CPS News Brief

Man who sent anti-Semitic messages to MP and others jailed

A man who sent anti-Semitic messages to Luciana Berger MP and other victims has been jailed for more than two years at Newcastle Crown Court today (February 10).

The 27-month sentence imposed on John Nimmo, 28, of South Shields, was increased by the court after the Crown Prosecution Service argued that some of his offences were motivated by racism.

Nimmo pleaded guilty to nine separate charges and the court was told how he used fake accounts to send messages via Twitter and email during an 18-month campaign of abuse.

Among his victims was Ms Berger, to whom he sent death threats, while in a separate incident he sent offensive emails to an anti-hate crime organisation and threatened to blow up a mosque.

An uplift was applied to the sentence for some of the charges, after the judge accepted that they were motivated by hostility towards the race of the victim. The sentence was increased by 50% for each of the racially-motivated charges.

John Dilworth, from the CPS, said:

“John Nimmo conducted an online campaign of hate-filled abuse in the belief his identity was securely hidden behind the fake accounts that he had created.

“However, there was a clear forensic link between the messages sent and the device used to send them. Nimmo tried to cover his tracks but his clumsy attempts to do so were swiftly exposed and he was arrested by police.

“Working with the police we built a robust case against Nimmo which left him with little option but to plead guilty to all the charges against him.”

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Notes to Editors

·         Nimmo admitted four charges of sending a communication conveying a grossly offensive message, three charges conveying a threatening message and two charges of sending a communication conveying false information.

·         John Dilworth is Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North-East

Men jailed for supporting terrorism

Five men have today (10 February) been sentenced for making speeches encouraging support for Daesh.

Mohammed Alamgir, Yousuf Bashir and Rajib Khan, all from Luton, gave speeches in the town, at venues including the private address of fellow defendant Ziah Rahman, and were part of the local branch of the proscribed extremist group Al-Muhajiroun.  

Their speeches encouraged people to join Daesh and not to “sit on the sidelines”.  They were convicted of terrorist offences in August 2016.

Ziaur Rahman, from Luton, and Mohammed Sufiyan Choudry, from Maidenhead, were convicted of similar offences after a retrial in January 2017.

The Al-Muhajiroun group was infiltrated by an undercover police officer who covertly collected evidence which was used to convict the men. The men also had links with Anjem Choudary, who was convicted of encouraging support for Daesh last year.

Sue Hemming of the CPS said:

“The messages of hate and division spread by these men are totally unacceptable and have rightly led to their conviction. 

“Knowingly encouraging people to join or support a proscribed organisation is a serious crime and will be prosecuted.” 

Notes to Editors

Sue Hemming is Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division. 

·         Mohammed Istiak Alamgir (DOB: 13.6.1979) – was sentenced to 6 years in prison for three counts of encouraging support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to s12(3) Terrorism Act 2000

·         Yousuf Bashir (DOB: 17.5.1980) – was sentenced to 4 years 6 months in prison for one count of encouraging support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to s12(3) Terrorism Act 2000

·         Rajib Khan (DOB: 1.5.1978) – was sentenced to 5 years in prison for two counts of encouraging support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to s12(3) Terrorism Act 2000

·         Mohammed Sufiyan Choudry (DOB: 6.9.1993) - was sentenced to 4 years in prison for one count of encouraging support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to s12(3) Terrorism Act 2000

·         Ziaur Rahman (DOB: 20.10.1977) was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for three counts of arranging, managing or assisting in arranging or managing a meeting to support a proscribed organisation, contrary to s12(2) Terrorism Act 2000

 

Nurse who gave patient the wrong blood sentenced

A nurse who caused the death of a 76-year-old patient by giving him the wrong type of blood has been given a suspended 18-month prison sentence.

Lea Ledesma, 49, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence following a trial at Southwark Crown Court in December 2016.

The trial heard how Ledesma was working in the intensive care unit of the London Heart Hospital in Marylebone when the incident happened on 7 May 2014.

That morning, Ali Huseyin, who was blood type O, received a unit of AB blood during a transfusion after Ledesma mixed up his name with another patient’s. Mr Huseyin died the same evening.

Daniel Jones, from the CPS, said:

“Lea Ledesma made inexcusable errors which ultimately cost the life of a patient in her care. The hospital had a number of systems in place designed to prevent such incidents happening but Ledesma failed in her duty to carry out the necessary checks.

“Ledesma initially tried to lay the blame elsewhere but the evidence put forward by the prosecution showed she had been grossly negligent in her actions.”

Ledesma received a custodial sentence of 18 months, suspended for two years, and a 300-hour unpaid work order. 

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Note to Editors

Daniel Jones is a Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division

First man extradited from Pakistan for over a decade jailed for two murders

The first man to be extradited to the UK from Pakistan since 2005 has today (8 February) been jailed for life over the murders of two men in Bradford.

Mohammed Zubair was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court to a minimum of 32 years in prison. A jury yesterday found him guilty of the murders of Ahmedin Khyel and Imran Khan in May 2011.

After a long legal battle, in which Zubair’s lawyers fought for two years to avoid him being extradited, he was finally returned to the UK in May 2015 to face trial. It was the first extradition to the UK from Pakistan since 2005.

Richard Sagar, from the CPS, said:

“This has been a complex case for the CPS to prosecute, but today justice has finally been done.

“With the aid of his mother, Zubair fled the country immediately after the killings and fought tooth and nail to avoid being extradited to this country.

“We worked tirelessly to ensure that he was returned to the UK to face justice. This case makes it abundantly clear that criminals who seek to evade the law will not escape.”

In May 2011, Zubair discovered that his wife had been having an affair with Khyel.

Both Khyel and his friend Khan were lured to the family home in Heath Terrace, Bradford. There they were set upon by Zubair, his friend Sabir Hussain, and possibly one other person, leaving the two men with fatal head injuries.

Their bodies were then dumped on a country road where they were later discovered by two passing motorists. Zubair then fled to Pakistan.

In 2012, Sabir was found guilty of manslaughter for his part in the killings, and Zubair’s mother, Arab Sultana, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. She had booked and paid for the flights to Pakistan for her son, knowing that he was wanted by the police.

Zubair’s then wife, Kainat Bibi, admitted lying to the police and making a false witness statement. All three were sentenced at Bradford Crown Court in 2012.

Richard Sagar added:

“The CPS was able to demonstrate that Zubair’s marriage to Kainat Bibi was foundering and that she had begun an affair with Khyel.

“We were also able to argue in court that Zubair took a lead role in these two killings. Both men suffered catastrophic head injuries inflicted by a heavy weapon and their blood was found in Zubair’s van. We also argued that Zubair’s actions after the killings were not those of an innocent man.”

Notes for editors

·         Richard Sagar is a Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.