Plymouth Crown Court Sentencing Results

Mohamed Bedah, a 39-year-old Palestinian national, attempted to enter the UK without a valid entry clearance via a 27-foot yacht named Induna that got into difficulties off Berry Head near Torbay on September 17, 2024. The yacht was brought into Brixham harbour by the RNLI. Bedah had made six unsuccessful visa applications between January and August 2023. He was among nine Iraqi nationals on board, including a family with a 10-month-old baby.

Alexzander Pearce, a 30-year-old dad of two and stepdad of one, sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl on a train near Truro train station on March 11, 2021. He approached the only other passenger in the carriage, sat in front of her, and touched her thighs without consent while rubbing his crotch. He asked if she wanted to see his penis and, when asked to stop, caressed her naked breasts inside her bra, leaving her frozen, shocked, and scared. The incident occurred during Covid restrictions when fewer people were travelling on public transport. He was caught and the assault was reported.

Thomas Hodge carried out a vicious assault on Sascha Martine Bennett in her home in North Down Crescent, Keyham on February 8, 2023, causing severe injuries that nearly killed her. This incident involved physical domestic abuse, and Hodge was sentenced following a hearing that Bennett attended.

In June 2023, Sammy Jo Dillon burgled and defrauded an elderly blind couple and stole from an 80-year-old man with Parkinson's who was described in court as 'effectively housebound'. This led to her arrest and subsequent sentencing.

An Iraqi man arranged an illegal boat crossing using a yacht that carried a family with a 10-month-old baby, demonstrating reckless endangerment of vulnerable migrants.