These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the sixth month of 2024.
All information comes directly from Sussex Police.
17. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2024
A shoplifter has been jailed for 17 thefts in Worthing. Joanne Cook was sentenced to 52 weeks’ imprisonment when she appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on June 5 for the 17 incidents and for activating a suspended sentence. Cook was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months when she appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 27 April for six shoplifting offences between April 10 and April 26. She activated her suspended sentence when it was heard she stole a total of £6672.07 worth of stock across 17 different incidents spanning between March 4 and June 1. Items included food, jewellery and alcohol. The shops Cook targeted in her shoplifting spree are: Sainsbury’s, Lyons Farm, Sompting; Paydens Pharmacy, Broadwater; Tesco Express, Goring Road; Co-op, Test Road, Sompting; Co-op, Tarring Road; Tesco, Dominion Road. Cook, 35, of no fixed address, was arrested on June 4 and later charged with 17 counts of shoplifting, five counts of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order. The conditions of her CBO are: Not to remain on any retail premises within the county of Sussex after being asked to leave; Not to enter any co-op in Sussex; Not to enter Sainsbury’s, Lyons Farm; Not to enter any Tesco store in West Sussex; Not to enter Morrisons Daily, Broadwater Road; Not to enter Martins / McColls, Broadwater; Not to enter Paydens Pharmacy. She pleaded guilty to all 17 offences. Photo: Sussex Police
18. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2024
A robber who threatened shop workers with a knife during a spate of incidents in Burgess Hill has been jailed. David Tree entered Co-op stores in the town in June and July 2022. During the incidents he wore a mask or balaclava before demanding money from staff. Staff were left shaken after the series of incidents. His vehicle was traced by officers from the Specialist Enforcement Unit, and he was arrested. Following an investigation by Crawley CID officers, Tree was charged. At Lewes Crown Court on June 6 this year, he appeared for sentencing after he admitted two counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, three counts of possessing a bladed article, and one count of going equipped for theft. Tree, 31, of Golden Hill, Burgess Hill, was sentenced to a total of three years and nine months in prison for the offences. The court was told how the first offence took place at a Co-op store in Terracotta Lane on June 19, 2022. A staff member reported a masked man entering the store to demand money from the safe just before the store was due to close. On July 12 Tree returned to the same store and left with cash via a fire exit after making further threats with a knife. Then on July 16 he targeted a Co-op store in Junction Road while wearing a balaclava as the store was due to open. He displayed a knife but left the scene when he was not able to gain access to the store. Then on July 25 he returned to the store again and was seen with the knife by staff. Once again Tree was not able to enter the store, and was seen leaving the area in a vehicle which was then traced by SEU officers. Photo: Sussex Police
19. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2024
A St Leonards man found with almost £1million of drugs has had his jail sentence extended after an appeal. Danny Wilder, 38, of Vale Road in St Leonards, was jailed for seven years in March after pleading guilty to multiple drug offences. On Friday, June 7, an appeal panel ruled the sentence was unduly lenient and increased the sentence to ten years and six months. Wilder was initially detained after being seen behaving suspiciously by officers in Cloudesley Road on Friday, May 19, 2023. He was searched, found with a small amount of cocaine and cash and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. When officers searched his home, they found around 10kg of cocaine and 16kg of cannabis, plus around £30,000 in cash. The drugs are believed to have a street value of around £930,000. Wilder was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and money laundering and, at Lewes Crown Court on Monday, June 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to all charges. He was originally sentenced at Brighton Crown Court on Monday, March 18. Photo: Sussex Police
20. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2024
A former cadets leader has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against two young girls. Simon Taplin was sentenced to four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment when he appeared before Portsmouth Crown Court on June 3. He had previously been found guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16, on February 20 at the same court. Taplin, 64, of Springfied Close in Lavant, was charged with five further counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 16 and was found not guilty by the jury. An investigation was launched in September 2020, when a third-party report came into Sussex Police that a woman had been sexually abused by Taplin as a child. His victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, met him at the cadets, with him using his position of power to abuse her. The first incident occurred in 1996, when his victim was in her teens. Taplin continued to sexually abuse her numerous times over the next four years. As part of the investigation, another woman bravely came forward and stated she was abused at around the same time by Taplin. When she was a teenager, it was heard that she was abused by Taplin where he used his seniority to take advantage and sexually assault her during a cadet event. In addition to the custodial sentence, Taplin was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Photo: Sussex Police