Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2025

By Matt Pole

Published 5th Jan 2026, 17:39 BST

Sussex’s judges, juries and magistrates were busy in December.

These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the final month of 2025.

All information comes directly from Sussex Police.

1. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2025

These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the final month of 2025. Photo: Sussex Police

A 19-year-old man from Bognor has been jailed for over two years for running the ‘MZY’ drug line. Officers executed a warrant at an address in Fletcher Way, Bognor on June 27 following intelligence connected to drug supply. Multiple phones and sim cards, 104 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine, over £1,000 in cash and a number of drug paraphernalia items were seized. Mateusz Stepien was also located at the address and arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. He was charged the next day at Crawley Magistrates’ Court with being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of heroin, two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, possession with intent to supply a class B drug, and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property. Stepien appeared later the same day at Portsmouth Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to all offences, however he later changed is plea to not guilty on August 4. On October 20, Stepien appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court and was found guilty of all offences. He was remanded into custody until his sentencing. Mateusz Stepien, 19, of Fletcher Way, Bognor Regis, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 12 where he was jailed for two years and one month, ordered to forfeit £1402 and any drugs, paraphernalia and relevant phones for destruction, and to pay a surcharge of £228.

2. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2025

A 19-year-old man from Bognor has been jailed for over two years for running the ‘MZY’ drug line. Officers executed a warrant at an address in Fletcher Way, Bognor on June 27 following intelligence connected to drug supply. Multiple phones and sim cards, 104 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine, over £1,000 in cash and a number of drug paraphernalia items were seized. Mateusz Stepien was also located at the address and arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. He was charged the next day at Crawley Magistrates’ Court with being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of heroin, two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, possession with intent to supply a class B drug, and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property. Stepien appeared later the same day at Portsmouth Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to all offences, however he later changed is plea to not guilty on August 4. On October 20, Stepien appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court and was found guilty of all offences. He was remanded into custody until his sentencing. Mateusz Stepien, 19, of Fletcher Way, Bognor Regis, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 12 where he was jailed for two years and one month, ordered to forfeit £1402 and any drugs, paraphernalia and relevant phones for destruction, and to pay a surcharge of £228. Photo: Sussex Police

A man has been sentenced after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Brighton. James Scott, 45, approached a woman who was not known to him in the St James’s Street area. Witnesses then saw him sexually assault the vulnerable victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. She received support from specially-trained officers after she was taken to hospital following the incident. Scott, of no fixed address, stood trial at Lewes Crown Court in December and was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault. On December 5 he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the offences. The court was told how the incident happened at about 11am on June 7. Witnesses said the victim, a woman in her 20s, was in a vulnerable position. Scott was seen grabbing the woman and trying to stand her up before giving her alcohol. He sexually assaulted her while she was not fully conscious and without her consent, and when confronted by witnesses he claimed the victim was his girlfriend. But the two had not previously met. He was acquitted of one count of attempted rape.

3. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2025

A man has been sentenced after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Brighton. James Scott, 45, approached a woman who was not known to him in the St James’s Street area. Witnesses then saw him sexually assault the vulnerable victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. She received support from specially-trained officers after she was taken to hospital following the incident. Scott, of no fixed address, stood trial at Lewes Crown Court in December and was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault. On December 5 he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the offences. The court was told how the incident happened at about 11am on June 7. Witnesses said the victim, a woman in her 20s, was in a vulnerable position. Scott was seen grabbing the woman and trying to stand her up before giving her alcohol. He sexually assaulted her while she was not fully conscious and without her consent, and when confronted by witnesses he claimed the victim was his girlfriend. But the two had not previously met. He was acquitted of one count of attempted rape. Photo: Sussex Police

A Newhaven man who posed as a teenage girl on social media to groom several young girls has been jailed. Mikey Winchester, 25, of Gibbon Road in Newhaven, targeted three girls on Snapchat and Instagram in 2022 and 2023. Sussex Police first became aware of Winchester’s offending from another police force in May 2023. The force had received reports from two girls who had been approached by a Snapchat user using the name ‘avadunn2.0’. The account known as ‘Ava’ was in fact Winchester pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. Winchester sent both victims explicit images, before asking them to send explicit images of themselves in return. Both victims had clearly stated they were young children in the chat with Winchester. The messages were discovered on both children’s phones and the Snapchat account was traced to Winchester’s home address in Newhaven. Officers visited his home on May 18, 2023, arrested him and seized a number of digital devices. In August 2023, another police force transferred an investigation to Sussex Police of a girl having been groomed on Instagram by an account named ‘dumbphoebelol’. This was again Winchester posing as a teenage girl to send explicit images and manipulate the victim into sending him explicit images. Both social media accounts were linked to Winchester’s devices, as well as 69 child sex abuse images and four images of extreme animal pornography. He was subsequently charged with three counts of sexual communication with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child (with and without penetration), three counts of making indecent images of a child (Cat A, B and C), and four counts of possession of extreme pornography. At Lewes Crown Court on December 17, he pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for four years, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

4. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in December 2025

A Newhaven man who posed as a teenage girl on social media to groom several young girls has been jailed. Mikey Winchester, 25, of Gibbon Road in Newhaven, targeted three girls on Snapchat and Instagram in 2022 and 2023. Sussex Police first became aware of Winchester’s offending from another police force in May 2023. The force had received reports from two girls who had been approached by a Snapchat user using the name ‘avadunn2.0’. The account known as ‘Ava’ was in fact Winchester pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. Winchester sent both victims explicit images, before asking them to send explicit images of themselves in return. Both victims had clearly stated they were young children in the chat with Winchester. The messages were discovered on both children’s phones and the Snapchat account was traced to Winchester’s home address in Newhaven. Officers visited his home on May 18, 2023, arrested him and seized a number of digital devices. In August 2023, another police force transferred an investigation to Sussex Police of a girl having been groomed on Instagram by an account named ‘dumbphoebelol’. This was again Winchester posing as a teenage girl to send explicit images and manipulate the victim into sending him explicit images. Both social media accounts were linked to Winchester’s devices, as well as 69 child sex abuse images and four images of extreme animal pornography. He was subsequently charged with three counts of sexual communication with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child (with and without penetration), three counts of making indecent images of a child (Cat A, B and C), and four counts of possession of extreme pornography. At Lewes Crown Court on December 17, he pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for four years, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register. Photo: Sussex Police