WHILE the UK has been locked down to battle the coronavirus, the justice system has not stopped.

Since the end of April, south Essex's criminals have still be dealt with at the hands of the courts, with some receiving multiple years in prison.

Here is a rundown of some of the worst offenders jailed in the past two months.

Stuart O'Donnell

Chelmsford Weekly News:

O'Donnell was jailed for three years in April for harassing the woman multiple times despite a restraining order in place.

The 32-year-old of Thornford Gardens, Southend, would send letters, photos and references to his former partner hidden inside presents.

O'Donnell had been barred from seeing the woman since 2015, but sent the messages regardless on several occasions in 2018 and 2019.

He barged into her home and tried to take her son, but luckily the police were called and he did not succeed.

He was jailed for three years.

Scott Munns 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Scott Munns broke into a man’s shed to steal a Playstation, headset and games only to get caught as he fled the scene.

The 49-year-old was jailed in April for a string of burglaries and thefts between July 2018 to February this year in Leigh and Eastwood.

On one occasion he was caught by his victim, who frogmarched him back to his home to be arrested by police.

He was jailed for two years and ten months.

Henry Hyde 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Henry Hyde carried out a vicious attack on his former partner which left her blood over the walls.

The 48-year-old and the woman had got drunk and went back to his address in Station Road, Westcliff, on January 30 when the argument started.

Things became heated and resulted in Hyde’s partner throwing objects at him, causing minor injuries to his face.

Hyde then tried to force his partner from the flat, but ended up attacking her causing several fractures to her face, resulting in severe swelling and bruising on her left arm.

He was jailed in May for 22 months.

Wayne Kavanagah

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Bomb hoaxer Wayne Kavanagh begged a judge for mercy, but was abusing people via phone while in prison.

The 29-year-old was jailed on November 12 for causing a ten-hour stand off with police in Sherwood Way, Southend on September 30, after falsely claiming he had a bomb.

Before he was jailed he read out a letter to Judge John Lodge asking for help and support from the justice system.

He said he had been “cast aside” throughout his life.

Despite this, between October last year and May this year Kavanagh had, on three separate occasions, been found with a mobile phone in prison where he had sent abusive texts and a threat to the three people.

He was jailed for a year in May.

James Dundon

Chelmsford Weekly News:

James Dundon shoved an elderly man so hard that he fell unconscious.

The 19-year-old had been having a row with his then girlfriend and her friend in Tyrrell Court at 11pm on May 30 last year.

The row had gone on for 30 minutes, resulting in Dundon’s victim, an elderly man with arthritis who walks with a stick, to go outside his flat and try to help.

The man went to Dundon’s girlfriend and advised her to go back to her own flat. However, Dundon reappeared, walked straight up to the man and headbutted him so hard he was knocked to the floor and fell unconscious.

He was also jailed for a year.

Octavian Petre 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Octavian Petre had been drinking and smoking cannabis before having an argument with the 33-year-old woman, which then escalated into violence in Southernhay, Basildon.

She managed to flee her home and knocked on a neighbour’s door for help.

However, the 33-year-old followed her, dragged her to the floor and stamped on her.

He continued to punch and kick and spit on her.

He was jailed for two and a half years.

Arjan Kikija

Chelmsford Weekly News:

31-year-old Arjan Kikija was pulled over by police in south Essex on February 14.

During a search, officers found the Taser in his coat pocket. He also produced a driving licence and ID card.

The documents claimed Kikija was a man from Italy and was entitled to live in the UK.

Police tested the Taser to discover it was working and could cause serious harm.

Kikija had been living illegally in Basildon, and was jailed for 28 months and faces deportation after his sentence.

Jack Hills 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Jack Hills has been jailed for 23 months for a whopping 25 theft offences and for causing grievous bodily harm to the woman at The Range store in Short Street, Southend.

The 27-year-old had previously been given criminal behaviour orders in 2018 to stop him stealing from shops in Southend, which prohibited him going to Southend High Street.

But he broke this order, and also knocked over a woman when he fled The Range in Southend after stealing items, fracturing her pelvis.

He was sentenced in May.

Omar Amer 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Amer’s crimes date back to September 2018 when he broke into a house in Leigh, stealing keys for an Audi A4 and driving it away.

The Audi, worth about £7,500, was later found in Benfleet with its windows smashed.

After forensic examination, Amer’s DNA was found on the steering wheel.

He stole a second car, a Toyota Yaris, on January 3 last year in Southend. His pregnant victim had awoken to find her keys, which she had left locked in her home, taken along with the car, which was worth £11,000.

He was jailed for three years.

Mohammed Bari 

Chelmsford Weekly News:

Vile Mohammed Bari carried out a sustained campaign of abuse while he was working as a carer for his victim in south Essex.

The 22-year-old secured the job in 2016 to care for a 65-year-old man who was suffering from depression and dementia.

On at least two occasions Bari forced the vulnerable man to perform degrading sex acts on him.

He was jailed for 12 years.