Bournemouth Crown Court Sentencing Results

On 26 March 2025, in Walditch near Bridport, Dorset, Christopher Wellman was working at his mother-in-law's house near a shared entranceway with his neighbours, playing loud music and using an electric saw. The male neighbour, 76, complained about the noise, put his foot on the saw after Wellman ignored him. Wellman shouted an insult, took a long back swing with a 3x4 piece of wood and struck the male neighbour on the right side of the face and ear with both hands. This fractured the male neighbour's cheekbone and eye socket wall, split his ear, caused a laceration requiring hospital treatment, loosened a tooth, and additional shoulder injury from falling onto a gate. The incident stemmed from ongoing neighbour dispute over planning for a massage business.

On 11 April 2023 at around 9am, 38-year-old Dale Clark drove a Toyota Rav-4 at speed (estimated in excess of 40mph in a 30mph limit) while under the influence of alcohol and using a mobile phone. He collided with a woman in her 30s who was pushing an 11-month-old child in a pushchair on a pedestrian crossing in Redhill Avenue, Bournemouth. The child was unharmed but the woman suffered serious injuries to her head, pelvis, leg and spleen and was hospitalised in a life-threatening condition. Clark drove away from the scene but was identified by a witness who memorised his registration plate. He was arrested and provided a breath reading of 46 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml (legal limit 35).

Daniel Bagwell, 43, from Poole, subjected a woman to a sustained assault at an address in Poole on Friday, September 13, 2024. He punched the woman multiple times, threatened to stab her with a knife, and took her mobile phone, house keys and car keys. The victim sustained injuries to her face, upper arms, chest, rib cage and thigh, requiring hospital treatment including surgery for a fractured eye socket.

Benjamin David Jason Albin, 25, of Swanage, was convicted after a trial of controlling and coercive behaviour towards a former partner during a relationship in early 2021. He contacted the victim excessively, monitored her movements via a phone app, checked her phone, contacted her friends, and made threats including to kill her. He also caused criminal damage to her possessions. Mobile phone evidence supported the case.

Aaron Michael Frigot banked a £25,000 cheque from the fraud victim and transferred the majority of the funds to the principal offenders as part of the money laundering operation following the November 2022 rogue trader fraud in Dorchester.

On 3rd August 2023 at Ashley Manor Farm, Andrew Claridge-Fleming left four dogs, including one of his own, in his Land Rover Discovery around 10am. He returned at 4pm to find the vehicle closed and three dogs dead from heat exhaustion: Milo (six-month-old fox-red Labrador), Bodger (cocker spaniel), and Rocky (cockapoo). The fourth dog, his own cocker spaniel named Rocky, survived after veterinary treatment. Temperature reached 23C. He claimed a member of the public had maliciously closed the vehicle.

Steven Wenzel punched a man in his 50s in the face at the Upton Social Club in Poole Road shortly before 4.24pm on Saturday, October 12, 2024. The attack left the victim with a fractured skull and blood clots on the brain. Wenzel was arrested after a quick investigation by Dorset Police and faced trial at Bournemouth Crown Court on July 31 and August 1, where he was convicted for inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

Thomas David Brown, of no fixed abode, was arrested after a revolver was found in his room at the George Hotel, High Street North, Poole on October 20, 2022. The firearm was examined and confirmed to be viable. He was sentenced after pleading guilty.

On 2 September 2022 at around 7.30pm, Simon Anthony Jeff approached a man in his 60s outside The Three Compasses pub in Charminster, Dorchester, and without warning punched him in the face. The victim lost consciousness, struck his head on the ground and sustained a bleed on the brain. Jeff then dragged the victim down steps by his ankles. Jeff was arrested the following day and later admitted the offence.

Luke Morgan Leon Burton groomed and exploited a vulnerable teenage girl via Snapchat before travelling from Oxfordshire to Dorset to meet her. He was discovered by Dorset Police in a vehicle with the victim in Weymouth in April 2025. Devices seized revealed Snapchat messages, communications with other underage girls and indecent images of children.

Penny Jayne Barney (also known as Penny Jayne Small) assisted in laundering £25,000 of proceeds from the fraud by receiving and transferring funds through third-party accounts to disguise their criminal origin.

On June 15, 2023, Yusuf Muzil drove a Lexus GS300 at excessive speed on the A338 in Dorset, colliding with the back of a Nissan Micra that was slowing for the Ashley Heath roundabout. The collision caused the Micra to leave the road. The victim, 31, the front seat passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other occupants suffered serious injuries. Muzil and two others fled the scene after removing a black holdall and registration plates. Muzil was arrested following a search involving NPAS and a dog unit.

On 4 January 2023 at around 7.30pm, Wanrong Liang confronted a group of young people outside the Spar shop in Turlin Road, Poole, while brandishing an imitation black revolver. He shouted abuse, followed them into the shop waving the weapon, then left on an electric bike. Dorset Police arrested the 30-year-old after searches; an electronic incapacitation device and CS gas were also recovered from his Poole address. He was convicted of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a prohibited weapon (CS gas) and possessing a disguised firearm.

On June 24, 2022, at around 9.50am, Wayne Legg was driving a Vauxhall Zafira along Heckford Road toward the junction with Wimborne Road in Poole. The victim, 89, was walking along the pavement on Wimborne Road. When the Zafira stopped at the junction, the victim proceeded to cross the road in front of the vehicle. Legg drove forward, colliding with the victim, who was taken to hospital but died on June 29. Legg failed to make sufficient checks of his surroundings as he pulled off from the junction.