Warwick Crown Court Sentencing Results

Syed Reza, a 25-year-old from Sundon Park Road, Luton, engaged in a high-speed police pursuit covering over 80 miles from Luton to Birmingham on September 18, 2020, reaching speeds up to 150mph. The pursuit spanned seven police force areas, involved ramming two police cars, and traversed rural and urban areas. He refused to stop, was eventually arrested in Birmingham, released under investigation, fled the country, and was apprehended upon return at Heathrow Airport a year later. Additional pursuits occurred in Luton in April 2020 and July 2020, and in Warwickshire in January 2020.

Derry Tift, aged 49, committed sexual offences against three young girls between 2001 and 2013 and made indecent images of children. The incidents were uncovered when police executed a warrant at his home based on intelligence about his online activities. Survivors bravely came forward, providing details of their ordeals, and police seized his devices, finding hundreds of indecent images.

On 18 March 2023, in a pub car park on Smorral Lane in Bedworth, Gavin Buckland was involved in an altercation where three women were fighting. Buckland was with two of the women, and the victim was with the third. The victim attempted to intervene and stop the fight, at which point Buckland headbutted and punched him multiple times, resulting in a severely split lip, fractures on both sides of his jaw, and a perforated eardrum.

A young child under their care sustained head injuries on June 2, 2022, after climbing out of an open window and falling. They initially claimed the child had fallen off a chair, but evidence, including blood tests showing benzoylecgonine from cocaine use, contradicted this. A witness found the child and took him to their house, but received no response when knocking on the door, and the child was later collected by Hayward and taken to hospital.

A young child under their care sustained head injuries on June 2, 2022, after climbing out of an open window and falling. They initially claimed the child had fallen off a chair, but evidence, including blood tests showing benzoylecgonine from cocaine use, contradicted this. A witness found the child and took him to their house, but received no response when knocking on the door, and the child was later collected by Hayward and taken to hospital.

Rakesh Jassal, along with Cadel Cumberbatch, opened fire on houses in Coventry. On November 13, 2021, they were in a car on Anglian Way, where they fired a shotgun at a house after sounding the horn, breaking a window. On November 14, 2021, they arrived at an address and fired a shotgun at an outbuilding storing cannabis, then fired a third shot at the front of the house, breaking a living room window. They also carjacked and assaulted a man they knew in Duke Barn Field, causing him head injuries. No one was injured in the shooting incidents, which targeted family homes.

Cadel Cumberbatch, along with Rakesh Jassal, opened fire on houses in Coventry. On November 13, 2021, they were in a car, where they fired a shotgun at a house after sounding the horn, breaking a window. On November 14, 2021, they arrived at an address and fired a shotgun at an outbuilding storing cannabis, then fired a third shot at the front of the house, breaking a living room window. They also carjacked and assaulted a man they knew in Duke Barn Field, causing him head injuries. No one was injured in the shooting incidents, which targeted family homes.

Edward Foster, 77, from Holbrook Lane, Coventry, groomed what he believed to be two girls under the age of 16 online, urging them not to tell anyone and asking one for indecent images. In August 2022, he arranged to meet one of them, believed to be a 13-year-old girl, at Bedworth Railway Station. Warwickshire Police were alerted, leading to his arrest at the scene. He had previous convictions for related offences.

Luke Griffiths was part of a gang that stole over £500,000 worth of vehicles using keyless technology, targeting residential properties and businesses across Warwickshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. The thefts occurred between December 2016 and March 2021, involving 35 vehicles that were either broken down for parts or altered and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

James Wright and his associates stole over £500,000 worth of vehicles using keyless technology, targeting residential properties and businesses across Warwickshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. The thefts occurred between December 2016 and March 2021, involving 35 vehicles that were either broken down for parts or altered and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

James Griffiths was part of a gang that stole over £500,000 worth of vehicles using keyless technology, targeting residential properties and businesses across Warwickshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. The thefts occurred between December 2016 and March 2021, involving 35 vehicles that were either broken down for parts or altered and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Scott Prosser was involved in a gang that stole over £500,000 worth of vehicles using keyless technology, targeting residential properties and businesses across Warwickshire, Coventry, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, and Leicestershire. The thefts occurred between December 2016 and March 2021, involving 35 vehicles that were either broken down for parts or altered and sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Johnny Bradley, 36, crashed into street furniture, drove through a red light and narrowly missed colliding with a pedestrian after losing control of his vehicle in the early hours of September 10, 2023, while driving erratically through Leamington. Warwickshire Police located the damaged car in Helen’s Road, where it had lost its front bumper, nearside tyre and nearside lights, with sparks coming from it. Bradley smelt of alcohol, had glazed eyes and was unsteady on his feet. He refused to provide a specimen in custody and was also arrested for a public order offence after swearing loudly in hospital despite warnings.

Remus Bahica was driving a red Transit van with a flat tyre on the A46 near Wootton Wawen on August 25, 2023. He failed to stop for police, leading to a pursuit where officers used a stinger, resulting in the van colliding with a tree. He was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police, and driving while disqualified.

Baki Karim, a 54-year-old from Middlemarch Road, Coventry, armed himself with a knife and stabbed a woman around nine times in a Kerseley End home in November 2022, while screaming threats and obscenities. The victim was rushed to University Hospital Coventry for surgery.

On September 1, 2018, following the stabbing death of his best friend outside Club M in Coventry, Pa Salieu Gaye participated in a violent mob attack on the lone victim. Caught on CCTV, Gaye used a tree branch (or stick) to repeatedly strike the 23-year-old victim, hurled a bottle, and brandished a smashed bottle as a jagged weapon. The victim was chased, brought to the ground on Queen Victoria Road, kicked, whipped with a belt, punched, and stabbed, suffering a brain injury, stab wound to his side, and abdominal wound requiring emergency surgery and 10 days in hospital in intensive care.

On October 1, 2021, police were called to a property in Bedworth due to concerns for the welfare of a woman. Upon arrival, James Cox, aged 34 and residing at the same address, went into the loft and started a fire. No one was injured. The incident involved domestic violence, with Cox making threats to kill the victim.

Tadiwanashe Matemadombo, aged 24, from Gun Lane in Coventry, was driving a Vauxhall Astra at 84mph back from a party with two female passengers, both aged 24, on the A429 in Wellesbourne near Stratford-upon-Avon on 4 July 2021. He lost control, hit a roundabout, and the car launched over a parked car and through a brick garage, coming to rest on its side in a residential garden. Matemadombo and the passengers were injured, with one passenger left unconscious.

In August 2019, Luke Kyberd, while helping his brother move a sofa into a flat in Leamington, punched a 19-year-old man with autism and learning difficulties in the head after accusing him of being 'a f***ing grass', knocking him into a bush and delivering four or five more punches before being pulled away. He then chased the victim, grabbed him by the throat and hit him again. The victim suffered bleeding between the skull and the brain, requiring emergency surgery to relieve pressure, with surgeons noting it had the potential to be fatal. Two days later, Kyberd threatened a witness (his brother's girlfriend) against making statements to police. While on bail in September 2020, in breach of curfew, Kyberd assaulted the same victim again in Pump Room Gardens, Leamington, punching him and threatening him not to tell police. Initially, Kyberd falsely claimed his brother Paul carried out the first attack.

On July 11, 2020, Sean McCabe, 24, of Coventry, was approached by British Transport Police at Coventry Station for not wearing a face covering. He became verbally abusive, refused to leave, and was arrested. During arrest, he attempted to discard cannabis and was further arrested for possession with intent to supply. While being searched, he racially abused two rail staff members. At police custody, he falsely claimed to have Covid and deliberately coughed in a detention officer's face, assaulting them.

On July 2018, Andene Harvey was captured on CCTV in Leamington town centre behaving violently towards her boyfriend and a taxi driver. She kicked and lashed out at her boyfriend in Victoria Terrace until he walked away. She then kicked a parked taxi and punched the driver in the face. Ninety minutes later, at a ground-floor flat, she struck her boyfriend on the head from behind with a beer bottle as he opened the door, causing a wound with blood pouring out. She then kicked him while he was on the floor. A Good Samaritan intervened, protecting him in the bathroom. Harvey smashed furniture and banged on the door before leaving. Police found her outside with a cut to her leg and her boyfriend covered in blood inside, who refused treatment and complaint.