Southampton Crown Court Sentencing Results

Brandon Forrest used Telegram to trade indecent pictures and videos of children with other paedophiles, telling one user he liked girls aged 'eight-plus'. In conversations in July 2023 and November 2024 he sent 15 category A videos, as well as category B and C images, and received similar material in return. One video showed a child in discernible distress and another, thought to be aged between seven and ten, was in tremendous pain. When arrested in December 2024, officers found the material on his phone. He had also researched sentencing guidelines and support groups for sex offenders.

On 18 September 2015, outside the Turtle Bay restaurant in Southampton, Billy Midmore and Geoffrey Midmore sprayed drain cleaner into the face of the victim during a drugs deal gone wrong. The attack caused severe burns and left the 37-year-old victim blinded in one eye. The pair were convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

On 31st October 2023, Bayleigh Howden (27), of Calshot, followed an 89-year-old pensioner for a mile after the victim pulled out in front of him following collection of his car from a repair garage. Howden drove erratically behind him for five minutes, then approached the victim on his driveway, shouted at him, and pushed him with open palms with such force that he fell, breaking his femur. The victim required surgery, three weeks in hospital, and suffered lasting physical limitations (e.g. unable to garden, walk long distances, play golf) and mental health impacts including anxiety about leaving home.

Andrew Sealey, 39, used an online theme parks forum to lure children to attractions. He arranged to meet a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl for sex at a park toilet in Hampshire. The 'girl' was actually a vigilante paedophile hunter. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to eight counts of attempting to incite a child to sexual activity and one count of attempting to meet a child after grooming.

Dr Andrew Semple and Samantha Semple-Thomas caused unnecessary suffering to five donkeys (Fire, Sooty, River, Rosie, Ruby) and failed to ensure their needs between January and March 2024 in a field off Hatchet Lane in Beaulieu. RSPCA found donkeys underweight with poor coats, eating mouldy hay, struggling in thick mud, with mud fever and dental ulcers causing painful ulcers. One donkey found dead with missing eye.

On 21 April 2022, at around 8pm in supported living accommodation on Emsworth Road, Lymington, Aaron Low and his victim had been drinking at a pub, bought vodka and energy drinks, and returned home. They had sex during which he bit her cheek and neck causing injury. An argument ensued after she checked her face in the bathroom. Low pushed her to the ground, kicked her repeatedly in the chest and stomach (victim rated pain 10/10), threw her phone against a wall breaking it, dragged her back to his room, and punched her several times. Others heard banging and shouting. Victim sustained three fractured ribs, bite mark on cheek, bruises on neck, collarbones and temples, cuts to left arm. Both were distressed when police arrived; she was treated at Southampton General Hospital.

Alexander Williams, driving home from work at Fawley refinery around 5am, suddenly pulled out into the oncoming lane on the A326 near Hardley roundabout near Fawley, colliding head-on with the victim's van. Williams claimed he followed a car overtaking a slow tanker, but dash cam footage showed no tanker. The victim suffered multiple fractures (ribs, spine, pelvis, leg), lacerated liver, and required cutting from the vehicle. He endured long recovery with anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, loss of confidence in night driving, constant pain, and inability to fish or stand long.

On 18 September 2015, outside the Turtle Bay restaurant in Southampton, Geoffrey Midmore and Billy Midmore sprayed drain cleaner into the face of the victim during a drugs deal gone wrong. The attack caused severe burns and left the 37-year-old victim blinded in one eye. The pair were convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

On August 12, Frankie Katciotis, 18, from Hythe, was driving a Seat Ibiza and smashed into the victim, a 61-year-old cyclist, from behind on Hilltop Road between Fawley and Beaulieu in the New Forest. He failed to spot the cyclist in time due to speeding well over the 40mph limit and the low, blinding sun.

On 30 June 2024, just before 8pm, Hayden Bryant (21), of Fordingbridge, was parked in a narrow lane on Bickerley Road, Ringwood, in a BMW with a passenger, inhaling nitrous oxide (laughing gas) via balloons. Two pedestrians, unknown to him, walked past after leaving The Railway pub. Bryant beeped at them, then revved the engine, swerved the car towards them. One victim jumped to a grass verge but was struck, sustaining a 10cm deep laceration to his knee exposing the kneecap, tyre marks on his foot, requiring surgery to repair tendons, resulting in permanent scar, time off work, constant pain, anxiety, and sleep issues. The car also swerved towards the brother but missed. Bryant fled the scene at speed. He was seen with a balloon in his mouth before impact.

Between March 2025 and August 2026, Dylan Doran stole goods worth approximately £5,095.50 from shops in Southampton, Portsmouth and Hedge End, including food, drinks, household and skincare products.

Ellie May Trewin (19) of Fawley, a provisional driver, had been drinking at The Anchor Inn in Totton before driving her Ford Ka home on 16th August 2024. She lost control on a bend on Normandy Way, Marchwood, mounting a grass verge, ploughing into a tree and rolling the car. Her passenger, boyfriend the victim (30), from Holbury, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle and suffered catastrophic internal injuries, dying at the scene. Trewin was almost twice the alcohol limit (roadside breathalyser 69, limit 35; blood test 96, limit 80). Crash caused by inexperience, impairment, likely distraction and excess speed.

Daniel Laville set fire to rubbish outside Waterstones in Lymington in December 2024, causing around £30,000 of building repairs and about £9,000 in lost income while the shop was closed. He was identified from CCTV and found in possession of lighters. He admitted arson, 30 shop thefts mostly at Tesco Express in Blackfield and Co-op in Holbury with goods worth £1,525, and escaping lawful custody after running from police and jumping out of a window onto a flat roof.

Daniel Mapes arranged a hire car for another person who was disqualified from driving and uninsured, after being pressured to do so by that person to clear a debt. When the car was involved in a police pursuit and a dog was struck and later had to be put down, Mapes was told to report the car as stolen. He made a false report to police on 10th January, later admitted he had lied, and said he had acted under considerable coercion.

On April 25, 2015, at 10.50pm, Daniel Rogan was driving a yellow Mercedes van on Tremona Road, Southampton, when he struck the victim. She later died from her injuries. Rogan did not stop at the scene and surrendered to police two days later after his van was tracked down.

Daniel Rushton (39) of Totton, was arrested after software installed on his mobile phone as part of a sexual harm prevention order flagged three images depicting bestiality. In interview, he made comprehensive admissions and gave officers the passcode to his phone. No other indecent material was found.

In October 2022, police seized multiple devices from Darren Halliwell’s home in Totton, including a mobile phone. Examination revealed six category A (most severe), 22 category B and 28 category C indecent images of children aged three to 12. He denied possession but admitted sexual attraction to children. Previously sentenced in July 2011 at the same court for possessing 5,000 indecent images, receiving a three-year community order.

Louis Rumis (82) of Everton, possessed over 70,000 indecent images and videos of children on computers, laptops and mobiles at his home. Police found 4,091 category A pictures (most severe) and 232 videos of the same category, 10,445 category B pictures and 40 videos, 60,787 category C pictures and 63 videos. Some children were as young as six months old. Arrested on 11 April 2024, admitted possession, but continued downloading while on bail, leading to more material found in 2025.

Mark Anderton committed two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual assault of a child against one child over a three-year period between 2012 and 2014.

Lauren Gould, a 27-year-old mother of two, drove drunk for two miles on the wrong side of the road through Southampton city centre on 21 December at 2:30am. Starting from Southampton Central Train Station, she drove five miles in total, with two miles on the wrong side, narrowly avoiding multiple head-on collisions. She stopped only when a tanker lorry forced her to halt. She admitted dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath or blood. The judge described her driving as 'appalling' and 'terribly dangerous', saying it was lucky no one was hurt.

On 20 July 2021, on School Road in Totton, a 100-year-old cast iron soil pipe fell from a building site, striking a five-year-old boy on the head as he walked past with his mother after school, causing a fractured skull, ongoing headaches, anxiety, and behavioural changes. Jason Scorey had removed the bottom of the pipe but failed to check the rusted nails securing it to the wall or ensure its stability, despite the site being near a school gate during pick-up time.

Indecent images of children as young as 18 months were found on devices belonging to Keith Clapp (59), of Ringwood. He was arrested after police searched his home in May 2023 on information received. Devices seized and analysis revealed 67 category A images (most severe), 39 category B, and 2,165 category C images. Children aged between 18 months and 14 years. In interview, denied sexual interest in children or accessing images, suggested previous users stored them.