Some of the criminals with Suffolk links who were jailed in January and February, with cases from Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury and more
It was a busy two months for the courts, with sentences handed out to dozens of people across the county.
While some were punished for more minor offences, others received long jail terms for the more serious of crimes.
These are the people with Suffolk links who faced justice in January and February.
Drink driver had ‘near-miss’ with police officer
For our first case, a man from a Suffolk village jailed after an incident in Cambridgeshire.
Ionut Chitu, 31, of Back Lane, Badwell Ash, near Bury St Edmunds, was banned from driving for 18 months and fined £500 at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on January 3.
A police officer was about to start a night shift on December 23 when he was nearly hit on the A1M at Peterborough by a white Audi A1.
He suspected the motorist could be under the influence and followed, calling for backup from on-duty colleagues.
Chitu returned a breath test that was twice the legal limit.
You can read the full story here.
Peterborough man involved in organised drug supply
Also in January, a drug-dealer from Peterborough was jailed in Suffolk.
Alfons Kojku, of London Road, Peterborough, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court on January 3.
He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and driving a motor vehicle while otherwise in accordance with a licence for offences in Suffolk.
He was arrested on the A14 near Newmarket after officers seized two mobile phones, linking him to drug supply in Suffolk
In addition to his sentence, Kojku forfeited £2,010 in cash that was seized by officers.
You can read the full story here.
Suffolk man jailed injured two people in ‘vicious’ Buckinghamshire robbery
A man from Sudbury who subjected two people to a prolonged assault, leaving them injured, was put behind bars.
Shaun Roadnight, 44, was sentenced at St Albans Court on January 9 after a three-day trial.
In April last year, a woman in her 30s returned home and was hit from behind as she stepped through the front door.
She started to scream as she saw a man dressed in black bearing down on her.
Another man then forcefully put his hand over her mouth to stop her.
A man in his 50s, who was in the upstairs office, heard the screaming and came down, but was grabbed by one of the men, who began beating him.
Over the next hour and 45 minutes, the men tied both victims to a bed using cable ties, assaulted them and sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher over them.
The full story can be found here.
Arsonist jailed
Also in January, an arsonist from Sudbury was jailed.
Aaron Hubbard, of Minden Road, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison at Ipswich Crown Court on January 13.
He was found guilty of two counts of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered last June.
One fire was at a property in East Street in the town in March 2021, while the second was at a property in Minden Road in July 2023.
Hubbard was found not guilty at the earlier hearing of the two counts of arson with intent to endanger life.
Shoplifting gang robbed five TK Maxx stores in one day
In January, a gang of thieves who stole from five TK Maxx stores in East Anglia over the course of a single day were jailed.
Radu Botezatu, 24, of Stapleton Road, Borehamwood, and Marian Croitoru, 39, and Constantin Marin, 36, both of Sullivan Way, Borehamwood, appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on January 27.
The trio were arrested in Great Yarmouth on March 4, having already stolen from stores in Braintree, Ipswich, Lowestoft and Chelmsford that day.
They had stolen high-end designer clothing from the previous shops before heading to the Gapton Hall Retail Park outlet.
The men were seen entering the store separately at around 2pm and leaving wearing different coats.
The full story can be read here.
Banned driver crashed into hedge
To February now, where our first case involves a 20-year-old, who was jailed after driving into a hedge despite being banned from driving.
Thomas Gillingham, of Somersham Road, Little Blakenham, was jailed for 42 weeks at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on February 11.
He had previously been banned from driving until 2028 and handed a suspended sentence on November 7.
After the ban, on January 5, Gillingham bought a Volkswagen Eos online and travelled to the Telford area of Shropshire to collect it, leaving another car behind which was then collected at a later date.
A few days later, a marked police car passed by the vehicle – which was found in a hedge 10 minutes later, with Gillingham having fled the scene.
You can read the full story here.
Man jailed for rape and sexual assaults from 50 years ago
Also in February, a man jailed for a series of rapes and sexual assaults from five decades ago.
Alan Johnson, 71, of Holmeswood, Ormskirk, was jailed for 13 years on February 12.
He previously pleaded guilty to one count of rape on a child plus 11 counts of indecent assault on children on November 26.
Norwich Crown Court heard the offences took place in Lowestoft between 1975 and 1981.
The victims were two girls, both teenagers at the time.
You can read the full story here.
Courtney Mitchell’s murderer jailed
Our last case covers the harrowing murder of a mum-of-three from Ipswich in front of her friends.
Logan Burnett, of All Saints Road, Ipswich, was jailed for life at Ipswich Crown Court on February 17.
He murdered his former partner, 26-year-old Courtney Mitchell, in Burrell Road, Ipswich, on August 6, in what was described by the judge as a ‘personal execution’.
He had admitted the murder charge, alongside two others of possessing an offensive weapon, at Ipswich Crown Court on November 25.
The court was told the attack was motivated by Burnett’s jealousy as Courtney now had a new partner.
On the day of the stabbing, Burnett, in a five hour period, attempted to call both Courtney and her new boyfriend Scott 22 times each respectively.
At the time Burnett was on bail with a condition not to contact Courtney after a previous incident of criminal damage at her home.
You can read the full story here.
