THESE are the criminals who have been sentenced in and around Southampton this year.
Violent assaults, dangerous drug dealers, and depraved paedophiles are just some of the cases that have been through the courts this year.
Here is a round-up of the biggest court cases in 2022:
Matthew Harris
Matthew Harris was jailed for nine years after carrying out a "horrendous" sexual assault that left a woman in a life-threatening condition.
The then 25-year-old was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine when he targeted his victim, causing injuries that could have resulted in her bleeding to death.
Harris, of Merlin Court, Bishop's Waltham, appeared in Southampton Crown Court and pleaded guilty to sexual assault.
He was jailed for nine years and will be on the sexual offenders' register for life. He was also made the subject of a restraining order that will last indefinitely.
Read the full story HERE.
Marius Molla
Marius Molla hid millions of pounds worth of cocaine inside a fruit container at Southampton Docks.
He was found guilty by jury of conspiring to evade a prohibition on importation, following a trial at Salisbury Crown Court.
On December 1, 2020, police and Border Force officials searched a container, said to contain limes, at Southampton Docks, after it had arrived from Brazil.
Once they removed pallets of limes, they discovered hidden packages behind a panel inside the refrigeration unit.
The parcels were seized and after lab tests were conducted, it was revealed the substance was cocaine with a street value of £3 million.
He was jailed for 18 years.
Read the full story HERE.
Artur and Joanna Kramer
Artur and Joanna Kramer illegally imported 43 dogs into the UK.
The couple was flagged to the city council for selling ‘Staffordshire Bull Terriers’ that had been misadvertised and bred abroad.
The council said Mr and Mrs Kramer, of Victoria Road, were travelling to and from Poland “on average around every six weeks, bringing back ten falsely described puppy litters”.
The couple, of Victoria Road, Woolston, sold the animals using websites including Pets4Homes and Gumtree, with each being listed for more than £1,000.
Joanna Kramer was handed a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, for a money laundering offence involving £11,250. Her husband received a nine-month sentence, also suspended for two years, for a similar offence involving £4,800.
There were no separate penalties for the other offences.
Read the full story HERE.
Wayne Fitzgerald
Wayne Fitzgerald held down his partner and left her covered in bruises after she gave birth.
Southampton Crown Court heard how his victim was “frightened” and “scared” of Fitzgerald.
He would continuously engage in controlling behaviour with his then partner, having access to her PIN and accusing her of cheating on him.
He was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for eight months and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
A restraining order was also put in place for five years banning him from going near his former partner.
Read the full story HERE.
Louis George Irving
Louis George Irving was jailed after stuffing thousands of pounds worth of drugs in a washing machine.
Police stopped his car and found cannabis worth £110 stashed down his trousers.
They later searched the 29-year-old’s home address in Leighton Road, Southampton, where they discovered a number of bags of cannabis in the washing machine, estimated to be worth around £2,000 each.
More than £2,000 in cash was also seized.
He was jailed for four years and nine months for the offences that happened in September last year and February 24 this year.
Read the full story HERE.
Curtis Goodwin
Curtis Goodwin left a 14-year-old girl feeling "dirty" after taking advantage of her.
The court heard how the 18-year-old had sex with the girl when he was 17-years-old in Southampton last summer.
The court heard the girl was vulnerable due to her age.
Goodwin was handed two years in youth detention but suspended for two years.
Goodwin was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and must sign on as a registered sex offender.
Read the full story HERE.
John Sommerville Taylor Horne
John Sommerville Taylor Horne was jailed after a "prolonged and sustained" rape on a railway footbridge that "robbed a young woman of carefree adulthood".
The then 39-year-old raped a woman in her 20s on the footbridge that crossed over Western Way, close to Fareham train station.
Horne, of Broadacre Place in Fareham, admitted two rapes and assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison.
He will be subject to notification requirements for the rest of his life.
Read the full story HERE.
Four men jailed after raid on £3.6m a year cannabis factory
Four men were jailed following a raid on a annabis factory worth £3.6 million a year in Southampton.
Agron Elezaj, 27, of Jack Clow Road, London, Amarildo Sulaj, 23, of Stanhope Road, Doncaster, and Rexhino Koci, 26, and Damiano Saraci, 30, both of no fixed address, were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court.
It came after a large-scale police operation dismantled a cannabis factory at an industrial unit in Pitt Road, Southampton on January 11 this year.
A pit bull terrier was being used as a guard dog but the force said it did not pose a threat.
Sulaj was sentenced to four years and four months in prison and Koci received a four-year sentence.
Saraci and Elezaj were both given 20 months in prison.
Read the full story HERE.
Louisa Castle
Louisa Castle strangled her girlfriend after she received a Snapchat message from a man.
The then 29-year-old launched a string of violent attacks on her lover, strangling her and leaving her traumatised.
The court heard how her 19-year-old girlfriend rang the police as Castle wept and became more agitated.
Castle punched her partner, striking her five times, before her girlfriend kicked Castle in in the knee - leaving her temporarily unable to walk.
Castle of Winchester Court, Romsey, was handed five months in jail suspended for two years.
She was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation and carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
A restraining order was put in place banning Castle from contacting her victim for the next three years and she was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation.
Read the full story HERE.
Teenager caught watching private act
A teenager was caught watching a person in a private act.
The 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, watched another person doing a private act at the Marlands Shopping Centre last year.
The court heard how this was for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification and the person did not consent to being watched.
Read the full story HERE.
Brawl involving machete and harpoon
A family was shot at with an air rifle during a night out, sparking a brawl involving a machete and a harpoon.
Dean Cartwright, 19, of William Macleod Way, Jamie Cartwright, 38, of Clarendon Road and Alfie Cartwright, 19, of Jessamine Road, were near the bingo hall on Shirley Road when the altercation started.
Jamie and one other family member were struck with a pellet from an air rifle, before the group stormed the flats where the shot had come from.
The court heard how Christopher Helder fired the weapon, before making his way downstairs armed with a machete and a harpoon-like device.
Jamie was made subject to a 12-month community order as part of which, he must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Dean was also handed a community order with 120 hours of unpaid work attached.
Alfie was ordered to pay a £600 fine.
Read the full story HERE.
James Ashman
James Ashman downloaded more than 18,000 indecent images of children during lockdown.
The 42-year-old of Howard Road, Southampton, admitted downloading the images telling police "I did download some dodgy [stuff] during lockdown".
He was caught with 140 category A images, the most severe type, 123 category B images and 18,365 category C images of children.
Ashman was handed a three-year community order and ordered to do 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and is now subject to a five-year sexual prevention order.
Ashman who has no previous convictions must also pay £300 costs and a surcharge.
Read the full story HERE.
Lewis Kerby
Lewis Kerby eft his victim needing a metal plate in his skull after striking him repeatedly over the head with a baseball bat.
The two men had a disagreement and after coming outside, they began circling each other and fighting.
Seeing his friend was in trouble, Kerby, 27, of Ford Road, Bursledon went to his car and returned holding a baseball bat.
The court was also told how he hit his victim so hard that the bat snapped in two.
Kerby was jailed for a total of 32 months for the attack which took place on August 19 this year.
Read the full story HERE.
Kieron Kimber
Kieron Kimber had been seeing two women at the same time fired an imitation gun after being confronted for cheating.
The 30-year-old had been out drinking with his friends when the two women he had been dating decided to challenge his behaviour.
He left the pub and approached the driver of a Black BMW who had dropped both women off.
After leaving the scene, Kimber travelled to Chapel Drove in Horton Heath where he found the man’s father in the garage.
He produced a silver, imitation pistol he fired two blanks near his victim.
Kimber was jailed for five years.
Read the full story HERE.
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