Norwich Crown Court Sentencing Results

Nicolae Brica drove a Renault Megane after drinking alcohol in the early hours of Christmas Eve and collided with two brothers who were cycling home. One brother was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Brica gave a roadside breath test reading of 72 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, against a legal limit of 35.

Zack Garrido was driving a Tesla Model 3 on South Beach Parade, Great Yarmouth, at about 21:45 BST on 27 August 2024 when he struck a pedestrian crossing the road. Investigators found he had been travelling at up to 80mph in a 30mph limit. The pedestrian died at the scene.

Nigel Marsh, who runs a glamping site in Norfolk, removed parts from two bird scarer devices in August 2024 to stop the noise, saying they were disturbing his guests. He was caught on camera removing gas canisters from the devices. The court heard he had been in a dispute with neighbouring landowners and had tried to complain through the police and local council before taking matters into his own hands.

Stephen Paddock came to police attention following a June 2024 investigation into an online chatroom where indecent images of children were being shared. He was arrested on June 6, 2024, and examination of his phones and computers found more than 3,000 indecent photos and videos of children, some as young as four, as well as extreme pornographic images. He had previously been convicted in 2012 and was subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order restricting his internet use; he breached the order by deleting his search history and initially suggested someone else was responsible before pleading guilty.

Chelsea Townsend carried out a spree of shop thefts across Norwich, stealing items including meat and chocolate from multiple stores. She was already banned from all Co-op stores in the city under a Criminal Behaviour Order imposed in June 2024 and repeatedly defied that order. She admitted eight shop thefts and six breaches of the order, and a further 13 offences were taken into consideration, bringing the total dealt with in a single hearing to 27. Police described her as well known across Norwich for persistent offending, targeting stores and taking hundreds of pounds worth of stock in single incidents.

On 19 May 2025, Fionna Myhill was driving a Nissan X-Trail along the B1145 towards King's Lynn while over the drink-drive limit. As she negotiated a bend, her vehicle left the road to the nearside and then crossed into the opposite lane, where it continued around the bend and collided with an oncoming Ford Fiesta. The other driver suffered serious injuries and died the following evening. Myhill gave a roadside breath test of 84 microgrammes of alcohol, more than double the legal limit, and a subsequent blood sample showed at least 117 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, above the legal limit of 80. The weather was good and dry, a mechanical examination found no fault with her vehicle, and data indicated no braking at the point the airbags deployed with an indicated speed of 49.71mph.

Paul Yate, 75, of Clenchwarton, was found with 4,500 indecent images of children on his electronic devices. He appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday and was jailed for six months.

On 14 June 2025 at around 11.50pm, Humberto Alenxender Fernando was driving on Brandon Road, Thetford, after a night out. He was speeding at 63mph in a 30mph zone, lost control, collided with a brick wall, causing the vehicle to roll. His female passenger suffered extensive injuries requiring over two months in hospital. Fernando was over twice the drink drive limit (77ug breath, 127mg blood).

On May 1, 2025, Zak Greenacre was travelling along Gayton Road on an off-road motorbike when he lost control, mounted the pavement and hit a bus shelter where two pedestrians were standing, before driving away. The impact left an 84-year-old woman with a fractured knee and a woman in her 50s with broken limbs. He appeared at Norwich Crown Court on 19 May 2026.

On September 6, 2025, Marley Rodgers drove a blue Ford Connect van along the B1116 in Weybread and deliberately struck a pedestrian known to him, causing injuries to the forearm and a shattered elbow requiring hospital treatment. In a separate incident on June 12, 2025, in Diss town centre he wielded a machete measuring around one-and-a-half feet long during a fight. He was sentenced on May 12, 2026.

On 17 July 2025 at 9.18pm, Claire Bridger stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife in his chest and under his arm following an argument about their pet dogs being put down. This occurred at The Street in Bramerton after their separation. She arrived in her car, initially calm, but became hysterical upon learning the dogs had been euthanised, drove her car into him slowly, then stabbed him after he turned away. She also bit him on the thigh, thumb, arm and shoulder while they were on the ground. A neighbour intervened and took the knife. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries.

Jaidon Mitchell, 22, of Stevenage, and Joshua Knight, 23, of Welwyn Garden City, carried out an unprovoked assault on three victims in the early hours of 21 February 2025 on King Street, Great Yarmouth. Knight used a broken bottle during the confrontation. The victims sustained serious, life-changing injuries, with ongoing physical, emotional, and financial consequences, including persistent fear, anxiety, strain on family and friends, and psychological harm. Police were alerted to reports of fighting, but the attackers had left by the time officers arrived; both were arrested within an hour.

Jaidon Mitchell, 22, of Stevenage, and Joshua Knight carried out an unprovoked assault on three victims in the early hours of 21 February 2025 on King Street, Great Yarmouth. Mitchell used a knife, inflicting stab wounds to one victim's leg, eye, and ear while the victim was walking home from work. The victims sustained serious, life-changing injuries, with ongoing physical, emotional, and financial consequences, including persistent fear, anxiety, strain on family and friends, and psychological harm. Police were alerted to reports of fighting, but the attackers had left by the time officers arrived; both were arrested within an hour.

Banham Poultry Ltd failed to properly assess the risks posed by concentrated nitrogen or take steps to ensure the venting system remained safe at their chicken factory site in Attleborough, Norfolk. This failure contributed to the deaths of two pest controllers, the two victims, on 3 October 2018, when nitrogen gas displaced oxygen in a narrow passageway due to defective exhaust ducting.

Air Products PLC owned and maintained the SafeChill system at Banham Poultry’s chicken factory in Attleborough, Norfolk, which used nitrogen gas to chill slaughtered chickens. Defective exhaust ducting allowed nitrogen to be expelled into a confined space, displacing oxygen and causing the deaths of the pest controllers on 3 October 2018. Despite prior concerns and alterations, the system was not made safe.

Carl Louro engaged in inappropriate contact with girls as young as ten between January 1, 2023 and October 10, 2023, after obtaining their phone numbers. The contact involved inciting girls to engage in sexual activity (youngest aged ten), sexual communication with a girl under the age of 16, and possessing indecent images of a child.

Jonathon Lofthouse, 48, was convicted of affray, involving the use or threat of unlawful violence towards another person. The offence relates to his actions as the managing director of Carers Elite, a care provider supporting people in Downham and surrounding villages.

Irmantas Spudys, a 45-year-old with no fixed address, participated in a 'chop shop' operation in Upwell, where stolen vehicles worth £217,195, including two Porsches, two BMWs, and a Mercedes, were dismantled for parts. The vehicles were stolen from Wiltshire, Hampshire, Thames Valley, and Greater Manchester, and efforts were made to hide their identities. The site was discovered on November 23 as part of Operation Moonshot, leading to his arrest and charging.

Erikas Anzelis, a 43-year-old from Boston, Lincolnshire, participated in a 'chop shop' operation in Upwell, where stolen vehicles worth £217,195, including two Porsches, two BMWs, and a Mercedes, were dismantled for parts. The vehicles were stolen from Wiltshire, Hampshire, Thames Valley, and Greater Manchester, and efforts were made to hide their identities. The site was discovered on November 23 as part of Operation Moonshot, leading to his arrest and charging.

Kevan Reddington connected with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform and sent explicit messages via WhatsApp, but it was a decoy, leading to his arrest and sentencing.