These are some of the most serious, high-profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the fifth month of 2023.
All information comes directly from Sussex Police.
9. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in August 2023
A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a woman on Hastings beach during the night, police said. Sussex Police said Mohamed Elshamy met the victim during the early hours in town. Police said within minutes, he was then seen leading her through an underpass to the seafront, where CCTV cameras captured him forcibly trying to kiss her and pulling at her clothing. Footage then showed him further sexually assaulting the woman on the beach before walking away and leaving her alone and in distress, police added. Police said Elshamy, 41, unemployed, of Carlisle Parade, Hastings, was identified through those CCTV images and arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial at Lewes Crown Court, police said. At the same court on June 26, he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register. Photo: Sussex Police
10. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in August 2023
A Crawley man who targeted young teenage girls has been jailed for rape and sexual offences, police said. Sol Barrett took one of the victims who had been assaulted back to his own home in Crawley rather than to hospital, Sussex Police said. Police added that he also groomed a young second victim on social media and lied about his age in order to commit sexual offences. The 24-year-old admitted the offences when he appeared before Lewes Crown Court on August 7, and has been jailed for a total of 11 years and eight months, Sussex Police said. The court was told how Barrett, formerly a retail sales assistant, found a teenage girl who had been assaulted in a separate incident. Police said she woke up at Barrett’s address the next morning, and did not know who he was. The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received support from specially-trained officers. She had sustained injuries from a separate assault the previous night, and these injuries were so serious that they required her to attend hospital the next day, police said. But upon finding her, Barrett did not take her to hospital, instead he took her back to his address where he committed the rape, Sussex Police added. The mother of the second victim, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported her concerns about grooming of her teenage daughter on Snapchat by Barrett, police said. Barrett had lied about his age in messages exchanged on the social media platform, while the victim had informed him of her age, police added. Police said he was arrested and remanded in custody, charged with three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a teenage girl. The court imposed an extended sentence, which means Barrett must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release. Sussex Police said he was jailed for seven years and two months for rape, and was jailed for four years and six months for the three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child. The sentences are Photo: Sussex Police
11. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in August 2023
Cleaner Max Kernot has been jailed for abusing and controlling his partner, before subjecting her to a campaign of stalking after the end of their relationship, Sussex Police have confirmed. Police said Kernot, 26, of no fixed address, was in a relationship with his victim – a woman in her 20s – for just three months. In that time he isolated her from her friends and family and took control over significant parts of her life, including sleeping with her car keys under his pillow to prevent her escaping, Sussex Police added. Police said he also assaulted her on multiple occasions, strangling her with a seatbelt and pulling out her hair. Kernot persistently harassed his victim after the end of the relationship, Sussex Police added. Police said he would turn up unannounced wherever she was, or go to her friends’ houses to try to find her. Over a period of 35 days he phoned her 272 times from a withheld number, he also used a phone at a local shop to contact her, Sussex Police confirmed. Police said Kernot was arrested at his ex-partner’s house on March 25 after smashing every ground floor window and damaging three cars. He was bailed with strict conditions and arrested again on April 2 after he was seen driving past her house, Sussex Police added. Police said he was remanded in custody after being charged with two counts each of assault, actual bodily harm (ABH) and intentional strangulation, and one count each of criminal damage, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, common assault and stalking. At Lewes Crown Court on May 25, Kernot pleaded not guilty to all counts, but later admitted a number of lesser offences after further evidence was secured, Sussex Police said. Police said he pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, ABH, intentional strangulation, criminal damage, stalking with harassment and a public order offence. At Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, July 27, Kernot was jailed for 30 months and given a seven year restraining Photo: Sussex Police
12. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in August 2023
A persistent stalker who continued to harass his victims from prison has had his jail term extended. Paul Kerr, 59, formerly of Montague Street in Brighton, was jailed for nine years in 2020 after a targeted campaign of harassment against an NHS nurse spanning two years. He wrote to his victim, his victim’s employer and various authorities accusing him of being a paedophile who abused his patients. His wife was also targeted. In January 2020, he was jailed for six years, with an additional three on licence, and given a restraining order. Within days of being jailed, Kerr began to write letters to the NHS and Sussex Police repeating his accusations as he sought to have his victim sacked from his job or arrested. At Lewes Crown Court on August 8, Kerr was jailed for a further four years after being found guilty of stalking and harassment. Photo: Sussex Police