Sex offender, erratic driver and ‘atrocious’ thief in King’s Lynn court
An erratic driver, a child sex offender and an “atrocious” thief were among those who appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court last week.
A range of sentences were dished out - with one offender lucky to escape a jail term.
Here is everyone who appeared in the dock…
30-year-old with history of child sex offences is caught deleting internet history
Luke Graham, 30, of Saxon Way in Fakenham, has previously been convicted for possession of indecent images of children, as well as attempting to engage in illicit communications with a child and forcing a child to watch a sexual act.
Now, he has breached a sexual harm prevention order handed to him by Norwich Crown Court by deleting his internet history and using a private browser to obscure his internet use.
He pleaded guilty to the offence at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, with the bench ordering an all-options pre-sentence report from the probation service.
No indecent images were found on his devices, but prosecutors said it was “concerning” that he had been accessing the internet and then deleting his history.
Search for wanted man led to drugs bust
Daniel Castleton, 36, of Florence Road in Lynn, also wound up at the town’s magistrates’ court, where he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis.
The police had attended his address on October 28 on unrelated matters - but while in his kitchen, they unearthed a bag containing 30g of the drug.
Castleton returned home a short while later and admitted it belonged to him, and was arrested.
He has been handed a three-month conditional discharge, while he will pay a £26 victim surcharge. The cannabis will be forfeited and destroyed.
Aspiring athlete caught drug-driving on A10
Matas Smelstorius, 20, of Monkton Way in Fairstead, was pulled over for a routine document check at South Runcton on September 5 last year.
He informed officers he had used cannabis a week earlier - but a roadside drug wipe soon proved positive.
He pleaded guilty to drug-driving on Thursday, with the court hearing that he was of previous good character.
Magistrates disqualified Smelstorius from driving for 12 months, while he will also pay an £80 fine, £32 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
59-year-old caught drug-driving during ‘situation of despair’
Rogers Collins, of Willow Lane in Paddock Wood, Kent, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to drug-driving.
He committed the offence while travelling along Clenchwarton Road in West Lynn on September 29 last year, where he was pulled over by the police after they were made aware of him being involved in an unrelated incident.
He had 11mcg of cocaine per litre of blood, exceeding the legal limit to drive of 10mcg. It transpired that Collins was driving without insurance, and he also admitted that offence in court.
He has been handed a mandatory three-year disqualification, and will also pay a £166 fine, £66 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
Erratic 25-year-old who sped away from police while drug-driving is sentenced
Shanell Carman, of Donington Park in Leverington, appeared in court on Thursday to be sentenced, having previously admitted drug-driving, driving without due care and attention, and driving without insurance and while disqualified.
This followed an incident at Emneth which saw her drive in an “incredibly jerky” manner, speed away from officers and fail a roadside drugs wipe.
Mitigating, solicitor Ruth Johnson said Carman has been a “bag of nerves” since her case began, and described her as a “worrier” and “over-thinker”.
Carman was made the subject of an 18-month community order, which will require her to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 12 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions.
Common sense ‘deserted’ mill operator who was caught drink-driving
South Raynham man Wayne Hardman, who crashed his car while drink-driving, has been disqualified and fined more than £800.
He failed a roadside breath test, and later samples showed he had 112mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath - more than three times the legal limit of 35mcg.
“It may be that on this occasion he drank far too much, and common sense deserted an otherwise man of good character,” duty solicitor George Sorrell said.
Magistrates disqualified Hardman from driving for two years, but offered him a drink-driving rehabilitation course which, if completed, will reduce that term by 24 weeks.
‘Atrocious’ thief narrowly avoids jail after stealing from pharmacy
Rachel Boulter, 45, of Riverview Way in Gaywood, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where she had a suspended sentence extended after a lengthy deliberation.
She had admitted one count of theft from a shop during an earlier court appearance in November, with the case adjourned will the probation service carried out a pre-sentence report.
“It is a theft offence that she very much regrets,” solicitor Charlotte Winchester said.
Magistrates described Boulter’s criminal record as “atrocious”, but admitted her work with the probation service has been positive.
They therefore extended her suspended sentence by a further six months.
22-year-old caught drink-driving after celebrating girlfriend’s birthday
Oliver Clarke, of Daisy Lane in Downham, pleaded guilty to drink-driving on Thursday.
He was pulled over by the police on Bridge Street in his hometown shortly before midnight on January 4, with officers having been tipped off about his actions.
In mitigation, duty solicitor George Sorrell said that Clarke - who works as a mechanic and was of previous good character - is likely to lose his job as a result of his conviction.
Magistrates banned Clarke from driving for 14 months.