Bad Property Management

First Time I Met Neil Newstead He was Running a Brothel at 4 Courtlands

The first time I ever met Neil Newstead he was running a brothel. I was a taxi driver between the years 2000 and 2007 and ran Neil Newstead around town on a regular basis. The now owner and director of Oakfield P.M. property management was running a brothel at 4 Courtlands, a flat in a block of flats on West Hill Rd, St Leonards on Sea.  I had a regular run several times a week, between this address and a flat near the shops of Post Office and Yongs chinese takeaway on Vicarage Rd, Hastings.

1. He had the reputation as a thug and a violent man then. So much, I remember the time the other taxi drivers approached me to pick him up as he had the reputation for beating up taxi drivers on the slightest premis. They could not not pick him up as taxi regulations demand taxi drivers pick up any member of the public, as a public licensed service. But if anything goes wrong and taxi driver is beaten up or knifed or as a female taxi driver dragged out the taxi and raped No Police, Lawyer, Judge, Councilor or Union will support you. You will be told it is part of the job – and you are nothing. This is further supported by professional services such as counsellors, senior social workers and mental health professionals who will say to your face near to incident and post trauma that it does not matter for working class people, taxi drivers or working class women. 

Therefore, a taxi driver has to manage him/herself and their safety without expecting help from others or protection.

So that day, up at the station, a possie of several hardened experiences taxi drivers approached me nervously to ask if I would pick Neil Newstead up as he had beaten them all up and they had no rights, so they reckoned he might not beat a girl up, so asked me.

I had a reputation for dealing with things and taking people on others would not. I also drove an old fashioned large cab where the customer was in the back and they had 2 choices: BEHAVE – OR WALK!

As taxi drivers we have to deal with everything and everybody. We have to manage things. We are the 1st Emergency Service. We are privvy to much and have to use our discernment and discretion.

We did ask the police what to do re disreputable customers and noting illegal and criminal behaviour and working with police. Police told me straight they did not give a f**k and weren’t interested

So most taxi drivers keep their nose clean and their head down. Help where they can and even stop things from happening, but know they are on their own.

 

 

I picked up the girls and brought them in or picked them up to take them home. I once took the “maid” all the way over to West Sussex as they had got her a little drunk at a party, she was not used to it and they wanted me to take her home and make sure she was safe.

Another time I picked up a very good looking professional lady at the station. She looked like she could have been a professional P.A. P.R, or executive secretary. She told me she had come down to interview for a new job. I asked her where she wanted to go, and I was surprised when she said 4 Courtlands. But then she was very professional, a very high class call girl.  We chatted on the way and she was very happy in her job and enjoyed it immensely.  I could not do it myself, but I am happy if a woman is happy to make a man happy, and I am happy for the man who finds one. Other than that it is nobody else’s business.

I do not know if she got the job at 4 Courtlands as a professional prostitute. But she was very nice.  I respect the girls and picked up a lot. I care for them very much and some got really rough lives and abusive boyfriends and pimps managing them.  I always said that if they needed any help, of getting away fast, or even moving out of the district to get away from pimp or boyfriend they were to call me and I would help. Either immediately, getting them out of a situation or a more long term plan of getting them away if the pimp or boyfriend had gone out of town and they had a few hours to move and get away permanently.

I moved one out who had a sovereign imprint on her forehead where her boyfriend/pimp had punched her with a sovereign ring on his finger and she had an enormous black eye and she still had to go out and work like that. Eventually, we planned together and she got away.

The police know the addresses of  the sex and drug trade businesses and the same people involved.  They like a quiet life and a quiet town and everyone if fact knows each other, so only now and again get involved if something happens, or do raids every few years at the same addresses, then after interrogating them and charging them, release them by dinner time and back to business. They know each other by name. “Hi Jim.” “Hi Dave.” “Here again?” “Yeah, well, we have got to.” “Things going OK?”  “Yeah. How’s your Lisa? “She’s OK.” “How’s your Michael doing at school” “Yeah, he’s champion.” “Are you going to the cricket match on Saturday?” “Don’t know.”  “I suppose I’ll see you are the parent teacher meeting.” “Yup.” – and so it goes.

However, towards the end of my taxi career in maybe 2005 I was asked by the police to take part in moving and transferring Neil and his occupants of 4 Courtlands in a hush hush police protection programme. I don’t know what had happened. The police knew I was trustworthy and I had helped them before. But I had to pick up the girls and wait in various places, until told to move again. At one point Neil got into the taxi and was telling the girls what was going on and reassuring them. And I eventually moved and dropped them off permanently.

Not sure what that was about. Would have loved to have known. But I was one to very much mind my own business. Best way. The police would ask me to be a police informer and a snitch watching what was going on in Hastings. I said NO. I’d like to live if you don’t mind. Its a small town and people soon know what gets around. Besides which police never stand by you or protect you if you do help. The underside would ask me if I snitched. I said NO. I did not care if they killed each other of drugged themselves to death as long as they kept it to themselves. I was old skool. But if they ever came near any normal person, innocent child or harmed an elderly person I would have no loyalties, I would do what I had to do to protect them and tear them apart.  They knew that and respected it. I helped how I can, But as everyone knows police are useless. The criminals and thugs and hooligans get away and the innocent  get convicted

There was some very unceremoniously evictions and chucking out of my cab of some of the toughest people in Hastings. And I was known for taking verbal strips off them.  My colleagues would sometimes say. “Nice knowing you June. Goodbye. Do you know the last time the LeXXXXX brothers were seen was one was holding a blokes head down while the other was reversing a bus over him.”

I actually got money back for taxi drivers from roughnecks and thugs who had ripped them off.  At one point I was told a song was made for me, which was sung by a bunch of roughnecks over the tannoy who I took strips off during  a long fare to Ashford the week before after they tried a few things on. “Junie is a Legend, Junie is a Legend Da-Daa-Da-Da.  Da-Daa-Da-Da.”

Well it does not do good for a bloke to be allowed to do anything he wants to you, and I have been told fellas like being told off. Makes them feel wanted, warm and loved.

Anyway, Neil Newstead was a pimp and ran sex establishments in 2000s and liked to deal in lucrative trade and imports, according to client demand and kept leaving the little sample packets on my cab floor. Which I had to take back, or dispose of carefully.

I do not know why he gets off so lightly when he seriously punches a policeman, knocks him on the ground and continues to kick him, or why a seriously injured taxi driver vicously attacked by him is told by police they cannot take his complaint forward, or why he pulls up at the end of someone’s driveway and when person comes out Neil motions his driver to get out and go towards him with a knife – a serious knife – and nobody wants to take it forward or mess with him.  He was a nasty character then and is a nasty character now.

I did eventually go POP. and became incredibly ill, But that is because I was not supported and looked after at a time I needed it most. It does not come back. Does it?

I am cross because Neil Newstead and Hanlons will use police, courts and favours to help and protect them, then turn round and pick on the little guy, the tenant, disabled, single mum and innocents and get away with it and give no mercy, they are so arrogant they will be protected.

 

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