Lewes Crown Court Sentencing Results

Jamie Hall, 42, physically attacked and verbally abused his former partner during a 10-month relationship, including grabbing her by her ponytail and choking her with his hand over her mouth, causing injuries including black eyes and cuts. He committed the offences after being released on licence and while attending a course aimed at building better relationships following a previous domestic violence conviction. He admitted engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, assault by beating and causing actual bodily harm.

Daniel Rogers stole from retailers in Horsham and Crawley between February and May 2026, taking goods valued at approximately £4,000. He targeted stores including Waitrose, Boots, John Lewis and Tesco and was identified as a prolific offender under Operation Apprentice. He admitted 17 shop thefts at Lewes Crown Court.

Callum Parker, a registered sex offender subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, was found to have breached the order and notification requirements during an unannounced police visit in April. He had an undisclosed mobile phone and internet-enabled device, plus a USB stick containing extreme pornographic images involving adults and animals. He also had an undeclared bank account.

Michael Warrent, 40, of Warbleton Close, Brighton, went to his brother Lee's ex-wife the victim's home just days after Lee was jailed for harassing her in January last year. He shouted through her letterbox: 'I tell you now, you stupid slag, I will burn your house down you fucking wait.' Although she was asleep, the rant was caught on her doorbell camera, leaving her shaken and scared.

Adam Gibbs, 35, from Worthing, committed 22 fresh shoplifting offences between December and January, stealing goods worth more than £1,800 including ribeye steaks, vodka, whiskey, shampoo, butter, electric toothbrushes, and candles from stores such as Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, and Boots. He breached a prior Criminal Behaviour Order 15 times despite serving a suspended sentence for earlier thefts. Identified as a serial offender during Operation Apprentice by the Worthing Response Investigation Team.

Dean Heron, 38, of no fixed address, confronted the victim at around 7am on 9 July 2025 in Waterside Close, Bewbush, Crawley. As the victim returned home in his car following a night shift, Heron launched an unprovoked assault on his driveway. He struck the victim to the face, took out a knife during the struggle, and then choked the victim. Neighbours alerted police, leading to Heron's arrest.

James Gathercole, 40, of Leigham Court Road, Streatham, exposed himself and masturbated in front of a woman in her 20s on a train from London Victoria to East Grinstead on July 15, 2025. He was caught staring at her, then undressed and performed the act after passengers alighted at East Croydon. The victim reported the incident at Upper Warlingham, leading to his arrest at East Grinstead where he was found asleep. This occurred just 12 days after his release on licence. He had prior convictions for similar acts in July 2024 at Motspur Park and West Sutton, identified via victim footage and CCTV.

On 20 September 2024, police went to arrest Reece Hodges at a property in Arun Road, Bognor, for recall to prison where he was serving a sentence for stalking. He climbed onto the roof and garage, initiating a 12-hour stand-off during which he threatened to ignite a propane gas cylinder. Neighbours were evacuated, and a significant emergency service response was required. Officers from the Tactical Enforcement Unit entered a garage full of obstacles and arrested Hodges before he could set the gas cylinder on fire, fearing he had doused himself and the floor in petrol or accelerant.

Charles Wood, 34, of Bowness Avenue, Sompting, used voice-changing technology to catfish teenage girls and young women on TikTok and Instagram. Posing as a teenage girl named ‘Riley’, he pressured victims into sending sexually explicit images and videos, some of which he shared with other predatory men. He possessed 30 child abuse images across categories A, B and C, as well as an extreme pornographic image. He also sent false messages claiming ‘Riley’ was self‑harming and pretended to be her mother. Arrested on 21 November 2024, he pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on 14 November 2025 and was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 13 January 2026.

Mikey Winchester, 25, posed as a teenage girl on Snapchat and Instagram to groom three young girls (two aged 10, one aged 13) in 2022 and 2023. He sent explicit images and asked the victims to send explicit images in return. Police traced the accounts to his home and arrested him in May 2023. His devices contained 69 child sex abuse images and four images of extreme animal pornography. He was charged with three counts of sexual communication with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child (with and without penetration), three counts of making indecent images of a child, and four counts of possession of extreme pornography.

Between 2017 and 2018, Benoy Thomas recruited Indian nationals to work as care assistants through a Bexhill-on-Sea based care home recruitment company, despite knowing they had no right to work in the UK. He was found guilty of assisting the unlawful immigration of 13 individuals. The court heard he tried to hide employment documentation from immigration officers in a garage before his arrest. Prosecutors presented timesheets, invoices, text messages, bank statements, handwritten office notes and diary entries showing he deliberately organised work for people he knew were in the UK illegally.

John Simpson, 52, of Sheffield Park Way, Eastbourne, groomed and repeatedly sexually abused a 13-year-old girl in 2011, convincing her they were in a normal relationship. The abuse continued for several months before she cut contact. She reported the offences to police in 2021. Simpson was arrested and charged with 13 counts of sexual activity with a child and 2 counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. At Lewes Crown Court, he was found guilty of 9 counts of sexual activity with a child and 2 counts of causing or inciting. He was sentenced to 9 years 6 months in prison, placed on the sex offenders register for life, and given an indefinite restraining order against the victim.

On the evening of 23 July 2024, Jason Cook was drinking with his father and brother at the Smugglers Return pub. During a confrontation, he picked up an umbrella base and threw it at someone, and threw glasses towards the group which smashed. He later shouted to his brother Matthew to 'get the shooter', prompting Matthew to fetch a knife. Jason was arrested outside the pub.

During the violent confrontation at the Smugglers Return pub in Worthing on 23 July 2024, Matthew Cook, after his brother Jason shouted to 'get the shooter', cycled away and returned wielding a large knife. He slashed at the group of customers who were trapped in a wooden booth with no means of escape. At least three members sustained arm wounds while trying to defend themselves. Matthew fled but was later arrested.

On 23 July 2024, Derek Cook was drinking with his sons at the Smugglers Return pub in Worthing. They became involved in a confrontation with another group of customers in the outside seating area. Derek attempted to punch one individual, then later hit a female member of the group over the head with an umbrella pole and jabbed it into her body, causing significant bruising. He was arrested outside the pub.

Thomas Murphy was driving a silver Kia Sedona with cloned number plates and failed to stop for police. He evaded pursuit by speeding at up to 80mph in a 50mph zone, driving on the wrong side of the road, ignoring traffic lights, and overtaking dangerously. On 7 March 2025, he collided head-on with a family car near Godstone, causing life-changing injuries to the occupants while under the influence of drugs.

George Leighton, 26, of no fixed address, began a relationship with a woman in January 2025, which turned violent after eight months. On September 14, 2025, while driving from Sunbury, he strangled her twice until she couldn't breathe and punched her face, causing swelling. On October 10, 2025, at home, he strangled her again, pushing her against a bed headboard, causing bruising, and hit her face. On October 15, 2025, while driving, after she refused to lend him her car, he repeatedly banged her head against the car door until she lost consciousness. He was arrested on October 21, 2025.