Daily court reports are an important part of the UK's open justice system. It means justice can be seen to be done.
Some of the key benefits of open justice include ensuring public confidence and respect in democracy and the administration of justice. It is also said to deter people from committing crimes and thereby the details of those crimes becoming public knowledge.
Here are the criminals who we reported on who have been jailed in January 2023. Read more about why we publish defendants' names and addresses here. Ages and addresses were correct at the time of sentencing.
READ MORE: Meanest crimes of 2022
Ashley Unwin, 64 weeks
A business owner turned to drugs after personal difficulties. And after admitting a plethora of crimes in and around Bristol to feed his habit he has has been locked up.
Ashley Unwin was described to Bristol Crown Court as an "intelligent and percrptive man". But the court heard that, after the death of his father and a relationship breakdown, drug addiction blighted his life.
Unwin, 34, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to ten offences when sentenced today. (January 30, 2023). They comprised of: four burglaries; two thefts; taking a vehicle without consent; two charges of criminal damage and assault of an emergency worker.
Judge Euan Ambrose jailed him for 64 weeks. Read the full story here.
Harry Barton, 21 years extended sentence
A "manipulative sexual predator" used a domineering fictional character to coerce teenage girls to have sex with him. The victims were so taken in by a computer hacker called A9 they acceded to his demands to have sexual activity with Harry Barton, Bristol Crown Court heard.
When A9 threatened repercussions unless they have sex on camera and be whipped by Harry Barton they did so. But it transpired A9 was none other than Barton himself, who at the time was aged in his late teens.
Barton, now 20, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to: meeting a child following sexual grooming; two rapes of a second victim; three rapes of a third victim.
Judge Euan Ambrose handed him an extended sentence of 21 years, comprising of 16 years' custody and five years' extended licence.
Read the full story here
Alexander Densley, 12 months
A failed bid to snatch tobacco from a Bristol shop got a man arrested nearby. And he's now been sent to jail.
Alexander Densley walked into the Tesco on Cheltenham Road, Bristol, and asked for tobacco and a lighter. Bristol Crown Court heard when the manager went to pass tobacco over Densley tried to snatch it and grabbed the manager's shirt, but was thwarted.
He then helped himself to some scratchcards and a bottle of orange juice and left. The court heard police picked him up close by.
Densley, 24, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to theft and attempted robbery on July 2 last year. Judge Michael Longman handed him a 12 months prison sentence.
Read the full story here
Kyle Marshall, three years and nine months; Finley Phillips, one year and nine months
Two men were handed prison sentences after a high-speed car chase and hours-long manhunt.
Kyle Marshall, 19 of HMP Bristol, and Finley Phillips, 18 of Sherrin Way, Bishopsworth, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on January 19 after pleading guilty to a number of counts.
Marshall pleaded guilty to non-dwelling burglary, dwelling burglary, theft from and of a motor vehicle, aggravated vehicle taking without consent (dangerous driving and original taker) and driving offences.
Phillips pleaded guilty to non-dwelling burglary and aggravated vehicle taking without consent (passenger).
Marshall was sentenced to three years and nine months, and Phillips was handed one year and nine months in prison.
Read the full story here
Daniel Harris, 21 months
When he was a teenager Willsbridge man Daniel Harris was warned about possessing indecent photos of a child. And as an adult he took the opportunity to molest a youngster on several occasions, a court heard.
Harris, 28, of Caldicot Close, pleaded guilty to five charges of sexual assault of a child aged under 13. He appeared at Bristol Crown Court for sentence on January 25.
Judge Martin Picton jailed him for 21 months.
Read the full story here
Thomas Croker, 14 months
After leading police on a 140mph chase down the M5, dumping his car and fleeing, Thomas Croker came up with a cunning plan. Later that day he reported his BMW 320d stolen and he was invited to the police station.
Unfortunately for him, waiting at the station was the cop who had seen it was Croker, not a car thief, who was driving his car at the time of the chase. And Croker was even more unlucky when he was shown a police dashcam photo of him fleeing the vehicle.
Dad-of-three Croker, 30, of Fishponds Road, Eastville, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and doing an act tended to pervert the course of justice in November 2021. Judge Michael Longman jailed him for 14 months.
Read the full story here
Alexander Papadopoulos, six months
A man was jailed for helping to set a mobile police station on fire during the Bristol riot. Alexander Papadopoulos, of Whitehall in Bristol, was jailed for six months at Bristol Crown Court on January 23, after admitting charges of arson and theft.
Footage from the investigation into the riot of Sunday, March 21, 2021, showed the 28-year-old helping to set the station alight. He can be seen pushing a chair into it to help accelerate the blaze.
Read the full story here
Leroy Hall, six-and-a-half years
A rapist was jailed after being convicted of crimes he committed in the 1980s and 1990s. Leroy Hall was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on January 20 after being found guilty of non-recent sexual offences.
In the late-1980s, a then 17-year-old girl got into a car being driven by Hall. The jury during a five-day trial this month were told how he drove her to the Eastville area of the city and raped her.
She reported what happened to police in 2017 after seeing a newspaper article with a picture of Hall and recognising him as the man who raped her.
Read the full story here
Matthew Nicholas, 16 years
A 50-year-old man who sexually assaulted two children was jailed for 16 years.
Matthew Nicholas, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on January 20 after being found guilty of 10 counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.
The court heard how Nicholas, formally of Yate, had sexually assaulted two young children on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2020.
Read the full story here
Ryan Sowden, 32 months
A man due to attend a domestic violence course in Bristol assaulted his girlfriend as she drove him there, a court heard. And, after assaulting her as she drove him on a separate occasion, Ryan Sowden drove her erratically and injured her in a head-on collision.
Sowden, 22, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery and two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He appeared for sentence at Bristol Crown Court on January 16.
Judge Euan Ambrose jailed him for 32 months.
Read the full story here
Greg Cole, eight years and ten months
A man who committed multiple robberies and burglaries across Bristol was jailed for more than eight years. Greg Cole, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on January 16.
Between March and May 2022, the 31-year-old committed two robberies, three dwelling burglaries and two non-dwelling burglaries. He was found guilty of one of the robberies and one dwelling burglary, but pleaded guilty to the other five offences.
On March 1 at around 7am, Cole was living in social housing accommodation. He entered the room of one of his neighbours and punched him multiple times in the face, demanding his credit cards and PIN number.
After failing to get the money, Cole returned and stole the victim's phone. For these incidents, Cole was found guilty in November.
Read the full story here
Mason Haycock, 30 months
A "cowardly" attack on a man with a beer glass and bottle cost a teenager a jail term. Bar worker Oliver Cable was closing the back doors of the premises when Mason Haycock approached from behind and smashed the glass into his head, Bristol Crown Court.
The reason for the completely unprovoked assault, which left Mr Cable scarred, was not disclosed to the court. Haycock, 19, of Wick Lane, West Hewish, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent on December 30, 2021.
Judge Martin Picton sent him to prison for 30 months.
Read the full story here
Thomas Harris, 12 months
A "bit of a bender" was the precursor to a man committing a spate of offences in Weston-super-Mare. And it cost him 12 months in prison.
Thomas Harris took his partner's leased Mercedes car illegally, crashed it and bit a police officer. As well as that he was found with crack cocaine, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Harris, 35, of Court Close in St Georges, Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, driving without a proper licence or insurance, failing to stop after an accident or report it, possessing Class A and C drugs, assaulting an emergency worker, possessing a weapon capable of discharging a noxious substance and dangerous driving. Judge Martin Picton jailed him for 12 months.
Read the full story here
Christoph Cole, 12 months
An uninsured driver driving a car taken without permission rammed police when they pursued him. And as a result he was jailed for a year.
Police spotted Christoph Cole in the vehicle in Dundry, Bristol Crown Court heard. After a short chase in which two police cars and a parked car was damaged he stopped and fled, but was arrested after being identified from CCTV.
Cole, 35, of Queen's Road in Bishopsworth, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving without insurance and aggravated vehicle taking after the incident on October 27 last year. Judge Edward Burgess KC jailed him for a year.
Read the full story here
David Brody, two years and three months
A lorry driver fuelled his "very deeply entrenched sexually perveted fascination with children" by downloading child abuse photos. And as a result he was jailed.
David Brody, formerly Fitzmaurice, has a plethora of previous offences for downloading such material, Bristol Crown Court heard. The court was told he also had previous convictions for indecent assaults on girls aged under 16.
Brody, 61, of Upper Church Road in Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent indecent image of a child on May 14, 2020. He also admitted breaching a sexual offences prevention order on April 4, 2020, by failing to surrender all his internet-enabled computer devices for inspection.
Judge Edward Burgess KC jailed him for two years and three months.
Read the full story here
Yasir Hussain, two years and four months
A Lockleaze man who picked up a sex worker in his car quickly drove off when police approached him. And as a result of inquiries that followed he's in jail.
It turned out a "midlife crisis" following his mum's death prompted shop worker Yasir Hussain to turn to drink and drugs. When he fell into debt he became a drug dealer, Bristol Crown Court was told.
Hussain, 50, of Hogarth Walk, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and ketamine with intent to supply. He also admitted possessing cannabis. Judge Martin Picton jailed him for two years and four months.
Read the full story here
Anton Blanco, 27 months
When a man was jailed for 27 months after a "campaign of abuse" against a woman he didn't much like it. Anton Blanco told a judge: "Madness, child molesters get less than that."
Blanco, 32, of Abertillery in Gwent, pleaded guilty to stalking and breaching a non-molestation order. He appeared at Bristol Crown Court for sentence on January 6.
Judge Martin Picton told him: "These are very serious offences. You engaged in a campaign of abusive behaviour that went on for a really long time. It had an effect on her and people that knew her."
Read the full story here
Marc Coles, 100 months' extended sentence
A convicted robber who had recently finished a prison sentence went on a drugs "bender" and robbed another shop. And now he's behind bars again.
Marc Coles was just clear of a 56-month term for robbing the Spar in Filton Avenue of £2,500, Bristol Crown Court heard. But after binging on valium and crack cocaine he committed a similar early morning raid on Tesco Express in Marlborough Street, Bristol.
Coles, 44, of Horton Street in St Philps, pleaded guilty to robbery on October 9 last year. The recorder Mr Leslie Cuthbert handed him an extended sentence of 100 months, comprising of 64 months' jail and 36 months' extended licence.
Read the full story here
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