Several individuals have been put behind bars across the county this month.
From violent attacks and sexual assault to theft and other illegal offences, these 11 criminals will serve jail sentences.
The 62-year-old victim had been walking his dog along a farm track near Colchester when he heard an engine revving loudly and had to jump out of the way as a van driven by Warren Burgess passed him, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
The victim told him: “Ease up. Don’t drive so fast” which resulted in Burgess stopping his van and getting out and saying: “Do you want some? I’ve got something for you.”
With that he took a claw hammer out of his van and swung it at the victim who managed to block the blow, said John Livingston, prosecuting.
Burgess had then swung the hammer at the victim’s chest causing bruising to his ribs.
Burgess, 36, of Willow Walk, Tiptree, admitted affray and assault causing actual bodily harm and in addition to being jailed for 30 months he was banned from contacting the victim for five years.
They were three out of eight to be sentenced for creating several fake labour supply companies to keep VAT payments that should have been paid to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
They also kept tax deductions from subcontractors that were meant to be paid under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) with an estimated loss of £22 million.
Terry Mordecai, Dean Remfry, Billy Kinsella and Dean Simmonds agreed to put their companies’ payrolls through businesses set up by the Organised Crime Group (OCG).
The OCG kept the VAT and other taxes owed to HMRC, while the four men received a percentage of the withheld VAT, delivered to them by cash couriers.
Mordecai, along with Michael O’Sullivan also introduced other companies to the OCG and received a cut of the VAT withheld from the businesses. Mordecai benefited more than £238,000 and O’Sullivan more than £42,000.
All but Remfry pleaded guilty to cheating the public revenue and acquiring criminal property. He was found guilty following a trial.
Other men involved in the fraud included Mark Ives, who provided his identity to front OCG payroll companies, opened bank accounts for those companies and received cash and bank transfers from the withheld VAT. He pocketed more than £218,000.
Mason Bonura, worked in the OCG office administering the payroll for the companies using their services. He acted as a cash courier and delivered cash to company directors, including Mordecai, from the withheld VAT and other taxes. He received cash and bank transfers from the OCG for his role totalling £108,000.
Christopher Denton pocketed £72,000 after he acted as a cash courier for the OCG and delivered money to company directors, all from the withheld VAT.
They pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of an OCG and transferring criminal property.
During hearings at Southwark Crown Court on 12 and 13 March 2026, they received the following sentences.
- Terry Mordecai, 45, from Harlow Road, London was jailed to two years and six months. He was disqualified from being a company director for six years.
- Dean Remfry, 52, from Rushmore Hill, Sevenoaks was jailed for two years and six months and was disqualified from being a company director for six years.
- Michael O’Sullivan, 50, from London Road Essex, was jailed for two years and two months. He was disqualified from being a company director for six years.
- Billy Kinsella, 36, from Braeburn Way, Essex was jailed for one year and nine months, suspended for one year.
- Dean Simmonds, 53, from Ferryhall Lane, Rayne, Essex was given an 18 month community order.
- Mark Ives, 47, from of Kings Close, Crayford was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years.
- Mason Bonura, 29, from Springfields, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
- Christopher Denton, 35 from Cirrus Crescent, Gravesend was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years.
A man from Clacton who violently attacked a stranger has been jailed for more than seven years.
Tommy Rowe, 40, of Kingwell Avenue, in Clacton, and Gerald Gribbin, 53, of Station Road, Kettering were caught on CCTV before 2am on July 17.
The pair were searching a lone man’s pockets during a sustained assault after targeting him in Horse Market in Kettering.
The incident, which lasted mere seconds, left the man in his 40s requiring hospital treatment for his injuries after he was repeatedly punched, kicked, placed in a headlock and stabbed in the cheek with a knife.
Police officers arrived quickly on the scene and both Rowe and Gribbin were arrested nearby in Market Street.
They were then remanded in custody, appearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court in connection with the incident.
At their first hearing at Northampton Crown Court on August 29, Rowe pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm, attempted robbery and possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place.
While Gribbin, denied those charges but admitted to the charges of attempted robbery and possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place.
On March 13, the pair was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court.
Gribbin was given seven years and two months’ imprisonment.
Rowe was jailed for seven years and six months.
JJ Smith was arrested on January 15, when he was found hiding from police officers.
Body-worn camera footage showed the encounter with the police, as Smith failed to remain undetected.
The 21-year-old was charged with shoplifting, theft, burglary and dangerous driving, with six offences in villages near Braintree and the Uttlesford district.
He was accused of burglary, dangerous driving and driving without insurance in Sturmer on December 7, making off without payment in Great Dunmow on December 10, and dangerous driving and driving without insurance in Ridgewell on December 16.
Police followed his tracks and traced him to an address in Ridgewell, where they found him hiding between boxes in a loft.
Smith, of Green Lane, Northstowe, admitted the six Essex offences and 19 others - 10 of burglary, four of attempted burglary, four of theft and theft of motor vehicle - from across Cambridge in January.
He was sentenced to a total of four years and eight months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court earlier this month.
Levi Bird, 44, failed to report to an appointment with the probation service and did not stay in touch with his allocated officer after being released into the community, court papers show.
The defendant had previously been jailed for 12 weeks for racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour, breaching a criminal behaviour order, criminal damage, theft, fraud, and shoplifting.
He appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to admit breaching the post-sentence supervision requirements.
Magistrates sentenced Bird, of Panton Crescent, Colchester, to serve a further week in prison.
A Clacton man has been jailed for 22 years for a shocking array of rapes and sexual assaults.
Ricky Cutts, 37, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday having previously denied all the allegations against him when he appeared before a judge in July.
He later changed his pleas to the charges, which included eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault against a female victim.
A judge jailed Cutts, previously of Marine Parade East, Clacton, for 17 years on one count of rape.
Sentences for the other 11 charges were passed concurrently.
The judge ordered Cutts to serve a further five years in addition to the 17-year period, meaning the defendant could remain in prison until he is in his late 50s.
A pensioner has been jailed after being found guilty of historic sex offences.
Peter Lillistone denied two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, but was found guilty by a jury at the end of January.
He exposed himself to her on multiple occasions between May 2013 and 2015, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
On Friday, the 91-year-old was sentenced to a total of four years and six months behind bars.
Lillistone , of Salisbury Road, Clacton, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.
Jake Menzies, of Avon Way, was arrested after he was found carrying a quantity of cannabis, as well as illegal pepper spray gel on September 28.
The defendant was later found to be part of a drugs operation, as he admitted his involvement in the supply of cannabis, heroin and cocaine.
In February, Menzies admitted one count of being concerned in the supply of heroin, one count of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, as well as possession of a weapon for the discharge of noxious liquid, and possession of cannabis.
Appearing before Ipswich Crown Court, the 33-year-old was sentenced to a total of three years and four months’ imprisonment.
Paedophile Robert Slight, 45, committed offences against more than a dozen victims while spearheading the community event.
Slight also volunteered at family events, such as Santa visits and school and cheerleading events, which gave him access to children.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard Slight had abused a number of children who had been entrusted into his care.
Slight admitted three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
Jerry Hayes, prosecuting, told the court Slight, 45, had also taken indecent images of children.
The court heard some of these were opportunistic with pictures taken in public places.
He admitted two counts of making indecent images of children.
The court was told Slight bizarrely collected hair and baby teeth which he stored in plastic bags.
Slight will serve at least two thirds of the sentence before having the chance to appear before the parole board.
He will then be on licence for another six years.
