Isleworth Crown Court Sentencing Results

On 17 January 2017, John McGovern was driving a Range Rover when he swerved onto the wrong side of Green Lane in Hounslow, mounted the pavement, smashed through a bus stop and struck two female pedestrians. The victim, aged 26, died from multiple injuries in hospital; her friend was seriously injured. There was no CCTV or witness evidence, so police relied on forensic evidence and phone records which showed McGovern was making hands-free calls throughout the journey and was on a call at the time of the collision. He did not stop or call emergency services.

On 4 September 2017, Daniel Qureshi was involved in a knife fight between two groups on Rosebery Road, Hounslow, which resulted in the fatal stabbing of 29-year-old the victim. Qureshi fled but was arrested 15 days later with a three-inch thigh cut. CCTV showed him limping into hospital shortly after the attack wearing the same clothes as a knife carrier seen at the scene.

On 3 April 2018 in broad daylight, 24-year-old Corrie Russell randomly chased a man in his twenties along Merrick Road, Southall, and stabbed him multiple times in the upper body and both legs. The victim suffered serious damage to both legs, was unable to walk without assistance, and remained in hospital for two months. CCTV showed Russell leaving Southall railway station shortly before the attack, and DNA evidence recovered from a railing he jumped over identified him. The knife was never found. Russell was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and carrying an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on 23 January 2019.

On the evening of 1 January, Nantu lay in wait behind a parked car on Gorst Road, NW10. As a woman in her 30s walked past while on her phone, he launched a brutal assault, punching her repeatedly on the back of the head, knocking her to the ground, and continuing the attack as she tried to flee. She was discovered by passersby with severe bruising and cuts to her eyes, elbows and knees. The police initially treated the scene as a hit-and-run. She was rushed to hospital with rib pain. Nantu, a jealous ex-lover, had repeatedly visited her home in late December, enraged that the relationship had ended and she had started socialising again.

Charged with possession of a razor blade melted into a toothbrush in prison.

On 4 September 2017, Abbas Issa took part in a violent street brawl between two groups armed with knives on Rosebery Road, Hounslow. The victim died from a stab wound to the chest. Issa disappeared after the stabbing; his mother reported him missing. He had travelled to Tanzania and was arrested upon landing back at Heathrow Airport. Forensic evidence linked him to the white Volkswagen Golf used as the getaway vehicle.

Abhishek Kumar, a lawyer at Kim's Law, paid an illegal immigrant cash in hand to work as his administrative assistant after their asylum claim failed. He had acted on the asylum claim before giving them the job. Kumar pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 150 hours of community service at Isleworth Crown Court in 2024. His conviction brought him to the attention of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and he was later struck off after repeatedly submitting AI-generated errors in disciplinary proceedings.

Varun Bhardwaj and Anand Tripathi imported class A and B drugs (cocaine and cannabis) and cigarettes hidden in shipments of perishable goods. A 999 call from a Somerset farmer near Bridgwater discovered 189kg of cocaine worth £15m in an April 2022 animal feed delivery shipped from Colombia to London Gateway Port; Tatab Ltd handled customs clearance. Another container at Felixstowe held 49kg cocaine in oranges from South Africa (£4m). Further shipments in September 2021 and January 2022 concealed cocaine and cannabis in yams. Three cigarette shipments (18,680,000 cigarettes) from February to October 2022 in Bombay mix, coir fibre and biscuits evaded £9.7m excise and customs duty. Total drugs street value £28.9m. Supported by SWROCU, Metropolitan Police, UK Border Force, HMRC and NCA.

On 7 December at around 8am, in a multi-storey car park at Heathrow Terminal 3, members of the group wore face coverings and dark clothing and discharged a substance believed to be CS spray inside a lift. The gas spread as the lift reached the ground floor, affecting members of the public and workers nearby; five people were taken to hospital and Terminal 3 was closed for several hours. The group later followed two women to the airport taxi forecourt, threatened violence and took their suitcases. One woman was sprayed directly in the face with CS gas at close range. The stolen suitcases were never recovered.

On 7 December at around 8am, in a multi-storey car park at Heathrow Terminal 3, members of the group wore face coverings and dark clothing and discharged a substance believed to be CS spray inside a lift. The gas spread as the lift reached the ground floor, affecting members of the public and workers nearby; five people were taken to hospital and Terminal 3 was closed for several hours. The group later followed two women to the airport taxi forecourt, threatened violence and took their suitcases. One woman was sprayed directly in the face with CS gas at close range. The stolen suitcases were never recovered.

Mohamed Omar Hassibi was refused consent to convert his semi-detached house on Mayfield Close in Uxbridge, west London, into flats. He pressed ahead with the conversion anyway and rented out the flats. Following an investigation and court proceedings, he was sentenced.

Stephen Burton, 55, formerly of Frieth Road, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, was arrested after officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate raided his London hotel room on 14 February 2019. They recovered gold bars, Krugerrand coins and other precious metals worth £742,544, silver coins valued at £8,460, over £53,000 in cash plus €14,120 in euros, five designer watches worth £110,000, 500 lottery tickets, two passports in his name with different birthdates and countries, and several forged identity documents. He admitted buying the luxury items to hide the proceeds of crime.

Surinder Kaur Sethi, 61, of Frogmore Avenue, converted a three-bedroom house in Balmoral Drive, Hayes, west London, worth in the region of £400,000, into two self-contained flats without planning permission following a tip-off to Hillingdon Council’s planning enforcement officers. She received £142,490 in rent from the unlawful flats.

On 7 December at around 8am, in a multi-storey car park at Heathrow Terminal 3, members of the group wore face coverings and dark clothing and discharged a substance believed to be CS spray inside a lift. The gas spread as the lift reached the ground floor, affecting members of the public and workers nearby; five people were taken to hospital and Terminal 3 was closed for several hours. The group later followed two women to the airport taxi forecourt, threatened violence and took their suitcases. One woman was sprayed directly in the face with CS gas at close range. The stolen suitcases were never recovered.

Varun Bhardwaj and Anand Tripathi imported class A and B drugs (cocaine and cannabis) and cigarettes hidden in shipments of perishable goods. A 999 call from a Somerset farmer near Bridgwater discovered 189kg of cocaine worth £15m in an April 2022 animal feed delivery shipped from Colombia to London Gateway Port; Tatab Ltd handled customs clearance. Another container at Felixstowe held 49kg cocaine in oranges from South Africa (£4m). Further shipments in September 2021 and January 2022 concealed cocaine and cannabis in yams. Three cigarette shipments (18,680,000 cigarettes) from February to October 2022 in Bombay mix, coir fibre and biscuits evaded £9.7m excise and customs duty. Total drugs street value £28.9m. Supported by SWROCU, Metropolitan Police, UK Border Force, HMRC and NCA.

On 23 February 2017, detectives from the Met’s Aviation Policing Command raided three commercial units on Cranford Lane, Hounslow, uncovering a massive haul of 588,200 cigarettes and 988,500 prescription drugs that Rajveer Wadhwa, 43, had smuggled into Britain.