The morning case file
London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Topic
southwarkcrowncourt
32 stories, newest first · page 1 of 2.
Courts · WestminsterActivist cleared of criminal damage over Churchill statue graffiti
A pro-Palestine activist has been found not guilty of criminal damage after spray-painting slogans on the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square. The court heard the activist argued the washable paint did not cause damage and his actions were a protest.
Westminster3 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45
Courts · City of LondonMan jailed for strangling theatregoer had hired hitmen
Malcolm Potier, 75, has been jailed for two years after strangling a theatregoer during a performance. He had previously been imprisoned for attempting to hire hitmen.
City of London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 77 · Hype 45
Courts · City of LondonMan receives suspended sentence for Liverpool Street sexual assault
Sofiane Belasri, 41, has received a two-year suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and attempting to bribe her with a vape near Liverpool Street station. The incident occurred on July 4, 2024, and Belasri was arrested at the scene.
City of London2 min readTrust 60 · Craft 60 · Hype 45
Fraud & Cybercrime · City of LondonHotelier Richard Courtenay jailed for £450k Covid loan fraud
A London hotelier has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for fraudulently obtaining £450,000 in Covid 'bounce back' loans. Richard Courtenay pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges and has repaid the full amount.
City of London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 71 · Hype 41
Courts · LewishamTwo deny Lewisham murder after nightclub dispute
Two friends who met while studying master's degrees in Scotland have denied murdering Taiwo Ekerin outside a Lewisham nightclub. Chibueze Chukwurah and Maxwell Uguanya pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter.
Lewisham3 min readTrust 48 · Craft 65 · Hype 45- Courts · Haringey
Three jailed for minimum of 22 years for Haringey murder
Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Gregory Catillo Volquez in Haringey. Benito Ramirez Kones, Carlos Akum Metumbe, and Luiggi Perelli Santana will serve minimum terms of 23, 22, and 23 years respectively.
Haringey3 min readTrust 70 · Craft 77 · Hype 45 
Courts · HaringeyThree jailed for life for Tiverton Estate murder
Three men have received life sentences for the murder of Gregory Catillo Volquez, who was stabbed 22 times and beaten on the Tiverton Estate in Haringey. The court heard of an 'arsenal of knives' found on the estate.
Haringey3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 75 · Hype 45
Courts · SouthwarkJudge criticises CPS over £10,000 Rolex robbery case dropped after 11 years
A judge has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for wasting public money on a £10,000 Rolex robbery case that was discontinued after 11 years. Khaled Gestalli was accused of the 2015 offence but the charge was dropped due to identification issues and missing CCTV.
Southwark3 min readTrust 66 · Craft 95 · Hype 35
Violent Crime · WestminsterTwo jailed for Mayfair robbery of £137,000 watch from designer
Two men have been convicted of robbing fashion designer Catalin Botezatu of a £137,000 Richard Mille watch in Mayfair on 28 January 2026. The victim, who feared for his life, was restrained and injured during the attack outside Amazonico restaurant near Berkeley Square.
Westminster4 min readTrust 55 · Craft 65 · Hype 30
LatestThree directors jailed for £70m tree-planting investment scam
Three directors of Ethical Forestry Ltd have been jailed at Southwark Crown Court for their roles in a £70 million investment scam. The scheme, which ran from 2008 to 2015, defrauded nearly 3,000 victims, who lost savings and pensions. The directors spent millions on luxury goods and properties.
4 min readTrust 45 · Craft 55 · Hype 70
Courts · WestminsterMayfair watch robbery trial: Defendant says he was threatened with fire
A 22-year-old man accused of robbing a £137,000 Richard Mille watch in Mayfair said he was threatened with being set on fire if he refused. The trial at Southwark Crown Court heard Ali Eldahouzze and Abdel El Habchi deny robbery charges after Catalin Botezatu was targeted in January.
Westminster4 min readTrust 48 · Craft 85 · Hype 35
Courts · WestminsterAli Eldahouzze denies Mayfair watch robbery after death threats
A 22-year-old man has told a court he was threatened with being set on fire if he did not help steal a £137,000 watch in Berkeley Square. Ali Eldahouzze denies robbery but admits meeting the victim’s assailant minutes before the attack on 28 January 2026.
Westminster5 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 35
Courts · Kensington and ChelseaGary Glitter denies eight sexual abuse charges
Gary Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of sexual abuse against a child in Kensington and Chelsea between 1978 and 1981. He appeared via videolink from HMP Channing Wood at Southwark Crown Court.
Kensington and Chelsea3 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 35
Courts · City of LondonInfluencer denies role in £137k Mayfair watch robbery
An influencer accused of being involved in the robbery of a £137,000 watch in Mayfair has told a court he had no idea an attack was happening. One co-accused has pleaded guilty.
City of London3 min readTrust 42 · Craft 67 · Hype 41- Courts · City of London
Watch worth £137,000 cut from designer's wrist in Mayfair
A fashion designer had a diamond-encrusted watch worth over £137,000 cut from his wrist outside a Mayfair restaurant. Two men are on trial accused of the robbery, with prosecutors alleging a knife was used.
City of London2 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 45 
Courts · SouthwarkConwoman jailed for five years for £67,000 fraud and theft
Ariana Rose, 40, has been sentenced to five years in prison at Southwark Crown Court for a series of thefts and fraud offences. She stole items worth over £35,000 and defrauded victims of approximately £67,000.
Southwark2 min readTrust 42 · Craft 57 · Hype 41
Courts · SouthwarkMet Inspector cleared of sexual assault after judge criticises investigation delays
A Metropolitan Police inspector was cleared of sexually assaulting three female colleagues in Soho after a trial judge criticised the investigation for late witness statements and procedural delays. The Met rejected claims the case was handled differently due to the officer’s rank.
Southwark5 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 50
Courts · SouthwarkMet Inspector Dave Newman cleared of sexually assaulting three colleagues
A Metropolitan Police inspector was unanimously acquitted of three sexual assault charges after a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The judge raised concerns about late witness statements and the conduct of a 2023 drinks event in Soho where the alleged offences occurred.
Southwark5 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 35
LatestAriana Rose jailed for five years after £35k house-sitting thefts
Ariana Rose, 40, posed as a house sitter to steal jewellery, silverware and family heirlooms worth £35,000 from homes in Warwickshire, Hampshire, Somerset and Suffolk. Warwickshire Police arrested her in November 2025 after finding stolen items in her car. She was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court.
5 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 50
Policing · SouthwarkMet Inspector cleared of sexual assault after judge criticises investigation
Inspector Dave Newman was acquitted of three sexual assault charges at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Bartle criticised the Met Police investigation, calling delays in witness statements 'baffling'. The force defended the probe, citing the jury's unanimous not-guilty verdicts.
Southwark4 min readTrust 66 · Craft 62 · Hype 15