South London criminals jailed so far in August include a man who murdered the mother of his children, his friend who helped him escape, and a retired train driver who was involved in violent riots in Whitehall.

Some of them will spend their entire lives behind bars, others will be released within a few weeks.

Here are the names and faces of the South London criminals that judges have so far put behind bars in August 2024.

Tony Curant and Richard Ray

Richard Ray (left) helped Tony Curant (right) escape from Bexley after a frenzied attack on his partner (Image: Met Police) Tony Curant murdered the mother of his children by stabbing her repeatedly while the frightened children hid in the next room.

His friend Richard Ray then picked up Curant and drove him from Bexley to Dartford, stopping to buy alcohol and cigarettes along the way.

Curant, 33, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years for murder, while Ray, 34, was sentenced to 18 months for perverting the course of justice.

The court heard that Leila Young, 33, suffered 57 stab wounds, including 18 to the head, face and neck, at her home in Penhill Road.

Her mother Caroline Young said: “My beautiful daughter Leila was brutally taken from us all by the father of her children and the man she trusted, the man she tried so hard to help.

“Leila was not just my daughter. She was my best friend, with whom I spoke every day and laughed like no one else.”

Caroline said Leila was the centre of their family and brought them all together.

“This senseless act of violence has shaken our family. Joy and laughter have been replaced by tears and sadness,” she said.

Read the full stories:

David Spring

David Spring was sentenced to 18 months in prison (Image: Met Police/PA) David Spring, 61, of Longfellow Road, Sutton, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violent disorder at a right-wing demonstration in Whitehall.

Spring was part of a group that confronted police officers at a gathering of around 700 people near Downing Street on July 31.

Spring pleaded guilty to violent disorder after footage showed him at the front of the crowd threatening and verbally abusing officers.

Prosecutor Alexander Agbamu said: “Daniel Thomas, known in some circles as Danny Tommo, organised a demonstration in Whitehall.

“Members of the far right apparently responded to this call with the intention of repeating scenes that had played out earlier in the week. The trigger was false information about the religion and immigration status of the perpetrator of the Southall murders.”

He said protesters broke out of a cordoned-off area of ​​Richmond Terrace towards Whitehall and took out their anger on police.

Spring’s role in the riots was shown in court on police body-worn camera footage, where he was seen making threatening and hostile gestures towards police, calling officers “wankers” and joining in chants such as “You’re not English any more” and “Who the hell is Allah?”

Read the full story – 61-year-old Sutton man sentenced to 18 months in prison for violent riots

Anthony Matthews

Anthony Matthews (Image: Met Police/PA)

Anthony Matthews, 43, of Lovelace Green, Eltham, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for domestic violence, including grievous bodily harm and threatening to kill.

He brutally attacked his ex-partner, broke her arm and strangled her. He also called her mobile phone more than 3,000 times in 12 days.

Matthews’ ex-partner first contacted police following an incident on September 6, 2023, after he strangled her and she was only able to escape and call 999 after she freed herself from him.

Metropolitan Police officers began taking evidence and documenting the victim’s injuries, which included a broken wrist caused by being thrown into a wardrobe during the attack.

Working with Lewisham Borough Council, police also installed a security system and panic alarms in her home and obtained a restraining order against Matthews to ensure her continued safety.

The case escalated further when the victim called the police again on February 24, 2024, after Matthews violated his bail conditions.

Officials said this showed his increasingly erratic and threatening behavior.

Matthews had called her over 3,000 times in 12 days.

A detailed analysis of the phone records revealed 30 voicemails full of insults and threats, including indications that Matthews had observed the victim from outside her property.

Read the full story – Eltham man jailed for breaking ex-partner’s arm and calling her 3,000 times in 12 days

Amir Tofangsazan

Amir Tofangsazan (Image: Met Police/PA) Amir Tofangsazan, a fraudster who used dating apps to lure women into sex and extort money from them, has been arrested again.

Tofangsazan, 36, of Sidney Road, Brixton, used images of male models in his dating profiles and pretended to be a lawyer, surgeon or property magnate.

After finding victims on Tinder, Bumble and Plenty of Fish, he told some of them that he fantasized about watching them have sex with other men and then showed up himself posing as the second man.

He also tricked them into lending him cash, which he never paid back.

After spending most of his life behind bars between 2015 and 2024, Tofangsazan was released from prison in January.

He has now been sentenced to ten months in prison again after breaching a criminal order by attending a speed dating event at an All Bar One in Guildford.

When he was arrested, police found that he was in possession of two mobile phones, one of which was not registered with the police.

Recorder James Lofthouse told Tofangsazan: “You are not a stupid person, that is clear. You were aware of the terms of your criminal warrant and you breached them.”

He added: “The use of a speed dating service shows that the very type of person this order is intended to protect is being targeted.”

Read the full story – ‘Catfish’ who used photos of models to lure women into sex is jailed AGAIN

Rogel Dumitru

Rogel Dumitru (Image: Met Police/PA) Rogel Dumitru, 20, of Mayplace Road East, Bexleyheath, was one of four men who went to a house near Luton Road, Chatham, on September 8 last year, armed with bladed weapons, wearing gloves and with their faces covered by masks or balaclavas.

They gained access to the house, woke the family, threatened them and attacked one of them.

The perpetrators then stole two watches and two telephones and then fled the property.

Detective Constable Dan Bister said: “This was a deliberate crime which involved terrorising a family in their own home.

“The threats of weapons will leave lasting scars on the victims and those responsible should be ashamed of their actions.”

The gang was uncovered because a mask containing Dumitru’s DNA was found near the crime scene.

Investigations revealed that Dumitru had travelled from Bexleyheath to Chatham and had also been in contact with accomplices of Ion Vasile, Denis Calin and Robert Maytum.

Dumitru was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.

Read the full story – Masked, knife-wielding burglar from Bexleyheath ‘terrorised’ family in break-in

Avram Stoica

Avram Stoica (Image: Met Police/PA) Avram Stoica, 19, of Pretoria Road, Romford, stole eight iPhones from the Apple Store in The Glades.

On December 3, a teenager stole iPhones worth £8,142 from the store in Bromley.

Stoica was identified as a suspect and charged.

He later pleaded guilty to shoplifting in May and was remanded on bail pending sentencing, with instructions not to enter The Glades and to stay at his home address each night.

Stoica was sentenced to four months in prison.

Read the full story – Teenager who stole £8,000 worth of iPhones from The Glades Apple Store is jailed

Roberto Rossi

Roberto Rossi and his girlfriend Joanne Branscombe (Image: BTP) Roberto Rossi and his girlfriend Joanne Branscombe were convicted of drug trafficking after searches revealed a significant stash of cocaine, ketamine, cannabis and amphetamine.

Roberto Rossi, 37, of Hollingbourne Avenue, Bexleyheath, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, while Branscombe, 44, of Samson Close, Dartford, received a 22-month suspended sentence.

Read the full story – Dartford and Bexleyheath dealer couple caught with huge drug stash

The court heard that on February 24, BTP’s County Lines task force observed Rossi attempting to elude uniformed officers at Dartford station.

When questioned, Rossi admitted to possessing cocaine.

During a search, it was found that he was carrying an iPhone, which he denied possession of despite receiving messages requesting drugs, as well as more than £1,000 in cash.

Following his arrest, a search of the address he shared with Branscombe revealed a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs, leading to Branscombe’s arrest and subsequent conviction.