Former British boxing champion Anthony Small convicted of fraud

Convicted: Anthony Small was found guilty of three counts of fraud
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Former British boxing champion Anthony Small was today convicted of using false names to dodge thousands of pounds of London parking fines.

Small, 34, who was cleared this year of terror charges, was convicted at the Old Bailey of three counts of fraud between December 2010 and July 2012.

He had registered his motorcycle under two bogus identities so he could park illegally across the capital in 2010 and 2011, the court heard.

When fines were issued, they were never paid as councils could not find the real owner of the bike.

Small, a former British and Commonwealth light middleweight boxing champion who fought under the name Sugar Ray Clay Jones Jnr, was also found guilty of doctoring a motor insurance certificate to retrieve his car from the pound without paying any charges.

He will be sentenced on January 8 by Judge Gerald Gordon.

During the trial, Meyrick Williams, prosecuting, said the motorcycle was a red BMW that racked up multiple fines across London, but Small denies he was the owner.

"That bike was driven around certain boroughs and parked illegally," he said.

"Someone puts a ticket on it and parking fines weren't paid and amount to several thousands of pounds. They accumulated in a way that's entirely deceitful and entirely dishonest."

Small is accused of registering the bike with the DVLA in December 2010 in the name of Tony Beckford, of Huron Road in Tooting Bec.

In action: Former British and Commonwealth light middleweight boxing champion Anthony Small
John Gichigi/Getty Images

"There isn't a Tony Beckford at (that address) - the registered keeper details are fictitious," said Mr Williams.

When the bike was impounded by the police in August 2011, it is claimed Small registered it in his own name to retrieve it.

Days later the bike was re-registered with the DVLA in the name of Gavin Andison, at a flat in Canonbie Road, Camberwell, the court heard.

"It was Anthony Small throughout who was riding it and who was the owner," said Mr Williams.

Earlier his year Small, of Chelsea, was cleared of preparing for acts of terrorism and conspiracy to possess false identity documents in another Old Bailey trial.

The jury was unable to agree a verdict on another charge of supporting a terrorist organisation.

The Crown decided not to pursue a retrial and formal not guilty verdicts were entered.

He had been accused of selling his boxing gloves and other memorabilia on eBay to fund his travel to Syria to fight for the Islamic State.

The court heard allegations that Small had planned to travel to the war-torn country with two other suspected terrorists but broke his hand two days before the trip.

Small told the court he had intended to visit his Turkish ex-wife on urgent family business and insisted he had never supported people who encouraged terrorism.

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