Latest news with #BasildonCrownCourt
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
Thurrock speeding driver's escape is foiled by German Shepherd
A driver who made off on foot after a high-speed police chase was stopped in his tracks by a German Burke sped at more than 100mph (160km/h) from Essex into east London before officers caught up with him on 14 24-year-old abandoned his car by the A13 in Rainham, but his attempt to escape through swampy grassland was foiled by police dog of Horseman Side, Navestock, was jailed for 14 months after admitting a series of driving offences. He was first seen speeding, undertaking vehicles and moving between lanes on the A13 at North Stifford, having failed to stop for also drove on the wrong side of the carriageway at one point as he headed towards London, Essex Police jumped out of his car and ran off at Ferry Lane, Rainham, but was caught by Kaiser moments later. PC Niall Barrett, who led the investigation, said: "He felt he had no choice other than to try to evade capture on foot. "But he didn't reckon on police dog Kaiser being there when he did so."Burke admitted dangerous driving, using a vehicle without insurance and driving while sentencing at Basildon Crown Court, he was disqualified from driving for five years."Burke gave no thought to the safety of those motorists whose lives he endangered that night," Mr Barrett added."He has now been jailed and our roads are safer for that." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Finance manager stole £180,000 from firm and splashed cash on high-end shopping sprees and holidays
A CHEATING finance manager stole more than £180,000 from her firm over four years — splashing the cash on holidays and high-end store shopping. Anita Mirmohammadi, 31, jetted to Mexico and Turkey and spent big at Mercedes-Benz, Harrods and Selfridges, a court was told. She was nabbed at Gatwick after returning from Dubai, another break funded by her company in Brentwood, Essex. Mirmohammadi, pictured above, stole £184,675 by using a corporate credit card and raiding a business account. She was caught after unexplained transactions across the globe were found during unrelated fraud checks. Mirmohammadi, of Finchley, North London, was jailed for five years and ten months after being convicted of fraud at Basildon crown court. Det Con Karen Venables said: 'The sentence shows the severity of her offending. "This was a calculated, ongoing fraud. 'She would have continued had she not been caught and it's clear from the deception we found that she was trying to cover her tracks.' A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to confiscate any criminal gains is scheduled for November. 1
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woman jailed after buying holidays and luxury gifts on company credit card
A woman who defrauded her employer of almost £200,000 to buy holidays and luxury gifts has been jailed for five years and 10 months. Anita Mirmohammadi, 31, of Temple Close in Finchley, North London, was caught after she started working at a Brentwood-based business as a manager in their finance team in 2018, entitling her to access to a business credit card. She used the company card to fund holidays to Mexico, Turkey, Dubai and purchases at Harrods, Selfridges and Mercedes Benz, Basildon Crown Court heard. However, it wasn't until four years later, on 21 April 2022, as part of unrelated fraud checks on the company accounts that a pattern of unexplained transactions across the globe were found and banks, police and Action Fraud were contacted. In a statement, police said her company credit card was used to fund regular spending on Apple, Amazon, eBay, Uber and Zara, as well as Thames Water and Harley Street Dental. Speaking as he sentenced Mirmohammadi, Judge Shane Collery said: 'She was not dependant on stealing to survive and her claim that she does care is hard to accept as she gave no thought to the consequences at all. 'She is a selfish, self-obsessed woman who repeated regular dishonesty, which was systemic and sustained and she must have seen what she was doing.' Police said a total of £184,675.89 was siphoned from the company – £126,381.19 by credit card and £63,294.70 from the business account via invoices. Harrods also carried out their own investigation and found Mirmohammadi on CCTV making a purchase with the company card just a month before she was caught. Police arrested Mirmohammadi at Gatwick Airport as she returned from holiday in Dubai on 22 May 2022. She was later charged with fraud by false representation on 10 February 2023 and, following a seven-day trial was found guilty at Basildon Crown Court on 14 March 2025. Speaking after the conviction, Detective Constable Karen Venables said: 'This sentence shows the severity of Mirmohmmadi's offending. This was a calculated, ongoing fraud that would have continued had she not been caught, and I am glad to see the judge recognise this in his sentencing.' 'It was clear from the deception we found in these accounts that Mirmohammadi knew what she was doing was wrong and was trying to cover her tracks,' she added. Officers said work was ongoing to identify criminal gains that can be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act. A confiscation hearing is scheduled in November 2025 at Basildon Crown Court.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Woman jailed after buying holidays and luxury gifts on company credit card
A woman who defrauded her employer of almost £200,000 to buy holidays and luxury gifts has been jailed for five years and 10 months. Anita Mirmohammadi, 31, of Temple Close in Finchley, North London, was caught after she started working at a Brentwood-based business as a manager in their finance team in 2018, entitling her to access to a business credit card. She used the company card to fund holidays to Mexico, Turkey, Dubai and purchases at Harrods, Selfridges and Mercedes Benz, Basildon Crown Court heard. However, it wasn't until four years later, on 21 April 2022, as part of unrelated fraud checks on the company accounts that a pattern of unexplained transactions across the globe were found and banks, police and Action Fraud were contacted. In a statement, police said her company credit card was used to fund regular spending on Apple, Amazon, eBay, Uber and Zara, as well as Thames Water and Harley Street Dental. Speaking as he sentenced Mirmohammadi, Judge Shane Collery said: 'She was not dependant on stealing to survive and her claim that she does care is hard to accept as she gave no thought to the consequences at all. 'She is a selfish, self-obsessed woman who repeated regular dishonesty, which was systemic and sustained and she must have seen what she was doing.' Police said a total of £184,675.89 was siphoned from the company – £126,381.19 by credit card and £63,294.70 from the business account via invoices. Harrods also carried out their own investigation and found Mirmohammadi on CCTV making a purchase with the company card just a month before she was caught. Police arrested Mirmohammadi at Gatwick Airport as she returned from holiday in Dubai on 22 May 2022. She was later charged with fraud by false representation on 10 February 2023 and, following a seven-day trial was found guilty at Basildon Crown Court on 14 March 2025. Speaking after the conviction, Detective Constable Karen Venables said: 'This sentence shows the severity of Mirmohmmadi's offending. This was a calculated, ongoing fraud that would have continued had she not been caught, and I am glad to see the judge recognise this in his sentencing.' 'It was clear from the deception we found in these accounts that Mirmohammadi knew what she was doing was wrong and was trying to cover her tracks,' she added. Officers said work was ongoing to identify criminal gains that can be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act. A confiscation hearing is scheduled in November 2025 at Basildon Crown Court.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Woman jailed after buying holidays and luxury gifts on company credit card
A woman who led a lavish lifestyle, funded by defrauding her company of more than £184,000, has been jailed for five years and 10 months. Basildon Crown Court heard Anita Mirmohammadi, 31, of Temple Close in Finchley, north London, used a company credit card and submitted fraudulent invoices to extract money from the firm where she worked in Brentwood, Essex. She was able to fund luxury purchases at Harrods, Selfridges and Mercedes Benz, as well as holidays to Mexico, Turkey and Dubai. Following a seven-day trial, Mirmohammadi was found guilty of fraud by false representation and sentenced on Friday. The court heard she was hired as a manager in her employer's finance team in 2018, entitling her to a company credit card. But it was four years later, in April 2022, when her firm alerted police after carrying out unrelated fraud checks. Essex Police arrested Mirmohammadi at Gatwick Airport as she returned from holiday in Dubai on 22 May 2022. During her interview with officers, she answered no comment to all questions. In a statement, police said her company credit card was used to fund regular spending on Apple, Amazon, eBay, Uber and Zara, as well as Thames Water and Harley Street Dental. 'Selfish and self-obsessed' During sentencing, Judge Shane Collery said: "She [Mirmohammadi] was not dependent on stealing to survive and her claim that she does care is hard to accept as she gave no thought to the consequences at all. "She is a selfish, self-obsessed woman who repeated regular dishonesty, which was systemic and sustained and she must have seen what she was doing." Read more from Sky News: Detective Constable Karen Venables said: "This was a calculated, ongoing fraud that would have continued had she not been caught. "It was clear from the deception we found in these accounts that Mirmohammadi knew what she was doing was wrong and was trying to cover her tracks." Police said £184,675.89 was siphoned from the company - £126,381.19 by credit card and £63,294.70 from the business account via invoices. Officers said work was ongoing to identify criminal gains that can be confiscated from Mirmohammadi under the Proceeds of Crime Act. A confiscation hearing is scheduled for November at Basildon Crown Court.
