Truro Crown Court Sentencing Results

Possessed a machete in a public place in Middle Gillies on 17 June and threatened violence on 14 and 17 June; possessed a BB gun in a public place.

Graham Orchard operated an illegal aluminium-smelting operation at Burnt House Garage in Dobwalls near Liskeard for several years, falsifying environmental records and emissions reports to the Environment Agency. The facility, permitted for end-of-life vehicle processing up to 5,000 tonnes annually, violated conditions by using prohibited waste oils as fuel and failing to properly depollute vehicles or submit accurate hazardous waste consignments. Investigations from 2017 to 2021 revealed doctored commissioning tests and false reports, with no hazardous waste liquids recorded despite processing thousands of vehicles, estimated to produce 14,100 tonnes of waste engine oil and 1,250 tonnes of brake fluid over five years. A false consignment note was provided in 2022.

Laurel Stafford inflicted grievous bodily harm on two men and possessed a knife with a cutting edge exceeding three inches in a public place at Launceston in October 2023.

Kirsty Knowles converted criminal property namely £4200 from cheques in the name of a woman in her 70s in 2020.

Peter Dingle converted criminal property namely £4200 from cheques in the name of a woman in her 70s in 2020.

Paul Langan, 56, received over £40,000 transferred from his mother-in-law's account into his joint account with his wife between April 1, 2020, and January 14, 2022. He knew the money was criminally obtained and spent it on home improvements at the family home in Looe, an electric bike, new golf clubs, and a golf club membership. His sons, acquitted of the same charge, spent portions on luxury hotel stays in London, cars, and a £4,000 Rolex watch.

On a day in April 2024, Colin Williams, a 46-year-old pizza delivery driver from Horseshoe Drive in Newton Abbot, Devon, experienced an uncontrollable sneezing fit while driving back to the Domino's store in Hayle after a delivery in St Ives. In a 30mph zone on Trelyon Avenue, he veered onto the wrong side of the road while trying to rub his eyes, hitting holidaymakers the male victim (83) and his wife the female victim, along with their dog Zara, who were staying at the Harbour Hotel. The male victim died a few days later from a fatal head injury at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. The female victim suffered life-changing injuries to her tibia and fibula, requiring transfer to Derriford Hospital. Williams immediately stopped to help, called 999, admitted responsibility to police, and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor using his mobile phone. The vehicle and road had no defects.

Gerland Venner, 39, of Albert Road, St Austell, breached a restraining order by contacting a woman he was banned from contacting by a Truro Crown Court order made in May.

Zachary Cooper, 28, of Berry Road, Newquay, breached a sexual harm prevention order by deleting the internet history on his phone by factory resetting it, failing to notify police within three days of acquiring an internet enabled tablet, and opening two online bank accounts and using Snapchat, an application that fails to retain an internet history, and a software cleaner.

On September 14, 2025, Darrell Rowland, 48, from Camborne, went to his former partner's house in Pendennis Road, Penzance, banged loudly on her window and door, shouted foul abuse, made death threats to her and her believed new partner, kicked and bashed the window and door, and smashed the ring doorbell camera and letterbox. The victim, suffering from complex PTSD, barricaded herself and her young son in the bathroom for safety and called the police. Rowland was arrested, charged with harassment, breaching a restraining order, and criminal damage, and convicted at Truro Magistrates' Court.

Joseph Sullivan, 41, of Gunnislake, Cornwall, was found with 305 Category A indecent images of children (186 still images and 119 moving images), a prohibited image of a child, an extreme pornographic image involving intercourse with a pony, and a 170-page paedophile manual providing advice on sexually abusing children. The material was discovered on a phone seized by police during a raid on his home on October 17, 2024.

On October 3, 2023, in Fowey, Dean Cork and another yachtsman argued over a borrowed bucket, tobacco, and a £100 debt. The argument escalated into a physical fight on the pontoon where Cork loaded and pointed an orange flare gun at the victim's head. Both men fell into the water during the scuffle, resulting in the victim suffering a fractured pelvis. Cork was arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police. The victim, a commercial diver living on his boat, required 12 weeks recovery, could not work, and was diagnosed with PTSD, experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety.

James Symons, a 36-year-old opiate addict, left his front door open while in a drug-fuelled stupor at his home in Tregony, near Truro, on June 8, 2024. His Staffordshire bull terrier and pitbull cross dogs, Dougie and Lottie, escaped and attacked a 79-year-old neighbour walking her bichon frisé dog, Marty, causing severe injuries including a leg fracture that led to Marty being put down. The woman was injured while trying to intervene, falling and being bitten, and incurred £2,400 in costs without pet insurance. Symons was found half comatose from a voluntary overdose and revived by paramedics. This incident occurred while he was on bail for a prior assault on two police officers during an arrest for suspected class A drug possession, where he tried to sweep an officer's leg, bit an officer's thigh, and spat in another's face. The dogs were seized, assessed, and sent to a charity for potential rehabilitation and rehoming.

On January 4, 2025, at around 4.40am, Reuben Carby, 32, from Margaret Crescent in Bodmin, was spotted by police driving without a seatbelt and cutting them off. When signalled to stop, he drove off, leading a short pursuit the wrong way up one-way streets in Bodmin, including Cardell Road, Lower Bore Street, and Finn V.C. estate. He crashed his VW Polo into a brick wall, fled on foot, and was found hiding in a garden with the aid of a police dog. Tests showed he was over the limit for cannabis and cocaine; he was in possession of cannabis.

John Quinn, 34, from Grampound Hill, Grampound, Cornwall, was caught driving a Volkswagen Tiguan on Boscawen Street in Truro on August 19, 2025, while disqualified and uninsured. This occurred while he was one year into a two-year suspended sentence for stalking and criminal damage. He also committed a shoplifting offence in July 2025. He was arrested and charged with two motoring offences.

Thomas Henrick, 34, from Lippell Drive in Plymouth, subjected his ex-girlfriend to a 14-day campaign of harassment in August 2025 after she ended their short-lived relationship. He bombarded her with dozens of texts and calls daily, delivered unwanted gifts including jewellery, flowers, and chocolate to her home in Truro, and made unwanted visits at all hours, including at night, pleading to be taken back. On one occasion, he followed her inside and groped her breasts and buttocks without consent. He also attempted to damage her ring doorbell camera to avoid detection and pushed a friend of hers to gain entry. The victim installed additional CCTV due to fear. He was arrested after she reported to Devon and Cornwall Police.

Following the end of his marriage, Warren Reeves, 63, of Carey Park, Killigarth, Looe, embarked on a campaign of vengeance against his ex-wife and those he blamed for the relationship's breakdown. On May 3, 2025, he used his car as a weapon, driving into vehicles belonging to his ex-wife's friends and family, as well as buildings including Looe Police Station, causing significant damage. He also drove dangerously through Polperro, narrowly missing pedestrians who had to dive for cover. Prior to this, he threatened his ex-wife with messages and visits. Police found a knife stabbed through a door at his property with a threatening note. Victims reported feeling terrified, vulnerable, and psychologically affected, requiring counselling.

Threatening to kill a man at Callington on 17 July and possessing a quantity of cannabis.

Shaun Roberts, a convicted sex offender, engaged in a stalking campaign against his ex-partner after their short relationship ended earlier in 2025. Between July and September 2025, he bombarded her with dozens of unwanted messages on social media, including 42 voice messages before 9am on one occasion, some containing emotional blackmail and threats of self-harm. He sent a friend request to her young son and continued sending abusive, obscene messages and threats of violence to her and her new partner even after being recalled to prison for failing to disclose his address. He again failed to notify police of a new address in early September, violating Section 80 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. His ex reported feeling constantly on edge, isolated, depressed, and anxious, fearing he would appear at her home.

Possessing an extreme pornographic image of a person performing oral sex with a horse and making indecent images of children between 2020 and 2022 at Saltash in 2022.

Attempted to engage in sexual communication with a person believed to be under 16 but was actually a decoy, requesting explicit images, encouraging masturbation, and sending pictures of his penis.

Martin Harvey operated an illegal waste site at Shepherds Farm, St Newlyn East, Cornwall, between 20 October 2021 and 23 February 2023, without an environmental permit. He deposited approximately 10,000 tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste, including hazardous asbestos-containing material, and filled in a wooded valley and watercourse to create flattened areas for unlawful development without planning permission. He also burned vehicle tyres in a homemade incinerator on or before 19 April 2023, and failed to comply with an Environment Agency notice to produce waste descriptions. The site is located between Newquay and Truro.

James Beckett, 38, abducted two children under 16 in the Callington area of Cornwall in May 2025, keeping them for 18 hours. He drove around, made them chant phrases like 'we are safe', 'we love each other', and 'we love Jesus', claiming to protect them from the devil and an evil entity. He ignored 23 calls from their mother, stopped at a Tesco and garden centre, ran out of fuel in north Devon, and they slept in the car. The next morning, they sought help at a farm, leading to his identification and arrest by Devon and Cornwall Police. No harm was done to the children.

Alex Piper published, distributed, and made indecent photographs and videos of children, including category A images.