Source: Church of England published on this site Wednesday 3 August 2025 by Jill Powell

UPDATE September 2

Final call for evidence
The Safeguarding Practice Review (SPR), jointly commissioned by the National Safeguarding Team and the dioceses of Chelmsford and Southwark to look at the lessons to be learnt from the Church’s handling of the David Tudor case, is drawing to a conclusion. The independent reviewers Sue Williams and Richard Norfolk have asked that any final evidence to be submitted relating to the case should be done so by Friday 19 September.  Survivors have been informed of this update.  Please email the independent reviewers direct:

• sue.williams@independentreviews.live

• richard.norfolk@independentreviews.live

For more detail relating to the review process

Source: Metropolitan Police published on this website Monday 1 September 2025 by Jill Powell

A serving volunteer Met Special Constable has been found guilty of committing several serious offences, including rape of a child under thirteen.

Gwyn Samuels, formerly known as James Bubb, was convicted on Thursday, 28 August of five offences they were charged with.

If follows a trial at Amersham Law Courts which started on Monday, 11 August in a Thames Valley Police-led investigation.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Stancombe, who leads the Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command said:

“The actions of Bubb are completely despicable, and I commend the victim-survivors for their bravery in coming forward, ultimately leading to this conviction today.

“Bubb was immediately suspended as a volunteer police officer as soon as we became aware of these very serious allegations. No complaints had previously been made about Bubb’s conduct while performing his duties as a Special Constable. Now criminal proceedings have concluded we can proceed with seeking dismissal.”

The charges relate to incidents which occurred between January 2018 and April 2024 in London and Buckinghamshire.

James Bubb was found guilty of the following counts relating to victim one: one count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, rape of a child under 13, sexual activity with a child and assault by penetration

Bubb was also found guilty of the following counts relating to victim two: one count of rape.

The jury found Bubb not guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child. Both counts were in relation to victim one.

Bubb was immediately suspended from his volunteer duties on Tuesday, 30 April 2024 after the Met was informed by Thames Valley Police he had been arrested.

The Special Constable started to volunteer with Met Police Central West team in September 2020 and was off-duty during all incidents.

The offences were committed by James Bubb, who has since changed name to Gwyn Samuels and now self-identifies as a transgender woman.

Bubb will be sentenced at Amersham Law Courts at a later date.

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards is aware.  

Source: Sussex Police published on this website Tuesday 2 September 2025 by Jill Powell

A care home worker who stole sentimental jewellery from an elderly resident has been jailed.

Police were called after staff at Bethune Court in Boscobel Road, Hastings, reported the theft on 21 March, 2024.

The victim – an 82-year-old woman – discovered jewellery including her late husband’s gold wedding ring had been taken from the bedside table in her private room.

As enquiries were ongoing, the victim’s family posted an appeal for information on social media. This was seen by a local pawnbroker, who believed they had recently accepted the same ring from regular customer.

She was identified as Rita Cooney, who worked as a housekeeper at the care home.

The 58-year-old, of Hillcrest Avenue, Bexhill, was arrested and charged with theft, which she was convicted of.

At Lewes Crown Court on 14 August, she was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.

She was also charged with fraud, and that offence will lie on file.

Investigating officer, PC Wesley Brickstock, of the Hastings Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was a despicable act committed by a woman who exploited the vulnerability of an elderly resident in a place where she should be able to feel safe.

“I’d like to thank the victim and her family for their support in our investigation, and the local pawnbroker who diligently notified police, ensuring we could bring Cooney to justice.”

Charity Commission disqualifies four trustees after CEO used charity as front for criminal activities

Source: Charity Commission published on this website Friday 29 August 2025 by Jill Powell

The charity was set up to support blind and partially sighted members of African and Caribbean communities and provide services which included immigration advice, education and training. 

An official inquiry report, published today, found that four trustees of the charity had not sufficiently overseen the actions of the charity’s CEO, Ibukun Olashore, including by allowing her to continue acting as CEO following a serious conviction. The lack of action by the trustees enabled the CEO to have sole access to charity funds and use the charity to offer immigration advice illegally. As a result, the regulator has disqualified four trustees.

The Commission has now removed the charity from its public register after it was struck off by Companies House.

In March 2021, the charity’s CEO was charged with serious criminal offences. In April 2022, she was convicted of conspiracy to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national and of conspiracy to possess/control identity documents with intent. As such, she was automatically disqualified from being a charity trustee or holding a position with senior management functions within a charity.  

At her sentencing, the judge concluded that the CEO used the charity ‘as a front’ and that material evidence showed Ms Olashore was “using OBAC as a way of disguising [her] dishonest activities and potentially finding people with whom [she] could take money.”

The regulator opened an inquiry after the trustees repeatedly failed to respond to requests for information, including a formal direction to submit information by legal order. It also had suspicions that the CEO remained at the charity despite her conviction.  

In its report, the Commission finds that:

• even after being made aware of the CEO’s convictions for serious criminal offences, the trustees failed to take any steps to address this matter, such as suspending the CEO and carrying out an internal investigation  
• the trustees exerted insufficient oversight over the charity, allowing it to be used as a vehicle for criminal activity. Proactive intervention by the trustees may have helped mitigate the impact on the charity and prevent it from being misused for over 10 years
• for two years, the trustees exposed the charity to risk of criminal conviction by continuing to offer immigration services despite the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) refusing to re-register the charity as an immigration service provider. The IAA rejected the charity’s application in July 2022 which came into effect in August 2022
• the charity had been subletting its offices which was in breach of its tenancy agreement and this had been its only source of income since February 2023. When questioned, the trustees had no knowledge of the lease terms or who one of the subletters was
• the charity failed to report serious incidents at the charity, including the CEO’s conviction, a break-in and threats made to staff by a beneficiary
• trustees repeatedly failed to respond to the Commission and either failed to provide sufficient answers or attend meetings when summoned in person

The Commission finds all of these failures amount to serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration, governance and management of the charity. The report, which contains the full findings, is available on gov.uk.

The regulator gave the trustees the opportunity to remedy their failings by issuing the charity a Regulatory Action Plan but the trustees failed to act. As a result, the Commission has disqualified the four most recently serving trustees. Ruth Bishop, Diib Jama and Rasheed Bello have been disqualified for 5 years. Dwight Watson has been disqualified for 3 years. The charity’s CEO is automatically disqualified indefinitely.  

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said: 

We expect anyone running a charity to do so honestly, and with integrity. To use a charity as a cover for criminal activity is wholly unacceptable and an abuse of trust. By allowing this to continue, the charity’s trustees have also abused the trust placed in them and failed to uphold their legal duties. 

The Commission will always take robust action if a charity is misused. We do this to prevent further harm and ensure that trust in the wider sector is protected. It was proportionate in this case to disqualify four trustees, all of whom failed to meaningfully engage with our inquiry.”