There has been many criminals who have been sentenced in Essex this month
Lewie Wilson, 18, has been locked up for four years(Image: Essex Police)
It's been another busy month for the courts across Essex. Dozens of people have been brought before judges to face justice, potentially receiving a criminal record and prison sentence for their behaviour.
Judges have different options open to them and might choose to pass down suspended sentences, allowing them to continue their day-to-day lives with relative freedom. Other criminals might be sentenced to immediate imprisonment due to the severity of their offending.
In the past month a killer driver who was doing double the limit through the Dartford Tunnel moments before a fatal crash has been locked up. A man involved in the UK's largest phone smuggling network has also been put behind bars.
Every day, EssexLive reporters are on hand to cover the most serious cases. Here is a roundup of some of the cases heard before our region's courts this past month.
Killer driver sped through Dartford Tunnel at 106mph moments before fatal crash
A man who was driving a stolen Range Rover when they sped through the Dartford Tunnel at 106mph moments before fatally colliding witth a teenager has been jailed. Bobby Hull, 20, was behind the wheel when they crashed with a motorcyclist near the Mardyke Junction. Andrina Everett, 19, tragically died at the scene having suffered "significant head and chest injuries".
Basildon Crown Court heard Hull – who had admitted to causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking causing death – took police on a five-minute police chase. He was travelling at double the speed limit through the Dartford Tunnel when he took a slip road, lost control of the vehicle and clipped the curb and struck a barrier and traffic light.
Hull, who was 18 at the time of the crash, had failed his theory test on four occasions in 2023. He did not have drink or drugs in his system. He was sentenced to seven years and four months and disqualified from holding a licence for eight years and four months.
Addressing Hull, Andrina's mum said: “Bobby Hull had multiple choices. Your decision has led to catastrophic consequences. The car was stolen and you chose to be in it, to speed, not to stop for police and to drive dangerously. Every one of those choices could have changed the outcome. It could have prevented the death of Andrina."
Read the full story here: Killer driver sped through Dartford Tunnel at 106mph moments before fatal crash with teenager
Thug attacked man after forcing his way into home
A violent man who forced his way into an Essex home before attacking an occupant with a lamp has been locked up. Josh Jerrum, 33, knocked on the door of the property in Tilbury, before pushing the victim backwards and forcing his way inside.
Jerrum threatened the victim and searched the home, demanding valuables and cash, during the ordeal on October 24 last year. When the victim tried to force him out his property, Jerrum attacked him with a nearby lamp, leaving him with a serious head injury before fleeing the scene.
Police attended the scene alongside paramedics and recovered forensic evidence linking Jerrum to the scene. He was arrested on November 19 and charged with attempted robbery and causing grievous bodily harm without intent, which he was convicted of on May 1 at Basildon Crown Court. He's been sentenced to nine years in prison for attempted robbery and 16 months concurrently for the GBH.
Read the full story here: Face of 'remorseless' Tilbury man sent to prison making area a 'safer place'
Teen left man 'fighting for his life' after kidnapping boy
A teenager who violently attacked a man and left them with nearly fatal injuries has been locked up. Lewie Wilson, 18, was the “catalyst” behind two incidents in Harlow in January last year. Chelmsford Crown Court heard the teenager was the “prime mover” in the stabbing of an adult, leaving them with serious injuries, as well as the kidnapping of a boy.
A hearing on September 11 was told that Wilson and others – who were all 16 at the time – were followed by the victim when a "tussle" ensued between Wilson and the man. Wilson was punched “with enough force to fall to the ground” before stabbing the man four times. The knife attack caused life-threatening injuries that Judge Mary Loram KC said the victim "would have died" from had it not been for “prompt medical intervention”.
Wilson was subsequently convicted of kidnap, possession of a knife, assault by beating, and causing GBH with intent earlier this year. He received a four-year prison sentence.
DC Alana McCreath said: "These serious and violent crimes resulted in a man fighting for his life. It is thanks to the quick and vital work of our ambulance colleagues and hospital staff that this was not a murder trial. The mental effect on the teenage victim – being kidnapped and witnessing a stabbing – and his family was also significant."
Read the full story: Teenager who kidnapped boy and almost killed man in violent attack in Harlow is jailed
Man involved in UK's largest phone smuggling network
A man who was part of the UK's largest mobile phone smuggling network which saw devices pinched in London and sent to China has been locked up. Ismat Miakhel, 33, and two other phone smugglers were responsible for trafficking up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China in 2024 and 2025. It's thought the haul accounts for around 40 per cent of all phones stolen in London during that period.
Miakhel, 33, was sentenced to nine years having been convicted of conspiracy to receive stolen mobile phones, conspiracy to transfer/export stolen mobile phones, and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. Commander Andy Featherstone said: "Today’s sentences send a clear message: if you steal phones, we’ll come after you. This result is down to the relentless work of our officers, who painstakingly pieced together the evidence, tracked this criminal gang’s activity and built the case that has brought these men to justice."
Read the full story here: Essex man jailed for his part in UK's largest phone smuggling network
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