Four arrested but six of Lincolnshire’s most wanted still at large

Lincolnshire Police have arrested four of their most wanted, but six are still at large after the first of the force’s monthly appeals to find criminals in the county.

In December last year police released photos and details of the 10 men, including a convicted rapist, alleged burglars and assault suspects.

Four were arrested, including one who handed themselves into police as a result of the wanted appeal.

The four men are:

• William Clawson, 28, was wanted for a breach of notification and arrested on December 20. Clawson, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for the rape of a woman in Lincoln back in 2011, was jailed for eight weeks on December 21
• Rhys Sewell, 22, was wanted in connection with a sexual offence in the Grantham area
• Robert Walker, 19, who was wanted in connection with failing to attend court in relation to the theft of a wallet. He was arrested on December 28
• Kyle O’Connor, 28, was wanted in connection with a burglary in the Grantham area

In addition, a further six wanted people have also been arrested since the process began, who were not included in police’s initial appeal.

Six suspects are still at large – Mark Gibbns, Paul Harry Johns, Stephen Pickering, Abdul Bakhtar, Marius Dumitru and Connor Jackson (pictured at the top).

The monthly most wanted appeal was launched by Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox, who joined Lincolnshire Police as Head of Crime in September last year.

He told The Lincolnite it has galvanised the force internally and allowed them to prioritise those who are wanted, and he wants to make a genuine change in Lincolnshire.

He said: “We are using this new ‘top ten’ approach in the hope that it reaches a wide audience and that members of the public who have information which may assist our efforts decide to share this information with us.

“I believe it has been successful. We have made arrests and this focus continues.

“It has been a means to prioritise those we target, appeal direct to the public and galvanise our efforts to make these arrests. I am utterly determined to continue this focus and make sure victims receive the justice they need and deserve.

“I encourage the public to share any information they may have which will help us locate these people. This can be in confidence via Crimstoppers or via our local 101 reporting process.

“We encourage anybody who features on our most wanted list to immediately hand themselves in.

“We will continue to focus and target resource every single day and night to locate these people, take action and deliver justice for victims. Lincolnshire Police will do all we can to locate and bring to justice our most wanted people.”

DCS Cox is keen to introduce other new ideas, including using ANPR technology to help tackle the most dangerous drivers “who so often are active in other forms of criminality”, as well as focusing efforts on supporting domestic abuse victims.

He added: “In the coming months I will continue to look at new ways to positively influence crime fighting in the county with a real desire to tackle the most dangerous people, prevent crime and divert offenders away from criminality.

“I also want to listen to the community and especially those with experiences to share – to help with this next month we introduce an independent advisory group filled with partners and the public to discuss crime investigation challenges and issues.”

Outstanding most wanted

Mark Gibbins

Mark Gibbins, 53, is wanted in connection with a sexual offences inquiry in the Boston area in July. Police think he may be using different names and uses homeless hostels.

Paul Harry Johns

Paul Harry Johns, 31, is wanted for breach of bail offences and failing to appear in court in December last year. It is believed he could be in the Skegness area.

Stephen Pickering

Stephen Pickering, 45, also known as Stephen Drury, is wanted for failing to appear in court in relation to drugs possession and traffic offences. It is believed he could be in the Spalding area.

Abdul Bakhtar

Abdul Bakhtar, 38, is wanted in connection with the assault of a man on Lincoln High Street on November 27. The man suffered serious injuries, which were not believed to be life threatening.

Marius Dumitru

Marius Dumitru, 23, is wanted in connection with breach of bail offences.

Connor Jackson

Connor Jackson, 19, is wanted for breaching a restraining order in the Grantham area.