A violent criminal finally caught after nearly 13 years on the run, and a man who groomed a teenage schoolgirl before going on to commit sex offences against her, were among the criminals jailed in and near Lincolnshire in the first month of 2021.
The Lincolnite‘s court reporters cover all the biggest cases heard in courts in our region every day.
Here’s a round up of signifiant cases resulting in prison sentences in and near the county, as well as in the Essex area in a case involving Lincolnshire Police.
Ambrose Nicholas O’Neill
Ambrose Nicholas O’Neill is now behind bars. | Photo: Nottinghamshire Police
A violent criminal dubbed ‘The Running Man’ evaded police for nearly 13 years, but is now behind bars after a major breakthrough in the case led to his capture near Boston.
Ambrose Nicholas O’Neill was previously sentenced in his absence to eight years in prison in 2008, but has not served any time until now. In January this year he was caught and taken to prison to start his sentence, which could yet be extended at a later court date.
Alistair Hackney was jailed for six-and-a-half years. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A Lincoln man who groomed a 14-year-old schoolgirl before going on to commit sex offences against her was jailed for six-and-a-half years. Alistair Hackney was described by Judge John Pini QC as having carried out “deeply depraved” offences against the girl.
Constantin Motescu, Laurentiu Sucea, Paul Buica, and Mihai Birtu have all been jailed. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A prolific gang of Romanian men stripped the lead from dozens of rural churches across England, including in Lincolnshire, causing utter devastation to village communities.
Constantin Motescu and Laurentiu Sucea were each jailed for six-and-a-half years. Paul Buica was jailed for six years and Mihai Birtu was sentenced to 43 months in prison.
Evaldas Medelis, 29, and Laminonas Navickas, 23, built a £500k weed operation inside an old bank. | Photo: Humberside Police
An organised crime gang were jailed for a total of 13-and-a-half years after their £500,000 drug operation in an abandoned Grimsby bank was uncovered by police.
Evaldas Medelis, 29, and Laminonas Navickas, 23, were sentenced to three-and-a-half years each in prison. Karolis Rusevicius Karolis Rusevicius, 27, was jailed for six-and-a-half years, but there was no photo available of him from police.
Adrian Johnson (L) and Mark Guest (R) will serve over five years in jail. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Two men were jailed and two received community orders for a violent attack on Lincoln High Street.
Adrian Johnson and Mark Guest were sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, as well as being handed a restraining order to protect the victim.
Corey Stenner, 19, received a one-year community order and 30 days rehabilitation. Nathan Williamson, 18, was given a two-year youth rehabilitation order.
Amanda Walton, 37, admitted manslaughter at Hull Crown Court on Friday, December 18. | Photo: Humberside Police
Grimsby woman Amanda Walton was jailed for four-and-a-half-years after admitting to manslaughter via injection of a lethal drug cocktail. Walton admitted to causing the death of 32-year-old Emma Brennan.
Gary Hird and Sophie Glennon are now both behind bars. | Photo: Humberside Police
A man and a woman were jailed for a total of seven-and-a-half years after carrying out an armed robbery at a petrol station in Scunthorpe. Gary Hird was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Glennon was sentenced to three years in prison.
Andrew Seward, 37, of Morris Gardens, Skegness, will face 45 months in prison. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A burglar with six previous convictions smashed his way into a house and stole hundreds of pounds worth of property. Andrew Seward was jailed for 45 months.
*Lincolnshire Police said there was no photo available of the defendant
Ian Penman, 67, was jailed for two years and given a six-year driving ban after admitting offences that caused the death of Wendy Short and seriously injured her friend.
Daniel Nichols, 30, was jailed for 22 months. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Lincoln man Daniel Nichols robbed a shop just minutes after threatening a pedestrian by saying “I’ve got a knife. Give me your money or I’m going to stab you”. He was jailed for 22 months.
A mother who attacked police officers arresting her son was jailed for three months. Lesley Wilkinson punched one officer in the face and then kicked him in the groin. She went on to kick a second officer in the head.
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Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
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Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!