Wood Green Crown Court Sentencing Results

Tedros Menges attempted to steal jogging bottoms from a retail store in Enfield on 12 July 2025. After he was spotted, he fled but returned after realising he had dropped his phone. When staff refused to hand it over, he left and came back armed with a saw, attacking a security guard, strangling the manager and threatening other staff. Officers arrived within two minutes and arrested him in a nearby car park after a short pursuit.

Perry Driver and Kim Driver's XL bully-type dog Maverick attacked a boy on two occasions in 2023, causing significant scarring on his arm and leg requiring surgery. The couple failed to ensure the dog's welfare by not feeding him properly or taking him for regular walks, contributing to his aggression. They did not train or care for the dog appropriately.

Perry Driver and Kim Driver's XL bully-type dog Maverick attacked a boy on two occasions in 2023, causing significant scarring on his arm and leg requiring surgery. The couple failed to ensure the dog's welfare by not feeding him properly or taking him for regular walks, contributing to his aggression. They did not train or care for the dog appropriately.

Vincent Chan, a former nursery worker and supply teacher, committed over 50 child sex offences spanning nearly two decades from 2007. These included sexual assault, voyeurism, upskirting, a sexual act on school premises, and making/taking more than one million indecent images of children. Police were alerted in June 2024 after concerns at a Camden nursery where children were filmed without knowledge. Following his arrest on 11 June 2024, 69 devices were seized, revealing substantial evidence of contact offending and indecent material. He was charged on 9 September 2025 with initial offences and additional charges secured after reviewing over 300 hours of footage. 20 victims identified, including four young children subjected to contact abuse.

Craig Carter, a former Metropolitan Police officer, stole approximately £115 from the victim, an Italian filmmaker and actor, after he had collapsed and died between September 7 and 14, 2022.

Between 2017 and 2021, Duncan Bartlett, aged 57, engaged with individuals in the Philippines via Skype, paying them to organise live strip shows involving children aged between 9 and 16 years old, who performed sexual acts at his direction for his sexual gratification. He also paid for and elicited indecent images and videos of the sexual abuse of children from his contacts there.

Farah Damji, 58, was convicted of stalking the victim, leading to her imprisonment. The case involved persistent harassment that necessitated the victim to give evidence in court.

Tsvetka Manolova Todorova was part of an organised crime group that, over a four-and-a-half-year period between October 2016 and May 2021, made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using real people or false identities, supported by forged documents such as fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and forged letters from landlords, employers, schools, and GPs. The group operated 'benefit factories' in London, assisting fraudulent claims totaling over £53 million, with money laundered through accounts and withdrawn in cash. Evidence included seized forged documents, cash, luxury items, and digital records.

Galina Dimitrova Nikolova was part of an organised crime group that, over a four-and-a-half-year period between October 2016 and May 2021, made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using real people or false identities, supported by forged documents such as fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and forged letters from landlords, employers, schools, and GPs. The group operated 'benefit factories' in London, assisting fraudulent claims totaling over £53 million, with money laundered through accounts and withdrawn in cash. Evidence included seized forged documents, cash, luxury items, and digital records.

Stoyan Georgiev Stoyanov was part of an organised crime group that, over a four-and-a-half-year period between October 2016 and May 2021, made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using real people or false identities, supported by forged documents such as fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and forged letters from landlords, employers, schools, and GPs. The group operated 'benefit factories' in London, assisting fraudulent claims totaling over £53 million, with money laundered through accounts and withdrawn in cash. Evidence included seized forged documents, cash, luxury items, and digital records.

Gyunesh Magbule Ali was part of an organised crime group that, over a four-and-a-half-year period between October 2016 and May 2021, made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using real people or false identities, supported by forged documents such as fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and forged letters from landlords, employers, schools, and GPs. The group operated 'benefit factories' in London, assisting fraudulent claims totaling over £53 million, with money laundered through accounts and withdrawn in cash. Evidence included seized forged documents, cash, luxury items, and digital records. Ali fled to Bulgaria after arrest but was extradited back to the UK.

Patritsia Pancheva Paneva was part of an organised crime group that, over a four-and-a-half-year period between October 2016 and May 2021, made thousands of false claims for Universal Credit using real people or false identities, supported by forged documents such as fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips, and forged letters from landlords, employers, schools, and GPs. The group operated 'benefit factories' in London, assisting fraudulent claims totaling over £53 million, with money laundered through accounts and withdrawn in cash. Evidence included seized forged documents, cash, luxury items, and digital records.

Jasin Bushi, 18, from Camden, hacked into Snapchat accounts of women between December 2020 and February 2021, posing as the victims to message their friends claiming to need £200 or £300 for rent due to eviction. When challenged, he admitted being an imposter and threatened to post their nude images online unless paid. Intimate images were posted online and seen by family and friends, though Bushi was not responsible for the posting. Seven victims aged 17 to 35 came forward, with many more unreported. Police found phones with victims' details and a note used in the scam.

Harry Wright, 21, stole a Piaggio moped parked on Southgate and used it to ride down the pavement at 50mph, injuring himself and his pillion passenger. He crashed head-on into a BMW after returning to the road, escaping with minor cuts while his friend sustained life-changing injuries and remains in hospital.

Nathan Oloyowang, 22, was convicted of dangerous driving for driving a grey VW Passat through Euston in March 2019. He appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on 4 June 2021 for sentencing. Upon being told he would receive 10 months in prison, he climbed out of the dock, broke the perspex screen, and fled the court building, escaping despite pursuit by security guards.

On May 5, 2018, Adakan was part of the group that attacked a man in Hackney and participated in the violent disorder.

On Saturday, 24 September 2016, Bahram Hekmat stalked a 13-year-old girl at a bus stop on Ponders End High Road in Enfield. He pulled up in his car, blew kisses, made creepy sexual gestures, and beckoned her to get in. The terrified girl boarded a northbound 279 bus, but Hekmat followed in his car and parked where she got off at Hertford Road/Green Street. He continued blowing kisses and threatened to keep stalking her if she didn’t respond to his advances. A passerby noticed, the girl called out, and Hekmat sped off. The victim's mother alerted police, who reviewed bus CCTV and traced him via his car registration. He was arrested at his home in December 2016.

On May 5, 2018, Ulas was part of a group involved in a violent attack on a man in Hackney, which escalated into a brawl with bystanders. He participated in the violent disorder.

Abdullah Qureshi, 31, travelled from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, to Stamford Hill, east London, on 18 August 2021 and attacked three Jewish passers-by over a two-hour period. He hit the victim, a teacher, on the head with a bottle at around 6.40pm, slapped a 14-year-old boy on his way to an orthodox Jewish school at about 7.45pm, and punched a 64-year-old victim on the ear with tremendous power while the victim was walking to synagogue at about 8.30pm, causing him to hit his head on a wall, lose consciousness, and suffer facial bruising, a sprained ankle, and four foot fractures. All victims were targeted because of their Jewish faith, as they were wearing traditional orthodox Jewish clothing. Qureshi had been playing Arabic music on his phone before the attacks.

On May 5, 2018, Serkan Kiziltan was part of the group that attacked a man in Hackney and engaged in a large brawl with bystanders, involving punches and kicks.

Ali Bahramzadeh, 23, took his mother’s Nissan Pixo without permission on 17 November 2016. He was driving with passengers along Ashurst Road, North Finchley, when he failed to stop at a mini roundabout and collided with 18-year-old moped rider the victim. Bahramzadeh and his passengers fled the scene, leaving the victim with serious head injuries. The victim died eight days later on 25 November 2016. Bahramzadeh turned himself in at a North London police station that night, later admitting the offences.

On May 5, 2018, Tekagac was part of a group that attacked an unknown man in Hackney. He was involved in spraying a noxious substance at victims and also participated in robbery of a phone during the violent disorder.

Alves, a delivery driver, falsely claimed that two teenagers demanded his moped keys and pushed him on 3 July 2017 in Stamford Hill. He signed a sworn statement to this effect, leading to the arrest and 16-hour detention of the boys, aged 13 and 15. CCTV footage later proved the boys were nowhere near him and made no attempt to steal the moped. Alves was arrested on 6 July 2017.

On 20 May 2020, Marian Dragoi, 19, was involved in a high-speed police chase after officers noticed his motorbike had a false number plate. He drove at speeds of 70mph in a 20mph zone and 180mph on the M1, went through red lights, mounted the pavement and drove the wrong way up a section of the M1's hard shoulder. He was arrested at Newport Pagnell services after stopping to refuel. He subsequently tested positive for cocaine but was not charged on that count. He had been working on a construction site, studying business at college, paying half his family's rent and taking his autistic sister to and from school.

Marian Vasilica Dragoi, 19, was sentenced to 46 weeks imprisonment for dangerous driving at Wood Green Crown Court in January. After being jailed, he leaped over a chest-high barrier in the dock and fled down four flights of stairs before being apprehended by security guards who spotted him on CCTV.

Scher, a member of Shomrim, signed a false sworn statement backing Alves's bogus moped robbery accusation on 3 July 2017. This led to two innocent teenagers being arrested and detained for 16 hours. The boys were later exonerated by CCTV evidence which showed they had no involvement. Scher was arrested on 12 July 2017.