Convictions for multiple attempted murders following violent rampage at Central Middlesex Hospital

On 21 June 2023, a maintenance worker at Central Middlesex Hospital, named Matteo Bottarelli, carried out a spree of unprovoked and savage attacks against his colleagues.

The violence began when Bottarelli armed himself with a mattock – a tool similar to a large pickaxe. He was seen on CCTV approaching his first victim from behind, with the mattock raised above his head, ready to strike. Fortunately, the victim turned around, causing Bottarelli to pause before running off to the staff canteen.

On arriving at the canteen Bottarelli put the mattock down and approached his second victim from behind. He pulled the victim’s head back and cut his throat with a surgical scalpel.

Bottarelli then went up to an office on the first floor of the hospital, where he found his line manager. He struck him to the skull at least twice with the mattock, causing multiple skull fractures and resulting in the herniation of the brain through the fracture site.

At his trial Bottarelli was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. Sentencing was adjourned until 30 April 2024.

Thom Dyke, led by Sean Larkin KC of QEB Hollis Whiteman, acted on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Press Coverage: Daily Mail, BBC News, Independent, and The Guardian.

Firearms and drugs conspirators sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment

Members of a sophisticated organised criminal gang, responsible for the large-scale supply of crack cocaine and heroin in North London whilst armed with a range of lethal firearms, have been given sentences totally 35 years’ imprisonment.

The gang was prosecuted by Thom Dyke, leading Laura Hibberd, in a four-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

The ringleader of the gang received a sentence of nearly fifteen years’ imprisonment, whilst two of his trusted lieutenants received sentences of nine years. A fourth member was sentenced to just over three years for his involvement.

Success in High Court appeal

SP was charged with multiple counts of rape and assault against the complainant. He had previously been accused by two other complainants of similar sexual and violent offences and had gone on the run from police in 2021 for nearly four months.

Despite the significant danger posed by SP, he was granted bail by the Crown Court. Thom represented the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing a successful appeal to the High Court against the decision (CPS v SP [2023] EWHC 3239 (KB)).

In his judgment, Mr Justice Martin Spencer accepted Thom’s submissions as to the risk that SP would commit further offences and interfere with witnesses, were he to be granted bail.

The decision of the Crown Court was quashed, and SP was remanded into custody to await his trial.

Thom prosecutes “truly dangerous” knifepoint rapist

Thom and Claire Harden-Frost successfully prosecuted a 37-year-old man for a prolonged and traumatic attack.

Sentencing Karan Pullock to an extended sentence of 18 years, HHJ Aaronberg KC said:

“You armed yourself with a kitchen knife, put a chest of drawers in your own bath and then climbed on top of it to gain access to your loft. Then, using a key to a fire door, you passed into [her] loft and then dropped through the hatch into her flat. She had a dog in her flat and you kicked the dog, which had cuts to the front of its face. Having locked the dog in her cage, you searched the flat, looking for money. You took a knife from [her] kitchen and put it in her wardrobe…you found a roll of duct tape. You fixed a blanket over a window, I infer to prevent anyone from seeing into the premises. Then, you waited for [her] to return.”

“You then held the broken knife to her throat and told her to stop screaming, saying that, if she did not, you would kill her…during the rest of your dealings with her, which continued for more than two hours, you repeatedly threatened that you would kill her.”

“You told her to get onto the bed. You then cut her top and bra off using either a pair of scissors or a knife. You cut the drawstring of her jeans and took them off. You put her on her back and took her knickers off. You then took all your own clothes off and tried to rape her.”

“You continued trying to rape her for about ten minutes, telling her to keep still. While you were doing this, she was begging you to stop. You responded by saying that you had worse things than a knife. You said that you had acid and that, if she wanted to see what acid would do, you would throw it on her dog.”

The case received widespread media coverage:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12106517/Man-broke-womans-home-attic-attempted-rape-jailed-12-years.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/karan-pullock-jailed-rape-woman-home-hackney-london-met-police-crime-b1082515.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/22422661/sex-attacker-broke-woman-home-attic/

Thom secures convictions in first ever modern slavery fraud case

After a three-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Thom Dyke, led by Claire Harden-Frost, have secured convictions in the first ever prosecution brought under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to involve trafficking victims for the purposes of carrying out fraud.

Nearly thirty vulnerable young girls were physically and sexually exploited by a gang led by Isaiah Olugosi. The fraud targeted retailers including Boots and Tesco and netted the gang over half a million pounds, which was spent on luxury items and holidays.

Sentencing for Isaiah Olugosi, Holly Chapman, Baran Karamagara and Eva Dambrauskaite was adjourned until April.

Thom and Claire were instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit.

Media Coverage

The Independent - Dozens of teenage girls trafficked and exploited in first ever modern slavery fraud case

The Times - ‘Fagin’ used girls for county lines shoplifting spree

Daily Mail - Modern-day Fagin gang are jailed for trafficking DOZENS of young girls around the country for £500,000 county lines shoplifting spree

Thom Dyke successfully prosecutes right-wing extremist who threatened politicians with “a white tsunami of hate and revenge”

Thom Dyke has successfully prosecuted a right-wing extremist who threatened politicians with “a white tsunami of hate and revenge”.

During 2019, Mr Thomas Thomas engaged in a sustained campaign of virulently racist, anti-Semitic, and violent abuse, in which he targeted a group of high-profile politicians with offensive and threatening emails.  These included the former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hilary Benn MP, and the then-Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, as well as a journalist for The Guardian.

The jury heard that Mr Thomas was an active member of the neo-Nazi website Stormfront.  His emails threatened that “only the threat and implementation of violent revolt can change things for ordinary people”.  Mr Thomas went on to make reference to the terrorist attacks in New Zealand, saying that “a white tsunami of hate and revenge is on its way to Europe’s sacred shores…when it hits its gonna make Christchurch 2019 look like a chimps tea party”.

Mr Thomas was convicted by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court of five counts of sending electronic communications with intent to cause anxiety or distress.  Sentencing was adjourned until 17 January 2022.

Carry On Trafficking

Claire-Harden Frost and Thom Dyke secured the convictions of three bungling conspirators who were involved in a potentially life-threatening conspiracy to bring illegal immigrants to the UK.  Henry Dunn, Christian King, and James Davis were all convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court after two trials which took place in March and September.

Under cover of darkness on 6 November 2017, King and Davis attempted to launch a RHIB (Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat) from Dymchurch Beach in Kent.  As the hapless duo tried to unhook their boat from the trailer, they became stuck in the sand and had to abandon their 4X4 to the rising tide.

Davis was eventually able to launch the RHIB and piloted it overnight to France where he collected four Vietnamese youths.  The court heard evidence that the RHIB was wholly unsuitable to undertake such a dangerous journey, at night, across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.  Despite Mr Davis having brought protective clothing for himself the Vietnamese youths were left to shiver in jeans and t-shirts, without even a life jacket for safety.  The RHIB was not fitted with appropriate navigation lights and did not have a radio in the event of an emergency.

Despite the danger, Davis landed the RHIB on Folkestone Beach in the early hours of 7 November 2017, where the sodden youths were shepherded into a waiting vehicle, bound for an uncertain fate.

Fortunately, the conspirators’ activities hadn’t gone unnoticed by the authorities and they were subsequently arrested.  Davis initially denied any involvement telling the police he had been fishing.  It was a lie maintained by King at his trial.  He denied any knowledge of the plan to bring the youths to the UK and maintained he had simply been helping his friend Davis by launching the RHIB so Davis could indulge in a spot of night fishing in the Channel, despite not having any sea fishing equipment.  Dunn was linked to the offence after police analysed the phones of the other.  Dunn and King were organisers of the conspiracy and that all three expected to profit from this endeavour.

Sadly, recent years have seen a rise in the commission of this kind of offence as increasingly desperate and dangerous attempts are made by individuals to enter the UK.  The men convicted of this offence took advantage of the vulnerability of four young people who had no legal right to enter the UK.  The three conspirators were remanded into custody and will be sentenced on 11 October 2019.

Claire and Thom were instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit.

James Thacker and Thom Dyke: £7½ million fraudsters sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment

Fraudsters at the heart of a sophisticated global conspiracy to defraud over £7½ million have been given sentences totalling 33 years' imprisonment. The four co-conspirators were prosecuted by James Thacker and Thom Dyke, instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit. They fell to be sentenced after convictions were secured following a five week trial at Wood Green Crown Court before HHJ Perrins and a jury.

The conspirators targeted victims ranging from multinational companies to vulnerable elderly people. VS, US and AS were convicted of 19 counts in total including Conspiring to defraud elderly victims in New South Wales, Australia of their life savings, Conspiring to defraud Eli Lilly, the global Pharmaceutical company, Conspiring to launder the proceeds of criminal conduct, possessing articles for use in the course of or in connection with fraud, and possessing identity documents with improper intention.

SG pleaded guilty prior to the jury being sworn and faced additional counts of Conspiring to defraud Brockton Capital LLP, a private equity company, Conspiring to launder the proceeds of criminal conduct and Fraud by false representation in respect of a hijacked email account defrauding an elderly couple of their life savings.

VS received ten years' imprisonment. US and AS each received eight years' imprisonment. SG was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.

In passing sentence, HHJ Perrins observed that:

"This was quite clearly an extremely well planned fraud, targeting people who were especially vulnerable…The impact on the elderly victims will have been profound, robbing them of their financial security at an age when they are unable to make good their loss…You were each at the very heart of the conspiracy."

Noting the roles played by each defendant, HHJ Perrins said:

"What the evidence shows, without any question, is that in the case of each of you fraud and dishonesty was at the very centre of your lives. You were each available to facilitate or participate in whatever fraud was suggested by other conspirators not before this court. You thought little or nothing of the consequences for others. It must follow that you were closely connected with other criminals who were able to identify vulnerable targets not only in this country but also overseas."