A Skegness man who escaped police custody and was on Lincolnshire Police’s ‘most wanted’ list has now been jailed.
Paul Harry Johns, 31, of Chestnut Grove in Skegness, was later arrested and charged with a string of offences, including driving whilst disqualified, using a vehicle without insurance, escaping lawful custody, obstructing an officer and failing to answer bail.
He failed to appear in court in December last year, but after hearing at Lincoln Magistrates Court on Friday, January 8 he was jailed for 24 weeks.
He is the second from the Lincolnshire Police most wanted list to be put behind bars after William Clawson was sentenced to eight weeks in jail.
This means five suspects from the original appeal are still at large — Mark Gibbins, Stephen Pickering, Abdul Bakhtar, Marius Dumitru and Connor Jackson.
Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox, who joined Lincolnshire Police as Head of Crime in September last year, told The Lincolnite: “Paul Harry Johns was located and arrested by officers intensively searching for him. He was on our ‘top ten most wanted suspects’ list.
“We have a 24/7 focus to locate these people. We do so to prevent fresh crimes, protect the public and deliver justice for victims.
“We encourage anybody with information which can help us locate other listed suspects to share this with us via 101 or in absolute confidence via Crimestoppers.”
Outstanding most wanted
Mark Gibbins
Mark Gibbins is wanted by police. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
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.
Stephen Pickering
Have you seen Stephen Pickering? | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
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 by police after an assault on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
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 for breaching bail. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Marius Dumitru, 23, is wanted in connection with breach of bail offences.
Connor Jackson
Connor Jackson, 19, wanted in Grantham. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Connor Jackson, 19, is wanted for breaching a restraining order in the Grantham area.
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We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.