Many criminals jailed in Cambridgeshire in 2024 will be seeing in the New Year from a prison cell. Offences which saw people in Cambridgeshire put behind bars in 2024 included murder and sex offences.
We’ve put together a list of some of the people who have been handed the longest sentences for their crimes. They include Anne-Marie Burrowes, who assaulted a man and killed him after shoving a sock down his throat. She was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years after being found guilty of murder.
Among the longest sentences was life with a minimum term of 24 years, handed to Robert (James) Hammond for the murder of his wife Sian. He killed her to claim her life insurance while facing mounting debts.
You can read more about some of the worst criminals jailed in Cambridgeshire this year in our gallery below. Click the link on each criminal’s name to read more about their crimes.
January
Kevy Kabula
Kevy Kabula
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
London-based drug dealer Kabula ran a drugs line between the capital and Peterborough. He was found with £2,000 of class A drugs in his underpants in Peterborough.
He was sentenced to four years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on January 18. He had previously admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
David Irving
Cambridge man David Irving stalked a 16-year-old girl
Irving stalked a 16-year-old girl for almost two years using false identities, with his behaviour becoming increasingly sinister. His harassment included sending letters to her father and her school, as well as sending her an envelope containing what looked like faeces. He turned up at her home approximately 40 times.
Irving was jailed for six years at Cambridge Crown Court on January 24. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of stalking, perverting the course of justice, possessing cannabis, and criminal damage, for which he received no separate penalty. He was also handed an indefinite restraining order.
Riley and Bricy Upton
Riley and Bricy Upton have been jailed
The Upton brothers were jailed after a string of attacks in Wisbech which left three men needing hospital treatment. The first assault happened at a children’s play centre, with an employee left with gashes to their head and bruised ribs.
They later attacked a man unprovoked in Market Square, punching and kicking him, which caused him to need stitches to his eye socket. They assaulted another man on the same night, leaving him with a fractured jaw.
Both men pleaded guilty to two counts of GBH with intent, assault by beating, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. They were sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on January 26 to six years in prison.
February
Ben Williams, Tamara Matthews, and Leonard Davis
From left: Ben Williams, Tamara Matthews, and Leonard Davis
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
This trio forced their way into a Peterborough home and attacked the occupant, with Williams hitting the victim around the head with a claw hammer. The victim was found with ‘catastrophic’ head injuries, including a bleed on the brain.
A jury returned a guilty verdict of attempted murder for Williams following a 14-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court. The jury found Matthews not guilty of attempted murder, but guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
Davis, of Shrewsbury Avenue, Woodston, denied attempted murder but admitted GBH with intent, which was accepted in court. Williams was jailed for 31 years, while Matthews was handed nine years, and Davis also received nine years. All three were sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on February 2.
William Hughes
William Hughes has been jailed for his crime spree
(Image: Cambs Constabulary)
Hughes went on a crime spree in Wisbech, threatening victims with weapons before raiding their homes. He stole property from people’s homes, including a laptop, phones, bank cards, and cash.
At Peterborough Crown Court on February 7, Hughes pleaded to guilty three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of burglary, fraud by false representation and taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. He has been jailed for 16 years.
Nathan Lovell
Nathan Lovell
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Lovell abused two young girls in Wisbech and paid nearly £5,000 for adults to harm other children around the world. He was charged with 18 crimes including sexually assaulting a child under 13 by touching, making indecent images or videos of children, and arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13.
He pleaded guilty to the three indecent image charges at his first court hearing but said he was not guilty of the others. Following an eight-day trial at Cambridge Crown Court in December, the jury unanimously found him guilty on all other 15 charges. On February 19 at the same court, Lovell was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison, with an added four years on licence.
March
Sam Webber
Sam Webber has been jailed
Webber brutally attacked his girlfriend by dragging her off a sofa, smashing her head on the floor, and punching her in the eye. He attacked her several times in the following month, as well as accusing her of flirting with his friend.
On March 6, Webber was sentenced to four years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court. He was given an extra two years on licence when released, after pleading guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm (ABH) and possessing a knife in a public place.
Jordan Doughty
Jordan Doughty has been jailed
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Rapist Doughty raped a woman at his home and later texted her to apologise. He sexually assaulted her despite being told to stop.
Doughty was found guilty of two counts of rape and assault by penetration following a trial in 2023. On March 21, at Cambridge Crown Court, Doughty was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Robert Wiles
Robert Wiles
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Wiles sexually assaulted a girl for almost five years, carrying out the assaults in Peterborough over a five-year period. He also ill-treated a boy with his ex-partner’s mother.
Wiles was jailed for 20 years at Peterborough Crown Court on March 25. He had been found guilty of two counts of assaulting a child by touching, three counts of assaulting a child by penetration, five counts of raping a child and one count of ill-treatment of a child.
April
Leon Richardson
Leon Richardson has been jailed
Richardson groomed a teenage boy to take part in sexual acts with his own brother – which were recorded and sent to Richardson. He also sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself to the boy.
He admitted to charges including engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and causing a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on April 4, where he was given a prison sentence of five years and four months, with an extra three years on licence.
Florin Buti
Florin Buti
(Image: CambridgeshireLive)
Buti and two other men raped a woman who was walking alone in Cambridge after leading her to a car and driving to a secluded location outside the city. He later used her bank card at a service station in the London area.
Buti, of Ridgwell Road, London, denied rape and fraud by false representation, but was found guilty following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court. He was jailed for eight years and four months at the same court on April 11. In November 2022, Florin Sardaru, 27, and Carlos Sali, 19, from London were jailed for 12 years and four months and seven years and 11 months respectively after admitting the rape on the first day of their trial.
Kelvin Ramasta
Kelvin Ramasta stole from vulnerable patients
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Nurse Ramasta stole more than £100,000 from vulnerable patients after using their cards, cheques, and bank details while working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. His victims included an elderly man who was later diagnosed with dementia, a 74-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s, and an ‘extremely vulnerable’ 85-year-old woman.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft at Peterborough Crown Court on February 27 – the day his trial was due to begin. He was sentenced at the same court on April 24 where he was handed a total of four years and six months in prison.
May
Michael Speed
Speed attacked two boys in the Cambridge area in the 1990s when they were aged between seven and 13. One of the victims was attacked on several occasions over a six-year period, while the other was assaulted when he was around 12 or 13.
Speed, of Lichfield Road, Cambridge, admitted five counts of sexual assault. He was jailed for eight years at Cambridge Crown Court on May 7.
Sean Spooner
Sean Spooner raped a woman in Cambridge
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Rapist Spooner had to be pulled off one of his victims after targeting two women at a nightclub in Cambridge’s Market Square in June 2022. Judge Grey said Spooner did not “give a damn” about whether one of the victims wanted to engage in sex with him or not.
At Cambridge Crown Court on May 9, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison and six years on licence for two counts of rape and two counts of assault by penetration. He was given a restraining order, banning him from contacting his victims, and put on the sex offenders’ register.
Stuart Nichols
Stuart Nichols drove away from the scene after hitting a pedestrian
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Disqualified driver Nichols killed a pedestrian in a hit and run in Peterborough in October 2022. Karl Bradshaw had fallen into the road and was being helped by a taxi driver when Nichols drove around the taxi and hit Mr Bradshaw.
In a tribute to Mr Bradshaw, his family described him as a “happy go lucky man, with a great sense of wit and humour”. They added: “Karl was a loving son, father, brother, uncle and a friend to many.”
Nichols was jailed for four years and four months on May 13, at Cambridge Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to causing death by driving whilst disqualified at an earlier hearing.
June
Kevin Wall
Kevin Wall has been jailed after the incident in Cambridge
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Wall broke into a pregnant woman’s house, terrifying her before leaving with jewellery and £2,500 in cash. The victim took a picture of Wall while he rummaged around her bedroom. He later broke into another property where he stole jewellery and cash.
At Cambridge Crown Court on June 12, Wall was sentenced to five years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary, handling stolen goods, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and escaping lawful custody.
Luke Carr
Carr raped a woman while she was asleep at a house in Peterborough. She woke and felt bruising, before confronting Carr, who claimed he had also been asleep.
He pleaded guilty to rape after his DNA was found on the victim. He was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on June 14, where he was jailed for six years and three months.
July
Anne-Marie Burrowes
Anne-Marie Burrowes, 52, was found guilty of murder at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday (July 18)
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Burrowes called 999 to say she had killed a man in October 2023 but refused to say who or where. She called the police again nearly three weeks later naming Paul Knowles as the man she had killed and telling police where they would find the body.
She had assaulted him and shoved a sock down his throat. Burrowes was found guilty of the charge of murder and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on July 23 to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.
Robert (James) Hammond
Robert Hammond, known as James, was found guilty of murder at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday (July 17)
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Businessman Hammond strangled and killed his wife in October 2023 to claim her life insurance since he faced mounting debts. He called 999 and claimed that he had found his wife face down and not breathing.
He denied the charge of murder, but was found guilty by a jury at Cambridge Crown Court on July 17. He was sentenced on July 23 at the same court to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years.
Shaun Bolingbroke
Shaun Bolingbroke
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Bolingbroke was described as ‘depraved’ by a judge during sentencing after he pleaded guilty to having intercourse with a pet dog and possessing extreme images of the act. He had also denied the rape of a child under the age of 13 but was convicted in May.
Grace Ong, prosecuting, said the 32-year-old took a video and an “extreme pornographic image” of himself having sex with the white British bulldog in 2016. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison with three of those years on extended licence at Cambridge Crown Court on July 23.
August
Jamie Willis
Jamie Willis repeatedly punched and kicked his victim
Willis attacked a man near The Blue Moon pub in Cambridge in December last year, punching him in the head before stealing cash, a phone, and a bottle of aftershave from him. Two months previously he had attacked his former partner.
Willis was jailed for eight years and two months having been found guilty of robbery at an earlier hearing on August 2. He had also pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing. Willis was handed an indefinite restraining order against his former partner and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.
Corey Deards and Marco Sellitto
Corey Deards, left, and Marco Sellitto were found guilty of aggravated burglary
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Deards and Sellitto broke into a house in St Neots in May 2020 where they beat a man with a gun and a metal pole before demanding that he hand over money. Several of his teeth were knocked out and he suffered three broken ribs and left side pneumothorax – a build-up of air outside the lung which means the organ could collapse.
His partner ran downstairs after hearing the commotion and was assaulted, with a sentimental gold necklace snatched from her neck. They stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court and were found guilty on Tuesday (August 20) of aggravated burglary.
Sellitto, of Faldo Road, Bedford, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars. Deards, of Cedar Road, Bedford, was handed six years and six months in prison.
Maroof Rahman
Maroof Rahman was jailed for 13 years and eight months after being found by plice with drugs worth £500,000 and a loaded gun
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Detectives searched Maroof Rahman’s house in Mill Road and another property on Birdwood Road in August 2022, finding cocaine, cannabis, £18,000 in cash and a gun loaded with ammunition. He was still on licence for a six-year drug offence sentence when he was arrested.
He appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on August 23 where he was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison. He had previously admitted to the supply of cannabis, possession of cocaine, acquiring criminal property and possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis. He was also found guilty of owning an illegal firearm and ammunition.
September
Andrew Wesley
Paedophile Andrew Wesley
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Paedophile Wesley indecently assaulted two young girls between 1998 and 2003. The victims came forward separately to report the incidents in 2022.
Wesley was jailed for 12 years at Peterborough Crown Court on September 13. He had been found guilty by a jury at an earlier hearing of seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16 and gross indecency with a girl under 14.
Jake Brown
Rapist Jake Brown
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Rapist Jake Brown attacked a woman in Peterborough, including punching and biting her, as well as pressing his thumbs into her eyes. She managed to escape to a nearby property to get help.
Brown was found guilty of rape, assault causing actual bodily harm, false imprisonment, sexual assault, criminal damage and theft at Peterborough Crown Court. On September 13 at the same court he was jailed for 12 years, with a further three years to be served on licence. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Peter Barber
Peter Barber had thousands of indecent photos and videos of children on his phone
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Barber was found with more than 8,000 indecent images on his phone – including videos of babies being raped. He had previously been convicted of indecent exposure, as well as making, distributing, and possessing indecent images of children.
He also asked a woman to take indecent images and videos of her 12-year-old daughter. He was handed a 13-year sentence at Peterborough Crown Court on September 17.
October
Patricia O’Dwyer
Patricia O’Dwyer stabbed her sister in Cambridge
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
O’Dwyer stabbed her sister six times in the abdomen, neck, and elbow in Cambridge. Members of the public gave the victim first aid until emergency services arrived.
O’Dwyer was found with blood on her hands and a knife hidden in her bra. She was sentenced to six years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on October 4, having previously pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, making threats to kill and possession of knife in a public place. She will serve a further five years on extended licence.
Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox was sentenced to 11 years in prison
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Fox raped an unconscious woman in Peterborough – and was caught climbing off her by police officers, who had been alerted to the situation by CCTV operators. He denied a charge of rape but a jury unanimously found him guilty following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
In police interview, Fox said he did not know the woman but they had met in a bar, where they began kissing. He said they left to walk to his car and had consensual sex in a doorway a few times. When police arrived, she was unresponsive.
Fox appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on October 4, where he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Several members of his family were also sentenced for perverting the course of justice after contacting the victim to ask her to change her story.
Anthony Goodridge
Anthony Goodridge has been jailed
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Paedophile Goodridge committed ‘horrific’ sexual abuse, including sexually assaulting a toddler and filming a young girl showering and getting changed. Two phones seized when he was arrested were found to contain indecent images of children, including 716 category C images, 356 category B images and 416 category A images – the most severe.
He admitted 16 offences, including three counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by penetration and four counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13 by touching. He was handed a total of 26 years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on October 9.
November
Tyler Marshall and Cameron Stokes
Cameron Stokes
(Image: Cambridgeshire Police)
Marshall and Stokes were jailed for a combined 38 years after being found guilty of murdering father-of-one Joshua Barr in Cambridge. The pair attacked Mr Barr with a knife before leaving the scene and being arrested in a taxi en route to Cardiff by armed police.
The jury at Peterborough Crown Court found Marshall, 20, of no fixed address and Stokes, 23, of no fixed address, guilty of murdering Mr Barr after a four-week trial. Stokes was jailed for 22 years and Marshall 16 years on November 1.
Sonny Loveridge
Sonny Loveridge
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Loveridge killed his accomplice in a car crash after fleeing from a botched robbery in Manea. He crashed the Ford Focus he was driving into a ditch near Chatteris, with John Hayden being thrown from the car and dying at the scene.
Loveridge was jailed for 11 years and eight months on November 1 at Peterborough Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and causing death by driving without due care and attention whilst unfit through drink at an earlier hearing.
Lee Rider
Lee Rider told the victim he needed to do it for ‘his mental health’
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabluary)
Rider sexually assaulted a girl and filmed some of the abuse – telling her it would “help his mental health” if she did what he wanted. Det Sgt Mark Williamson, who investigated, said Rider’s acts were “nothing short of horrific”.
He pleaded guilty to 12 offences on the day his trial was due to begin, including two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13 and two counts of raping a child under 13. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court on November 8.
December
Kevin Calderbank
Calderbank sexually abused two young girls in Peterborough more than 30 years ago – between 1985 and 1989. The victims reported the abuse in 2020.
Calderbank was sentenced to 22 years in prison on December 3 at Cambridge Crown Court after being found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and given a sexual harm prevention order.
Tabarik Hussain
Tabarik Hussain
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Hussain sexually assaulted a child and filmed himself raping a woman while she was asleep and unable to give consent. He had previously secretly filmed himself having consensual sex with the woman in Peterborough, who he had met on a dating site.
The crimes came to light after he was arrested for sexually assaulting a child in 2023. He had sent sexual messages to the child, including images of his penis, and later sexually assaulted her twice at her home.
Hussain admitted engaging in sexual communications with a child, but denied two counts of rape, three of voyeurism, two of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, making indecent photographs of a child and harassment. At two separate trials in April and November at Peterborough Crown Court he was found guilty on all counts, and he was jailed for 18 years on December 6.
Peter Swan
Peter Swan
(Image: Cambridgeshire Constabulary)
Swan paid women in the Philippines for livestreams or videos of children being sexually exploited. He had almost 3,000 indecent images of children in his possession when his laptops and phone were seized.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13 and one count of arranging/facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child between 13 and 17. He was jailed for 16 years at Peterborough Crown Court on December 18.