A local man has been jailed for 18 months for making and possessing indecent images of children in Lincoln.

Ntinos Mikellides, 40, of Carlton Heights in Nottingham, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on September 1, after pleading guilty to all nine offences of making indecent photographs and films of children, and three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children.

The offences took place in Lincoln on numerous dates between March 2010 and October 2013.

Mikellides, who was training to be a primary school teacher, was arrested on October 25 last year at his home in Mill Lane in Lincoln, after Lincolnshire Police received information that a computer at the address may have been accessing child pornography sharing sites and downloading images from them.

When officers entered the premises they found Mikellides in his bedroom with a computer that was turned on and downloading indecent images of children at the time.

Investigators seized and examined the hard drive of Mikellides’s computer and found that a total of 94,438 indecent images of children had been accessible.

A report from a forensic investigator revealed that they had been categorised by the names of children, their nationalities, and their activities.

DS Vicky Midgeley of Lincolnshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT) said after the conclusion of the court case: “I am incredibly pleased with the sentence handed to Mikellides, which reflects the seriousness of his crimes.

“The amount and range of images he had on his computer and available to him was both horrifying and astounding.

“He claimed in interview that he essentially stumbled across these sites while looking for sexually explicit content but it was clear from his continued use of them that he got sexual gratification from them.

“We want others who may use and share indecent images of children on these sites to know that just because they are behind closed doors does not mean we will not find them.

“We will do everything in our power to identify them and see them answerable before the courts. We will also continue to work with partner agencies to identify any children who feature in these photographs and films to try to get them to a position of safety.

“Children are being systematically exploited by adults in this type of indecent content and we will continue trying to find those who access it and put a stop to it because the less demand there is, the less supply we hope there will be.”

Three men from Newark have each been sentenced to 10 years in jail for the rape of a 36-year-old woman in Lincoln in 2012.

Tomas Kojelis, 30, of Chatham Court, Newark, Kestutis Prakapas, 28, of Farmers Walk, Newark, and Mindaugas Prakapas, 24, of Farmers Walk, Newark, were each sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Lincoln Crown Court.

The three men offered the 36-year-old woman a lift from the Home nightclub in Lincoln on September 16, 2012. The victim, who was drunk, was taken to a house in the Monks Road area, where she was raped by one of the men, while being held down by the other two.

The victim sustained a number of injuries including cuts and bruises.

Speaking about the offence, Andrew Vout, prosecuting said, “They were all part of a joint enterprise. She was subjected to a violent sexual attack by these three men. Afterwards she was extremely frightened and distressed.”

Lincolnshire Police’s Detective Inspector Simon Lovett said: “This conviction followed a thorough and painstaking investigation carried out by DC Dave Moxham in which he doggedly pursued a most difficult and challenging case. Thanks and credit must be given to the victim in this case, whose bravery and courage were extraordinary.”

Two scrap dealers operating in Lincolnshire have received 12-months conditional discharge each after being found operating without a licence.

Michael Grabowski of Lawrence Place, Newark and Chris Guymer of Front Street, Barnby-in-the-willows, Newark, pleaded guilty at Lincoln Magistrates to operating as scrap metal collectors within North Kesteven without obtaining a scrap metal dealers licence from the district council.

Grabowski had been spotted three times carrying scrap metal, whilst Guymer was stopped for carrying scrap metal in his van. He was additionally prosecuted for not being licensed to carry controlled waste, or furnishing waste transfer notes when requested to do so.

Both were therefore sentenced to a 12-months conditional discharge. Grabowski got £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge while Guymer got £125 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Councillor Richard Wright, Executive Member with responsibility for enforcement said: “We encourage our residents to be vigilant when dealing with scrap metal collectors.

“Make sure you check whether they have a licence to carry waste, and are licensed by the district council to collect scrap metal within North Kesteven.”

Scrap dealers should display their licences clearly on the vehicle, and easily identify themselves to residents.

North Kesteven District Council also notes residents should keep a record too, with the name and address and what was collected, so if a dealer is stopped individual items can be traced back.

The scrap collector should also get the identity of the resident, and keep a log of personal and item details.

To report or verify a scrap collector, or to get licensed in the NKDC area, call 01529 414155 or email licensingteam@n-kesteven.gov.uk.

A 39-year-old man has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of seven counts of sexual activity with a child.

Stephen Anthony Lock, from Leicester, carried out the offences between November 2011 and May 2012 at an address in Lincolnshire and at his home.

The victim was 14-years-old at the time.

Lock was found guilty after a five-day trial at Lincoln Crown Court of seven counts of sexual activity with a child, and found not guilty of one count of rape.

In addition to his eight year prison sentence, Lock will be on the sex offenders register for life and subject to a strict sex offenders prevention order (SOPO).

DC Kirsty Longmuir, who was the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “When sentencing Lock Judge John Pini QC said he had clearly groomed the young victim and had shown no remorse for his actions.

“Lock even claimed in evidence that the young girl was lying. He is the worst kind of sexual offender who not only subjected his victim to horrific offences but then tried to cover them up with lies, putting her and her family through the most unimaginable anguish.

“I am incredibly pleased with the jury’s verdicts and the judge’s sentence but there really are no winners in this case.

“For the young girl and her family this has been a terrible time and they now have to start trying to rebuild their lives.

“I want to commend the courage of the victim in this case, without her evidence and bravery we would never be able to take this dangerous offender off the streets and make sure he can’t repeat these offences.

“Without the whole family’s patience, cooperation, and support of the prosecution we would never have been able to get this conviction. We are incredibly grateful to them.”

A Lincoln woman has been charged for fly-tipping after brokering an unlicensed waste collection deal via Facebook and dumping the items at Metheringham Airfield.

Ms Amy Leaky of Barker Court, Lincoln, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court on October 6 and pleaded guilty for acting as a broker for controlled waste under section 34(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

In July 2013, Leakey responded to an advert placed by a district resident on a local Wanted & Sale Facebook group for a ‘man with a van’ and waste clearance.

Leakey negotiated and brokered a £35 deal with that resident for her then-partner Gary Holland (an unlicensed trader) to remove the waste.

Holland later illegally disposed of this waste by fly-tipping it on Metheringham Airfield.

After investigations by North Kesteven’s Environmental Protection Officer, the waste was traced back to its owner and subsequently to Holland and Leakey.

Holland was successfully prosecuted for the fly-tipping offence earlier this year.

Although there was no evidence that Leakey had any involvement in the actual fly-tipping of the waste, NKDC successfully proved that by acting as a broker Leakey still had control of the waste.

Leakey was also responsible to prevent any contravention by any other person for the disposal of the waste.

She was given an 18-month conditional discharge, £100 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

This is the first time North Kesteven District Council has been successful in bringing such charges.

NKDC Executive Board Member for Environmental Protection Cllr Richard Wright said: “This landmark victory for NKDC demonstrates that where persons have illegally and maliciously dumped waste, which last year cost the North Kesteven taxpayer £66,343 to clear up, the Council will take robust action. We will investigate and we will prosecute.”

A 53-year-old Lincoln man who has a home and is on benefits has appeared in court after persistently begging.

John Cotton, of Laughton Way, has been banned from begging within City of Lincoln Council’s boundaries.

The council secured an injunction against Cotton at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 25, following complaints from members of the public.

The injunction forbids Cotton from approaching members of the public and begging or otherwise making requests for money or goods.

It also forbids him from sitting on the floor in a public place and begging.

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at the city council, said: “John Cotton has been a persistent beggar for a number of years and has been know to be aggressive in some instances.

“He mainly targeted elderly and vulnerable people and waited outside churches to target people leaving services.

“Cotton is not homeless and is in receipt of benefits. In July 2013 incidents began to increase and we made joint visits with Lincolnshire Police before issuing a formal warning.

“Following further complaints from neighbours and members of the public Cotton was put on an Acceptable Behaviour Contract in August 2013. However, we continued to receive reports and, despite being arrested for each offence, Cotton continued to beg.

“Consultation was undertaken and it was deemed necessary to apply to the court for an injunction under the Local Government Act to prevent a public nuisance.

“The council recognises and supports its partners in helping those who are vulnerable or in need and would encourage members of the public to give to charities or support agencies such as the Nomad or the YMCA, so that proper help and support can be offered.”

A Lincoln dog owner has been fined in court after his German Shepherd bit a woman on the thigh.

Michael Collins, of Turner Avenue, Lincoln, has been issued with a control order and fined £60 for allowing his dog to be dangerously out of control in a public area.

A report to City of Lincoln Council detailed that Collins’ dog, Zara, had bitten a woman in the communal area of flats in Turner Avenue on July 3.

Collins was also ordered to pay a £20 victims’ surcharge and £100 costs at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 6.

The control order means the dog must be kept on a lead at all times when in a public place.

The victim was also awarded £50 compensation.

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at the city council, said: “We are really pleased with the outcome of this case, which shows how seriously we take incidents involving dangerous dogs.

“Everyone has the right to feel and be safe, and it is unacceptable to allow dogs to be out of control.

“The law prohibits your dog being out of control not only in a public place but also now on private property.

“We would encourage anyone to report dangerous dogs by calling us on 01522 873378 or Lincolnshire Police on 101.”

A Skegness man charged with robbing an elderly Lincoln man, who died following the incident, has been jailed for three years.

As previously reported, on June 27 Michael Broxholme (69) had been walking along Hermit Street in Lincoln, when he passed Anthony Robertson (23) of Grosvenor Road in Skegness.

Broxholme, who suffered respiratory and mobility problems, was returning home from The Ritz pub on High Street when the incident took place.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that the two men “collided” with each other on the street, then Robertson pushed Broxholme to the ground and robbed him of his wallet.

Broxholme was taken to Lincoln County Hospital after the incident, suffering a broken pelvis.

He died on June 28, however it is still unconfirmed if his death was a result of being pushed to the ground by Robertson.

Robertson had taken legal highs and “illicit drugs” at the time of the incident, the court heard.

Being described as “full of remorse”, Robertson pleaded guilty to the robbery, and was handed a three year jail sentence on October 14 for the crime.

Judge Michael Heath described Robertson’s act as “despicable”.

He added: “Mr Broxholme was a harmless, pleasant man. [...] He wasn’t a well man.

“You collided with him and knocked him to the floor. You had the presence of mind to help yourself to his wallet. You then left him lying in the road.”

A Lincoln business owner has been handed a 12 month jail sentence due to conning elderly and vulnerable customers.

Scott Keeley (26), owner of Sincil Mobility, was investigated by Lincolnshire Trading Standards following a complaint by a customer.

The customer had been sold a mobility scooter as an ex-demonstration but it was actually over seven years old.

Plus, registration documents from the DVLA had been faked and Keeley took payment for insurance, despite not arranging any.

Keeley has sold defective scooters to other customers too, and if they complained, he failed to offer repairs or replacements.

One customer stated that they received a full refund of around £2,500 but it bounced due to being from a dissolved company’s business account.

Keeley also offered to sell victims’ mobility goods in his shop on Sincil Street for an agreed price but they never received payment or saw their items again.

When Keeley realised his business was in trouble, he contacted customers to say their vehicle needed a service.

It is thought these vehicles were then sold on to other customers, leaving resident without the mobility scooters they depended on.

At Lincoln Crown Court HHJ Heath said the way the business was run over an eight month period was despicable.

He pleaded guilty to five offences under the Fraud Act 2006, and was sentenced to 12 months on each offence to run concurrently, meaning a total of 12 months.

He also has to pay compensation to ten of his victims, totalling £5,734.99.

Rebecca Money, Senior Trading Standards Officer, said: “This was clearly a very serious case as the trader was intentionally targeting and exploiting elderly and vulnerable residents.

“After we received what appeared to be a civil complaint from a vulnerable consumer we noticed problems with some of the documents.

“From this point the case developed following other complaints and more evidence pointing to fraudulent activity.

“Having worked closely with Mr Keeley’s victims and seen the upset and detriment they have endured, this is a welcome result.

“I hope this will be a warning to other mobility aids businesses who may be tempted to take advantage of vulnerable consumers.”

A topsoil supplier in Lincoln has been fined £80,000 after an employee lost the use of both arms in a work related accident.

Freeland Horticulture Ltd of Firth Road have been ordered to pay £3,439 in prosecution costs and fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to two breaches of the Health and Safety at work etc. Act 1974.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Piotr Chrzanowski, 20, from Ellesmere Port, had been helping to free a blockage on a conveyor belt July 16, 2013, when his hand became trapped, pulling him in.

He had become caught by a rotating drum underneath the conveyor belt and suffered breaks to his left arm and collar bone, crush injuries and torn muscles across his back and shoulders.

The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as Mr Chrzanowski had been able to gain access to a dangerous part of the machine while it was still in operation.

The court was told that Freeland Horticulture had failed to ensure a safe system of work was in place for clearing blockages and workers had not received instructions on how to carry out this work.

HSE issued an immediate Prohibition Notice which has shut down the whole production line until machine guards have been improved and a system has been put in place to cut the power before maintenance work can be carried out.

HSE Inspector, Jane Carroll, said: “It simply shouldn’t have been possible to access dangerous parts of the machine while it was still operating – and workers shouldn’t have been put in a position where they reached in to clear blockages by hand.

“I’d urge manufacturing companies to think carefully about the real dangers facing their workers and then take action to improve safety.”

Lincoln man James Frost has been jailed for 11 years for a string of offences committed against young girls both online and in person.

James David Frost, 29, of Witham St Hughes, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to 30 offences at Lincoln Crown Court.

The offences included supplying cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, and M-Cat to a number of his victims; causing child pornography; possessing cocaine with intent to supply; inciting or causing child pornography; possessing indecent images of a child; inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity; and one count of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard that Frost was aged between 25 and 28 at the time of his offending, which took place between the summer of 2011 to August 2013.

A total of 16 girls were involved – two were aged 12 and the others all between 13 to 17-years old at the time.

Frost used a number of aliases online on sites such as Facebook, Skype, Snapchat and Kick. Police say he mainly pretended to be a teenage boy and would use a mixture of flattery and insults to try and get the girls to send indecent pictures to him as well as sending pictures of himself to them.

The court heard he also met several of them in person and would supply them with drugs as a way to get them to engage in sexual behaviour.

Judge Michael Heath QC told Frost he had given him some credit for his guilty pleas. He also said the 11-year sentence in prison was due to the seriousness of his offences in which he “groomed or sought to groom them all [the victims] to varying extents.”

Speaking after the sentencing Detective Superintendent Rick Hatton, of Lincolnshire Police’s Public Protection Unit said: “The sentence today reflects the seriousness of the offences in totality.

“Frost clearly coerced, groomed and pressurised young girls to send indecent images of themselves and also provided them with a supply of drugs, which he used a as a lever for his sexual offending against these young girls.

“This has had a profound effect on the victims, some as young as 12, and the manner of his offending where he has used a variety of aliases was a very worrying feature of this case.

“It highlights the dangers of interacting online with people you don’t know. We advise people to always be safe online and not to engage with or send photos to anyone you don’t know and not to end up in a position where you feel blackmailed or pressured into taking further action.

“This has been a complex case for the investigating team, which involved some painstaking analysis of evidence, but ultimately it is about the victims themselves. I hope they can begin to move on from the traumatic experiences they were subjected to at the hands of Frost.”

A Lincoln roofing company has been slapped with clean-up costs of over £650 after waste from a reroofing job was not disposed of properly.

Investigations began after a large quantity of roofing material was found fly tipped in November by a member of the public near Aisthorpe, along with details of an address in Lincoln.

Officers found the property in question had recently installed a new roof and were able to locate the local contractor who had undertaken the work.

The contractor, who cannot be named due to ongoing additional court proceedings, was called into the Guildhall in Gainsborough and admitted that he had employed a third party to remove the waste.

It was then found that the third party was not properly licensed or registered to carry and dispose of waste.

Because of this, the roofer was unable to prove where his waste had ultimately ended up.

He was promptly issued with a fixed penalty for £300 for failing to produce documentation under Section 34A Environmental Protection Act 1990 & Regulation 4 Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 (as amended).

The roofer has also been instructed to pay the council’s clean-up costs of £356.94. If this is not paid, the maximum penalty at court is a fixed penalty of £5,000.

The council is now working alongside the Environment Agency to pursue prosecution of the third party, who is thought to be operating an unlicensed waste facility in the district.

Nigel Periam, environmental protection officer at West Lindsey District Council said it is vital both businesses and residents can show how and where their waste is being disposed of.

He added: “There are significant penalties applicable for failing to do so. Anyone carrying or disposing of waste for commercial gain must be properly registered and issue relevant paperwork to prove where the waste is being taken to.

“To prevent unsightly fly tipping and a possible penalty, anyone can easily check the credentials of carriers. You can either make sure directly with the Environment Agency or via the District Council before handing over waste.”

Councillor Owen Bierley, chairman of the council’s Prosperous Communities Committee said: “We have to send the message out that fly-tipping is a harmful and unacceptable thing to do in West Lindsey, or indeed anywhere. Our officers have proved that if you are caught committing this nuisance act, we will pursue prosecution and offenders will be punished.

“Officers and residents work hard to keep the district looking clean and tidy and those who challenge this should be aware robust consequences await.”

To report fly tipping or incidents of waste to WLDC, call 01427 676676 or email customer.services@west-lindsey.gov.uk

Four people who were arrested after cutting a fence at RAF Waddington have been charged with Obstructing a Person Engaged in a Lawful Activity and Criminal Damage.

The group, who go by the name End The Drone Wars, broke onto the RAF base near Lincoln on Monday, January 5 armed with banners and leaflets condemning the use of so-called drones.

The base is home to the Reaper Ground Control Station, which pilots unmanned missions across the globe.

The four peace activists were then arrested by Lincolnshire Police and questioned at Lincoln Police Station.

They have been released on bail to appear before Lincoln Magistrates on Tuesday, February 10.

The four people charged are:

• Christopher Cole, 51, of Wilkins Road, Oxford
• Gary Eagling, 52, of Bakewell Drive, Nottingham
• Katharina Karcher, 30, of Stoneystanton Road, Coventry
• Penelope Walker, 64, of Gotham Street, Leicester

In a statement on Monday, the protesters group said: “Remote wars mean most no longer hear, see or smell the impact of bombs and missiles. With just a little effort we can almost believe that war is not happening at all.

“But behind the rebranding, war is as brutal and deadly as it has always been with civilians killed, communities destroyed, and the next generation traumatized.

“And so we have come to RAF Waddington, the home of drone warfare here in the UK to say clearly and simply ‘End the Drone War’.”

A Lincoln woman has been prosecuted after persistently abusing the 999 service and causing a nuisance to residents while drunk.

Emma Pankiw, aged 38, was handed an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) for her drunken and aggressive behaviour.

Pankiw, of Trent View in Lincoln, appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 12, following action by the City of Lincoln Council.

The application for the order was made following persistent anti-social behaviour conducted over a number of years.

The court heard Pankiw made false allegations, misused the 999 system, and was rude and offensive to people, invariably caused when she was drunk.

Five conditions were given under the order. Pankiw is banned from:

• Entering the building containing 5,6,7 Tangshan Court
• Calling 999 unless in a genuine emergency
• Shouting at (or making offensive or aggressive gestures toward) any person in Trent View, Lincoln or any public place
• Persistently banging on any door, persistently ringing any doorbell or intercom entry systems
• Being in possession of an unsealed container of alcohol in a public place except on a premises licensed for the sale and consumption of alcohol

The anti-social behaviour order will last for three years and, if breached, would result in Pankiw returning to court and facing tougher penalties, with a maximum sentence of five years available to magistrates.

Sam Barstow, the city council’s Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour, said: “The council takes reports of anti-social behaviour seriously and we will work closely with our partners to take action where appropriate.

“In this particular case the defendant had caused significant problems in the north area of Lincoln for a protracted period of time.

“Intervention such as referrals to alcohol treatment services, voluntary agreements and warnings, along with a number of prosecutions taken by the police were all attempted in order to try and resolve the issues.

“Unfortunately the behaviour continued and officers recognised the need to progress this case to the courts in order to provide protection for the various victims of the defendant’s behaviour.”

Anyone suffering anti-social behaviour should contact the Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour team on 01522 873378.

A group of activists who broke into RAF Waddington last month to protest against the use of drones from the base have pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage.

Christopher Cole (51) from Oxford, Gary Eagling (52) from Nottingham, Katharina Karcher (31) from Coventry, and Penelope Walker (64) from Leicester appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, February 10 to hear the charges against them.

All four have been handed a trial date at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court of 10am on May 27.

The activists, who belong to the End The Drone Wars group, used bolt cutters to break through a fence onto the RAF base near Lincoln on Monday, January 5, armed with banners and leaflets condemning the use of so-called drones.

The base is home to the Reaper Ground Control Station, which pilots unmanned missions across the globe.

The protesters were then arrested by Lincolnshire Police and charged with Obstructing a Person Engaged in a Lawful Activity and Criminal Damage before being released on bail.

The charge of Obstructing a Person Engaged in a Lawful Activity has now been dropped.

Outside the court, Christopher Cole, of Wilkins Road, Oxford said: “War has just become normalised and we wanted to disrupt and draw people’s attention to what’s happening at RAF Waddington.

“These drones are causing destruction on a massive scale by tearing a hole through ordinary people’s lives, homes and communities.

“We have been engaged in all kinds of protests – writing letters, talking to MPs – but because of the destruction that these drones cause, we felt we needed to step the protests up and actually disrupt what’s going on at the base.

“We would encourage and call for more people to do what we’ve done and actually engage in resistance and disrupt what we see as the completely illegal actions taking place at RAF Waddington.

“We have to bring an end to war and look for an alternative to the constant bombing that we’re witnessing at the moment.”

Three men convicted of raping a 23-year-old woman at a flat in Lincoln have all been jailed for six years, despite the judge attempting to stop the trial.

Michael Armitage, 44, from Oldham, Pawel Chudzicki, 49, and Rafal Segiet, 40, both from Lincoln, were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, February 13, after the jury found them guilty of rape earlier this week.

Their trial had been initially halted as the judge believed there was not enough evidence for a conviction.

But in a rare move, Judge John Pini QC’s decision to withdraw the case was challenged by the prosecution and the Court of Appeal eventually overturned his ruling.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that on the evening of Saturday, October 27 2012, the woman had been out drinking in a Lincoln bar with friends.

As she was leaving in the early hours of October 28, she was introduced to the three defendants and went back to a nearby flat with them where a party was taking place. It was there that she was raped by all three men.

Judge Pini told the defendants it would have been clear to them that the victim was heavily intoxicated, and therefore unable to consent to any sexual activity.

He said: “All three of you had sex with her when she was so intoxicated she was helpless and therefore vulnerable.”

The victim in the case, who cannot be named for legal reasons, released the following statement: “This has taken a long time – two years and three months from when this happened to the conclusion of the court case.

“I would like to say thank you to the teams who helped me – the police, GPs, health professionals and counsellors, among others. Not one person has made a judgement and they have been incredibly supportive.

“After this happened I went on anti-depressants, I got panic attacks, I didn’t have a relationship for over a year because I had trouble with trust and intimacy. It was all very stressful, as was the court case.

“The sentence for each of these men is a good one, I am pleased with it, and it’s a bit more than I thought they might get.

“I’ll never forget what happened but I will move on. I’m now in a steady and happy relationship and looking to the future. I wouldn’t have got through any of this without the help, love and support of my family and friends.

“I’d like to say to everyone that if you ever find yourself in the position that the men involved in this did that you should really think about what you’re doing and make sure you know the person you’re with is fully aware of what they are doing. Being drunk is not an excuse.

“To any girl who has been in my situation – if something has happened and you think that something isn’t right then talk to people, the authorities or family and friends and hopefully they can help.”

Speaking after the culmination of the case, Lincolnshire Police’s Detective Inspector Simon Lovett said: “We are pleased with the sentence both because it hopefully offers the victim some comfort and closure after more than two years of waiting for the conclusion of this case, but also because it sends a very strong message about offences of this type.

“Capacity and consent have been at the very heart of this case. The victim was in no way able to consent to engaging in any kind of sexual activity with these men, she was vulnerable and incapable of giving any kind of consent.

“We hope this serves as a warning and reminder to everyone that before engaging in any kind of sexual activity you must be absolutely sure that the other person has the capacity to fully consent and does so.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case. She has shown immense courage; from giving live evidence in court to seeing this case through to the end. We are grateful to her for her help and hope today’s sentences offer some closure so that she can really begin rebuilding her life.

“The Crown Prosecution Service worked very hard and closely with police in what has been a very difficult and complex case for all concerned.

“In addition, I would like to highlight the work that one of our officers, Detective Constable Jackie Crozier, has done. She has worked tirelessly throughout this investigation to see that justice was done.”

A group of nine men have been handed fines and football banning orders after disorder at a Lincoln City home game against Doncaster last year.

The group appeared at Lincoln Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 18, and all pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour during Lincoln City’s home game against Doncaster on Saturday, July 12.

The court heard how the men had gestured and shouted at Doncaster fans before, during and after the pre-season friendly in the area of Portland Street and the rail crossing in Lincoln.

A number of Lincolnshire Police officers, including the Dog Section and local officers, along with British Transport Police, were on patrol in the centre of Lincoln and the vicinity at the time.

Receiving a fine and a five-year banning order was:

• Calum Nesbitt, 22, of Quorn Drive in Lincoln
• Davy Nesbitt, 21, of Dixon Street in Lincoln
• Samuel Sellers, 21, of Lichfield Road in Bracebridge Heath – He was also sentenced for breach of an existing football banning order and given a 14 day Community Order.

Receiving a fine and three-year banning order was:

• Jordan Munks, 20, of Princess Square in Billinghay
• Simon Purdy, 36, of Harris Road in Lincoln
• Aaron Bee, 22, of Lamb Gardens in Lincoln
• Patrick Cassidy, 29, of Ellison Street in Lincoln
• Edward Wilson, 18, of Roman Pavement in Lincoln

A 16-year-old youth from Woodhall Spa, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was given a three-month referral order.

A further 23-year-old Lincoln man, who was also charged, failed to appear in court and will be dealt with at a later stage.

DC Tom Robertson, the Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: “The defendants in this case were given really quite severe sentences, which adequately reflect the seriousness of their behaviour.

“Football matches should be an opportunity for genuine fans to enjoy watching and supporting their teams free of intimidation or harassment, and should not cause any trouble to the wider public.

“I hope the severity of these sentences serves as a stark warning to anyone who may go into football matches with any kind of intention to act in this manner – the consequences of acting like this are serious and have long-lasting effects.”

A soldier from Lincoln who raped a 23-year-old woman in the entrance of a block of flats in Belfast city centre has admitted the attack after being confronted by CCTV footage, a court heard.

Ryan James Fairlamb, from Camdon Close, will be sentenced next Wednesday after he appeared at Belfast Crown Court on February 19 and was remanded into custody.

The court heard that 22-year-old Fairlamb, who was stationed at the Ballykinler Army camp in County Down when he carried out the sex attack last May, forced his victim to the ground and threatened to break her nose if she screamed. The incident was captured on CCTV, and lasted 18 minutes.

Crown prosecutor Kate McKay said that on the evening of May 30 last year both Fairlamb and the victim were in a nightclub. In the early hours of the next morning the woman became separated from the rest of her company, and at this stage she met Fairlamb.

The prosecutor said the pair struck up a conversation, and as they were leaving the club he told her he was in the Army. She declined a request to come back to his camp, but they agreed to share a taxi which would drop her off.

The court heard the woman and Fairlamb then walked around the city centre trying to get a taxi and that there was “consensual” kissing and hugging.

Fairlamb tried to put his hand in the woman’s underwear but was told to stop. He then brought her to the entrance of a block of apartments, pulled her to the ground and raped her.

Mrs McKay said Fairlamb put his hand over her mouth and threatened to break her nose if she screamed. The incident came to an end when two residents arrived, causing the rapist to flee.

During the police interview Fairlamb said he had been drinking in Downpatrick the previous afternoon before returning to Ballykinler, where he continued drinking.

The court also heard the investigation found Fairlamb had sent one of his friends a message saying: “If anyone asks, I wasn’t out last night.”

In interviews with police officers, Fairlamb admitted he had been out and initially said he had consensual sex with the woman.

However, when he was shown the CCTV footage, he said he realised halfway through the attack that he was overpowering the woman, but accepted he continued raping her.

A soldier from Lincoln had been handed a six year sentence, three of which in jail, for raping a woman in Belfast city centre.

As previously reported, Ryan James Fairlamb from Camdon Close admitted raping the 23-year-old woman after being show CCTV footage of the incident.

Fairlamb will serve half the sentence in prison, and the remainder on a supervised license.

Ryan, who was 22 at the time, was stationed at Ballyrkinler army camp in County Down when he raped the woman in the doorway of a block of flats on May 30.

The prosecutor said the pair struck up a conversation, and as they were leaving the club he told her he was in the army. She declined a request to come back to his camp, but they agreed to share a taxi which would drop her off.

The court heard the woman and Fairlamb then walked around the city centre trying to get a taxi and that there was “consensual” kissing and hugging.

It also heard how he had forced his victims to the ground before threatening to break her nose if she screamed. The attack lasted 18 minutes.

The victim has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

The investigation found Fairlamb had sent one of his friends a message saying: “If anyone asks, I wasn’t out last night.”

In initial interviews, Fairlamb said he had had consensual sex with the woman. After being show CCTV footage of the incident however he accepted the charges against him.

He was sentenced to six years at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday, February 25.

A defence barrister said Fairlamb was suspended from the Army and would not be returning to his job following the incident.

He was also handed a sexual offences prevention order for 10 years, and warned that if he breaches any of the conditions he faces further time in prison.

A Lincoln judge who allegedly viewed pornography from official work IT equipment has resigned.

Recorder Andrew Maw, who sat on Lincoln County Court, joined three judges who have been removed from office following an investigation into allegations that they viewed porn at work.

A disciplinary inquiry was revealed by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO), which found an “inexcusable misuse” of the judges’ IT accounts.

Had he not resigned before the conclusion of the disciplinary process, Maw would also have been removed from his post.

The three judges who were sacked after the process were: district judge Timothy Bowles, immigration judge Warren Grant, and deputy district judge and recorder Peter Bullock.

The judges are not believed to have been linked in any way, and the JCIO have not said how the allegations against the men came to light, stating this was confidential.

In a statement, the JCIO said: “The lord chancellor [the justice secretary, Chris Grayling] and the lord chief justice [Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd] were satisfied that the material did not include images of children or any other illegal content, but concluded that this was an inexcusable misuse of their judicial IT accounts and wholly unacceptable conduct for a judicial office-holder.

“A fourth judge, recorder Andrew Maw, was also found to have viewed similar inappropriate material via his judicial IT account.

“The lord chancellor and the lord chief justice would likewise have removed Recorder Maw had he not resigned before the conclusion of the disciplinary process.”