From rapists to killers

Welcome to our look back at the criminals jailed during the second half of the year in Cornwall. It's been a very busy year for Cornwall's main court and we've strived to cover as many cases as possible. As we come to the close of yet another year we're looking back at all those put behind bars between July and December for their serious crimes ranging from rapists and paedophiles to robbers and killers.

In total we covered the cases of 78 criminals who were jailed for more than a year and dozens more where a suspended sentence or less serious custodial sentence were granted. Here are the 39 criminals we saw jailed at Truro Crown Court during the second part of 2024 as reported at the time. For more of our court coverage, join our Court Insider group here. You can also read our previous list which covers the further 39 jailed criminals whose cases we attended from January to June, here.[1][2][3]

July

Aidan Treglown

Businessman and sex offender Aidan Treglown, of Truro, has been locked up for five years -Credit:Facebook

A Cornwall businessman has been jailed for historic child sex offences. Aidan Treglown, 31, appeared at Reading Crown Court, in Berkshire, for sentence on Tuesday, July 9. ADVERTISEMENT

After an eight-day trial, ending on April 24, Treglown was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of one count of sexual assault of a child under 13. He was also found guilty by majority jury verdict of one count each of sexual assault of a child under 13 and rape of a child. Before the trial, Treglown pleaded guilty to two counts each of sexual assault of a child under 13 and causing/inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Treglown, of Tregolls Road in Truro, was acquitted of two counts each of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, sexual assault by touching of a child under 13 and one count of rape of a child. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Treglown will also be on the sex offenders register for life, have restraining orders against his victim and two others and was granted a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The offending took place in Finchampstead between 2004 and 2008. Treglown was charged by postal requisition on 1 April last year. The businessman runs Padstow-based House Management Group, a property maintenance and cleaning service company he became director of shortly after his 16th birthday, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He's also currently listed as the director of House Management Services Ltd on Companies House. ADVERTISEMENT Investigating officer, Detective Constable Adele Shaw, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: "Aidan Treglown has now been held to account for the abhorrent offences against a child.

The victim in this case has shown immense courage in telling someone what happened to them. "Thames Valley Police will work with victims to prosecute the perpetrators of child sexual offences and protect the wider public and I hope that this case shows that time should be no barrier for those who have been sexually abused to come forward. "If you are in danger, always call us on 999, and if you want to report offences, no matter what the passage of time, you can do so via our website or by calling 101.

"There is further information on our website on how to report as well as advice and support[4] on what to do if you've been a victim or witnessed child abuse." Shaun Powell

Shaun Powell -Credit:Cornish Guardian / SWNS.com A socially isolated pervert who was once caught with bomb-making manuals, explosives and knives at his parent's home after police searched his house on an unrelated matter has been sent back to jail for being at it again.

Shaun Powell first came to the attention of the courts when he was caught masturbating in a pub and again indecently exposing himself to a Falmouth[5] University student several years ago. ADVERTISEMENT It was his noncompliance with a sexual harm prevention order requiring him to inform the police of any change of address which led to the discovery at his parents' house of worrying materials such as bomb tutorials[6], camouflage clothing, chains, handcuffs, masks and material relating to notorious serial killers.

The 42-year-old, formerly of Penryn[7] and Pool, was sentenced in 2020 by Truro Crown Court[8] to 38 months in jail in relation to the dangerous materials found, for assaulting a police officer and for the two breaches of a sexual offenders' registration requirement. Following a trial in May this year, which Powell refused to attend, in connection with three further breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and three counts of being in possession of a quantity of facemasks, balaclavas, duct tape and knives at his parents' address, he was sent back to prison having chosen to be sentenced in his absence. Sentencing him to three years in prison, Recorder Christopher Quinlan, KC, said Powell had waived his right to attend both his trial and sentencing hearing, adding that the breaches of his sexual harm prevention order related to obtaining a new passport and bank card and moving to a new address but failing to inform the police.

He said that once again, when police officers had visited him at his parents' address, they discovered items he was prohibited from having, such as knives, duct tape and balaclavas. ADVERTISEMENT During the hearing at Truro[9] Crown Court on July 15, Recorder Quinlan said the charges had been brought against Powell as a result of a single house search but showed a "pattern of breaches which are repetitious in nature".

He said that over the years, Powell had proved he was at high risk of reoffending, adding: "This is a socially isolated man who lives with his parents who has no mental health issues." Powell will serve half his sentence before being released on licence. A sexual harm prevention order imposed on him will continue until 2028.

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-Credit:unkown

A serial car thief forced his way into a family's house as they slept before stealing their car and crashing it. He also stole and used their credit card but has been spared jail because of how long it took for him to be charged over the offences. Scott Hanlon, 26, took the keys to the couple's Skoda Octavia and stole their credit card during a burglary back in 2020 before crashing it.

The crime occurred while they and their children were asleep. Hanlon, of Old Hill Crescent in Falmouth[12], appeared at Truro[13] Crown Court on Thursday, July 4, for sentence having pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated vehicle taking and one of burglary dwelling and theft. Prosecuting the case, Althea Brooks said the burglary occurred on May 11, 2020, in Liskeard[14] where the victim was at home, asleep as were his wife and children.

The victim heard an engine start up at around 5am and assumed it was a neighbour's car and thought nothing more of it. When he set off for the shops in the morning, he found their car was missing. It had been parked on their driveaway right next to their garage when they went to bed the previous night.

The court heard Hanlon entered the garage through a window on the latch and took the spare set of keys to the vehicle. The car was reported missing immediately and the victim's wife soon noticed a transaction on their credit card. Hanlon used the card at a store in Redruth[15].

The vehicle was found parked and locked two days later in Truro and had damage to the front driver's side. GBP140 cash and a credit card were found in the vehicle. Hanlon had spent GBP29.49 on the card before it was cancelled by the cardholder.

Ms Brooks said Hanlon had a "significant record" with 39 convictions for 86 offences dominated by several aggravated vehicle taking in recent years. It also includes previous dwelling burglaries. Asked by His Honour Judge Simon Carr why it took three years for this case to reach court, she said there was "a great deal of investigation" in relation to a co-defendant who still has a warrant out for his arrest and has not been located.

However, she said that was not justification enough for the delay. Defending, Ramsay Quaife said Hanlon's mitigation was that it took two and a half years to get to the point of being charged and longer to the point of prosecution. He added that at the time Hanlon was addicted to drugs and alcohol but since then was a "changed man" and had motivating factors in his life to stay out of trouble.

In his sentencing remarks, His Honour Judge Simon Carr told the court that simply if it takes the prosecution that long to get to court, a defendant should not be imprisoned. He sentenced Hanlon to 15 months suspended for two years saying he would have been jailed for "many years" had his case reached court in a more timely manner. Hanlon was also made subject to a community order and will need to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Ian Foster

Ian Foster - jailed after raping a West Country woman in a London hotel as she slept -Credit:Metropolitan Police A Cornwall man has been jailed again after raping a woman while she slept at a hotel. Ian Foster appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday, July 16, after a jury found him guilty of rape on April 26 this year, following a trial.

The court heard the victim, in her 30s, was known to the suspect. They attended a hotel in Edmonton in North London on January 17, 2020. A heated argument ensued in the hotel room between the two, where Foster, aged 41 and of no fixed abode, displayed sexual jealousy.

Following the argument, Foster - who previously lived in Torpoint - and the woman went to sleep. It was in the early hours of the morning on January 18, Foster raped the victim while she slept. Officers attended the hotel later that morning after receiving a concerned phone call from the victim's mother following the argument.

However, the victim did not disclose to officers that she had been raped because she was scared and just wanted to go home - her parents were en-route to collect her. In the early hours of January 19, once the victim was safely home, she reported the incident to police via her friend and detectives from the North Area's Public Protection team launched an investigation. The victim was supported by specially trained sexual offence officers in her own force area of Devon and Cornwall on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Foster was circulated as wanted and was arrested in Devon on the afternoon of 19 January on suspicion of rape. He was recalled to prison in breach of his licence conditions following his conviction for two rapes in 2012 at Truro Crown Court. He had been released on licence in 2017."

He was subsequently charged on January 31, 2023 after an extensive investigation, which included taking witness accounts from hotel staff and family and friends of the victim and reviewing CCTV of the pair in the public areas of the hotel from check-in to check-out. This showed Foster following the victim around like a 'puppy dog' and trying to 'reason with her' in the foyer on January 18 following the rape. Officers reviewed hundreds of communications on their phones, which highlighted Foster's sexual jealously.

There was also a message on January 18 with Foster saying he was unsure why he committed the act after he was challenged by the victim who said: "What go through ur head to have sex with someone when they are not even awake?" The judge in the case sentenced Foster to 16 years imprisonment. He was also given a restraining order preventing him from directly or indirectly contacting the victim.

Detective Sergeant Myles Bossman, from the North Area's Public Protection team, who led the investigation, said: "Foster is a highly dangerous individual, as reflected by his sentence, who has now been convicted of rape on two separate occasions. Foster appears enraged by sexual jealousy and insecurity, and chose to attack the woman when she was at her most vulnerable as she slept. Foster has showed zero remorse for his actions.

"Thanks to the years of hard work by the North Area's Public Protection team, Foster is now back behind bars. We were committed to gathering enough evidence to ensure the victim got the justice she deserved. "With the support of her family and friends, the victim showed immense courage and bravery in supporting a police investigation.

I would like to thank the victim for her strength, and the many witnesses who provided evidence. "This sentencing shows that such violence against women will not be tolerated and those who commit such offences will be dealt with robustly. "I would encourage anyone who is a victim or witness to sexual assault to contact police immediately where you can access support from specially trained officers."

Jack Cejas

Jack Cejas, 25, from Carbis Bay has been jailed for five years for possession of a gun and dealing class A drugs -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A drug dealer threatened a man with a gun in the middle of a Cornish town centre in the middle of the day. Jack Cejas was spotted by a motorist in Camborne[16] town centre with another hooded man when he pulled the gun, a Glock pistol, from his man bag and levelled it at a third male in the street.

Appearing before Truro Crown Court [17]for sentencing, it was heard how the anxious driver called 999 and armed police raced to the scene and Cejas was arrested by a railway level crossing. The black pistol was later found in his bag and it was tested to see if it had a lethal capacity. Cejas, 25, of Carbis Bay, near St Ives[18], admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition as well as drug dealing on the day in November last year.

He said he had found it and kept it for his protection as a drug dealer selling Class A drugs. His honour Judge Simon Carr said Cejas was street dealing class A drugs and had a firearm capable of causing death or serious injury which he cocked at the man in the street. He said Cejas found the gun and kept it for his own defence when dealing drugs but did not realise the lethal potential of the weapon.

Judge Carr jailed Cejas for five years for the gun charge, with three and a half years for drug dealing and 18 months for possessing the ammunition, the sentences to run concurrently.

August

Stephen William Wells

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A paedophile who sexually touched up a young girl in his care volunteered more offences to the police when he was interviewed, a court heard. Stephen William Wells told officers who interviewed and charged him with five counts of sexual assault on a young girl that if they searched his phone and personal computer they would discover hundreds of images of children being sexually abused - which they did.

Appearing before Truro Crown Court [19]for sentencing on Thursday, August 8, having pleaded guilty to all charges against him at Truro[20] Magistrates' Court[21] last month, it was heard that the 68-year-old from Northey Close in Shortlanesend started touching up the girl. Jason Beal, prosecuting, said Wells' crimes were discovered when his victim gave reason for her mum to become suspicious and she then informed the NSPCC children's charity and Devon and Cornwall Police[22]. In a victim impact statement read out in court, Well's victim's mother said the assault had devastated her whole family and left her daughter traumatised, angry and sad.

Robin Smith, defending, said Wells had not shrunk from his shocking behaviour and had made a full admission to the police after being arrested and charged almost three years ago. He said: "In his interview with the police he admitted other things to officers and told them that they would find indecent pictures of children on his electronic devices. He accepts his fate today."

Ms Smith added: "He was in the grip of an alcohol dependency and had been for some time which had a degree of impact on his thinking. Being arrested by police in 2021 was a watershed moment for him." His honour Judge Simon Carr told Wells the abuse he inflicted had been systematic and prolonged, adding that he had broken this young person's and her family's trust in the worst possible way.

He added: "This abuse went on... for your own sexual gratification and when your devices were examined hundreds of images of the worst type of child abuse were found. Your actions have had a profound effect on your victim and her family who have shown great courage to appear in court today. Your alcohol problem does not justify or explain your behaviour in any way."

Wells was sentenced to five years in prison. He will also remain on the sex offenders register for life. Leon Troon

Leon Troon, 47, from Liskeard, tried to rob the Spar shop in the town's Dean Street while armed with a knife on February 26, 2024 -Credit:Google Streetview

A knife-wielding robber terrorised staff at a convenience store for money and cigarettes. Leon Troon walked into the Spar stores in Dean Street in Liskeard[23] before pulling a large serrated bread knife and threatening staff so they would give him money from the till. Appearing before Truro Crown Court[24] for sentencing on Friday, August 9, having pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and a second of possessing a knife in a public place, Ed Bailey, prosecuting, told the court how Troon tried to hide his identity behind a hooded fur coat and jumper pulled up around his mouth.

The 47-year-old from Kekewich Villas in Liskeard was spotted on CCTV milling around outside the shop before walking in and pulling the knife from his coat as he approached the counter. He then shouted at the staff to open the till, hand over the cash and not alert anyone. Mr Bailey said another customer walked in at that time but backed out of the shop for fear of getting stabbed when he saw Troon holding the large knife in front of him.

The man behind the counter managed to run away and shouted to the store manager for help. Mr Bailey said: "As he ran down the aisle he was chased by this defendant. The manager heard the cry for help and with another employee told the defendant to leave and called 999."

The incident happened at around 10.40am on February 26. Mr Bailey said Troon, who by then had dropped his knife, managed to get behind the counter. He threatened the female employee some more but as she couldn't open the till, Troon smashed it off its fittings before making off with it and a few packets of cigarettes.

As he walked out of the Spar, he was punched and brought under control by the staff who had escaped and an off-duty police officer who detained him until his uniformed colleagues arrived. Recorder Malcolm Galloway said the incident would have been a terrifying ordeal for all those involved. Troon was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of GBP228.

He could also have the sentence extended after a claim it was too lenient. [25] John Graley

Paedophile John Graley, from Fraddon, has been sentenced to three years in prison for touching a girl under the age of 13 -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A brave young girl has written to a court to say how much the sexual abuse she suffered has impacted her life, as now she's too scared to go to school.

In a victim impact statement, the 13-year-old described how the attack on her while she slept has left her terrified, untrusting and scared to go to school. John Graley, 45, from My Lords Road, Fraddon, appeared at Truro[26] Crown Court on August 2 for sentencing having pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual touching of a girl under the age of 13 during an incident at an address in Cornwall last year. The court was told how on that day Graley assaulted the girl in a sexual way before stopping himself.

The girl was so traumatised by the incident that it was three weeks before she found the courage to come forward and report her abuser. In a moving letter to the court written by herself, Graley's victim said she had been an outgoing and sociable girl but was now a lonely and scared child. Graley's barrister said he came forward, handed himself in to the police and made a full admission of his crimes.

He also pleaded guilty at the first opportunity when he appeared before magistrates last month. She told the court that Graley had a long list of previous convictions but none of this nature. She said he had shown great remorse for his action and knew what he did was wrong and put his hand up to it.

She added: "He's very remorseful but he can't take back as much as he would like of what he did. He accepts he has to pay the price." Sentencing the paedophile to three years in prison, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said the pre-sentence report he had read about Graley showed a "very disturbing entrenched sexual interest in children" which until this incident he had satiated through accessing images of child sex abuse online.

Judge Carr said: "Your victim has left school. She feels unable to go and the effect of your offence against her is one that will be felt for a long term." Braley has also been made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and will remain on the sex offender register for life.

David Wesley Smith

David Wesley Smith -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A man pulled out his partner's teeth with his bare hands in an attack that lasted around half an hour. David Wesley Smith, 59, then rinsed her mouth out with a shower head instead of taking her to the doctor.

Smith, of Launceston[27], appeared before Truro Crown Court[28] for sentencing on August 19 having pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of criminal damage. Prosecuting the case, Sophie Johns described how Smith had been in an on-and-off relationship with his partner for 20 years and sometimes lived with her at her home in Launceston but sometimes he lived elsewhere. On July 16, 2022, he went to her home with a box of beers and took the cans upstairs to drink them.

The complainant noticed the defendant was "agitated and snappy" so stayed out in the garden looking after dogs. At around 10pm she thought he went to bed and thought it was safe to go inside. However, Ms Johns said the defendant heard her and came "flying downstairs shouting and screaming", wanting her to come to bed.

The victim then ran and slammed the door shut, hoping he would think she went back outside. She later hid under the bed in the spare room and stayed there for about an hour. Smith then came in and smashed pictures on the wall before finding her under the bed.

The woman recalled him ripping up the bed and pulling her up by the arms and her hair as she screamed. She managed to run down stairs but Smith followed after her and took her phone from her. Later, as the victim was sitting having a smoke on the sofa, Smith leapt on her and forced her mouth open saying he was "sick of her mouth" and stuck his hands down her throat.

He then said her mouth is "f*****g disgusting" and proceeded to pull out three of her teeth with his bare hands over a period of half an hour. Ms Johns said the woman was choking on her own blood and thought she was going to die. She later said it was worse than labour.

Smith then forced her dressing gown off and tried to rinse her down in the shower and sprayed inside her mouth with the shower head. The complainant said she could see her blood going down the drain and she began feeling weaker and weaker. They then went to bed and Smith tried to cuddle her.

Ms Johns said the next morning, the victim was in "agony" and was "battered and bruised". When she got up, she tried to run out of her house but she only got as far as the gate before Smith caught her and dragged her back inside. She tried to scream for help for a neighbour to call the police, but no one heard.

Smith took her to the kitchen and smashed up a light switch. When the victim wanted to seek medical help while her mouth was still in "agony", Smith threatened her and told her not to tell anyone what had happened. She managed to go to a GP on July 20, where they took pictures of her injuries, including the bruising on her body.

Between July 20 and July 27 Smith exchanged text messages with the complainant and said he loved her but she told him the relationship was over. Ms Johns said on August 16 the victim went to the dentist where she had another tooth taken out that was dangling. Ms Johns said her injuries have had a lasting impact.

She lost a total of four teeth from the right side of her mouth and she could hardly talk or eat. She said in March this year she still suffered pain in her mouth. It also cost her GBP1,000 for a metal plate in her mouth but she can't afford a more permanent option.

She also suffers from anxiety and needs to take sleeping pills and antidepressants. Defending Smith, Althea Brooks told the court that he is both willing and keen to pay a sum of GBP5,000 which she said he hopes will go some considerable way to the dental work the complainant requires. Ms Brooks added that Smith has a background in farming and is an employer, and a landlord.

She said he has been a "productive member of society" and has provided support to others. Smith also has a number of employees and businesses to do with farm machinery as well as 40 cattle, which he cares for and he is the only one who can handle them. While he has two previous convictions for criminal damage, she said these were 13 years ago.

He was also previously cautioned for assault against the same complainant. Sentencing Smith, Judge Simon Carr described the circumstances of the case as being "truly terrifying". He said: "On the day in question, you had been drinking, she realised immediately that your behaviour was a risk.

She felt so at risk that she hid under the bed in an attempt to avoid you. "You ripped up the bed and dragged her by her hair. You then subjected her to a lengthy assault.

The bruises on her show she was hit repeatedly. The most chilling thing is that you pulled out her teeth. That would have caused her agony.

Your reaction was not to seek medical attention but to put her in the shower and rinse out her mouth." Judge Carr said the victim was so frightened by Smith that it took her four days to get medical attention. He added that he understands that the physical and psychological impact on her will be lifelong.

While Judge Carr said he has seen statements that show Smith in "a completely different light" from the assault, he was concerned about his previous attempted assault on the same complainant. He also said Smith attempted to minimise his involvement by saying he removed her teeth accidentally. "Given the ferocity of the assault and the nature of injuries, this case is so serious that only immediate custodial sentence is appropriate," Judge Carr said.

Smith was sentenced to 12 months in prison and will serve half before being eligible for release on licence. He was also subject to a restraining order for 10 years and must pay the GBP5,000 compensation he offered to the complainant for her dental treatment. Salil Korambayil

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A former Royal Cornwall Hospital[29] surgeon accessed patient records to get more information about women he was romantically interested in before going on to rape one of them, a court has heard. Salil Korambayil, 32, who is currently serving a prison sentence for raping two women, having been found guilty in December 2023, has been sentenced to more jail time over other offences. It's after he accessed patient records without authorisation while working for the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS[30] Trust.

Korambayil, of HMP The Verne in Dorset, formerly of Red Hill in Surrey, appeared at Truro Crown Court in December for sentence having been convicted by a jury of three rapes. Reporting restrictions put in place at the time mean that case couldn't be reported until later.[31][32] The previous charges related to two incidents, one in Truro in March 2021, and one in Barnstaple, Devon, in August 2020.

The full story from the sentencing over the rapes can be read, here.[33] Korambayil, however, appeared again on August 20 at Truro Crown Court[34] from prison where he pleaded guilty to one count of securing unauthorised access to computerised material and one of unlawfully obtaining personal data. It heard he accessed data he should not have while in a position of trust between January 26, 2020 and April 1, 2020, while working at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple.

He also accessed the personal data of numerous patients between October 1, 2019, and October 31, 2020. The court heard how he accessed data such as telephone numbers, email addresses and addresses of various patients including women he had been flirting and engaging with on social media. He went on to rape one of the women whose data he had accessed without authorisation or permission.

He also accessed the details of male colleagues and used this to argue that he was not accessing the data to further his advances on the female victims. He was employed by the Devon-based trust as a junior surgeon at the time.In his sentencing remarks, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said: "Anybody who is told that someone they didn't know had accessed their medical files would feel nothing other than horror and violation, the words used by the victims in this case." He said Korambayil gained access to people's records to pursue advances on people he was romantically interested in and to gain further information about them such as their addresses and telephone numbers.

He, however, accepted that in some instances it was more "curiosity", such as in the case of gaining male colleague's telephone numbers. "An aggravating feature in this case that can not be overstated is that it is regard to count five that the person whose account and records you had been accessing went on to be raped by you." Korambayil was sentenced to a further 12 months imprisonment.

David Brown

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A violent and prolific sex offender could die in prison after he forced his way into a woman's house and tried to rape and suffocate her. David Brown aka Walker, 71, targeted a complete stranger at her home in Cornwall[35].

He knocked on her front door and when she opened it, thinking he was delivering a parcel, he forced his way inside and began his attack armed with what the judge described as a "rape kit". She tried to retreat to her back door and screamed out until he put his hand over her face to silence her in March of this year. Brown, of no fixed abode but from the Helston[36] area, appeared at Truro Crown Court[37] for sentence on Thursday, August 22, having been convicted of false imprisonment with intent to commit a sexual offence and suffocation following a two-day trial held last month.

Prosecutor Jason Beal described how Brown has a long history of similar offending spanning back to when he was aged 19 including assaults, sexual offences and attempted rapes on women and one instance of sexual activity with a child under 16. Representing Brown, Rupert Taylor said: "For him, now a man of 71, he has a terrible record and a terrible background. It is fair to say with the exception of his childhood he has always lived an unstable and unhappy life."

He said Brown, also known by the name Walker, understood he would require "a substantial sentence" but told the judge it was an "attempt" rather than an actual rape. He said Brown is also of ill health. Sentencing Brown, Judge Simon Carr said the nature of the offence did not pass the threshold for life imprisonment although he had considered it. "I make it clear having heard the trial that I am satisfied to a criminal standard that, but for the intervention of the neighbour, at the very least there would have been an assault by penetration and very likely a rape," he said.

He told the defendant in his remarks "you are and have been since you were 19 a dangerous and violent sexual predator. You have picked on women at various times, often in their home, to attack them sexually against their will." He called it a "pattern", saying it was only the neighbour's intervention that "undoubtedly saved her from a serious assault". "You have shown [no] remorse or empathy for what you did.

I don't think you are capable of it." He added: "The effect upon the victim has been devastating. She lives alone and in permanent fear of someone like you coming to her house again." Brown was jailed for 21 years and will serve a minimum of 13.

Detective Constable Julian Evans, who led the investigation, said: "The sentence of David Brown reflects the severity of his crime. This outcome has been a massive team effort with the victim's welfare at the heart of the investigation. This was an isolated incident and Devon[38] and Cornwall remains a safe place to live and visit."

Luke Cowling

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A paedophile from Cornwall[39] has been jailed after planning to meet and rape a seven-year-old girl. Luke Cowling, 27, and was caught by an undercover officer who was operating a fake account online. Truro Crown Court[40] heard how the National Crime Agency (NCA) informed Devon and Cornwall Police[41] in August 2021 that a KiK website account linked to Cowling had uploaded a Category A indecent video of a child to the internet.

They were contacted again by the Metropolitan Regional Organised Crime Unit[42] after he engaged with an adult profile online expressing a sexual interest in children. Cowling discussed meeting the profile to rape the person's seven-year-old daughter. However, the profile was being operated by an undercover police officer.

Devon and Cornwall Police then carried out a warrant at Cowling's home in Launceston and seized a number of devices. It was revealed that he was in communication with a convicted paedophile in Merseyside who has since been jailed. The pair exchanged tens of thousands of messages.

Cowling even got the other paedophile to produce a contract acknowledging that he was a paedophile and that Cowling was his master. After being arrested, he admitted having a sexual interest in children. Cowling, of Tavistock Road, Launceston[43], appeared in court in Truro[44] on Friday, August 23, having previously pleaded guilty to distribution of indecent photographs of a child, making indecent photographs of children, attempting to arrange/facilitate the sexual abuse of children and causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of children.

He was jailed for nine years for attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, causing the sexual exploitation of children, and making and distributing indecent photographs of children. Cowling was also made subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders' register for life. Officer in the case Sophie House said: "This was a complex police investigation which incorporated work from both the D&C Paedophile Online Investigation Team, The Merseyside Paedophile Online Investigation Team, the National Crime Agency, and the Metropolitan Regional Organised Crime Unit.

"We welcome today's sentence and hope this conviction serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view of consent and the wider implications of child sexual abuse material. Cowling and the other individual's relationship was a true meeting of wicked minds, in addition to Cowling's entrenched sexual interest in child sexual abuse material. "We will never stop investigating online offences in order to safeguard children and protect the public from those who would seek to hurt children.

"By possessing child sexual abuse material, even if you are not the one committing the abuse, you are nevertheless contributing to the sexual exploitation of a child somewhere in the world. For those tempted to engage in this type of behaviour, our message is simple: we are watching you, you will be caught, and you can expect a knock at the door from us." Donald Van Male

-Credit:Devon & Cornwall Police

A convicted child sex offender has been sent to jail for the second time for assaulting a girl in Devon more than 30 years ago. Donald Van Male has been locked up for five years and four months at Exeter[45] Crown Court. The defendant, aged 76, from Launceston in Cornwall, was found guilty of six charges of indecent assault by a jury after a trial earlier this month.

The trial was told the victim was aged 12 and 13 when she was assaulted by Van Male in Okehampton[46]. He denied wrongdoing but the judge said the victim's account of being touched under her clothing by him was "entirely consistent" with the allegations. She said in a victim statement read in court: "I am grateful for the court verdict and feel I have been believed." It is the second time Van Male has been sent to prison.

He was caged in 2019 for sexually abusing another girl. The latest allegations came to light in 2016 when the victim told police what had happened when she was a child. She said in her statement that Van Male's actions had "ruined my life".

She finds it difficult to trust men and endured flashbacks as the trial approached. Judge James Adkin was told Van Male has shown no remorse and does not accept the offences. The case has taken several years to come to court and he doesn't present a danger to the public.

Van Male, a former serviceman, is not in the best of health and attended the trial with a walking stick and was short of breath. Judge Adkin said the law and sentencing had changed since the offences were committed. Today, the equivalent offences would be sexual assault on a child under 13, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He said Van Male could have avoided delays in the case if he had admitted them and the evidence he gave was "incompatible" with what really happened. Van Male, of St Clether, will serve half of his sentence behind bars. He was made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for 20 years and will remain on the sex offender register for life.

Judge Adkin commented on Van Male's previous conviction in 2019[47]. He said it proved his course of conduct was not a one-off. That previous case came after police found photographs of the girl at his house with her face cut out.

Truro Crown Court heard there was nothing untoward about the pictures - he said it was surrealist art. But he admitted he had become obsessed by her. He touched the girl between her legs inside and over her clothing.

September

Haydn Williams and Ryan Cook

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

Two armed robbers who terrorised a woman in her own home by putting knives to her throat are to serve longer inside after their original prison sentence was deemed too lenient. Haydn Williams and Ryan Cook burst into the woman's home in Bodmin[48] during an attack in September 2022 and threatened the occupant and a female friend, leaving them both terrified. One of the women in the house received a knife wound to her finger as she fought back.

Homeless Williams and Cook appeared at Truro Crown Court[49] on February 21, 2023. to be sentenced for the aggravated burglary[50]. Both men also pleaded guilty to possession of knives on previous occasions. Prosecuting the case, Felicity Payne said the victim was at home with her friend.

She heard a knock on the door and opened it to Williams, who she knew. He had previously told her he did not have enough money for food so she had kindly told him she would get a few cans of food together for him. Ms Payne told the court at the time how there were brief pleasantries before the victim picked up the bag of food placed by the door.

Unknown to her Cook was hiding nearby and the two men then forced their way into her home.

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police They pushed her back into the hallway, pinned her to the wall and at least one knife was held to her throat. Cook made demands for money and neighbours could hear her screaming.

Her friend then appeared in the hallway and grabbed the knife by the blade and pulled it away from the victim's face, sustaining a cut in the process. This brave act allowed the primary victim to push the knife away and headbutt Williams as she screamed. Ms Payne said: "The two women fighting back and the door being opened spooked the defendants." The main victim then punched Cook "before both men fled with knives still in hand".

Cook and Williams were eventually arrested. After pleading guilty they were sentenced to six years and a month and five years and six months respectively. However it can now be revealed that the pair will serve longer prison sentences after an appeal was made to the Attorney General's Office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme.

Anyone can make such an appeal if they think a prison sentence is not harsh enough. Outcomes of unduly lenient sentence referrals (appeals have to be made within 28 days a sentence being passed) are published every week by the Attorney General's Office. The result comes in the shape of a spreadsheet with the initials of the offenders, the court which passed the sentence along with the date of the sentencing, what the offence was and the outcome of the decision.

The appeal was successful meaning Cook and Williams' sentenced have now been revised up. They will now serve eight years and seven months' imprisonment and eight years and one month imprisonment respectively. Nicholas Harford

-Credit:unkown

A man who lied to his partner about his name despite being legally obliged to share it has been jailed. Nicholas Harford, 38, who is on the sex offenders register, told his partner his name was Nicholas Pengarrow and she did not discover he was a registered sex offender until she saw a post about him on social media. Harford, of no fixed abode, appeared at Truro[51] Crown Court on September 17 charged with five counts of failure to comply with notification requirements as a registered sex offender.

These included failure to notify the police of a change of address within three days of the change, failure to notify police of a new bank card within three days of acquiring one, failure to notify police of being of 'no fixed abode' within seven days of his previous notification, failure to notify of his alias, 'Nicholas Pengarrow', and failure to notify an address to the police that he stayed for more than seven days in a 12 month period. Harford pleaded guilty to four of the five counts and not guilty to count three - failure to notify police of being of 'no fixed abode' within seven days of his previous notification. In sentencing Harford, Recorder Richard Stead agreed that this count will lie on file.

Prosecuting the case, Laura D'Alessandro told the court how Harford has been a registered sex offender and subject to these notification requirements since a conviction in 2019. She said he had notified police on April 22, 2024 that his new address was the Mounts Bay Inn in Mullion. Harford had a meeting with a police officer in a public place because he refused the officer's entry to his address.

Ms D'Alessandro said the officer wanted to provide a verbal explanation to him about the requirement to notify police of a change in his address but Harford said he did not need it as he was already aware of it. However, the owner of the Mounts Bay Inn later told police that Harford had collected his belongings and left the address on July 17 but failed to notify police until July 30. Ms D'Alessandro said his whereabouts had been unknown for a period of two weeks.

She added that Harford started a relationship with a woman on May 11, 2024 and told her his surname was 'Pengarrow'. She remained unaware of his true surname and his status as a sex offender until she saw a post about him on social media. Ms D'Alessandro told the court that Harford has a "history of disobedience of court orders", adding that his previous failure to comply with notification requirements was on July 11, 2023[52].

At the time, he had been in a relationship with a woman and spent a significant amount of time with her, including sometimes taking her children to school with her. He also stayed overnight on eight occasions, in addition to spending time at the property throughout the day. Part of Harford's notification requirements are that he must also notify police if he resides or stays for more than 12 hours at a place where under-18s reside or stay, with or without an adult, which he failed to do.

As a result, he was found guilty at a trial and imprisoned for 26 weeks. Defending Harford, Ramsay Quaife said that Harford's recent breaches have been minor and while he had been a day late to notify police of a change in his address, he did not have an address to notify them of. He added that Harford handed himself into police on August 13, 2024, and pleaded guilty to the breaches at the earliest opportunity.

In sentencing, Recorder Stead said Harford has "a string of previous convictions", including some that involve failing to comply with notification requirements. He added: "These all demonstrate you have a certain contempt for court orders which you feel you don't need to comply with". Recorder Stead said Harford has "shown a deliberate failure to comply", despite previously telling the police that he is well aware of the requirements.

While individually, each of these breaches don't seem to produce a risk, collectively they do, Recorder Stead added. He said the offences required an inevitable immediate custodial sentence and told Harford that he has a "duty to ensure you don't come back to court faced with these charges". Harford was sentenced to 27 weeks imprisonment for each count to run concurrently.

Sam Box A boy racer who killed his girlfriend with a dangerous manoeuvre under difficult driving conditions has been jailed. Sam Box was driving in a convoy with friends at a speed not suitable for the conditions, as the roads were wet and there was heavy fog.

He tried to overtake and lost control of his heavily modified Nissan 200SX and crashed into a bank at Crimp near Bude[53]. His car was seen flying in the air before being up-ended and falling back down on its roof and sliding across the single carriageway. The 25-year-old from Penstowe Road, Kilkhampton, received minor injuries in the collision on April 28, 2023[54], but his girlfriend, Briony-Storm Watkins, who was 24 at the time, received fatal head and chest injuries and her vocal box was crushed.

Despite CPR from friends, local residents and paramedics, and advanced care from staff at Derriford Hospital, she never regained consciousness and was declared deceased later that evening. It was heard that on the day of her memorial service, Box, who pleaded guilty at magistrates' court and appeared at Truro Crown Court[55] on September 20 for sentencing, having pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, was at a car show. Briony was described in court by her mum and sister as a "beautiful and generous young woman who was calm, gentle and selfless".

Her generosity being best demonstrated by the care she provided to her mother. Briony was also known for her love of nature, especially bees. The court was told how she had a talent for singing and would fill silences at the family home she shared with her mum in Pendeen with her beautiful singing.

In a victim impact statement, Briony's mum Janine said her life and that of Briony's sister had been destroyed forever. She said she no longer cares about anything as the void left by Briony's death is too much to bear. She added: "All I see now is Briony hitting the dashboard.

I have lost my zest in life. Everything is just too much. I have retreated into a shell and I don't care about anything.

My life has stopped. "Briony was my rock. We went through a lot together.

When I felt down she just knew and would turn up to do anything that needed doing or just to keep me company. Briony used to fill our house with her beautiful voice. Now the silence is deafening."

She said Box had been at a car rally in Exeter mere days after Briony's death even though her family was holding a memorial for her. In her victim impact statement she added: "He replaced his car so quickly. When we held a remembrance for Briony he was at a car show in Exeter.

He has shown no remorse. That's unforgivable." Emily Cook, prosecuting, told the court how that evening a group of friends travelled from Kilkhampton to Woolsery Milk near Bideford for what they described as a "milkshakes and crimes".

A video produced in court showed Box doing drifts around a roundabout on the way up from Cornwall, which was described by His Honour Judge Stephen Climie as proof enough that his driving was the opposite of safe from a so-called "experienced driver", especially when he had received a ticking off from a police officer a few months earlier for speeding. The court was told that Box and his friends were car enthusiasts and his Nissan 200SX had received several modifications including racing bucket seats, alloy wheels and a turbocharger. The two passenger seats at the back had been removed and so had the airbags for both the driver and passenger, which the court was told would have made the car more dangerous in the event of a crash.

Ms Cook said Box's car may have passed a recent MOT, was insured and the modifications had been notified to the insurance company, but advisory comments from the MOT garage had indicated that another drive shaft was needed and should be repaired as soon as possible while the brakes pipes showed some corrosion. In statements, several eyewitnesses said that Box had been driving too fast for the road conditions. There was thick fog and the road was wet.

While the speed limit was 60mph in normal circumstances, a lorry, taxi and VW car drivers all said they drove at 40mph or lower as it was very difficult to see further in front. However, CCTV cameras from a nearby industrial estate helped investigators establish that Box had been driving at 60mph. He also overtook a car and went over a solid white line albeit the cat's eyes were damaged and the line was feinter than it should have been.

Defending Box, Bathsheba Cassel, told the court that the only reason he had not attended Briony's memorial was because he would not have been welcome there. She said he also only went to Newcastle to fetch a new car as it was on order from his boss at the garage where he worked. She said Box had shown great remorse.

Reading a letter from Box, she said: "Since that night my life has been turned upside down. The 'what if' questions in my head are upsetting me. It has taken its toll.

"Briony was a beautiful soul. Her family may never want to hear from me but I can't say enough how much I am sorry. I was so proud of Briony for the short time she was in my life.

We were excited to get to know each other better. I understand the severity of the accident and take responsibility for it. I wish I could turn back the time and change so much.

What happened that day has been haunting me since." Sentencing Box to seven years and six months in prison, Judge Climie told Box he did not accept that his behaviour had been that of an experienced driver, adding he had been driving irresponsibly. He said: "Briony Watkins was 24.

She has been described as beautiful, calm, gentle and selfless. Her generosity is best demonstrated by her caring nature including that she provided to her mum. She was known for her talent for singing.

Now it's missed, how silence used to be broken by her singing now it has become interminable." Addressing Box he said: "You said you are an experienced driver. I reject that proposition completely.

You have some experience behind the wheel but the manoeuvres that took place on that fatal evening show that you are irresponsible and reckless." As well as a prison sentence, Box was also disqualified from driving for 10 years. After the sentencing hearing, serious collisions investigator, PC Sarah Harvey, said: "The sentence passed by Judge Climie shows the serious nature of this incident.

The manner of driving by Box resulted in the tragic loss of a young life that so easily could have been avoided. "Dangerous driving is any driving that falls far below that of a careful and competent driver, in essence if you wouldn't do it in a driving test then you shouldn't do it on the road. "Rule 125 of the Highway Code states "Driving at speeds too fast for the road and traffic conditions is dangerous.

Cutting the number of deaths and injuries that occur on our roads every day is a responsibility we all share." Percival John Harris

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A fraudster who "wheedled his way into a couple's affections and finances" stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from them - even after they died.

Bus driver Percival John Harris befriended Kathleen and Desmond Moyle in 2014 and was given power of attorney over Mrs Moyle's account in 2015, eventually pilfering more than GBP335,000 from his victim's accounts including GBP85,000 from a forged will. During a trial at Truro Crown Court[56] this summer it was heard how over a few years Harris forged his victims' signatures and took hundreds of thousands of pounds from the couple's accounts and, when they died, forged their wills so he got nearly everything. The 59-year-old was found guilty of two counts of fraud, one of perverting the course of justice and one each of forging the wills of both Kath and Desmond Moyle, from Falmouth.

He was found not guilty of two charges of conspiracy to make a false instrument. Attending court for sentencing on Thursday, September 11, it was heard how Harris had been in a position of power and how he abused such position of trust at a time when his victims were vulnerable. During the trial, the court was told how over five years Harris, who has three sons from a previous relationship and a daughter from another, received GBP335,481 from the Moyles' accounts as including GBP85,000 from a forged will.

A pattern of withdrawing money from the couple's account emerged and experts showed the jury during the trial how, through his power of attorney, Harris received large sums of money from the Moyles' accounts ranging from GBP20,000 to GBP50,000 and more than GBP60,000. it was also heard how Harris enlisted two Big Issue sellers to stand as his witnesses when he forged the signature of Mrs Moyle on a new fake will and even had them swear affidavits which were sent to the High Court of Justice in London and formed the basis of his conspiracy to pervert the course of justice charges. Jason Beal, defending, said cynics would only see Harris as a "greedy man who befriended two elderly people and wheedled his way into their affection and financial good books" but he insisted the bus driver had been a man of good character all his life and is now not a well-man, as he suffers from diabetes and liver disease and other health issues. he said Harris had also fought to raise his daughter when she risked being taken away by social service as a toddler and had raised her and three boys and all were a credit to him.

Sentencing Harris, of Turnaware Road, Falmouth[57], to five and half years in prison His Honour Judge Robert Linford said there was no doubt that Harris had been a good friend to the Moyles and the elderly couple had regarded him fondly. Their friendship even extended to them putting him in their will. As a result Harris would have received 25 per cent of the value of the estate left when the last of them died.

Judge Linford said more than GBP350,000 have been fraudulently obtained from the Moyles before and after their death. He added: "You were not happy with that arrangement. You saw and took an opportunity to take more than they wanted to give you.

Your dishonesty started before the Moyles died. "You have no previous conviction. you have led a hardworking life. You fought for your daughter and brought her up.

Your three sons are also a credit to you and so many people during this trial have spoken highly of the relationship you had with the Moyles. You did much for them. I also note your poor health."

He added: "Your power of attorney over their estate meant you were obliged to safeguard their interests but instead you milked their bank accounts." Investigating officer, Detective Constable Isabelle Woodall, said: "A five-year investigation has concluded today with the sentencing of a man who was prepared to exploit the most vulnerable in society for his own financial gain. The victims in this case had no children and lived remotely, had no way of knowing that the man that they believed to be a devoted friend, was motivated by greed.

"Having identified their vulnerabilities and earned their trust Harris contrived to siphon off their assets, netting what remained following their deaths, despite safeguarding measures which should have protected them." DC Woodall added: "His endeavours to avoid justice saw no hesitation on Mr Harris's part to publicly insult the victims' families and allow another vulnerable person to face the possibility of conviction for his unwitting part in Mr Harris's deception. "The victims' families are private people who have found the publicity surrounding this case distressing.

Their patience and unwavering support has been commendable. "It is with sincere thanks to the family, including Mr Alan Tucker who sadly didn't live to see the conclusion, that this matter has come to light so it may raise awareness and the profile of this exploitative crime." If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org[58] to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system.

You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police[59]'s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900. Ben Haymes

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A sick pervert, who befriended a couple to sexually touch their little boy, gloated about his twisted sexual preferences for children and even for dogs.

Ben Haymes was arrested at a lodge in Upton Cross, Upton, near Bude[60] after an arrest warrant was executed by Devon and Cornwall police[61] following information received that an indecent image of children had been uploaded from an anonymous website. Police officers arrived at the property and discovered a disgusting collection of images and videos involving children on his smartphone. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[62] on Friday September 20, it was heard how Haymes had filmed himself rubbing the groin area of a toddler.

Haymes also sent that video to another person, gloating about his sexual interest in young children and what he intended to do to the little boy. Ramsay Quaife, prosecuting, told the court how further analysis of Haymes' phone following the raid back in July 2019, showed 477 category A indecent images of children including a film, 632 stills and two videos of category B indecent images of children and a further 307 category C images. Category A is the most severe and includes rape and bestiality acts.

Hayes, who faced 13 charges including possession, making and showing indecent images, sexual touching of a child under 13 as well charges relating to pornographic images of the most extreme nature and voyeurism, pleaded guilty to the lot when he appeared before Magistrates' Court earlier this year. The court was told that some of the extreme pornographic images in Haymes' possession including himself having sex, including oral sex with a dog. He also discussed with other perverts how he had a preference for brutal violent sex on children.

The charge of voyeurism relates to him filming a six-year-old toddler sitting on the toilet from over the top of the next cubicle. A victim impact statement from the toddler's parents was read out in court and read: "We're heart broken and betrayed." Bathsheba Cassel, defending, said Haymes had expressed remorse for his actions and had not tried to shy away from his actions or tried to blame others.

She said Haymes had come from a difficult background and had suffered from sexual abuse and neglect himself. She told the court that it had been five years since Haymes had been arrested and the delay had meant he had had to live all that time knowing his day in court would one day come, and "had lost everything in that time". His Honour Judge Stephen Climie said Haymes may have been a man of previously good character but this was "eclipsed by the offending in this case".

He said Haymes' sexual predilection for children then and still probably now, made him a danger to society and a "significant risk" to others in the future. Judge Climie added: "Befriending others and taking advantage of their children is most certainly an aggravating factor in this case." Haymes was sentenced to four years and four months in prison plus an additional four years on licence.

He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. Officers in the case DC Charlotte Norris said: "I welcome the sentence issued to Ben Haymes after a lengthy complex investigation. I praise the family of the victim for putting their faith in the police Investigation and acting with dignity throughout.

"Ben Haymes is a dangerous sex offender who was in possession of horrendous child abuse images of young children and spoke freely about his desires. "I hope this case sends out a strong message to those committing child sex offences and viewing child abuse material that we will find them and bring them to justice." Jon Turner

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A man was nearly killed by an alcoholic whose life spiralled out of control when he tried to protect a group of teens at a bus stop. The local resident had witnessed a scuffle and argument taking place outside the bus stop in Beatrice Terrace, Hayle[63], and came out to confront the aggressor after a teenage boy aged 14 was pushed. Jon Turner, 33, had got onto an incoming bus but decided to step back off and launched an assault on the man who confronted him.

Not only did he punch him but when the Good Samaritan man fell to the ground, Turner stamped on and kicked him in the head. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[64] on Tuesda,y September 24, in connection with a charge of GBH with intent which he pleaded guilty to, it was heard how the man who had tried to protect the teens from Turner, on May 9 this year at around 4.30pm, received very serious injuries including a fractured skull around the eye socket, a fractured jaw, three broken ribs and a collapsed lung. The man made a full recovery.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr told Turner that had it not been for the amazing medical help and care his victim had received at the Royal Cornwall Hospital[65] in Truro[66], his victim would no doubt have died. The hearing was told how when he was arrested Turner at first could not recall landing any blows. In his defence his barrister said his life went down hill when he lost his job in 2022.

Turner's barrister said: "Up to October 2022 all was well in this man's world. He was in a stable relationship. He just had a son and he was in work.

He had an accident at work which stopped him from working long term and he spiralled into an alcoholic depression that reached an all time low on that day in May." His barrister said Turner had spent the last four months at Exeter Prison and had made progress with his alcoholism and had become a more stable man who has work and his being treated for his anxiety and also has a prospect of employment once out of jail. Judge Carr told Turner he was an alcoholic and needed to stay clear of any booze for the rest of his life, adding: "You got into a verbal dispute with a group of teenagers.

Your victim intervened to protect a child from an aggressive drunk. The matters were caught on CCTV. "You got back off the bus to confront him.

Blows were bad enough but you stamped and kicked him in the head leaving him unconscious. His injuries were so serious he had a collapsed lung. He would have died without professional help.

You have accepted your alcoholism and have been addressing it in prison. "You can't drink again. You need to be abstinent for the rest of your life." Turner was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.

Peter Bunney

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A man from Cornwall has been jailed for 25 years and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life after being convicted after a trial of a catalogue of rapes and sexual offences against five children. Peter Bunney, 46, of no fixed abode but who has had links to the Truro[67], Redruth[68] and Camborne[69] areas, appeared at Truro Crown Court[70] for sentence before Judge Simon Carr on Friday, September 27.

At his trial at the same court a jury found Bunney guilty of two indecent assaults on a child, five sexual assaults by penetration on a child under 13, seven rapes of a child under 13, rape, two sexual assaults of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child. During the trial the court heard how Bunney's offending was first investigated in 2006 after two children reported how they had been touched sexually by Bunney. Bunney also made the children touch him sexually.

The allegation was investigated but there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution at that time. The court heard how in 2020 police were contacted by two parents reporting the historical rape of their daughter by Bunney. The victim spoke to officers and described how she was sexually abused numerous times by Bunney.

This included sexual touching and rape, with Bunney saying he would pay the victim if she let him do it again. Following this victim's report another woman was spoken to by police and disclosed an incident of sexual touching from Bunney when she was a child. Officers then spoke to a further complainant who spoke of how when she was around eight years old Bunney exposed himself in front of her which resulted in Bunney being confronted.

As a result of the 2020 investigation against Bunney, the victims who had reported being abused by him in 2006 were approached and again provided an account of what had happened. One of the girls added that Bunney raped her on several occasions. Another victim was further identified when Bunney showed officers indecent images of children on his phone.

She was approached and said that in 2019, Bunney abused her in a swimming pool changing room. Following further disclosure and investigation, Bunney was charged with two further offences of rape of a child under 13 and sexual assault by penetration. One of Bunney's brave victims stood up in court and read a statement in which she explained the profound effects the abuse she received at the hands of Bunney had had on her.

She told the court how she never thought she'd see the day when Bunney would finally be sent to prison and his victims finally received the justice they deserve. She added: "I have attempted to take my own life once to end the pain and suffering. My scars on my skin reflect the journey I have been on."

Addressing Bunney she added: "I have been so incredibly angry over the years. How is it that for so many years you've led a normal life and that I've been hurting and that it has taken such a long time to come to this. There can never be forgiveness for what you put me through."

Defending Bunney, Ryan Murray, said nothing he could ever say would take away what Bunney has done, adding that the people named on the indictment are the victims, not Bunney. He said Bunney sexually abused these girls and they were telling the truth for which there is no greater validation than the guilty verdict Bunney received. Mr Murray said that while Bunney did not have the courage to admit his offences, he at least had the courage to come to court to face his victims and the lengthy prison sentence he would no doubt receive.

He added: "He's a socially isolated individual who has operated on the greater margins of society. His first memory of life was not a happy one when his head was banged into a table and he was bullied. He couldn't read or write properly until he was a teen.

With no formal education[71] his options in life were limited. He shattered his ankle in an industrial accident in 2003 when he fell 18ft which left him with physical and mental limitations." Mr Murray added that when Bunney's newborn son died in his arms not yet a day old, "his life fell into the abyss", and that his current partner and their child would now be left with little support as he is sent to prison.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr described Bunney as an "entrenched sexual predator who targeted very young girls and sexually abused them for his own gratification for many years". He added: "Your abuse could have been stopped much earlier in 2006 but that led to no further action being taken. As a result you continued your abuse so confidently that you thought you'd never be charged or convicted."

Judge Carr sentenced Bunney to 25 years in prison. After the hearing DC Heather Tippett, the officer in the case, said: "I welcome the sentence issued today to Peter Bunney, after a four-year complex investigation. "I have nothing but admiration for the victims in this case, as without their courage, strength, dignity and continued engagement throughout this investigation, we would not have been able to achieve this result.

"I hope this case demonstrates how seriously the police take this type of offending and sends a strong message to those committing such horrific offences against children, the result of which leaves a profound and lasting effect on its victims."

October

Kyle Griffin

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police An immature, violent and controlling boyfriend beat up his ex-girlfriend and threw a shoe so hard at her that she needed 14 stitches to her face and was left scarred for life. As soon as Kyle Griffin moved into his victim's caravan with her his behaviour changed and he became overbearing, coercive and controlling to the point that she became increasingly scared for her safety.

A sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[72] on Monday, October 14, heard how on March 4 this year, the 21-year-old came in drunk and became aggressive towards her. During the incident his victim became so scared she reached for a knife to try to defend herself. The court was told how Griffin, a dad-of-three, strangled his victim, threw her around inside her caravan, punched her to the face and even bit her on the stomach.

Griffin then grabbed a large shoe and threw it in her face causing a serious injury above her right eye which had to be closed up with 14 stitches. The court was told that when she called 999, Griffin also called the police, made up a story that he and his girlfriend had been attacked by three aggressors and coerced her to say she had been hit on the head with a baseball bat by them. Devon and Cornwall Police[73] launched a door-to-door inquiry into the allegations, carried out searches of the area and looked at CCTV footage, but after a week concluded there was no evidence of such an attack.

It was then that Griffin's victim told the police what really happened. Griffin was charged with one count of intentional strangulation, assaulting his victim causing actual bodily harm, engaging in a coercive behaviour and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Half way through his trial at Truro[74] Crown Court last month, even after his victim sat in the witness box to give evidence and was forced through a cross-examination by his solicitor, and when it was Griffin's turn to be questioned, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on all counts.

In a victim personal impact statement read out in court, the woman described how the attack had left her traumatised and terrified. She said she often wakes up screaming in terror, finds it difficult to sleep and has lost her appetite. She said: "I have nightmares.

All I see is his face everywhere. I'm mentally and physically exhausted all the time. My mental health has suffered.

I don't go out any more and struggle to see my friends. I no longer trust people. I try to blackout what happened from my head but I can't.

"I lock the doors and windows because I'm scared that he will come back. He almost killed me last time. He manipulated me and I worry it will happen again and again.

I carry what happened every day. I'm never going to get over it. What he did to me will never go away."

The court was told that the incident in March happened while Griffin was serving a suspended prison sentence for breaching court orders in connection with other incidents in Lancashire and for assaulting a police officer. He had moved from Bolton Street in Blackpool to the St Austell[75] area in February this year to be with his girlfriend, the victim. In mitigation, his lawyer Ryan Murray said Griffin had had an awful childhood, in and out of the care system, with no father role model and was exposed to domestic violence inflicted by his dad on his mum from an early age.

Mr Murray said: "This no sob story. He has become the product of his environment. He lacks social, mental and cognitive maturity.

He is immature. He lost his uncle before Christmas[76], who had assumed the role of father figure, and lost the sense of stability that he provided in his life. That emotional baggage created the perfect storm.

"He realises that unless he amends his ways he will not see his children in adult life. He has learnt his lesson. He wants to change his ways."

Recorder Andrew Oldland, KC, told Griffin: "You are 21 with some relevant previous convictions including assault and a breach of a community order and assaulting an emergency worker for which you received a suspended sentence. "You have a tendency to violence especially when in drink. You have had a disjointed upbringing in and out of care with no positive role model to guide you as you grew up.

You are immature and impulsive. But you have had a more positive outlook while on remand." Griffin was sentenced to three years and eight month in prison including one month for breaching a previous court order and suspended sentence.

A restraining order is also in place not to contact his victim. Revan Wilde

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police An elective mute with an "entrenched" sexual interest in children has been jailed once again after using a VPN and accessing sites he shouldn't have.

Revan Wilde, AKA Kyle Clarke-Brown, is a known paedophile who does not communicate verbally during court hearings. Wilde, 22, appeared by video link from Exeter HMP in Truro[77] Crown Court on Tuesday, October 15. Nodding to confirm his identity and using a notepad and pen to communicate, he pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order.

The paedophile, of no fixed abode, in Camborne[78], breached his licence conditions after he was released from prison in August. That release followed a conviction earlier this year during which the court heard about his nappy and 'furry' fetishes. At that time, he pleaded guilty to failing to comply with his requirements as a sex offender and three charges of making indecent images of children[79].

He was sentenced to 72 weeks imprisonment. The court heard how, soon after his release, between September 12 and 19, he used a VPN which his conditions prevented him from doing and accessed two sites without seeking permission from his police ViSOR officer first. An officer had gone over the conditions with him in person line by line on September 3.

Prosecuting the case, Ed Bailey said a sexual harm prevention order was put in place for a period of ten years following the defendant's earlier conviction. He explained there were 15 conditions including that Wilde was not allowed to use, install or download any software or program which enabled him to browse the internet with anonymity, like a VPN. It also prevented him from accessing or using any social media, chat site or online forum unless approved before such use and unless the defendant provided his username to his officer.

While the defendant had requested access to some sites, he had not requested access to the ones relating to the breaches. Defending Wilde, Ryan Murray tried to argue that the VPN used was to shield the defendant's personal data and provide a layer of protection instead of hiding the defendant's IP address or physical location, to which the judge said the "only purpose" of a VPN can be to make it more difficult for people to follow his internet activity. Of the site used, Mr Murray said it was a site where people upload artwork and that Wilde had not introduced himself or gone to use the site intentionally.

He said he had simply browsed the content having accidentally clicked a link on Twitter[80], which he was granted permission to use. He said the risk posed was "very little" given he did not have a profile although Wilde had viewed a drawn image of two young children in pants. Sentencing Wilde, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said: "You have a poor history of compliance with sexual harm prevention orders and most recently you have been convicted of downloading child abuse images.

You have an entrenched interest in child sexual activity and the orders and sentences that are passed reflect that. "You are a high risk to those who you contact and within five or six weeks of your release on licence you were arrested for these offences." He sentenced Wilde to 12 months imprisonment. Daniel Monteiro Simoes

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A violent drinker attacked a stranger with a pint glass after being told to 'relax'. Daniel Monteiro Simoes, 34, was at the Mason Arms pub in Bodmin[81] when he met his victim. The pair exchanged words in the toilet and became heated.

Simoes was urged to calm down and he left, only to return with an empty pint glass which he used to attack his victim. Appearing at Truro[82] Crown Court, Simoes was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. The court heard that his victim was left with severe injuries and was lucky to not lose an eye.

After the attack in November 2022, Simoes' victim started bleeding profusely from his face and went home to clean himself up. In the morning, having looked at the extent of his injuries in the mirror, he went to the hospital. Simoes' victim received substantial injuries and scarring to his face and below his eye.

Simoes was identified by his victim through Facebook[83] and was arrested and interviewed by police. Days later, Simoes was seen making a nuisance of himself brandishing a large knife in the street outside his home in Bodmin and was again arrested by police. The dad-of-two was charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place which he pleaded guilty to when he appeared before magistrates' court earlier this year.

Ryan Murray, defending, told a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[84] on Friday, September 4, how until 2020 when his mother, who had provided him with stability in his life died, Simoes had been a "productive member of society". He added: "He has expressed heartfelt remorse for his victim. He was drunk and reacted badly.

His victim was not someone he had any personal issues with but he had personal issues in the background that he was dealing with. He took to drinking and doing drugs to deal with his issues." Sentencing Simoes to four and a half years in prison, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said: "You had been drinking heavily.

You went to the toilet where there was some horseplay between two people who knew each other. Whether you were slighted or found it offensive, you got out and took hold of a beer glass and went back into the toilets and smashed the glass into this man's face. "He will have scarring on his face for the rest of his life.

Every time he meets someone, or goes to a job interview he will be judged for scars that are entirely not his fault." Judge Carr added: "You have a record of violence and drinking-related other matters. You are an alcoholic.

You understand the harm you have caused to your victim, to your family you have left behind, but this was a serious offence."

November

James Greaves

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police Two teenagers have been sentenced after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of drugs to teenagers, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl who died from the effects. James Greaves, 19, previously of Basset Road, Camborne, but now of Hatt, near Saltash, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a young offenders' institution and Taylor Rowsell, 18, of Rosebery Road, Exmouth, was sentenced to two years when they appeared before His Honour Judge James Adkin at Exeter Crown Court on Monday, November 4.

At a crown court hearing in August, Greaves admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug, MDMA, between November 23 and December 3, 2022. Rowsell admitted the same charge when he appeared at Exeter Magistrates' Court in June. The drug supply has been linked to the death of Exmouth Community College student Lucy Hill, aged 16, who died on December 3, 2022.

The police investigation revealed to the court that Lucy had been among a group of young friends who had arranged and secured the illegal drugs through Rowsell, who in turn had obtained these through Greaves. Greaves had repurposed and repackaged MDMA into capsules and the two arranged and agreed how to transport the drugs to the group. The police found evidence that the two had met earlier on Friday 2 December at Newton Abbot railway station, where it is believed the MDMA capsules were handed over by Greaves to Rowsell.

The court heard that on that day, Lucy travelled from Exmouth for an evening out with the group of friends, where one of the friends had arranged to meet Rowsell in Exeter to buy the MDMA capsules. Each of the group took one or two capsules before attending an under-18s disco at the Move nightclub. Soon after the group took the capsules, Lucy became unwell, which led to an ambulance being called.

Officers were alerted by ambulance staff at around 12.30am on Saturday 3 December, about a concern for the welfare of a teenage girl after she had taken an unknown substance. Police were told later that she had died at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. An investigation was launched, and detectives found text messages between the two defendants on mobile phones relating to supplying MDMA.

In her victim personal statement, Debbie Hill, Lucy's mother, said: "The loss of Lucy has been devastating. To lose your daughter, that's just the most awful thing that could happen to anybody. I just wish I could have her back...

"Our lives have now completely changed forever. We've lost our beautiful little girl... It's just devastating for all of us; for Chloe, her sister, for her dad Chris.

What has happened has left the biggest hole in my heart that I know will never heal... "Lucy was the most kind and caring person, and so sweet natured. I cling on to the memories of her.

I will never be able to give her a hug again, never ask her how her day's been, how school was that day. Everything's just been taken away from us and I can never more be part of her life." Lucy's sister Chloe said in her victim personal statement: "No day gets any easier nor does the pain ever fade.

I would do anything to have Lucy back by my side. "Life is so hard without Lucy. I lost my best friend.

My heart aches and the loss never leaves my mind. I miss doing everything with you... "Every court date has been a hurdle in our journey of healing, a hurdle that takes us all back to the unforgivable night you both supplied the drug to Lucy.

Our lives have changed in ways you'll never feel because of the decisions you both chose to make; I now have to live a life without my little sister because of the path you both chose to take. "Not only have your actions and decisions taken Lucy away from this world but you've also robbed me of my life. A life without Lucy by my side."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Sally Johns, said: "The family of Lucy Hill have been devastated through Lucy's loss. Our Devon and Cornwall Police detectives have supported them throughout, conducting a protracted and thorough investigation to understand what led to Lucy's death." "Lucy was not a routine drug user, she was simply a young girl embarking on life, looking forward to the future ahead of her.

That evening an error of judgement in young minds, led to Lucy's future being cut so tragically short. This could be the case for anyone's child or young adult. "We have seen that these substances can kill many times, and this is another tragic case.

You don't know what illegal drugs contain or what reaction you may have to them - but it could be fatal. I urge anyone considering taking drugs to think twice and reconsider. "I also ask that parents have open and honest conversations with their children about the dangers of drugs, even if you think this does not apply to them.

Tell them about Lucy. Doing so may save the life of your son or daughter, someone's sister, brother or friend. "Anyone who gets involved in illegal drug dealing can expect the full attention of the police.

"Vital information to help understand the dangers and types of drugs is available on the Talk to Frank website." Benedict Everett

Convicted pervert Benedict Everett, 49, from Lamorna, sexually abused one his pupils when he gave music lessons in the Penzance area in 2000/2001 -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A convicted paedophile had indecent images of children and animal necrophilia, a court heard.

Benedict Everett, from Lamorna in west Cornwall, is currently serving a seven-year jail sentence at HMP Ashfield for sexually assaulting a minor [85]in the Penzance[86] area more than two decades ago. During his original sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[87] in August it was heard how the 49-year-old former music teacher took advantage of the girl. The court was told it was many years later that his victim was strong enough to come forward.

As a result, Everett was arrested in 2021 and made a full admission of his crimes to the police. In autumn 2022, other charges were brought against Everett after a police investigation led to the examination of his electronic devices. It was then discovered that he was in possession of more than 900 indecent images of children, including at least 280 category A images, which are of the most severe, 147 category B and 254 category C images, with the rest not having been categorised.

Among the material found on his devices were 103 extreme pornographic images including sexual acts with animals[88], some dead and some alive. Everett pleaded guilty at the magistrates' court in October to one count of possession of extreme pornography, three counts of making indecent images of children and one more charge of being in possession of 54 prohibited images of a child. He's now been banned from accessing the internet "until further notice" and has had one more year added to his prison sentence.

At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[89] on Thursday November 7, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said it would have been preferable for the case for which Everett was sent to prison and this one to have been brought before the courts at the same time. In mitigation, Everett's barrister said he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had not tried to "wriggle away from his responsibility and was prepared to face the music". Judge Carr said the latest offences were very serious involving extreme pornography and the possession of indecent images of children involving all categories and children of a very young age.

He said Everett had accessed Kick an app favoured by young people. For the indecent images of children charges, Everett received an additional year in prison on top of his current prison term, as well as sexual harm prevention order for life and a ban on accessing the internet until a further court order says otherwise. He remains on the sex offenders register for life.

Mark Moore

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A drug addict with a long list of convictions to his name stole a unique custom-made bike from a teenage boy just so he could feed his addiction. Mark Moore stole the bicycle from outside the B&M store in St Austell[90] after it had briefly been left by the gardening compost bags outside by a 14-year-old local lad who came into the store with a friend.

The 45-year-old from St George's Road in Newquay[91], now living in the Bodmin[92] area, spotted the bike, estimated to be worth GBP3,000 and designed by the lad's granddad with various parts, noticed that it was not padlocked and simply walked away with it so he could sell it to buy drugs. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[93] on November 7 it was heard how 10 days later on July 17, 2023, Moore, who has 45 convictions for 108 offences, also walked into the Tengo Cafe in Fore Street in St Austell, with a view to use the toilets on the first floor. However he walked into one of the rooms used by the cafe's owners as their own dwelling and stole a game console worth GBP164.

On the two occasions, Devon and Cornwall Police[94] were called and CCTV was used to identify Moore, who is well known to the police. The court was told that Moore, who is originally from the Leicestershire area, faced prison for a third-strike offence involving the burglary of a dwelling. A three-strikes law is a criminal law that mandates a lengthy prison sentence for a person convicted of a serious crime for the third time.

His defence barrister said the two offences had been spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment acquisitive offences after he relapsed into drug addiction. His barrister said he moved to Cornwall to get away from the Midlands and drug addiction and to rekindle a relationship with his biological children. He said Moore's offending had reduced from 2020 but picked up again last year when he started using drugs again adding that a short custodial sentence earlier this year in connection with a non-dwelling burglary had done him a world of good in kicking his drug habit.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr said: "This is a three-strike case. I note how you have worked hard to fight your drug addiction but there is a problem as your recent conviction for burglary reveals." Moore was sentenced to 876 days in prison which is two and a half years in jail. Neil Ellis

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A brass band leader groomed a young girl for years for his own sexual gratification and raped her, a court has heard. Neil Ellis started grooming his victim when she was a child and when she turned 15 his grooming became physical and led to sexual touching. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[95] on Thursday, November 7, it was heard that sexual assaults on his victim took place between November 11, 2002, and November 16, 2003, and resumed after Ellis, now 48, from Callington, was released from prison after he served a sentence for another sexual offence on a different child.

When she was 21, Ellis continued his controlling grooming behaviour and on one occasion between November 17, 2008, and November 16, 2009, he raped her in her home. The court was told that it took many years for Ellis' victim to find the strength and courage to report him as she feared that she would not be believed. In January 2022 she reported him to the police for the rape and sexual assaults when she was under 16.

He was arrested and later charged with two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16 and one count of rape on a woman aged 16 or over. Ellis pleaded guilty to the three charges at the earliest opportunity. In a victim impact statement read out in court, Ellis' victim said that what he did to her had affected her and would affect her for the rest of her life.

She said she constantly suffers from anxiety and finds it difficult and stressful to be around men, especially in positions of power. She told the court that in group situations she is constantly looking for where the exits are and worries someone will attack her. Ellis' victim told the court that she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adding: "The nightmares I have continue to be as real now as when this happened to me all these years ago.

It has a knock-on effect on my life. I suffer flashbacks that cause me to have panic attacks." She said that what happened to her had damaged her relationship with some friends and family as some people didn't believe her at the time.

In her statement, she also told the court that despite years of therapy and being in her 30s now, what Ellis subjected her to continues to have a dramatic impact on her life and will do so for many more years to come. Rupert Taylor, defending, said Ellis' victim had been vindicated by his guilty pleas and now people must believe she was telling the truth. He said that she had now thankfully been spared the trauma of having to relive it all by giving evidence in court and would now be enjoying a form of closure as Ellis is sent to prison.

Mr Taylor added: "Through me, he makes an abject apology. There is remorse to it. Many people try to lie or cheat their way out of justice, but not in this case.

No one is, however, defined by a single thing. Several letters have been received on his behalf showing him as a man of good character and a respected member of the community. He has been trying to lead a proper life for many years."

His Honour Judge Simon Carr said he wondered how many of those who wrote positive character reference letters on behalf of Ellis had known of his previous conviction when he committed a contact offence against a child. Sentencing Ellis to six years behind bars, Judge Carr said: "As a result of your grooming, after your sentence, you resumed contact with your victim until, in drink, you raped her in her own home. It took many years for your victim to feel strong enough to go to the police with her complaint.

"There was clear grooming and abuse of trust on your behalf. The effect this has had on her has been traumatic. Many decades on, she suffers each day as a result of it.

She has shown enormous strength to report it and to come here today. This is something that will live with her for the rest of her life." Ellis will also be on the sex offenders' register for life.

There is a restraining order against him not to contact his victim for 10 years as well as restrictions on having contact with young people for 10 years. John McKinney

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A fraudster used other people's names to obtain a passport and provisional driving licence, a court has heard.

John McKinney, 42, also stole mail with chequebooks while working as a Royal Mail postman to write himself cheques to "stay afloat" while struggling financially. McKinney, of The Glebe, Cubert, appeared at Truro[96] Crown Court for sentence, having pleaded guilty to a series of offences, including making a false statement to obtain a driving licence, possession of an identity document with intent to deceive, perverting the course of justice, theft of mail, theft of a Rolex watch, two frauds by false representation and two counts of making an untrue statement to procure a passport. Prosecuting the case, Tom Faulkner explained how in September 2015, McKinney applied for a passport using the name Mr Reece Warner and provided supporting documents alongside the application, which included a marriage certificate and a birth certificate.

The application was successful and a passport was sent to McKinney's address, which he later used to open bank accounts. However, a year later, following intelligence that the passport was fraudulent, it was cancelled. A victim impact statement read out on behalf of the real Reece Warner described how he found the whole experience to be "stressful and mentally draining" as he received debt collection letters and has had to attend passport interviews to prove his identity.

Mr Faulkner then told the court how in September 2019, McKinney applied for a provisional driving licence under the name Jack Brewer but supplied a picture of himself alongside it. McKinney then sat a driving test using the provisional and was subsequently given a driving licence under Mr Brewer's name. The court heard how a later investigation established that Hertz car rental company doesn't allow cars to be used for driving tests or given to those who have a provisional licence, and the only person who hired out the car that day was McKinney.

While McKinney was in possession of the driving licence under the name Jack Brewer, he primarily used it to avoid collecting penalty points in his own name. In August 2023, McKinney also used the fraudulent licence, along with bank statements he had set up with Mr Brewer's name, to obtain finance on a Volkswagen Golf, which was valued at just over GBP20,000. Mr Faulkner explained that at the time, the defendant was in some financial difficulty and he would not have been able to take out finance using his own name and documentation.

After successfully purchasing the car, McKinney set up policy insurance in his own name. In September 2023, McKinney was employed by the Royal Mail as a postman in Truro. Mr Faulkner told the court that the defendant was in a position of trust in this role but during that time, he stole a number of chequebooks from post which were all intended for elderly residents in that area.

Subsequently, a number of the elderly residents came forward to say they never received their chequebooks and reported that cheques were issued from their accounts. It was found that the corresponding amounts were deposited into the Jack Brewer bank account, which McKinney had set up and previously used. The fraudulent cheques made a combined total of just over GBP9,000.

A handwriting expert was able to establish there was strong evidence that a group of cheques were written by McKinney and he later pleaded guilty to writing them. Mr Faulkner said the most recent offence committed by McKinney was in January of this year, when he went to Dinero Jewellery in Penzance[97] and pawned a Rolex watch worth GBP2,500. McKinney then returned to the jewellery shop in March and asked to see the watch but the box was found to be empty, so it was reported as stolen.

However, when McKinney was arrested in September, he was found to be wearing the exact same watch with the serial number. Defending the case, Ryan Murray told the court that McKinney wanted to provide an "abject apology" to his victims and that he was glad to learn that those who had their chequebooks stolen were reimbursed by the banks. He added that he did not know the identity of the individuals before stealing the chequebooks, so was unaware they were elderly and vulnerable.

Mr Murray explained that following the rise of interest rates and the cost of living in 2022, the mortgage on McKinney's house had almost tripled and he was trying to make ends meet. He added that McKinney has since lost his property and "all that was previously precious to him". In sentencing, Judge Robert Linford described McKinney's act of stealing post as a postman as being a "gross breach of trust".

He added: "The facts set out the depths of dishonesty to which you have sunk. This got worse when interest rates increased and you struggled to keep yourself afloat." Judge Linford said the offences are "too serious for anything other than a custodial sentence" and McKinney was sentenced to a total of 38 months imprisonment.

Philip Matthews

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A pervert with a "distorted attitude" has been described as a "danger to children". Philip Matthews ended up in court after Devon and Cornwall Police[98] were alerted that he was downloading illegal content.

A search of his electronic devices revealed he had downloaded videos and images of children as young as six being raped. At a sentencing hearing at Truro[99] Crown Court on Wednesday, November 20, it was heard he had downloaded 74 Category A images, alongside 17 Category B images and 13 Category C images. Matthews was jailed for two years.

The most recent discovery happened while Matthews was already under police investigation for similar offences. The court heard that Matthews, who has several convictions for 11 offences of making indecent images of children, received a two-year prison sentence in December 2016 when he offended again having received a suspended sentence the previous year. In mitigation, Ryan Murray said Matthews, who pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children at a previous hearing, had become desensitised to paedophilia, having been exposed to unhealthy material from a young age, which led him to "have a distorted attitude towards such material".

Mr Murray said Matthews' addiction to indecent images of children found online had been fed by a sense of isolation. He told the court: "When he moved to Bodmin[100], he didn't know anyone. When the nature of his past became known it led to isolation.

This is a man who struggles to fit in and operates on the margins of society. Isolation then feeds his addiction. He has also recently lost his mother who had been a source of support for him."

His Honour Judge Robert Linford said Matthews is a man with a "disturbing list of previous convictions" adding that on this occasion he was found with indecent images of children when he was already under police investigation for a similar offence. Judge Linford said Matthews had breached a suspended sentence and had been put on a sex offender treatment programme in the past designed to address the root cause of his offending. He added: "The course you went on has been found to be unsustainable and increased your offending.

However, whether you access images of children being abused is up to you. No one is making you do it. One would have thought that having had a scare a few years ago, you would have been careful not to do it again, but you did do it again.

"There is no prospect of rehabilitation for you. You are a danger to children. These images are images of real children as young as six being raped for the entertainment of people like you.

If people like you didn't watch, others would not film it." Matthews was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve 40 per cent before being eligible for release on licence.

A sexual harm prevention order for 10 years was also imposed. He will be on the sex offender register for 10 years. David Kevin Miller

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A drug addict used a screwdriver and a shovel to rob a charity and threatened to plunge a shard of glass into a man's throat. David Kevin Miller robbed two charities within a few days of each other to fund his addiction, it was heard at Truro[101] Crown Court on Wednesday, November 20. On January 23 this year, he and another unidentified male broke into the Wheal Martyn Clay Works in St Austell and forced the door open using a screwdriver and a shovel.

Inside, they damaged a heritage statue and stole a donation jar containing between GBP50 and GBP100. The pair also searched for cash and other valuables and, for some unknown reason, left a freezer door open, which caused the contents to spoil. Miller, who has 29 convictions for 82 offences dating from 1993 to 2024 including for burglary of dwellings and non-dwellings and theft, was identified by the CCTV at Wheal Martyn.

He was arrested and interviewed by police. While on police bail, on January 31 he broke into the Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change charity in High Cross Street. He again made off with a cash box and stole two laptop computers.

He was identified by police from the CCTV from the charity's radio station and again was arrested. He was charged in connection with the two offences and received a 20-week suspended sentence at magistrates court having pleaded guilty. That sentence was later activated following another offence, and days after his release from prison, he robbed a man involved in the drug trade with another man.

At the sentencing, it was heard how, on May 18, Miller attacked his dealer in the hallway outside his home in St Austell[102], hit him with a glass bottle and again another five times after he had fallen to the floor until the bottle smashed. He then put a shard of glass to his throat and threatened him that "the shard would go into his neck if he moved". Miller eventually made off with an iPhone, Nike trainers and GBP100 in cash.

His Honour Judge Robert Linford said Miller's victim was involved in drug dealing. Miller's barrister told the court that the 47-year-old, of no fixed abode, who pleaded guilty to one charge of robbery at a previous hearing, expected to be jailed. She said that he had grown up surrounded by drugs and his parents, who were addicts, put more value on scoring heroin than on looking after him and his two siblings.

"His home life was chaotic," she said. "He was exposed to things no child should be exposed to. Children were not as important as drugs for his parents. By 13 he was using drugs too.

It was then that the three children were taken into care. It's not an excuse for his behaviour but it explains how he got to this position. He had no role model to show him how to function in society."

Miller's barrister said that by the age of 35 he had a normal life away from drugs with a partner and four children and worked as a chef in St Ives[103]. For six years, the couple led a normal life, but when his partner had a breakdown and could no longer cope, he went back to using drugs again and the four children were taken into the foster care system. She told the court that he became clean after a period of abstinence in prison but fell off the wagon once more when he moved to Bodmin[104].

"He hopes to use his time in prison to get clean," she added. "He has therapy with a psychologist and he's willing to reflect on his offending. He is looking to move back to the Blackpool area when he's released." Judge Linford told Miller that stealing from charities was a "mean and despicable thing to do".

He said Miller's victim may have been a drug dealer who told the trial "a dogeared pack of lies" but he still robbed him and attacked him. Sentencing Miller to five years in prison, Judge Linford said: "You robbed him. You struck him with a bottle and held a shard of glass to his throat.

You have an appalling list of previous convictions. You are a career criminal. You had a miserable childhood and escaped that deprived childhood by turning to drugs.

This has been the root cause of your offending over the years. You had a family but you lost them to your drug use. "I note how you are making the most of your time in prison and doing everything right and I hope that when you are released your life takes a different turn."

Aiden Drew

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A brave young mum who spoke out after her ex-partner bruised her, strangled her and controlled her life for years has successfully appealed against his sentence. Aiden Drew, 30, will now go to jail as his sentence from a judge in Cornwall[105] was officially declared too lenient.

Drew, of Green Valley Park in Bodmin[106], subjected the mother of his two children to six years of violence and coercive behaviour before she was able to escape the relationship. But appearing at Truro Crown Court[107] in September, she heard how he wouldn't spend a day behind bars for it. "I wanted him to get a year for every year he took from me and he got nothing," Olivia Grimwade said at the time, following the hearing in which her abuser received a two-year suspended sentence and a restraining order[108] from Judge Robert Linford at Truro[109] Crown Court[110].

The court heard how he repeatedly controlled his then-girlfriend, isolated her from friends and family and controlled her financially. He wouldn't let her attend doctor appointments or go to work. Distraught and sharing photos of the bruises inflicted on her, the now 25-year-old told CornwallLive[111] then: "I just don't know how to accept that."

But now she doesn't have to after the mother-of-two successfully appealed against Judge Linford's sentence to the Attorney General's Office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme - and saw her abuser's sentence get revised. An unduly lenient hearing was held on Tuesday (November 19), having been referred to the Court of Appeal. The result saw Drew given the revised sentence of two years and seven months imprisonment and he's now required to hand himself in.

"It's a huge relief," Olivia told CornwallLive. "It's a huge jump going from nothing to two and a half years and I don't know why the first judge let him walk." She said following his release she even started seeing him around the shops she goes to and even in her gym. "Now for at least a year and three months, he can't get to me and my kids. "It's really made a huge difference for me.

He was so smug about it, thinking that he got away with it and I just couldn't let him think it was some big joke when he destroyed my life. "I didn't know that you could appeal sentences and hopefully my story lets more people know that this is an option." Drew, formerly of Lostwithiel[112], appeared on Tuesday (September 10) to be sentenced having pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship. He was also charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH) but due to his guilty pleas to the other counts, this was not pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Read the horrific details of the court case as reported at the time, here[113]. Olivia, who has a string of pictures documenting the bruises and marks he inflicted on her through the years, alongside the vile text messages he sent, including one saying he wanted to kill her, said following the sentencing that she would spend her life looking over her shoulder. "And he just gets to move on with his and act like I'm the crazy ex while I have to deal with the repercussions of his actions," she said. Olivia said then that she "lost it" on learning her abuser[114] would walk out of the court and continue about his life.

"I started screaming. It's not good enough. He should have got time and I'm going to keep complaining to the CPS and take it higher until I can get it looked at." You can read that full report, here.[115]

She said she spent six years trying to find a way to leave the abusive relationship and hoping she had enough evidence to be taken seriously. So to see him granted a suspended sentence was heartbreaking. "I'm much happier with the outcome now," she adds. Owen Dunstan

Rapist Owen Dunstan, 26, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentencing on November 28, 2024 -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A dangerous rapist has been locked up for more than a decade after raping a woman and forcing himself on another in Cornwall. Owen Dunstan, 26, showed no remorse for his actions and even emotionally blackmailed one of his victims into not reporting what he had done to her. Dunstan, of Chellow Road in Truro[116], appeared at Truro Crown Court [117]for sentencing on Thursday, November 28, having been found guilty following a trial that ended in early November.

He was found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration and one count of rape relating to two sexual assaults. He was found not guilty on a fourth count. Appearing before the court to be sentenced, Dunstan is described as a dangerous predator who poses a high risk to women in the future.

The court heard how he targeted two separate women during nights out and his actions had a lasting and substantial impact on their lives. Prosecuting, Emily Cook told the court he targeted his first victim on a night out in 2020, detained her in a toilet and sexually assaulted her despite her clearly protesting against him. This particular incident only stopped due to the interference by a friend of the victim.

At the request of the first victim, an impact statement was not read out in court but Ms Cook said: "[It] shows the incident has clearly had a substantial impact on all aspects of her life." Dunstan then tried to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to get this victim to not report matters to the police with a series of messages. "He was clearly using emotional blackmail to dissuade [the victim] from reporting matters by posing as [his girlfriend] and saying he was good with their children, that they loved him and they wanted to move on as a family," Ms Cook added. He also directly contacted his victim and told her it was "a drunken mistake" and "he did not want it to ruin his life" in attempts to stop her from reporting the incident.

She refrained from reporting this incident until hearing about a further offence committed by Dunstan. He then sexually assaulted and raped his second victim in 2021 following a night out. The court heard how as soon as she was alone with Dunstan he brutally attacked her in a dark street on the side of a road and walked away as if nothing had happened.

She was found distraught by a member of the public and this too has had a devastating impact on her life and future. Defending, Jason Beale said Dunstan had no prior convictions and pointed out that sentencing guidelines say that adults between the ages of 22 and 25 are still developing neurologically so may be less able to evaluate the consequences of their actions. Dunstan was aged 22 and 23 at the time of the offences.

His Honour Judge Simon Carr said it was clear that Dunstan posed a high risk to women in the future. "You have shown no remorse for anything you have done and no empathy for the harm that you have caused." He said the devastating impact will be with both victims for life. Dunstan was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and will remain on the sex offenders' register for life.

He must serve two thirds of that sentence before being eligible for release. Officer in the case, police staff investigator Martin Skinner said: "We are pleased that justice has been done and that Owen Dunstan has been sent to prison for his offending. "Dunstan showed no consideration whatsoever for his victims in his pursuit of sexual gratification.

He targeted both of these young women following interactions in social environments. "I would like to thank them for their immense bravery in giving evidence and for remaining engaged with what has been a lengthy investigation and court process. We will continue to thoroughly investigate any reports of such offending against women and girls."

December

Kieran Firth

Kieran Firth, 37, of Goldsithney, near Penzance, has been jailed for sex offences at Exeter Crown Court -Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A Cornwall man who abused a child for several years has been jailed over a series of abhorrent child sex offences. Kieran Firth, 37, appeared at Exeter Crown Court this afternoon (Wednesday, December 4) for sentencing. He had denied the offences but was found guilty on five counts of sexual offences against a child including two counts of indecent assault, two of assault by penetration and one of sexual assault following a trial earlier this year.

Firth, of St Aubyns in Goldsithney, near Penzance[118], committed the horrific offences while his victim was young. The court heard how Firth was a teenager when the offences started but grew to be an adult during them. The offences stopped when he reached the age of 22 but the child he abused was much younger.

His brave victim, also from Cornwall, read an emotive statement aloud to the courtroom ahead of the judge's verdict. She said that what happened to her has forever shaped her life and who she is, adding that she has even attempted to take her own life as a result. "The pain of the abuse has not only affected my emotional wellbeing but has also led to my diagnosis of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and PTSD," she said. "I struggle daily with intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, dissociation and the overwhelming feeling of fear and isolation.

"The emotional fallout from these experiences only intensified as I grew older. The trauma became a silent companion, shaping my identity and my relationships. "The impact of this abuse reaches far beyond childhood.

I've suffered from sleepless nights, tormented by my memories and nightmares that invade my peace. My mind often wanders to dark places no one should ever have to enter." The court heard as part of Firth's mitigation that the defendant suffered a stroke early this year which is causing continued issues with his health including around speech.

He also suffers from a chromosonal disorder that impacted his skeletal development growing up, a learning disability and a number of heart conditions. My Beale, defending, said: "It is a fact that Mr Firth has not committed offences of a similar nature, or indeed any offences at all since." He went on to explain Firth has a very isolated social existence and has experienced difficulties in development in his life. He then explained the defendant has a very co-dependent relationship with his mother who attended the court sentencing to support him.

The court heard how a prison sentence would have a "significant" impact on both of them "if that bond is severed". His Honour Judge James Adkin sentenced Firth to eight years, consisting of seven years in prison and one year on licence. He must serve at least two-thirds and will be placed on the sex offender's register for life.

Marc Bear

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A monster child rapist jailed for nearly three decades will always be a danger to children, Cornwall's most senior judge has told him. Marc Bear, 38, from Launceston[119] was sentenced to spend 27 years behind bars after being found guilty of sexually abusing children.

The 38-year-old appeared before Truro Crown Court[120] on Thursday, December 5, for sentencing after being found guilty by jury of 16 offences against children including 10 counts of rape, two of sexual assault, two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two more of causing a person to engage in sexual activity. The charges relate to incidents ranging in dates from March 2011 to December 2021 in Lincolnshire and Cornwall[121]. The jury also found Bear not guilty of two offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Bear had first been due to be sentenced the day after his conviction but was released on court bail so he could put his affairs in order and prepare for a long custodial sentence. However he fled and was located the following day in Somerset[122]. Judge Carr told Bear it was clear he had planned to abscond, adding: "That told me everything I need to know about your character." He also told Bear he would be a "risk to children for the rest of his life".

As well as 27 years in prison, Bear was also given a year on extended licence, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Tim Barbery from the Public Protection Unit, who was the investigating officer in the case, said: "This was a highly disturbing case where the offender has exploited the vulnerability of young people for his own sexual gratification, and I welcome the sentence handed down by the judge. "This has been a protracted investigation due to the nature of the offences and the strength and bravery shown by the victims in support of the police case has been crucial.

"I hope the outcome given today provides them with a small element of closure so that they can begin to move forward." Tommy Lister

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police A pervert who tried to engage in sexual communication with a child wanted to get back at the vigilante paedo-hunters who got him caught by police a few years ago - by doing it again.

Tommy Lister narrowly avoided prison a few years ago when he was caught by paedophile hunters in the Midlands. At the time he received an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for life banning him from accessing the internet under certain conditions. Lister, from Perranarworthal between Truro[123] and Falmouth[124], was at it again last year when he used the social network app Kick to engage in communication with what he thought were three girls for his own sexual gratification.

During a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court[125] on Friday, December 6, the court was told that between July and October 2023, Lister asked the girls he contacted on Kick to commit sexual acts for him, send him sexual pictures of themselves and on one occasion asked one of them to engage in a penetrative sexual act for him. On other occasions he sent pictures and videos of himself masturbating while using a sex toy. On another occasion he even messaged the girl saying he wanted to book a hotel room and rape her there.

The court was told that at all times he knew the girls he was communication with were under 13. The schoolgirls in question were in fact undercover police officers. The court was told that the 38-year-old originally from Leeds breached his sexual harm prevention order and also committed all eight new offences while serving a suspended prison sentence for similar crimes.

Ed Bailey, prosecuting, said Lister was arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police[126] in October 2023 and made a full and frank admission of messaging girls on Kick when he was prohibited from doing so before pleading guilty to all eight charges against him at the first opportunity. He told the court that during his police interview, Lister denied the conversations he had tried to strike on the social network platform had been for any sexual purpose. Mr Bailey said: "He said he used Kick to get back at the group of vigilantes which gathered evidence against him and for which he received a prison sentence.

He admitted sending pictures of a sexualised context but denied it was his own penis." In mitigation, Martin Pearce said Lister had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's syndrome, which may affect his decision-making abilities. He told the court: "In his police interviews, the defendant always felt that there was an adult on the other end which was part of his fantasies.

But he realises that he is offending and how inappropriate it is. It has been a massive wake-up call for him. He accepts the offences.

He takes full responsibility for his actions and he knows he faces a custodial sentence. His focus is now on getting help for his problems." Recorder Donald Tait said a long custodial sentence could not be avoided as Lister's offending was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order, had been committed while he had received an 18-month suspended sentence for two years for similar offences and showed a pattern of getting worse.

Recorder Tait told Lister: "In a pre-sentence report you say you have no interest in children. I do not believe you. There has been an escalation in seriousness You are at high risk of re-offending in relation to children.

I have no doubt that this offending was so serious that custody is merited." For all eight offences Lister received a total sentence of eight and half-year in prison including the suspended prison sentence he received two years ago which was also activated. Daniel Stamp and Wesley Tucker

-Credit:Devon and Cornwall Police

A man will need to use a walking stick permanently after being pushed over a footbridge and into the river below[127] by two men in a brutal attack. Daniel Stamp, 32, and Wesley Tucker, 44, then stood laughing at the victim as he lay "drifting in and out of consciousness" in the water. Stamp, of HM Prison Guys Marsh, and Tucker, of Moresk Road in Truro[128], appeared at Truro Crown Court[129] for sentence after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Many will remember the incident that left the people of Truro shocked before the pair were arrested and released on bail[130] more than two years ago. Prosecuting the case, Sally Daulton explained that the two defendants were outside the back of the Central Bar in Truro on July 1, 2022, near the entrance to the former Office nightclub, when the victim, who was known to Tucker but not Stamp, approached them. Tucker then started verbally abusing him, saying he was going to "f***k him up".

The victim then decided to walk away from the situation and headed towards the footbridge over the stream running between the venues and the Old Bridge Street Car Park. Ms Daulton said Tucker and Stamp followed the victim to the bridge, stood either side of him and tried to lift him up. Stamp initially lifted the victim's legs onto the railings, then Tucker pushed his top half causing him to fall 15 to 20 feet below into the rocky river.

It was heard that the victim landed on his shoulder and was lying in the roughly 6in deep water drifting in and out of consciousness as Stamp and Tucker stood watching and laughing nearby. A brave security guard saw the victim in the water and climbed down into the river where he held his head above the water until help arrived. Ms Daulton said Tucker, also known as Wesley Richards, then left with a female friend, while Stamp left on his own.

The injuries suffered by the victim as a result of the attack included a partially collapsed lung, a fractured shoulder blade, six fractured ribs and debris in his trachea and lung. His walking has also been permanently affected and he now has to use a walking stick. A victim impact statement said the incident has had a traumatic effect on him and he has had to receive counselling, having been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result.

In addition, he said he feels more vulnerable than he ever did before and can still remember being laughed at while lying in the river bed waiting for help to come. Defending Tucker, Herc Ashworth said Tucker works full time as a fire stopper in Plymouth[131], installing fire-resistant materials to prevent the spread of flames and smoke, and coaches children at a boxing club in Truro. He said Tucker is going to lose his flat and his job and the custodial sentence "will sadly be felt most by his five year old son".

In a letter he read out to the judge during the sentencing, Stamp said: "I am so sorry for the hurt I caused the victim and his family. I know this wouldn't have happened if I wasn't spiked by ketamine and had been myself. "I hope that the victim and his family will find it in them to forgive me.

I am truly so sorry and wish it never happened. I will never forget what I did for my whole life." In sentencing Tucker and Stamp, Judge Simon Carr said almost the entire incident was caught on "very good" CCTV and became as "inexplicable" as it was "chilling" the more he watched the footage.

He added that the only reason the victim survived the attack was because he fell onto his shoulder, rather than his head, and was helped by a brave security guard. Describing the incident as "an appalling act of violence which could have ended much worse" Judge Carr sentenced Tucker to six years in prison and Stamp to four-and-a-half years in prison - which will run consecutively with the sentence he is already serving for a separate offence. David Evans

David Evans, 43, of Central Avenue in St Austell

A serial criminal and arsonist has been jailed after he set fire to a stolen vehicle in an attempt to cover his tracks the day after it was involved in a crash. David Evans, 43, set fire to a Mercedes C200 in St Austell[132] after it was involved in a collision with a BMW in June. The driver, never proven to have been Evans, although it was accepted he was in the vehicle at the time, fled the scene.

Evans, of Central Avenue in St Austell, appeared at Truro Crown Court[133] for sentencing on Tuesday, December 17, having pleaded guilty to one count of arson. He was disqualified from driving at the time of the events and the vehicle in question was stolen. The court heard how a woman driving a BMW towards St Austell was involved in a collision with the Mercedes described as "travelling at speed" in the opposite direction in June.

The Mercedes driver left the scene of the crash and five days later a member of the public reported the same vehicle was on fire in a nearby field belonging to him in the Luxulyan area. The member of the public happened to have a wildlife camera set up in that field which captured Evans' actions. Evans could be seen twice trying to set fire to the vehicle with the assistance of an aerosol can, once in the driver's footwell and a second time in the boot.

On examination, it was identified the vehicle had been stolen from a police constable in Lincolnshire in October 2023. People had reported seeing it parked up in the Central Avenue area of St Austell and after enquiries were able to connect it to Evans. At a police interview, Evans initially replied with no comment and later said he had to borrow money to buy a new car which he is still paying off and had caused him stress.

The court heard how he has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences spanning up until recently. In June of last year, he pleaded guilty to a count of dangerous driving over an offence in 2020. In February this year, he also pleaded guilty to a non-dwelling burglary that occurred in April 2023.

Evans was subject to a suspended sentence at the time of the arson and was on licence. He was also disqualified from driving for 48 months. His defence barrister said despite the "error" he made that he has been making use of his time in custody.

He said Evans has been using his time to work as a mentor with young offenders in prison.

In his sentencing remarks, His Honour Judge Simon Carr said: "You did this arson deliberately to destroy all damaging evidence to avoid criminal convictions for other offences." While he accepted Evans had put his time in custody to good use, he said only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

Evans was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the arson and will serve an additional two months for breaching his suspended sentence.

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4. ^ how to report as well as advice and support (gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com)
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