These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the final month of 2024.
All information comes directly from Sussex Police.
5. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2024
A former sports coach at a school in Horsham has been sentenced for a child sex offence. Ajaz Karim worked at Christ’s Hospital School between 1983 and 1993 and was jailed for 21 months on December 13 when appearing before Lewes Crown Court. On November 29 he was found guilty of one count of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14. Police received the report in November 2022 that Karim, 70, of Broadlove Lane, Greater London, abused a girl, who is now aged in her 40s, when she was 12 and 13. Karim was asked to attend a voluntary interview and following a complex investigation, he was charged in December 2023. Following a four-day trial, which began on November 25 at Lewes Crown Court, Karim was found guilty by the jury on one count of indecent assault on a girl. The jury were unable to reach a verdict on the second count of indecent assault of a girl. Photo: Sussex Police
6. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2024
A Crowborough man who sexually assaulted two young children has been jailed for over 14 years. Andrew Evans, 38, worked at a nursery in Crowborough, between September 2021 and January 2022. In March 2022, police received a report from the family of a three-year-old boy who said he had been sexually assaulted by ‘Andy’ at nursery. Four months later, in July 2022, a three-year-old girl made separate allegations of sexual assault against Evans. At the time the reports were made, Evans was already serving a custodial sentence after being jailed for six years and eight months in 2022 for sexual offences against two other children. These offences did not relate to his role at the nursery. While in custody, he was charged with two counts of penetration of a girl under 13 and one count of assault by touching of a girl under 13 related to the same child, and one count of assault by penetration of a boy under 13. He pleaded guilty to assault by touching at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on July 8, and originally denied the other three charges. He then pleaded guilty to the three counts of sexual assault by penetration at Hove Crown Court on August 27. He was remanded in custody and, at Hove Crown Court on December 18, he was sentenced to a 14 years and four months in prison, with an additional four years and eight months to be spent on extended licence. Photo: Sussex Police
7. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2024
Two men have been sentenced following a violent altercation in Worthing. Police were called to a report of a stabbing near Goring Road, Worthing at around 6pm on March 24. Damien Lee (pictured) and George Horsted had an altercation with a 22-year-old man in a restaurant near Goring Road and later outside a coffee shop on the same road. A 30-year-old man from London was found with what looked like a stab wound and was taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. He was then discharged. A 22-year-old man from Worthing was also found with facial injuries. Lee, 28, of The Quadrant, Worthing and was arrested on April 3 and later charged with Section 18 grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place. Following a 13-day trial at Lewes Crown Court which began on August 19, they were found not guilty of S18 wounding with intent. The jury found them both guilty of Section 20 unlawful wounding and possession of bladed article. When appearing before Lewes Crown Court on December 9, Lee was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Photo: Sussex Police
8. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2024
Two men have been sentenced following a violent altercation in Worthing. Police were called to a report of a stabbing near Goring Road, Worthing at around 6pm on Sunday, 24 March. Damien Lee and George Horsted (pictured) had an altercation with a 22-year-old man in a restaurant near Goring Road and later outside a coffee shop on the same road. A 30-year-old man from London was found with what looked like a stab wound and was taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. He was then discharged. A 22-year-old man from Worthing was also found with facial injuries. Horsted, 26, of The Quadrant, Worthing was arrested on April 2 and later charged with Section 18 grievous bodily harm and possession of a knife in a public place. Following a 13-day trial at Lewes Crown Court which began on August 19, they were found not guilty of S18 wounding with intent. The jury found them both guilty of Section 20 unlawful wounding and possession of bladed article. Horsted also pleaded guilty to another count of Section 20 unlawful wounding. When appearing before Lewes Crown Court on December 9, Horsted was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Photo: Sussex Police