Sunday 12 November 2017

Nanny Shared Online Child Porn With Mystery Skype Pal

A children’s nanny downloaded child porn images after she was “manipulated” by a mystery man she met online.

Elliana Ede-Borrett, 23, of Sumner Road, Croydon says she was prompted by an unknown person to obtain the sick images.

Inner London Crown Court heard she formed an internet relationship with a man from Sunderland and they communicated via Skype.

Ede-Borrett had already pleaded guilty at her first appearance at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court to three counts of making indecent images of children between September 23, 2015 and May 3, last year.

These relate to 12 Category A images - the most serious - 18 Category B images and 17 Category C images.

They involved children aged between one and six years-old.

The pair would view the images together while chatting on Skype and indulged in mutual masturbation.

Judge Stephen Dawson said during the last hearing: “This is an unusual case. 

“The Crown say that by what the police have gleaned it is not a case where the defendant herself has a proclivity to look at these sort of images and that she was manipulated by another.

“The issue, if there is one, is the protection of the public and herself from being in a situation like this.

“Maybe the probation service do not have much to offer.”

The judge said at the latest hearing: “On the basis of the facts of this case she was being used by the looks of it.

“The man involved left it for her to take responsibility for the images and his hands were clean.

“Even if he was detected, because of the way he set it up, it looks as if he was making a good job of protecting himself.”

He told Ede-Borrett: “Having heard the background to this I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a situation where because of your vulnerability you have been used by somebody in order for him to gain access to the disgusting photos.”

He placed her on a 60-day community order.  

The first-time offender has lived in a hostel for vulnerable adults since her arrest in May, last year.

None of the images relate to the children she was looking after.

The court heard Ede-Borrett no longer has any relationship with the man.

Saturday 11 November 2017

Electrician Gets Restraining Order

A six-foot-seven electrician has received a five-year restraining order, preventing him contacting a former landlord he was charged with assaulting and harassing.

Victor Hawes, 48, of St. Albans Road, Kingston-upon-Thames had always denied the charges and yesterday at Croydon Crown Court the case was withdrawn.

He had been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm against the man on May 1; assaulting him on May 2 and harassing him between May 3 and May 18.

Not guilty verdicts were entered on all three counts.

Afterwards the complainant said: I agreed to a have a full injunction, as I could not face the idea of standing in court, and having to re live the whole scenario again.

My main witnesses to the attacks were to frightened, worried to give statements or attend.”

Thursday 9 November 2017

GUILTY: BA Employee Convicted Of Groping Passenger On Flight

Guilty: Paul Speak
A drunken off-duty British Airways cabin crew employee groped a sleeping business-class passenger after catching the man’s eye on a long-haul flight to Bangkok.

Paul Speak, 47, touched the man between the legs at least twice and dramatically fainted on board the BA plane when the complaint was reported to him. 

Speak, of Hawkes close, Langley, Slough was found guilty of one count of sexual assault on October 12, last year.

He was bailed for sentencing on November 21.

“I believe I said: ‘What the f*** are you doing? Stay away’,” the passenger told Isleworth Crown Court.

Travelling alone, the man claims he caught Speak looking at him earlier. “It was a stare straight to me and a smile.”

He recalled three touches as he dozed in his seat. “The first time was the feeling of a light breeze on my thigh.

“I felt it again and saw the same guy walking back to his seat. “It was a light touch on my thigh, the inner thigh.

“Something happened again and I caught the hand. It was in the crotch area.”

The passenger says his penis was touched above his clothing.

“He mumbled and stumbled. I saw embarrassment on his face, shocked that he had been caught.

“I think that he might have been drunk.”

Prosecutor Miss Kathy Hirst told the jury: “The complainant, who was travelling alone, noticed another gentleman in a distinctive pink shirt walked down the aisle and ‘clocked’ him.

“There was eye-contact and he held his gaze.”

She said the the first incident occurred four hours after taking off from Heathrow, with Speak, a BA employee, using his staff points to fly.

“On two occasions the complainant says he was touched above clothing on his penis.

“He was woken by someone running his hand over his thigh area, near his crotch.

“He raised his eye mask and saw the man in the pink shirt retreating.

“It happened again forty minutes later. The hand went up towards his waistband and it seemed to be prolonged.

“He saw the same man in the pink shirt walking up the aisle.”

The passenger reported Speak to the cabin crew and a member of staff spoke to the defendant.

“It was obvious to her he was drunk and she told him a complaint had been made.

“His eyes rolled and he fainted and fell to the floor.”

Speak, who denied touching the passenger, was questioned by police on his return to the UK.

“He disputed he assaulted the complainant and accepted he was wearing a pink shirt.

“He said he forgot to take his medication for high blood pressure and had a few drinks before take-off and took a sleeping pill.”

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Son Denies Stealing Thousands Of Pounds From Late Father

A son who had Power of Attorney over his late father's finances appeared in court today acused of stealing thousands of pounds from his dad.

Paul Casey, 53, of Becketts Close, Feltham may have taken as much as £125,000 say the prosecution.

He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court, where he indicated a not guilty plea, and was bailed to appear at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on December 5.

Casey is charged with stealing £18,151 from Lawrence Casey between November 4, 2015 and October 26, last year.

He obtained Power of Attorney on August 21, 2015, but the prosecution say he left his father's care home bill unpaid, which had to be covered by the local council.

When quizzed by police Casey is said to have admitted taking approximately £50,000.  

Tuesday 7 November 2017

Hit-And-Run Driver Who Crippled Nightclub Mum Fights Case

BMW Driver: Petgrave
A hit-and-run driver, caught on CCTV mounting the pavement and leaving a single-mum he struck wheelchair-bound, claims he was fleeing attack, a court heard yesterday

Pascoe Petgrave, 21, was behind the wheel of a grey BMW at 4.30am when it ran over Chanelle Higgins, 31 and her friend Nakeesha Cox, who were walking home from a nightclub.

He reported the vehicle had been stolen to police over two weeks later, but now accepts he was driving the car in Norwood High Street, West Norwood.

Petgrave has pleaded not guilty at Inner London Crown Court to causing serious injury to Ms Higgins by dangerous driving on May 29, last year.

The women had just left Scandals nightclub when they were struck from behind by the diesel two-litre BMW.

She is not giving evidence, but was in court to hear prosecutor Mr. David Ryan tell the jury: “The injuries to Ms Higgins were catastrophic and life-changing.

“It was the early hours, 4.30am and the two ladies, one who is Ms Higgins, who is in court in a wheelchair, walked along the road on their way home.

“While walking on the pavement they were run over by this defendant, who was driving his vehicle along the pavement.

“There is no dispute the vehicle, this grey BMW, is this defendant’s.

“The car, after colliding with the girls did not stop, but continued on its way and disappeared.

In Court: Channelle Higgins
“Part of the prosecution case is that we have to show and prove there was serious injury caused to Ms Higgins and there were injuries to Ms Cox, but nowhere near the severity of those caused to Ms Higgins.”

On June 16, last year Petgrave walked into Brixton Police Station and reported the BMW stolen, but answered no more questions.

“The defendant’s case is that he was the driver and did collide with the two girls and did cause these serious injuries to Ms Higgins, but at the time was acting under duress.

“He is saying: ‘I was being threatened or about to be threatened. I drove off up the pavement because that’s the only thing I could do to escape serious injury or worse.’

“At no point ever did this defendant report this to the police.”

The jury were shown CCTV of the moment both women were run over. “This clip is quite shocking. What you can see there is this car continuing on the pavement.

“Ms Higgins is in the bottom right corner and Ms Cox is above and trying to get up to help her friend.”

Also captured on CCTV was an image of an unknown man with a wooden stick and another chasing Petgrave’s car.

Trial continues…………….. 

Monday 6 November 2017

Keira Knightley's Stalker Sent To Secure Mental Hospital

Film star Keira Knightley’s stalker was sent to a secure psychiatric hospital today after flouting a court order by writing threatening tweets about the star and her family.

Mark Edmund Revill, 50, breached a restraining order in a series of chilling tweets that suggested the actress, husband James Righton, 33 and two year-old daughter Edie would be targeted at their £3.9m Islington home.

He tweeted: “My campaign of disobedience continues in Canonbury tonight,” and: “Keira Knightley and James Righton are not going to get much help from the police.”

Blackfriars Crown Court Judge Henry Blacksell QC announced: “There is no doubt great harm and upset has been caused to those people and their family.

“I have come to the conclusion that it is not just them that are put at serious risk, but the general public.”

The hospital order is indefinite and it will be down to psychiatrists at Homerton Hospital’s John Howard Centre to determine when it is safe to release Revill.

The court heard he is a paranoid schizophrenic, who condition has been exacerbated by a long history of drug abuse.

The couple informed the police of the breach and on April 1 Revill was arrested at 4.15pm and police found a collection of 324 child pornography images he had downloaded form the internet.

Revill, of Glebe Road, Hackney had also tweeted an indecent picture of a child to the actress, which horrified the mum-of-one. 

“Ms Knightley sets out in her statement it was something that gave her particular anxiety since they have a young child,” prosecutor Miss Jennifer Knight told the court previously.

Revill pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order between January 1 and April 1 by composing a series of tweets to Keira.

The order, made at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on December 1, last year prohibits Revill contacting the 32 year-old star and going within 100 metres of the home she shares with ex-Klaxons musician James and their daughter.

He also pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children on or before April 1 and distributing an indecent photograph of a child via twitter on March 9.

Revill further admitted an additional, lesser charge, brought under the Crime and Disorder Act of sending menacing messages via a public online forum.

He claims he only made 88 indecent images of children, but the dispute will no effect sentence.

“These charges arise from the fact Mr. Revill was convicted of stalking, having attended Keira Knightley’s house over a period of eight weeks and posted postcards and other items through her front door,” explained Miss Knight.

“The crown will be applying for another restraining order in more stringent terms than before.

“We will ask for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent any further publishing of indecent images.”

Sunday 5 November 2017

Black Cab Driver Convicted Of Imprisoning Channel 4 Correspondent During Heater Row

Helena Ebrahimi Recorded Row On Phone
A black taxi driver, who locked Channel 4 business correspondent Helia Ebrahimi in his cab and ran her over as she tried to film his id plate, has received a suspended prison sentence from a judge who described him as a “blustering bully.”

James Wilkinson, 57, received four months imprisonment, suspended for a year, and must complete 210 hours community service work.

He was also banned from driving for two years and must pay £1,000 compensation to Ms Ebrahimi.

Wilkinson rowed with the Iranian-born broadcaster, 39, about his cab’s heating and told her the police were already too busy: “Dealing with the likes of you,” on the same day as the Westminster terror attack.

Wilkinson, of Provender Mill, Belvedere Road, Faversham was unanimously found guilty of falsely imprisoning Ms Ebrahimi on March 22 and driving dangerously in Roger Street, Holborn.

Blackfriars Crown Court Judge David Richardson told the grandfather: “You had a trivial argument with Ms Ebrahimi because the heater in your taxi was not working.

“You said words to the effect of: ‘If you’re going to be like that you can get out’ and she asked to be let out of the taxi.

“Your reaction was to take her back to a side street and drop her off. You ignored her repeated requests to be let out.

“She asked over ten times to be let out of the cab and you ignored her.

“When she got out and stood in the v-shape of the door and cab filming your id plate you drove forward with the door open, causing her to fall to the floor.

“This caused an injury to her knee, to her leg and the flare-up of a condition to her back.

“She says you drove the cab backwards. She maybe is right, but I’m not sure she was right.

“You driving forward while she was in that obviously dangerous position caused her to fall, the danger was obvious.

“She could have been injured much more seriously than she was.

“You were a black cab driver, we trust our black cab drivers to keep their tempers and obey the law.

“You committed these offences against a woman in your cab on her own.

“You are a blustering bully and you would never have behaved like that if it was a man in your cab.

“You took the opportunity to bully someone standing up to you in your cab.

“You have shown an utter lack of remorse, suggesting the video evidence was somehow tampered with.”

The £1,000 compensation to Ms Ebrahimi was for falsely imprisoning her in the locked taxi. “Reflecting a short, but frightening period of loss of liberty.

“We take loss of liberty seriously in this country,” added the judge.

“You could have no complaint if I passed an immediate custodial sentence on you, but I have taken into account your loss of character and career.”

Wilkinson must also pass an extended driving test before his licence is restored.

A probation officer described diabetic Wilkinson as a “polite and social individual largely” who could do around 7 hours community service a week.

His lawyer Miss Shanthi Sivakumaran told the court Wilkinson has one son, a social worker, and one grand daughter and lives alone, paying a £1,500 per month mortgage.

He has now lost his £2,000 per month taxi job. “That is going to stop with immediate effect.

“He is concerned he has lost his livelihood snd is concerned about how losing his licence will impact finding a new job.

“He is very afraid he is going to lose his home and other assets he has.”

Judge Richardson told her at the conclusion: “I thought you represented a very unpleasant client extremely well.”

The jury took only approximately thirty minutes to convict first-time offender Wilkinson, who had not been suspended as a cabbie pending the trial.

Ms Ebrahimi told the jury it was just after 8pm when she hailed the cab outside her ITN office in Gray’s Inn Road to go to her Notting Hill home.

“I was asking the taxi driver if he could put up the heating,” she told the jury. “The air coming out of the vents was colder than the air in the taxi.

“He was saying the heating was already on and I said it couldn’t be on. He wasn’t accepting that there wasn’t heating.

“He became frustrated and said: ‘If you’re going to be like that you’d better get out.’

“I thought that was really unfair, it was a cold night, I had a half-an-hour journey and taxi’s are expensive.

“I was quite upset. I didn’t understand why he was so angry….Why he was taking it so personally.”

She recorded 90 seconds of the row on her phone, which was played to the jury, who heard her repeatedly pleading: “Can you let me out of the car please.

“I feel very much under threat. I don’t feel safe.” 

She told the court: “I said: ‘If you’re going to kick me out here, I’m not going to pay. It was only three or four pounds.

“At that point he told me: ‘Well I’m not going to let you out then. I’m going to take you where I got you. I’m going to take you to the police station.”

Wilkinson then did a u-turn. “He said: ‘Don’t you think the police will be busy on a day like this dealing with the likes of you.

“The ‘day like this’ was the Westminster attack, the terrorist attack. It seemed like a strange thing to tell someone.”

Earlier that day 52 year-old Khalid Masood killed four Westminster Bridge pedestrians he ran over in an van and stabbed to death PC Keith Palmer outside the House of Commons.

“I thought this had escalated to something I couldn’t even comprehend. I said: ‘Please let me out of the cab.’

“I couldn’t understand his motivation, it seemed a bigger threat. He started to say things like: ‘This country use’d to have good people. This city had class.’

“That seemed like a personal attack, that he had an axe to grind.

“I couldn’t open the doors. They were locked during this whole period.

“I thought: ’Should I climb out of the window? but that’s an idiot’s guide. I could break my neck, I was caught in a panic.”

She described Wilkinson’s behaviour as “sinister” and having a greater motivation than a lost fare.

“He called me a thief and when I pleaded that I was feeling unsafe he said he was feeling unsafe to.

“To me it seemed like an incredibly frightening situation. It felt like to me racist attacks, very personal.”

Wilkinson dropped her off near Gray’s Inn Road and can be heard on the recording shouting: “Get out of my cab!”

Ms Ebrahimi stood by the open door filming Wilkinson’s number. “As I was filming the car’s id plate the car went forward and came back and hit me and I went flying into the air.

“I was struck backwards about a metre and a half and fell on my right side.”

She called the police when a second taxi drove her home. “I had bruises on my knees and legs and a trapped sciatic nerve due to the fall on the lower part of my back.”

Ms Ibrahim is the former Senior City Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph and was a journalist at the Mail on Sunday and CNBC.  

Saturday 4 November 2017

Polish Carer Was Bought Skimpy Outfits By Disabled Voyeur

Farhan Mian Says The CCTV Was For Security
A young female Polish carer to a severely disabled man, who secretly filmed her topless as she sat on the edge of her bed, told a jury he asked her for sexual favours and bought her skimpy outfits.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient Farhan Mian, 32 - who needs 24 hour care - hired Eastern European women and recorded them showering and undressing at his flat, isleworth Crown Court heard.

Mian was able to operate three cameras in his White City flat in Banstead Court via a computer, which allowed him to zoom in and rotate them 360 degrees.

Two cameras were pointed at the carers’ bed in their private room and their shower, the third was in Mian’s room and there was a fourth short-lived camera hidden in a Playboy Bunny’s eye in their bedroom.

He has pleaded not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to six counts of voyeurism for the purpose of sexual gratification between 2011 and 2015.

Mian says his nephew installed the cameras as a security measure after he was a victim of a theft and they were not for any gratification.

He can only move his tongue and right thumb and is usually bed-bound, but can operate a computer to communicate and is transported to court in a wheelchair that also assists his breathing.

The woman told the court: “He often talked about sex and I didn’t like that.

“He talked about his past relationships and what he did with the girls, showing me his sex toys and making sexual jokes.

“He told me that he had some sexual relationships with carers in the past.

“Some of the carers were also like his girlfriend and some of them did some extras for him.”

She told the court he was keen for her to assist him pleasuring himself. “He was telling me that when he has a shower sometimes he pays extra if someone helps him with a hand.

“He said he’d buy me pyjamas and I said make sure they have long sleeves and trousers, but when they arrived he had ordered a top with straps and very short shorts.

“He said: ‘I’ll get you a swimming costume so you can wear it when you shower me.’

‘I refused to wear it because it was two small pieces attached with string.”

Police were called and found the recordings after another carer, who had only been there five days, found a secret camera on September 3, 2015.

Trial continues.........


Friday 3 November 2017

Channel 4 Business Correspondent Relives Black Cab Ordeal

Helia Ebrahimi Leaving Blackfriars Crown Court
A black taxi driver locked Channel 4 business correspondent Helia Ebrahimi in his cab during a row over the heating and later ran her over as she tried to film his id plate on her phone, a court heard yesterday.

James Wilkinson, 57, allegedly told the Iranian-born broadcaster, 39, the police were already too busy: “Dealing with the likes of you,” on the same day as the Westminster terror attack.

Wilkinson, of Provender Mill, Belvedere Road, Faversham has pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Ms Ebrahimi on March 22 and driving dangerously in Roger Street, Holborn.

She told Blackfriars Crown Court it was just after 8pm when she hailed the cab outside her ITN office in Gray’s Inn Road to go to her Notting Hill home.

“I was asking the taxi driver if he could put up the heating,” she told the jury. “The air coming out of the vents was colder than the air in the taxi.

“He was saying the heating was already on and I said it couldn’t be on. He wasn’t accepting that there wasn’t heating.

“He became frustrated and said: ‘If you’re going to be like that you’d better get out.’

“I thought that was really unfair, it was a cold night, I had a half-an-hour journey and taxi’s are expensive.

“I was quite upset. I didn’t understand why he was so angry….Why he was taking it so personally.”

She recorded 90 seconds of the row on her phone, which was played to the jury, who heard her repeatedly pleading: “Can you let me out of the car please.

“I feel very much under threat. I don’t feel safe.” 

She told the court: “I said: ‘If you’re going to kick me out here, I’m not going to pay. It was only three or four pounds.

“At that point he told me: ‘Well I’m not going to let you out then. I’m going to take you where I got you. I’m going to take you to the police station.”

Wilkinson then did a u-turn. “He said: ‘Don’t you think the police will be busy on a day like this dealing with the likes of you.

“The ‘day like this’ was the Westminster attack, the terrorist attack. It seemed like a strange thing to tell someone.”

Earlier that day 52 year-old Khalid Masood killed four Westminster Bridge pedestrians he ran over in an van and stabbed to death PC Keith Palmer outside the House of Commons.

“I thought this had escalated to something I couldn’t even comprehend. I said: ‘Please let me out of the cab.’

“I couldn’t understand his motivation, it seemed a bigger threat. He started to say things like: ‘This country use’d to have good people. This city had class.’

“That seemed like a personal attack, that he had an axe to grind.

“I couldn’t open the doors. They were locked during this whole period.

“I thought: ’Should I climb out of the window? but that’s an idiot’s guide. I could break my neck, I was caught in a panic.”

She described Wilkinson’s behaviour as “sinister” and having a greater motivation than a lost fare.

“He called me a thief and when I pleaded that I was feeling unsafe he said he was feeling unsafe to.

“To me it seemed like an incredibly frightening situation. It felt like to me racist attacks, very personal.”

Wilkinson dropped her off near Gray’s Inn Road and can be heard on the recording shouting: “Get out of my cab!”

Ms Ebrahimi stood by the open door filming Wilkinson’s number. “As I was filming the car’s id plate the car went forward and came back and hit me and I went flying into the air.

“I was struck backwards about a metre and a half and fell on my right side.”

She called the police when a second taxi drove her home. “I had bruises on my knees and legs and a trapped sciatic nerve due to the fall on the lower part of my back.”

Ms Ibrahim is the former Senior City Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph and was a journalist at the Mail on Sunday and CNBC.  


Trial continues……….. 

Thursday 2 November 2017

Alleged Vandal Wanted For Damaging Door At Ex-Deputy PM Nick Clegg's Putney Home

A local man accused of damaging a door at the £2.1m home of Former Deputy Prime minister and Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg is now being hunted by police.

Ricky Broom, 33, of Upper Richmond Road, Putney, failed to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court after receiving a postal requisition.

A warrant without bail was issued for his arrest.

He is charged with one count of causing criminal damage to a door on October 15 in Parkfields, Putney.

No more details were given.

It is the family home of Mr. Clegg, 50, his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez and their three sons. 

The former MP lost his Sheffield Hallam seat after 12 years in this year’s general election.

He was Lib Dem leader between 2007 and 2015.

Magistrate Mr. David Simms announced: “We have no information as to Mr. Broom’s whereabouts so we feel a warrant without bail is necessary and proportionate in the circumstances.”

Wednesday 1 November 2017

Drunken Plane Passenger's Bomb Threat

A dunken agitated passenger triggered an emergency after shouting: "Watch him he's got a bomb," when his Qantas plane landed at Heathrow Airport.

Merchant Navy First Officer Laurentiu Streaja, 36, was returning home to Romania following his vessel's journey to New Zealand and was locked-up for a month until his sentencing this week.

There had to be a lock-down of the A380 jet, which had taken-off in Dubai, with no passengers allowed off until a thorough search was completed.

Streaja pleaded guilty to being drunk on board the plane and making a bomb hoax on the September 30, flight.

Uxbridge Magistrates Court remanded him in custody on October 2, where he remained until this Monday's hearing at Isleworth Crown Court.

The court heard Streaja was "agitated" after the plane landed and kept getting out of his seat, despite warnings from cabin crew to remain seated.

He shoved the crew member into another passenger and shouted: "That man's got a bomb. Watch him he's got a bomb."

Streaja had got drunk on red wine during the flight and said he remembered nothing about the incident when questioned by police.

He has served in the Romanian Navy and is now second in command to the ship's captain in his current job, sailing container vessel's all over the world.

Streaja's lawyer told the court of the married dad: "This could have an absolutely devestating effect on his career and his family.

"If he goes to prison that will be the end of his current contract."

His six-month work stint had ended in Auckland and he had been travelling for twenty-seven hours without sleep when he was arrested.

Streaja admits he tried to drink himself to sleep with red wine.

Judge Andrew McDowall told him: "People who get drunk on an aircraft can cause a great deal of trouble and distress although this was in the last stages of the flight that you were misbehaving.

"I don't know what effect this will have on your career, but I'm sure it won't help it."

Streaja was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years.