THIS year has seen murderers, rapists and drug gangs put through the courts and jailed for offences committed in Dorset.
The longest sentence handed down to criminals in the county this year was life with a minimum term of 18 yeasr for the two teenage boys who murdered Edward Reeve in his own home.
Below are some of the most shocking and significant crimes committed by Dorset criminals, which were dealt with by the courts in 2022.
Asa Davison
A ‘controlling’ man was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 12 years after being found guilty of attacking his girlfriend and killing her unborn baby.
Asa Davison was convicted of child destruction, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and perverting the course of justice following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
The first two offences related to an incident in Gillingham, Dorset, in May 2020, while the second assault was committed four months later.
The last matter involved the defendant encouraging his girlfriend to make a false statement to police on several occasions while he was remanded in custody.
Davison, 35 and of Gillingham, was handed a life sentence on Thursday, January 6, by the Honourable Mrs Justice Cutts with a minimum term of 12 years.
He will only be considered for release by the parole board after serving the minimum term.
- Read more: Life prison sentence for Dorset man who killed unborn baby
- Read more: Unborn baby killer Asa Davison will not have sentence increased
- Read more: Judge's sentencing remarks to Dorset unborn baby killer
Stuart John Aldridge
A man was jailed for 18 years after being found guilty of historical child sex offences against two girls.
Stuart John Aldridge, aged 52 and of Bournemouth, was convicted of rape, two charges of indecent assault and two counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
The offences were committed over a period of around 10 years, starting in the late 1990s and involved two child victims.
One of the victims first disclosed the offences to police in April 2019 and the second victim was interviewed by officers the following month.
Aldridge was subsequently arrested and charged. He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, February 16, where a judge sentenced him to 18 years' imprisonment.
Drug gang
Ardit Zani, 29, of Bournemouth, Andrew Doyle, 31, of Christchurch, Lawan Najim, 26, of Bournemouth, Marjus Nona, 23, of Birmingham, Agron Bendaj, 54, of Luton and Endri Kostreni, 29, of Bournemouth were jailed for a total of nearly 40 years for flooding cocaine into Dorset.
The offenders were part of an organised crime group, mainly made up of Albanian nationals, who facilitated the collection of kilogram blocks of the class A drug from London.
The cocaine was brought down to the Bournemouth area to deal in smaller quantities.
An extensive operation by Dorset Police led to the six defendants facing justice in the courts.
Zani was sentenced to eight years in prison, Bendaj received a seven-year jail term and Najim was jailed for six years.
Kostreni received a sentence of ten years, Doyle was jailed for five years and five months and Nona was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
The operation culminated in a day of action on Thursday, October 29, 2020, with officers stopping a vehicle in which a large block of cocaine, weighing just under a kilogram, was found.
- Read more: Drug gang members jailed for nearly 40 years after flooding cocaine into Dorset
- Read more: How police caught Dorset's first Albanian organised crime group
Julio Sweeney
A romance fraudster who manipulated two women to give over thousands of pounds has been jailed for his wicked crimes.
Julio Sweeney “preyed” on the vulnerable single women, engaging in relationships with both of them at the same time.
Sweeney, 58 and of Hurn Road, Matchams, took more than £10,000 from his victims, as well as cherished personal possessions, before they got in contact with each other on social media and went to police.
The defendant pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud by false representation on the day that he was due to stand trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Recorder James Newton-Price QC, who sentenced Sweeney to 15 months’ imprisonment at the same court on March 25, told the offender he had ruined his victims’ lives.
One of the victims described Sweeney as a “heartless, selfish, manipulative sociopath” who “preys on hard-working” women.
Hasan Kyoybasha
A rapist who stalked his victim as she walked alone at night before sexually assaulting her has been deemed a dangerous offender and jailed for 15 years.
Hasan Kyoybasha, 30 and of Ashley Road, Poole, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by penetration following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.
The court heard he “pestered, badgered and followed” the victim, despite her making it clear that she was not interested and that he should go away.
Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said statements from the woman showed the sex attack in Branksome had had an “extreme impact” upon her. He also said she was vulnerable when Kyoybasha carried out the offences.
He concluded that the defendant posed a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm through further offending and handed down an extended sentence.
- Read more: 'Predatory' rapist who 'pestered and badgered' victim jailed for 15 years
- Read more: 'Completely unacceptable for a woman to be subjected to this abhorrent crime'
- Read more: Man convicted of raping woman after following her around at night
Sylvanathan Naidoo
A former primary school teacher has been jailed for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl he was tutoring in Bournemouth.
Sylvanathan Naidoo, 65, deliberately abused his position of trust in a calculated way to groom his victim.
A Bournemouth Crown Court judge told Naidoo that his offending would likely affect the girl for the rest of her life.
The defendant, of Woodborough, Nottingham, was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment on Monday, May 23, after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration – all committed last summer.
Sentencing judge Recorder Don Tait told Naidoo: “You have lost everything, your family and home but that is your fault entirely.”
Charles Richard Collins
A young drink driver who hospitalised a dog walker and killed his West Highland terrier has been jailed for 14 months.
Charles Richard Collins, 22 and of Uppleby Road, Poole, shared 12 bottles of alcohol with a friend before getting behind the wheel of his campervan and crashing into Andrew Borrill and dog Ben in Poole.
The dog died at the scene and Mr Borrill suffered life-threatening injuries.
The grandfather spent eight days in hospital after suffering a bleed on the brain, a broken neck and countless cuts and bruises all over his body.
Nearly two hours after the collision, Collins was breathalised and was twice the drink drive limit and also tested positive on a drug swipe.
Collins pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, criminal damage (for killing the dog), drink driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
- Read more: Drink driver jailed for seriously injuring man and killing dog
- Read more: Drink driver who killed dog in crash reads letter to victim
Stefania Tinica
One of the Rolex Rippers, the group of women who rob wealthy gentlemen for their designer watches, was jailed for her part in the organised crime which struck in Dorset.
Stefania Tinica, a Romanian national, is the first member of the gang behind dozens of distraction thefts across the country to be convicted.
The 40-year-old and an unknown female accomplice struck in expensive neighbourhoods at either end of the country five months apart.
Tinica relieved one victim of his £15,000 Rolex watch without him realising when she tried to hug and kiss him and attempted to do the same to another man who fought back.
A court heard the attempted robbery happened on January 3 last year by Alderley Edge Golf Club in Cheshire.
Tinica approached the man and tried to take his £10,000 Rolex Submariner watch off of him.
The victim managed to break free and push one of them away. Tinica and her accomplice gave up and fled.
Police recovered DNA from the man's wrist and although they identified Tinica as the assailant they were unable to trace her.
On May 30 she struck for a second time 250 miles away in Bingham Avenue, near to the exclusive Parkstone Golf Club in Poole.
Her 75-year-old victim was walking down the road when Tinica stopped him. She suddenly put her arms around him and tried to grab his arm to get him to touch her.
The pensioner broke free and saw her get into a car before realising his £15,930 Rolex Submariner timepiece was missing.
She pleaded guilty to robbery and attempted robbery and was jailed for 40 months at Chester Crown Court.
Damien Sean Johnson, Hayden Johnson and Dominic MacDonald
Three men were jailed for a total of more than 60 years for killing a man and carrying out violent robberies in Bournemouth.
Damien Sean Johnson, 31, Hayden Johnson, 29, and Dominic MacDonald, 30, admitted the manslaughter of 56-year-old Michael Bastable in an alleyway off Shelbourne Road.
The defendants, who all lived in Bournemouth, also admitted robbery of Mr Bastable, who was known as Shaun, on the day of his death on January 14 and a separate incident on January 19.
The Johnson brothers also admitted a third robbery, committed on January 21.
Sentencing judge the Honourable Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said: "Although there are no witnesses to what took place in the alleyway, it is clear the complainant was attacked and robbed."
He added: “The complainant was attacked with such violence that he died.”
A forensic post-mortem indicated Mr Bastable had died from injuries to his stomach area that were consistent with him being repeatedly stamped or jumped on while lying on his back on the ground.
The judge referenced the statement from Mr Bastable's brother, which said: "The ripple of destruction that has torn through our family is immeasurable."
Damien Johnson and Hayden Johnson, both of Christchurch Road, were jailed for 22 years, with a three-year extended licence after the judge concluded they were dangerous offenders.
MacDonald, of St John’s Road, was jailed for 18 years.
Jack James Hindley and Samuel Roy Jones
TWO teenagers received life sentences for the “brutal” murder of a talented musician in his own home on New Year’s Eve.
Jack James Hindley and Samuel Roy Jones, both 17, will spend at least 18 years behind bars for the fatal stabbing they inflicted on 35-year-old Edward Reeve.
The boys, who were aged 16 at the time of the killing, used two knives to inflict multiple wounds on Mr Reeve at his house in Heath Road, Walkford.
The Honourable Mr Justice Sweeney said the victim, who he described as vulnerable, suffered both physically and mentally before he bled to death.
The defendants went to Mr Reeve’s home along with three 15-year-old girls on the evening of December 31, 2021.
The girls left after feeling uncomfortable when Hindley, of Christchurch, berated the victim and punched a hole in the wall of the music room. Jones, of Bournemouth, also punched a hole in the wall.
The judge told Winchester Crown Court: “Edward Reeve did nothing to justify what happened to him during the following eight or so minutes that Jack and Sam were alone with him in the house.
“They jointly and brutally attacked him in the living room with their respective knives, with Jack, as he admits, striking the first blow. In so doing they intended to cause at least grievous bodily harm.”
Mr Reeve suffered eight stab wounds, four incised wounds and five superficial point scratches or punctures.
After leaving the victim’s address, the defendants were “fist bumping, laughing and hugging” before “excitedly bragging” to the girls, who they had caught up with.
The two killers were named after the judge lifted a reporting restriction on their identities following an application by the Daily Echo.
- Read more: The faces of the teenagers who killed Edward Reeve
- Read more: Police say there is 'no excuse' for teens' fatal stabbing
- Read more: Teenage killers jailed for at least 18 years for murdering man in his home
- Read more: Meet the detectives who caught Edward Reeve's murderers
- Read more: CCTV footage shows teen killers before and after murder of vulnerable man
- Read more: Judge's remarks to Edward Reeve's killers before jailing them
- Read more: Why judge allowed Edward Reeve's killers to be named
Laurence James Vonderdell
A man who stabbed his girlfriend in the back six times with a kitchen knife told police minutes after the attack that he wanted to kill his victim.
Laurence Vonderdell became “furious” towards his then partner and carried out the attempted murder at their Bournemouth home.
Winchester Crown Court heard Vonderdell only “came to his senses” when he thought the knife had broken.
He stopped attacking his girlfriend and called 999, telling police: “I have just stabbed my girlfriend. I stabbed her. I stabbed her in the back.”
The victim, who suffered four superficial wounds and two more serious stab wounds, described Vonderdell as an “animal”.
Vonderdell, aged 53, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, with a five-year extended licence period.
Read more: 'Monster' who stabbed girlfriend six times told police he wanted to kill her
Drug gang
Seven members of an organised crime group have been jailed for a combined total of 75 years after supplying an estimated £49 million worth of drugs a year.
The members, aged between 25 and 41 years old and all from Dorset, dealt class A drugs on a commercial scale and obtained potentially lethal firearms to enforce their operation.
Drugs with an estimated street value of £800,000 were seized by police after a series of arrests and searches starting in June 2020.
However, expert analysis of the gang’s communications indicated the seven men were believed to be supplying nearly 900 kilograms of class A and class B drugs per year.
Jake Stephen Bastable, 36 and of St Anthony’s Road in Bournemouth, and Joe Tommy Bastable, 34 and of Mitchell Road in Poole, were both sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Gavin Lee Richard Newman, 44 and of Ripon Road in Bournemouth, was sentenced to 12 years and four months.
Dennis Harry Hough, 35 and of Beaufort Road in Bournemouth, was jailed for five years and ten months. Zacharia Kaissi-Kavanagh, 25 and of Southbourne Overcliff Drive in Bournemouth, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison and Aaron Shane Newman, 41 and of Florence Road in Bournemouth, was jailed for four years and ten months, all for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Nicky Robert Charles Gent, 36 and of Berrans Avenue in Bournemouth, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
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