Latest Offenders

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Serial offender Aaron Bremner raped a stranger in a sustained and terrifying attack – and now he has been jailed for 16 years.

Bremner subjected his victim to a horrifying ordeal in her own car after she kindly offered him a lift.

Southampton Crown Court heard Bremner threatened to stab his terrified victim, and said he would set the car on fire with her locked in the boot if she screamed.

Bremner, who has 31 previous convictions for 101 offences, was described by Judge Derwen Hope as “extremely dangerous”.

Bremner had pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, four counts of assault by penetration, one count of sexual assault and one count of common assault but was found guilty of all eight counts by a jury.

The 29-year-old swore, shouted and punched the walls as he was sentenced, before being removed from the dock by security staff.

The court heard how Bremner met his victim, who said she had never spoken to him before, by chance in March this year on the steps of a Basingstoke town centre gym after he had been out to dinner with friends.

Bremner, of Glamis Close, Oakley, asked her for a lift to the South Ham area of Basingstoke, and she agreed – but the court heard from David Richards, prosecuting, that once he was in her car, Bremner “quickly dropped the charming act”.

When the woman told Bremner to get out of the car, he became aggressive and forced her to drive to a remote country lane in Wootton St Lawrence, where he subjected her to a sustained and terrifying assault, sexually assaulting her several times and raping her twice.

Bremner made violent threats towards his victim and her family if she screamed or raised the alarm.

When the shocked victim got home, she called the police, and Bremner handed himself in soon after as enquiries were being made by officers.

The assault lasted more than an hour, and Mr Richards said the impact on the victim had been devastating.

He said: “She finds it hard to do any normal things any more. She is always thinking about the incident and she finds it hard to sleep.”

Richard Onslow, defending Bremner, said he had no previous convictions for sexual offences, adding: “He has never done anything like this before.”

Sentencing Bremner to 16 years in custody, with an extended licence period of eight years for the two counts of rape, Judge Hope described the victim’s ordeal as “horrendous”, and said: “She was terrified.”

Detective Constable Sol Koranteng of Basingstoke police, said: “Aaron Bremner is a dangerous man, and I welcome the sentence he has received for this horrendous crime.

“The victim was left extremely distressed by this violent attack and has then had to endure giving evidence at the trial.

“The sentence Mr Bremner has received reflects the seriousness of this crime and should send a message to people that anyone found guilty of committing a serious sexual offence should expect to face a lengthy prison sentence.”

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A paedophile who carried out a life-threatening sexual assault on a toddler after social services failed to conduct background checks has been jailed for seventeen and a half years.

Christopher Atkins remained impassive in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court as the city's most senior judge described the 32-year-old's offending as being "almost beyond comprehension".

Atkins, from Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, committed the "wicked and vile" sex attack two years ago after lying to social services about his personal life.

After Atkins was found guilty of sexual assault in July, it emerged that he was already known to the authorities before the offence, having been suspected of abusing another child in the Manchester area.

Sentencing Atkins, the Recorder of Nottingham, Michael Stokes QC, told him: "The child in this case was a vulnerable, innocent little girl when you committed an offence of unspeakable cruelty and perversion, an offence which all right-minded people would regard as repellent.

"You are in my judgment a predatory and sadistic paedophile and unless whatever issues you have are addressed you will present a serious risk of causing harm to other children.

"How any human being could do this to a little girl is almost beyond comprehension, but the fact is you did.

"I have no doubt that you would have been content for the grievously injured child to go without medical attention of any kind."

Atkins, whose offences will now be the subject of a serious case review, was sentenced to 16 years for sexual assault and a consecutive 18-month term for child cruelty.

Atkins, formerly of Westway, Cotgrave, was told he must serve half his sentence before being released on licence.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was treated for severe internal injuries after being taken to hospital, where medical staff also found 18 bruises on her face and scalding to her back.

Detective Inspector Yvonne Dales, of Nottinghamshire's Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: "Christopher Atkins was a sadistic and controlling individual who put a defenceless child through untold pain and suffering.

"I hope this sentence sends out a message to people who commit offences against children - we will do everything we can to make sure they are brought to justice."

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HE is the monster who repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted a young woman for nine hours while she was unconscious.

Vile Lloyd Phillips had fed his victim a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, having duped her into thinking he was taking her to a pop concert.

Instead she became seriously ill and suffered seizures, leaving her at the mercy of the depraved 48-year-old who then carried out a catalogue of hellish abuse in a hotel.

Many of the details of what he did to her while she was incapacitated and the injuries she suffered at his hands are too horrific to be reported.

With his 22-year-old victim slumped unconscious in a wheelchair, he pushed her from his car into the hotel telling staff she was his girlfriend who was disabled and drunk.

He then carried out the sickening ordeal throughout the night while she lay motionless on the bed, completely unaware.

The full, horrifying details of Phillips vile crimes which landed him with an 11-year jail term last month can only now be revealed by the Daily Echo after legal restrictions prevented us from reporting the case previously.

It comes as police reveal they believe Phillips is a sexual predator who has raped many more victims and today appealed for them to come forward.

Well known as the former owner of a shop that sold legal highs in Southampton, Phillips had been facing further charges relating to selling illegal drugs.

However, this week, as he prepared to stand trial, he changed his plea and admitted possessing class B and class C drugs, which he had sold as legal highs called Giggle and Magic.

The married man, who lived in Portland Terrace, Southampton, has been behind bars since last month after being found guilty by a jury at Harrow Crown Court of two counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

He was acquitted of one charge of supplying drugs with intent.

The case was a retrial after the original proceedings had to be stopped, during which time Phillips was released on bail and was living in Southampton.

The court heard how at the time the victim, who once regarded Phillips as a friend, was at a low point in her life and was having problems at work.

Just weeks before Christmas 2011 he offered her tickets to accompany him to see a concert at Wembley, picked her up from her home and gave her a capsule and a can of the high-alcohol Crunk juice to wash it down.

The drug, which he later said was Ecstasy, was in fact found to be controlled substance BZP, a stimulant that can trigger epileptic seizures and fits.

It had such an effect on the woman that she was left with little memory of the car journey to London.

But CCTV footage recovered by police revealed what happened next as Phillips could be seen arriving at the hotel, near Wembley Stadium, asking staff to give him a wheelchair.

Cameras then showed him wheeling the girl from his car, her head slumped forward and with his bag resting on her legs as he headed to a lift and the room.

Aside from a brief memory of a clock that read 3.48 and a feeling that she was contorted, the woman had no memory of what happened, the court was told.

She woke confused, with Phillips telling her they had engaged in a night of consensual sex.

It was some 24 hours later that the effects of the drug began to wear off and the full, horrifying impact of what had happened to her started to emerge.

Feeling ill, unable to use the toilet, her tongue and her arms bruised, she went to hospital where doctors took one look at her and called in police.

Jailing Phillips, Judge Mrs Justice Levy told him: She suffered two or three seizures outside in the car park, but you did not seek medical assistance because you were worried you could not stay in the hotel.

You told her she had chosen to have nine hours of sex instead of going to the concert. She did not remember anything of the things you talked about. It came as a complete shock to her.

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A TEENAGER has pleaded guilty to a charge of a multiple incident counts of sexual activity with a child.

Ian Josiah Sidney, 19, formerly of Galloway Road, Swindon, changed his plea during a trial at Swindon Crown Court last week.

The court heard that he is alleged to use aliases including Sam Boid, Sammy Boid, Ryan Boid, Joey Sidney, Josiah Sidney, Samantha and Angela McDough.

Sidney met his 14-year-old victim on a bus before assaulting her. The offences took place in Swindon during September 2012.

He will be sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on September 27.

Detective Constable Gemma Vinton, who investigated the case, said: “The victim showed great courage in giving evidence in court, which has no doubt contributed to the successful outcome in this case."

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A DANGEROUS sexual predator strangled and punched a 21-year-old woman after following her from work in Widnes.

Patrick Sullivan, of Cleveleys Avenue in Widnes, had been drinking at the bar where his victim worked before the assault on Cross Street just after midnight on January 26.

The father of four had admitted ABH but had denied any sexual motive. He was subsequently found guilty of intent to commit a sexual offence at trial.

Judge Andrew Hatton said when sentencing Sullivan: This a young womans worst nightmare. She was alone late at night in a quiet, secluded location and became concerned that she was being followed.

She crossed the road twice deliberately to see if she really was being followed and you matched her every move. She was then jumped on from behind, strangled by your arm and wrestled to the ground.

Further violence followed, including punches to her face. Your interest was not in her money or phone as she offered you both in an attempt to stop the assault. Nor was your interest in her upper body or breasts.

Your hands went straight to her jeans. You intended to commit either rape or a very serious sexual offence.

The court heard how heavy snow fall that evening meant a colleague, who was supposed to give the victim a lift home, was not prepared to risk driving.

Judge Hatton continued: Within moments of parting from her work colleague, the victim turned onto a quiet residential road of terraced houses where she was strangled from behind and then subjected to an assault occasioning actual bodily harm."

During the incident Sullivan was disturbed and fled, pursued by a man and the police were called.

Judge Hatton added: What was described as old fashioned detective work led to your arrest. Had it not been for footprints in the snow you would never have been detained.

Sullivan, aged 52, was jailed for four years at Liverpool Crown Court on August 21. He will serve at least two thirds of his sentence before remaining on license for six years when released.

Judge Hatton concluded: You argued that you were just messing about, a defence which was quite rightly in my opinion, nonsensed by the jury.

I accept that you had been drinking but I do not accept you were intoxicated to the extent that you describe.

You dealt a gratuitous kick to the back of the young women as you left and you did so as an act of frustration that your plans to sexually assault her had been thwarted.

I consider the extended license to be necessary for the protection of members of the public from an extremely dangerous sexual predator.

Sullivan will also be placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A MAN who subjected a woman to a frightening ordeal in her own home, where she feared she might be raped or murdered, has been jailed.

Najaf Khan edged his way into her Brierfield home after earlier chatting to her in the street.

Once inside, he insisted upon kissing her and then tried to do it a second time, but failed.

Following his arrest, Khan, 32, exposed himself to officers at Burnley police station, Preston Crown Court heard.

Khan, a married man, of Stanley Street, Brierfield had earlier been convicted after trial of trespassing, with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, an attempted sexual assault, plus four other charges of exposure. He was also dealt with for two offences of shoplifting. He was jailed for 26 months.

In November last year, Khan got chatting with a young woman in the street. He invited her to join him on his walk, but she refused.

He remained close as she went to open her front door. He got into her home and sat down in the living room.

In a statement, the young woman said his behaviour caused her enormous fear. She said the thought of possible rape and murder was running through her mind. Khan said he wouldn't leave until he had kissed her. The defendant kissed her against her will.

Khan told police he had not entered the woman's home and said he was in Burnley at the time.

Philip Holden, defending, said Khan had plainly been unwell at the time. He had no history of such offending.

He said: “His biggest concern is his family. He has now spent nine months in custody – the equivalent of nearly an 18 month sentence.”

Judge Christopher Cornwall told Khan that although the woman suffered no physical harm, the consequences for her had been extremely considerable. She no longer felt safe in her home and had increased security.

Khan will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

A restraining order was made, barring him from having any contact, attempting to contact, or enter the woman's street until further order.

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An "incorrigible" Moray sex offender has been given a life sentence.

Donald Main, 24, of Elgin, was given a mobile phone for his own safety by police - but used it to contact boys.

Lord Uist told Main: "It is plain to me that you are an incorrigible sex offender and a serious danger to the public."

The judge, at the High Court in Edinburgh, ordered Main to serve at least 18 months, and will be kept under supervision for the rest of his life.

Main contacted three boys he did not know aged between 10 and 16.

He began making contact with youngsters within days of being freed from a two-year jail sentence imposed after he followed a 12-year-old boy.

The registered sex offender was also previously jailed for 40 months after being convicted of abducting a 12-year-old boy.

He was also sentenced to 12 months detention in 2007 after breaching a probation order following indecent conduct towards boys aged between 11 and 13.

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A PAEDOPHILE rapist who repeatedly assaulted two young girls has been jailed for 16 years.

Winchester Crown Court heard last week that one of the victims was only nine when Stewart Thomas McDevitt, 50, began abusing her.

McDevitt, from Amesbury, denied the abuse when he was arrested in March last year but was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault and two of rape by a jury sitting at Portsmouth Crown Court following a one-week trial starting on July 2.

He was cleared of a further three counts of indecent assault.

Speaking after the sentencing, DC Darren Ambrose of Wiltshire Police said: McDevitt preyed on two innocent girls, which had a long-lasting and devastating effect on them.

They have shown great courage in coming forward and speaking to police and we hope that this case will encourage any other victims of sexual abuse to report it.

McDevitt has continued to deny any involvement but the jury found him guilty and the prison sentence imposed today reflects the vile nature of his crime.

McDevitt, now of Barne Barton, Plymouth, was also made subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

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Simon Austin, previously known as Simon Austin Hamilton, 43, now of Vadel Ayre, North Roe, Shetland, but previously of Sutton Avenue, Rustington, is due to appear on bail at Worthing Magistrates Court on Tuesday (July 30).

The 20 charges, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) follow an extensive investigation over the past two and a half years by the Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT) of Sussex Police.

Austin is charged with 12 offences of making indecent videos and images of children from the Internet between 2007 and 2009, with seven offences of outraging public decency by making indecent videos of women, filmed covertly on the London tube network in 2008 and 2009, and with one offence of refusing to disclose his computer password in May 2012.

At the times of all the alleged offences Austin was living in Rustington.

A police spokesman added that the allegedly indecent videos of children did not involve any youngsters from the area.

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Two men have been sentenced to a total of 16 years for raping a woman in Eastbourne last year.

Seedy Tambedou, 39, a doorman, of Hever Close, Eastbourne, and Omar Sanyang, 40, a care assistant, of Amherst Road, Bexhill were found guilty on Monday.

Tambedou was also found guilty of assisted rape at Lewes Crown Court.

Police said the men showed no remorse for the nasty assault, which left the victim severely traumatised.

The men raped the victim on September 28 2012 during a birthday celebration.

During a second assault by Sanyang, two witnesses tried to help the victim and stop the assault.

Tambedou was sentenced to a total of nine years for the assisted rape which will run consecutively.

Sanyang was sentenced to seven years.

Both will be put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Tod Stewart, who led the investigation, said: "This was clearly a very nasty assault leaving the victim severely traumatised and in need of specialised counselling. The events of the evening were extremely distressing for the victim but she found a huge amount of courage to come forward and report this awful crime.

"The victim and her friends and family are very pleased both Tambedou and Sanyang were found guilty and have been sentenced for substantial periods of time. She is now able to move on with her life and start to recover from the ordeal.

"Judge Hayward said there was compelling evidence against both men who showed no remorse for their actions.

"Anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault is encouraged to report it to the police. We will take the report seriously and give the victim all the support they need to make sure the offender is brought to justice."

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A sex offender who assaulted a woman indecently as she slept has been ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.

Iain Charlton, 36, from Tripwell, Brough, Whalsay, was placed on a community payback order with a supervision requirement for 18 months when he appeared for sentence at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday.

He will remain on the sex offenders list for the duration of the order.

Charlton previously admitted rubbing his hands up his victims back and unhooking her bra as she slept at an address in the towns St Magnus Street.

He had been at a party and was keen on the woman, although that interest was not reciprocated.

The woman, on becoming aware of him in the room, felt unable to say anything. She rolled out of the bed and landed on the floor, before running out of the room for help.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Charlton had struggled to come to terms with the incident, although he accepted he had committed the offence.

He said the incident was not prolonged, adding Charlton had left the woman alone once she had made clear his actions had not been consented.

Sheriff Marion MacDonald warned Charlton: This must have been a very upsetting incident for the woman in this case.

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A teaching assistant has been jailed for two years and four months after admitting a string of sex offences against children.

The youth worker, originally from Jewson Road, Norwich, was jailed for grooming a boy over the internet, child abduction and sexual assault.

The offences involved four boys in Swaffham and Norwich.

Following the case, Norfolk police urged parents to become more aware of the 'dangers of the online world' and to not be afraid to check their children's social network use.

Reuben Poll used the alias Jordan Green on social network site Facebook to chat to one 11-year-old.

The court heard how he groomed the boy by making sexual comments in private messages.

He encouraged the child to send explicit photos of himself and sent the child pornographic images.

Reuben, who volunteered at a youth club in Swaffham and worked as a teaching assistant at primary schools around Norfolk, then met up with the boy at a park in January this year.

But he was caught after the child's mother became suspicious.

William Carter, prosecuting, told Norwich Crown Court that the 11-year-old's mother noticed a change in his behaviour and discovered the messages from 'Jordan Green' when she checked her child's Facebook account dating back to early December 2012.

She took the laptop to police and Poll was arrested on January 12.

Her son told officers how Poll had 'drawn me in' through the messages in which he claimed he was 16 years old rather than 20.

He told the child: 'I want to be like your big bro and look after you.'

When Poll was arrested by police two boys, aged 12 and 15, were in his white Renault Clio without their parents' consent.

They said they were going to Poll's flat to do some decorating, but the children's parents said they were 'horrified' when told by officers, and Poll admitted two counts of abduction.

He also admitted sexual assault by touching a child at a Swaffham youth club where he volunteered. The case was dismissed by the club when reported by the boy last year as they believed Poll's denial.

Poll will now be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

Andrew Shaw, mitigating, said Poll had a very troubled upbringing and was 'damaged' and 'confused'.

He is the son of a woman described in court as 'probably Norwich's most notorious prostitute' Carmen Dye. He was taken into foster care aged eight and grew up in Dereham.

But Mr Shaw said that his attempts to get his life on track by becoming a teaching assistant were scuppered when his sister Natasha Dye died from a drugs overdose supplied to her by her mother's partner. He fell into depression and lost his primary school job.

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A paedophile teacher found with 14,500 sick images of children told police he was looking at them for research purposes – so he could get them taken down from the Internet.

But science master Melvyn Carter, who taught at East Sussex County Council-run Heathfield Community College at the time of his arrest in August 2011, eventually admitted this was a lie.

He confessed he had been looking at such images for “several years”

while continuing to work as a teacher.

Carter has now been jailed for 15 months.

The 69-year-old left the school, in Cade Street, Heathfield, in November 2011, five months after he was initially arrested.

Pupils at the school yesterday spoke of their shock.

One former student,who asked not to be named, called Carter “sick”.

Another student added: “I can’t believe it.”

Heathfield head teacher Alan Powell said: “Melvyn Carter previously worked at the college as a cover supervisor and, before that, as a teacher.

“As soon as we were made aware of these allegations we took immediate action.

“He was dismissed from his post in November 2011 following an internal personnel investigation and we referred the case to the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

“None of the offences he was charged with in any way relate to the school or to any pupils from the school. Nor had any previous concerns of this nature been raised about him.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Carter was a teacher at Heathfield Community School when he was arrested in August 2011 but he resigned shortly afterwards.

“There was no evidence of any link between the school and his offending, which was carried out on his home computer.”

At Lewes Crown Court Carter, of Malvern Way, Hastings, was also served with a ten-year sexual offence prevention order severely restricting his access to children and computers and will have to register as a sex offender on his release from prison.

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A man who sexually abused a teenager after throttling her until she passed out has been jailed for 14 years.

Darren Cowland, 37, of Union Close, Bideford, Devon, ripped out clumps of his 18-year-old victim's hair during the attack, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Cowland was on bail for attacking a man with a bottle in a nightclub when he assaulted the woman.

He admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and sexual assault.

'Long recovery'

Judge Francis Gilbert said: "It was a very, very violent assault on a young woman who will probably be a long time recovering from what you did to her.

"I am satisfied that you are a dangerous offender who poses a significant risk of committing further offences."

David Evans, prosecuting, said the bottle attack took place at Caesar's Palace nightclub in Bideford in July 2011. The victim was left with a 4cm scar.

Gareth Evans, mitigating, said Cowland was a victim of abuse as a child and has been determined to turn his back on alcohol since he had been remanded in custody.

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A 19-year-old man who had sex with a 14-year-old girl has been given 12 months custody.

Grant Pearson, of Aintree Road, South Shore, had pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child.

Preston Crown Court heard Pearson had sex with the girl twice after they had met by accident at a bus stop and continued to contact each other by text and on Facebook.

Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, said Pearson had been fully aware of the her age.

The girls mother went on to find out what had happened and the police were called.

Janet Ironfield, defending, said: He entirely accepts that he is to blame. He hasnt sought to transfer any of the blame to the girl.

There was genuine affection between the two. There had been Facebook chatter which in the main of entirely flirtatious.

The court heard Pearsons mother had died when he was 13 and his father had later left him imprisoned in Singapore.

Passing sentence on Monday, Judge Andrew Woolman also told Pearson he recognised there was very profound mitigation in his case.

He said: You had very troubled years.