In that time there have been cases which shocked and appalled us in equal measure.
They include the pub landlord who used a camera to spy on punters using the toilet, the 14-year-old boy stabbed to death on a bus and a care worker who abused a frail pensioner days before his death.
As 2025 comes to a close we reflect on the work of police and prosecutors, as well as the courage and determination of witnesses and victims who have ensured justice is done, by looking back on some of the cases we’ve reported on.
Pub landlord spied on punters in the toilet
The former landlord of a Welling pub was jailed after he used a camera above the urinals to spy on men’s penises.
Ron Hall was running the Plough and Harrow on Bellegrove Road when between February and December 2024 he used a spy camera to capture 106 voyeuristic videos of 16 unknown men.
The videos found on the 50-year-old’s phone showed that he had zoomed in and out on men’s private areas for his sexual gratification.
But when questioned by police he made light of the offences calling it a “silly mistake” but that the victims wouldn’t have minded him watching.
Hall was jailed for nine months after he pleaded guilty to 32 offences of voyeurism.
Read the full story – Plough and Harrow pub Welling: Ex-landlord Ron Hall jailed
Care worker caught on camera abusing pensioner
A frail pensioner died days after a carer subjected him to violent and degrading treatment including dragging him around by the scruff of the collar and threatening to beat him up.
John Attard, who was 88 and had dementia, was living with his son in Bexley when he was ill-treated by Bilikesu Olagunju on Christmas Eve 2022.
A camera installed in his room showed a distressed and confused John being yanked, pulled, dragged and manhandled by Olagunju.
Olagunju told John: “Maybe I will beat you up. I will flog you. I will take you to the GP to get injections. I will call the police on you.”
She also put marmalade in John’s coffee and strawberry jam on top of ham on toast – John was diabetic.
On Christmas morning, John’s son Christopher found his dad unconscious and bleeding from the mouth – he never recovered and passed away a week later.
Though a post-mortem did not find any connection between John’s death and Olagunju’s actions, Christopher told the carer: “I personally feel your actions in part contributed to his sudden death.”
Olagunju, 42, of Congress Road in Abbey Wood, was given a six-week suspended sentence after she pleaded guilty to ill-treating an individual as a care worker.
Read the full story – Suspended sentence for Bexley carer a ‘slight insult’
Prison guard jailed for relationship with twisted killer
A HMP Belmarsh prison officer accused of having sex with evil murderer Jordan McSweeney for 10 months was jailed.
Hayley Jones, 34, was a prison workshop officer at the high security prison in Thamesmead when CCTV footage caught her kissing, touching and playing with McSweeney – who was serving a life sentence for the brutal sexual assault and murder of 35-year-old Zara Aleena in Ilford.
Footage also showed the pair leaving rooms which had no CCTV whilst adjusting their clothes.
In a letter which was intercepted by guards, McSweeney told another prisoner that he had been “f***ing the fat thing from the workshop” for 10 months.
He also claimed she had been providing him with contraband such as a phone, “man was living good” McSweeney wrote.
Jones admitted kissing and touching took place between her and McSweeney but denies having sex with him or providing him with contraband.
She was jailed for nine months.
Read the full story – Prison guard jailed for relationship with Zara Aleena killer
Boy, 14, stabbed to death on Woolwich bus
Two teenagers who were smiling as they murdered a 14-year-old by stabbing him 27 times with a machete on a bus in Woolwich were sentenced to life in prison.
Aspiring rapper Kelyan Bokassa was fatally stabbed as he travelled home on a route 472 bus on January 7.
He had been sitting on the back seat of the bus on the upper deck when the two youths came at him with “lengthy machetes”.
The attack lasted around 14 seconds, with the youths thrusting the machetes towards Kelyan 27 times.
His killers, both 16, were sentenced to life with minimum terms of 15 years and 10 months for murder.
Read the full story –
Dad stabbed in front of his baby at Chislehurst memorial
A thug was jailed for repeatedly stabbing a dad in front of his eight-month-old baby at the Chislehurst War Memorial.
Mekseb Eyobraya had arranged to meet his ex-partner at the memorial at 3pm on June 8, 2024, to pick up the baby.
But her new man, Fatih Hassan, also turned up carrying a knife which he used to stab Mekseb in the thigh and back.
There was no animosity between any of the parties prior to this meeting and lawyers were at a loss to explain what provoked Hassan to carry out the near-fatal attack.
Hassan, 31, of Avalon Road in Orpington, was jailed for 14 years.
Read the full story – Chislehurst knifeman who stabbed man in front of baby
Bromley shopkeepers stabbed in frenzied attack
Two Bromley shopkeepers were stabbed in a frenzied attack by a man angered that he was being watched to make sure he didn’t steal.
Shammah Nicholas’ behaviour was described as “depraved” by his own barrister.
The court heard that 22-year-old Nicholas entered Burnt Ash Food and Wine with his sister at around 3.30pm on September 11, 2023.
He took exception to that fact that two shopkeepers – men aged 49 and 55 – were observing them to ensure they didn’t steal.
After a violent confrontation instigated by Nicholas, he left the shop then returned minutes later armed with two large knives.
CCTV played in court showed a shirtless Nicholas re-entering the shop just minutes after he left.
He chased the shopkeepers around the off-licence in a frenzy, stabbing each of them multiple times before leaving.
One shopkeeper was stabbed in the shoulder and still had the knife lodged in him when police arrived.
The other was stabbed once in the arm and multiple times in the abdomen area – he said he thought he was going to die as blood was pouring out of him.
“I’ve lived in England for nearly 40 years and never experienced anything like this,” he said.
Read the full story – Bromley man jailed for Burnt Ash Food and Wine stabbing
Bus driver killed nine-year-old girl in crash
A bus driver who killed a nine-year-old girl in Bexleyheath when he fell asleep at the wheel after a night of partying was jailed.
In the early hours of August 3, 2024, Martin Asolo-Agogua smoked weed and texted a friend “I’ve got work at 8 so I ain’t sleeping”.
At the start of his shift he then swerved onto the pavement on Watling Street, killing Ada Bicacki and narrowly missing her five-year-old brother.
The 23-year-old was jailed for four years after he pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs.
Read the full story – Bus driver jailed for Ada Bicacki’s death
But the Court of Appeal later increased his sentence to six years and eight months after deciding the original sentence was unduly lenient.
At the sentencing hearing Nevgül and Bora Bicacki, Ada’s mum and dad, read heart-breaking statements in which they called for systemic change to stop further road deaths.
“My daughter is gone. She was nine-years-old and innocent. Why is she gone? Because a 23-year-old shirked his responsibility, took drugs, partied all night, and then got behind the wheel of a bus the following morning,” said Nevgül.
