Latest Offenders london

Description

A man who abducted an 11-year-old girl and sexually assaulted her has been jailed.

Samuel Cortez, of Nether Street, North Finchley, was sentenced at Harrow Crown Court last Thursday (November 10) for the abduction of the girl.

The court heard that the girl was at a bus stop near Sussex Ring in Woodside Park on September 30, 2021, when she was approached by Cortez at 4pm. 

 The girl was told he had a knife before she was grabbed by the wrist and taken to the park and sexually assaulted.

An appeal was launched after CCTV showed the suspect in the area and Cortez was arrested on December 15 last year. 

 Cortez pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was jailed for nine years for sexual assault and sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment for child abduction, to run concurrently.

The judge ruled Cortez would be on licence for five years after completing his sentence and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Chris Finnegan of the North West Command Unit said: “This was a terrifying ordeal for the young girl but she, with the support of her family, has shown immense courage and strength in supporting our investigation.” 

Description

A man who preyed on a sleeping woman on the Night Tube stroking her leg has been jailed for a year after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Michal Piczak, 31, will spend one year in jail and a decade on the sex offenders register after a woman awoke on the Night Tube to discover him stroking her.

The attack came in the early hours of September 29 2019, the victim was travelling home on-board a Victoria line night service when she fell asleep.

As the Tube approached Walthamstow Central Underground station she awoke to Piczak stroking her legs and kicked out to get him away from her.

Pointing out Piczak to station staff she shouted: “Stop him, he’s been touching me”.

A British Transport Police officer at the station rushed to the scene and Piczak was promptly arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

CCTV footage captures Piczak’s actions as he reached over the Tube’s aisle to touch the sleeping victim before moving next to her and stroking her legs.

Detective Constable Ibrar Ahmed, investigating officer in the case, said: “Piczak is a sordid sex offender who targeted a lone woman as she slept and subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault.

“His jail term sends out a clear message to anyone who exhibits this type of behaviour on the railway – we will catch you and bring you to justice without exception.”

Piczak of Station Road, Walthamstow, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on 28 October where he pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

A jury found him guilty at trial and he was sentenced by a judge to one-year imprisonment, and to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted schoolgirls as young as 12 years old on buses has been jailed.

Albert Gago, 65, from Hackney, was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 7 October for a series of attacks he committed on London buses.

The court heard he sexually assaulted eight girls, aged between 12 and 16, on services in Enfield, Hackney and Camden between September 2021 and June 2022. He will now be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Officers launched an investigation into Gago after receiving reports of the assaults. He was later arrested at his home in Hackney and clothing at his address matched that of a man seen in CCTV recordings of the incidents.

Detective James Eccleston, who led the investigation, said: “Gago was a prolific offender who targeted young girls as they used public transport. He is dangerous and I am pleased this offending has resulted in a custodial sentence.

“I would like to praise the bravery of the young victims, who reported the offences to police and supported us throughout the investigation as we took Gago to court. We have supported them along the way.

“The Met is tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms. Women and girls have the right to feel safe, at any time day or night, in public or at home and no one should have to put up with sexual behaviour.”

Description

A barrister who said 'I shouldn't laugh' after he raped his Tinder date shouted 'I didn't do it' from the dock as he was convicted of the attack and jailed.

Robin Jacobs, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison for carrying out the sexual attack for up to 30 seconds after the woman screamed at him to stop at his London flat in 2017, the Old Bailey heard.

The couple had been on two dates before the rape. After meeting for lunch at a date in September, the pair returned to Jacobs' flat and had consensual sex.

But Jacobs suddenly forced her to take part in a sex act, ignoring her screams to 'get out'.

He then told the woman, in her 30s, to 'come for a cuddle' and offered her paracetamol.

The lawyer, from Woodford, east London, has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), meaning he struggles to read social signals.

He denied raping the woman and said he would have stopped immediately if she had told him to.

As he was convicted for rape, Jacobs yelled 'I didn't do it. I was telling the truth. Oh my God.' from the dock.

After gaining his composure, he thanked the judge for imposing the 'lowest possible sentence' and left the dock pinching the bridge of his nose.

Judge John Hillen told him: 'It gives the court no pleasure to sentence anyone to terms of imprisonment and in this particular case, with a man of good character, of exemplary character, a high standing in his profession, to have to sentence you as I must, and as you know I must, to a term of imprisonment is a sad event.

'I accept that your laughing was involuntary and that you, in an uncharacteristic selfish state of mind, were bemused by her reaction.

'That bemusement was caused by your belief that she consented.

'I am satisfied on your evidence that you did genuinely believe that your victim would consent.

'That belief was unreasonable, wholly unreasonable in the circumstances.'

On the day of the assault the pair went for a pizza then went back to Jacobs' home nearby for sex.

At one stage Jacobs told the victim to wait there before attempting a sex act without consent, the court heard.

He carried on for 20-30 seconds until she screamed 'get out' at him, at which point he stopped.

As the complainant lay on the bed in front of him Jacobs said 'It's not funny, I shouldn't laugh'.

He then chuckled to himself.

In her account to police the woman said she told him to stop twice and he didn't, she then screamed 'get off' and he stopped but he didn't move away.

She said: 'At that point I was just face down on the bed. I didn't know what to do with myself - I was in quite a lot of pain.

'And then he told himself twice that it wasn't funny, that he shouldn't laugh, not to laugh, and then after the second time he did laugh.

'And then he saw that I hadn't moved and then he sort of moved me across and sat down and said 'come for a cuddle' and I said no.

'I would say that [he used] a huge amount of force. It felt like what you would describe as a stabbing pain.

'It just wasn't stopping. I was still in pain when I went into work on Monday.'

Jollyon Robertson, who prosecuted Jacobs in the retrial, summarised an impact statement written by the complainant in which she detailed how the rape has affected her.

She felt 'a degree of humiliation' when Jacobs laughed just after the incident, the court heard.

Mr Robertson said: 'She mentions that she has had some counselling. She has also been on medication. She was off work for a period of two months.

'She felt that she had no control over her life and how her trust of people has been affected.'

Stephen Rose, defending, said Jacobs did not deliberately try to humiliate the complainant but that his laughter was the result of his then undiagnosed ASD.

Mr Rose described Jacobs' actions as 'a momentary mistake'.

He said: 'This is not a defendant who will trouble the court again.

'He is struggling and I have no doubt will struggle to understand, principally for reasons associated with his disability, the outcome of this case.'

After the incident Jacobs texted a friend, Stewart Wallis, about the incident, calling the victim's response 'a bit of an overreaction'.

Jacobs also texted: 'I just hope there's no trouble as a result. I apologised repeatedly when she was here.

A few days later, Jacobs wrote: 'I haven't been nicked yet, so that's good.

'If the police are after you, do they leave a message or raid you at 5am?'

Jacobs claimed he was confused about what had happened and that he was trying to 'fit in' with his 'laddish' behaviour, which he uses to 'navigate social interactions'.

The prosecution had suggested Jacobs' ASD does not impact his understanding of consent and his reasonable belief of consent in this case.

Giving evidence during the first trial the barrister insisted he would have stopped having sex immediately if the woman told him.

'I thought she was absolutely fine,' he said. 'I thought she knew what I was doing.'

Stephen Rose, defending, said: 'It is suggested you were not interested in whether she consented.'

Jacobs replied: 'It's not true. I am not a cruel, aggressive person. That is not what I'm like. It wasn't something for my own gratification as the phrase goes. No.'

Jurors heard how the complainant claimed Jacobs had joked during their first sexual encounter: 'It has been a while since I've forced myself into a girl'.

The barrister said he did not remember making that comment.

He said he understood 'in the narrow sense' that consent to one sexual act did not mean consent to another.

'Yes it's true to say in a literal way that just because you are consenting to one thing doesn't mean you are consenting to everything,' he said.

'But at the same time you form an impression of someone's character and someone's boundaries based on the sort of things you have done so far and the sort of things you tried.

'Based on everything I considered those boundaries to be wider in this instance.'

Jacobs denied that it was 'very unusual' for a woman to agree to such a sex act on the second sexual encounter but said: 'I've done it on first dates.'

During the first trial Fiona Ryan, prosecuting, suggested his remark to the complainant to 'hold steady' before he performed the sex act was 'no sort of warning at all'.

Jacobs replied: 'It had been perfectly adequate when I had done it on previous occasions with other partners.

'I don't agree that there was no warning.

'I can't tell you five years on exactly what was going through her head...but I think she knew what I was going to do and she was alright with it until she was hurt.'

He told the jury in the second trial: 'There was no thrusting. It was over pretty much as soon as it started.

Asked by his barrister Stephen Rose, if he raped the woman, Jacobs replied: 'No.'

Jacobs said they were having sex and the woman suddenly shrieked at him to 'get out!'

In his closing speech to the jury Mr Rose told jurors: 'This is about a short relationship back in 2017, starting on Tinder between two mature adults both, it seems, looking for love.

'I have no doubt that for some, if not all, of you, there have been parts of this trial that you've found distasteful to sit and listen to in the formality of this sort of setting.

'Mr Jacobs, a barrister in the middle of his career, [was] diagnosed with ASD, a discovery with profound implications for his life and important implications for this trial.

'And he discovers that in the contact of being accused of rape.

'To discover that at his stage in life is nothing short of devastating.

'He faces undoubtedly a very serious allegation and...his future is ultimately in your hands.'

The barrister specialises in educational law and had continued to practice since the incident, the court heard.

However the conviction means that the barrister is likely to 'never' work in his legal profession again.

Robin Jacobs was jailed for four years and must register as a sex offender for life.

Description

A former teaching assistant was arrested at his then school after authorities in the US linked a Kik account in his name to child sex abuse images.

Non-profit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted UK police as a user on the social media site was believed to have shared indecent images of children in August 2019.

The Kik account was linked to the IP address at Benjamin Pooleys then home in Witney and the account set up with his email address and phone number.

Oxford Crown Court heard police officers executed a warrant at the 28-year-olds home on March 4 last year.

However, Mr Pooley had moved out of the address four weeks earlier. He was arrested at his place of work, which was a school in Witney, prosecutor James Gwatkin said.

Pooley, who in 2019 appeared on an episode of quiz show favourite Countdown, was interviewed by the police on two occasions. He denied association with the Kik account or that he had downloaded illegal images of children.

That was unmasked as a lie when two devices an iPhone found on him at the school and a computer seized from his home in Stanton Harcourt were analysed by police specialists.

In total, he had 22 images in category A, the most serious category and which includes depiction of child rape. There were two category B images, 38 in category C and 15 prohibited images of children. Some of the children in the pictures were pre-pubescent.

There was evidence of Google searches for extreme' pornography in 2020 and 2021.

Sentencing him to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years, Judge Michael Gledhill QC told Pooley: The children in those images that you were looking at for your own sexual gratification were being abused by others and, but for the likes of you paying for those images, they would be unlikely to be abused.

So, you are directly responsible, albeit in part, for the sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children to say nothing of the older ones. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

He said he could not begin to imagine how Pooley had got any pleasure from this filth.

Mitigating, Dana Bilan said her client had no previous convictions, was now working in a laboratory to support his wife and baby, and had undertaken therapy to understand why he had looked at the indecent material.

He expressed his remorse in his probation interview and continues to do so through me today, she added.

Pooley, now of Grange Road, London, pleaded guilty at the magistrates court to possession of indecent images and prohibited images of children.

Judge Gledhill ordered Pooley do 100 hours of unpaid work, up to 40 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service and pay 425 in costs.

He was made subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for a decade.

In a parting shot, the judge told the defendant: Dont ever come before this court again.

Description

An East London man sent pictures of his penis to social media profiles he believed were girls aged 12-14, offering them money for "plenty of sex and love." John Joseph Mongan, 54, of Ruby Close in Hackney, used a fake Facebook profile under a different name to try to groom who he believed were six different underage girls between May 2020 and August 2020.

Mongan added each of the dummy profiles as friends and messaged them privately, believing they were children, the Met Police have revealed. Within the first few messages Mongan’s communications became increasingly sexual, despite the profiles making their young ages clear from the start and reminding him throughout.

Police described how Mongan's messages were "very demanding" and "graphic." He sent numerous photographs of what he claimed was his penis. Mongan also made frequent attempts to engage in sexualised phone and video calls with the profiles he thought were young girls.

The 54-year-old appeared to offer money in return for "sex and love" to the profiles. He sent photographs of large piles of cash, and asked how they would like to spend it. In one message he sent, he asked: "all I want in return is plenty of sex and love from you could you give me all of that."

Police eventually managed to lure Mongan to Homerton train station in Hackney on August 8, 2020, under the false pretence that he was meeting a 14-year-old girl he had met on Facebook for sex. Mongan cottoned on when he arrived at the station, left, and was arrested by police when he was spotted later that evening in the same area.

Mongan was charged in January 2022 and was remanded in custody. He was sentenced to nine years in prison on Wednesday, September 28 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, after he was previously found guilty by a jury in August 2022. He has also been added to the sex offenders register for life.

He was convicted of six counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Police described how, throughout the investigation, it was clear that Mongan was aware his actions were illegal and wrong and he made several attempts to cover his tracks and evade being caught. He deleted evidence of his conversations and officers spent hours investigating his devices and building up evidence to attribute the fake Facebook profile to Mongan.

PC Lindsey England, who is a member of the Central East Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Team, led the investigation. She said: “As part of the investigation I reviewed hundreds of pages of communication. Almost every single page contains extremely sexualised chat from Mongan, with him sometimes giving detailed instructions and descriptions of sexual acts.

“The profiles gave him no encouragement, and instead attempted to remind him of how disinterested and inexperienced they were in sex. Mongan’s methods of manipulation and grotesque use of language are some of the worst I have seen. Mongan used threats of foster homes and promises of love, care and money in an attempt to feed his own sexual fantasies and interests.

“His desire to groom and abuse who he believed to be six different children came above anything else, and he did so without any care of the impact this may have had. His only interests were making every attempt possible to deny and hide his criminal activities. He would have very likely continued this offending if he wasn’t arrested.”

Description

A former doctor has been jailed for 15-and-a-half years for subjecting a young girl to appalling sexual abuse spanning over a decade.

Lalitkumar Nirmal, 79, traumatised a young girl, who was then under 14, to a campaign of sexual abuse in different parts of the country between 1975 and 1986.

The abuse took place in various locations including Croydon, Sydenham in east London and Cwmbran in Wales.

During the time of offending, Nirmal was a GP in a practice in the south Welsh town.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was known to Nirmal but was not a patient.

In relation to her, Nirmal admitted eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 years.

He was also convicted of a single count of indecent assault against another young girl he knew.

Anjie Bowen, Senior Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Services Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: Lalitbhai Nirmal carried out a sustained campaign of sexual abuse, whilst hiding behind a veneer of respectability as a doctor and trusted local GP.

His vulnerable victims have been left devastated by the harmful impact of his offending on their lives.

His actions were predatory and despicable.

One of Nirmals victims endured appalling abuse at his hands for a decade, throughout a large portion of her childhood.

Reports were first made to police in October 2019.

In August 2020, the sex offender was interviewed under caution and he was charged in May the following year.

Nirmal was registered as a GP with the General Medical Council between 1972 and 1995.

DS Mark Morris, from South East BCU CID, said: I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the victims in this case, who have been extremely courageous in coming forward to police and recounting the trauma of the years of abuse they suffered because of Nirmal.

One cant even begin to imagine the impact, both physical and mental, such sustained abuse will have had and I hope todays sentence will give some sense of closure and peace.

We know that Nirmal was a GP in the 1980s in the Torfaen area of Wales. Whilst the victims were not patients of his, we must consider the possibility that he abused this position of trust to hurt others.

As such, I would appeal for anyone with information they believe could be relevant to contact the police on 101.

Any information passed will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence and handled by a specialist team with significant experience in dealing with offences of this nature.

Nirmal, of Malham Close, Friern Barnet, north London, denied but was convicted of indecent assault and admitted eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years and four counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 years.

Description

A SEX offender was filmed on his doorstep by civilian paedophile hunters as he labelled his relentless online pursuit of a 13-year-old girl as just a bit of fun.

Denis Turner, 29, thought he was engaged in a six-week-long sex chat with a young girl.

In fact he was talking to a member of the Child Online Safety Team, who had set up a decoy social media profile to snare paedophiles.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Turner asked the decoy if she would be a bad girl and repeatedly warned her not to tell her parents about their conversation.

Gary Rutter, prosecuting, said: He would regularly ask her if her parents knew she was talking to him and would suggest on numerous occasions that she delete the inbox so she didnt get told off.

Questions about her school, her brothers and her sisters were interspersed with requests for her to play with herself.

He said: I bet you have a little bum, adding: If I were there, would you let me slap your bum?.

Turner also sent pictures of his penis to the decoy.

The paedophile hunters visited Turner at his Colchester home following the conversation, which unfolded from June to July 2019.

The confrontation was filmed and posted on Facebook, with Turner saying it was just a bit of fun.

Turner, now of Ibstock Close, Dagenham, was arrested and later admitted one count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The case faced significant delay, in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and he appeared for sentence on Thursday.

Peter Clark, mitigating, said Turner had endured difficulties in life, but added they did not excuse his offending.

He said his client cares for his 72-year-old father who is awaiting open heart surgery.

Mr Clark said Turner had remained out of trouble in the three years since the offence, adding: This is a case where there is a prospect of rehabilitation.

Judge Mary Loram QC said: Your pursuit of sexual conversation with a child was relentless.

Your focus was purely on getting sexual images from her, sending her sexual images of yourself and trying to get her to masturbate.

You paid no heed at all to the clear evidence and repeated protestations of total sexual naivety from the child.

The judge said Turner had been on and on at the decoy for weeks, adding there was inevitably an element of grooming involved.

She added: You tried to get her to conceal evidence, significantly by suggesting it was her who would get into trouble if she didnt do so.

That was manipulative and would have been very frightening to a real 13-year-old girl.

The court heard Turner told the author of a pre-sentence report he had no sexual interest in a 13-year-old girl.

I reject that, thats obviously not true, said Judge Loram.

What you have had is a less than happy upbringing.

However, I do not see the link between that sadly all too common in this court and your sexual incitement of a 13-year-old girl.

She said the real mitigation in his case is the three-year gap between the offending and sentence.

You have not re-offended in that time and I accept, without question, the delay in sentence will have had its impact on you and will have created a lot of stress, she said.

Turner was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

He will remain the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

In 2016, Ben Oliver was convicted of sexual offences against a young girl when he was aged 15. A mentally unwell man has been jailed for over a decade after he admitted killing his bed-bound grandad by stabbing him repeatedly with a knife. Ben Oliver, 25, carried out a brutal attack upon 74-year-old David Oliver at his home in Mottingham, South London, shortly after learning of allegations that his grandad had carried out historic sexual abuse of girls. Oliver, of Bexleyheath, had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was cleared of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey and has handed a life sentence today (Thursday, July 28) with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months. The court had heard that Oliver has Autistic Spectrum Disorder and was a troubled and angry young man which had diminished his responsibility for the killing. The prosecutor had said that Oliver had become very angry after discovering historic allegations of abuse by his grandad. David Oliver was said to have also treated his wife poorly during their marriage and had conducted extramarital affairs. After suffering a stroke a few years previously, he had become immobile and was bed-bound at the time of his death. On the morning of January 19, he picked up a kitchen knife before walking into his pensioners bedroom and stabbing him repeatedly. Prosecutor Louis Mably QC said: He was attacked and killed as he lay helpless in bed, in his bedroom on the first floor of the house. He had been repeatedly stabbed and slashed with a knife in the face, and in particular in the neck, which had effectively been cut open. It was a brutal attack, plainly carried out with the intention of killing him. Immediately afterwards, he confessed to his gran what he had done before sending a text to his mum to inform what he had done. Giving evidence during the trial, Susan Oliver said that she had approached her husbands bedroom, before Oliver emerged covered in blood and told her, dont go in there Nan, I dont want you to see that. He also told her, he cant hurt you anymore, before messaging his mum to say, mum Ive killed grandad, I love you. He then went to sit by an upstairs bedroom windowsill in an attempt to jump to his death, before his grandmother persuaded him not to do so. She later called the emergency services and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene, however David was obviously dead from his severe injuries. A purple knife was found resting on his shoulder, and Oliver was arrested as he smoked a cigarette in his bedroom. A post-mortem examination showed that the pensioner had attempted to defend himself using his one mobile arm, but was in no position to survive the brutal onslaught. Jurors had heard that the younger man had suffered a difficult upbringing and had previously been convicted of sexual offences against a young girl when he was 15 years old. He was released from a youth detention centre in September 2019 and had suffered from suicidal thoughts and depression. Over Christmas 2020, his mental health had significantly worsened and following a suicide attempt in January, it was decided that he should live with Susan, who also provided care for her husband David. On one occasion, just days before he murdered his grandad, Oliver had phoned the RSPCA telling them to collect his pet ferret as he intended on committing suicide. He had also begged his gran for assistance and told her he wished to die in her arms. Speaking in his defence, Jennifer Dempsey QC told the court that due to his emotional and mental difficulties, the information about his grandads sexual offences were almost impossible to process. She said: Through a series of grossly unfortunate events, which we submit, combined together to create an almost perfect storm in the middle of which this tragic offence was committed. She argued that he had suffered substantial and significant trauma during his childhood, and continued: His life since he was a young child has been characterised by a complete lack of stability and what can only be described as complex family relationships. An Old Bailey judge also heard that Oliver was unable to form rational judgements as a result of this trauma and his mental health. Sentencing him to 10 years and eight months, Judge Munro noted that he had been hit very hard by the pandemic, and that he had not been the only member of his family who had expressed a serious desire to kill your grandad following the allegations of sexual abuse. Despite his mental health however, Judge Munro QC said that he had murdered his grandad in a ferocious but controlled way. She said: "On the 19th the carers came as usual to see to your grandfathers needs. When they had gone your nan took him a biscuit and coffee. That was the last time she saw him alive. You were noted to be jittery and couldnt rest. You asked to lie down with your nan which you did. However, when she got up you went downstairs. It was around 1130-1145am. "You selected a knife from the kitchen and you went to your grandfathers room. You cut his throat repeatedly with severe force, you stabbed his mouth so he could not cry out and his eyes so that he couldnt look at you as you killed him. He tried in vain to protect himself by raising his right arm. He was utterly powerless. There were a total of 21 stab wounds to the face, seven to the torso and obvious defence injuries. He died very quickly of massive blood loss." She continued: "I do consider the seriousness of the offence justifies a life sentence and therefore that is the sentence I must impose on you." He has been jailed for 10 years and eight months after it was ruled that he did continue to present a "significant risk to the public". The 25-year-olds sentencing made an Old Bailey first as it became the first sentencing to be broadcasted live on television. Following a change in law, broadcasters were able to air Judge Sarah Munro QCs sentencing remarks, allowing the public to see and hear judges to explain their reasoning. Only the judges remarks will be filmed, with the camera unable to film victims, witnesses, jurors, the defendants and barristers. The move will open up some of the most high-profile courts in the country, including the Central Criminal Court where the countrys most notorious criminals are tried. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: Opening up the courtroom to cameras to film the sentencing of some of the countrys most serious offenders will improve transparency and reinforce confidence in the justice system. The public will now be able to see justice handed down, helping them understand better the complex decisions judges make.

Description

A man who raped and abused a woman has been sentenced to 12 years in jail, but still said to the court 'I'm the victim'. Ashley James Barton, 37, of Bute Gardens, Hammersmith, left his victim fearing for her life after he raped her and gave her a black eye, the court heard today (July 28).

In December 2020, Barton punched her in the face for no reason which resulted in a black eye. On February 15 2021, he also raped her. The victim told the court that she feared for her life in a moving statement.

The court heard how Barton showed no remorse for his actions and on several occasions when giving his evidence in court, he referred to himself as the victim. He claimed that the allegations were lies being told by the victim and that she was the abuser in the relationship, not him. The jury rejected this defence.

He was sentenced for two counts of rape and one count of assault by beating at Isleworth Crown Court. The offences were committed in December 2020 and February 2021 against a woman. Barton was originally tried for these matters in November 2021, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the rape offences. He was, however, convicted of assault by beating. But following a retrial in May of this year, he was found guilty of the offences.

During sentencing, Judge His Honour Justice Duncan said: You did not care how much you were hurting her. You have always maintained an account that she was lying and unstable. You portray yourself as a knight in shining armour but with the complainant you did your best to undermine her at every opportunity.

"You gas-lighted and insulted her and her self-confidence is in tatters because of you. You are manipulative and lack insight both then and now. You display an entrenched form of misogyny in your past and in your current behaviour.

"You show a pattern of behaviour which is deeply disturbing. You have shown no acceptance of responsibility which is of deep concern. There is a significant risk of you committing further offences against women."

Barton was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and one of the conditions of this is that he has to inform the Police of any intimate relationships he enters into. There is no expiry on this. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Chris Willey of the Central West rape and serious sexual offences unit based at Charing Cross police station said: Barton is a dangerous serial offender who has previously been convicted on multiple occasions of violently assaulting women. His criminal behaviour has escalated over time with the physical assaults becoming more frequent and violent eventually leading to him committing the rapes against the victim in this case.

"He is a very violent man who directs his anger at women when they are at their most vulnerable. It is completely right that he has been given a long custodial sentence during which he will not have the opportunity to victimise women again.

"On release his ability to offend will be severely hampered due to the Sexual Harm Prevention Order that has also been imposed on him. The bravery of the victim in this case has been outstanding.

"She has, unfortunately, had to relive her trauma twice in court and the courage it takes to do this cannot be understated. I hope that she can find some closure and make a fresh start now that proceedings have concluded. We will continue to support her in any way that we can."

PC Sol Bhugaloo, who supported the victim throughout the investigation, added: "It is my sincere hope that the bravery shown by the victim in this case will encourage all victims of sexual violence of any kind to speak to us. You will receive dedicated support from specially trained officers such as myself, you will be listened to and you will be heard."

Description

A man who raped a 12-year-old girl after becoming friends with her via a social media app has been jailed. Driss Serhir, 21, of no fixed address, was found guilty of three counts of rape following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police. However, police believe there could be other victims aged between 10 and 15 and say he has visited several places, including Hertfordshire, using different names. Serhir is just starting a nine-year sentence after he was found guilty of raping a girl, 12, at a hotel in central London. He met her when he was aged 18 on social media app Snapchat. When she met Serhir in October 2019, he intimated he had a knife and firearm on him and took control of the victims mobile phone. Serhir booked a hotel room where he sexually assaulted the girl several times before she left the next day. The girl reported the incident to police and Serhir was quickly identified and arrested. Semen found on the girls clothing matched Serhirs and it was proven his phone was used to book the room, despite him using a different name and paying in cash. The seized phone also included videos of him with the girl in the room, while terms including rape were found in his search history. At Harrow Crown Court on Monday, Serhir was sentenced to nine years for each count of rape, to be served concurrently. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life and given a 15-year sexual harm and prevention order. Describing Serhir as a predatory offender, Sergeant PJ Jones said: I wish to thank the survivor of this assault for her trust, resilience and patience. Without the continued support of her and her loved ones, this man would have remained a danger in the community. He added: The investigation into Serhirs movements and communications suggest he was in contact with many girls aged between ten and 15 and that he has visited Greater London, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and the West Midlands using several aliases. I would like to hear from anyone who recognises him or who has any concerns about his behaviour. We have specially trained officers and work alongside partners who can offer a wide range of support. Police can be contacted on 101 or online using reference 4798/18JUL22.

Description

A former Metropolitan Police officer has avoided jail after admitting to sending sexual messages to a 15-year-old boy. PC Will Scott-Barrett, 33, was handed a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Isleworth Crown Court.

The court previously heard that he pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual communication with a child on or before February 3 last year. An earlier hearing was told he was in contact with the youngster using the Snapchat and Discord social media apps from April 2020.

Scott-Barrett, of Bromley, South East London, sent messages including graphic sexual pictures and videos to the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The officer was off-duty at the time of his offending, which is not said to have been connected with his role in the force. He has since resigned from his post.

A spokeswoman from the Metropolitan Police said a misconduct hearing found that if Scott-Barrett had not resigned he would have been dismissed. During sentencing, Judge Robin Johnson said: “This is undoubtedly a sad case. Sad for you, in that you lost your job and your good character, but also sad, troubling and worrying for the family (of the victim).

My sympathies are with the victim and his family rather than you. This kind of offending harms children, that is self-evident. The harm done to the victim is incalculable. You were previously of good character, you were a serving police officer at the time. I have accepted that you expressed genuine remorse and are taking steps to assess your offending.”

Description

A "brazen" sex offender has been found guilty of spiking two men with an "aphrodisiac" drug before raping one and sexually assaulting the other. Luiz Da Silva Neto, 36, drugged the men in separate events at a cottage in Middle Barton, Oxfordshire, last November and December. Oxford Crown Court heard both victims woke up there naked unaware of what had happened to them. Da Silva Neto, of Wandsworth, London, will be sentenced next Thursday. Prosecutor Matthew Walsh said Da Silva Neto laced drinks with drug GHB or GHL, which he accepted using himself recreationally, or another similar substance. Mr Walsh previously described them as an "aphrodisiac", which can have "euphoric and hallucinogenic effects". Both are colourless, odourless and dissolve into liquids. They are absorbed by the body quickly and difficult to detect. The first victim drank alcohol with Da Silva Neto at the property after travelling to do work there with him but "began to feel suddenly tired". He fell asleep fully-clothed but awoke to find he was naked and his body "wouldn't work...as if he was paralysed" as he was sexually assaulted. The next morning, he felt "broken in two" but on leaving saw an empty syringe and was "convinced he had been drugged". Da Silva Neto was found by a jury to have administered a substance to stupefy the man to allow sexual activity and to have caused the man to engage in sexual activity without his consent. The second victim had been at a London nightclub and married for a few weeks before Da Silva Neto drove him to Oxfordshire in a hire car. He awoke naked "in a strange house" at about 10:00 the next day with "no idea what had gone on", before returning home to London "confused, distressed and upset". He had been reported missing and "couldn't account for the hours between leaving the bar and waking up in the bed". Da Silva Neto was found to have raped him, administered a substance to stupefy to allow sexual activity in the cottage and caused him to engage in sexual activity without his consent. He was cleared of kidnapping him, kidnapping him with the intent of committing a sexual offence outside the nightclub and administering a substance to stupefy him to allow sexual activity in the hire car from London to Oxfordshire. Da Silva Neto claimed all sexual contact he had with the men at the rental cottage, owned by his partner, was consensual and that he had never drugged anyone. The first victim said he had been diagnosed with PTSD and he has been seeing a counsellor and psychologist since the attack. He said: "This is the worst experience I've ever survived or lived through. I'm heterosexual, I'm Catholic, and it's something I need to digest." He said Da Silva Neto was a "danger to society he should be in prison, that's where he belongs. You can't ruin someone's life." Following the verdict, Det Insp James Holden-White of Thames Valley Police, said: "In his police interviews he was really brazen. "He comes across as very footloose and fancy free, and he's given us an account along the lines that all of this was entirely consensual."

Description

A man has been jailed for nine months and handed a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) after pressing his groin against a woman on a London Underground train.

Zane Donovan, 25, and of White Gardens, Dagenham, was sentenced to 41 weeks in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday 22 June after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

He was also given a 5-year sexual harm prevention order, prohibiting him from attempting to speak to any female in a public place who is not known to him including on public transport.

At 6.30pm on Friday 25 March the victim, a pregnant woman, boarded a Victoria Line service at Green Park station and immediately felt a man pressing his groin against her from behind for around 20 seconds.

When she challenged him, he responded with How do you want me to stand, I got no space and left the train at Victoria station. Following CCTV enquiries, Donovan was arrested several days later.

British Transport Police (BTP) Detective Constable Brittany Armstrong said: This incident was particularly alarming and distressing for the victim, and Im pleased to see Donovan behind bars for such inappropriate behaviour.

Some people may not consider pressing a sexual offence, or serious enough to report especially in a crowded environment, however in the eyes of the law this is sexual assault and offenders will be caught and punished accordingly.

If you experience or witness this behaviour on the network, we urge you to alert an officer or report it by texting us on 61016. We will always take you seriously.

Description

Maxwells attorneys had pushed for leniency after 60-year-old was convicted in US in December of five of the six charges she faced Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison in her New York sex-trafficking case for procuring teen girls for Jeffrey Epstein for him to abuse. Maxwell, 60, has maintained her innocence. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier whose elite associates once included Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, was captured by federal authorities in July 2019, on sex-trafficking counts. He killed himself in a New York City federal jail just over one month after his arrest. Maxwells attorneys had pushed for leniency in sentencing, saying that she should receive well below the 20 years recommended by federal probation officials. Prosecutors pushed for a sentence of 30 to 55 years in prison. Maxwell, a former British socialite, was convicted on 29 December of five of the six charges she faced. The jury came to their decision after 40 hours of deliberations spanning six days. In addition to sex trafficking, Maxwell was convicted of conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. Maxwell was escorted into the courtroom in ankle shackles and throughout the three-hour proceeding, had an unsettled demeanor. She repeatedly touched her hair, sometimes tucking it behind her ears, scratched her neck and sipped water throughout the proceeding. The former media heiress wore drab gray-blue jail scrubs, and a white undershirt. She turned to look at her three siblings who were seated behind her in court Isabel, Christine, and Kevin multiple times. But Maxwell did not offer much in the way of an apology for her actions. When Maxwell stood at a Plexiglass-enclosed lectern to speak, she said: I empathize deeply with all of the victims in this case. I also acknowledge that I have been convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein commit these crimes, said Maxwell, whose statement marked the first time she has publicly addressed these allegations. And despite the many helpful and positive things I have done in my life and will continue to do I know that my association with Epstein and this case will forever and permanently stain me. Maxwell attempted to pin the blame on Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein should have been here before all of you, he should have stood before you all those years ago, he should have stood before you in 2005, again in 2009, and again in 2019, Maxwell continued, adding shortly thereafter, I am sorry for the pain that you experienced There were four accusers in the trial: Jane, Kate and Carolyn, who did not use their full names during proceedings, as well as Annie Farmer. Jane said that she was 14 in 1994 when Epstein began to sexually abuse her and that sometimes Maxwell was present when he did so. Sometimes, Maxwell participated in this abuse, Jane testified. There were hands everywhere, Jane said of an incident with Epstein and Maxwell. This abuse also took place when she was 15 and 16. Kate said that she first met Maxwell in Paris around 1994, at 17. Maxwell asked Kate to tea at her London townhouse shortly thereafter, and then introduced the teen to Epstein at a subsequent meeting. A few weeks later, Maxwell telephoned Kate, and told her: Jeffrey was meant to get a massage but the massage therapist had canceled. Could I do her a favor and come over because I had strong hands. Kate told jurors that Maxwell led her upstairs, where Epstein was in a robe. Maxwell shut the door, leaving Kate alone with Epstein. He initiated sexual contact with Kate. She saw him several times annually over the next few years. Carolyn testified that she fell into Maxwell and Epsteins abusive world around the early 2000s, when she was 14, at his Palm Beach mansion. Carolyn said she traveled to Epsteins house over 100 times between ages 14 and 18, and recalled a physical encounter with Maxwell while getting a massage table ready. I was getting fully nude, and she came in and felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks and said that I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends. She just said that I had a good body type, Carolyn testified. Farmer testified that Maxwell gave her a nude massage when she was aged just 16 at Epsteins sprawling New Mexico estate. She met Epstein in late 1995, when she went to visit her sister, Maria, in New York City. Maria was an artistic painter for Epstein. Maxwells case was thrown into potential disarray shortly after the verdict. One of the jurors, Scotty David, gave interviews after the trial where he talked about experiencing sexual abuse as a child. David said that he told his fellow panelists about this so that they could see facts from a victims point of view. These statements spurred questions, as potential jurors were queried about any history of abuse during the selection process. The questionnaire for prospective jurors asked: Have you or a friend ever been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse or sexual assault? The prosecution and defense both asked Judge Alison Nathan to investigate; Maxwells lawyers asked for a new trial, claiming David should never have sat on the jury. Nathan called David to testify publicly on 8 March about this omission. David claimed that he was distracted while rushing through the questionnaire, calling his omission an honest mistake. Nathan rejected Maxwells request for a new trial based on Davids error, saying she thought his answer was truthful and would not have been stricken for cause even if he had answered each question on the questionnaire accurately.