Cocaine Smuggler Caught After Canada 'Shopping' Trip

A Blackburn cocaine smuggler, who stepped off a flight with £896,000 worth of the drug hidden inside the bases of her two suitcases, was jailed for five years today.

Self-employed pub manager Jacqueline Millar, 50, of Livingstone Road was stopped by the UK Border Agency at Gatwick Airport after a week-long trip to Toronto, Canada.

She pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to importing a total of 4.98 kilos of cocaine split into two quantities of 66% and 69% purity on September 1.

Prosecutor Mr. Hamish Reid told the court: "The cocaine was in the bases of two suitcases carried by Millar.

"She said she was travelling alone and had gone to Toronto for a week for shopping.

"The suitcases were searched and the base of one of them seemed very bumpy and heavy and an incision revealed a white powder that tested positive for cocaine."

Millar made no comment when formally questioned, but said on the way to the custody suite: "I knew it was there, but not where. Was it a tip-off?"

First-time offender Millar,s lawyer Mr. Dennis Kavanagh said: "This is a plain-speaking, realistic lady and her position has always been: 'I'm guilty. I'm not making any excuses.'

"She has been as frank as she can be and is not going to use her age or family circumstances as an excuse.

"She was working hard in the bar trade for many years as a self-employed relief manager and fell into financial difficulties.

"There were rent and council tax arrears and she gave into a stupid temptation," added Mr. Kavanagh.

"She is not going to be in contact with her son and she has not been in contact with her family while she has been on remand at Bronzefield Prison, Surrey.

"She has not asked me to labour these points, but she is going to miss much of her son's young adulthood and she has a sister who is ill with cancer."

Judge Jeremy Gold QC told Millar: "When you take these sort of risks you are playing for high stakes and if you are caught importing cocaine certain consequences follow.

"You were hardly a sophisticated drugs courier given your age and your good character."

Six Years For Paedo Who Had Sex With His 12 Year-Old 'Girlfriend'

A paedophile, convicted of rape after having sex with his twelve year-old girlfriend, who became “infatuated” with him after months of grooming, was jailed for six years today.

Anthony Bailey, 23, made threats to the girl and told her if the truth ever came out she should say she had sex with his innocent brother.

Engaged Bailey, of 6 Dunheved Road West, Thornton Heath, whose fiancé is due to have triplets in three months time, was convicted of raping the girl at an address in Rutherwick Rise, Coulsdon on November 26, 2011.

Croydon Crown Court Judge Jeremy Gold QC told him: “You befriended her and that friendship led to full sexual intercourse.

“You did not use force and she did consent, but you took advantage of her vulnerability to groom her over the proceeding months and committed this offence.

“She was infatuated with you and not mature enough to deal with your sexual advances.

“You were not sexually inexperienced, but maybe you would not have found it easy to socialise with people your own age.”

Prosecutor Mr. Nicholas Alexander told the court: “The aggravating features are that there were threats to the victim if she reported the incident and she was told to say it was the defendant's brother.”

Bailey was cleared of a further three counts and his defence said he was not a “predatory paedophile” but an: “intelligent hard-working man who will find a lengthy prison sentence devastating.”

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made restricting his contact with children.

Police Appeal: Alleged Wannabe Robber On Run

A woman accused of two attempted robberies in west London is still on the run after jumping bail.

Samantha Brooks, 28, (pictured) of Heritage Close, Uxbridge failed to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on August 8.

She was charged on May 4 and two counts of criminal damage are also alleged at the same time two days earlier.

Samantha Brooks is described as a slim female who wears her dark hair in a very short style, has slightly protruding front teeth and wears male clothing.

She is known to frequent Uxbridge, west London and recent information is that she may be in the Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and East Anglia areas.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Uxbridge Jigsaw Unit on 0208 246 1719, the police non-emergency line on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Online Paedo Locked-Up For Raping 12 Year-Old Girl

A paedophile, who groomed a 12 year-old girl online then encouraged her to perform a sex act on him in a stairwell when they met for a 'date' will remain locked-up under the Mental Health Act.

Sami Tesfay, 22, (pictured) from Lewisham, south-east London made contact with the girl on a social networking site and arranged to met her and a friend on January 19.

They met again and four days later on January 23 he persuaded her to go to his home address, where the sex offence took place.

He was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of raping the girl and was sentenced to remain under a section 37 hospital order and was given a section 41 indefinite restriction order.

Detective Constable James Taylor of Sapphire, which invesigates sex crimes said: "Tesfay used a social networking site to befriend his victim.

“He groomed her, gained her trust and exploited her for his own needs.

“The victim has now seen him convicted for what he did to her. 



"This case highlights the negative side of social media and the need for parents to be vigilant around who their children are communicating with online.

“This successful outcome I hope should encourage other victims of sexual crime to come forward and report what has happened to them." 



Detective Chief Inspector Pete Thomas, said: "Tesfay befriends vulnerable children and exploits them. In this case the victim was beguiled by his attention and belief that he was sincere about their relationship. 



"He has now been found guilty and will be held in a secure facility to prevent harming others.

“Anyone who has been a victim of rape should come forward and tell us what has happened so we and other agencies can provide them with the necessary support."

Army Boxer's Knockout Punch During Boozy Mini-Cab Row

A former soldier, who boxed for the British Army team, knocked a man unconscious with a single blow during a late-night row over a mini-cab.

William Hutton, 22, of Well Cottage, Patch Hill, Munstone, Hereford served in Afghanistan, but found himself arrested for the fourth time in two years for alcohol-related disorder.

He pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to assaulting Brian Ford, causing him actual bodily harm, outside Sutton railway station on December 9, last year.

The court heard Hutton self-medicated his post-traumatic stress disorder with alcohol, and had three convictions in 2011 for disorderly behaviour.

“This was a single punch that knocked the victim unconscious and resulted in him being taken to hospital by ambulance,” Judge Stephen Waller told the defendant.

“You have experience as a boxer and a fist in these circumstances can be as serious as a weapon.

“All of this was the result of a trivial dispute over a taxi and was all your fault.

“You were drinking excessively and you acted in a reckless, violent fashion without justification.”

Prosecutor Mr. Andrew Mazibrada told the court Hutton followed-up with several more blows aimed at the prone Mr. Ford, which the defendant disputes.

The victim also applied for an additional £515 compensation to replace his clothes, which had been ruined as a result of the attack.

“The ambulance crew attended and almost all of Mr. Ford's clothing had to be cut off,” explained the prosecutor.

“Mr. Hutton was a boxer in the army, he represented he army,” said Mr. Ronald Bostwick, defending. “It was just a single punch he did not need to do anything else.

“With the Queensbury Rules in his mind he did not have to strike Mr. Ford again.

“He can fit in as a good citizen. What happened that night was an aberration in his improving control over his life, his control over alcohol and improving mental condition as the memories of Afghanistan fade bit by bit.

“This young man has served his country and he has expressed his remorse and he regrets the pain and injury that Mr. Ford subsequently suffered and has told me he is sorry for what he has done.”

Judge Waller ruled it made no difference to sentencing whether Hutton landed one or several blows and told him: “You served your country in difficult and dangerous circumstances as other young men have.

“I have read the medical reports and you are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and sought refuge by excessive drinking and combined with a quick temper that has led you to your fourth experience before the courts.”

Hutton was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which includes 80 hours community service work and was ordered to pay Mr. Ford £500 compensation and £250 costs.  

Harrods Chef's Sex-Pest Calls To Co-Workers

A Harrods chef made repeated sexually-explicit mystery phone calls to five attractive female co-workers at the department store because "he knew he could not have them," a court heard today.

Married Robert Perez, 31, (pictured) admitted breathing heavily down the line while playing with himself - using pay-as-you-go numbers or his wife's friend's phone.

The first-time offender, of Princes Way, Bletchley, Milton Keynes pleaded guilty to five counts of stalking, involving serious harm or distress, on or before September 30.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told Hammersmith Magistrates' Court: "Five employees received sexually explicit phone calls from a male and a large number of pay-as-you-go numbers were used.

"The victims believed the defendant was masturbating and he made references such as: 'I will f*** you in the a***'."

The police were informed and a court order revealed the source of the calls were somewhere in the Milton Keynes area and Harrow, which Perez often visited.

"One of the phones used belonged to a friend of the defendant's wife," added Mr. Gill.

When arrested Perez immediately confessed and told officers: "I made the calls, I admit it was me."

Mr. Gill added: "He admitted harassing all five women and said he knew he could not have them and did it as a sexual fantasy.

"He knows all five females and said he would never approach them.

"He admitted masturbating and touching himself while on the phone and admitted breathing heavily down the phone and was either at home or visiting family in Harrow when he made the calls.

"He admitted to making moaning noises down the phone while playing with himself down below."

The Crown Prosecution Service applied for a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order prohibiting Perez making phone calls on a withheld number and ordered him to report his phone numbers to the police and make his phones available to police inspection without deletions.

He was bailed to November 7 for a pre sentence report on condition he does not contact any of the victims or enter Harrods without the management's permission.

Financial Advisor Accused Of Battering To Death Millionaire Client He Stole From

A "devious and clever" financial advisor battered a wealthy client to death in his Mayfair flat after looting £343,000 to fund a lifestyle of flash cars and expensive hotels, holidays and restaurants, a court heard

David Jeffs, 36, murdered wealthy socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, (pic.top) who had received a large inheritance from his late his civil partner, interior designer Anthony Feldman, the Croydon Crown Court jury were told.

Jeffs, (pic.bottom) of Larch Close, Arnold, Nottingham has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan at the Mount Street address on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.

"This defendant took advantage of a frail and vulnerable man for his own gains over a long period," explained prosecutor Mr. Edward Brown QC. 

"As a result he was able to live the high life, but all at the expense of the deceased, who when the defendant first met him was a rich man. He died less rich by hundreds of thousands of pounds thanks to this defendant's dishonesty.

"The defendant kept the true source of his spending power from everyone. He had come to rely on the deceased, or his wealth, for his own lifestyle.

"When the life to which the defendant happily had become accustomed appeared to him to be about suddenly to come to an end and that there was a real possibility that his callous acts would soon be found out, he killed him."

Jeffs was employed by London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus, a partnership of financial and wealth management firms and invested £1.2 million for Mr. Troyan in an off-shore bank.

The jury were told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.

There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.  

Mr. Troyan, who suffered fatal head injuries,  was one half of the first-ever civil partnership in the UK and Mr. Feldman's clients included Princess Michael of Kent and Jonathan Aitken.

He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.

Mr. Troyan had enjoyed spending his ex-partner's inheritance and hosted cocaine parties at the flat and was known to have had several gay lovers. 

The prosecution say CCTV evidence shows Jeffs spent 15 minutes inside the flat after Mr. Troyan buzzed him in and afterwards bought identical clothes and cleaned-up his Lotus car and himself at a petrol station.

He told police there was no answer at Mr. Troyan's door, but after the deceased's blood was found on his briefcase he claimed to have had a confrontation on the landing with an angry blood-stained mystery man.

"This was plainly a wholly false account. It was invented to cater for the blood that had in truth come from his own contact with Mr. Troyan and Mr. Troyan's wet blood during the attack," added Mr. Brown.

"The deceased's blood came to be on that briefcase because this defendant, in those fifteen minutes, was the one who, perhaps in just a few seconds or minutes, beat that frail man, most likely because he was about to bring to an end his gravy train, his lifestyle and very possibly his liberty."

The court heard Mr. Troyan had voiced his dissatisfaction with Jeffs to his cleaner/housekeeper Mrs Davey Aganon and was becoming increasingly concerned about his investments and cash flow.

His rental lease was due for renewal on March 9 and he had arranged to meet Jeffs the day before so more cash could be withdrawn from his bank account to meet the expense.

Jeffs told police he was Mr. Troyan's £1,000 a week "financial concierge" and had been paid two years salary in advance. 

  

The trial is expected to last six weeks………….

Alleged Internet Perv Denies Sex Attacks On Two Young Girls

A paedophile, who hunted the internet for child porn, “acted out his fantasies with two girls” - sexually abusing one of them on his lap during a game of 'It', a jury were told today.

Father-of-two Peter Ross, 56, of Camrose, Beech Drive, Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey claims the girls, who were aged between twelve to thirteen and nine to eleven years-old respectively at the time, have simply invented the allegations.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Wilkins told Croydon Crown Court the defendant downloaded child pornography on his computer and: “acted out his fantasies with two girls.”

The offences took place at Ross's former Croydon home, which he and his family suddenly abandoned when he was initially reported to police in 2006, the court heard.

“The defendant made the first complainant play a game called 'It' and when she was 'It' she would have to sit on his lap and that is when he touched her,” explained Mr. Wilkins.

“Sometimes his hand would go down her trousers and this happened quite a few times and sometimes he would put his fingers inside her vagina.

“She said it hurt and also says the defendant would play with himself while undressed.”

The victim reported Ross to the police and he abandoned his home so quickly the doors were left open, added the prosecutor.

The second victim found herself alone in the property with the defendant, explained Mr. Wilkins. “He pulled her jeans down and rubbed her just above the vagina.

“He says both girls are lying, that they have made it up.

“When the police went to arrest him for these allegations that the girls made they searched his home computer and on it there were forty or so indecent images of girls downloaded from the internet.

“The computer had been used since 2007 to search for the same imagery.”

The 2006 investigation was not pursued, but after the allegations were discussed on Facebook in 2010 by the complainants they came forward and made statements to police.

Ross has pleaded not guilty to four specimen charges of sexual activity with a child between May 1, 2004 and June 13, 2006 in relation to the first complainant and is alternatively charged with four indecent assaults in relation to the same incidents.

He also denies sexually assaulting the second girl between May 1, 2004 and May 20, 2006 and is alternatively charged with indecent assault in relation to the same incident.

Ross has also pleaded not guilty to six counts of making indecent images on or before July 24, last year.

Trial continues...............

Trader In Court Accused Of Scamming 83 Year-Old

An alleged rogue trader, accused of ripping-off an 83 year-old customer in a £9,350 scam, pleaded not guilty to fraud when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court last Friday.

Jason Jones, 42, of Worcester Road, Titton, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire is said to have taken advantage of the south London man, who is described as “very trusting and very friendly.”

Jones was bailed to return for the trial on December 9.

He pleaded not guilty to five counts of fraud involving charges for work on the roof, guttering, patio, walkways and driveway of 16 Ryefield Road, Upper Norwood on dates between August 24, 2012 and February 21, this year.

He also denied engaging in aggressive commercial trading that involved harassment, coercion and influence.

Man Cleared Of Double Assault In His Local Pub

A pub customer, accused of attacking two drinkers after accusing one of them of looking at his wife, has been cleared of the charges.

Patrick Charles Brindle, 51, of Abbots Way, Beckenham was alleged to have elbowed one man to the jaw and punched his friend to the ground, inflicting a cut to his neck and above his eyebrow.

He pleaded not guilty to assaulting Dean Muzio, causing him actual bodily harm and assaulting Paul Wilson in the garden of the Rising Sun public house in Elmers End on April 18.

At Croydon Crown Court last week the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on the charges.

The victims claimed Brindle approached them angrily, elbowing one to the left side of his jaw and while holding something in his clenched fist, possibly keys, punched the second man in the face, injuring his right eye.

They claimed he then followed-up with a flurry of further punches while the victim, Mr. Muzio, was lying on the ground.

He was taken to King's College Hospital and received treatment for a deep cut to his right eyebrow and a puncture wound to his neck was sealed with medical glue.  

Gatwick Airport Drug Smuggler Caught

A young drug smuggler, caught with 18 kilos of cannabis when he stepped off a flight at Gatwick Airport, has been sent to prison.

Gareth Craig Orrow, 22, of Jarden, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire fought the case at Croydon Crown Court (pictured).

He pleaded not guilty to importing the class 'B' drug on December 13, last year, but was convicted after a trial.

Orrow was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment.

He must pay £2,000 prosecution costs and a £120 victim surcharge.

Twenty-one days he has already spent in custody on the charge will be deducted from the sentence.

C4 Racing Filly's Red Light Photo Fine-ish

Channel Four horse racing presenter Emma Spencer was fined £265 yesterday for jumping a red light while driving her Mercedes in Central London.

She did not appear at City of London Magistrates' Court, but pleaded guilty by letter to driving at 38mph through a traffic light 1.2 seconds after it turned red.

Prosecutor Mrs Varinder Hayre told the court it was 7.19pm when a camera at the junction of Victoria Embankment and Temple Avenue photographed Spencer on July 10.

Mother-of-three Spencer, 35, of Newmarket, Suffolk already has three penalty points on her licence for speeding in 2011.

She was given an additional three points and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Drug-Addict Raided Relatives' Homes

A drug-addict, who burgled his own grandmother's suburban home of £11,000 worth of jewellery and repeatedly stole from his mother will be sentenced on October 28.

Daniel Moore, 21, (pictured) appeared at Croydon Crown Court earlier this week supported by members of his family and was bailed for a drug assessment.

He had already pleaded guilty to burgling his grandmother's address in Lindbergh Road, Wallington on January 23.

Moore also admitted stealing valuables from his mother in Gurney Road, Carshalton last year on November 17; November 21; December 19; December 20; December 22 and this year on January 8 and June 17.

Most of the stolen property was jewellery and was exchanged for cash at local pawnbroker shops.

The defence claim most of it has been recovered.

Smooth-Talking Charmer Jailed For Raping Two Women He Chatted-Up

A smooth-talking rapist, who chatted-up two victims in exclusive Mayfair - plying them with suspected spiked drinks – has received a life sentence with a minimum eight years behind bars.

Fabio Moniz, 27, approached the first woman as she enjoyed a night out with a pal and the second, an American businesswoman, in the street within a three week period.

He was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown court of two counts of rape, plus one count of attempted assault by penetration. He was acquitted of sexually assaulting a third woman.

The first rape occurred after Moniz approached two female friends enjoying an evening out on August 25, last year.

After taking them to a nearby nightclub Moniz bought them rounds of drinks.

The next recollection of the first victim is awaking in an unknown flat as Moniz raped her.

She and the friend left the flat and called the police.


The second offence took place on September 13 when Moniz befriended a woman and persuaded her to go a bar with him and bought her a number of drinks.

She awoke the next morning in a disorientated state to find Moniz in her hotel bed. 



Later that day she caught a flight back home and during the journey felt unwell and concerned about the events of the night before.

On her arrival she attended a medical centre where she informed staff she believed she had been raped during her stay in London.

She was examined and samples taken.



The Metropolitan Police Service was informed and officers from Sapphire, part of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, travelled to the U.S. to collect the samples and take a full statement from her.

Moniz was arrested on September 19 and denied all allegations put to him.



Detective Superintendent Kate Halpin said: “Moniz preyed on young women in London’s West End, using initially his charm, and then alcohol as a means to sexually assault them.

“I would like to commend the victims for the courage they have shown in reporting the offences and re-living their ordeals in court to see justice.

“With the support of specially trained officers and other specialist agencies they have seen this case through to conviction.


"Given the nature of Moniz’s crimes, it is highly likely he has committed further offences and I would urge any victims to come forward.”

Killer Gets 4 Years For Mini-Cab Row Punch

An estate agent, who killed another man with a single punch outside a pub after a disagreement over a mini-cab, has been locked-up for four years.

Shaun McDermott, 44, (pic.l.) of Benhurst Avenue, Elm Park, Hornchurch was attacked while waiting for a lift from his girlfriend outside the Havering Oak pub, South Street, Romford in the early hours of February 3.

He was punched by 30 year-old Sean Boggans, (pic.r.) of Ongar Road, Brentwood, who was waiting for a mini-cab and died the next day from head injuries.

The electrician, of Benhurst Avenue, Elm Park fell heavily after the sudden blow and stuck his head on the pavement.

An investigation was launched by detectives from the Homicide & Major Crime Command, led by Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin.

DCI Sandlin said: "Shaun McDermott had been in the Wheatsheaf pub nearby with two of his sisters, while Sean Boggans had been at a private party in the Havering Oak.



"Boggans called a cab at around thirty minutes past midnight and, after it was delayed, he was waiting outside the Havering Oak with his friends.



"Meanwhile, Shaun had gone to the same location to meet his partner, Wendy Whittle, who was driving there to pick him up.



"Boggans, possibly frustrated by the wait for his taxi and in the mistaken belief that Shaun was also trying to get a cab, remonstrated with Shaun and subsequently threw a punch which caused Shaun to fall to the floor and hit his head.



"It was a wholly unnecessary, violent act which caused Shaun to sustain a fatal head injury."



Bus Stop Sex Fiend: Do You Know Him?

Police have released this CCTV image of a bus stop sexual predator, who threatened a lone woman and took her back to his east London address.

The victim was approached while she waited at a bus stop in Holloway Road, Islington on the evening of September 4, last year and taken away in a taxi to a property in Hackney.

She left the address and immediately alerted police and an investigation was launched by officers from the Sapphire Unit, which specialises in sex crimes.

The suspect is described as a black man, aged around 35 years-old, approximately 5ft 8ins tall, of large build, with a pierced left ear and small scar on his right eyebrow.



Anyone with information is asked to contact Shoreditch Police on 020 7275 3491. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. 

Mother-Of-Two Stabbed To Death: Husband Charged

The husband of an east London mother-of-two, who was stabbed to death in her ground-floor flat, has appeared in court charged with her murder.

Amina Bibi, 43, (pictured) of George Carver House, Station Road, Forest Gate was killed on September 13.

The alarm was raised by her eleven year-old son, who saw her body through the window when he unexpectedly returned home to collect some school books.

A neighbour broke into the property and called the police.

Her husband, Mohamed Ali, 64, also of George Carver House was charged six days later and appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on September 20.

A second man, Frederick Best, 46, of Kebble Terrace, Forest Gate also appeared at the same court charged with murder.

Kebab Shop Thug: Do You Know Him?

Police have released this E-Fit of a thug who repeatedly punched a kebab shop customer in the face in the early hours of the morning, inflicting serious injuries.

The suspect was already inside Efes Kebab, Norwood Road, West Norwood when the 37 year-old victim arrived at 1.30am on April 6

After a short conversation the suspect punched the man several times and left the premises.

He is described as a dark European male, aged between 30 - 35yrs, 6ft tall with an athletic build and short brown hair.

He was wearing a brown t-shirt and blue jeans.



Detective Inspector Will White of Lambeth Borough said: "We are appealing for information from the public regarding the identity of the man in the e-fit, who we would like to speak to in connection with a violent, unprovoked attack which has left the victim with serious facial injuries.

“If you know this man or were in the Norwood area at the time of this incident we would like to hear from you.



“Violence of any kind will not be tolerated within Lambeth Borough and we will endeavour to identify those responsible and put them before the courts.”



If you can assist police with this inquiry, please call 0208 649 2191 or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

N-Dubz Star 'Fazer' Banned For Speeding

N-Dubz star 'Fazer' was banned from driving for fourteen days today after his fourth speeding offence.

'Fazer' - real name Richard Rawson, 26, was caught by two police sergeants from the Met's Diplomatic Protection Group driving his Audi Q7 at 45mph along Warwick Road, Earl's Court at 11.40pm on January 7.

His claim off always driving on cruise control at no more than 30mph to avoid speed cameras and to improve his fuel consumption  was rejected at City of London Magistrates' Court.

Rawson, of Richmond Drive, Woodford Green, Essex was also fined £750, with £500 costs and ordered to pay a £75 victim surcharge within twenty-eight days.

The award-winning rapper, DJ, producer and songwriter and ex-boyfriend of Tulisa Contostavlos told the court he was going to Tesco's to buy batteries.

"It was just a casual drive to the shops and I was aware the police were behind me. They did come up behind me quite quick.

"I made sure I was not doing anything wrong because I was being followed by the police," explained Rawson, insisting his 30mph cruise control was on.

"I was doing it to be one hundred per cent safe in London. I do it every day.

"I had some points on my licence and did not want to lose it because I had a baby on the way."

Glamour model girlfriend Ashley Emma gave birth to daughter Ava Rose in March.

"I think it really helps with fuel consumption as well," added Rawson.

"I have regularly been stopped by the police while driving the vehicle and was even stopped coming here today in Mile End."

Police Sergeant Colin Marsh told the court: "The Audi accelerated hard into Warwick Road. It was driving at speed.

"We 'catched and matched' the Audi and the speedometer was reading approximately forty-five miles per hour. We were travelling at exactly the same speed that vehicle was travelling at."

The speed limit in Warwick Road is 30mph.

Police Sergeant Stephen Farmer, who was driving, agreed he matched Rawson's car at 45mph.

"It was clearly travelling at speed and as it turned into Warwick Road it appeared to me the driver accelerated hard."

The court heard Rawson, who has previously been banned for eight months, currently has nine penalty points on his licence.

Man Wanted For South London Rape

Police are hunting this suspected rapist after a woman reported a sex attack at an unknown Southwark address.

Alieu Diallo, 25, is wanted by officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command.

The alleged rape is said to have occurred in the early hours of October 21, last year and the 27 year-old complainant reported it to police the next day.

Diallo is a West African who also uses the names Amadu Jalloh and Alieu Galloh.

Extensive enquiries have been carried out since the allegation was made and officers now need to trace Diallo.



He has previously frequented the Peckham, East Dulwich, Old Kent Road and Leyton areas.



Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 020 7275 3490 or if you wish to remain anonymous Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.