June has been a very busy month in London's courts.
Among those jailed were one of south London's most prolific flashers, who has repeatedly exposed himself to women on buses and trains across the capital.
Meanwhile, an award-winning art teacher from Bromley was jailed after the horrific sexual abuse he inflicted on a teenage boy came to light.
In other news, a car thief was jailed for attacking a pensioner in a Sainsbury's car park then nearly running over a mum and a her child as he tried to escape from police.
These are the names and faces of south Londoners who are behind bars.
Stephen Beck
His crimes included performing a sex act on a child inside Anerley Town Hall, where he hosted award-winning art classes for more than a decade.
Beck was best known in Anerley for painting shop signs and restaurant menus, but in 1975 had launched a bid for music stardom, recording a single, “For The Love Of You”, under the name Steve Beck.
When his quest for fame fell flat, he became a freelance artist and teacher, winning a Jack Petchey Award in 2009 for providing “outstanding leadership” to children in Bromley.
But in April, a jury found he had groomed and sexually abused one of his students for years.
Judge Deborah Charles praised Beck’s “brave” victim, now in his 30s, for finally disclosing his abuse in 2018.
“You took advantage of him for your own sexual gratification," she said.
"You were treating him as though you were in a loving relationship with him. In fact, you were his abuser. He was young, confused, impressionable and in need of someone he could trust and look up to. You groomed him.”
Read the full story - Failed pop singer jailed for sexually abusing boy at Anerley Town Hall
Nadeem Afzal
Nadeem Afzal, 52, of Lewisham Park in Hither Green, was jailed for 12 years for rape.
Afzal was previously jailed for various crimes including violence and drug importation in the 1990s and early 2000s.
But he hadn’t been in trouble since 2006 and described himself as a “reformed offender”.
A court heard how he had led a “socially positive life” including explaining to young people who are involved in crime how they can turn their lives around.
However, Afzal was arrested in September last year after he was accused of raping a woman twice.
Afzal, of Lewisham Park in Hither Green, denied the charges but was convicted following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Read the full story - ‘Reformed’ Hither Green criminal who lectured kids on crime is jailed for rape
Billy Jones
Jones, described as having an “incredible lack of empathy”, deliberately targeted a pensioner in a Sainsbury’s car park in Croydon on April 17.
He told the elderly man he had a flat tyre before jumping into his car to steal it.
A court heard that Jones assaulted the man before driving off whilst the pensioner was still hanging on to the car.
The following day Jones was involved in a police chase through Croydon in the pensioner’s stolen Citroen C3.
Judge Samantha Presland said: “In order to avoid the police you drove up on to the pavement where there was a mother and a pushchair, and it is only by the grace of god that they were able to get out of the way.”
The judge added: “You could have quite easily killed them.”
Jones was jailed for two years and two months.
Read the full story - Car thief attacked pensioner outside Croydon Sainsbury’s then nearly hit mum and baby
Gary Barker
Barker held up three bookies in Mottingham and Elephant and Castle between February and April.
The first took place at around 10am on February 23 at Betfred near Elephant and Castle station.
Barker, 37, entered the shop and handed a staff member a note which said “give me the cash, I have a gun I will shoot”.
Around a month later, on March 22, Barker struck again – this time at William Hill just around the corner from his first attempt.
This time he followed a female shop assistant inside as she opened the shop in the morning.
Before she could get behind the restricted area Barker grabbed hold of her and demanded money, Mr Gold said.
The terrified woman saw Barker was holding a sharp object but he told her “I’m not going to hurt you, I just want the money”.
Barker stole £340 from the cash drawer before running away.
He then struck again just a few days later on March 28, this time at Betfred on Cranley Parade, Mottingham.
Again, he followed a female shop assistant in as she opened in the morning.
“The defendant ran at her as she rushed to get behind the counter. She tried to close the door but he got his arm in the gap and prised the door open,” the prosecutor said.
“She pushed back but when he told her ‘I’ve got a knife’ she stopped pushing.”
Barker then entered the secure area and said “give me the money” before showing her a bladed weapon.
After taking over £5,500 in cash Barker fled the shop and dumped a meat cleaver in a nearby bin.
Barker was jailed for five years and nine months.
Read the full story - Thug threatened woman with meat cleaver during south east London betting shop raids
Bobby Garande
Garande, who is one of London’s most prolific flashers, has 10 convictions for exposing his penis on buses and trains across the capital.
His disturbing offending had led to multiple prison sentences as well as a court order banning him from touching his chest or penis, exposing his genitals or making eye contact with women on public transport.
But the 30-year-old has now been jailed again after he masturbated on a bus in Lewisham in front of a mum and her baby.
Garande was jailed for 16 months.
Read the full - One of London's worst flashers masturbated on Lewisham bus to mum with baby
John Akinrinola
![John Akinrinola]()
John Akinrinola (Image: Met Police)
Bexley barber John Akinrinola, 23, tried to rape a shop assistant in a "disturbing" attack which took place in broad daylight.
He attacked an off-licence staff member who confronted him after he entered the shop, picked up a bottle of wine and started drinking it.
Akinrinola grabbed the woman's genitals then pulled his trousers down, forced her to the ground and tried to rape her.
Judge Christopher Grout, who was shown CCTV of the attack, said: “The footage is very disturbing. That woman was subjected to a very serious assault. She does an incredible job of defending herself against him. The whole thing lasts for nearly 10 minutes.”
When he was arrested he admitted sexual assault and attempted rape but gave no explanation for the violent attack.
Akinrinola was jailed for four and a half years.
Read the full story - Bexley barber tried to rape off-licence worker in ‘disturbing’ daylight attack
Joshua Brown
![Joshua Brown]()
Joshua Brown (Image: West Midlands Police)
Joshua Brown, 34, of Robin Hood Green in Orpington, raped a schoolgirl in the back of his car.
Brown began texting the girl after her phone number was given to him by a friend.
Despite him knowing that she was just 12 years old at the time, their conversations continued.
Over the course of six weeks, the pair had exchanged thousands of texts.
Brown later travelled to meet the girl before raping her in the back of his car.
The girl disclosed what happened to her mum a few weeks later and the offence was reported to police.
Brown was jailed for nine years.
Read the full story - Orpington man who raped 12-year-old schoolgirl in back of his car jailed
Tyler Belgrave-Breeds and Clinton Easy
![Tyler Belgrave-Breeds and Clinton Easy]()
Tyler Belgrave-Breeds and Clinton Easy (Image: Met Police)
Clinton Easy, 31, from Catford, and Tyler Belgrave-Breeds, 33, of Walsham Close in Thamesmead, posted online adverts offering children to be used for sexual acts
They were each jailed for two years and six months for controlling prostitution and possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
Officers saw evidence that Easy was advertising children online and he was arrested in November 2021.
Police seized his devices and found a a series of adverts he had made to arrange sex with the young girls.
As a result officers safeguarded three victims aged between 13 and 17.
They then traced Easy’s adverts to Belgrave-Breeds and found more evidence to prove he had paid for online ads to promote sex with the girls.
Read the full story - Thamesmead and Catford men posted online adverts offering children for sex
Sam Hawkins
![Sam Hawkins]()
Sam Hawkins (Image: Kent Police)
Sam Hawkins, 37, of Pembroke Road in Erith, was tracked to his front door using AirPods he had stolen from a family home.
He broke into a home on Hall Road in Dartford and stole children’s passports, a laptop, an iPad, an iPhone and some AirPods.
He then walked to Joyce Green Lane where he committed a second break-in just three minutes after the first.
Hawkins was caught on CCTV approaching the property then stealing car keys and a number of electrical items.
He then escaped with the victim’s car which was later found on St John’s Road in Erith.
A friend of the first victim tracked the AirPods to Hawkin’s home and confronted him.
Officers then seized the stolen items from inside his home.
Hawkins was jailed for two years.
Read the full story - Erith burglar who targeted family homes tracked to his door with stolen AirPods
Aaron Robinson
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Aaron Robinson (Image: Met Police)
Aaron Robinson, 33, repeatedly stole cash and booze from pubs and restaurants on Beckenham High Street.
His crime spree saw him steal from Greek restaurant Yammas on two occasions – stealing cash and alcohol.
The 33-year-old also stole cash and alcohol from Latin restaurant Paloma on three different occasions.
Robinson also stole from Erin’s pub.
The offences all took place between May 18 and June 15.
Robinson was jailed for one year.
Read the full story - Beckenham burglar terrorised pubs and restaurants stealing cash and booze
Grant Venamore
His campaign of abuse spanned more than 15 years after it began in the 1990s.
He abused two children, one of whom was first targeted when they were just four-years-old.
The offences took place in Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood in Kent.
Detective Constable Tania Muller, of the West Kent Child Protection Team, said: “Venamore repeatedly subjected his young victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage upon their young lives."
Venamore was jailed for 16 years.
Read the full story - Croydon paedophile raped and sexually abused kids as young as four-years-old
Joshua Chambers
![Joshua Chambers]()
Joshua Chambers (Image: Met Police)
Joshua Chambers, 40, stole 12 Easter eggs from Bexleyheath Asda.
He stole the Cadbury Easter eggs from the Crook Log shop on March 12.
He also stole from the Co-op on Pickford Lane on both February 28 and March 9.
Chambers pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a shop and was jailed for three months.
This isn’t the first time Chambers has been jailed for shoplifting.
In September 2019 he was jailed for 16 weeks for thefts in Sidcup and Welling.
On that occasion a police officer was on patrol on Bellegrove Road when he noticed a man being chased by Tesco staff.
PC Robinson stopped and searched Chambers and found he was in possession of five boxes of Ferrero Rocher.
Read the full story - Repeat shoplifter stole 12 Easter eggs from Bexleyheath Asda
Arkadiusz Rachwal
Rachwal fell asleep after an evening of drinking at a friend’s flat in Beckenham on January 4.
When his friend woke him in the morning Rachwal became irrationally angry, arming himself an eight-inch bread knife in one hand and a five-inch steak knife in the other as he attacked the victim.
Rachwal was later arrested and pleaded guilty to assault before being released on bail.
But he then turned up at the victim's house and told him: “If you don’t open the door I’m going to break it down. If I go to prison it doesn’t matter, I have lots of Polish friends who I have given your address to. You should watch your back because they are going to kill you.”
Police attended and Rachwal kicked a police officer during his arrest.
Rachwal was jailed for four years.
Read the full story - Beckenham chef armed with knives in each hand attacked 'friend' who woke him up
David Johnson and Caprice Thompson
David Johnson and Caprice Thompson (Image: Met Police)
Caprice Thompson, 46, of Hayter Road in Brixton, tried to bring around £400,000 worth of MDMA into the country.
Thompson entered the UK in Portsmouth after arriving on a ferry from France with 15 kilos of the drug.
Corrupt border force officer Kevin Smith, from Portsmouth, allowed Thompson through.
However, she was pulled over by Met Police officers on her way back to Brixton and the drugs were found in her boot.
Thompson was working for a crime group led by David Johnson, 51, of Reed Place in Clapham.
Thompson was jailed for seven years, Johnson was jailed for 12 years and Smith was jailed for two years.
Read the full story - Corrupt border officer helped south London woman import £400k of MDMA
Yvonne Stewart and Robert Hamilton
Robert Hamilton, 53, from Orpington, was involved in a plot to send £4.3 million worth of crystal meth to Australia.
Hamilton worked together with Yvonne Stewart, 55, from Croydon, and Kevin Filkins, 54, from Sevenoaks, from London to New South Wales.
An investigation was launched after 24 kilograms of crystal meth was seized by Australia’s Border Force upon arrival from the UK.
It was established that the drugs had been sent from Croydon on June 25, 2021, with CCTV images identifying Stewart, who was a corrupt insider, carrying out the security inspection of the package.
CCTV images also captured Filkins sending the drug shipment, which was labelled ‘two glass Buddhas’.
The package did not contain anything except unconcealed crystal meth.
Phone records showed that Hamilton had acted as the middleman between Filkins and Stewart.
The trio had sent two other shipments to Australia in June, and the named senders on each were individuals who had their passports stolen.
One of the stolen passports was recovered in a search of Filkins’ home.
Filkins and Stewart were each jailed for 12 years, while Hamilton was sentenced to 12 years and six months.
Read the full story - Orpington man and Croydon woman sent £4.3m of crystal meth to Australia
Nigel Prescod
The offences took place against a woman in Woolwich in March and April this year, court documents state.
Prescod “did a series of acts namely send the victim money, threaten her with violence and attempt to take her away from London”, according to court documents.
Prescod was jailed for two years and three months.
Read the full story - Man assaulted woman in Woolwich then offered her money and threatened her
John Piro
Two alleged shoplifters were arrested after they were seen leaving a Co-Op store with stolen goods.
Both people were subsequently charged with one remanded and the other awaiting a court date.
Piro subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in prison.
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