A man has been jailed for his role in a people smuggling operation which resulted in the tragic deaths of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children.
 
Marius Mihai Draghici, 50, has been sentenced today (11 July 2023) to 12 years and seven months imprisonment at the Old Bailey in London.
                                                              

A former officer responsible for policing nightclubs and bars in London’s West End has been jailed for taking bribes including tickets to exclusive events, a family holiday to Morocco, and renovations to his home. 

Frank Partridge, 50, who was formerly of the Metropolitan Police’s Westminster Licensing Unit, previously pleaded guilty to three charges of bribery and was convicted of four further charges of bribery by a jury on 12 July following a 12-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He was acquitted of one bribery charge. 

Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The appalling racist murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago had far-reaching implications on policing in this country, and for the nation as a whole. 

“Our thoughts remain with Stephen’s family and friends as they have done throughout the three decades since the investigation into his murder began.

A fraudster who sought to exploit the taxpayer through a COVID-19 support scheme has been sentenced today (3 July 2023).

Rais Kayani, 31, pleaded guilty previously to a single count of entering into a money laundering arrangement at Southwark Crown Court and has been sentenced to 16 months imprisonment wholly suspended for 18 months .

A NHS junior doctor who worked with elderly patients has today been jailed for his role in a dark web chat site dedicated to sharing indecent images of children.

Kabir Garg, 33, from Lewisham, London, held an account on a dark website which allows users to share links to indecent images of children and provides message boards to discuss them. ‘Moderators’ of the site actively encourage users to interact, rewarding them with additional access and benefits.

Today, at Woolwich Crown Court, Garg was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

A paedophile has been jailed for travelling to other countries to sexually abuse children and advising others on how to do the same on a dark web chat site.

David Mould, 68, of Seaford, East Sussex, made trips to the Philippines and Nepal between April 2018 and May 2019, to sexually abuse and exploit children.

A former deputy head teacher of a primary school has been jailed for child sexual abuse offences.

Matthew Smith, 35, appeared at Southwark Crown Court today (9 August 2023) for a total of 22 charges relating to child sexual abuse, including causing the sexual exploitation and abuse of a child, encouraging the rape of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, arranging the sexual abuse of a child, and distributing, making and possessing indecent images children (IIOC). The charges relate to offences which took place between June 2016 and November 2022.

Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the Special Crime Division at the CPS, said: “After carefully considering all of the evidence provided to us by Humberside Police, we have authorised charges against Michael Lockwood, 64, for nine offences under the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

“Mr Lockwood has been charged with six counts of indecent assault and three offences of rape against a girl under the age of 16, alleged to have been committed during the 1980s.