CPS News Brief

Men jailed for smuggling guns into the UK on the bottom of a tourist coach

Two men have been jailed for a total of 28 years today (31 August) for smuggling guns into the UK, using magnets to attach them to a tourist coach.

The court heard that Mark Maynard and Nicholas Barbary worked as a team to bring two sub-machine guns, one of which was loaded, and a loaded Luger pistol from Europe to the UK.

They used strong magnets to stow the guns to the underside of a tourist coach in Europe. They also attached a tracker so he could follow the coach’s journey back to its depot in Coventry.

Both men then collected the guns using a van, securing them to the underside of the van in the same way. They were stopped by police while driving back to Crawley and the three guns, along with a silencer and a package of ammunition containing 13 live rounds for the pistol and 166 live rounds for the submachine guns were found. 

Tom Guest from the CPS said: “Maynard and Barbary used a tourist coach excursion to smuggle deadly weapons into the country. Both engaged in significant planning to carry out this serious criminality. 

“These loaded weapons clearly had potential to kill. The CPS worked closely with Sussex Police to build a strong case against both men, leaving them with no choice but to plead guilty.”

Notes:

• Tom Guest is a Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service.

• Nicholas Barbary and Mark Maynard pleaded guilty to importation and possession with intent to endanger life.

• Mark Maynard received 16 years two months in prison, Barbary received 12 years in prison and both will have an extended licence period of four years.

Man jailed for 22 years for series of sexual attacks in Derby

A man who committed a series of sexual attacks in Derby has been jailed for 22 years today (25 August).

 

Ilija High targeted and attacked women in parks and open spaces in the city.  Forensic evidence linked all the attacks to the same person.

 

High was arrested in early 2017 and the Crown Prosecution Service advised that he be charged with three counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

 

When arrested, he admitted attacking three women and pleaded guilty to all the offences charged. He was sentenced to 22 years with an extended licence period of eight years.

 

Rebecca Edwards from the CPS said: “Ilija High put these women through a terrible ordeal. Thankfully this kind of attack, committed by a stranger, is rare, but these attacks can put the community in fear.

 

“Although High admitted what he had done, the CPS had to put the case before the court in a way that enabled the Judge to determine an appropriate penalty for the gravity of the offending and the threat to the community. 

 

“The CPS and police have worked together to build a profile of the defendant and the impact of his actions on his victims and the community. I would like to thank the victims for their bravery and determination to see Ilija High convicted. They have helped us throughout and it is due to them that High has been brought to justice.”

 

Ends

Notes to editors:

• The attacks took place in the Spondon, Chaddesden and Darley Park areas of Derby.

 

• High was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

 

• Rebecca Edwards is a Senior Crown Prosecutor from the CPS East Midlands rape and serious sexual offences team.

 

Background:

 

Ilija High carried out his attacks because he was unable to form a sexual relationship with a consenting partner. He admitted in two cases to asking his victims for sex and assaulting them when they refused. 

 

As well as the impact on his victims, the CPS has considered and put to the court the impact on the community. Many local people, including children attending local schools, were fearful that the attacks had taken place in such a confined area and were afraid of their own safety, requiring significant intervention from the police to provide reassurance. This has been communicated to the sentencing court in the form of community impact statements.

 

Following subsequent police investigations and admissions by Ilija High, he has also been charged and sentenced for possession of indecent images of children.

Teenagers guilty of killing man with stolen marine distress flare

Two teenagers have today (24 August) been found guilty of manslaughter after they threw a lit marine distress flare into a car where a man was sleeping.

Their victim, Vilson Meshi, was spending the night in the vehicle outside his partner’s home at Basildon, Essex.  He died from smoke inhalation.

Keani Hobbs, 18, and a 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named, were convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court.

During the trial, the youth gave evidence in his own defence and said Hobbs was responsible for Mr Meshi’s death.   Hobbs did not give evidence but a statement she gave to police, denying the allegations, was read to the court.

 

Paul Scothern for the CPS said: 

“A marine distress flare burns at an incredibly high temperature and the tragic consequences of throwing one into an enclosed space, such as the car where Mr Meshi was asleep, were shocking.

“We were satisfied when reviewing the case that there was sufficient evidence that both were jointly responsible for the theft of the flares and also for Mr Meshi’s death. 

“As there was no evidence of a deliberate intention to kill Mr Meshi, the appropriate charge against them was manslaughter, rather than murder.

“We hope Mr Meshi’s family and friends can take some comfort from the verdicts and our thoughts are with them.”

 

--ENDS--

Notes to editors

 

1. Paul Scothern is a Crown Advocate in the East of England Complex Casework Unit.

2. Mr Meshi was found dead in his car on 27 February 2016 in Pincey Mead, Basildon, Essex.

3. Details of charges against Keani Hobbs and the youth:

• Manslaughter – on 27 February 2016 unlawfully killed Vilson Meshi
• Theft - between 1 January 2016 and 20 February 2016 stole marine hand held flares belonging to Charles Armstrong.

4. The defendants will be sentenced on 25 August

*********************************************************************+ This e-mail is private and is intended only for the addressee and any copy

Gang members jailed for kidnap, rape and knife attack in Exeter

Three members of an Exeter street gang who kidnapped and raped a woman they believed was working for a rival gang have been sentenced to a total of 61 years in custody today (22 August).

Abdiraman Kadir, Abdiraman Abukar and Mohammed Ibrahim were also sentenced for wounding with intent in a knife attack carried out on the same day as the rapes.

Exeter Crown Court heard the men, who were all of Somali heritage, were members of the ‘Chyna Crew’ gang, which regularly travelled from Birmingham to Exeter to sell drugs. They were involved in an ongoing dispute with a rival group over the supply of Class A drugs in Exeter.

On 23 February 2017, the three men targeted a woman who acted as a ‘runner’ for a rival gang and set about humiliating and assaulting her. They made her drink water from a toilet and kiss the bottom of their feet. The trio threatened to set her on fire and stab her before taking her to a second address in Exeter where she was raped by all three men.

The court heard that during this time, the three defendants left the flat where they repeatedly stabbed a man they believed was linked to a rival drugs gang. Their victim suffered serious injuries to his legs and lower body.

A fourth defendant, Amber Olivia, who acted as a ‘runner’ for the group to deliver drugs, was convicted of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and conspiracy to cause GBH.

Allie Longhorn, of the CPS, said:

“Kadir, Abukar and Ibrahim launched a chilling day of violence in two targeted attacks in Exeter, carefully organised to protect their gang’s reputation. All three defendants denied the offences but prosecutors were able to demonstrate their individual roles in the kidnap, false imprisonment and rape and the knife attack.”

“The first victim was subjected to a truly horrific, prolonged incident of serious sexual assault. It must have been a terrifying ordeal for her and she has shown tremendous courage in not only reporting the incident, but being prepared to support the prosecution and give evidence against these dangerous people in court.

“I hope the significant sentences imposed today are some comfort to her, and demonstrates to the wider local community that the police and CPS take these offences very seriously.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Allie Longhorn is a Crown Prosecutor in the South West.
• Kadir received 23 years in prison.
• Abukar received 23 years in a young offenders institute.
• Mohamed received 15 years in a young offenders institute.
• The three men’s sentences included an offence of possessing a firearm after an earlier incident on 8 February.
• Olivia will be sentenced tomorrow (23 August).

Company director jailed for fraud after bogus pension scheme

A company director who spent his clients’ pension investments on his own lavish lifestyle has been sentenced to six years in prison today (17 August).

Darren Say, an independent financial advisor from Loughton, Essex, launched a pension scheme in 2010 called Noisnep - pension spelt backwards - which he claimed would yield huge returns for his clients.

He told investors, some of whom were his own employees, that their funds would be used to develop a luxury holiday resort in the Bahamas which would be worth in excess of £100 million when finished.

Instead, Say took the money for himself. This amounted to £1 million, made up of his clients’ pension funds and tax breaks from HMRC for which they qualified. 

Chelmsford Crown Court heard at one point there was more than £1 million in Say’s company accounts but when he was arrested in January 2016, all of the money had been spent.

Christopher Tarrant, from the CPS, said: “Say treated the money entrusted to him as his own and spent it on funding his lavish lifestyle including buying a plot of land to build his family home.

“He provided his clients with impressive looking figures which they could look forward to on retirement, despite knowing this would never happen.

“Say denied his guilt but the evidence presented by the CPS meant the jury were sure he had committed the frauds alleged and convicted him.”

Ends

 

Notes to editors

• Say denied dishonestly making false representation to make gains to self or another and carrying on the business of a company with the intent to defraud creditors but was convicted by a jury in July.

• He received a six year prison sentence for fraud by abuse of position and two years for fraudulent trading to run concurrently. He was also disqualified from being a company director for eight years.

• Christopher Tarrant is a Specialist Prosecutor in the Specialist Fraud Division.

Teenager guilty of schoolboy killing in row over girl

A 17-year-old boy has today (17 August) been found guilty of the manslaughter of a schoolboy in a row over a girl.

Irfan Wahid, 16, was stabbed to death on a busy street in Leeds in February 2017.

The jury at Leeds Crown Court heard that on the afternoon of the attack, the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to meet the girl at a bus stop in an attempt to discuss their relationship.

Shortly afterwards, Irfan Wahid got off a bus, intending to meet the same young woman. He discovered her talking to the 17-year-old.

Eyewitnesses described how Irfan lashed out, hitting the 17-year-old a number of times. His killer then pulled out a knife and stabbed Irfan between the ribs. He died later in hospital.

 

Ed Hulbert, from the CPS, said:

“The defendant confronted Irfan with a kitchen knife and fatally stabbed him, despite the immediate assistance offered by passers-by.  The attacker went on to burn his clothes and only gave himself up to the police two days later.

“The CPS was able to make use of a provision which allows the questioning of child witnesses to take place in advance on video, to assist them in giving their evidence.

“Our sympathies are with Irfan’s family.”

 

The 17-year-old will be sentenced on 15 September.

--Ends—

 

Notes to Editors

 

• Ed Hulbert is a Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside

Disqualified driver jailed for crash which seriously injured pedestrian

A disqualified driver who was caught on camera knocking down and seriously injuring a pedestrian in Cardiff city centre has today (15 Aug) been jailed.

Mohammed Yousef Arshad, 23, drove over a pavement in his attempt to get away from police and was driving above the speed limit when he struck John Dare, 45, who was about to cross the road.

He had been driving along Westgate Street on 26 July this year when a policeman in a marked vehicle stopped him to conduct a check after the car triggered his Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. Arshad sped away from the officer, driving between other vehicles to try to escape.

He was disqualified from driving at the time after being caught driving whilst disqualified in 2016. He was first banned from the wheel following an incident of driving without due care and attention in 2015. 

Mr Dare suffered serious injuries including a fractured arm and multiple lacerations.

Leighton Mawer of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “At the time of the collision Arshad was driving on the wrong side of the road.

“Despite colliding with a pedestrian, who was then thrown over the vehicle’s bonnet, Arshad carried on driving in an attempt to evade the police.  

“Arshad shouldn’t have been on the road at all that day but chose to ignore the previous court order banning him from driving.  That decision had terrible consequences for Mr Dare, to whom we wish a speedy recovery.”

Mohammad Arshad was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to three years in prison for causing serious injury by dangerous driving, four months concurrently for aggravated vehicle taking, four months concurrently for driving whilst disqualified and four months concurrently for failure to stop. He also received a two month concurrent sentence for breach of a community order.

Arshad also disqualified from driving for six years and six months. He will have to pass an extended driving test.

ENDS 

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Leighton Mawer is a Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Cymru-Wales.

• Video footage of the incident has been made available to media on a pooled basis and can be obtained by contacting [email protected]

Three men sentenced for running a cannabis farm in a nuclear bunker in Wiltshire

Three men have been jailed today (11 August) for their part in running a cannabis farm worth £2 million inside a nuclear bunker. 

Martin Fillery, Ross Winter and Plamen Nguyen created a cannabis farm made up of more than 4,000 plants inside a disused underground nuclear bunker at Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQ) Chilmark in Wiltshire, siphoning electricity worth £650,000 from a pylon outside. 

Fillery, Winter and Nguyen locked ‘gardeners’ inside so that they could see to their plants 24 hours a day, with almost every room inside the bunker transformed into a space to grow cannabis or get it ready to sell. The farm had the capability to produce a crop every six weeks.

The farm was raided by police in February 2017 and it is thought it had in operation since 2013.

Amanda Sawetz, from the CPS, said: “This was a high-value cannabis farm hidden from sight in a disused nuclear bunker.

“Fillery, Winter and Nguyen ran a sophisticated operation, visiting at night and having people live inside the bunker to act as gardeners for the farm. Their lighting system alone cost £140,000 and a well had been drilled to provide water for their plants.

“This was an unusual case but the evidence presented by the CPS, following an investigation by Wiltshire Police, saw the three defendants plead guilty to producing cannabis.”  

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Martin Fillery, Ross Winter and Plamen Nguyen all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce class B drugs and conspiracy to abstract electricity.

• Martin Fillery also pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property (money laundering).

• Fillery received eight years in prison and Winter and Nguyen each received five years in prison

• Amanda Sawetz is a Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex.

Family gang convicted of forced labour, exploitation and fraud

Members of an extended family in Lincolnshire have been convicted of a series of offences of forced and compulsory labour, exploitation and fraud offences dating back over a decade.

The members of the Rooney family, who were based on traveller sites in Lincoln, forced a succession of people to work for little or no pay and housed them in squalid conditions with little or no access to basic requirements. They targeted people they knew to be vulnerable, including the homeless and those with learning disabilities or issues with alcohol or drugs. They would look for people on the streets, or in known locations where homeless people congregated and offer them work, food and accommodation. 

They were prosecuted for offences committed against 16 victims of forced or compulsory labour. The CPS also received evidence in relation to two further victims, who have since died.

However, when the Rooneys' victims accepted these offers of work, they were allocated to shabby, dilapidated caravans on the sites, mostly with no heating, water or toilet facilities. Some victims reported having to use rudimentary toilets in the woods behind the caravan. 

The victims were forced to work either on the sites or for the defendants’ businesses repairing properties and paving driveways. Nearly all the victims reported that they were never given safety equipment or appropriate clothing in which to work.

Although food was promised, the victims were poorly fed and often went hungry. They were at best poorly paid and at times were paid nothing for working long hours on hard physical jobs. The defendants would tell them that they owed money and would force them to work more to pay it off. They would control their bank accounts, and in some cases would help themselves to their savings and benefits, even fraudulently instigating benefit claims in their names and seizing the money. 

Members of the Rooney family did provide alcohol and drugs. Initially this was part of their grooming process, to make them appear generous, but as their hold on the victims increased, they used it as a means of keeping them under their control.

They commonly used threats and, on many occasions, violence. Their victims lived in fear of the family and what they would do to them if they crossed them or tried to leave. Some tried to run away, but were tracked down by the defendants and brought back to the sites. In some cases, the Rooneys’ hold over them was so strong that they abandoned legitimate attempts to seek help in order to return.

The impact on the mental and physical health of the victims was severe. They were often malnourished, and forced to carry out physical labour with inadequate equipment, subjected to beatings and threatened. Even when severely injured, they were often denied medical attention.

Some members of the Rooney family also targeted vulnerable homeowners, coercing them into signing their properties over to them, which they then sold on at a profit.

Reporting restrictions have today been lifted at Nottingham Crown Court in relation to 11 defendants who were prosecuted for the offences outlined above.

Janine Smith from the CPS said: “These members of the Rooney family lived lives of luxury at the expense of their victims, condemning them to live in fear, misery and squalor. For them, exploitation, violence and extortion were a way of life. The defendants have caused serious harm to the people they exploited, some of whom have now passed away. 

“Bringing this family to justice has been a complex and time-consuming case due to the prolific nature of their offending.  In order to present it successfully to the court, prosecutors had to show the actions of each defendant, in respect of each offence, victim and location, spread over a number of different trials. They displayed dedication and professionalism by doing so.

“However, this case could only go to court with the support of the victims who overcame their fear of the Rooneys and, sometimes, apprehension of the authorities to tell their stories. I hope they have felt supported throughout by the CPS and the police. These convictions are a tribute to their bravery.”

Ends

Background:

The case against the members of the Rooney family was first brought to the CPS in 2014, while Lincolnshire Police continued their investigations into their activities. The magnitude of their offending was so great that the case was divided into a number of separate trials, each dealing with different areas of offending.

The first trial, which lasted four months at Nottingham Crown Court resulted in guilty verdicts for the forced labour and exploitation of the victims at the site in Drinsey Nook. 

The second trial was for similar offences committed at the Washingborough site, but resulted in the defendants pleading guilty to offences of forced and compulsory labour during the trial. 

A number of defendants pleaded guilty to offences relating to fraud against homeowners.

Further proceedings are active in relation to further matters relating to the Rooneys’ conduct, including some issues connected with the first three trials.

Notes to Editors:

• Some proceedings in relation to this case are still active and reporting restrictions are in place. It is advisable to check these restrictions and proceedings  before reporting.

• Janine Smith is Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS East Midlands

Men convicted of multiple sexual offences in Newcastle

 

More than a dozen men have been convicted of sexually assaulting vulnerable teenage girls and young women in the north-east of England over several years.

The men, mostly aged in their 30s and 40s, were convicted of offences including rapes, sexual assaults and drugs offences during a series of trials at Newcastle Crown Court. Some have already been jailed while others await sentence.

The victims, whose ages ranged from 15 to their early 20s, were abused at specially-convened ‘parties’ – often referred to as ‘sessions’ – where they were supplied with drugs and alcohol.

There were 13 victims of sexual offences, many of whom gave evidence against their abusers in court.

The trials heard how the men would often threaten their victims with physical violence if they did not partake in sexual activity with them and others were subjected to sexual activity when they were incapacitated and unable to resist. Several victims were raped.

In total the offending took place over more than four years, between 2010 and 2014.

Over the course of the trials, more than a dozen men were convicted of rape or sexual assaults and/or trafficking for sexual exploitation as well as offences related to the possession or supply of drugs including cocaine and mephodrone, known as M-Kat.

The prosecutions followed a major investigation into the sexual exploitation of young women and girls in Newcastle by Northumbria Police.

Jim Hope, from the CPS, said:

“These men systematically groomed and abused vulnerable teenage girls and young women over a number of years for their own sexual gratification. Some have already received significant prison sentences for their actions and others still face sentence.

“This was a complex prosecution involving multiple defendants, but the CPS have systematically pieced together the relevant evidence to present the clearest possible case to the juries.

“These prosecutions would not have been possible without the bravery shown by the victims and the courage they showed in giving their evidence of what had happened to them.

“The impact of the abuse these young women suffered has been profound but I hope these convictions can offer them some comfort and help them move forward.”

Outstanding sentencing hearings for the remaining defendants are expected to take place in the week commencing 4 September 2017.

Ends

Notes to Editors 

·         Jim Hope is Acting Senior District Crown Prosecutor with CPS North-East

Eleven convicted of killing 18-year-old in Manchester

 

Eleven defendants from Manchester have been convicted of the homicide of 18-year-old Abdul Wahab Hafidah in Manchester’s Moss Side in May 2016 after he strayed into an area said to be ‘territory’ of a particular gang.  

Abdul Wahab Hafidah was stabbed and beaten by the gang on a busy main road in rush hour in front of numerous witnesses.

Some of the gang were armed with weapons, including a knife and a hammer. They cornered their victim and then violently assaulted him as he tried to escape. Abdul was run over by a car driven by one of the defendants before he was stabbed, punched and kicked by the group until he was unconscious. He died in hospital two days later from his injuries.

After two trials seven defendants were found guilty of murder and three of manslaughter. One further defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter. They will all be sentenced in September. 

Alan Richardson, from the CPS, said:

“This was a vicious and sustained attack on an 18-year-old man on a busy street in the middle of the rush hour. Abdul Wahab Hafidah was completely outnumbered by the defendants and had no possibility of defending himself. The defendants chased him as a pack, cornered him and then subjected him to an extremely violent assault.

“The evidence presented in court by the CPS included many hours of CCTV, over 20 eyewitness accounts and compelling DNA evidence. We were able to prove to the jury that these defendants were jointly involved in the violence that led to Abdul Wahab Hafidah’s death. The convictions of 11 defendants for murder or manslaughter demonstrates the strength of the case that we brought against them.

“Our thoughts remain with Abdul Wahab Hafidah’s family and friends as they come to terms with their loss."

Notes to Editors

·         Alan Richardson is a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the CPS North West Complex Casework Unit.

Trial 1

·         Delroy Wright Guilty of Murder

·         Durrell Ford Guilty of Murder

·         William George Guilty of Manslaughter 

·         Devonte Neish Guilty of Manslaughter 

·         A 15-year-old boy Guilty of Manslaughter 

·         Devonte Cantrill Guilty of Murder 

·         Nathaniel Williams Guilty of Murder

 

Trial 2 

·         Remekell Samuels Pleaded guilty to manslaughter

·         Reano Walters Guilty of murder

·         Cordell Austin Acquitted

·         Trey Wilson Guilty of murder

·         Durrell Goodall Guilty of murder