Nothing
to do with the fact they were non-White that they received such lenient
sentences then?
Ex-wife
blew £66,000 at bingo
Halifax Courier, Friday
11th February 2011
A fraudster frittered
away more than £66,000 of her illegal funds on online bingo – and
escaped jail.
Naila
Tabhassam, 32, decided to remortgage her house in Milton Place, King
Cross, after her arranged marriage ended.
In
the aftermath of the divorce she turned to internet chatrooms which led
to playing bingo on the internet.
By
the time she was arrested, just under £70,000 had been lost
playing online.
Tabhassam
met a mortgage broker in August 2008 and signed documents that claimed
she worked for Medina Meat, earning more than £40,000 a year.
In
truth, she was employed by the RFL Group in Brighouse, on a salary of
£18,000 in 2008/2009 and £24,000 in 2009/2010 which would
not have been enough to apply for the mortgage of £150,000.
The
existing mortgage on the property was paid off before the remaing money
was spent online.
Defence
counsel Oliver Jarvis said: “The defendant had been in an arranged
marriage that was collapsing and was under a great deal of pressure.”
He
told the court that the mortgage broker had advised Tabhassam that her
earnings would have to be greater and created false wage slips to go
with the application.
His
Honour Judge Peter Benson said: “What on earth was she doing spending
this huge sum of money on bingo?”
Mr
Jarvis said it was an extraordinary time in Tabhassam’s life and she
had now turned the corner.
In
sentencing Judge Benson said: “These
are serious matters and normally an immediate sentence of custody would
follow but I do accept that this type of activity was out of character
for you.
It wasn’t you that thought up the deception. I can avoid making that
sentence immediate.”
Tabhassam
was given a six month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 140
hours of unpaid work in the community.
Shipley
man, 19, punched student in the face months after hurting PC in another
attack
Bradford Telegraph & Argus, Friday 11th
February 2011
A teenager who punched a student repeatedly
in the face after he was spared custody for whacking a police officer
on the head with handcuffs has again walked free from Court.
Najmul
Hoque, 19, was told by a judge last September he was very lucky not to
be going behind bars for causing Sergeant Mark Milner actual bodily
harm and escaping lawful custody.
He was sentenced to nine months’ detention
suspended for 12 months, with 200 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay
£250 compensation to Sgt Milner. On October 22, Hoque, of
Calderdale Close, Shipley, attacked Leeds Metropolitian University
student, Matthew Graham at Bradford Interchange.
Prosecutor
Andrew Petterson told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Mr Graham and
his friends were followed by Hoque and three other youths who were
shouting insults at people in Bradford city centre.
Mr
Graham was pushed in the lower back and butted by one of Hoque’s
friends. He was punched by Hoque and left with blood dripping from his
face.
While
Mr Graham was at the station ticket barrier, Hoque again approached and
punched him up to three times in the face.
Mr
Petterson said Hoque and his friends were arrested shortly afterwards
on Sunbridge Road, Bradford. They appeared drunk. Mr Graham’s injuries
included a gash to his eyebrow.
Hoque
pleaded guilty to causing him actual bodily harm. The court heard that
Hoque freed himself from handcuffs when he was arrested on suspicion of
assault on May 4 last year and put in a police vehicle. He hit Sgt
Milner on the head causing cuts then boasted about the attack at the
police station.
Hoque’s
barrister, Dapinder Singh, told the court yesterday he was on a course
at Bradford College.
He
was complying with all the demands of the suspended sentence order and
had completed more than half the unpaid work. Mr Singh said Hoque was
seeking help after binge drinking on vodka and becoming depressed.
Judge
Shaun Spencer QC sentenced him to a 12 month community order with an
eight-week curfew order and an extra 40 hours’ unpaid work.
Judge Spencer told
Hoque: “You are well on the way to
turning over a new leaf.”
