Prolific offender gets 44-month prison sentence

A criminal who spent weeks evading police has finally ended up behind bars - receiving a 44-month prison sentence for a string of offences for which he was being sought.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Sep 2016, 14:34 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:47 BST
Darryl Matthew DempseyDarryl Matthew Dempsey
Darryl Matthew Dempsey

A Sussex Police statement says that Darryl Matthew Dempsey, 21, unemployed, of Beare Green, Surrey, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday (September 20) and pleaded guilty to all charges against him.

They included eight burglaries other than dwellings, six counts of fraud, handling stolen goods, driving while disqualified, dangerous driving and failing to stop for police.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The statement adds that in one incident while seeking to evade justice Dempsey drove off-road and onto the South Downs before abandoning a 4x4 vehicle in Friston Forest.

He managed to escape on that occasion but was eventually arrested in Surrey on Monday August 15, after which he was remanded in custody prior to his sentencing on Tuesday.

Inspector Tony Wakefield, of the Wealden Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We’re delighted with this result.

“Three years eight months may seem slightly lenient to some people, considering the number of charges against Dempsey.

“But the judge made it clear in his summing up that if Dempsey appears before the court again he could expect a custodial sentence running into double figures. So, a pretty severe warning.”