Here we take a look at some of the criminals locked up during the final four months of 2025.
All of the information below comes from either Sussex Police or our reporters attending court in person.
33. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A father and two sons involved in a violent attack at a pub in Worthing have been convicted in court. Derek Cook had been drinking with his sons Matthew Cook (pictured) and Jason Cook at The Smugglers Return, in Ham Road, when they became involved in a confrontation with another group of customers. The incident, which happened in the outside seating area on the evening of July 23, 2024, quickly escalated into violence. Derek, 58, attempted to punch one of the individuals, before Jason, 35, picked up an umbrella base and threw it at another. He also threw a number of glasses towards the group, which smashed on the floor. Shortly afterwards, Derek hit one of the female members of the group over the head with an umbrella pole, then jabbed it into her body, causing significant bruising. At this point, Jason shouted to his brother Matthew to ‘get the shooter’. Matthew, 36, subsequently cycled away from the pub and returned a short time later wielding a large knife, which he used to slash at the group – who were trapped in a wooden booth with no means of escape. At least three members of the group sustained wounds to their arms as they attempted to defend themselves. They were treated at the scene for their injuries, while the woman hit over the head with the pole was taken to hospital as a precaution. Matthew made off from the scene but was later arrested; Derek and Jason were both arrested outside the pub. All three were charged in connection with the incident and appeared at Lewes Crown Court on October 23 for sentencing. Matthew Cook, of Shelby Road, Durrington, pleaded guilty to affray, possession of a bladed article in public and two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent. He was sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment. In addition, all three defendants were issued with a restraining order which prohibits them from contacting or attempting to contact any of the victims, or attending The Smugglers Return, until further notice. Photo: Sussex Police
34. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A dangerous lorry driver who crashed into other vehicles at high speed in Chichester has been jailed. Kuljinder Singh was driving a Mercedes HGV and failed to brake for traffic on the A27. He was recorded crashing into the rear of a van at more than 50mph, and was still accelerating at the moment of impact. He left three people with life-changing serious injuries. “The driver of that HGV has destroyed my life,” one victim said. Singh, 45, of Ennis Square, Redcar, North Yorkshire, was arrested and charged with three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He admitted the charges and at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 10 he was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison. He was disqualified from driving for four years and 11 months. The court was told how the incident happened at abut 4.15pm on August 8, 2022, on the dual carriageway eastbound between the Fishbourne and Stockbridge roundabouts. Footage from inside his lorry showed Singh failing to notice stationary traffic ahead of him in lane one. He accelerated to more than 50mph at impact, causing a collision with three other vehicles which left one car overturned on its roof. The victim in the overturned car continues to suffer from life-changing injuries. Two men who were in the van immediately in front of the lorry also continues to suffer the life-changing impact of the crash. One said: “This has changed my life in every way, I now live with the lasting trauma of what happened. I remember waking up in the front passenger seat, I had previously been unconscious. The reason I awoke was because I was choking on my own blood. I turned to my work colleague. I had no idea if he was alive or dead. I believe this collision was avoidable, I cannot understand what the driver of a HGV has crashed into us, causing multiple vehicles to be destroyed and causing me to sustain life-changing injuries.” The driver of the van added: “I am frustrated that the driver has never explained personally why or how the collision occurred." Photo: Sussex Police
35. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A man has been sentenced following a series of serious sexual offences against children in both Sussex and Suffolk. Inam Khan, 37, of Troon Crescent, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, spent time in online chat rooms and on Snapchat, targeting young children while lying about his own age to build and manipulate trust. On September 19, 2022, Khan travelled to Suffolk from his home to meet with a teenage girl who he had spent time grooming online and through Snapchat. Khan then took the victim to a nearby location, where he went on to rape her. A further attempted rape against the same victim was also reported to police. Officers immediately began working to track Khan, and he was arrested on October 1, 2022. He was later charged with two counts of rape, and one of attempted rape. In a similar style to his previous offending, Khan soon began work on grooming a young girl in Sussex, while he pretended to be just 16-years-old. He went on to ask her for explicit photographs, stating he needed them to prove that she was a girl. In the early hours of September 8, 2024, Khan made the long car journey to the girl's address and bombarded her with messages to pressure her into meeting him. He went on to abduct her and sexually assault her. Six days later, Khan drove to the area again and unsuccessfully attempted to meet the victim. In total, it is estimated that Khan travelled around 600 miles during these two trips. The offences were later reported to police, and Khan was quickly arrested on November 25. On November 27, he was charged with assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, taking a child so as to remove her from a person having lawful control, engaging in sexual communications with a child, and with meeting a child following grooming. At his hearing at Brighton Magistrates' Court later that same day, Khan was remanded into custody ahead of further hearings. On June 23, 2025, Khan’s trial began at Hove Crown Court and lasted for nine days. On July 3, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on all counts Photo: Sussex Police
36. Locked up in Sussex 2025: These are some of the criminals jailed between September and December
A St Leonards drug dealer has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment following a trial at Lewes Crown Court. Ammar Hroub, 25, from London Road, St Leonards, denied being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine, and possession of criminal property. Following a trial that concluded on December 18, a jury convicted him unanimously of all drug supply offences. He was cleared of possession of criminal property. During the summer of 2023, police became aware of a county drugs line operating in Kent and the Hastings and St Leonards area. Examination of a drug user’s mobile phone identified the line number. Further enquiries with the phone service provider revealed that the line had been used to send drug marketing messages to multiple users on more than 200 occasions between November 2022 and August 2023. Enquiries also showed that the phone line had been topped up at a shop in the St Leonards area. Police recovered CCTV of Hroub conducting the transaction. Hroub was subsequently arrested and a BMW linked to him was searched. Officers found 71 wraps of crack cocaine and 59 wraps of diamorphine (heroin) in the driver’s door pocket, along with a further 470 grams of loose diamorphine. The drugs line phone was also recovered from the vehicle. A drug expert valued the seized drugs at £1,770. Upon arrest Hroub was also found in possession of a single wrap of MDMA and £390 in cash. Forensic examination of the drug wraps identified Hroub’s DNA on the knots of the packaging containing the heroin and crack cocaine. Cell site analysis showed that both the drugs line phone and Hroub’s personal mobile phone travelled together to London and back via Kent on numerous occasions during the offending period, consistent with trips to restock heroin and crack cocaine. In court Hroub claimed that his phone, the drugs line phone and his vehicle had been taken by another individual on those occasions, and that this person was responsible for Photo: Sussex Police