CPS News Brief

Couple jailed for decade of child abuse

A couple who carried out a prolonged series of sexual assaults, child cruelty and drug supply that lasted over a decade have been jailed today (Mon 8 May).

Nicholas and Joan Taylor, of Northampton, preyed on vulnerable children and systematically abused them, repeatedly committing serious sexual offences against nine child victims.

The Taylors used cocaine, threats of violence, force and humiliation to manipulate their victims into being subjected to sexual acts. Five of the children involved were raped on numerous occasions. This offending has had a significant impact on all those involved.

Today at Leicester Crown Court, Nicholas Taylor was sentenced to life imprisonment and Joan Taylor was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Janine Smith, from the CPS, said:

“To prosecute Nicholas and Joan Taylor the CPS was presented with evidence from multiple victims of a sustained period of abuse. They had committed so many offences that prosecutors were faced with the challenge of selecting charges and presenting the evidence in order to give a clear picture of the abuse to the jury and to enable the court could pass a sentence reflecting the offending.

“The Taylors were found guilty of over 90 separate offences and we argued that both present a real danger to society. 

“The victims have given moving personal impact statements to the court to make clear the profound impact that the Taylors’ offences have had on their lives. They have shown great strength and courage to come forward to ensure that the Taylors have faced the consequences of their crimes.

“I would like to commend them for supporting the prosecution with their evidence. It cannot be easy but today they have seen their abusers imprisoned and I hope that this will be of comfort to them.” 

Ends

Background

·         In preparing the case for trial, prosecutors at the CPS East Midlands Complex Casework Unit and prosecuting Counsel decided to include a large number of counts on the indictment to accurately reflect the extent of the defendants’ offending. As part of the sentencing hearing, victims have given victim impact statements to the court, so that the court can understand how the offences have affected them.

·         The Taylors were convicted after a six-week trial at Leicester Crown Court. Nicholas Taylor had previous convictions for serious sexual offences.

·         Janine Smith is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS East Midlands.

Building manager jailed over falling window frames which killed Amanda Telfer

A building manager has been jailed over safety failures which resulted in the death of a woman who was killed by falling window frames.

Passerby Amanda Telfer, 43, died after being hit by three falling window frames as she was walking past a construction site in Hanover Square, London, on 30 August 2012.

The frames had been delivered to a construction site and left leaning, unsecured against a wall.

Kelvin Adsett, 64, was responsible for placement of the frames and the failure to secure them. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment today [5 May] at the Central Criminal Court after being found guilty of manslaughter following a trial at the Central Criminal Court.

IS Europe Ltd, the company which employed Adsett, was found guilty of health and safety charges. It would have been fined £100,000 in today’s sentencing but it had only £250 left in its bank account after falling dormant.

Damian Lakin-Hall, 50, was the site manager employed by Westgreen Construction. He was sentenced to a six month prison sentence suspended for two years after he was found guilty of failing to take reasonable care for health and safety.

Graham Partridge, of the CPS, said:

“If Kelvin Adsett, Damian Lakin-Hall and IS Europe had complied with their legal responsibilities, Amanda Telfer would not have died.

“They were delivering and storing large, very heavy window frames and should have known that, unsecured, they presented a serious danger to the public on what was a windy day.

“The CPS case was that the defendants’ conduct was so bad that those involved bore criminal responsibility for Ms Telfer’s tragic death.

“We hope that these convictions will bring some sense of justice for her family.”


Notes
Kelvin Adsett, [10/08/1952], IS Europe employee was found guilty of manslaughter

Damian Lakin-Hall, [01/01/1967], Westgreen project manager was found guilty of failing to take reasonable care whilst at work

IS Europe Ltd – was found guilty of failure to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees at work, and exposing another to a risk to health and safety

Cambridge University professor sentenced for possessing indecent images

A university professor who admitted possessing almost 2,000 indecent images of children has been given a suspended prison sentence today (Fri 5 May).

Simon Jarvis, 53, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty to a variety of offences, including distributing indecent images to others via the internet.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Cambridge Crown Court. He must also attend a course for sex offenders.

Laura Tams, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Simon Jarvis was found to be in possession of a large amount of indecent images of children, including more than 40 at the most serious level.

“He also used the internet to share images with others and to engage in fantasy conversations about child abuse.

“Prosecutors and investigators worked together to build a compelling case, resulting in the guilty pleas entered.”

The prosecution followed an investigation by the National Crime Agency.

Ends

Notes to Editors

Jarvis admitted the following offences:

2 x Distributing indecent images of children

4 x Making indecent images of children

1 x Possession of extreme pornography

5 x Possession of prohibited images of children

·         Laura Tams is a Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS International Justice and Organised Crime Division.

Man convicted of planning an explosion on a London tube train

A 20-year-old man has today (3 May) been convicted of planning to cause an explosion after leaving a bomb packed with explosives and ball bearings on a London Underground train. 

Damon Smith had constructed the device using instructions taken from an Al-Qaeda-published magazine. 

On 20 October 2016, Smith left the bomb on a Jubilee Line train at Southwark station after setting the timer with the intent of causing an explosion. The bomb, which failed to explode, was found by passengers and passed to staff who cleared the platform.  

 

Sue Hemming of the CPS said:

“Damon Smith’s actions were incredibly dangerous and the consequences had the device worked do not bear thinking about. Although he claimed this was a prank, the bomb he left on the train was clearly designed to cause horrific injuries. 

“I would like to express my thanks to the quick-thinking members of the public and TFL staff for the way they dealt with this incident.”

Former football coach jailed for child sex offences

A former PE teacher and football coach has today (May 2) been sentenced to 24 years in prison for sexual offences against a young boy.

Michael Smee, 39, from Stevenage, was found guilty of sexually assaulting and raping a child under 13 years old, following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court.   He pleaded guilty to four further counts of sexual activity with a child.

The court was told Smee met his victim through football coaching.  The offences took place over a period of more than two years from January 2013 until April 2016.

 

Frances Bush from the CPS said: 

“Smee took advantage of a position of trust and his victim’s love of sport to commit these terrible acts.  

“It is thanks to the victim’s bravery in coming forward and the hard work of specialist CPS prosecutors that he will be unable to continue his offending.”

 -ENDS-

 

Notes for Editors:

 

• Frances Bush is Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Thames and Chiltern.
• At the time of the offences Smee was employed as a teacher at a school in Hertfordshire and also worked as a part-time football coach.

Breast surgeon convicted of wounding patients

 

A breast surgeon who carried out wholly unnecessary procedures, often including radical surgery, on nine women and a man has today been convicted of malicious wounding following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Ian Paterson, 59, carried out the surgery while working in private practice in the West Midlands between 1997 and 2011. In most cases he told the victims they were at risk of developing breast cancer when in fact the procedures were not necessary.

Some victims underwent multiple surgical procedures for which there was no clinical basis.

The trial heard evidence from the nine women and one man who described the physical and psychological effects the procedures had on them, which included the removal of breast tissue and double mastectomies.

One victim, who became pregnant several years after undergoing a procedure, was misled by Paterson that she would be unable to breast feed her child, causing her significant distress.

Pamela Jain, from the CPS, said:

“Ian Paterson carried out procedures which no reasonable surgeon would have considered justified and he knew the operations were unnecessary.

“The prosecution evidence showed how Paterson breached the trust of his victims by convincing them to undergo surgical procedures.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case who bravely came forward to give their evidence which was of a very personal nature.”

Paterson will be sentenced in due course.

Ends

Notes to Editors

- Pamela Jain is a Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS Specialist Fraud Division

- Ian Paterson was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and three counts of unlawful wounding.

Statement following sentencing of John Earle for indecent assaults in 1950s and 60s

Alison Longhorn, from the CPS, said:

“John Earle took advantage of his young victim for his own sexual gratification. He was charged with serious and prolonged abuse against one of the very people he had a duty of care for in his role as deputy head teacher. We worked closely with the police to build a strong case and faced with the evidence against him, Earle pleaded guilty.

“Earle’s offending has had a lifelong impact on his victim, to whom I would like to express my appreciation. Without him this prosecution would not have been possible. He has displayed immense courage during the investigation and prosecution of this case and I hope the sentence imposed today brings him some comfort.

“These offences took place more than 50 years ago but regardless of when crimes are committed the CPS will always prosecute when there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to do so.”

Notes to Editors

·         Alison Longhorn is a District Crown Prosecutor with CPS South-West

·         John Earle, 87, pleaded guilty six counts of indecent assault against a male at Exeter Crown Court on 29 March 2017. The charges relate to offences committed between 1957 and 1961

·         Earle, of Devon, was sentenced to four years imprisonment at Exeter Crown Court today (28 April 2017)

Four men and a woman sentenced for child sexual exploitation

Four men and one woman have today (April 28) been given prison sentences of between three and 15 years, for offences involving child sexual exploitation.

Brothers, Christopher, 23, Matthew, 25, and Shane Whiteley, 30 were found guilty at an earlier hearing, of multiple sexual offences including rape, sexual assault against a child under 13 and conspiracy to arrange child prostitution and theft.

Appearing alongside them at Sheffield Crown Court were Amanda Spencer, 26, and Taleb Bapir, 39, who were respectively found guilty of four counts of arranging child prostitution and rape.

The brothers and their associates targeted vulnerable young girls in the Sheffield area between 2005 and 2012.  

The girls were given drink, drugs and gifts, before being forced to have sex with members of the group and strangers.   They were also threatened and subjected to violence

 

Peter Mann, from the CPS, said: 

“These defendants cynically targeted and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls. The suffering the victims must have endured is hard to comprehend.

“This case was a complex one. With the victims’ assistance the CPS was able to build a strong prosecution case against these defendants, resulting in today’s sentences.”

 

--ENDS--

 

Notes to editors

1. Peter Mann is Head of the Complex Casework Unit at CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.

2. Sentences:

Christopher Whiteley: 15 years in prison.

Taleb Bapir: 10 years in prison.

Shane Whiteley: 8 years in prison.

Matthew Whiteley: 7 years in prison.

Amanda Spencer: 3 years in prison

 

Couple convicted over death of baby in London

A couple who tried to cover up the death of their three-month old baby by carrying her lifeless onto a bus have been convicted of causing or allowing her death.

 

Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, gave a thumbs up sign to his partner Rosalin Baker, 25, as she boarded a London bus in east London on 28 September 2016 carrying the body of their daughter Imani in a sling.

 

On the bus Baker made various phone calls, before enlisting the help of another passenger by saying that there was something wrong with her baby. However, when the paramedics arrived they realised she had been dead for some time, and the hospital team identified a number of signs of injury.

 

A post-mortem investigation revealed Imani had a fractured skull, a fractured right wrist, and multiple broken ribs consistent with non-accidental injury.

 

Both were found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court today [20 April].

 

CPS reviewing lawyer from the London homicide team Devi Kharran said: “These verdicts bring to an end a tragic case.

 

“The medical evidence showed that before she died, Baby Imani suffered a number of separate and violent assaults, including one which fractured her skull, damaged her brain and ultimately ended her life.

 

“Despite a large number of very serious and painful injuries which would have been very obvious, neither of her parents sought medical help. Instead her lifeless body was carried onto a crowded London bus to disguise the true circumstances of her death.

 

“Witnesses have told the court of the shock and distress on that bus once Imani’s lifeless body was discovered. Passengers and passers-by came forward to try to save Imani.

“This deeply affected a number of them and adds to the cruelty displayed in this horrible crime.

 

“We would like to thank those who tried to help on the day including members of the public and the emergency services, some of whom later gave evidence in support of this prosecution.”

 

Baker and Wiltshire will be sentenced on 18 May.

 

Notes:

 

Rosalin Baker, 25, [28/07/1991] guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child

Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, [20/06/1964] guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child

Two jailed for transphobic attack

Two attackers who carried out a violent, transphobic robbery on a man in Aylesbury have today (18 April) been jailed.

On 25 July 2016, the victim was approached by a group of males, who verbally abused him for being transgender, assaulted him and stole his wallet and mobile phone.

The victim sustained serious injuries in the attack including a fractured skull, a brain aneurysm and a puncture wound to his left cheek.

The CPS prosecuted the case as a transphobic hate crime from the outset. When the victim was unable to give evidence due to the physical and psychological effects of the assault, prosecutors successfully applied to have his police statement read out in court. Upon conviction, the judge determined that the case should be sentenced as a hate crime and an uplift of six months was today applied in relation to the ringleader of the attack.

Kaviraj Choolun from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said:

“Tackling hate crime is a priority for the CPS and offenders can expect to have their sentences increased.

“I hope this successful prosecution, and today’s sentences, will encourage victims to come forward. We work closely with our partners, as we did with Thames Valley police in this case, to ensure that criminals motivated by hate feel the full force of the law.

“We hope that the victim, who has shown great courage throughout this process, continues with his recovery. Our thoughts are with him at this time.”

Owen Wise, who was aged just 16 at the time of the incident, can be named after the judge decided to lift reporting restrictions. He acted as the ringleader and pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article, but denied targeting the victim due to vulnerability and claimed to have only hit him once. Today the 17-year-old was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court to five years and 10 months in jail.

This sentence included a six-month uplift for the hate-fuelled nature of the offences. The judge praised CPS advocate Nigel Ogborne for his assistance in ensuring that Wise’s sentence was extended.

Michael Thorpe, 21, did not use any violence during the incident, but was part of the group when the robbery took place. He admitted to stealing the victim’s mobile phone during the robbery and pleaded guilty to theft.

He was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment. Both defendants are from Aylesbury.

Note to Editors:

Kaviraj Choolun is a Senior Crown Prosecutor on the Thames Valley Crown Court Team at Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service.

Gang which supplied supplying £3.6m of cocaine jailed for over 100 years

 

Six members of a drugs gang which conspired to supply cocaine worth millions of pounds in London have been jailed for a combined total of 102 years today (7 April).

Florentino Gonzalez, 48, and Edwin Abazi, 31, were convicted of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs following a three-week trial at Blackfriars Crown Court which concluded last month. Bajram Elezi, 34, was convicted of one count of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply at the trial, while three other men pleaded guilty to similar charges.

The trial heard how the gang arranged for drugs to be supplied from apartment blocks in Canary Wharf and London Bridge. In total 30kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £3.6million, was seized from the gang by officers.

During the investigation members of the gang were found in possession of varying amounts of cocaine or cash, including more than £125,000 which was found in a hidden compartment in a Bentley driven by Gonzalez.

Today, Gonzalez was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his role in the scheme, with five other men jailed for between eight and 21 years each.

Laura Tams, from the CPS, said:

“These men were involved in a sophisticated operation to supply significant amounts of Class A drugs for sale on the streets of London.

“The prosecution worked with investigators from an early stage to build a strong case, resulting in the guilty verdicts returned by the jury.”

Ends

Background

·         Laura Tams is a Specialist Prosecutor with the CPS International Justice and Organised Crime Division

·         Details of charges and sentences: 

-       Florentino Gonzalez, 48, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug. He pleaded guilty to one count of concealing criminal property. Sentenced to 24 years in prison.

-       Edwin Abazi, 31, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug. Sentenced to 21 years in prison.

-       Bajram Elezi, 34, was found guilty of one count of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply. Sentenced to 8 years in prison.

-       Armand Cuni, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class A drug. Sentenced to 22 years in prison.

-       Saimir Byberi, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply a Class A drug. Sentenced to 15 years in prison.

-       Yeton Cera, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply. Also pleaded guilty to possession of a false identity document. Sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Former teacher and charity worker jailed for sexual offences

A former teacher and charity worker has today (Thu 30 Mar) been jailed for a string of sex offences spanning almost 30 years.

Colin Gregg, 75, was found guilty after trial of nine counts of indecent assault. The charges relate to offences against four separate victims, spanning around three decades from the 1960s through to the 1990s.  Each of the complainants in the case was under 15 years of age at the time the offences took place.

Today the judge at Newcastle Crown Court sentenced him to 13-and-a-half years in prison.

John Dilworth, from the CPS, said:

“Colin Gregg appeared to be a successful businessman, respected teacher and committed charity worker. But he exploited his position in society to abuse young boys.

“I would like to praise the bravery of his victims whose evidence allowed prosecutors to build a compelling case against Gregg, leading to his conviction. I hope today’s sentence brings them a sense of justice.”

Notes to Editors

·         John Dilworth is Acting Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East

·         Colin Gregg is son of the founder of Greggs’ bakery

Doctor receives suspended prison sentence for making false overtime claims

A senior doctor who wrongly claimed almost £24,000 in overtime has been given a suspended prison sentence today (Tue 28 Mar).

Consultant radiologist John Coffey, 53, admitted fraud by false representation part-way through his trial at Preston Crown Court in February 2017.

The court heard how Coffey reviewed hundreds of x-rays during his working day but waited until after 5pm to enter the work on the NHS system, thereby triggering overtime payments.

Today at Preston Crown Court, Coffey was sentenced to 15 months in custody, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and costs of £14,600.

Adam Clarke, from the CPS, said:

“John Coffey abused his position in order to repeatedly claim thousands of pounds of public money he was simply not entitled to.

“Prosecutors worked with investigators to build a strong case and faced with the evidence against him, Coffey pleaded guilty.”

The prosecution followed an investigation by NHS Protect.

Notes to Editors

·         Adam Clarke is a Senior Crown Prosecutor from the CPS Specialist Fraud Division

Money launderer ordered to pay back more than £700,000

A convicted money launderer has been ordered to pay back more than £700,000 after his attempt to have the debt written off was rejected by the Court of Appeal today (27 Mar). 

 

Terry Adams admitted money laundering in 2007 and was ordered to pay back £750,000. He has since paid £391,437.11, leaving £358,562.89 outstanding from the original order. The total owed, including interest, is currently more than £700,000.

 

A Crown Court judge refused to write down the debt in 2014 after Adams claimed that he was unable to afford to pay any more. Adams sought to appeal but the Court of Appeal has rejected his claim that his available assets are worth less than the outstanding amount.

Nick Price, from the CPS, said:

“Criminals will go to great lengths in an attempt to preserve the proceeds of their crimes and Terry Adams is no exception. We have presented our case carefully and thoroughly, and I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed that he is able to pay off this debt.

“Attempting to hide assets and claim poverty is not a new tactic. The CPS are used to dealing with such claims and will deal with them robustly. Depriving criminals of their wealth disrupts organised crime and the CPS works closely will investigators to ensure that we can take back assets from those who look to benefit from crime.” 

Background Information

 

·         Terry Adams pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2007 and a confiscation order was made against him, agreed at £750,000, with a default jail term of 4 years should he fail to pay or make efforts to do so.

 

·         Since the confiscation order came into force £391,437.11 has been paid. 

 

·         A total balance of more than £700,000 remains outstanding. This is subject to interest of 8% p.a. which is accrued daily. 

 

·         Nick Price is the Head of CPS Proceeds of Crime (CPSPOC).

Five people found guilty of child sexual exploitation

Four men and one woman have been found guilty of child sexual exploitation offences in Sheffield.

Brothers Christopher, Matthew and Shane Whiteley, and Amanda Spencer and Taleb Bapir were convicted of a total of 15 counts relating to five victims after a seven-week-long trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

The brothers and their associates targeted vulnerable young girls in the Sheffield area between 2005 and 2012.

The girls were given drink, drugs and gifts, before being forced to have sex with members of the group and strangers.   They were also threatened and subjected to violence

Peter Mann, from the CPS, said:

“These defendants cynically targeted and sexually exploited young and vulnerable girls. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of suffering they must have endured.

“The guilty verdicts returned today are a testament to the courage of the victims in coming forward and giving evidence against their abusers. 

“This case was very complex and involved months of painstaking analysis.  With the victims’ help the CPS was able to build a strong prosecution case against these defendants, resulting in today’s verdicts.”

 

--ENDS--

 

Notes to editors

1. Peter Mann is Head of the Complex Casework Unit at CPS Yorkshire and Humberside.

2. The defendants were found guilty at an earlier hearing, but reporting restrictions have been in place until today. 

3. The group will be sentenced on 28^thApril at Sheffield Crown Court.

Verdicts

Christopher Whiteley: Guilty of four charges of rape, one charge of conspiracy to cause or incite child prostitution, two charges of sexual assault of a child under 13, and one charge of theft.  Not guilty of ten other charges.

Shane Whiteley:  Guilty of one charge of conspiracy to cause or incite child prostitution. Not guilty of two other charges.

Matthew Whiteley: Guilty of one charge of conspiracy to cause or incite child prostitution.  Not guilty of three other charges.

Amanda Spencer: Guilty of four charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution.  Not guilty of 15 other charges.

Taleb Bapir: Guilty of one charge of rape.