As sadly happens every year, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has seen some heinous crimes committed and criminals jailed for what they have done during 2024. Here, reporter Martin Naylor selects one from each month of the year, which have stuck out.
January
50-year-old Simon Scrimshaw was handed a 32-year sentence, 28 of which is custodial, after a jury took just over an hour to find the Hucknall father-of-five guilty of the attempted murder of his former partner. A trial heard how the scrap metal collector hid in wait outside Rosie Niessen’s address in Hucknall and when the then 26-year-old walked outside to go to her job as a prison officer, he attacked her from behind and slashed her throat.
Hearing her screams for help, Ms Niessen’s father, Roberto, ran to her aid, jumped on the defendant’s back and was slashed to the leg receiving a wound which required 50 stitches. Sending the defendant to prison for 32 years, Judge William Harbage KC said: “These were appalling offences. You had planned the attack on Rosie and I am satisfied you were motivated by her having the temerity to apply to the family court for a non-molestation order and you were worried about how that would have an adverse affect on you seeing your daughter.
“You took that knife to the scene intending to kill, the knife was used in the attack, there was planning and premeditation.”
Simon Scrimshaw has been handed a 32-year sentence
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
February
A judge told career criminal Lyam Repton “this is payback time” as he jailed him for four-and-a-half years for breaking into and ransacking a house in Beeston while the occupants were away for Christmas. The 43-year-old, of Bilborough’s blood was found all over bedsheets at the property and it was that evidence which ultimately linked him to the burglary.
The defendant, of Chetwin Road, had only been handed a suspended sentence order months earlier by the same judge who this month sent him to prison. And Judge Michael Auty KC even apologised to the victim of the burglary for giving the defendant a chance which spectacularly backfired in a criminal sense.
He said: “Between December 24 and 29, (the victim) and her family had gone away for Christmas and during that time someone decided to enter the family home. You must have known it had been entered and you compounded the misery inflicted on her and her family by entering it yourself.
“This has been devastating for her and her young child was greatly upset. For it to have happened over Christmas, a time of goodwill to all, has only compounded that. You have an extensive criminal record, you are a career criminal and I take the view that the record takes it outside of the normal (sentencing guidelines) range.
“It was me who imposed the suspended sentence order on September 12 and I have no hesitation in feeling like a fool for doing so and I offer my apologies to (the victim) because had I not given you a suspended sentence order she would not have suffered as she has now.”
The break-in happened at an address in Station Road on December 29, 2023. Repton pleaded guilty to burglary and has an extensive criminal history dating back to the early 2000s including many convictions for burglary and handling stolen goods.
March
Emily Banks left a disabled love rival’s life ruined when she deliberately poured boiling water over her while the victim’s ex-husband closed the door and left his new partner to it. A trial heard how the jealous 30-year-old’s defenceless victim, who cannot move her left side following a stroke, suffered burns to 15% of her body after the defendant poured up to two litres of red hot liquid on her as she lay helpless on the floor.
As she did so, having earlier knocked her to the ground, co-defendant Stephen Turner whose Radford address the attack took place at, just shut the door despite the victim’s screams of pain. And the pair even refused to admit their guilt, making the woman relive her ordeal giving evidence where it was put to her that she inflicted the horrific burns to her own body herself.
Jailing 30-year-old Banks for 10 years and Turner for eight years, Judge Mark Watson said: “Both of you subjected (the victim) to what can only be described as a nasty ordeal culminating with you, Banks, pouring boiling water over her as she lay there defenceless. She had no mobility on her left side having suffered a strike, she was powerless to defend herself. She described feeling like her body was on fire and begged you to let her go.
“Throughout this you called her ‘a whore’ and told her Steve was yours. Mr Turner saw you throw the water over her but he just waited outside the room having closed the door leaving Emily Banks to attack her.” The incident took place at Turner’s address in Hazelwood Road, in the early hours of July 8, 2023. Turner, 69 and Banks, 30, of The Priory, were both found guilty of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent following a six-day trial.
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
April
Six people involved in a stabbing in Bulwell in which a teenager nearly lost his life were jailed for a combined total of more than 40 years. The victim’s life was only saved by “emergency surgery and massive blood transfusions” after he was stabbed in the neck by a gang of masked, armed, men who forced their way into his home. During it, the then 18-year-old’s attackers also injured the teen’s mother who fought back having seen her son being assaulted with the Rambo knife by the group inside their address in Keys Close.
That group – Jawon Thomas, Andre Saunders-Johnson and Jaekwon Marks – had agreed to become involved for a fourth defendant, 20-year-old Kyarnie Thompson, of Forest Fields, who had told them where the now 19-year-old victim lived with an intention to steal drugs and money from him. Two further defendants were also involved – Lucy Hefford who drove them to the scene and Mollie Croft who helped them escape after the stabbing.
Handing the six jail terms totalling more than 40 years, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said: “Whenever a knife is taken to the scene of a crime there is inevitably the risk that it will be produced and used and it was used by you, Mr Saunders-Johnson. I don’t suppose any members of that family will ever feel safe again.
“If only people had the courage to leave their knives at home, how much safer the streets would be.
“But, sadly, that’s never going to happen because there will always be some idiot saying ‘my knife is bigger than yours’ and up goes the death count and up goes the injury count.”
The stabbing took place at around 10pm on February 1, 2023. Prosecutor Samuel Skinner said the background to the incident was drugs and that the victim was owed money by Thompson who was also in debt to one of his co-defendants.
Thomas, 25, of Eastbrook, Corby, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary. He was jailed for 10 years and nine months.
Saunders-Johnson, a 21-year-old father-of-one, of Wensleydale Road, Birmingham, also pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sent to prison for 10 years and nine months. Marks, 24, of Church Green, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, also pleaded guilty to the same charges as the previous two defendants and was jailed for 10 years and nine months. Thompson, 20, of Cedar Road, Forest Fields, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and was sent to prison for seven years and two months.
Hefford, a 41-year-old mother, of Church Walk, Corby, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
And Croft, a 24-year-old mother-of-two, of Charlock Close, Bestwood, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and was handed an 18-month jail term, suspended for two years.
Pictured clockwise from top left, is: Andre Saunders-Johnson, Jawon Thomas, Kyarnie Thompson, Lucy Hefford and Jaekwon Marks. They have been jailed for a combined total of more than 40 years
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
May
A Bollywood film actor impersonator was lured to a house in Nottingham, savagely beaten, repeatedly bound, gagged, tortured and had a gun held to his head during a terrifying kidnap which saw his father threatened with a £300,000 ransom demand. In sinister calls, the victim’s dad was told his son’s fingers would be cut off and sent to his family if he failed to raise and hand over the vast sum of cash the kidnap gang demanded.
During the 32 hours, the hostage was held at addresses in Wollaton and Top Valley, he also had petrol poured over his face and a knife placed in his mouth leading him to genuinely feel he would be killed. And in a victim impact statement he told how “the individuals who carried this out have destroyed my life in every aspect.”
During a day-long sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court the gang – Darshan Rathoor, his son Sirvan Rathoor, Inderpal Singh, Nerver Singh, Jamie Raggett and Kalsah Singh, were jailed for a combined total of almost 80 years.
Sentencing the conspirators, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “It is beyond any sensible and rational doubt that you, Darshan Rathoor, were the mastermind behind this truly wicked and audacious scheme, the sole purpose of which was to extort as much money as you could.
“He believed he was going to be shot, strangled or stabbed to death. This was torture for the pleasure of torture, those blackmail threats were terrifying. There was coldness, a sadistic nature and cruelty almost beyond measure.”
Darshan Rathoor, 58, formerly of Larwood Grove, Woodthorpe and now of High Street, Mablethorpe, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. He was sent to prison for 16 years.
Sirvan Rathoor, 30, of Larwood Grove, Woodthorpe,pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. He was jailed for 13 years.
Inderpal Singh, 34, of Pemberton Street, in the city centre, a nephew of Darshan Rathoor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. He was put behind bars for 14 years.
Jamie Raggett, 20, of Headley Road, Liphook, Hampshire, and who was recruited by Kalsah Singh, pleaded guilty to conspiracy blackmail. He was sent to prison for 12 years.
Nerver Singh, 56, an alcohol-dependent close family friend, of Revelstoke Way, Top Valley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail. He was jailed for six years.
And Kalsah Singh, better known as Chris Singh and who is another family member of Darshan Rathoor, 39, of Salisbury Road, Southsea, Hampshire, was found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail following a trial. He was put behind bars for 18 years.As well as the jail terms, Judge Auty handed each of the defendants lifetime restraining orders not to contact the victim.
Darshan Rathoor, his son Sirvan Rathoor, Inderpal Singh, Nerver Singh, Jamie Raggett and Kalsah Singh, were jailed for a combined total of almost 80 years
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
June
Three gang members who bound and gagged a rival before stabbing and beating him – filming the entire ordeal – were jailed for a combined total of 34 years. Salvadore Hall, Nathan Rochester and Olivia Williams broke Vincent Jordan’s bones in multiple places and stabbed him repeatedly in an attack lasting around 80 minutes.
He had escaped and collapsed in the Esso petrol station on Nuthall Road in Aspley on April 2 last year after the attack. Police were called – but he would not tell police who he thought the attackers were and instead detectives had to piece together information themselves to work it out.
The investigation found that Jordan had met Olivia Williams, 25 at her address in Keverne Close after travelling there by taxi. The pair went inside – which is when the attack took place. He was handcuffed, beaten, stabbed and had his dreadlocks cut from his head. The parts of the assault which were filmed were later posted on social media.
The trio then made desperate attempts to hide what they had done at the property by cleaning extensively and ripping up the carpets. But Hall, 32, of HMP Nottingham, was caught after being identified as a suspect and then seen by officers on patrol throwing a bag containing the victim’s hair and covered in his blood, as well as a gun, out of a car window.
Rochester, also 32, was arrested after evidence from his mobile phone revealed he had been in regular contact with Williams both before the incident and about the clean-up of the property afterwards. He had also made threats to the victim and his family after the attack.
All three attackers denied the offences but were found guilty following their trial at Nottingham Crown Court of false imprisonment and committing grievous bodily harm with intent. Hall had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition without a certificate.
Hall was jailed for a total of 16 years. Rochester, of HMP Ranby, received a sentence of 10 years behind bars and Williams, of Grange Road, Torquay was locked up for eight years.
Detective Constable Bethanie Foster, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare in Nottinghamshire and we believe this brutal attack was motivated by a gang feud. The level of violence displayed was shocking and the victim is fortunate not to have suffered even more serious or lasting injuries.
“The filming of the incident, seemingly to humiliate the victim, also showed another level of depravity so I am pleased the judge has seen fit to hand down such considerable sentences. Detectives who worked on the case were presented with an extremely challenging investigation to discover what had happened to this victim before he collapsed in the petrol station.
“They worked quickly and efficiently, and with the help of uniformed colleagues tracked down three offenders in the days following the attack before building a watertight case against them. Although the defendants continued to deny their involvement we remained confident a jury would find them guilty of these extremely serious offences.
“I hope the wider community is reassured that when confronted with violent incidents of this nature, and challenging, complex investigations to unravel, we leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Nathan Rochester was jailed for 10 years for his involvement in the attack
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
July
Callous charity worker Heidi Bucknall sold Alton Towers and Legoland tickets meant for terminally-ill children on eBay. When the gifted free tickets dried up due to Covid, the Bestwood 32-year-old then made grant applications for cash in the names of fabricated or deceased youngsters so she could pocket the cash.
In total, over six years, the defendant, of Tyburn Close, fraudulently stole more than £30,000 from the QMC-based charity PASIC – the Parents’ Association for Seriously Ill Children – where she worked as an administration assistant. Now she has been jailed for two years and four months.
Sentencing her, Judge Steven Coupland said: “It is difficult to think of a more appalling series of offences. You, out of everyone, well understood the good work the charity that employed you did for people because you were a cancer survivor yourself.
“This was an appalling betrayal of terminally-ill children and you deprived them and their families of a little bit of light. Your theft was from a company but in real terms it was stealing from those who the charity was here to help.”
Bucknall pleaded guilty to charges of fraud by abuse of position and concealing criminal property. She has no previous convictions of any kind.
Heidi Bucknall
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
August
A Nether Langwith man killed “the wrong man” after chasing him down the street and striking him to the side of the head in what a judge called “an inexplicable act of violence”. CCTV played at Derby Crown Court showed much-loved grandfather David Thompson drop to the floor after being hit with what a witness called “a sucker punch” delivered by Brandon Brooks.
The 50-year-old father-of-four, who has a two-year-old daughter, suffered untreatable injuries including a bleed to the brain and died in hospital 19 days after the attack. And in a moving victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Thompson’ adult daughter Emma said: “I still can’t believe he won’t come walking through the door”.
Sentencing Brooks and two men who assisted him – Ben Hart and Michael McCann – for the parts they played in the killing, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “His death has shattered many lives and he died because of an inexplicable act of violence by you, Brooks, who chased him down the street and struck him with a powerful round arm blow described by a witness as ‘a sucker punch’. You, Hart and McCann played your part, you knew what the plan was and although your responsibility is less in terms of the law, you both bear a moral responsibility.”
The killing took place in the early hours of January 27, this year, in Elmton Road, Creswell, on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyhsire border. All three men were arrested and initially charged with murder. But at an earlier hearing in June, Brooks pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter, Hart pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and McCann pleaded guilty to a public order offence which the prosecution accepted.
Brooks, 24, of Fairfield Close, Nether Langwith, was jailed for five years; Hart, 21, of Skinner Street, Creswell, was sent to prison for nine months which will see his immediate release as he has been on remand since his arrest.
And McCann, 38, of no fixed address was handed a 12-week jail term.
Brandon Brooks has been jailed
(Image: Derbyshire police)
September
Nottingham primary school business manager Wendy Gill, who abused her position to steal more than £70,000, was sent to prison for two years and one month. The grandmother’s criminal behaviour meant that pupils, including those with special needs, “were deprived of essential resources they needed”. The headteacher at Bramcote C of E Primary had to contemplate making redundancies because of the budget deficit Gill’s actions created.
Jailing Gill, of Stanton Road, Ilkeston , for two years and one month, Recorder James Bide-Thomas said: “I have heard the victim impact statement made by the head teacher. She feels betrayed, everyone at Bramcote feels betrayed. It is a close-knit community, shown by the number of people who have come to court to watch your sentence. Your offending is made worse because these people all thought of you as a friend and they relied on you and trusted you.”
Gill, 61, worked at the school, in Hanley Avenue, for more than a decade where she was seen as “a close friend” to staff, governors and was trusted with its finances. She pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, over a six-year period, at an earlier hearing.
(Image: Reach Plc)
October
Talented young footballer India Totty’s dreams of playing professionally and joining the army were ruined by an unprovoked bottle attack on her by drunk mum-of-three Amanda Ross. The victim also had to spend an extra year studying part-time to finish her degree at Nottingham Trent University due to the long-term impact of the injury inflicted on her by the East Leake defendant.
The 39-year-old, of Cinnabar Way, threw a vodka bottle which struck Ms Totty’s head as they travelled together on a bus heading to the victim’s home in Clifton.
And in an impact statement, bravely read to the court in person by the now Sports Science graduate, she told of the loss of her two “passions in life” with her having played for clubs such as Leicester City, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion, Loughborough and Sheffield.
Jailing Ross for two years, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “She had two tremendous passions. One was the army and the second was football and she plainly excelled in both.
“I have absolutely no doubt she would have had a terrific career in football and a career she would have been proud of in the army. You have robbed her of that because of your behaviour.
“It is a remarkable demonstration of her integrity and character that she presents as she does in this court this morning. A young woman who is determined to cope with what life has thrown at her and make the best of every opportunity.”
The attack happened as Ms Totty and a male friend were travelling home to Clifton from a night out in Nottingham on February 14, 2022.
Ross, of Cinnabar Way, handed herself in following a media appeal in August 2022, six months after the bus attack and later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
November
Teenage knifeman William Osaseri, who left a university student fighting for his life in a coma for weeks, later bragged in drill lyrics how the blade he used to stab him “turned from blue to red”. The 19-year-old “highly promising” former badminton player fled from the scene in Nottingham and caught a train to Birmingham before returning where he was caught on CCTV calmly playing table tennis.
The defendnat of London, was arrested at his home around two weeks later where officers found deal bags of cannabis, scales and the blue-handled knife he used to stab the 20-year-old with in Radford. And in an impact statement, the victim’s mother told how she has had to give up work to care full time for her son who is unlikely to ever return to university and complete his studies.
Sending him to a young offender’s institution for eight years, Recorder Simon King said: “It is a matter of pure luck and not judgement that this is not a murder case. You went out involved in the drug trade armed with a knife and that is where everything went wrong.”
The incident took place in St Peter’s Street, just before 6pm on June 27, 2024. Osaseri, of Le May Avenue, Grove Park, Lewisham, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, theft, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, and possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.
William Osaseri, 19, jailed for eight years for stabbing a man in St Peter’s Street, Radford
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
December
Bed bound Caron Kinsey died after her partner Christopher Tansley left her on the floor for 11 days when she fell out of bed. For all the time the 63-year-old victim was helplessly lying there, the defendant failed to summon any help at all.
While she was on the carpet he would light cigarettes for her and bring her soft drinks. But when he finally did call the emergency services, paramedics found her covered in urine and faeces and with pressure sores all down the left side of her body.
She died in hospital on the day she was discovered and Home Office pathologist Dr Michael Biggs gave the cause of death as bronchial pneumonia which was caused by the time she spent lying on the bedroom floor.
The medic said she would not have contracted it had the emergency services been called on the day of the fall.
Jailing 63-year-old Tansley, of Mansfield, for two years and three months, the Honourable Mrs Justice Tipples KC said: “The circumstances of her death are sad and tragic. Caron was curled up on the floor in the foetal position on her left hand side. She was covered in several urine-soaked blankets. She had pressure sores on almost the entirety of her left hand side.
“This was a terrible and distressing scene and it was plain that Caron was in need of urgent help. Morphine was given and she was taken to hospital and died just after 11pm that night.
“She had undiagnosed terminal lung cancer and her cause of death was bronchial pneumonia brought on by the prolonged period she was on the floor and without assistance.
“The gross negligence for which you were responsible caused Caron significant pain, trauma and suffering. There’s no doubt Caron suffered a great deal during the time she spent on the floor.
“11 days is an extraordinary period of time to leave Caron lying on the floor without summoning any help at all.”
Ms Kinsey fell on New Year’s Day, 2022 and remained on the floor of her bedroom until January 12. Tansley, of Markham Place, pleaded guilty to an offence of gross negligence manslaughter and has no previous convictions.
Christopher Tansley, 63, of Markham Pace, Mansfield, outside Nottingham Crown Court during his sentencing hearing for manslaughter by gross negligence.
(Image: Reach Plc)