These man were jailed for a range of offences in March. Photo: Lincolnshire Police/Humberside Police
A man part of an organised crime group supplying drugs, a drunk-driver who killed two teenagers in a crash before Christmas and paedophiles were among those jailed across the county in March.
Here’s a summary of notable court reports from last month:
Darren Peters
Darren Peters was jailed for over 18 years. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Darren Peters, 51, of Maize Farm, East Heckington, who was part of an organised crime group supplying drugs into the East Midlands was jailed for 18 and a half years.
A drink-driver who killed two teenagers after getting behind the wheel of a company car at the end of a works Christmas night out was jailed for seven years.
Matthew Jacobs, 26, of Lindholme Road, Lincoln, crashed into the back of a Ford Mondeo estate car parked in a lay-by on his way home.
He admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving as a result of the collision on December 22, 2018. He also admitted driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after a road accident.
John Armitage was sentenced to five years and nine months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
John Armitage, 40, of Warren Close, Gainsborough, was jailed for five years and nine months when he travelled 140 miles to meet a 14-year-old schoolgirl only to find himself caught by a ‘paedophile hunter’.
Armitage previously served a jail sentence for offences against two young girls. He was expecting to meet a girl called Ellie for sex after travelling by train from his home town of Gainsborough to Newcastle upon Tyne.
He arrived at Newcastle railway station to discover he was the victim of a sting. He was confronted and then arrested after police were called to the station.
Star Hamadameen Mama has been jailed for eight years. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A Lincoln barber shop owner who chased a man down on Lincoln High Street and stabbed him with scissors was jailed for eight years.
Star Hamadameen Mama, 38, from Lincoln was sentenced following an attack on Saturday, September 29 during Lincoln Pride Festival.
The victim, a man aged 28, suffered a 5cm deep wound to his left shoulder and close to his chest, a 7cm cut to his left forearm and a 1cm cut to his finger.
Benjamin Colvin, 33, of Sutton Road, Trusthorpe near Mablethorpe was jailed for 12 months after attacking his partner in a rage when he lost a game of FIFA.
Colvin struck Lyndsey Walsh in a temper causing her to fall into a bird cage at their caravan home on the Lincolnshire coast. She suffered a cut head as a result of the incident in January.
Vasilijus Klimek, 29, of Pennygate in Spalding was jailed for a year after he became involved in an argument while waiting to go into the Loaded nightclub.
He stamped on his victim’s head and left him in intensive care after a fight broke out. The victim Kristaps Zarins, 31, punched Klimek but was then attacked and ended up lying unconscious on the ground after being struck by Dovydas Bagdonas.
Bagdonas, 31, of Grevel Close, Spalding, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for 18 months and a 16 week night-time curfew.
Gavin Roberts was jailed for three years. Photo: Humberside Police
Gavin Roberts, 41, of Sandringham Road in Cleethorpes was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a salon robbery where he threatened staff with a blade.
Roberts entered a hair salon on William Street on Friday, November 23. He then threatened a woman working there and demanded money. He used the blade to scare the woman into handing over cash.
Three men were jailed for running a county lines drug dealing operation in Grimsby. Photo: Humberside Police
Three men who ran a £7,000-a-day county lines drug dealing operation in Grimsby were jailed for a total of 21 years and two months.
The three men from the Liverpool area were arrested as a result of a raid carried out at an address in Willingham Street in Grimsby on Friday, May 18, 2018.
Joshua Hendry, 28, of Locinvar Street in Liverpool was jailed for 10 years. Wade Chambers, 23, of Porton Road in Liverpool was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison. Jake Pilling, 27, of New Street in St Helens was jailed for four years and four months.
Richard Baker was jailed for two years. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A burglar who raided the home of an elderly man while his victim slept unaware was traced after leaving blood at the scene.
Richard Baker, 40, of St Giles Avenue, Sleaford entered the property on London Road in Sleaford in the early hours of the morning on January 8 after a log was thrown through a rear window. He was jailed for two years.
Norberts Mikitis, 21, of Hannam Boulevard, Spalding, was jailed for two years and four months after mugging an 80-year-old woman to pay for his next fix of crystal meth.
The woman was on her way to church when Mikitis attempted to snatch his victim’s handbag as she walked along Church Street in Pinchbeck.
Johnson will serve another year in jail for the offence.
HMP Lincoln inmate Jason Johnson, 23, was jailed for 12 months after punching a prison officer and leaving him with a serious facial injury when he was ordered back to his cell.
The attack happened while he was serving a 50-week sentence for burglary. Johnson, currently being held at Peterborough Prison, admitted a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm as a result of the incident on May 4, 2018.
Reece Taylor has been jailed. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Two men caught selling mamba in broad daylight in Lincoln city centre were thrown behind bars in March.
Reece Taylor and Ian Lawrie attracted attention when they were seen in St Swithin’s Square with a group of men at lunchtime on February 15. When searched by police both of them had mamba on them with a street value of between £500 and £800.
Taylor, 20, of Beaumont Fee, Lincoln was jailed for 15 months. Lawrie, 29, who at the time was staying at the Nomad Centre on Monks Road, Lincoln, was jailed for eight months.
Sharon Johnson was jailed for 15 months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Sharon Johnson, 47, of Station Street, Rippingale, near Bourne, was jailed for 15 months after defrauding her widowed mother-in-law out of thousands of pounds.
It was agreed that £56,000 due from a life insurance policy should be paid into Johnson’s own account so that she could manage it for her mother-in-law.
She then went on to spend thousands of pounds of the money on herself. She went shopping, paid for hotel bills and gym membership as well as clearing her own debts using the cash. She has since repaid £15,000 of the money.
Shaun Thomas was jailed for 15 months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Shaun Thomas, 45, of Romney Close in Lincoln was jailed for 15 months after he was found with a stash of forged bank notes when he was stopped for being drunk at the wheel.
Thomas was driving along Rookery Lane in Lincoln when he was asked to pull over by police. He had £200 worth of fake £20 notes in the car and a variety of drugs including amphetamine, cannabis, diazepam and zopiclone.
A drug addict who turned up daily at his ex’s home threatening her and demanding cash was jailed after admitting a charge of harassment.
Mallard, 31, of no fixed address was given a six month jail sentence. It will run consecutively with a 24 week jail term he is already serving for unconnected offences of shoplifting and breach of a suspended jail sentence.
He was also given a five year restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Sarah Fagan and from visiting Gibbeson Street.
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The number of coronavirus vaccine jabs being given out in Lincolnshire increased by nearly 10% last week, according to the latest figures.
Data released on Thursday shows altogether 676,851 jabs have taken place in the county between December 8 and May 9 — a further 42,145 in the last week, and nearly 10% up on the 38,553 jabs given the week before.
The latest figures show that some 449,400 Lincolnshire residents have received their first vaccine dose and 227,451 have been given their second.
Of those over the age of 40, a total of 397,508 have received their first vaccination and another 207,426 have had their second.
Some 51,892 people aged under 45 have received their first dose, with a further 20,025 receiving a second jab so far. This includes those aged between 16 to 64 who are clinically vulnerable and at more risk of serious symptoms of coronavirus.
Office for National Statistics estimates put the total adult (16+) Lincolnshire population at 629,926, meaning that around 71.3% of residents have now received their first jab and 36.1% their second.
In North Lincolnshire, a total of 154,131 (55,727 second doses) vaccines have been distributed and 122,445 (36,662 second doses) have received a jab in North East Lincolnshire.
Grantham’s vaccination centre at the Mere’s Leisure Centre has given out 100,000 vaccinations in just five months.
The achievement comes just five months since the Meres Local Vaccination Centre opened and only eight weeks since it celebrated reaching 50,000 vaccinations.
The 100,000th vaccinated person in Grantham.
Darren Altus, Operations Director, K2 Healthcare, Grantham and Sleaford Area Primary Care Networks said: “From the beginning when we were vaccinating people over the age of 80, to now when we’re focusing on first vaccinations for people 40 and over, as well as second doses, it has been a battle.
“It has been extremely challenging but our superb team of health professionals and volunteers here at the Meres have made it possible and fun at the same time.”
The Meres LVC is one of 13 vaccination sites across the county, and is run by both Grantham and Rural PCN, and the Sleaford PCN, a group of 16 GP practices from Grantham, Sleaford, and the surrounding area.
Dr Adriaan van Biljon, Clinical Director, K2 Healthcare, Grantham and Rural Primary Care Network, added: “People who have been coming to the Meres for their vaccination have been, almost without exception, enormously grateful and cooperative.
“This has been hugely helpful to the team here and is something they have also experienced when vaccinating people out in the community, including in local care homes.
“Local businesses have provided invaluable support too and, of course, the role played by our local GP practices has been critical. In unprecedented times it has truly been an amazing effort.”
People aged 38 to 39 have been allowed to book their COVID-19 vaccines from Thursday.
Bookings for vaccinations opened on May 13, and 38 and 39-year-olds can sign up for their appointment on the NHS website.
Nationally, more than 67.8% of people have had their first dose and 35% their second.
The full list of sites operating as vaccination hubs in Lincolnshire so far:
Hospital Hubs
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
Lincoln County Hospital
Boston Pilgrim Hospital
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
Councillors have declared war on fly-tippers throughout North Kesteven after the number of incidents reported in the district spiked by two thirds in a year.
This comes after the figure jumped from 837 incidents in the 12 months ending in March 2020 to 1,045 in the same period finishing in March this year.
Incidents included rubbish dumped at Great Hale near Sleaford in January this year, for which the owner received a £400 fine for giving his waste to an unknown male to dispose of.
The owner of the waste was given a £400 fixed penalty notice for giving his waste to an unknown male to dispose of. | Photo: NKDC
A pile of rubbish including Rileys employee and membership record files were found dumped by the side of a road in Aubourn in February. Investigations are ongoing with the relevant authorities.
Other common forms of fly-tipping have included mattresses, televisions and fridges being dumped on street corners, green waste tipped on common land and lay-by bins being used for household or commercial waste by anyone passing by in a vehicle.
The waste, including employee record files, was found dumped on Moor Lane in Aubourn. | Photo: Chris S
North Kesteven District Council and other agencies have formed a county-wide Environmental Crime Partnership, which aims to reduce and prevent fly-tipping in Lincolnshire.
Other agencies that have signed up include Lincolnshire Police, Humberside Police, the Office of the Crime and Police Commissioner, the Environment Agency, the National Farmers’ Union, the Ministry of Defence, the Internal Drainage Board, the Forestry Commission, the Countryside Land Association and Anglian Water.
Employee Record Files were found dumped amongst the waste. | Photo: Chris S
Councillor Richard Wright, Leader of North Kesteven District Council, said: “This initiative is a real step forward because it means would-be fly-tippers now know that there are no areas anywhere in the county where tackling illegal dumping is not a high priority issue.
“The support the group has received is really good news because it means that fly-tipping is not just a council issue but all sorts of agencies want to help to convince people that this type of behaviour is just not acceptable.
“The council is fully committed to dealing with fly-tipping but we need help. I would urge anyone who sees anything suspicious when they are out and about to let us know about it as soon as possible and pass on registration numbers of any vehicles that could be involved.”
Fly-tipping in Great Hale near Sleaford in January 2021. | Photo: NKDC
The Environmental Crime Partnership is chaired by Ayeisha Kirkham, Environmental Protection Team Manager at North Kesteven District Council.
She said: “We would urge everyone to check out that someone offering to deal with their waste is genuine and not to pay in cash.
“Failure to do so will be expensive because if waste can be tracked back to the original owner they will be deemed responsible for it and face a prosecution or a fixed penalty fine of £400 with no discount for early payment and no opportunity to pay by instalments.”
Meanwhile, leader of Lincolnshire County Council Martin Hill promised to tackle fly-tipping when speaking to The Lincolnite about his priorities ahead of the recent elections. He was later reelected as leader.
A Lincoln woman never flipped a burger in her life before she decided to make a career change and launch The Food Cavern butty van last year.
Hayley Cook, who has two daughters including 21-year-old Bethany Jones, worked in the pharmacy at Lincoln County Hospital for two years. She went on maternity leave when her daughter Daisy True was born in 2018 before taking a year out for health reasons.
The Food Cavern is located near Howdens Joinery on Tritton Road in Lincoln and sells food ranging from burgers, including a chicken burger stack, wraps and breakfast baps to jacket potatoes and freshly made rolls.
Burgers, wraps, breakfast baps and more. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Preparing the salad for the sweet chilli chicken wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The sweet chilli chicken wrap. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Vegetarian and vegan options will be added in the near future as the menu continues to change.
Hayley bought the business in February last year and renamed it The Food Cavern and The Lincolnite went to check it out.
Plenty to choose from on the menu. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Hunters chicken burger and classic cheeseburger. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Food ready to be served at The Food Cavern. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The 40-year-old decided to try something completely different as her sister-in-law was selling up her business on Sadler Road, which at the time was called Jo’s Snack Shack.
Hayley had served food at Hemswell car boot sale before the coronavirus pandemic hit before working ever since at her current location,
She has had a turbulent first year of business, but her loyal customers and passion for food has kept her going.
Hayley busy preparing the food. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Hayley cooking tasty food at The Food Cavern. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Hayley said: “I did one event and then we went into lockdown. I had put lots of money into it and was panicking as I had seen so many businesses close.
“Every time Boris made an announcement I was worried, but I have worked hard to keep it going and my customers have kept me smiling. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my partner Robert True.
“I have never worked so hard for so little, but I absolutely love my job. I had never flipped a burger in my life before, but now food is a passion and I am enthusiastic about my job.”
The Food Cavern is located near Howdens Joinery on Tritton Road in Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Come and try the food at The Food Cavern. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Food Cavern is open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 2pm. From May 22, it will also open on Saturdays between 8.30am and 1.30pm.
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