Courts: 36 south Essex people sentenced by magistrates

Court reporting - what your newspaper can and can't report[1] A MAN who admitted two counts of assault has been ordered to abstain from alcohol. Valdas Simkus, of Cobham Road, Southend, was convicted at Southend Magistrates' Court of assaulting the victim in Grays on June 1 and September 16, 2024.

The 50-year-old was handed 40 days of rehabilitation and a 90-day alcohol abstinence period on February 7. Simkus was also ordered to pay GBP300 in prosecution costs and a GBP114 surcharge to fund victim services, with full payment due by February 6, 2026. A MAN has been fined for resisting a police officer in Basildon.

Italo Aliee, 30, was found guilty in his absence at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 7 of obstructing PC Bowers in the execution of his duty He was fined GBP500 and ordered to pay GBP500 in compensation for the December 10 offence. Ailee, of Becontree Avenue, Dagenham must also pay GBP85 in prosecution costs.

No victim surcharge was imposed as priority was given to compensation. A MAN has been handed unpaid work for assault causing actual bodily harm. Bogdan Petre, 26, admitted assaulting another man in Basildon on October 8, 2023.

He was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work at Southend Magistrates' Court on February 6, and must also abstain from alcohol for 90 days. Petre, of Great Knightleys, Basildon, was also ordered to pay GBP200 in compensation, GBP85 in prosecution costs, and a GBP114 surcharge to fund victim services. The payments must be made in full by March 6.

A THUG who attacked a police officer has been fined. William Kemp, of Beattly Lane, Basildon, assaulted the constable in Etchingham on July 2, 2023. He admitted the offence and was fined GBP180 at Southend Magistrates' Court on February 7, with the offence aggravated due to the victim being an emergency worker.

The 35-year-old was also ordered to pay GBP75 in compensation and a GBP72 victim surcharge. No prosecution costs were imposed due to time already spent in custody. A DRUG driver caught behind the wheel of a Jaguar while above the limit has been banned from the roads.

Tadas Petrulis, of Anerley Road, Westcliff, was driving in Jevington Way, Grove Park, when he was found with 2.4 micrograms of THC and at least 171 micrograms of benzoylecgonine in his blood on November 10, 2021. The limit for the former is 2, while the limit for the latter is 50. Petrulis, 28, admitted both offences at Hatfield Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was banned from driving for two years and four months, and fined GBP200.

A MAN who admitted threatening behaviour and assaulting a police officer in Southend has been sentenced. Nino Brown, 31, used racially or religiously aggravated threatening language towards a number of victims and assaulted a police officer in Southend on December 15, 2023. He admitted all offences and was handed a two-year community order at Southend Magistrates' Court on February 4.

Brown, of Anderson Road, Homerton, must abstain from alcohol for 120 days and complete a 40-day rehabilitation programme. A THIEF who admitted multiple burglaries at a major store has been handed a suspended prison sentence. Parminder Singh, 37, trespassed at Costco Thurrock at Lakeside on April 6, June 16, and June 17 last year, stealing items worth a total of GBP1,559.87, including headphones, earbuds, and a CCTV system.

He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 7. Singh, of Green Lane, Ilford, was also ordered to pay GBP1,187.92 in compensation and GBP85 in prosecution costs. A SPEEDING driver caught above the limit on the M25 has been slapped with a fine.

Lindsey Taylor, of Alresford Green, Wickford, was behind the wheel of a Mercedes 250 when he was recorded going above the 50 miles per hour limit in Shenley, Hertfordshire, on February 12 last year. The offence was proved in the 44-year-old's absence at St Albans Magistrates' Court on February 6. His driving record was endorsed with three penalty points and Taylor must pay a GBP220 fine, the court ordered.

He was also ordered to pay GBP90 prosecution costs and an GBP88 surcharge. A FARE dodger caught without a GBP12 train ticket has been ordered to pay more than GBP450. Julian Scott, of Hockley Road, Basildon, entered a train at Alexandra Place without a GBP12.70 ticket on August 16 last year.

The offence was proved via the single justice procedure at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on February 3. Scott, 31, has been ordered to pay a GBP220 fine, compensation of GBP12.70, an GBP88 victim surcharge and GBP135 in costs. A THIEF who targeted stores across Southend has been handed a suspended sentence.

Steve Clarke, 44, stole GBP367 worth of goods from Sainsbury's, Boots, and Iceland in the city during a string of thefts between October 3 and October 25 last year. He admitted four counts of shop theft and was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, at Southend Magistrates' Court February 6. The court heard Clarke, of Crowstone Road, Westcliff, was taking steps to address his offending.

He must also attend 40 days of unpaid work and pay GBP225 in compensation, magistrates ordered. A MOTORCYCLIST has been banned from driving for three years after being caught over the drug limit. Gerry Spagnol, 43, admitted driving a Suzuki SV 650 on the A13 in Orsett on October 9, 2024, while over the legal limit for cannabis.

A blood test showed 3.9 micrograms of THC per litre, exceeding the legal limit. Spagnol, of Colworth Road, Waltham Forest, was banned from driving for three years at and fined GBP120 at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 6. He was also ordered to pay GBP85 in prosecution costs and a GBP48 victim surcharge.

A quantity of cannabis found in his possession was forfeited and destroyed. A man who failed to comply with a suspended sentence order has been fined. James Robson, 31, of Rochford Avenue, Westcliff, failed to attend unpaid work sessions as required by a suspended sentence order made by Basildon Magistrates' Court on May 29, 2024.

He missed sessions on November 16 and November 21, 2024, without providing a valid excuse or supporting evidence. Robson admitted the breach at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 5. The court ordered the suspended sentence to continue.

He was fined GBP100 and ordered to pay GBP60 in costs. A MAN has been fined for racially aggravated harassment in Leigh. Colin Southgate, 58, used threatening, abusive or insulting words towards two victims on August 2, 2023.

The offence was deemed racially aggravated, the court heard. Southgate, of Oakleigh Avenue, Hullbridge, admitted the offences and was fined GBP200 for each, totalling GBP400, at Southend Magistrates' Court on February 7. He was also ordered to pay GBP85 in costs and a GBP160 victim surcharge.

No compensation was awarded due to ongoing financial issues. A MOPED rider caught with drugs in Leigh has been banned from the roads. Taylor Reid, 23, was found with cannabis and was 0.7 micrograms above the legal drug-driving limit for THC - a constituent of cannabis - when he was stopped on London Road last June 25.

He also had no insurance, was riding without a valid licence, and failed to stop for police. Reid, of Rayleigh Road, Leigh, admitted all offences at Basildon Magistrates' Court and received a 12-month driving ban on February 7. He was also handed a community order with mental health treatment, and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.

Reid was fined GBP50, ordered to pay GBP85 in costs and a GBP20 surcharge. A SOUTHEND man has been fined for travelling on a tram without a valid ticket. James Cornwell, 29, of St Benets Road, entered a Metrolink tram at Pomona, in Manchester, on August 31, 2024, without permission or a valid ticket.

The case was proved via the single justice procedure at Tameside Magistrates' Court on Monday. Cornwell was fined GBP220 and ordered to pay GBP120 in costs and an GBP88 victim surcharge, bringing the total to GBP428. A SPEEDING driver caught on the A13 has been banned from the roads.

Jamie Tolhurst, of Green Lane, Eastwood, was recorded exceeding the 50 miles per hour limit by an automatic camera in Barking on April 14 last year. He pleaded guilty at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday where he was fined GBP384, ordered to pay GBP100 in costs, and given a GBP154 victim surcharge. Tolhurst, 47, also received a six-month driving ban, with three penalty points recorded.

AN offender has been jailed after repeatedly failing to comply with a community order. Robert Green, of Southcote Crescent, Basildon, admitted breaching the order by missing a programme session on November 5 and an office appointment on November 7 without providing a valid excuse. The order had originally been imposed last March 20, for two assaults on a victim in Basildon in 2021.

The order was revoked at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 5 and Green, 36, was resentenced to 12 weeks in prison for wilful and persistent failure to comply. He was jailed for two consecutive six-week terms. A TRADER has been fined for aggressive and misleading business practices.

Peter Smith, of Hovefields Avenue, Wickford, pressured a customer by implying hedge-cutting debris would be left behind if payment was not made in Warrington on January 5 last year. He also misled another customer by overstating the number of trees needing work to increase the cost. He admitted both offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations at Warrington Magistrates' Court last Wednesday.

Smith, 39, was fined GBP307 and ordered to pay GBP687.95 in costs. He must also pay a GBP123 victim surcharge, the court ordered. A FARE dodger has been fined for twice travelling on trains without paying his fare.

Reece Marchbank, 32, was found to have avoided payment while travelling between Wickford and Prittlewell on August 12, and between Prittlewell and Stratford on September 13. Both offences were proved in his absence at Bury St Edmunds County Court on February 5. Marchbank, of Ruskin Avenue, Southend, was fined GBP440 for each offence, totalling GBP880.

He was also ordered to pay GBP352 towards victim services and GBP377.30 in costs. A WOMAN has been jailed for multiple shop thefts and an assault in Pitsea and Basildon. Sheryl Wilkins, 39, of no fixed address, admitted stealing from B and M, Greggs, and Tesco on several occasions in January and February 2025.

She also admitted assaulting a woman at B and M in Pitsea on January 7. Wilkins was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on Monday. She was ordered to pay GBP50 in compensation for the assault but was not given further fines due to her limited means.

The court ruled a custodial sentence was necessary due to her record of previous offences. A SPEEDING driver caught going above a 30 miles per hour limit has been slapped with a fine. Thomas Neal, of New Park Road, Benfleet, was recorded driving a Citroen Relay van above the limit on the A3220 in Shepherds Bush near Silver Road on May 6 last year.

He pleaded guilty at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Monday where he was fined GBP230. The 42-year-old was also ordered to pay GBP100 in costs and a GBP92 victim surcharge. His driving record was endorsed with three penalty points.

A MAN has been fined and banned from driving for failing to provide driver details to police. Toma Radu, 24, was required to identify the driver of an Audi A5 linked to an offence in Billericay on August 11, 2023. He failed to do so and was found guilty at court on October 22, 2024.

Radu, of Tewkesbury Street, Leicester, was fined GBP660 and ordered to pay GBP130 in costs at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday. He also received a six-month driving disqualification and six penalty points. A MAN has been fined for failing to attend a drug assessment.

Christopher Davis, 52, admitted the offence after testing positive for cocaine and opiates following a sample taken by police in Southend on August 30 last year. He was required to attend an assessment to determine potential drug dependency but failed to do so. Davis, of North Road, Westcliff, pleaded guilty at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 7.

He was fined GBP50 and ordered to pay GBP85 in prosecution costs. A PRISONER has been fined for possessing cocaine in Southend. Joshua Parsons, 24, currently at HMP Chelmsford, was found in possession of two wraps of the Class A drug on September 16 last year.

He pleaded guilty at Basildon Magistrates' Court on February 6 and was fined GBP120. Parsons must also pay GBP85 in prosecution costs, and the court ordered the cocaine to be forfeited and destroyed by police. A FARE dodger has been fined for boarding a train without a valid ticket.

Peter Ritecz, of The Gore, Basildon, entered a train at London Waterloo on August 16 without holding a ticket. Although he was not in a compulsory ticket area, he was still required to have a valid ticket to travel. The case was proved via the single justice procedure at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on February 10.

Ritecz, 28, was fined GBP220 and ordered to pay GBP14.50 in compensation, GBP180 in costs, and an GBP88 victim services surcharge. A LORRY driver has been banned from driving after failing to stop following a crash. David Gibbs, of Kensington Road, Southend, was driving a white Maxus Delivery 9 lorry on Oak Hill Crescent in Kingston, when a crash occurred on November 21, 2023.

He failed to stop and did not provide his details when required. The 64-year-old denied the offence but was found guilty in November. He had admitted driving without due care and attention in June.

He was fined GBP384 and banned from driving for 28 days at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court last Friday. Gibbs was also ordered to pay GBP200 in costs and a GBP154 victim surcharge. A WOMAN has been fined for travelling without a valid train ticket.

Toni Campbell, of Swanage Road, Southend, boarded a train at West Hampstead Thameslink on August 1, without holding a valid ticket. Although not in a compulsory ticket area, she was still required to have a ticket to travel. The case was proved via the single justice procedure at Barkingside Magistrates' Court on February 10.

Campbell, 39, was fined GBP220 and ordered to pay GBP33.30 in compensation, GBP135 in costs, and an GBP88 victim services surcharge. A BURGLAR has been sentenced to unpaid work after admitting an incident in Basildon. Rafael Leno Santana de Araujo, 27, entered a building on Danbury Down as a trespasser on November 21, 2023, and stole two bottles of water, some milk, and sugar sachets.

He admitted the offence at Croydon Magistrates' Court last Friday, and was given a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. Leno, of Roland Way, Southwark, must also pay a GBP114 victim surcharge. A SPEEDING driver has been banned from the roads for half a year.

Arif Kassam, of Broomfields Mews, Basildon, was recorded going above the 30 miles per hour limit on Orient Way in Waltham Forest, while driving a Honda Civic on June 5 last year. The 40-year-old denied the offence but was found guilty at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court last Friday. Kassam was fined GBP288 and banned from driving for six months.

He was also ordered to pay GBP625 in prosecution costs and a GBP115 victim services surcharge. A THIEF who stole a crate of beer from a supermarket has been slapped with a fine. Alfie Lovell, 25, took beer worth GBP13.50 from Tesco Express in Stanford-le-Hope on January 17.

He admitted one count of shop theft at Basildon Magistrates' Court last Thursday.Lovell, of Brookfield Drive, Stanford-le-Hope, was fined GBP40 and ordered to pay GBP13.50 in compensation. He must also pay GBP25 in prosecution costs, and an GBP8 victim services surcharge, the court ordered. A collection order was made for the amount to be deducted from his benefits.

A MAN has been fined for failing to provide driver details to police. Amed Adelekan, 29, was required to identify the driver of a Mercedes C200 in connection with an alleged offence in Billericay on March 5 last year. He failed to do so and was found guilty at Southend Magistrates' Court last Wednesday.

Adelekan, of Hammondstreet Road, Cheshunt, was fined GBP400, given six penalty points on his driving record, and ordered to pay GBP620 in prosecution costs. AN offender has been fined for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence order. Taylor Hubbard, 27, admitted failing to comply with his alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement between November 3 and November 9 last year.

He also missed a planned office appointment on November 11 and did not provide an acceptable explanation within the required time. Hubbard, of Mornington Road, Canvey, admitted the breach at Basildon Magistrates' Court last Wednesday where he was fined GBP200 and ordered to pay GBP60 in prosecution costs. The original order will continue.

A DRUG driver caught above the limit in Basildon has been hit with a ban. Emmanuel Sarpong, 36, was found with 6.3 micrograms per litre of THC in his blood while driving a Mercedes C180 on Luckyn Lane. The legal limit is 2.

He admitted the November 24 offence at Basildon Magistrates' Court last Thursday and was banned from driving for three years. Sarpong, of Electric Avenue, Westcliff, was also fined GBP50 and ordered to pay a GBP20 victim services surcharge. A WOMAN has been given a conditional discharge after admitting two counts of criminal damage.

Marie Wade, 55, damaged windows, doors, and walls belonging to Sanctuary Housing and another woman in Southend on October 5 last year. She pleaded guilty at Southend Magistrates' Court last Thursday. Due to her mental health and lack of recent convictions, the court imposed a six-month conditional discharge.

This means if she commits another offence during this time she can be sentenced for this offence and the new one. Wade, of Elm Road, Shoebury, was ordered to pay GBP100 in compensation but no further fines or costs. A DRIVER has been fined and given penalty points for driving with an illegal tyre.

Mohammed Miah, of Partridge Green, Pitsea, was caught using a Seat Leon with a tyre below the legal tread limit while driving on the A12 Old Ford, Tower Hamlets, on March 21 last year. The 23-year-old was fined GBP40 and given three penalty points after admitting the offence at Stratford Magistrates' Court last Tuesday. He was also ordered to pay GBP110 in prosecution costs and a GBP16 victim services surcharge.

A DRUGS runner has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting a string of offences. Renis Kordhaku, 21, was caught driving a Peugeot on London Road, Southend, on January 30, without a valid licence or insurance. He was also found in possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

He was sentenced to four weeks in prison, suspended for six months, after admitting all charges at Southend Magistrates' Court last Friday.

Kordhaku, of Elderton Road, Westcliff, was also banned from driving for a year.

References

1. ^ Court reporting - what your newspaper can and can't report (www.echo-news.co.uk)