These are some of the most serious, high profile and prolific offenders who were jailed in the sixth month of 2025.
All information comes directly from Sussex Police.
5. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2025
A disqualified driver who was caught behind the wheel of a cloned vehicle while under the influence of drugs has been jailed and further disqualified from driving. On December 15, 2024, a Ford Transit van displaying suspected cloned number plates was stopped by police in Crawley. The driver, identified as Lee Coleman, 49, from Dorking, Surrey, admitted to fitting false plates to avoid detection. Checks revealed that Coleman was already disqualified from driving, had no insurance and subsequently failed a roadside Drugwipe test. He was arrested and taken into custody. A blood test later confirmed that Coleman had cocaine in his system at levels above the legal limit. He was charged with multiple driving and fraud related offences and appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on June 2, where he pleaded guilty. Coleman was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison and was further disqualified from driving for five years and nine months. Photo: Sussex Police
6. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2025
A Bexhill chimney sweep who defrauded 25 people out of almost £30,000 has been jailed. Adam Reid, 40, of Dorset Road in Bexhill, is the owner of SCS Installations (Safe Chimney Sweep), through which he carried out work on homes across Sussex. His offending first came to light in December 2023. Subsequent investigation uncovered 25 victims, beginning in November 2022, up until February 2025. Reid had previously been a reputable tradesperson, accredited to a number of trade bodies until his memberships lapsed. Despite this, he continued to claim he was fully accredited. His offending followed a usual pattern of arranging work with customers and taking deposits, with the remainder to be paid upon completion. Reid would then become evasive and never carry out the work, using excuses such as illness, family illness and his van being broken. Some of his victims were long-standing customers who trusted Reid, and all were initially understanding of his excuses. He was arrested on October 16, 2024, and released on bail, but went on to reoffend. Reid was rearrested on April 4, charged, and remanded in custody. Enquiries found Reid was in financial trouble, believed to be linked to excessive gambling and drug use. He was charged with 19 counts of fraud by false representation and one count of fraudulent trading by a sole trader. At Lewes Crown Court on May 2, Reid pleaded guilty to all charges. At the same court on June 17, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison and proceedings are underway under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Photo: Sussex Police
7. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2025
A Brighton man who sexually abused three girls has been jailed. James Quinto, 31, of Kingswood Street, sexually abused the victims over a number of years around 2010 when they were between seven and 18 years old. Quinto was as young as 10 when he was carrying out the offences, which continued into his 20s. Police were made aware of the offending in 2021, when a woman reported having been sexually assaulted by Quinto as a child. She approached the police after two women she knew disclosed being victims of Quinto in similar circumstances, including one who alleged she was raped as a child on several occasions. Quinto was arrested and subsequently charged with rape of a girl under 13, six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl, four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count each of assault by penetration against a girl under 13, and sexual assault. At Lewes Crown Court on March 25, he was found guilty of six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count each of assault by penetration against a girl under 13, and sexual assault. He was found not guilty of rape and two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching. At the same court on June 17, Quinto was jailed for seven years. Photo: Sussex Police
8. Locked up in Sussex: These are some of the criminals jailed in June 2025
A dangerous driver caused life-changing injuries in a collision on the A27. Nathan Cole was distracted on the dual carriageway at Southbourne. He failed to see a broken-down vehicle in the carriageway, and struck it at high speed. It caused devastating injuries for the driver who was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Cole later admitted that he had been checking social media on his phone prior to the collision. The victim underwent surgery for a leg amputation as well as treatment for other critical injuries. Cole, 29, of Denton Drive, Brighton, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a hearing at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on April 8. He appeared at Lewes Crown Court for sentencing on June 13, where he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and was disqualified from driving for four years and four months. The court was told how the incident happened at 12.10pm on December 13, 2023 on the A27 at Southbourne. Dashcam and footage from inside Cole’s vehicle shows him being distracted inside the vehicle. Footage from an internal dashcam suggested Cole was travelling at 72mph, which was 12mph faster than the speed limit for his vehicle. Cole failed to see the hazard ahead of him along a long, straight stretch of road. The Volkswagen van he was driving collided with a Peugeot which had broken down. The driver of the Peugeot, a man in his 60s from Hampshire, was struck directly by the van and was taken to hospital. He remained in a coma over the Christmas period, and required a leg amputation. Photo: Sussex Police