North London Woman Destroyed Wisteria and Hit Neighbour With Crutch

A North London woman destroyed a neighbour's wisteria before hitting her with a crutch.

Atidel Boutari Cook, 50, of Stanhope Gardens, Tottenham, denied offences of criminal damage and assault by beating, but was convicted following an earlier trial at Highbury Magistrates' Court.

She was sentenced by the same court on Wednesday, 6th May 2026.

District Judge Denis Brennan, sentencing, heard that the complainant, Pei Wong, owns the freehold of the property in which both her and Boutari Cook live. Ms Wong lives in an upstairs flat with her husband, Louis Scott, whereas Boutari Cook lives in the ground floor flat directly beneath.

On Wednesday, 17th December 2025 Ms Wong's attention was drawn to outside activity, which she went downstairs to investigate with Mr Scott. Upon opening the door they discovered Boutari Cook cutting back a wisteria plant in the garden and asked her to stop.

Boutari Cook became agitated when she noticed that Ms Wong was recording evidence of the damage using her mobile phone. The 50-year-old, who has mobility problems, became aggressive and used a crutch to strike Ms Wong's head and chest.

At trial Boutari Cook unsuccessfully argued that the front garden, therefore wisteria, belonged to her. The assault was captured in Ms Wong's footage.

Ms Wong told the court that the experience had left her emotionally exhausted, intimidated and feeling trapped in her own home.

DJ Brennan was of the view that Boutari Cook's offences were serious enough to merit the imposition of a community order.

She was made subject to 12-month community order with 15 days' rehabilitation activity requirement.

Boutari Cook was also ordered to pay Ms Wong £500 in compensation.

DJ Brennan also imposed a 5-year restraining order, which prohibits Boutari Cook from all contact with Ms Wong and Mr Scott, save for that in relation to property maintenance or via a solicitor.

Asked if she understood the terms of the order, Boutari Cook, who was unrepresented, replied "absolutely, yep".

Despite that acknowledgement, the nuisance neighbour directed comments towards the couple, who were sat observing in the public gallery.

She said to them: "Happy? I will send it (the compensation) to you all in one go, so you can go on holiday."

DJ Brennan interjected: "I warn you Ms Boutara Cook that that is immediately a breach of the restraining order."

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Abuse of Trust: Staffordshire Teacher Had Sex with Pupil

A Staffordshire teacher had been sentenced for having sex with a schoolgirl more than twenty years ago.

Clark Eastwood, 52, of Cheddleton Park Avenue, Cheddleton, admitted an offence of engaging in sexual activity with a child whilst being in a position of trust when he appeared at North Staffordshire Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 3rd February 2026.

He was sentenced by the same court on Tuesday, 28th April 2026.

Engaging in sexual activity with a child whilst being in a position of trust is an offence under section 16 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It has a maximum sentence of 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction; 5 years' custody on conviction on indictment.

Eastwood was a teacher at Endon High School, Stoke, when he formed a relationship with the 16-year-old girl.

Christopher Redmond, prosecuting, told the court: "They began talking and meeting up outside of school and in the classrooms. In school they would kiss but nothing further happened at the school."

According to Mr Redmond, rumours of the relationship came to the attention of the Head Teacher at the school, who tried to warn Eastwood off continuing the relationship.

Mr Redmond continued: "Both were spoken to. However, both ignored the warnings and continued seeing each other.

"The first time she had sex with the defendant was about the time of her exams. She remembers the morning after, he took her to the pharmacy so they could buy the morning-after pill."

Paul Kay, mitigating, said: "He was a teacher until 2023 when this matter came to light. He lost his profession. He lost his career as a result of that, even though that had continued for more than twenty years without a stain on his character. It is a tremendous blow. He has felt it very keenly indeed. Sending him to the Crown Court would increase the pressure on him."

Magistrates decided that their powers were sufficient to deal with Eastwood.

He was sentenced to 12 months' custody suspended for 12 months, with the requirement that he completes 120 hours' unpaid work and up to 50 days' rehabilitation activity.

He was also ordered to pay £187 surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.

Eastwood was also made subject to the notification requirements of the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years.

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On Trial: Three Men Accused of Arson at Properties Linked to Keir Starmer

The trial of three men accused of torching properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer gets underway next week.

The three are:

• Roman Lavrynovych, 22, of Sydenham, a Ukrainian national, charged with three offences of arson with intent to endanger life;
• Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, of Romford, a Ukrainian-born Romanian national, charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life;
• Petro Pochynok, 34, of Holloway Road, north London, a Ukrainian national, charged with conspiracy to commit arson.

They are currently remanded in custody in HMP Belmarsh.

Arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, otherwise known as aggravated arson, is an offence under sections 1(2) and 1(3) of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. The maximum sentence on conviction on indictment is life imprisonment.

The allegations relate to a car fire in Kentish Town on Thursday, 8th May 2025; a residential fire in Islington on Sunday, 11th May 2025; and a residential fire in Kentish Town on Monday, 12th May 2025.

The trial, over which Mr Justice Garnham is presiding, is listed at the Central Criminal Court, beginning on Monday, 27th April 2026.

It could be very interesting indeed. It will be particularly interesting to see the extent of media reporting during the trial.

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West Yorkshire Pensioners Jailed for Racially Assaulting Filipino Nurse

An elderly husband and wife have been jailed for racially assaulting a Filipino nurse walking in a West Yorkshire park.

Fyona Bairstow, 72, and Michael Bairstow, 77, of Shelf, Halifax, admitted racially aggravated assault by beating when they appeared at Bradford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 11th March 2026.

Michael Bairstow admitted an additional offence of assault by beating in relation to a bystander who tried to intervene.

The couple were sentenced by the same court on Thursday, 16th April 2026.

The offence took place in Manor Heath Park, Halifax, on Thursday, 28th August 2025, when nurse Apple Moorehouse challenged the couple on their unleashed dog barking aggressively at her children.

Michael Bairstow told Ms Moorehouse that she should "go back on your dinghy" and made swimming gestures towards her. He then told his dog to "get her, kill", before throwing a bowl of water at her.

Fyona Bairstow grabbed Ms Moorehouse's pony tail as she tried to walk away. She yanked it with sufficient force to pull Ms Moorehouse backwards.

Fyona Bairstow sang "row, row, row your boat" and told Ms Moorehouse that she "can't even speak English" and "shouldn't be here".

Ms Moorehouse, who is now a British citizen, moved to the UK more than fifteen years ago to work in the NHS.

The unsavoury incident was recorded and uploaded to social media. At one stage Michael Bairstow approached the bystander and slapped the camera in her hand.

Raza Hussain, mitigating, told the court that the incident had caused the Bairstows "significant embarrassment".

Ms Hussain added that her clients "fully accept the racial language they used was wholly inappropriate, which they deeply regret."

Presiding Justice Gill Arnold JP, going off script by the sound of things, asked the couple to stand before the Bench retired to consider their sentences.

Ms Arnold said: "I just want to have a look at you... That kind of attitude and those words and the things you said to Ms Moorhouse, is not something that comes out of the blue in a second, it's something deeply rooted.

"That somebody can be so vile and aggressive to somebody such as this young woman here – I can only think you must be extremely ashamed."

Ms Arnold later announced the court's view that the Bairstows' offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

They were each sentenced to eight weeks' immediate custody.

The couple were also ordered to pay £175 each in compensation to Ms Moorehouse. Michael Bairstow was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to the bystander he assaulted.

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