Lewes Crown Court Sentencing Results

Explore 223 verdicts at Lewes Crown Court (Lewes). Updated with the latest court outcomes.

November 1988 1 case

John Taylor

Rape *

Sentence

9 years imprisonment

John Taylor, 37, from St. Leonards, raped a 20-year-old girl at gunpoint. He was imprisoned after a nine-day trial.

Appeal thrown out on Monday.

2 Nov 1988

Date Not Specified 22 cases

Joao-Carlos Jardim Dos Santos Teixeira

Sharing and discussing paedophile material *

Sentence

11 years and four months imprisonment

Joao-Carlos Jardim Dos Santos Teixeira ran a number of online child abuse chat groups, sharing and discussing paedophile material online, including AI generated images.

From Eastbourne, aged 26. NCA officers arrested him at his home in February 2024 and seized devices.

1 Jan 0001

Jason Lineker

Sexual assault *

Sentence

five-and-a-half years' imprisonment

Jason Lineker sexually assaulted a girl who was then aged under 13, more than six years prior to sentencing. The offence took place in Moulsecoomb Way, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2. He was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict at a five-day trial which included evidence from witnesses and the victim herself.

Convicted by unanimous jury verdict after a five-day trial. Retrial after previous jury failed to agree in November 2020. Registered sex offender for life. Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) until further court order.

1 Jan 0001

Michael Lane

Murder *

Sentence

Life imprisonment with minimum term of 25 years

Michael Lane murdered his former girlfriend Shana Grice on 25 August 2016 by slitting her throat and setting fire to her bedroom while she was alone at her home on Chrisdory Road, Portslade, East Sussex. This followed a period of stalking including placing a tracker on her car, sending unwanted flowers, damaging her car, snatching her phone, grabbing her hair, entering her home uninvited using a stolen key to watch her sleeping, and multiple phone calls. He had previously been arrested for assault and theft but received only a caution.

Admitted to stalking Grice but pleaded not guilty to murdering her. Found guilty after a two-week trial. Judge criticised Sussex Police for failing to take Grice's complaints seriously.

1 Jan 0001

Ludovit Gerhat

Breaching registered sex offender requirements *

Sentence

15 months imprisonment

Ludovit Gerhat, 34, of Blackwater Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, accessed more than 200 videos and 100 other indecent images of children from the internet, including some in the most serious categories, despite a previous conviction. Officers detected attempts to wipe material from his devices via monitoring software required as part of his registration.

Pleaded guilty to breaching his registered sex offender requirements. Previous conviction in August 2021 for possessing indecent images of children (eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months). Will remain a registered sex offender for a further ten years and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting access to digital devices and children.

1 Jan 0001

Js

Manslaughter *

Sentence

Hospital order

JS was charged with the murder of his mother. After obtaining a number of reports, a plea to manslaughter was accepted.

Plea to manslaughter accepted due to significant history of poor mental health.

1 Jan 0001

Kevin Paul Horne

Sexual activity with a child *

Sentence

7 years imprisonment

Kevin Paul Horne, a builder and decorator of Cross-In-Hand, Heathfield, sexually assaulted a teenage girl he knew late one evening while staying at Winchelsea Sands Holiday Village in the summer of 2020.

Convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child. Registered sex offender for life. Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life, severely restricting access to children under 18.

1 Jan 0001

Ko

Conspiracy to supply class A drugs *

Sentence

Suspended sentence

KO was charged with others with conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Lengthy delay between plea and sentence led to submissions that she should not be sent to prison.

1 Jan 0001

Kr

Sexual assault *

Sentence

Community order

KR admitted sexually assaulting a co-worker on duty.

Full mitigation heard; KR is a doctor.

1 Jan 0001

Derek Winston Seekings

Rape *

Sentence

11-year prison sentence, half to be served in custody with release on licence; 9-year concurrent sentence for second count

Derek Winston Seekings, a retired Surrey Police sergeant, raped a woman on two occasions between 1994 and 2000 in Surrey. One attack occurred during his meal break while on duty in Farnborough; the other off duty. He was charged in July 2019, originally with seven counts reduced to two. Found guilty on January 8 following a four-day trial. Victim suffered severe psychological harm.

Found guilty after four-day trial. Placed on sex offenders register for life. Sentence aggravated by breach of public trust as retired police sergeant.

1 Jan 0001

David Peapell

Breaching Criminal Behaviour Order and assaulting a police officer *

Sentence

11 weeks imprisonment

David Peapell breached his Criminal Behaviour Order, which banned him from contacting police unless it was a genuine emergency, by calling the non-emergency 101 number 21 times between February 18 and May 9, 2018. Calls included topics on the dark web, social media, hate crime, and homophobic remarks. On May 11, 2018, when PC James Breeds attempted to arrest him, Peapell bit the officer on the arm.

Found guilty after trial of breaching Criminal Behaviour Order and assaulting a police officer.

1 Jan 0001

Ben Bamford

Murder *

Sentence

Life imprisonment with minimum term of 16 years

Ben Bamford, an 18-year-old drug user from South Street, Crowborough, met Paul Jefferies, a 52-year-old civil servant, on the Grindr dating app. On February 23, 2016, Bamford visited Jefferies' cottage in Coggins Mill Lane, Mayfield, East Sussex, with the intention of exploiting him for money to pay off a £400 drugs debt. During the visit, Bamford killed Jefferies in a prolonged brutal attack using three knives and candlesticks, inflicting more than 40 injuries including significant head and neck injuries and a slash to the throat. There were signs of a struggle throughout the property. Bamford locked the door, fled in Jefferies' grey Audi TT, and sought hospital treatment for a hand injury sustained during the attack.

Found guilty of murder after a two-week trial. Intended to exploit victim for money to pay off £400 drugs debt. Showed no remorse.

1 Jan 0001

Brian Matthews

Rape and sexual assault *

Sentence

19 years imprisonment including one year on extended licence

Brian Matthews, of London Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, began sexually assaulting his victim when she was nine years old, continuing the abuse into her late teens. Offences included four counts of assault on a girl under 13 by touching, four counts of assault on a female over 13 with penetration, rape of a girl aged 13 to 15, two counts of rape of a female aged 16 or over, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and cruelty to a person under 16. He also subjected the victim to emotional and psychological abuse to normalise his behaviour and control her.

Denied all charges but found guilty by jury on most counts. Placed on sex offenders' register for life. Given Sexual Harm Prevention Order prohibiting contact with children under 18 without permission and restricting possession of devices capable of storing digital images.

1 Jan 0001

Clive Garton

Rape *

Sentence

16 years imprisonment

Clive Garton, a serving Kent Police sergeant, approached his victim as she sat on the stairs and raped her despite her repeatedly pleading for him to stop. The victim endured years of stalking and controlling behaviour from Garton, who tracked her mobile phone to monitor her location. He placed listening devices in her home, admitting he could dial into them to listen to her. While on bail for these offences, Garton attempted to track her mobile phone again, perverting the course of justice. Allegation made in October 2016.

Found guilty of rape, stalking and perverting the course of justice after trial. Claimed victim consented to sex but admitted placing listening devices in her home. Stripped of police sergeant title on 12 November 2018.

1 Jan 0001

Clive Manning

Indecent assault *

Sentence

15 years in prison

Clive Manning repeatedly indecently assaulted a young girl under 10 after grooming her over months. The offences occurred when he lived in Crawley. He moved away, and a chance meeting with the victim in October 2017 led to her reporting the abuse. He was arrested and charged.

Found guilty by jury after pleading not guilty to 12 historic counts.

1 Jan 0001

Cameron Grocutt

Manslaughter *

Sentence

4 years and 4 months' imprisonment

Cameron Grocutt, 24, punched Mohamed Mahmoud Snnai, a 66-year-old complete stranger, on the back of the head, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the pavement in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in October. Witnesses described hearing a 'sickening thump'. Snnai was taken to hospital and his life support was later withdrawn. He died on 12 November.

Pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Initially admitted causing grievous bodily harm without intent. Of no fixed address.

1 Jan 0001

Ashley Symes

Burglary *

Sentence

4 years imprisonment

Ashley Symes was convicted of a break-in at Gorringes in Lewes in June 2023, along with several other offences related to auction house burglaries involving the theft of antiques, jewellery, and furniture.

Convicted of burglary at Gorringes in Lewes and a number of other offences.

1 Jan 0001

Andrew Leadbitter

Attempted sexual communication with a child *

Sentence

two and a quarter years imprisonment

Andrew Leadbitter, 55, a service engineer of Hillcrest Road, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 9EZ, engaged in sexualised online conversations with young girls. He systematically sought out opportunities for sexual conversation with young girls and arranged a meeting with one of them but backed out at the last moment.

Admitted two offences of attempted sexual communication with two separate girls, attempting to engage a third girl in sexual activity, three offences of making indecent images of children and one offence of possessing extreme pornographic images. Will be a registered sex offender for 10 years and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting access to children and digital devices.

1 Jan 0001

Richard White

Attempting to arrange a child sexual offence *

Sentence

26 months imprisonment

Richard White, 44, unemployed, of Timberlands, Storrington, travelled to try to meet someone he thought was a teenage girl for sex in Crawley after online contact. He was arrested by Sussex Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), working with South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), in a car park at Crawley in December 2019, where communications devices were seized.

Pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to attempting to arrange a child sexual offence. Registered sex offender for 10 years. Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

1 Jan 0001

Stephen Agate

Breaching Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and sex offender notification requirements *

Sentence

3 years imprisonment

Stephen Agate, 37, unemployed, of Wordsworth Road, Worthing, associated with a single mother who had young daughters within four months of being released from prison on supervision licence. Police found he was staying at her address after unexplained absence from his approved address. He was arrested and charged with breaching SHPO and sex offender notification requirements.

Pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting unsupervised access to young children, and breaching lifelong requirement to notify address as Registered Sex Offender. Previously sentenced to 4 years imprisonment in July 2015 for sexual offences against an 8-year-old girl.

1 Jan 0001

Tiago Nunes

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm *

Sentence

5 years imprisonment

On March 15, 2024, possibly intoxicated, Nunes made disparaging comments, punched walls and a radiator injuring himself, refused to let victim leave, followed her, assaulted and choked her in the bedroom. Previously convicted of assaulting a man unconscious with brain bleed outside Medusa bar in Crawley on August 21, 2022. Nine months later assaulted another domestic partner while waiting for taxi, damaging her phone. On June 7, 2025, chased a man with a metal bar.

Admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of a weapon in public.

1 Jan 0001

Reece Pettitt

Rape *

Sentence

four-and-a-half years imprisonment

Reece Pettitt, of Charrington Way, Broadbridge Heath, raped a 17-year-old girl at a hostel in Horsham, West Sussex, where they both lived. The offender, then 20 years old, invited himself into her room, made unwanted sexual approaches, ignored her pleas to leave, and carried out the rape in October 2015. Pettitt and the victim barely knew each other.

He will also be registered as a sex offender for life. He was found not guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

1 Jan 0001

William Yates

Running child sexual abuse forum *

Sentence

five years and four months imprisonment

William Yates ran The Annex, a membership-only forum which hosted a number of areas dedicated to child sexual abuse. The site worked by promoting users from guests to members by live chat participation and sharing imagery.

Aged 45. Ran The Annex, a membership-only forum which hosted areas dedicated to child sexual abuse. Users promoted from guests to members by live chat participation and sharing imagery.

1 Jan 0001

Disclaimer: The information on this page is compiled from publicly available court records and published media reports. It is provided strictly for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as a definitive record of any individual's criminal history or legal status.

Offence names marked with an asterisk (*) reflect descriptions used in media reporting and may not correspond to the formal legal charge or indictment. Sentencing details are as reported and may be subject to subsequent appeal, variation, or correction by the courts.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The presence of a name on this page does not imply guilt, and some listed individuals may have had convictions overturned, sentences reduced, or charges withdrawn after the date of publication.

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182 High St, Lewes BN7 1YB, Lewes, BN7 1YB, United Kingdom

+441273480400

Wheelchair accessible entrance

Monday - Friday: 08:30 - 16:30

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About Lewes Crown Court

Lewes Crown Court, located in Lewes, is a Crown Court that handles serious criminal cases including murder, rape, robbery, and other indictable offences. With 223 sentencing records in our database, it is one of the Crown Courts serving the Lewes area. Crown Courts sit with a judge and jury, and have the power to impose the full range of sentences available under UK law.

The court can be found at 182 High St, Lewes BN7 1YB, BN7 1YB.

Accessibility provisions at this court include wheelchair accessible entrance.

For enquiries about cases heard at this court, you can contact the court by telephone on +441273480400.

All sentencing information published on this page has been sourced from publicly-available records and verified by our editorial team. If you believe any information is inaccurate or should be removed, you can submit a removal request directly from the relevant listing above.