-of-three, whose wife has stood by him throughout the case.

"You are a sexual predator of the worst kind who abused your position as a teacher to satisfy your own perverted lust. You pose a serious risk to such girls in the future."

Prosecutor Miss Hannah Llewellyn-Waters said: "She feels her teenage years were stolen from her by a man she trusted, but took her innocence."

Judge Blackett told emotionless Ogunsola: "You offered to drive her home and forcibly kissed her on the lips and a month later asked her to meet you in a hotel room for extra tuition and raped her.

"When she threatened to break away from you two years later you raped her again. You forced her onto a bed and ripped her clothes."

The defendant was found guilty of two counts of rape, receiving consecutive eight and four-year sentences, three sample counts of engaging in sexual activity with a 14 year-old girl while in a position of trust, receiving four years concurrent and one count of sexual assault, receiving six months concurrent.

Ogunsola will have to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and and Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made prohibiting him working with children aged under sixteen or having unsupervised contact with any child.

The victim only came forward after reading press reports of the defendant's conviction and suspended sentence at Snaresbrook Crown Court for sexually assaulting a teenage schoolgirl he taught in East London.

Miss Llewellyn-Waters told the jury at the start of the trial: "She turned to him for additional guidance and this defendant betrayed her trust by exploiting her naivety and respect for him for his own sexual gratification."

Ogunsola "groomed" the girl - a former pupil at Stanley Park High School, Carshalton - where he was employed between September 1998 and December 2001.

"He created a bond of trust in his capacity as her teacher and tested the water by kissing her and when she did not complain he escalated his grooming process and took her virginity from her with an act of rape.

"She was manoeuvred into a position where she did not tell anyone, believing her word would not be believed against a teacher and the defendant told her what to do, say and wear," explained Miss Llewellyn-Waters.

"She lied to her family about where she was going and what was happening and the defendant told her if anyone found out they would not believe her and her friends and family would consider her a slag.

"When she wanted to have a boyfriend he became jealous and when she refused to have sex with the defendant he ripped her clothes off and raped her again."

In January, 2001 Ogunsola "persisted" in offering the reluctant schoolgirl a lift in his car and when eventually persuaded he drove her to Beddington Park.

"He told her she was pretty and he really fancied her," explained the prosecutor. "He leaned over, pulled her toward him, and she remembers he was trying to stick his tongue into her mouth."

It was her first-ever kiss.

Under the guise of helping her with extra GCSE studies Ogunsola lured the girl to a Purley Way hotel.

"The defendant started to kiss her, pushed her back on the bed, and climbed on top of her," Miss Llewellyn-Waters told the jury. "She was telling him to get off, but he ignored her pleas and told her to be quiet.

"He puled her trousers and underwear down, had his weight against her, and then raped her.

"She repeatedly told him to get off her and that he was hurting her, but he told her to be quiet because she was resisting him and crying."

Ogunsola then pursued and under-age affair and would collect the girl after school for sex in his car in the Purley area and they stayed at local hotels and overnight in Southend, Milton Keynes and Gatwick.

He played her a pornographic dvd on his laptop in one hotel room, put her on 'the pill' and ordered her to wear skirts without knickers because it made sex more convenient for him, the court was told.

After leaving Stanley Park Ogunsola continued 'tutoring' the girl during her A levels and allegedly raped her again during a row about her new boyfriend in an Imperial Way hotel.

"He pushed her onto the bed and as he tried to pull her skirt up he ripped it," explained Miss Llewellyn-Waters. "He puled off her underwear and had sex with her."

Evil Paedophiles Pose As Train Enthusiasts To Snare Boys

Two men, who groomed and then systematically abused four vulnerable boys they met on train enthusiasts’ Internet forums, have been convicted of a catalogue of sex offences

Andrew George Mower, 67, (pic.top) of Tryfan Close, Ilford and his lodger Darren Leslie Smith, 39, (pic.bottom) were found guilty by a Snaresbrook Crown Court jury.

Mower was convicted of 10 counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, an attempted rape and three rapes.

The counts relate to four boys aged between 13 and 16 years over a five-year period between 2006 and 2011.

He was also found guilty of 1 count of possessing indecent photographs of children.

Smith was convicted of 13 counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, 12 counts of rape and two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

The counts relate to the same four boys in the same five-year period.

He was also found guilty of several representative counts of possession of indecent images.

The court heard how Mower would identify and contact potential victims by surfing the Internet and engaging in online chats with young boys.

He would specifically target young vulnerable boys on specialist rail forums before encouraging them to meet in person at train conventions or transport museums.

Once they had agreed to meet him Mower would begin to ask inappropriate questions of a sexual nature and invite them to visit his home in Ilford.

Here they were introduced to Smith whose apparent aim was to impress the boys with his knowledge of smart phones and computer technology.

The boys would be given mobile phones from Mower, which he used to maintain and control regular contact with them.

Mower and Smith would then manipulate contact the boys had with their family and friends in a bid to alienate them.

The jury heard how the men would allow the boys freedom within their home, offer them gifts and money and ply them with alcohol before persuading them to undress and perform sexual acts.

This progressed to both men sexually assaulting and raping the boys.

It was only when the boys came into contact with one another, both in person and on the computer rail forums, that they realised the scale of the abuse and felt compelled to report the offences to police.

An investigation was launched by officers from the Met’s Sapphire Command Complex Case Team and on August 2, last year both Mower and Smith were arrested at their home address.

Detective Chief Inspector Carl Mehta, who led the investigation, said at the conclusion of the case: “Sapphire aim to provide a supportive service to victims, whose care is at the heart of each investigation.

“We want all victims to know that we will conduct a thorough and robust investigation.

“We want all sex offenders to know that our dedicated teams are there to trace and pursue them until they are bought to justice.

“Mower and Smith deliberately targeted young and vulnerable boys by claiming to share their hobbies and interests.

“They gained their trust, alienated them from loved ones in a bid to exercise control over them and then sexually assaulted them.

“I pay tribute to the enormous courage of each victim who came forward and reported their abuse and supported this prosecution to bring these men to justice.

“We hope that this result will bring them and their families the sense of closure they fully deserve and we would urge any other victims to come forward and speak to us.”

Mower and Smith were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on July 6.

Violent Mugger Hunted By Cops

A young woman was repeatedly punched and kicked by a bag-snatcher in a violent broad-daylight mugging outside a busy West London bank.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the attempted robbery outside HSBC, Shepherds Bush Green (pictured) at 1.50pm on May 21.

The 22-year-old victim was subjected to a sustained attack during which she was punched and kicked.

She was taken to hospital suffering from facial injuries and subsequently discharged.



The suspect is described as black, aged late 20s to early 30s, and between 5' 4" and 5' 9" in height.



Officers are eager to speak with anyone who saw the assault, particularly two workmen who chased the suspect.



Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Mark Breeze at the Hammersmith and Fulham Priority Crime Unit on 020 8246 2655.

Two Teens Caged For Gang-Related Schoolboy Killing

Two teenage killers, who stabbed a fellow-youth in the neck because of gang rivalry while surrounded by shoppers in a busy South-East London suburb, have been locked-up.

Yemurai Kanyangarara, 16, (pic.top) suffered the fatal knife wound on July 1, last year in Upper Wickham Lane, Welling.

Osman Bangura, 16, (pic.middle) of Wilmot Close, Peckham was convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury and was detained for a minimum of fourteen years.

His accomplice, Isaac Walters, 15, (pic.bottom) of Marchwood Close, Camberwell was convicted of manslaughter and received eight-and-a-half years.

Yemurai and a 16 year-old friend had travelled from Bexleyheath on a number 96 bus, which was following another bus, containing the two defendants.

Bangura had been slashed to the head three days earlier by the Cherry Boys gang and was on his way to Plumstead Police Station to identify his attackers.

After murdering Yemurai he continued travelling to his appointment, completed the identity procedure, and was even given a lift home by a police officer.

Yemurai and his friend got off outside a Superdrug store and Bangura and Walters got off in Welling High Street, outside Tesco’s and walked into the store.

Inside they were seen putting on gloves then approaching the victim, who was stabbed by Bangura

The defendants were traced by officers to the Brighton area and were arrested on July 5 and charged the following day.
A third boy, aged 16, was acquitted. 



Yemurai’s mother Sharon said: “Time is a good healer, yet my wounds are open and bare for all to see.

“I realise no lengthy sentence will return my precious son.



“I hope the individuals that murdered my son understand that they have to live with the consequences of their actions for the rest of their lives and they are aware that they murdered my one and only child. 



“My son was not part of a gang and he didn't have any enemies.

“Yemurai played no part in the disputes between his school and Blackheath Blue coats.



“Yemurai died before his time in brutal circumstances an innocent victim murdered because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.



“I will remember Yemurai for the joy he gave to others.

“I am very proud of my son and the young man he was becoming. I would have given my life to have just a few more moments with my son.



“I am grateful that justice has been done.

“It was the last thing I could achieve for my son and I thank those who assisted in the court process.



“Yemurai will always be in our hearts and in our thoughts forever.”

Lady-Killer Gets Life For Battering Pensioner To Death

The killer of a widow, who she battered to death with a hammer and heavy glass jug during a row over unfinished gardening work, has been jailed for life – with a twenty-four year minimum.

Pensioner Jean ‘Pat’ Jobson, 86, (pic.top) was murdered in her South-East London home by 46 year-old Karen Williamson (pic.bottom) who also tried to strangle the victim and set fire to the property afterwards.

Williamson, of Rangefield Road, Downham pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to murdering Mrs Jobson between February 18 and 19, last year at the house in nearby Oakridge Road.

The crack-cocaine addict also stole the victim’s purse and several items of jewellery, which she pawned for £61.

Mrs Jobson, who was commonly known as Pat, had lived in the Downham area for much of her life. 



She was extremely popular with her neighbours, who knew her as a friendly and caring woman, who would not hesitate to help those in need.



On the evening of February 20, last year, Pat was found murdered in her home by police officers who had been contacted by concerned family members and friends who had been unable to contact her.



Mrs Jobson had been struck about the head with a hammer and a heavy glass jug, which had caused her skull to collapse and facture.

A post-mortem examination also revealed strangulation marks and various other bruises and fractures to Mrs Jobson’s hands and body.



An attempt to set fire to the house was also made by placing a tea-towel over the fire in the lounge.



A murder investigation was immediately launched and it was established Williamson had been hired by Mrs Jobson to do some casual gardening.

Following a disagreement concerning unfinished work Mrs Jobson had paid Williamson upfront for, she was brutally murdered.



Williamson a self-confessed crack-cocaine user also stole Pat’s purse and several items of jewellery, which she later pawned for just £61.



Detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: “Pat Jobson was a popular and well loved member of the community.

“Her violent death caused shock and disbelief and many wondered why a lone and vulnerable woman would be attacked in this way.

“Karen Williamson, a drug user, killed Pat for a measly £61.

“I am pleased with the sentence she has received today and hope that this is some comfort to Pat’s family who have been left devastated by her murder.”

Two Jailed For Bolivian Cocaine Concealed In Drill

Two cocaine dealers, caught with over £1m worth of the drug cunningly concealed within a drilling tool shipped from Bolivia, have been caged.

Agim Recica, 39, (pic.top) of Douglas Court, Squires Lane, Finchley and Ilir Qefalija, 36, (pic.2^nd top) were caught in a police swoop empting the cocaine into a black bin liner.

Recica received nine years imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court for importing and intending to supply 6 kilos of cocaine and Qefalija received six years for possession, with intent to supply.

The operation was conducted by officers from the Middle Market Drugs Partnership (MMDP) - a unit made up of officers and staff from the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Directorate, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Border Force.

The court heard how on August 2, last year officers from MMDP observed Recica accepting delivery of a large wooden crate at the Fortis Green Car Valeting Services, East Finchley.

He dismantled the crate and removed a large metal industrial 'packer'- a specialist tool used in the drilling industry- before loading this into his van and driving away from the car wash.

Police watched him park at the rear of his home address, with his van parked towards the end of the parking area, in a position where the side of the vehicle could not easily be observed.

At this point he had been joined by his accomplice Qefalija and the men were actively dismantling the packer and decanting a white powder from within the heavy industrial tube.

Officers quickly moved in and arrested the pair.

The packer was found in the nearside side door of the van (pic.bottom) having been stripped down to reveal an extremely sophisticated concealment.

Traces of white powder were found inside the van and on the floor of the car park and close to the front passenger’s door there was a black bin liner containing six kilos of white powder that had been removed from the packer.

Recica was found in possession of a mobile phone and the screen showed that there had been four missed calls from a Bolivian telephone number.

Investigations revealed the packer had been sent from Bolivia and had arrived at Heathrow Airport on July 29. 


Laboratory tests were conducted on the white powder and revealed the substance to be 6 kilograms of high purity cocaine with a street value of 1.2 million pounds.

Detective Inspector Steven Miles of Middle Market Drugs Partnership said “The sophistication of the concealment methods used by this organised criminal network shows a determination to evade detection and flood the streets of London with harmful class A drugs.

“The vigilance of the United Kingdom Border Agency and Middle Market Drugs Partnership thwarted this criminal enterprise and resulted in these convictions.”

Assistant Director Peter Avery, of Border Force, said: “This smuggling attempt shows the lengths criminals are prepared to go to in their attempts to transport drugs around the world.

“Working with our law enforcement partners here in the UK and around the world, we are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.”

Killer-Rapist Jailed For Demo Deception

A killer and double-rapist, who had sexual relationships with unsuspecting women protestors at the Occupy London camps, was jailed for six months on Friday for using an alias and given a lifetime ban from similar demos.

Jobless Leeds-born Stuart Durkin, 50, (pic.top) received six years in Sweden for killing his wife, 12 years for the bedsit rape of a virgin and thirteen years for the rape and attempted murder of a 30 year-old tourist in Rome, who he beat with a rock when she resisted.

He was repatriated to the UK on April 14, 2003, released on June 1, 2007 and given a council flat in Derry House, Church Street Estate, St. John's Wood, where he has remained on housing benefit.

"You are someone who has a history of violent offences, including sexual offences, and you are at the highest-risk end of offences involving sexual matters and violence," Old Bailey Recorder Nigel Peters QC told Durkin.

"You were passing yourself off as someone known as 'Troy' at the Finsbury Square camp and were using that when texting and chatting-up other people."

As a dangerous sex offender Durkin must keep police informed of his address and is subject to spot-checks by the Met's Jigsaw Team.

He was given a police escort to collect his belongings from his tent (pic.mid. and bottom) after he was charged and bailed on the condition he does not visit the camp.

He pleaded guilty that being a relevant offender under the Sexual Offences Act, failed to comply with a notification requirement, namely tell police he was using the name 'Troy' between October 12 and November 14, last year.

"Mr. Durkin was involved in the community activity with the London Stock Exchange protest camp at St. Paul's Cathedral and had a tent pitched at the Finsbury Square camp, which he used as a base," said prosecutor Mr. Marcus Rickard.

"He had been attending at these locations and there was an occasion he was arrested for assault and there was a comment made by Mr. Durkin that he had been staying at the camp for three weeks.

"That was looked into further and as a result there were further investigations and the phone records of Mr. Durkin were looked into," added the prosecutor.

"The phone that was seized indicated there was the use of two names, 'Stoo' and 'Troy'.

"Troy is a name this defendant was using to befriend females at the protest camp and there were at least twenty-four text messages over that period to females predominantly using the name Troy.

"Troy is a pseudonym he uses to target women," added Mr. Rickard. "The pre-sentence report makes much of the manipulative character of this defendant."

Detective Constable Richard Butcher said: "He has informed us in interview that he has formed sexual relationships with women he does not want the police to notify. Mr. Durkin has made sexual relationships with women at the camp."

Durkin had been sharing his tent with one particular woman in Finsbury Square, but she left for a similar demo in the west country before his arrest.

Durkin has been in custody since April 24, when he was arrested by police at his flat for not obeying on two occasions his conditions of bail, which included an electronically tagged residence and night time curfew requirement.

He refused to answer his front door to police, who eventually smashed it open. "Inside Mr. Durkin was on a sofa with his head in his hands," explained Mr. Rickard.

Durkin received two months' concurrent for breaching his bail conditions.

A similar charge that he deliberately failed to inform police he set up residence at the Finsbury Square camp was dropped.

After his arrest at St. Paul's for assaulting a tramp on November 13 Durkin texted a friend from Bishopsgate Police Station the message: 'In the hands of the beast.'

Durkin's lawyer Mr. Stephen McCabe said: "Many people at these camps use false names and street names.

"He was not aware of the name condition of the order, but ignorance of the law is no defence.

"The name is used in the context of a demo camp so is not as serious," added the lawyer. "He has brought this on himself. He knows that.

"He says he has suffered an awful lot of stress during these proceedings and has had trouble with the neighbours since his name was published in the Evening Standard in November.

"He has been suffering depression and feels hemmed-in and thought to go out and join the camp was no problem.

"There was no sinister intent. This was a casual camp, with people coming and going."