Persistent Beggar Darren Bingham Back In Jail

Convicted of multiple offences just two days after alert issued

A persistent beggar who has being knocking on the doors of people's homes across West London trying to get money for bogus emergencies is back in jail.

He was rearrested following a number of statements submitted by residents just two days after a warning was issued that he had been spotted in the Chiswick area.

Darren Bingham has been convicted for multiple breaches of his court order and was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment on 22 January. He had also been jailed last year for similar offences.

39-year-old Bingham has a history of turning up at people's houses at night making various false claims and asking for money. His stories are always emergency-based including that he has been locked out of his house, his father in hospital with a heart attack, or his wife is in labour.

Last March he was sent to prison for 5 months after failing to appear in court. Previous warnings have been given about him dating back to 2013. At that time the police described him as a conman who preyed on often vulnerable victims to feed his drug habit despite being placed under an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. He was accused of inventing stories about needing money to help sick relatives.

He was given a five-year antisocial behaviour order in May 2012, banning him from knocking on doors or begging in a public place.

A police spokesman said "Thanks to proactive reporting and engagement with local policing teams, we were able to respond quickly.

"We would like to thank all those who take the time to report suspicious behaviour, as without this invaluable help, we are severely limited in what we can do to combat anti-social behaviour, drug crime and more.

"If you have any information which you think may be useful to the Brentford Policing Team - including photograph attachments and vehicle registration plates - please contact us at brentford.snt@met.police.uk".

Residents are invited to sign up to owl.co.uk for local police updates.

January 22, 2019

January 23, 2019