CPS News Brief

Robert Ewing and Gareth Dewhurst jailed in case of missing schoolgirl, Paige Chivers

Robert Ewing and Gareth Dewhurst have been jailed for their parts in the murder of Paige Chivers. Ewing was found guilty of murder and has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 33 years. Dewhurst was found guilty of assisting Ewing to dispose of Paige Chivers’ body and has received a total sentence of 8 years imprisonment.  Both men have also been found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Paige Chivers was 15 when she went missing in Blackpool at around the time of the Bank Holiday weekend in August 2007.  She was a vulnerable teenager whose mother had died only six months earlier. Her body has never been found.

Joanne Cunliffe, from CPS North West Complex Casework Unit said:

“At the time of her disappearance Paige had very little stability in her life and Robert Ewing took advantage of this.  He was a middle-aged man who befriended her, not for any charitable reasons, but because he had an inappropriate sexual interest in her.  Although we will never know the exact circumstances, the jury in delivering their guilty verdict have found that soon after Paige went missing he killed her in his flat.  Gareth Dewhurst knew about the murder and helped Robert Ewing dispose of her body. 

“Neither of the defendants has ever shown any remorse and over the years since Paige went missing they have done everything they could to cover their tracks, to divert enquiries away from them and try to put the blame on other people.  Robert Ewing in particular has attempted to lay false trails and obstruct the police investigations through a series of concocted explanations about the evidence. 

“The CPS and the police have remained determined throughout to uncover the truth and to bring justice for Paige.  We have worked closely from the outset of this investigation, painstakingly piecing together hundreds of items of evidence and hundreds of witness statements to build a strong case and enable the jury to see through the defendants’ lies.  

“Because Paige’s body has never been found this has been a very complex case, firstly to prove that Paige was dead, not just missing, and then to prove that Robert Ewing murdered her.

“My sincere sympathies are with the family of Paige Chivers.  Despite the outcome today the trial has been a difficult and painful time for them.  I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that Robert Ewing and Gareth Dewhurst have now received justice.”

Details

Robert Ewing was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 33 years for murder. He was also given 3 years for perverting the course of justice, to be served concurrently.

Gareth Dewhurst was sentenced to 7 years for assisting an offender and 12 months for perverting the course of justice, to be served consecutively.

CAV Aerospace Ltd. convicted of corporate manslaughter

Piers Arnold, of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said:

“This company ignored repeated and clear warnings about the dangers of their stock levels, refusing to take action partly because it was considered too expensive. Paul Bowers and his family have paid the price for the company’s failure to take the action that was so clearly needed. I hope that the company’s conviction today can be a small comfort to his family, and our thoughts are with them at this time.”

 

Information:

CAV Aerospace Ltd. has been found guilty of corporate manslaughter, following the death of Paul Bowers. The company will be sentenced on 31 July at the Central Criminal Court.

Mr Bowers died after a stack of metal sheets collapsed on top of him in a warehouse, trapping and crushing him. The metal sheets, which had been delivered to the warehouse at the company’s request and for the company’s purposes, collapsed as a result of the dangerously high levels of stock in the warehouse.

The senior management of CAV Aerospace Ltd. received clear, unequivocal and repeated warnings over a sustained period of years prior to the fatal incident. Some of the most obvious solutions were rejected on cost grounds.

The company was warned ahead of the fatal accident that there were potentially disastrous consequences if nothing significant was done about this. Mr Bowers, one of the most recent additions to the team, became trapped under a stack of raw sheets of metal which fell on top of him as he made his way down a designated safe walkway.

Charges:

CAV Aerospace Ltd. convicted of:

Corporate manslaughter, contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

Failure of an employer to discharge its duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of persons other than their employees, contrary to sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Henry Bett convicted of causing death by dangerous driving

Henry Bett, aged 26, has today (21^st July) been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving at Huntingdon Crown Court and will be sentenced on 20^th August.

Adrian Foster, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: 

“This was a very sad case, the consequences of which have had a terrible impact on many lives. The victim was a wife and mother, and her family and friends have been devastated by her death.

“Rebecca Brown, 43 years old, had been driving along West Acre Road, Castle Acre, Norfolk, with her son in the car, shortly after 3pm on 04 December 2013, when she was struck head on by a Fendt tractor driven by Henry Bett. The driver’s side of Mrs Brown’s Fiat Ulysses people carrier was crushed and she died at the scene.

“Bett was travelling in the middle of the road at speed and failed to take any or sufficient steps to avoid a collision with Mrs Brown’s vehicle. Following the collision the tractor continued some 45 metres down the road before coming to a halt. On the evidence presented at trial he had 100 metres of visibility leading up to the point of the collision in which he should have seen Mrs Brown’s vehicle ahead of him and should have quite easily steered around her, as she had pulled over onto the nearside verge to give the tractor room to pass. It is likely that his use of cocaine 12-24 hours before the collision caused a lack of concentration and the slowing of his reactions. It should act as a reminder to others that any use of drink/drugs before driving or operating machinery can have very serious consequences.

“We have worked closely with Norfolk Police and Essex Police since this investigation was launched and as a result of the hard work and diligence of the prosecution team, a just outcome has been achieved. We hope that the conviction will in some way help Mrs Brown’s family come to terms with this tragic event.  Our thoughts are very much with them at this time.”

Uncle and nephew charged over attempt to join ISIL in Syria – nephew charged over plot on US military

Junead Ahmed Khan, 24, and his uncle Shazib Ahmed Khan, 22, both of Luton, have been charged with one offence contrary to section 5(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006. The charge dates between 1 August 2014 and 10 May 2015. Junead Ahmed Khan has been further charged with an additional count contrary to section 5 dating between 10 May 2015 and 14 July 2015.

Deborah Walsh, Deputy Head of Counter Terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service’s SO15, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Junead Khan and Shazib Khan with the intention of committing acts of terrorism.

“It is alleged that Junead Khan and Shazib Khan had been planning on travelling to Syria to join the proscribed organisation Islamic State in Levant (ISIL).

“It is further alleged that Junead Khan was planning a terrorist attack on US military personnel in the UK and he has been charged with an additional terrorism offence to reflect this.

“The decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

“Junead Khan and Shazib Khan will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today, 21 July 2015.

“Criminal proceedings have now commenced and both men have a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Fake locum doctor sentenced

A man who pretended to be a qualified doctor has been sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to six years in prison.

Levon Mkhitarian pleaded guilty to seven counts of fraud, 13 counts of making articles for use in frauds, one count of possession of an identity document with improper intention and one count of obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deception.

It is calculated that the defendant received payments totalling £85,004.04 for work obtained through using this false documentation and came into contact with 3363 patients. He undertook work that he was not qualified to perform on cancer wards, transplant wards, general surgery, cardio wards, A&E on call, elderly wards and other general wards.

Ms Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS South East, said:

“This is an extremely troubling case which involved over 3,000 patients fooled into believing the person caring for them was a qualified doctor. We all put a huge amount of trust in our doctors when we are often at our most vulnerable, but Levon Mkhitarian violated that trust for his own personal gain – an estimated £85,000.

“The potential risk to people’s health makes this a particularly serious and dangerous fraud. Levon Mkhitarian has now seen the full extent of his lies finally exposed.

“The CPS will now take steps to recover the criminal assets of his fraud under the Proceeds of Crime Act.”

Former employee found guilty over Morrisons data theft

Andrew Skelton, a former employee of Morrisons supermarket has today (17 July) been found guilty of fraud, securing unauthorised access to computer material and disclosing personal data. He has been sentenced to eight years at Bradford Crown Court, in relation to stealing personal data belonging to nearly 100,000 Morrisons employees.

David Holderness, reviewing lawyer, Complex Casework Unit, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside said:

“Andrew Skelton was in a position of considerable trust with access to confidential personal information as Senior Internal Auditor at Morrisons.

“He abused this position by uploading this information – which included employees’ names, addresses and bank account details - onto various internet websites.

“He then attempted to cover his tracks and implicate a fellow employee by using this colleague’s details to set up a fake email account.

“Andrew Skelton’s motive appears to have been a personal grievance over a previous incident where he was accused of dealing in legal highs at work. 

“The potential loss to his victims and the sheer quantity of potentially compromised data was very significant and could have resulted in employees’ identities being stolen. Currently Morrison’s has incurred costs of almost £2 million as a result of this fraud, costs have included professional fees, legal fees and fees incurred through attempts to safeguard their employees.

“The sentence imposed today sends out a very clear message that we will robustly prosecute serious fraudsters such as Skelton who believe they are above the law.”

11 sentenced on one of largest sex worker trafficking cases prosecuted in London

Eleven people were today (16^th July) sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for their part in one of the largest cases involving the trafficking of sex workers into the UK ever prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service in London. The prosecution involved CPS London, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Hungarian authorities and involved the trafficking of at least 250 sex workers from Hungary. The gang were arrested between June and July 2014.

 CPS London Chief Crown Prosecutor Baljit Ubhey OBE, said:

“This sophisticated and commercial scale operation is one of the largest ever prosecuted by CPS London. It involved the trafficking of at least 250 sex workers from Hungary for the purposes of sexual exploitation to be controlled in prostitution and 50 brothel addresses in both London and Peterborough. Central to this successful prosecution was strong joint working between CPS London, the Met police and Hungarian authorities, foundations for which were put in place more than two years ago by setting up a Joint Investigation Team. This enabled us to build the strongest possible case to put before the court, leading seven of those involved to plead guilty owing to the weight of evidence against them.

 “While in many cases the women were voluntarily working in prostitution, they were trafficked here to be exploited and controlled, with the women having to give up to half of their earnings for the privilege of working in a house or brothel run by the defendants. One of the girls was trafficked against her will and raped by one of the individuals sentenced today and I would like to applaud her courage in reporting this to the police and giving evidence during the trial. I hope this prosecution provides some comfort to her and the other victims these individuals preyed on. I hope this case demonstrates our commitment to working with partners both in the UK and overseas in tackling organised crime involving trafficking and sexual exploitation.  I would also like to extend my thanks to the Hungarian authorities for their invaluable assistance in this case.”

 

Sentences:

• Erno Milankovics, 53 (01.09.61). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2 and conspiracy to control prostitution, for which he was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months imprisonment.
• Zoltan Pamminger, 46, (24.02.72). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2 and conspiracy to control prostitution. He was jailed for 5 years and 4 months.
• Monika Zoltai, 44 (02.08.73). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2 and conspiracy to control prostitution and has been jailed for 4 years.
• Zsolt Blaga, 38 (23.12.76). Convicted of conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 3; conspiracy to traffick within the UK x 2; conspiracy to control prostitution x 2 and rape x 2. He has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.
• Jeno Burai, 30 (17.06.85). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffick person into the UK x 2; conspiracy to control prostitution. He has been jailed for 6 years and 8 months.
• Natalia Csendes, 29 (12.10.86). Convicted of conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2 and conspiracy to control prostitution. She was jailed for 2 years and six months.
• Csaba Kovacs, 32 (27.01.83). Convicted of conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2; conspiracy to traffick within the UK and conspiracy to control prostitution. She has been jailed for 5 years.
• Melinda Jeger, 31 (19.03.84). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to control prostitution and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.
• Agnes Szilli, 28 (01.11.86). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to control prostitution and has been jailed for 20 months.
• Istvan Szilli, 46 (19.05.69). Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to control prostitution, for which he has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.
• Zoltan Hogenadler 40, (11.02.65). Convicted of conspiracy to traffick into the UK x 2; conspiracy to traffick within the UK x 2; and conspiracy to control prostitution. He has been jailed for 5 years.

CPS seize £40,000 off canoe fraudster John Darwin

The Crown Prosecution Service has recovered £40,000 from John Darwin, who was found guilty of deception in 2008 with his wife over a life insurance scam. He faked his own death and was reported missing in a canoe in the sea off Seaton Carew in March 2002. Meanwhile, his wife collected hundreds of thousands of pounds in life insurance payouts, with John Darwin hiding in the marital home.

The recent payment of £40,000 brings the total amount paid in confiscation orders by the Darwins to £541,762 and 39 pence. The £40,000 was paid on 28 July 2014 from John Darwin’s pension, which he had deferred until the same time his licence preventing him for leaving the country was about to run out. Following his conviction, the court found that John Darwin had benefited by £679,194.62, but having pretended to be dead, all assets were in his wife’s name. The court therefore made an order for £1 allowing the CPS to amend the order should any assets, such as this pension, become available.

The Darwins now have no known assets remaining for confiscation.

Nick Price, Head of Proceeds of Crime at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“When John Darwin devised his plan to defraud insurance companies, he didn’t think he’d get caught at all. But he also didn’t bank on the dedication and determination of my team to recover the money he stole – even seven years later.

“This case really shows that fraud doesn’t pay.

“My thanks also go to police colleagues in the North East Regional Asset Recovery Team for their hard work.”

Company and its senior management sentenced following death of 16 year old apprentice

Huntley Mount Engineering Ltd has today been sentenced for the corporate manslaughter of apprentice Cameron Minshull. In addition, company Director Zaffar Hussain has been sentenced for an offence under section 2 and 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and company Supervisor Akbar Hussain has also been sentenced for an offence under section 7 of the same act. Lime People Training Solutions Ltd has been sentenced for an offence under section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

These offences related to the death of Cameron Minshull, a 16-year-old apprentice who had recently started working at the company. Cameron became entangled in a lathe which he was operating and was fatally injured on 8 January 2013.

Elizabeth Reid, specialist prosecutor at the CPS said: 

“Cameron Minshull’s death was entirely avoidable.

“The company and its senior management allowed a 16-year-old apprentice to work on dangerous and defective machinery. Not only was Cameron Minshull put to work on machinery without any meaningful supervision but he was provided with limited training.

“The risks were obvious. The death of a 16-year-old could have been prevented.

“The CPS, Greater Manchester Police and the Health and Safety Executive worked together to investigate thoroughly and to prosecute appropriately those responsible for this work-related death.”

 

Additional information:

Cameron Minshull was tasked to carry out what was an inherently unsafe operation, of manual ‘deburring’, on a computerised lathe on which the interlock had been defeated, leaving the spinning chuck unguarded. Had the interlock been working, such an unsafe operation would not have been possible. Far from being an exceptional practice, this unsafe operation was undertaken regularly by young employees, and by Zaffar and Akbar Hussain themselves, who have maintained that they did not appreciate how dangerous it was.

If Lime People Training Solutions Ltd. had complied with health and safety requirements, they would have realised that the company was a wholly unsuitable placement for any apprentice, let alone a boy of 16 years, operating a system of work that was grossly unsafe.

 

Sentencing details:

Huntley Mount Engineering Ltd. fined £150,000

Lime People Training Solutions Ltd. fined £75,000

Zaffar Hussain sentenced to 8 months imprisonment and disqualified from being a company director for 10 years

Akbar Hussain sentenced to 4 months suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and given a £3,000 fine

Ex-UKIP MEP Ashley Mote convicted of 11 counts of false accounting, fraud and related offences

On 15 May at Southwark Crown Court Ashley Mote was convicted of four counts of obtaining money transfer by deception, three counts of false accounting, two counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering. These offences, which involved over £400,000 worth of false claims to the European Parliament, occurred between 2004 and 2009 whilst Mr Mote was an independent MEP for South East of England. He has today been sentenced to five years. 

Zoe Martin, specialist prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service said: 

"Ashley Mote purported to expose fraud and promote accountability within the European Parliament. However, these values were not applied to his own blatantly dishonest actions as an MEP. 

"Over a period of five years, Mr Mote misused his allowances as a member of the European Parliament to fund his personal expenses. This included paying off part of a bridging loan and the mortgage on his home. He also used the European Parliament funds to pay his legal bills in connection with his previous fraud trial and a related civil action."

Chelsea Pensioner convicted of sexual assault

Patrick Teegan, 71, was convicted today at Isleworth Crown Court of sexual assault of a 29-year-old woman on 24th May 2014. The attack occurred following the Royal Chelsea Flower Show which had taken place in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital that day.

Baljit Ubhey OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said:

“Patrick Teegan took advantage of the victim in this case when she was vulnerable through drink.

“The victim had agreed to have a drink with Teegan and some others following the Royal Chelsea Flower Show event but soon became intoxicated.

“Teegan took her back to his room and when she woke up in the early hours of the morning she was naked and being assaulted. She had no recollection of how she got there and immediately left to go home.

“This was a hugely traumatic experience for the victim and I would like to thank her for giving evidence in court. We were able to support her in giving evidence by playing her video recorded interviews and enabling her to give evidence from behind a screen in court.

“Tackling rape and serious sexual assaults is a key priority for CPS London and we will continue to work closely with our police partners to support victims and bring offenders to justice.”

CPS authorises charge in relation to the death of Lorraine Barwell

Baljit Ubhey OBE, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said:

"The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Humphrey Kevin Burke, 22, with the murder of Lorraine Barwell. Ms Barwell was attacked in Blackfriars Crown Court on 29 June 2015 while working as a custody officer.

"This decision was made under the Full Code Test of the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

"Burke appeared before Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court via video link today (10 July).

"Burke now stands charged with a criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Robert Ewing and Gareth Dewhurst found guilty in the case of missing schoolgirl, Paige Chivers

Paige Chivers was 15 when she went missing in Blackpool at around the time of the Bank Holiday weekend in August 2007.  She was a vulnerable teenager whose mother had died only six months earlier.

Today, a jury at Preston Crown Court have found Robert Ewing guilty of her murder and have found Gareth Dewhurst guilty of assisting Ewing to dispose of her body.  Her body has never been found.  Both men have also been found guilty of perverting the course of justice. 

Joanne Cunliffe, from CPS North West Complex Casework Unit said:

“At the time of her disappearance Paige had very little stability in her life and Robert Ewing took advantage of this.  He was a middle-aged man who befriended her, not for any charitable reasons, but because he had an inappropriate sexual interest in her.  Although we will never know the exact circumstances, the jury in delivering their guilty verdict have found that soon after Paige went missing he killed her in his flat.  Gareth Dewhurst knew about the murder and helped Robert Ewing dispose of her body.

“Neither of the defendants has ever shown any remorse and over the years since Paige went missing they have done everything they could to cover their tracks, to divert enquiries away from them and try to put the blame on other people.  Robert Ewing in particular has attempted to lay false trails and obstruct the police investigations through a series of concocted explanations about the evidence. 

“The CPS and the police have remained determined throughout to uncover the truth and to bring justice for Paige.  We have worked closely from the outset of this investigation, painstakingly piecing together hundreds of items of evidence and hundreds of witness statements to build a strong case and enable the jury to see through the defendants’ lies.  

“Because Paige’s body has never been found this has been a very complex case, firstly to prove that Paige was dead, not just missing, and then to prove that Robert Ewing murdered her.

“My sincere sympathies are with the family of Paige Chivers.  Despite the outcome today the trial has been a difficult and painful time for them.  I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that Robert Ewing and Gareth Dewhurst will now receive justice.”

Todros Grynhaus sentenced to 13 years for sexual offences against teenage girls

A religious studies teacher from Salford has today been sentenced to 13 years and 2 months with an extended licence period of 4 years for sexually abusing two teenage girls between 2000 and 2005. 

Todros Grynhaus, 50, a prominent member of the Haredi Jewish community, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault after a trial at Manchester Crown Court in June. 

Elizabeth Reed, Head of Crown Court Prosecutions for Greater Manchester said:

“Todros Grynhaus was a respected man in the community and he was a teacher both in the UK and abroad. But behind this public image  he systematically sexually abused two teenage girls over an extended period of time under the guise of showing them love and affection.

“The victims both disclosed the abuse to friends and relatives at the time but at that stage no report was made to the police. However, in 2012, the victims found the courage to report the abuse to the authorities and his past finally caught up with him.

“In an attempt to evade justice, he fled to Israel using a false passport where he remained for a year and a half before he was deported back to the UK to face the charges against him. Grynhaus denied the allegations at trial and suggested they were simply a plot to damage him. At today's sentencing hearing Grynhaus finally admitted his guilt.

"I would like to pay tribute to the two victims for showing immense bravery in coming forward and standing up to their abuser, which has enabled us to bring this man to justice. 

"The CPS and police urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual abuse, no matter how long ago the offences took place, to come forward and report it to the police, and we will support them in every way possible throughout the process."

Officer to be charged with perjury following death of Sean Rigg

The CPS will now bring criminal proceedings against police officer Paul White for perjury following the investigation into the evidence given by the officer at the inquest concerning the death of Sean Rigg.

This follows a review of the case under the recently introduced CPS Victims' Right to Review (VRR) scheme.

Sean Rigg died on 21 August 2008 whilst in police custody at Brixton police station. Mr Rigg was initially held in the police van for 11 minutes before being transferred into the police station. Following the investigation into Sean Rigg’s death, Paul White gave evidence at his inquest in July 2012.

Sue Hemming, Head of CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division said: 

“The CPS Victims’ Right to Review scheme allows victims to seek a review of a CPS decision not to prosecute in certain circumstances. In this case the complainant’s bereaved family were eligible to apply and the case was referred to me to decide if the original decision not to prosecute was correct.

“After careful consideration of the evidence, I have decided that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to charge Paul White with one count of perjury which relates to the evidence he gave at Mr Rigg’s inquest and therefore the original decision should be overturned. I also considered evidence against another police officer but agreed with the original decision not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence.

"Proceedings are now active and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Paul White will appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on 8 September 2015.