These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the seventh month of 2024.
All information comes directly from Sussex Police.
13. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in July 2024
A disqualified driver has been jailed after he was stopped while driving in Worthing. Roads Policing Unit (RPU) officers found Mitchell Wilton behind the wheel of a Citroen van on the A27 in Upper Brighton Road. He was stopped because his vehicle showed him having no insurance, no valid MOT test, and Wilton was already disqualified. It was later found that Wilton, aged 32, had falsified insurance documents to carry on driving, despite being stopped. At Brighton Magistrates’ Court on June 7, it was noted that he had shown a “flagrant disregard” for court orders. Wilton, of Wickhurst Road, Portslade, was jailed for four months. He was ordered to pay £400 court costs and was disqualified for 20 months. The court heard how he was stopped by RPU officers in a Citroen Relay van on June 13, 2022. He had been disqualified from driving in court on January 13 the same year. RPU officers noted the vehicle did not have a registered MOT test certificate since November 2021, and that Wilton’s licence was expired. Wilton was charged with driving while disqualified, driving without valid insurance, and driving without a valid MOT test, and admitted these charges in court on June 7. Officers later found the same vehicle abandoned in Bognor on January 21, 2023. Checks showed there were two falsified insurance policies obtained by Wilton on June 13, 2022, before his first arrest, and again on July 14, 2022. Wilton had obtained insurance without disclosing his criminal convictions and that he was in fact disqualified. Previously, at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on October 31, 2023, Wilton admitted two counts of making a false statement to obtain insurance. On that occasion he was sentenced to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. Photo: Sussex Police
14. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in July 2024
A gardener and his accomplice have been jailed for stealing thousands of pounds from their employers near Haywards Heath. Robert Mansbridge (left) was a gardener for a property in Portsmouth Lane, Lindfield for 25 years, but together with Craig Preston (right), they secretly burgled from the occupants. Police were called to a report of a residential burglary on May 4, 2023, in which thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and personal items were stolen. They were arrested a day later in the same car. A large amount of stolen items were found in the vehicle they were in. Mansbridge, 57, of no fixed address was found guilty by the jury following a four day trial at Lewes Crown Court on April 2. Preston, 42, of no fixed address pleaded guilty to the charge. They were sentenced to a combined seven years’ imprisonment when they appeared before Lewes Crown Court on June 24. Mansbridge was jailed for four years and Preston was jailed for three years. Photo: Sussex Police
15. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in July 2024
A Bognor man has been jailed after breaching the terms of a Stalking Protection Order. Brenton Kay, 38, of Upper Bognor Road in Bognor, was subject to a Stalking Protection Order and Restraining Order in September, 2020, following repeated reports of threats, harassment and criminal damage against a woman. On June 8, the woman reported receiving 17 calls from Kay within 20 minutes, between 6.40am and 7am, as well as WhatsApps threatening her with violence. Kay was arrested and found to be in possession of a knuckleduster and a kubaton – a small baton commonly attached to a keychain. He was subsequently charged with breaching a Stalking Protection Order, breach of a Restraining Order, possession of a Class B drug and possession of an offensive weapon in a private place. At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday, June 17, Kay pleaded guilty to all counts and was jailed for 18 weeks. Photo: Sussex Police
16. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in July 2024
A man has been jailed for drug offences following a stop-search in Eastbourne. Police were patrolling Trinity Trees on June 8 at around 3pm, when they saw a man pass on drugs to a group of people on two different occasions. He was intercepted by police at around 5pm. Following a stop-search, drugs, money, and a large knife was found. He was arrested and was later identified as Kieran Martin. Martin, 24, of St Martins Crescent, South Heighton was later charged with possession of a knife in a public place, supplying Class A drugs, and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. He appeared before Lewes Crown Court on July 8 and pleaded guilty to all three charges. Martin was sentenced to five years and seven months’ imprisonment. Photo: Sussex Police