Southwark Crown Court Sentencing Results

Arben Hysa was convicted of bribing three Keltbray managers, Michael McCarthy, Simon Lacey, and John Burke, between 2012 and 2018. The bribes totalled more than £600,000, allowing his company, Tony Demolition Workers Ltd, to benefit from contracts worth £15m.

Michael Dennis McCarthy, a Keltbray manager, was convicted of receiving bribes totalling more than £600,000 from Arben Hysa between 2012 and 2018, breaching his obligations to his employer Keltbray.

John Burke, a Keltbray manager, was convicted of receiving bribes totalling more than £600,000 from Arben Hysa between 2012 and 2018, breaching his obligations to his employer Keltbray.

Simon Lacey, a Keltbray manager, was convicted of receiving bribes totalling more than £600,000 from Arben Hysa between 2012 and 2018, breaching his obligations to his employer Keltbray.

Alexei Ovsyannikov, brother of Dmitrii Ovsyannikov, assisted in breaching financial sanctions by purchasing a £54,000 Mercedes Benz GLC 300 for his brother's use after Dmitrii's accounts were frozen. He left his debit card for Dmitrii to use in shops around Clapham and Balham, and in May 2024 paid £17,000 in private school fees on behalf of his brother for his children.

Alexei Owsjanikow, brother of Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, circumvented UK sanctions by paying school fees totalling £41,027 for his sibling's children, assisting in breach of the asset freeze imposed under the Russia Regulations 2019 between February 2023 and January 2024.

Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, former governor of Sevastopol in Crimea appointed by Vladimir Putin, circumvented UK sanctions under the Russia Regulations 2019 by having tens of thousands of pounds transferred into his newly opened Halifax Bank of Scotland account by his wife between February 2023 and January 2024, despite being prohibited from accessing funds even for basic necessities. The payments totalled around £76,000 in instalments including £1,000 and three of £25,000. No attempt was made to disguise the transactions. He was also convicted of possessing and using criminal property.

Dmitrii Ovsyannikov, a former governor of Sevastopol and Deputy Minister in Russia, was subject to UK financial sanctions since November 2017. After acquiring a British passport in January 2023, he moved to London and opened a Halifax bank account on 6 February 2023. His wife transferred £1,000 on 8 February, followed by £75,000 after he attempted to purchase a £54,000 Mercedes Benz GLC 300 on 22 February. His brother Alexei purchased the car for his use. Alexei also left his debit card for Dmitrii to use in shops and paid £17,000 in private school fees for his children in May 2024. All transactions breached the sanctions regime.

Between 30 December 2021 and 12 March 2022, Olumide Osunkoya operated crypto ATMs at 28 different locations via his company, GidiPlus Ltd, despite being refused registration with the FCA. He later transferred the machines and personally operated a reduced network of up to 12 crypto ATMs under a false name and company to evade detection. He failed to carry out necessary checks to prevent use by criminals for money laundering. He was also convicted of forgery (creating 4 false bank statements), using false identity documents to incorporate a company, and possessing £19,540 of criminal property.

Bradley Mortimer functioned as a cash courier for money laundering in a £22 million construction industry fraud. He laundered proceeds through bank accounts as part of an organised crime group involved in failing to pay VAT and Construction Industry Scheme contributions to HMRC and diverting the money instead.

Daniel Newton was involved in setting up a building construction core company which invoiced customer companies for the supply of labour, including VAT. The company did not pay the VAT and Construction Industry Scheme contributions to HMRC, diverting the money to defendants' bank accounts. He was a lead conspirator responsible for establishing, maintaining and developing the fraudulent scheme, which caused an estimated £22 million loss to the Government and taxpayer.

Philip Bailey, a lead conspirator, helped establish, maintain, and develop the fraudulent scheme involving a construction core company that pocketed £22 million in unpaid VAT and CIS contributions instead of paying them to HMRC. Fake payroll companies were created and operated by Bailey and others; his partner Sarah Gillard laundered proceeds through her bank account.

Kevin Ratcliffe was a customer company director who received cash kickbacks in exchange for providing business to a construction company involved in a £22 million fraud against the taxpayer. The company failed to pay VAT and Construction Industry Scheme contributions to HMRC and diverted the unpaid sums to defendants' bank accounts.

Lee Hudson was an office worker who conducted the day-to-day business enabling a construction company fraud. The company invoiced customer companies for labour including VAT but failed to pay VAT and Construction Industry Scheme contributions to HMRC, diverting the money to defendants' bank accounts and causing an estimated £22 million loss to the taxpayer.

Sean Dean was a lead conspirator in a scheme involving a construction company that invoiced customer companies for labour including VAT, then failed to pay VAT and Construction Industry Scheme contributions to HMRC. The unpaid sums were diverted to defendants' bank accounts, causing an estimated £22 million loss to the taxpayer.

Sarah Gillard, partner of Philip Bailey, functioned as a cash courier and laundered proceeds of the £22 million fraud through her bank accounts, where the construction company diverted unpaid VAT and CIS contributions instead of paying them to HMRC.

Mohammad Siddiqui, a former NHS paediatrician, performed unsafe and barbaric circumcisions on young boys over a five-year period, charging £250-£300 per procedure in patients' family homes, often on dining room tables in Bristol and other locations. He used inadequate anaesthesia like cream or banned Bupivacaine Hydrochloride, failed to wash hands or sanitise tools, strapped children to boards, and caused severe pain and injury, including one case where a boy's penis 'exploded' nearly causing death. He ignored five police arrests and warnings, maximising profits by cutting corners, leading to unnecessary pain, suffering, and risk. Police found rusty tools with human skin traces in his car. He initially denied 39 charges but admitted 25 during the two-month trial.

Parvez Patel, 34, of Empress Avenue, Ilford, assaulted a sex worker at her home in Westminster on 29th January 2024, inflicting severe injuries including a broken nose. Neighbours heard screams, called police, and he was arrested at the scene.

Ranbir Singh, a company director of 12 dormant firms, used his position to launder money from business accounts to personal accounts for his own gain. He opened two personal bank accounts with Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander using fake HMRC letters created by his wife. A joint bank account with his wife had a turnover of over £3 million, solely used for money laundering, receiving credits ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds. The HMRC investigation uncovered this criminal enterprise amounting to around £3 million in turnover.

Kuldip Badesha, working for the HMRC compliance team, registered 12 firms with Companies House for her husband and performed work for them without declaring the conflict of interest to HMRC. None of the companies were registered for VAT purposes. She created two fake HMRC letters to enable her husband to open personal bank accounts. A joint bank account with her husband had a turnover of over £3 million used for money laundering.

Luis Balcazar Soto, 25, from Elephant and Castle, was over twice the drink-drive limit and unlicensed when driving a silver Kia at speeds up to 70mph, described as 'driving like a madman'. On July 10, 2023, in the early hours in Elephant and Castle, south-east London, he smashed into a pedicab (rickshaw) stopped on New Kent Road for passengers to use a cash machine. The collision threw the victim, 31, from Hay-on-Wye, mid Wales, who was celebrating her birthday, from the vehicle, causing her death. The rickshaw driver, in his 30s, suffered serious injuries. Soto's former partner and friend were in the car with him. He attempted to flee but was detained by members of the public, whom he threatened and tried to bribe.

Paul Bristow, 34, of Chilmington Green in Ashford, was part of a gang that carried out a month-long crime spree between March 20 and April 15, 2024, across nine towns and villages in Kent, stealing over £300,000 worth of property including high-end cars, quad bikes, a tipper truck, jewellery, cash, and golf equipment. The gang assaulted a victim with a pool cue in New Romney, breaking his shoulder, and stole a Mercedes C43. They also attempted a car-jacking in Goudhurst with weapons and damaged a victim's car near Lamberhurst, injuring him. Bristow was arrested on April 15, 2024, in Walderslade.

Paul Cash, 21, of Pye Corner in Ulcombe, joined a gang in a crime spree of burglaries from March 20 to April 15, 2024, across Kent, targeting homes and outbuildings in multiple towns, stealing cars, quad bikes, a tipper truck, jewellery, cash, a purse, golf equipment, and registration plates, totaling over £300,000. The group assaulted victims, including one with a pool cue in New Romney, and attempted armed car-jacking and property damage. Cash was arrested on May 21, 2024, following the others' arrest on April 15.

John Adams, 32, of Common Road in Sissinghurst, was a member of a burglary gang that operated from March 20 to April 15, 2024, in nine Kent locations, stealing over £300,000 in property such as vehicles, quad bikes, a tipper truck, jewellery, cash, golf equipment, and car keys. Notable incidents included breaking a victim's shoulder in New Romney, a failed car-jacking in Goudhurst, and vehicle damage near Lamberhurst. The gang fled several disturbed burglaries in Herne Bay, Wateringbury, Brenchley, Borden, and Whitstable. Arrested on April 15, 2024.

Jamie Knight, 24, of South Park Road in Maidstone, took part in a month-long burglary spree by a gang between March 20 and April 15, 2024, across Kent, stealing high-value items including cars (Mini Clubman, Volkswagen Passat, Land Rover Defender, Volvo estate, BMW M4, Land Rover Discovery Sport, BMW 2 series), quad bikes, a tipper truck, jewellery, cash, a purse, and golf equipment from various properties in Ashford, Five Oak Green, Ramsgate, Teston, Flimwell, Hawkhurst, Rainham, Matfield, and Staplehurst. The gang was disturbed in several attempts and committed assaults. Arrested on April 15, 2024.

Rhys Smith, 31, of Meehan Road in Greatstone, was involved in a prolific burglary gang's crime wave across Kent from March 20 to April 15, 2024, resulting in over £300,000 in stolen property from nine towns and villages, including multiple vehicles, quad bikes, a tipper truck, jewellery worth nearly £2,000, cash, golf equipment valued at £4,796, and other items. The gang committed violent acts such as assaulting a homeowner in New Romney and attempting a car-jacking. Arrested on April 15, 2024.

William Adams, 26, of Elm Grove in Sittingbourne, participated in a gang's month-long burglary spree from March 20 to April 15, 2024, targeting nine locations in Kent and stealing vehicles like a Mini Clubman, Ford tipper truck, Volkswagen Passat, Land Rover Defender, quad bike, Volvo estate, BMW M4, Land Rover Discovery Sport, and BMW 2 series, along with jewellery, cash, a purse, golf equipment, and registration plates. Incidents included an assault in New Romney and a car-jacking attempt in Goudhurst. Arrested on April 15, 2024.

Danny Kaufman, 54, from Botsom Lane, West Kingsdown, was the contracts manager at one of Hayward’s companies and introduced the fake payroll/labour supply companies, receiving cash bonuses amounting to £400,000 as part of the scheme to defraud HMRC of £22 million in VAT and CIS taxes.

Gary Peck, 44, from Maidstone Road, Chatham, was the director of scaffolding and roofing companies which allowed his company’s payroll to be channelled through fake payroll and labour supply companies, pocketing about £338,000 from the £22 million tax fraud against HMRC.

Stuart Peck, 42, from Pilgrims Road, Rochester, allowed his painting and decorating companies' payroll to be channelled through fake companies, pocketing £128,000 as part of the organised criminal group that defrauded HMRC of £22 million in VAT and CIS taxes.

Robert Hayward, 56, from Witham in Essex, was the director of multiple scaffolding and construction firms. He allowed his company’s payroll to be run through fake labour supply companies, keeping VAT and CIS taxes owed to HMRC, resulting in an estimated loss of £22 million. He received around £2.8 million as his share of the criminal profits.

Jiri Cernohous, along with Zdenek Drevenak, Monika Daducova, and Martin Slovjak, trafficked 12 vulnerable people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the UK under false promises of well-paid jobs. The victims were forced into exploitative labour at a bakery factory in Hoddesdon, car washes, McDonald's restaurants, domestic cleaning, and one woman was forced into prostitution. Wages were withheld, passports confiscated, and victims housed in substandard conditions in Enfield, north London. The gang controlled and manipulated the victims using physical and psychological methods, limiting their ability to escape.

Martin Slovjak, along with Zdenek Drevenak, Monika Daducova, and Jiri Cernohous, trafficked 12 vulnerable people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the UK under false promises of well-paid jobs. The victims were forced into exploitative labour at a bakery factory in Hoddesdon, car washes, McDonald's restaurants, domestic cleaning, and one woman was forced into prostitution. Wages were withheld, passports confiscated, and victims housed in substandard conditions in Enfield, north London. The gang controlled and manipulated the victims using physical and psychological methods, limiting their ability to escape.

Zdenek Drevenak, along with his partner Monika Daducova, Jiri Cernohous, and Martin Slovjak, trafficked 12 vulnerable people from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the UK under false promises of well-paid jobs. The victims were forced into exploitative labour at a bakery factory in Hoddesdon, car washes, McDonald's restaurants, domestic cleaning, and one woman was forced into prostitution. Wages were withheld, passports confiscated, and victims housed in substandard conditions in Enfield, north London. The gang controlled and manipulated the victims using physical and psychological methods, limiting their ability to escape.

Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer threw tins of tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting at the National Gallery in October 2022, causing criminal damage exceeding £5,000, although the painting was protected by glass and unharmed. They conducted reconnaissance and planning, and spoke to a journalist.