Four people were jailed for trafficking offences at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.
Jagpal Singh (52) was sentenced to 10 years, Donglin Zhang (48) was sentenced to 8 years, Vlassis Ntaoulias (33) was sentenced to 7 years and Boonsong Wannas (62) was sentenced to six years and four months.
All four were previously convicted of human trafficking and brothel keeping offences.
Detective Superintendent Donna Duffy, in charge of Glasgow’s Human Trafficking Unit said: “I welcome the sentencing today. Human trafficking is a despicable crime that has an unmeasurable long term impact on its victims.
“We are committed to working alongside partners to tackle human trafficking and we will work to identify those responsible and protect their victims.
“I would like to thank all our partners including Home Office Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations.
“I would continue to encourage members of the community to contact us if they have any concerns as they are vital to helping us identify those involved.”
Police Scotland has released an image of a man they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to an assault in Edinburgh.
The incident happened at around 11.30pm on Tuesday, 18 October, 2022, at Murrayburn Place.
The man (pictured below) is described as 16 to 18-years-old, around 6ft, and was wearing a grey-coloured top, jogging bottoms, sunglasses and black gloves.
One man aged 22 has been charged in connection with the incident.
Detective Sergeant Todd Rutherford said: “I would urge the man or anyone who knows who he is to get in touch with us.
“Anyone with any information is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3811 of Tuesday, 18 October, 2022, or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
UPDATE
A 17-year-old male youth has been arrested and charged in connection with an assault in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 18 October, 2022.
The incident happened on Murrayburn Place around 11.30pm.
He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, 3 November, 2022.
A 22-year-old man was also charged in connection with the incident. He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 24 October, 2022.
Firefighters who were pelted with stones and bricks at a Bonfire Night incident last year have urged people to go to organised displays.
Cumbernauld Community Fire Station’s Blue Watch was mobilised by Operations Control at 4.49pm on Friday, 5 November, 2021 to reports of a bonfire in the open in a grassy area near the North Lanarkshire town’s Torbrex Road.
What happened next took Crew Commander Glen Reid and his colleagues by surprise.
He said: “Once we arrived we had to extinguish the fire because of a gas leak in the area. I explained this to the bystanders and as soon as we started to put water on the fire we were pelted with bricks and stones.
“We had to retreat back to the fire appliance where the vehicle then came under attack. We realised that we couldn’t get out the street because it had been blocked off with wheelie bins. Police attended the scene and the youths ran away.”
Three firefighters sustained minor injuries during the incident. Two attended hospital and were discharged the same evening. There was also surface damage to the appliance.
CC Reid, who has worked for the Service for more than two decades, added: “We couldn’t actually believe it to be honest with you.
“Someone could’ve been seriously hurt and this kind of behaviour puts an added strain on emergency services. As we get closer to Bonfire Night this year we’d urge people to always go to an organised event.”
Bonfire Night is one of the busiest nights of the year for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. In 2021, there were eight reported attacks on crews along with the three injuries.
Figures also indicate that firefighters responded to more than 370 bonfires across the country during an eight-hour period on 5 November.
In the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, between 8 October and 5 November, crews around Scotland also attended more than 880 deliberate secondary fires, including bin fires and grass fires.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s head of prevention and protection. He said: “Attacks on our firefighters are completely unacceptable and are carried out by a small minority.”
We know that our crews have a lot of support within our communities. We want people to enjoy themselves at times of celebration but we want them to do so safely and think of others, including our crews who are working hard to respond to emergencies.
“Bonfires and fireworks go hand in hand at this time of year, and we advise people to go to an organised event wherever possible and always follow the Fireworks Code.”
See a list of organised events taking place across Scotland in our fireworks and bonfire safety section of our website.
Brendan Michael Gaughan, 40, from Glasgow has been disqualified as a director for 12 years, after using his companies to take out Bounce Back Loans totalling £135,000 that the companies were not eligible for.
Gaughan was director of three separate property management companies, Gaughan Group Ltd, Gaughan Property Ltd, and Rentl Property Ltd. They were only incorporated in February 2020 and did no business until April 2020.
As a result, they were not eligible for funds through the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) scheme, which was available only to firms that had been doing business on 1 March 2020.
However in May 2020, Gaughan Group received a BBL of £50,000, Gaughan Property received a BBL also of £50,000, and Rentl Property Ltd received a BBL of £35,000.
Gaughan transferred all the funds into a single account and proceeded to use the money to buy a property worth nearly £160,000 in August 2020. He then sold the property in March 2021 for just over £140,000, and on the same day transferred £100,000 of the proceeds to his personal account.
All three companies were put into liquidation on 11 October 2021, which triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
The Secretary of State accepted disqualification undertakings from Brendan Michael Gaughan, after he did not dispute that none of his companies had been eligible for Bounce Back Loans.
He has been banned for 12 years, effective from 27 October 2022.
The disqualification undertakings prevent him from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Steven McGinty, Investigation Manager at the Insolvency Service said: “Bounce Back Loans were made available for trading companies adversely affected by the pandemic.
“Brendan Gaughan should have known his companies weren’t entitled to the loans yet he took them anyway and used the funds for personal gain.
“We will not hesitate to take action against directors who have abused Covid-19 financial support like this.”
Brendan Michael Gaughan is of Glasgow and his date of birth is November 1982.
Gaughan Group Ltd – SC655799
Gaughan Property Ltd – SC655896
Rentl Property Ltd – SC655897
Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.
ADT shares guidance on protecting homes amid rise in property crime
ONS has recently released its property crime data, which shows that 23% of the UK have been victims of household theft from April 2021 to March 2022 – up 2% from last year.
As the nights get darker earlier, and clocks change, the security experts at ADT have provided top tips to ensure your property is fully protected this winter.
Glenn Amato, Managing Director, Subscriber UK&I at ADT UK said: “The latest data from ONS shows a rise in household theft over the last year, with 23% of the UK being victims of it – though this isn’t wholly surprising, given that there are less people working from home full time now.
“That said, when paired with the deepening cost of living crisis, the potential of a looming recession and moving into the winter season and darker nights, it’s understandable how some people might be starting to feel concerned about the safety of their homes.
“In the 2008 recession, we saw rates of personal theft increase by 25% and burglaries rise 4%, so if the country heads into another recession, property crime could sadly increase again.
“Historically, when the cost of living has increased, there has also been increases in ‘snatch and steal’ type crimes. “
The good news is that there are many precautions homeowners can take to protect their properties and feel safer:
1. Double lock and double check – one lock on the door often isn’t enough to protect the home, burglars can use their foot to check whether there is a deadlock on the door. Invest in a second lock and always double check both front and back doors are locked when leaving the house.
2. Social Media awareness – If a burglar has access to your name through old post or personal information, they can easily find your social media accounts too. Sharing posts whilst you’re away visiting relatives during the Christmas season, or posting so-called holiday countdowns are an open invitation for burglars to head into your home with the knowledge that they won’t be disturbed.
3. Think twice about lights – While leaving your lights on may signal an occupied house to potential intruders, it can increase the cost of bills, as well as making valuable belongings more visible to thieves. Consider using smart plugs to turn lights on, only when necessary and you’re away from your home to give the impression of occupancy. Make sure curtains or blinds are closed at night so that potential burglars don’t have a direct line of sight into your valuables and the layout of your home, and only leave on dim or energy saving bulbs.
4. Invest in your security – Having an up-to-date digital alarm system is the best way to prevent burglaries. It’s worth investing in home security that is professional installed and monitored by trusted professionals, which signals directly to an alarm receiving centre when it detects an intruder. Smart home security systems are also a great option for people looking for protection. Systems like ADT’s Smart Home system integrate entry sensors and sirens to a range of devices like lights, smart plugs, doorbells, cameras and remote mobile apps, by connecting through WiFi and GPRS.
5. Forget hiding a key – Most people have managed to lock themselves out at least once but hiding a key in the vicinity of a home – whether under a flowerpot or above the doorframe – simply isn’t worth the risk. If a spare must be kept outside, at least keep it in a locked key safe, which requires a code.
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information after a stolen car failed to stop when signalled to do so by officers.
The vehicle, which had been reported stolen from Paisley Avenue around 8.40am on Thursday (13 October 2022) was asked to stop by officers in Whitehill Road around 9.50am the same day.
The Grey VW Golf GTI was pursued and subsequently brought to a stop on London Road after a collision involving a marked police vehicle.
A 19-year-old man, the driver, has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident and was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (Friday, 14 October 2022).
Two other men, passengers in the car, left the scene and enquiries are ongoing to trace them:
Male 1 – white, late teens, skinny build and average height. He was wearing a black beanie hat with a black puffer style jacket and grey cotton type jogging bottoms and dark trainers.
Male 2 – white, late teens, average height and build, wearing all dark clothing
Detective Inspector George Calder said: “As part of our ongoing enquiries we are keen to speak to the passengers who were in this car. I am appealing to anyone who knows who they are or where they might be to get in touch.
“In addition, anyone with dash-cam or private CCTV that might show which direction they took after leaving the car in London Road is asked to speak with us.”
Anyone who can help is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0835 of Thursday, 13 October, 2022. Or make a call anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
CCTV appeal following a serious assault around 11pm on 18 July 2022 at Brighton Place, Portobello
Police in Edinburgh have issued images of a male they believe may have information that can assist them with their investigation into a serious assault that occurred around 11pm in Portobello on Monday the 18 July 2022.
The male is described as being white, around 40 years old, around 6ft2” tall, bald head, thin build. He is shown in the image as wearing a light coloured t-shirt with a design on the front and shorts.
Detective Constable Mark Walker of Gayfield CID said: “I would urge the male, or anyone who has information relating to the male, depicted in these images to make contact with the Police.
“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 3631 of 22 July 2022. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, if you wish to remain anonymous.”
Self Assessment customers who are starting to think about their annual tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year should guard against being targeted by fraudsters, warns HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
In the 12 months to August 2022, HMRC responded to more than 180,000 referrals of suspicious contact from the public, of which almost 81,000 were scams offering fake tax rebates.
Criminals claiming to be from HMRC have targeted individuals by email, text and phone with their communications ranging from offering bogus tax rebates to threatening arrest for tax evasion. Contacts like these should sound alarm bells – HMRC would never call threatening arrest.
Anyone contacted by someone claiming to be from HMRC in a way that arouses suspicion is advised to take their time and check the scams advice on GOV.UK.
Customers can report any suspicious activity to HMRC. They can forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Any tax scam phone calls can be reported to HMRC using the online form on GOV.UK.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they’re from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard.
“HMRC will never ring up threatening arrest. Only criminals do that.
“Tax scams come in many forms. Some threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion, others offer a rebate. Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check ‘HMRC scams advice’ on GOV.UK.”
Fraudsters target customers when they know they are more likely to be in contact with HMRC, which is why Self Assessment customers should be extra vigilant to this activity. There is a risk they could be taken in by scam texts, emails or calls either offering a ‘refund’ or demanding unpaid tax, thinking that they are genuine HMRC communications referring to their Self Assessment return.
Some customers who have not done a Self Assessment return previously might be tricked into clicking on links in these emails or texts and revealing personal or financial information to criminals.
The deadline for filing paper tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year is 31 October 2022, and 31 January 2023 for those filing their tax return online. Customers who file their return online via GOV.UK should not share their HMRC login details. Someone using the details could steal from the customer or make a fraudulent claim in their name.
HMRC is actively tackling the scams and fraudsters who attempt to mimic genuine HMRC activity and messages. The department’s dedicated Customer Protection Team works continuously to identify and close down scams.
HMRC also tackles misleading websites designed to make people pay for services that should be free or low cost, charging to connect people to free HMRC phone helplines. To protect the public, HMRC formally disputes and takes ownership of HMRC-branded internet domain or website names. Since 2017, the department has recovered more than 183 websites hosting low-value services such as call-connection sites, saving the public millions of pounds.
Director of health and wellbeing company falsely claimed £30,000 Bounce Back Loan for personal gain during pandemic
Monica Coyle, 51, from Kilmarnock has been disqualified as a director for 10 years after fraudulently claiming a £30,000 government Bounce Back Loan (BBL).
Coyle, a former NHS nurse, was director of Positive Pulse Limited, a health and wellbeing company which provided health checks to employees of businesses. She had also been president of business and professional women’s group Ayrshire Business Women in 2019.
Coyle applied for the Bounce Back Loan in May 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic impacted her business.
She falsely declared turnover of £130,000 in her application, rather than the actual turnover of her business, which was less than £5,000.
As a result, Coyle received a BBL of £30,000, of which she spent over £26,000 on personal use.
Bounce Back Loans were earmarked for small to medium sized companies impacted by Covid-19, and the loans were designed to support the company, rather than for the director’s own gain.
Positive Pulse Limited went into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation in February 2022, owing £30,000 to the bank, in respect of the BBL.
The Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Monica Coyle, after she did not dispute that she caused the company to apply for, and receive, a BBL of £30,000 which the company was not entitled to, following which she received personal gain.
Her ban is effective from 16 September 2022 and will last for 10 years.
The disqualification undertaking prevents Monica Coyle from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Investigation Manager Steven McGinty said: ‘Bounce Back Loans were made for the economic benefit of the company, not for directors’ personal gain.
‘Monica Coyle exploited the scheme and took taxpayers’ money during the pandemic which she knew she was not entitled to.’
