Morning:
8°c
Two legitimate business people in the same building as the Green Badge Taxi School said they suffered a two-year campaign of "harassment, intimidation and violence" to drive them out after the school decided it wanted their part of the building.
The allegations were made by Harriet Pickering, who runs a ballet academy on the premises, and Evgeny Goremykin, a former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet. Ms Pickering said: "They thought we would only be short-term tenants but then they realised they would not get rid of us and the harassment started."
She went to the High Court and was granted an injunction against Lee Jasper's associates Greg Nowell and Clive Grey, ordering them not to approach, harass or intimidate her.
She told the Standard she went to court after an alleged assault committed by a man she believed to be a friend of Mr Nowell and Mr Grey.
Ms Pickering added that she had hired security guards to protect herself and her property.
"It has been an extraordinary and continuing nightmare," she said. "They threatened to 'take the building by force' and made our lives a misery. Even now it continues to dominate and overshadow our lives."
Ms Pickering and Mr Goremykin also alleged that Mr Jasper's associates or their friends:
• Invaded and occupied the ballet school, locking themselves in and only leaving when the police were called.
• Ripped down internal doors, including lavatory doors, in the ballet school three times in a single week.
• Played rap at top volume day and night to distract ballet pupils and drown out ballet music.
• Stationed menacing "bouncer-like" men in the hall outside her office and ballet studio.
• Wrote to local schools falsely claiming that her students were made to undress together or in public.
• Bombarded her and local councillors with legal complaints about the ballet school.
Documents obtained by the Standard show Mr Jasper visited the "taxi school" several times; held at least 14 meetings with Mr Grey and/or Mr Nowell; and was closely involved with the legal campaign waged against Ms Pickering.
Letters from his associates' lawyers are copied to him and one shows that Mr Jasper advised his associates on how to proceed in the dispute.
Ms Pickering said she visited Mr Jasper at his City Hall office to complain about his associates' behaviour. She said that he replied: "You can't prove they're doing anything wrong," and refused to intervene.
Mr Jasper refused to confirm or deny whether he had known or approved of alleged threats or abuse by his associates. There is no suggestion Mr Jasper assaulted or physically intimidated Ms Pickering.
Mr Grey dismissed Ms Pickering's allegations as "ridiculous".
After Ms Pickering complained to her MP, Labour's Kate Hoey, the LDA investigated the "taxi school" in March. LDA officials were refused access to key papers including bank statements and invoices seen by the Standard, which Mr Jasper's associates claimed were stolen in a burglary.
But an LDA barrister who reviewed the paperwork said he had "concerns about Green Badge's probity". The LDA told Ms Hoey it would give no more funding to Green Badge.
Last night, following the leaking of the bank statements and invoices to the Standard, the matter was reported to the police by Ms Hoey.
She said: "I have been deeply concerned about this operation for some time following the complaints from my constituent Harriet Pickering. It feels like Thirties Chicago. People like to think this kind of thing does not go on in London, but it does.
"I feel very strongly that the LDA and Mr Jasper have failed to answer serious questions about why they supported an organisation like this. Maybe the police, as well as Mr Jasper's associates, can help give us those answers."
Reader views (3)
I have had dealings with that Pickering woman in the past,- not relating to this matter.
As a result of those dealings I would be surprised if there was any truth in any of the six allegations made in the above article by Ms Pickering.
- marcus, hampshire, 07/01/2011 06:43
Report abuse
Lee Jasper was obviously involved.
Badness seems to follow these type of projects around and those that support them.
Another thing we must ignore, in order to be politically correct. Just give them more money to keep them quiet, rather than get fed up and ask them to become honest.
- Steve, London UK, 07/07/2008 00:14
Report abuse
At last - a Labour politician with integrity. Thank you Ms. Hoey for taking this matter seriously and for getting involved. Who knows how many people like Ms. Pickering and Mr. Goremykin have been victimised by these thugs? And at the tax-payers' expense.
- Sarah N., London, 21/12/2007 12:45
Report abuse
