Olagunju, 42, of Congress Road in Abbey Wood, was given a six-week suspended sentence.
He sent sexualised and grooming messages to the young girl after he sought her out on social media in November 2022.
In May 2023 he was confronted by paedophile hunters as he discovered he had spent the last six months messaging a decoy account.
On inspection of his phone it was then revealed that Hughes had also been messaging three other “girls” – all aged either 13 or 14 – who were also decoy accounts run by other paedophile hunter organisations.
Hughes claimed at trial that he knew all along that these were “scam” accounts and that he did not genuinely believe he was talking to teenage girls.
But a jury unanimously rejected his defence and convicted him of four charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
A judge decided against giving him an immediate prison sentence, stating: ” I consider there’s a realistic chance of rehabilitation. I think you will comply with the order and won’t reoffend.”
Read the full story – Eltham counsellor had 6 month relationship with girl
Man’s violent assault on girlfriend
He pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, two assaults and criminal damage but walked free from Woolwich Crown Court with a suspended sentence.
The court heard that the first attack took place last August when he and the victim returned to her flat after they had been drinking.
When he became aggressive the victim began filming, capturing the moment he grabbed her by the throat with both hands and strangled her, prosecutor Mr Ilyas said.
He said it was unclear how long the strangling lasted but the video showed that even after 30 seconds the victim was struggling to breathe and calling for Durkin to stop.
Durkin then punched her in the face and ripped a radiator off the wall, the court heard.
The second attack took place in February when Durkin became irritable as they watched TV together.
He broke the victim’s laptop in half then punched her in the eye, the court heard.
Mr Ilyas said that when Durkin was arrested he admitted the offences and told officers his girlfriend had annoyed him by asking him to open up and asking if he was ok too frequently.
Read the full story – Man avoids prison for assaults on girlfriend in Greenwich
Bus driver who killed woman in crash
Edna McLean, 83, died after being hit by the double-decker bus on September 11, 2021.
Zia was convicted of causing her death by careless driving and was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in custody, suspended for two years.
Mrs McLean’s son, Patrick Gordon, told the court: “A sudden death in any family causes devastation and my family is of no exception.”
He described his mother’s love for cricket, football and Caribbean food, adding: “My older brother Mark can’t handle the pain of being in the same room as the person who caused the death of my mother – that’s why he’s not here today.
“Every day he asks me why wasn’t he paying attention – why wasn’t he being careful? Only one person can answer this question.”
He criticised the defendant for not showing compassion for the hurt he had caused his family.
Addressing the defendant, he added: “We will never recover from her killing, and I hold you responsible.”
Zia received a 15 month suspended sentence.
Read the full story – Bus driver avoids prison over woman’s death in Woolwich
Teacher’s twisted pupil relationship
David Howard, a former English teacher, struck up a twisted sexual relationship with a pupil (Image: Newsquest)
David Howard, then aged 24, was an English teacher at Crown Woods Secondary School in 2002 when he struck up a “warped” relationship with a girl at the school.
Over the course of several months they met up outside school, exchanged letters and once engaged in a sexual act in a classroom cupboard after school.
Almost two decades later she disclosed the abusive relationship to the police and Howard, now aged 47, was convicted of abuse of trust by engaging in sexual activity.
Reading a statement in front of her abuser in court, she said: “Predators like him are able to identify children like me who are vulnerable, and they target us.”
She continued: “The grooming was so powerful that it that it locked me into believing for a decade that I had been in a consenting relationship.”
She described the relationship as an “open secret” at the school and said she even showed another teacher letters sent by Mr Howard.
“I hope the other teachers feel a tenth of the shame I feel for not speaking out at the time,” she said.
Howard was given a six month suspended sentence as a judge concluded there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
