Canterbury Crown Court Sentencing Results

Chan Atak piloted an overcrowded, deflating 14-metre dinghy across the English Channel with 165 people on board on 23 July. The crossing lasted nearly 24 hours. One of the two outboard engines was not functioning, the tubing had started to deflate, and the vessel had no navigation, emergency signalling or firefighting equipment, with fuel containers and batteries stored together creating a risk of fire. Atak operated the boat for 90 minutes before crouching among passengers and removing his jacket to avoid detection as helmsman.

Chan Mathok Atak piloted an overcrowded inflatable dinghy carrying 165 migrants across the English Channel on 23 July. The vessel was severely overcrowded, deflating, had only one working outboard engine, limited food, drinking water and medication, inadequate lifejackets, and a considerable fire risk due to batteries being close to fuel cans. Atak was seen piloting the boat during 90 minutes of aerial footage before moving away from the engine and removing his jacket in an attempt to avoid being identified as the helmsman.

On 21 May, neighbourhood officers spotted suspicious activity on the A20 near Folkestone, Kent. A Renault Kangoo van in a layby contained a cash-counting machine. An HGV nearby began to drive away and was stopped by police. In the trailer, officers found carrier bags containing almost 50kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than £2 million. Danilah was the HGV driver.

On 21 May, police investigating a Renault Kangoo van near Folkestone stopped a nearby HGV. In the trailer they found almost 50kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than £2 million in carrier bags. Marku was discovered hiding in the rear of the lorry, attempted to flee, and was detained. He was carrying the keys to the Renault Kangoo.

Kian Minister deliberately started multiple fires in Canterbury and Ashford within 24 hours on 27 March. He set fire to a wheelie bin in Sturry High Street at around 5.30am, attempted to start a blaze at Stour Retail Park by lighting a toilet roll, and ignited tyres outside a Mercedes Benz dealership on Mill Road, causing damage to the building. Later that day he used a fire extinguisher in an attempt to damage a footbridge at Ashford International station, smashed three car windscreens with a traffic cone, and set fire to further items near a skip outside the station. He was arrested shortly afterwards and charged the next day with multiple arson and criminal damage offences.

Ashley Atkins attacked a man with scissors in Canterbury High Street in the early hours of 20 February 2026. The victim suffered eight stab and puncture wounds to his head, ear and back, including deep and life-threatening injuries. The attack followed an earlier fist fight between the two men about half an hour before. Atkins admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Paul Kennedy, after the stabbing in Canterbury, sent messages instructing another person to delete WhatsApp exchanges containing evidence and admissions. He failed to delete messages from the deleted items folder on his phone and they were found by police. He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

On 23 April 2026 in Ramsgate, Taray Weaver, intoxicated by drink and drugs, encountered a woman known to him, cornered her, punched her in the face, and demanded money for drugs. He forced her to walk to a pensioner's flat, sprayed blood from a hand injury and claimed to be HIV positive. He forced entry, kicked the pensioner's dog, armed himself with a knife and a carving fork, threatened to murder, rape and strangle the woman, and slashed her thigh, leaving a permanent scar. He also assaulted the 76-year-old pensioner. After arrest, he attempted to bite and spat at a police officer at hospital.

Oliver Anderton was part of a group that attacked a man in Tontine Street, Folkestone, on September 24, 2022. The victim was hit repeatedly, went to his knees and was kicked repeatedly by members of the makeshift group. He suffered fractures to the right and left jaw and continues to experience problems including jaw clicking and pain. Anderton was 17 at the time of the offence and was identified by a doorman from a nearby bar. He was convicted of grievous bodily harm after a trial.

Riley Duffin was involved in a group street attack on September 24, 2022, in Tontine Street, Folkestone, in which the victim was repeatedly hit and kicked while on his knees. The victim suffered fractures to the right and left jaw and has ongoing problems with jaw clicking and pain. Duffin was 18 at the time and had been going through a difficult break-up before confronting the victim during a night out. He was convicted of grievous bodily harm after a trial.

Omar Heidari piloted a dinghy carrying 95 migrants across the English Channel, endangering the lives of those on board. He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court under the new offence of endangering others during a sea journey to the UK.

Manas David Yuk, a Sudanese national, arrived in the UK on 21 June with 82 others aboard a small boat crossing the Channel, including 13 children. He pleaded guilty to endangerment and was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on 31 July 2026 to 18 months imprisonment.

Charun Magok piloted a small boat across the English Channel on 20 March 2026. The vessel was designed for five people but carried six, was taking on water because it sat so low, and had no signalling equipment, GPS devices, oars, flares, radios, navigational charts or first aid equipment. He was filmed piloting the vessel and later threw his coat into the sea in an attempt to avoid detection as the pilot.

Bol Chuol piloted a small boat across the English Channel that was intercepted off the coast of Kent on 22 March 2026. The vessel was massively overcrowded with 71 people on board, including children, and was taking on water. It had no lights, GPS devices, charts, first aid equipment or warning flares, and not everyone on board was wearing a lifejacket. Chuol was identified from a distinctive Christmas jumper he was wearing and was filmed throwing his coat into the sea in an attempt to avoid detection as the pilot.

Sladden carried out a sustained campaign of sexual abuse against three girls over several years. The offences were uncovered around 30 years later after the victims made formal reports to police in March 2024.

Azzeddine Ainbouzid was captured on drone footage piloting an overcrowded small boat carrying 66 other people across the English Channel. The boat was designed to carry 20 passengers, and the severe overloading restricted its speed, manoeuvrability and seaworthiness. Some passengers had no lifejacket, and people had to sit along the sides with their feet in the water. When a Border Force rescue vessel approached, he took his hand off the tiller, causing the boat to lose control and go round in circles. He was identified as the pilot by the logo on the left-hand sleeve of his black jacket and his distinctive facial hair.

Jaskirat Singh, 25, organised the transport of Indian nationals from the UK to France hidden in HGVs between December 2024 and March 2026. Evidence from his phone showed messages coordinating logistics, videos of large sums of cash, and a TikTok account advertising cross-Channel journeys. He claimed to have been sending 60 people a week to France, earning more than £185,000. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration to a member state.

Ali Alnour piloted a dinghy across the English Channel from France to the UK with 74 people on board. Many passengers lacked life jackets, and some were sitting on the tubes with their legs in the water. He was charged under s24(E1A) Immigration Act 1971 (as amended by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025) for endangering lives during sea crossings.

Alnour Mohamed Ali piloted a heavily overcrowded small boat carrying 74 people across the Channel on 9 April 2026. Drone footage showed him driving while wearing a pink hat, with passengers straddling the side of the boat and some legs dangling in the water. There was a lack of safety equipment, and the boat was at risk of capsizing.

Mohammad Tajik piloted a dangerously overloaded dinghy across the Channel on 17 January. He had no experience or knowledge of piloting a boat and at one point released the tiller, leaving nobody in control. The boat was overcrowded and lacked navigational aids and safety equipment. Footage showed passengers sitting unsafely around the edge. Conditions were very cold in January. He later admitted piloting the boat and said he took over to stop it going in circles shortly before interception.

Kristian Mata, a 19-year-old Slovakian national from Canterbury, was identified as operating a drugs line supplying crack cocaine. The investigation began in September 2025 after detectives linked mobile phone numbers to known drug users and an address associated with Mata. CCTV footage confirmed his involvement in communications with users. He was arrested on 18 September 2025, charged the following day, and pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court. He was sentenced on 14 May 2026.

On the morning of June 1, 2024, Charlie Haynes, then 19, and his mother Laura Haynes banged on the victim's front door in Beachborough Road, Folkestone, ambushed her with a hammer, and launched a prolonged assault leaving her with a fractured left upper jaw, eight missing teeth, bruising and wounds to her mouth. They dragged her into the bathroom, forced her head underwater causing her to fear drowning, and Charlie repeatedly punched her face as she rested her head on the toilet seat in the blood-splattered bathroom. The attack was described as revenge with unclear motivations, involving significant planning and premeditation. They fled, washed the hammer, and stashed it.

On the morning of June 1, 2024, Laura Haynes, aged 40, and her son Charlie Haynes banged on the victim’s front door in Beachborough Road, Folkestone, ambushed her with a hammer, and launched a prolonged assault leaving her with a fractured left upper jaw, eight missing teeth, bruising and wounds to her mouth. They dragged her into the bathroom, forced her head underwater causing her to fear drowning, and Laura gave instructions during the beating, making comments such as 'Where’s your boyfriend now?'. The attack was described as revenge with unclear motivations, involving significant planning and premeditation. They fled, washed the hammer, and stashed it.