CPS News Brief

Man jailed for manslaughter of boy who drowned at water park

A man who left a five-year-old boy alone at a water park for over two hours has been jailed for his manslaughter today (Wed 20 Dec).

Paul Smith was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court for his role in the death of Charlie Dunn – the son of Smith’s partner Lynsey Dunn – who drowned in Leicestershire in July 2016.

Lynsey Dunn was also given an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years, today for child cruelty offences against Charlie on other occasions.

The court heard how Charlie was seen by eyewitnesses at Bosworth Water Park playing on his own throughout the afternoon of his death. Smith made no effort to supervise Charlie and did nothing to ensure his safety when playing near or in the water. 

Charlie was found drowned in the water by three boys playing in one of the lakes. They pulled him from the water, bystanders tried to resuscitate him and he was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead. 

The incident that led to Charlie’s death followed a series of other incidents that had raised concerns about the way in which Dunn and Smith looked after the children in their care.  

On 5 December, during the early stages of the trial, Smith pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Charlie Dunn by gross negligence. Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty. Smith also pleaded guilty to witness intimidation and motoring offences, as he repeatedly drove whilst disqualified.

Linsey Farnsworth, of the CPS, said: “Charlie drowned and died as a result of grossly negligent parenting by someone who was supposed to make sure he was safe.

“Paul Smith accepts he had been responsible for Charlie’s welfare at the water park that afternoon and that Charlie’s death was a result of his failure to care for him.

“The CPS presented evidence, including eye witness accounts, of how he had failed to supervise Charlie for long periods over the course of the afternoon, leaving him to play on his own near the water, even though he could not swim.

“In the face of this evidence, Smith pleaded guilty after the start of the trial. We presented evidence that Lynsey Dunn’s neglect of Charlie and another child amounted to cruelty, and were satisfied that her guilty pleas reflected the extent of her offending. 

“Charlie’s death has had a profound effect on other members of his family. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Linsey Farnsworth is a Senior Crown Prosecutor from the CPS East Midlands Complex Casework Unit

• Paul Smith pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence, two counts of driving without a licence and one count if intimidating a witness. He was sentenced to five years and two months for manslaughter; two years for witness intimidation and four months for driving while disqualified. These sentences run consecutively to each other.

• Lynsey Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of cruelty to a childin relation to two separate incidents. She was sentenced to four months for each of these counts, to be served consecutively, suspended for 24 months. She was also given a rehabilitation activity requirement of 20 days, to be completed within 12 months.

Men convicted of stabbing three teenagers at Notting Hill carnival

Men convicted of stabbing three teenagers at Notting Hill carnival

Two men who stabbed three teenage boys in an attack at Notting Hill carnival have been convicted today (15 December).

Eddy Mombele, 24, and Jordan Clarke, 20, stabbed two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old boy during the Carnival in August 2016, mistakenly believing these teenagers to be part of a rival gang.

A jury at the Old Bailey heard that when a friend of the defendants’ was stabbed at the carnival, they decided to seek revenge. The defendants were carrying weapons described as a Rambo-style ‘zombie’ knife and a flick knife.

Mombele and Clarke used these knives to cause serious injuries. One victim suffered significant internal injuries and another needed stitches. 

A large ‘zombie’ knife, a large blade with a serrated edge, was later found at Clarke’s home. Zombie knives have been banned in the UK since August 2016.

Punam Chopra, from the CPS, said: “These were very serious and frightening incidents in which Mombele and Clarke ambushed and attacked their victims without warning, causing serious injuries.

“All three required hospital treatment following quick action from paramedics and police at the scene, with one victim hospitalised for nine days having been stabbed in the stomach and forearm. 

“Both defendants denied they were responsible, however the CPS built a strong case, using a combination of eye witness accounts and CCTV footage to prove that Mombele and Clarke were behind the attacks.”

Both men will be sentenced on 21 December. 

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Punam Chopra is a Specialist Prosecutor in the International Justice and Organised Crime Division at the CPS.
• Eddy Mombele and Jordan Clarke denied three counts of wounding with intent and one count each of having an offensive weapon but were convicted by a jury on 15 December.

Lorry driver jailed for fatal M69 collision

Lorry driver jailed for fatal M69 collision

 

A lorry driver who veered onto a motorway hard shoulder after using his phone at the wheel has been sentenced to eight years in prison today (14 December) after causing death by dangerous driving. 

Felix Gillon, 56, destroyed his phone and SIM card immediately after the collision in an attempt to conceal evidence.

Leicester Crown Court heard how Gillon was driving a flat-bed lorry on the M69 in Leicestershire in May 2016 when he collided with another truck that was stationary on the hard shoulder.

The prosecution’s case was that Gillon had veered towards the hard shoulder because he had been using his mobile phone to access the internet, in particular pornographic websites, immediately prior to the crash.

The collision forced the stationary truck into the crash barrier, crushing its driver, Kerry Pemberton.

Janine Smith, from the CPS, said:

“This tragic collision was caused by Felix Gillon driving into Mr Pemberton’s stationary vehicle because he had allowed himself to be distracted by his phone.

“When deciding whether to prosecute a defendant for causing death by dangerous driving, the CPS will consider avoidable distractions as a significant factor.

“On looking at the evidence of Gillon’s mobile phone activity, it was clear that he had chosen to access the internet and this had inevitably caused a distraction. He then attempted to conceal the evidence provided by his phone’s browsing history. 

“I would like to express my sincere sympathies to Mr Pemberton’s family and friends.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Janine Smith is Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands. 
• Gillon was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

Lorry driver admits injuring cyclist after motorway footbridge crash

A lorry driver who caused a footbridge to collapse onto a busy motorway after his load struck it, has pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving today (Thu 14 Dec).

A motorcyclist was left with serious injuries after sliding his bike to avoid colliding with the fallen concrete bridge on the M20 in Kent. The motorway had to be closed for more than 24 hours over the bank holiday weekend in August 2016.

Lorry driver Alan Austen, 64, was pulling a trailer carrying an excavator when the arm of the machinery struck the footbridge at around midday on Saturday 27 August 2016.

Austen appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today where he pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and must pass an extended test before he will be allowed to drive again.

David Skelton, from the CPS, said: 

“It was our case that it would have been obvious to a competent and careful driver that the load was too high to be transported safely under the bridge. 

“The defendant had supervised the loading of the items and did not measure the height before setting off, ignoring concerns raised by two colleagues. He stopped just prior to the crash to check his load but this was obviously inadequate. 

“His actions led to the bridge collapse which left one man with serious injuries and which had a huge financial impact on the whole region, closing off a vital transport link in the South East during a busy travel period.

“It was fortunate that no-one was killed and more people were not hurt in this incident, which could have been much more serious.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

·         David Skelton is a Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS South-East

Gang jailed for using drones to fly items into prisons

A gang have today (13 December) been jailed for over 37 years after they were found guilty of using drones to import prohibited items into nine prisons across the country.

The group of 11 men and women, aged between 19 and 51, were made up of serving prisoners in various jails and their accomplices on the outside.

Between July 2015 and May 2017, the gang trafficked prohibited items such as psychoactive substances, crack cocaine, cannabis, heroin, mobile phones, sim cards, Freeview boxes, hacksaw blades and screwdrivers into HMP Hewell, Stoke Heath, Featherstone, Birmingham, Oakwood, Lindholme, Stocken, Liverpool and Risley.

The gang wrapped the items together in packages, sometimes concealing them in drink bottles, before throwing them into the prison grounds or flying them in using drones.

The drones would either deposit the packages in the prison grounds to be picked up by inmates, or they were flown to a specific cell window for an inmate to pull the package in using a broom handle with a hook attached to it.

They used mobile phones to contact each other when drop offs were made.

A number of the packages were intercepted by officers and a police investigation was launched.

Using data from mobile phones and drones, the prosecution was able to identify the defendants as the perpetrators of the offences.

The recovered drugs were found to have an estimated value in prison of up to £370,000. However, there were multiple drone flights that were not intercepted so the true value of the drugs alone, based on an average delivery, is estimated to be up to £1.2 million.

At Birmingham Crown Court, 10 out of the 11 defendants pleaded guilty and one was found guilty after a trial.

Eran Cutliffe from the CPS, said:

“This was a highly organised gang who worked in an extremely coordinated manner in order to import prohibited items into prisons.

“They used various techniques, including drones, to smuggle contraband such as drugs, tools and mobile phones. The financial value of these goods was far greater in prison than in the outside world.

“The gang members sought to profit from the misery caused by prison drug use and they must now face the consequences of their actions.”


NOTES TO EDITORS

Eran Cutliffe is a Senior Crown Prosecutor and she is based in the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service’s Complex Casework Unit.

The defendants were sentenced to the following:

• Francis Ward (dob 22/07/1971), 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited items into prison and one count of conspiracy to supply psychoactive substances. He has been jailed for a total of two years and four months imprisonment
• John Hickinbottom (dob 19/12/1966), 51, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison, one count of conspiracy to throw an article into a prison and one count of conspiracy to supply a psychoactive substance. He has been jailed for a total of four years and eight months imprisonment
• John Quinn (dob 6/8/1981), 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison, one count of conspiracy to throw an article into a prison and one count of conspiracy to supply a psychoactive substance. He has been jailed for a total of four years and eight months imprisonment
• Craig Hickinbottom (dob 4/7/1982), 37, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison, one count of conspiracy to throw an article into a prison and one count of conspiracy to supply a psychoactive substance. He has been jailed for a total of seven years two months imprisonment
• Mervyn Foster (dob 2/10/1979), 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison, one count of conspiracy to throw an article into a prison and one count of conspiracy to supply a psychoactive substance. He has been jailed for a total of six years and eight months imprisonment
• Sanjay Patel (dob 1/9/1979), 38, pleaded guilty to possessing an electronic communication device whilst in custody. He has been jailed for a total of five years and three months imprisonment
• Yvonne Hay (dob 10/2/1975), 41, was found guilty following a trial by jury of two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison and one count of conspiracy to supply a psychoactive substance. She has been jailed for a total of two years and four months imprisonment
• Ashley Rollinson (dob 9/9/1995), 23, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison. He has been jailed for a total of 11 months
• Lisa Hodgetts (dob 12/6/1984), 33, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. She has been handed a 16 month suspended prison sentence
• Terry Leach (dob 2/5/1998), 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into prison. He has been handed a two year suspended prison sentence
• Artaf Hussain (dob 5/8/1986), 31, pleaded guilty to one count of being concerned in supplying a controlled drug. A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Woman imprisoned after dog attack

A woman whose dog attacked a dozen children in a vicious attack, leaving three in hospital, has today been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Newcastle Crown Court. 

Claire Neal, 39, pleaded guilty to owning the Staffordshire bull terrier which attacked 12 children in May last year after it was let out of her property by a visitor. 

The dog then began playing with a number of the children in a nearby park but suddenly became aggressive and attacked them, leaving all of the children with puncture wounds on their arms and legs. Three children had to remain in hospital overnight. 

Local residents captured the dog and police were called to the scene. The animal was transported to secure kennels by police and subsequently destroyed. 

Officers traced the dog back to Neal, and discovered that in February 2016 she had been ordered to destroy the same dog after another attack. A destruction order had been issued under the Dangerous Dogs Act and she had been banned from keeping dogs for five years. 

Neal pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing. 

Sharon Elves of the CPS said: 

“This was a terrifying and horrific attack on a group of young children by a known dangerous dog. Were it not for the heroic actions of two local people in subduing the dog, the significant injuries sustained by the children could have been much worse.

“All dog owners must ensure that their animals are under control at all times and there are significant penalties, including imprisonment, for those who are negligent in these responsibilities. Had the dog been destroyed in accordance with the earlier court order, then this attack would never have taken place.”

Bank employee who created fake accounts to launder money is jailed

Bank employee who created fake accounts to launder money is jailed

A bank employee who opened more than 100 fake accounts to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds in stolen money has been sentenced today (12 December).

Jinal Pethad, 29, of Edgware, worked for Barclays Bank and set up a number of accounts in false identities for the purposes of money laundering. He also used Barclays’ internal systems to assist criminals in controlling the accounts so that they could obtain stolen money paid into them.

Pavel Gincota contacted Pethad to get him to set up the accounts, facilitate transfers and assist him to control the accounts. Gincota, along with Ion Turcan, had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to money launder. They received five years eight months and seven years’ imprisonment respectively.

Gincota and Turcan used the accounts set up by Pethad to receive stolen funds, moving them between the fake accounts before the money was withdrawn.

Pethad pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial and was sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Tom Guest, of the CPS, said: “Pethad abused his position of trust in his job to set up more than 100 accounts, and to access further fake accounts, all for the purpose of hiding and obtaining money stolen from businesses and individuals.

“The CPS presented evidence which showed the network of accounts used, how those accounts were being controlled by Gincota and Turcan, and the important role of Pethad within the bank who facilitated this criminality and who benefitted personally from the conspiracy.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Tom Guest is a Specialist Prosecutor in the International Justice and Organised Crime Division at the CPS.
• Jinal Pethad pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal, disguise, transfer, convert and/or remove from England and Wales, contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

Convicted money launderer Terry Adams pays back confiscation order

Convicted money launderer Terry Adams pays back confiscation order

 

A convicted money launderer has paid back the remaining amount of his confiscation order after he was warned he would go back to prison if he failed to pay.

Terry Adams was ordered to pay £750,000 in confiscation after pleading guilty to money laundering in March 2007. He paid only £391,437 of the order and by November 2017 the amount rose with interest to over £1.1m.

In October 2017, Adams applied to North Somerset Magistrates’ Court to stop enforcement of the order which, if successful, would have meant his default prison sentence of 949 days could not be activated.

The CPS opposed this application. In November the court refused the application and the full amount was ordered to be paid.

Terry Adams has now paid back what he owed on the confiscation order together with interest.   

Nick Price, of the CPS, said: “The CPS is determined to ensure that crime doesn’t pay and that criminals including Adams cannot avoid paying back what they owe. 

“Our prosecutors and caseworkers have worked tirelessly to secure assets from Adams who sought to benefit from his crimes and went to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

• Nick Price is Head of the Proceeds of Crime team at the CPS.
• A confiscation order is made against a convicted defendant ordering them to pay the amount they have benefitted from their crimes. 
• Adams paid the remaining £727,772 earlier this month.
• Terry Adams pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2007 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Driver jailed for death while on hands-free phone call

A driver has been sentenced to three years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving while using a hands-free mobile phone.

Samantha Ayres, from Horncastle, caused the death of David Kirk when she drove on the wrong side of the road in Horsington, Lincolnshire. Her car collided head-on with Mr Kirk’s motorbike and he was killed instantly. Prior to the collision, Ayres had been on the phone to a friend for about 27 minutes, using a hands-free kit.

Ayres pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, claiming she had lost control by hitting mud, grass or a pothole, but evidence from the scene showed there were no such hazards on the road.

The CPS rejected her offer of a plea to causing death by careless driving and she was convicted of the more serious offence on 30 November at Lincoln Crown Court. Today (6 December) she was also banned from driving for four and a half years.

Janine Smith from the CPS said: “The evidence in this case showed clearly that Samantha Ayres caused Mr Kirk’s death and that her driving had been far below the standard of a careful and competent driver. When the collision took place, her entire car was on the wrong side of the road, on a bend. At the time she was 27 minutes into a phone conversation.

“Using a mobile phone on a hands-free set is not in itself an offence, however, Mr Kirk lost his life because of Ayres’ dangerous driving and the only explanation for it was the level of distraction caused by her phone call. We presented evidence to the court to show how a phone call, even on hands free, affects attention to the road due to a reduction in eye movement.

“Our thoughts are with Mr Kirk’s family and friends.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

Janine Smith is Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands

Hacker admits international cyber attacks

 

A hacker who was responsible for thousands of cyber-attacks on firms around the world including Skype and Google has been convicted.

Alex Bessell, 21, from Liverpool, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on 4 December to a number of offences under the Computer Misuse Act.

He was also convicted of various other offences, including money laundering, which were linked to the hacks.

As well as the cyber-attacks, Bessell was responsible for creating programmes for sale allowing others across the globe to conduct Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and steal data.

When police raided his home, his computer was found to hold 750 names and passwords from infected computers. It also held two programmes which are designed to infect computers and retrieve email, banking and log-in details from a web data form before passing it over the internet to a secure server.

He also created an online marketplace and sold both his and others’ malware products which enabled users to spread viruses.

These included remote administration tools, denial of service packages, programmes to bypass anti-virus software and other malicious programmes. He took a cut of the sales and his earnings from cyber-crime exceeded US$50,000. 

Bessell’s site advertised 9,077 items and it had 1,000,000 recorded visitors with over 34,000 sales. 

He registered the company using a false address to give it a legitimate company status. 

He was arrested following an investigation by West Midlands police’s Cyber Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Hannah Sidaway, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Bessell was responsible for the creation, use and distribution of computer malware from 2010 onwards – during which time law enforcement have seen this type of criminality grow at a phenomenal rate. 

“His actions enabled others across the world to commit thousands of criminal attacks. Such activity can result in the compromising of personal data, extortion, loss of valuable data or work, loss of custom for businesses and a high cost to rectify the damage sustained. 

“Bessell’s arrest and prosecution was a result of a lengthy and complex police operation, which spanned several countries and involved the collection and analysis of detailed data to identify him.  The CPS provided investigative advice to the police at an early stage to ensure a case was built that could lead to his charging and eventual prosecution.”

He will be sentenced on 5 January at the same court. 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

Alex Bessell (dob 13.09.1996) pleaded guilty to the following at Birmingham Crown Court:

Two counts of: Doing an unauthorised act or acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing the operation of a computer or computers, contrary to section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990;

One count of: Unauthorised access with intent, contrary to section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990;

Two counts of: Conspiracy to make an article for use in offences under Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, contrary to section 1 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1997;

One count of: Entering into or becoming concerned in a money laundering arrangement, contrary to section 328 (1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;

One count of: acquiring criminal property, contrary to section 329 (1) (a) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;

Three counts of: conspiracy to make or supply an article for use in offences under section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, contrary to section 1 (1) of the Criminal Law Act 1997; and

One court of: Encouraging or assisting offences, contrary to section 46 of the Serious Crime Act 2007.

Businessman jailed for tax evasion and benefit fraud

A bar and garage owner who fraudulently avoided more than £340,000 in tax and national insurance by failing to register the premises has been jailed for four years.

Bernard Knutsen, 68, admitted evading the duties in relation to Chaplin’s Bar and the garage, both in Toxteth, Liverpool, over more than five years.

He also fraudulently claimed more than £85,000 in social security benefits – including council tax benefit, pension credit and income support - over more than a decade by failing to declare he was working.

His wife Maureen Knutsen, 62, and daughter Kelly Knutsen, 39, were both convicted of related charges following trials at Liverpool Crown Court. Kelly’s former boyfriend Gary Hyland, 50, whose name was on the bank account of Chaplin’s Bar, was convicted of linked benefit fraud offences.

At the sentencing hearing on Friday (December 1), the court heard how as a result of his deceit Bernard and Maureen Knutsen were able to pay for holidays to destinations including Dubai, Las Vegas and the Far East. The Knutsens also spent thousands on private school fees and a new kitchen.

During a search of the Knutsens’ home in Fell Street, Liverpool, investigators found almost £40,000 in cash concealed in the bedroom, split across handbags and above a wardrobe.

Stephane Pendered, from the CPS, said:

“Through failing to declare his income, Bernard Knutsen deliberately cheated taxpayers out of more than £425,000 in order to fund his lavish lifestyle.

“The prosecution case showed how Knutsen, along with the other defendants, showed a total disregard for the rules on tax and benefits in order to achieve significant financial gain for themselves.”

The prosecution followed a joint investigation by fraud investigators from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Liverpool City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Action to recover the funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act is now under way.

Ends

Notes to Editors

·         Stephane Pendered is a Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Specialist Fraud Division.

·         Bernard Knutsen pleaded guilty to nine charges at Liverpool Crown Court in April 2015. The charges were being knowingly concerned in the evasion of VAT and income tax, the fraudulent evasion of national insurance contributions and dishonestly making false representations for the purpose of obtaining benefit. He was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday 1 December.

·         Kelly Knutsen was convicted of fraudulently claiming £82,811.36 in benefits and of money laundering offences following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court which concluded in March 2017. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.

·         Maureen Knutsen was convicted of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT and dishonestly making a false representation for the purpose of obtaining benefit following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court which concluded in March 2017. She was sentenced to three years in prison.

·         Gary Hyland pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in August 2016 to fraudulently claiming £16,161.68 in social security benefits and to an offence of fraud by false representation on a loan application. In May 2017 he was sentenced to a two-year community order with a 12-month supervision requirement and a three-month curfew period.

Former MP and election agent convicted of electoral fraud

A former MP who misled voters to sign his nomination forms has been convicted of electoral fraud today (1 December).

Bob Spink, 69, had denied under the Representation of the People Act 1983 but was convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court.

The court heard how Spink had planned to stand as a candidate for the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner elections in May 2016 for the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

He had to gather at least 110 signatures on his nomination form for the Police and Crime Commissioner but he also assisted his election agent James Parkin gather signatures for UKIP candidates in the Castle Point Borough Council elections which were taking place at the same time.

However, he failed to tell voters which party he was affiliated with or presented them with blank forms to sign without a name or party. People signed the forms without being told they were actually nominating various other UKIP candidates, with some being told they were signing a petition for more police on the streets.

Spink’s election agent, James Parkin, 39 (20 Nov 78), has already pleaded guilty to falsely adding signatures to other UKIP candidates’ nomination forms. He also submitted four signatures on another nomination form without those signing knowing what the form was for or thinking they were signing for a different purpose.

Zoë Martin, from the CPS, said: “Bob Spink and James Parkin deliberately misled voters in order to fraudulently secure signatures on nomination forms.

“They did this through either lying or being deliberately vague with voters, or in James Parkin’s case, by simply forging signatures by taking names from the electoral register.

“As a former MP, residents could recognise Spink and were more willing to engage with him. But he ultimately betrayed their trust by using their signatures for his own purposes that they had not been made aware of and had not agreed to.

“Evidence put forward by the CPS showed that Spink had misled voters when he canvassed them, resulting in the guilty verdict returned by the jury.”

Spink and Parkin will be sentenced on 5^th January. 

Ends 

Notes to editors

• Zoe Martin is a Unit Head in the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division.
• James Parkin pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or permitting a false signature to be included in a nomination form on 4 September. He was convicted of a further two counts of permitting a false signature to be included in a nomination form.
• Bob Spink denied four counts of causing or permitting a false signature to be included in a nomination form but was convicted by a jury.

Fraud gang jailed for 31 years for heartless fraud on elderly victims

On Friday 1 December at Hull Crown Court Amanul Islam, Mizan Ali, Abdul Ali, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammed Miah, Ruhin Khan, Ali Nuruddin, Junaid Patwary and Abu Kaher were sentenced to a total of 31 years and two months for their part in a heartless and elaborate fraud.

Nuruddin was also sentenced to a further 15 months in prison for a similar offence committed in May 2017 in Hertfordshire.

In June 2015 the defendants operated as a team, targeting elderly people in the Humberside area. The fraudsters would contact their victims by phone, pretending to be police officers and alleging that criminal activity was taking place on their bank accounts or at their bank branch. Having obtained their trust, the victims were persuaded to hand over large amounts of cash, often their life’s savings.

Six victims lost £39,500 and the attempted to take a further £84,150 from eleven people. The police investigation revealed that hundreds of phone numbers had been unsuccessfully called. Had all these attempted frauds been successful, the total loss would have been about £112,000.

Helen Wheatley from the CPS said:

“This was a heartless, elaborate and sophisticated fraud, in which the defendants targeted elderly people aged between 72 and 94 in the Humberside area, in some cases defrauding them of their life’s savings. It was a systematically planned and highly organised operation.

“By posing as police officers, they cynically exploited the victims’ trust and conned them into handing over thousands of pounds. Sadly the losses have not only been financial. All of the victims have suffered emotionally as a result of the fraud and unfortunately three have since died without knowing what the outcome of this case would be.

“The CPS worked closely with West Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police during a complex investigation which lasted two and a half years.

“We were able to provide ongoing advice as the investigation broadened from the initial arrest of two defendants for one fraud into the building of the current case, with nine defendants being sentenced for their parts in a widespread conspiracy, eight of whom pleaded guilty in the face of the overwhelming evidence against them.

“I hope the sentences handed down will be of some comfort to the victims and their families.”

Notes to editors

Helen Wheatley is a Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.
The defendants were sentenced as follows:

Pleaded guilty:
Amanul Islam: Three years
Mizan Ali: Eight months
Abdul Ali: Three years seven months
Tanvir Ahmed: Four years
Mohammed Miah: Four years
Ruhin Khan: Three years seven months
Ali Nuruddin: Four years plus 15 months consecutively for a similar offence committed on 10 May 2017 in Hertfordshire whilst on bail.
Junaid Patwary: Four years

Found guilty after trial
Abu Kaher: Five years

Found not guilty after trial
Syed Rashid

PE teacher who indecently assaulted five girls jailed

A PE teacher who indecently assaulted five girls during the 1970s and 1980s has been sentenced to 15 years in prison today (1 December).

Richard Hilary, 67, targeted five girls whilst working at a school in Farnborough and attending Winchester Athletics Club.

The victims, aged from 11 to 15, were groomed by Hilary and urged to engage in sexual activity with him. On another occasion, Hilary photographed one of the victims naked in his bath. 

Some of the victims kept diaries which detailed the extent of Hilary’s abuse, most of which took place on the school grounds, his trial at Winchester Crown Court heard.

Rob Welling, from the CPS, said: “Richard Hilary abused his position of trust as a teacher to indecently assault young girls he had responsibility for. Hilary was described by many of his victims as a popular and dynamic teacher, a fact he exploited as he groomed the girls into performing sexual acts for him.

“The CPS was able to use the teenage diaries of his victims which made clear Hilary’s crimes at the time they happened and provided compelling evidence to put before the jury. 

“I commend the victims who reported Hilary and supported this prosecution.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Rob Welling is a Senior Crown Advocate for CPS Wessex.
• Richard Hilary (dob 27/11/1950) denied 14 counts of indecent assault but was convicted by a jury.

Woman convicted of assisting man's suicide

A woman who encouraged a stranger she met on the internet to take his own life has been convicted of encouraging his suicide today (1 December).

A trial at Leicester Crown Court heard how Natasha Gordon, 44, swapped messages with 31-year-old Matthew Birkinshaw in December 2015 after he posted a message online seeking a suicide partner. In the messages Gordon told Matthew she also wanted to take her own life. Gordon suggested the method and the location for this to happen.

The court heard how Matthew  travelled from his home in the West Midlands to Gordon’s home in Peterborough, before the pair drove together to Rutland Water in Leicestershire.

She left Matthew alone in the car when it was filled with carbon monoxide and then delayed informing the authorities of what had happened until it was too late.

Michael Gregory, from the CPS, said:

“The evidence put forward by the prosecution demonstrated how Natasha Gordon broke the law by encouraging the suicide of Matthew Birkinshaw.

“Through analysing her online activity the CPS was able to demonstrate how Gordon took advantage of Matthew’s vulnerability to encourage his final actions, rather than seeking help. The prosecution also established that she had previously contacted other people to encourage their suicides.

“Our thoughts are with Matthew’s family at this difficult time.”

Gordon will be sentenced at a later date.

Ends

Notes to Editors

·         Contact the Samaritans on 116 123.

·         Michael Gregory is a Senior Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Division

·         Natasha Gordon was convicted of one count of encouraging suicide