Locked up in Sussex: Here are some of the criminals jailed in December
By John Holden
Published 9th Jan 2021, 14:01 BST
Updated 9th Jan 2021, 14:09 BST
Brutal murderers, sex offenders and more hapless thieves were brought to justice in Sussex last month.
These criminals will be ringing in the new year behind bars thanks to the relentless work of the police, supporting agencies and the bravery of their victims. All information on the cases come from either Sussex Police or our reporters attending court first-hand.
9. Luke Viceray, Bexhill
Luke Vicarey, 23, was caught driving at 42mph in a 30mph zone in Cooden Drive, Bexhill but, when an officer signalled for him to stop, he sped off at 70mph. After being located at Wallsend roundabout, Vicarey made off westbound along the A27 Pevensey Bypass, making dangerous overtakes forcing others to take evasive action. The pursuit had to be called off, but he was tracked by traffic cameras heading towards Hastings. Officers waited for him on Combe Valley Way and, at around 8.20am, Vicarey spotted them and tried to escape again. Police made tactical contact with his car and arrested him. Vicarey, of Albert Road, was charged with two counts of driving a motor vehicle dangerously, two counts of failing to stop a vehicle when directed to do so by police, driving while disqualified, using a motor vehicle on a road without third party insurance, exceeding a 30mph speed limit and fraudulently using a registration mark. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison on December 18 and disqualified from driving for 30 m
10. Mark Wilkinson, Crawley
Forty-eight-year-old Mark Wilkinson was jailed at the beginning of December for setting fire to several bins in Brighton. Wilkinson, of Brighton Road in Crawley, was charged with three counts of arson after fire crews extinguished bins in central Brighton on November 29 and 30. He pleaded guilty to the offences at Brighton Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, December 2 and was sentenced to six months in prison. Detective Inspector Glenn Taylor said: "Deliberately starting fires is extremely dangerous and it is fortunate that nobody was hurt as a result of these incidents. Wilkinson caused multiple fires in busy areas with no regard for the safety and welfare of the local community which is completely unacceptable. We are pleased the courts have acknowledged the seriousness of these offences by jailing him for six months."
11. Florentin Niculae, George Paun and Stela Sava
These three people were jailed after stealing a £12,000 watch from a shop in Brighton in October. Florentin Niculae, 46, of no fixed address, George Paun, 29, of no fixed address, and Stela Sava, 23, of Boundary Road in London, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on December 17 where they all pleaded guilty to theft. In addition, Niculae pleaded guilty to assault and Paun pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. On October 7 at 2.15pm, Sava and Niculae went into a shop in London Road, Brighton, while Paul waited outside in a Mercedes. They stole the watch and fled to the car, but Niculae assaulted the pursuing shop owner. He was then dragged along the ground by the car as it sped off. Police caught the vehicle leaving Brighton on the A23 and quickly arrested all three and recovered the watch. Niculae was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, Paun was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and Sava was sentenced to four months imprisonment.
12. Paul Tully, Bognor Regis
Paul Tully, 37, of Ash Grove in Bognor Regis, was arrested for burglary in November, after which officers discovered he had also committed separate fraud offences. Police were called to Victoria Drive in Bognor at 4.50am on November 3, to reports of a man breaking into a property. A suspect, Tully, was quickly arrested and a window pane near the front door was found to have been broken. He pleaded guilty to burglary and to a separate fraud by misrepresentation after he was found to have been using somebody else's bank card at a supermarket. He was jailed for 36 months at Portsmouth Crown Court on December 2. Detective Sergeant Ali Hutchings said; "This outcome was the result of a big team effort across our local CID and Response teams, resulting in another burglar being brought to justice."