A Lincolnshire man has been been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting grooming and sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl.

Darren Hadman, 40, of Wetherby Close in Bourne, posed on an online chat site called Palringo as a 16-year-old boy from Lincolnshire called Tom in March 2013.

He befriended a 14-year-old schoolgirl, who police say innocently believed he was a genuine person around her age, and the pair initially started talking about hobbies.

Hadman continued talking to the victim and convinced her to send photographs of himself, starting off clothed and then progressing to indecent images. He also sent pornographic photographs of himself to her.

Hadman, who was employed as an aircraft technician, got the teenager to meet him in his car in a car park in the Sleaford area where he carried out an act of sexual touching on the young girl.

Courts heard he also sent her a message saying he wanted to meet up again so they could have sex. Over a period of time he managed to convince the victim that they were in a healthy, consensual relationship. He was arrested at his home address on April 4, 2013.

Hadman also used another site called KIK, which is a phone-based chat and photo app, to talk to other individuals believed to be paedophiles about the abuse of children.

At Lincoln Crown Court on March 9 Hadman pleaded guilty to the following:

Sexual touching of a female aged 14; meeting a child following sexual grooming; inciting a child aged 14 years to engage in sexual activity; distribution of indecent images of children; six counts of making of indecent images of children; and possession of 318 indecent images/videos of children.

He was sentenced on Friday, May 22 to three years and three months in prison.

Speaking at the culmination of the case Detective Constable Nicky Linn, of Lincolnshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Team (iCAT), said: “Hadman’s offending is some of the most calculated and manipulative.

“By pretending to be a teenager similar in age to the victim and finding something in common, he established a trusting narrative that was difficult to break once he revealed his true identity. His intentions were never innocent and he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Hadman managed to convince an entirely blameless young girl that their relationship was not only consensual but normal and healthy.

“Over a period of time he groomed her and manipulated her, all for his own sexual gratification. I echo the sentencing judge’s comments when he said he had taken total advantage of a vulnerable 14-year-old girl.

“Hadman is a scheming predator, and I am happy with the sentence the judge has imposed , it means one less dangerous individual will be able to contact any potential victims using the internet.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case. She has spent a long period of time going over what has happened to her, from first reporting it, throughout the investigation, and now seeing it out in court. Without her courage and determination we might never have got this conviction. I hope she is now able to start moving on with her life.”

A Lincolnshire man has been found guilty of manslaughter after killing his cellmate at Lincoln prison.

Alan Goode, 73, of Wigston, Leicester, was found dead in his cell at HMP Lincoln on Thursday, October 31 2013.

His cellmate Krysztof Mroz, 36, of Spalding, was charged with his murder in November 2013.

Alan was serving nine months after he was found in women’s toilets in a Leicester shopping centre spying on women.

Krzysztof was at Lincoln Prison remanded in custody while awaiting trial over two unrelated charges in relation to an incident in September in Holbeach, South Lincolnshire, where he was living at the time.

A post mortem carried out at QMC in Nottingham established the cause of Goode’s death as a serious head trauma.

After a trail lasting four days at Stafford Crown Court, before His Honour Judge John Wait, defendant Krysztof Mroz was convicted of manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

The case was adjourned until the morning of Friday, May 29 for sentencing at Stafford Crown Court.

Lincolnshire Police are expected to comment on the trial once sentencing has been passed.

A police spokesperson said: “In the meantime our sympathies lie with the friends of Mr Goode who had no known family.”

Krysztof Mroz, 36, has been detained in a secure facility under a hospital order after being found guilty of killing his 73-year-old cellmate at HMP Lincoln.

As reported previously, Krysztof was found guilty of manslaughter with diminished responsibility after a four day trial at Stafford Crown Court.

The jury in the case heard that he killed 73-year-old Alan Goode in the cell they both shared at the Lincoln prison.

Mr Goode, from Wigston in Leicester, was found dead in the cell in the early hours of the morning of Thursday, October 31, 2013.

Mroz was charged with murder but during the course of the trial jurors heard from medical experts that Mroz was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attack.

While he was responsible for Mr Goode’s death he had been affected by an “abnormality in mental functioning.” As such, the jury returned a guilty verdict of manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

Trial judge His Honour Judge John Wait said he would issue the mandatory hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act for Mroz to be detained at a secure facility.

He also issued a restriction order under section 41 of the Mental Health Act without limit of time.

Speaking following the culmination of the case, Detective Inspector Helen Evans, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “I am satisfied with both the jury’s verdict and the judge’s ruling because this is an appropriate outcome in this case, which has been truly tragic for all involved.

“Mroz will be detained in a secure establishment where he will not be a danger to anyone else and will also be given the treatment he needs.

“This has been a difficult enquiry and our sympathies lie with the friends or Mr Goode who had no known family.”

A Lincoln man has been prosecuted after being caught on CCTV allowing his dog to foul in the street.

Daniel Liberty, of Linton Street, pleaded guilty at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, May 20 of failing to remove the faeces from the pavement.

The court heard CCTV footage was captured on High Street, Lincoln, of Mr Liberty allowing his dog to foul in public view on January 17.

Magistrates gave him a 12 month conditional discharge and he was ordered to pay a £15 victims’ surcharge.

The council imposed a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 after Mr Liberty made no attempt to clean up after his dog, which was ignored.

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at City of Lincoln Council, said: “We receive a high number of complaints from members of the public about the issue of dog fouling and, while it can be difficult for us to catch offenders, this demonstrates that where we can secure evidence we are committed to taking action.

“I would encourage dog owners to be responsible and clear up their mess and encourage other to report those that don’t.”

Anyone who experiences problems with dog fouling can call the City of Lincoln Council Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour Team on 01522 873378, or go online.

A pensioner is to face trial after he denied historic sex charges when he appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on Friday, June 12.

Arthur Baddiley, 84, of Conway Drive in North Hykeham, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of indecent assault on a young girl.

He also denied five charges of gross indecency with a boy under the aged of 14.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1986 and 1994 at addresses in Cornwall and Lincolnshire.

Judge John Pini QC adjourned the hearing for trial on a date to be fixed and Baddiley was granted conditional bail.

Six men have been jailed for between 18 months and six and a half years after scamming Lincolnshire pensioners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The scam saw gang members deceive older and vulnerable people on their own doorsteps, pressurising them into paying extortionate prices for shoddy and unnecessary building work on their properties.

They used a variety of company names including Tileshield, Tileshield Coatings, Weatherproof and Nationwide Roof Coatings Yorkshire Ltd, to con the victims out of at least £228,000.

The gang members received the following sentences at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, June 12:

• Tyrone St John Beard (d.o.b: 17/3/69), once of Marnham Road, Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, received six and a half years imprisonment
• Marcus Reading (d.o.b: 15/6/88), once of Marnham Road, Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, received four and a half years imprisonment
• Simon Davies (d.o.b: 18/9/90), of Ash Vale, Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, received 18 months imprisonment
• Michael Sean Sumner (d.o.b: 6/1/87), of Peel Avenue, Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, received 18 months imprisonment
• Christopher Russell (d.o.b: 7/10/86), of Rowan Drive, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, received 18 months imprisonment
• Mohammed Zulbair Ditta (d.o.b: 24/10/72), of Hawes Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, received three years imprisonment

A victim, who does not wish to be identified, used the company to clean her roof and add a protective seal to prevent moss growth.

She was shown a video before the work was carried out that indicated plastic sheeting would be used to protect her garden whilst the pressure cleaning took place.

She said: “The salesman who knocked on my door was suited and booted and had an official looking van. We also researched the company’s website and it all looked very reputable but we were very wrong.

“They did not protect my garden or my neighbour’s and we were both left with horrible black slurry on most of our plants, which killed them.

“We believe we only had one coat of protective paint added to our roof and a lot of that was splattered on our drive and fencing.

“These were real cowboys and they clearly targeted the old and vulnerable. They are utterly despicable.”

The investigation was originally launched by Kirsty Herbertson, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, following complaints from elderly residents in the county.

She said: “When we started receiving these complaints, the size and scale of the investigation quickly became apparent. It was quite clear that this was a huge project and as such, we referred it to the Trading Standards East Midlands ‘Scambusters’ Team.

“The team then lead a two year investigation into this group of conmen. They had been targeting hundreds of elderly, frail or vulnerable people to agree to improvements to their driveway or roof coatings. Complaints were received from across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.”

If you suspect a rogue doorstep trader in your neighbourhood, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or call the police on 101.

A homeless man who did not keep to the terms of a sex offenders order when he failed to report to the police has been jailed for nine months.

Reuben Moses, 45, admitted failing to comply with the requirements of sex offenders’ registration while he was living rough around Lincoln in April this year.

It was the fifth time Moses, had failed to comply with the requirements of a sexual offences order made on him, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

At the time of the latest breach Moses was living in a tent after becoming “disillusioned” with efforts to find him fixed accommodation, the court was told.

The court heard Moses had previously been staying on the site of the closed former Lord Tennyson pub on Rasen Lane in Lincoln but that option was no longer available to him as it was now boarded up.

Lisa Harding, mitigating, said Moses had reported to the police for two weeks following his last court appearance on April 1, but he then became disillusioned with a change of probation officer and efforts to find him fixed accommodation.

Miss Harding told the court Moses suffered from both physical and mental health problems, and had not deliberately chosen to go under the radar.

“He feels he is in a Catch 22 situation,” Miss Harding added. “He fears he will be back before the court again because there is no resettlement.”

The court heard Moses was banned from the YMCA and could not be considered for council housing because of rent arrears he refused to pay.

Moses pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with the registration requirements on April 23, this year. The guilty plea put him in breach of two suspended sentences passed for burglary and failing to comply with the same order.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Heath told Moses: “Your obligation does not require rocket science. It is simple, all you have to do is to report to the police.”

Judge Heath added: “So far as your homelessness is concerned, the blame could be said to lie at your own door, metaphorically, since you refused to pay rent arrears.”

Three men who have admitted drugs supply charges following an investigation into the death of a student in Lincoln have been warned they may face jail.

The men were previously charged following an investigation into the death of Ashley Hughes, 19, who was taken ill at Danesgate House student accommodation in Lincoln during the early hours of December 17, 2014.

He was taken to Lincoln County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

On Monday, June 29 Haydn Watson, 21, of High Street, Lincoln, admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of MDMA and cannabis when he appeared before Lincoln Crown Court.

Reis Bilal, 19, of Ruston Way, Lincoln, admitted being concerned in the supply of MDMA, and a further charge of supplying MDMA to Luke Green on 16 December 2014.

Judge Michael Heath adjourned sentence to a date to be fixed and granted both men bail.

The Judge warned them “You must understand that the fact that I grant you bail today does not mean you won’t go to prison when you come to be sentenced. All options are open.”

They will appear for sentence alongside Luke Green, 19, of Grantham Street, Lincoln, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of being concerned in the supply of drugs between October 18 and December 17, 2014. He also admitted possession of MDMA on December 16.

A serial shoplifter who was caught after stealing a £300 drone aircraft from an electrical store in Lincoln has been sentenced to 54 weeks in a young offenders institution.

Joshua Cutter, 20, was spotted running in to a waiting car after snatching the drone model plane from Maplin at St Marks shopping centre in the city.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Cutter carried out the “highly planned theft” less than a month after he was spared custody for a police chase around Grimsby.

Cutter was given a 28-week suspended custodial sentence at Grimsby Crown Court on April 28 after he admitted a string of offences including dangerous driving, taking a van without consent, failing to stop for police, making off without paying for petrol, and having no insurance and licence.

But just three weeks after appearing in court Cutter was linked to the theft of the drone in Lincoln after staff took down the registration details of the car he was seen escaping in before it sped off.

Noel Phylo, prosecuting, said: “It was clearly a carefully planned activity with more than one person involved.”

The court heard Cutter was also arrested for stealing seven bottles of washing-up liquid from a garage and ten razors valued at £216.99 from a supermarket.

Mr Phylo added: “It is perfectly clear he just ignored the order made on him at Grimsby Crown Court.”

Graham Huston, mitigating, told the court both of Cutter’s parents were drug addicts and he was used by older criminals to get money for heroin.

Cutter had previously admitted driving off without paying for diesel valued at £115.23 and £67.58 from petrol stations in the Grimsby area on March 24.

“He has the choice between two chaotic parents,” Mr Huston added.

Police signalled for him to stop on March 25 but he sped away, making sharp turns and driving on the wrong side of the road. He continued at speed in narrow residential roads and failed to stop, showing no concern for other road users.

He ignored a “no entry” sign and continued at speed in Abbey Road East, Grimsby, and went the wrong way down a one-way street. The car hurtled across grass at Ainslie Street recreation ground before coming to a stop. Cutter got out of the van and ran off and was told to stop. He did so and was arrested in Gas Alley.

Cutter, formerly of Grimsby, but now of Birchwood Avenue, Lincoln, admitted breaching the suspended sentence passed at Grimsby Crown Court and three offences of theft in Lincoln between May 17 and June 8.

Judge Michael Heath sentenced Cutter to 26 months in a young offenders institution for the shop thefts to run consecutive to 28 weeks custody for the Grimsby offences.

Passing sentence Judge Heath told Cutter: “It has to be made plain to you that if you continue to offend you will go to prison for longer and longer periods.”

A man who ditched a stash of prescription medicines on a country lane after being paid to dispose of it has been ordered to pay more than £2,500 in court costs and fines.

Callam Harness, 25, of Kennedy Road, Washingborough was paid £30 by a woman in Potterhanworth to remove her waste, believing it would be taken to the local household recycling centre and disposed of properly.

However, the waste was found discarded on the side of the road on Bloxholme Lane, Metheringham in January.

It contained a substantial amount of tablets and pills which could have caused harm to the public, along with cardboard, carpet and old letters pointing to the waste’s origins.

Harness admitted collecting the waste to North Kesteven District Council officers but said he had lent his van to a man in the pub who had deposited it on the road.

He also denied running a waste collection business despite Facebook adverts promoting himself as ‘a man with a van’ available to collect waste.

He was charged with five offences contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989, including the transporting of controlled waste in the course of a business or otherwise, with a view to profit without legal registration to do so and depositing controlled waste, or knowingly cause or knowingly permitted controlled waste to be deposited on any land not authorised under an environmental permit.

Harness pleaded guilty to all five offences at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on July 2.

He was fined a total of £2,523.10; this included a fine of £1,680, costs £600, compensation to NKDC £123.10 and victim surcharge of £120.

The case also resulted in North Kesteven District Council successfully obtaining its first Criminal Behaviour Order, preventing Harness from transporting controlled waste without the relevant licenses and proper authorisation, for two years.

The resident herself was also issued with a warning letter advising her that she should have taken steps to ensure that Harness was authorised to accept it.

Councillor Richard Wright, NKDC’s Executive Board Member for waste management and enforcement said: “This case highlighted the need for householders to ensure they were only using authorised waste handlers and for anyone operating a waste handling business to have the proper licences – or to risk being caught out and fined.”

Ex-Ministry of Defence worker Timothy Crook, 51, is on trial charged with brutally murdering his elderly parents before cramming their bodies into a Nissan Micra and dumping them in his garden in Lincoln.

Crook is denying charges of killing his father Robert, 83, and mother Elsie, 76, at their home in Swindon, Wiltshire in July 2007.

Their bodies were found 150 miles from their home under wheelie bins in the garden of a property owned by Crook in Lincoln on July 11, after friends reported them missing.

He is alleged to have murdered them in the bedroom of their home by strangling, kicking and punching them, as well as beating them with a weapon, thought to be a hammer.

The Nissan Micra had been dumped near to Newark Train Station, where Crook was seen on CCTV catching a train to London and then back to Swindon, where it is claimed he attempted to clean up the evidence of the murders.

The court heard how the ‘domineering’ son had intimidated his parents, who he lived with in Swindon, before allegedly murdering them.

Crook was arrested but was found to be unfit to stand trial after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which has since improved, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Andrew Langdon QC, prosecuting, told the jury the couple had suffered repeated blows to their heads and bodies and that each of them was strangled with what’s thought to be a belt.

Nigel Pascoe QC, representing Crook, said: “The case for the defendant is: ‘I did not kill either of my parents.’”

The trial is ongoing, and is expected to last for three weeks.

Four Lincoln residents have been fined for repeatedly leaving bins out, and two for refusing to clear rubbish from outside their council property after being taken to court by the City of Lincoln Council.

Gregorio Guterres, of Chelmsford Street, Sen and Yi Wang, of Smith Street, and Jiangchuan Yu, of Thesiger Street, were each given a £400 fine and ordered to pay costs of £150 and a £40 victims’ surcharge for persistently leaving their bins out in the street – a total of £1,600.

None of the defendants attended when summoned to Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 8, and all the hearings were proved in their absence.

In all the cases, bins had been left out on numerous occasions for between two to five days after collection days.

Following complaints from residents, City of Lincoln Council took court action after Fixed Penalty Notices were not paid.

Sam Barstow, Service Manager for Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour at City of Lincoln Council, said: “One of the most common complaints we receive is of people obstructing pavements and highways by leaving their bins out. This is quite a serious issue, especially in some parts of Lincoln where streets are very narrow.

“Not only are the bins unsightly but they are a nuisance and a danger to pedestrians.

“The elderly, wheelchair users, families with young children and children in pushchairs are either forced onto the road or cannot get past.”

Also prosecuted were council tenants Dean Brown and Maria Rovezzano, of Roman Pavement, who were fined £1,500 for allowing rubbish to build up in the front, side and rear gardens of their home.

A district judge at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court ordered the pair, who were not present at the hearing, to pay a total of £1,491.62.

This included each paying a £400 fine, costs of £75 and a £40 victims’ surcharge.

They were also ordered to pay compensation of £230.81 each to cover the cost of the council cleaning up the accumulated waste.

The pair were first served a notice by the council on March 18 this year after a member of the Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour Team found litter including food waste and old furniture likely to attract rats and mice.

However, subsequent visits to the property revealed that the tenants had ignored the order.

The court heard they were given a further opportunity to dispose of it but it was still there on April 10, when the council instructed its contractor to remove it.

City council service manager Barstow added: “Allowing household waste to build up to such a level is not acceptable and this case demonstrates this is an issue both the council and the courts take seriously.

“Apart from being extremely unsightly, waste such as this can cause pollution and attract rats and other vermin, which isn’t fair on people living nearby and is a public health risk.

“Every household receives regular household waste collections from the council and there is simply no excuse to allow so much rubbish to accumulate.

“These tenants were given ample time to remove the waste – going to court is always a last resort. We would encourage anyone experiencing similar problems to report it so we can take action.”

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court and County Court could absorb all workload and resources from the Grantham magistrates’ due to Ministry of Justice plans to close underused facilities.

A consultation published by Courts Minister, Shailesh Vara this week signalled the possible closure of two of Lincolnshire’s four magistrates’ courts, Grantham and Skegness.

Some 14 courts in the midlands have been recommended for closure, as they are marked as ‘underused and poor quality’.

Across the country, 91 ‘surplus’ courts face closure.

The consultation announcement comes as the courts and tribunal service undergoes a ‘modernisation’ to create a simpler and more efficient justice system.

The consultation paper, which proposes plans for each recommended closure, states that should Grantham Magistrates’ Court close, Lincoln courts would be able to meet workflow demands more effectively.

The Lincoln facilities are 30 miles away from Grantham Magistrates’ Court, which the report states is only used for 24% of its capacity.

A statement in the report reads: “Lincoln Magistrates’ Court and Lincoln County Court both have excellent facilities for HM Courts & Tribunals Service users and have the capacity to absorb the workload.”

The Skegness Magistrates’ Court workload would relocate to Boston.

In response to the closure plans, Councillor Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We will be responding to this consultation to raise our concerns and to highlight how important the magistrates’ courts are to the communities of Lincolnshire.

“Local criminal justice is about having a fair trial for those alleged offenders in their own community.

“Taking these two courts away would mean that they will be tried many miles away from their own communities. This would then have a detrimental impact on the victims of crime.

“If these Magistrates’ courts close, there would also be an economic impact on the county. The courts employ many people and the associated businesses contribute a significant amount to the local economy.

“We also want to make it clear what while any changes might represent potential savings to the Ministry of Justice, it will certainly mean additional costs for everyone else- including our already squeezed local police force.”

Courts and Tribunals Minister, Shailesh Vara, said: “We are reforming the courts and tribunal service so that it meets the needs of modern day users.

“Access to justice is not just about attending court. As we bring in digital technology for better and more efficient access to justice, fewer people will need to physically be in a court.

“This means that we will need fewer buildings, and with many already underused and in poor quality, now is a good time to review the estate.”

A 28-year-old woman denied a charge of the murder of Lincoln man Robert Taylor when she appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on July 17.

Kieley Davis is accused of killing the 39-year-old on April 17 this year.

Robert died at Lincoln County Hospital following a stabbing in Walnut Place, in the Portland Street area of Lincoln.

Davis was arrested along with a 42-year-old man in connection with the stabbing. The man was later released.

People who knew Robert paid their tributes to him on social media following his death.

Lincolnshire Police charged Davis, of Woodfield Avenue, Lincoln, with murder on April 20.

Following her appearance in court, she was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned for trial due to start in October.

A man who gave a false name to the police when he was spotted in Lincoln, after failing to appear in court, has been jailed for four months.

Nathan Gladwell, 25, was stopped by officers after they saw him walking down Monks Road in Lincoln on June 19.

Gladwell had been circulated as wanted a month earlier after he failed to appear at Lincoln Crown Court for breaching a suspended sentence.

Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said Gladwell was walking down Monks Road in Lincoln at 3.15pm when he was recognised by police officers.

Miss Leonard told the court: “He gave a false name, that of Grant Shepperton, and a false date of birth. The officers checked the police national computer and realised he was wanted.”

Gladwell was arrested and in interview admitted giving a false name because he knew he was wanted.

The court heard Gladwell had been sentenced to a four month suspended prison sentence at Grimsby Crown Court in June last year for an offence of theft from a dwelling.

As part of the sentence Gladwell was ordered to carry out 18 months probation supervision but he attended just 14 out of 24 appointments because he was working.

Sunil Khanna, mitigating, told the court Gladwell began his probation order well and then moved to York, but he returned to Lincolnshire after splitting up with his girlfriend.

Mr Khanna said: “At the time of the offence he was back in Lincoln sofa surfing and drinking.”

The court heard Gladwell was also in breach of a conditional discharge imposed for shoplifting.

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Gladwell: “You were seen by police officers on Monks Road at 3.15pm and you obstructed them by giving them a false name and date of birth.”

Gladwell of Risedale, Caistor, admitted obstructing a police officer, breaching a suspended sentence for theft, and breaching a conditional discharge for theft.

A 43-year old Norwich man has been charged with robbery in which £4 was stolen at a shop in the village of Wragby near Lincoln on Sunday, July 19.

Stephen Adam Figures, of Hill House Road in Norwich, will appear at Lincoln Magistrates Court on August 20.

He is charged with the robbery at the Lincolnshire Co-op store in Wragby.

A Porsche salesman from Lincolnshire who ploughed his car into two teenage girls leaving them with life changing injuries, after being sacked from his job, was jailed for 15 months on July 20.

Adam Hill, 35, was driving on the wrong side of the road in his £32,000 Audi A6 when he smashed into a Ford Fiesta carrying pals Beth Tyson and Kate Hunter.

The friends, who were 18 at the time and both worked at a vets surgery, had just pulled onto the A46 near Market Rasen when the Fiesta driven by Miss Tyson was hit.

Miss Hunter, now 20, suffered life changing injuries and had to abandon her dream of competing in the Paralympics following the crash, while Miss Tyson now walks with a stick and needs a wheelchair for all but short journeys.

Hill, of Grimsby Road, Caistor, was last month found guilty of two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a week-long trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

The sales manager, who had just got engaged, had stopped twice to use his phone on his way back from a trip to Lincoln.

The court heard Hill was “distracted” and “stressed” after losing his position at a Sheffield Porsche dealership following an allegation of theft, and had sent a text message asking a friend for a job.

Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC said: “These two young girls had their lives ruined.”

The judge added: “Short of death the harm could not have been greater.”

Judge Pini said it was clear Hill was consumed by the fact that he had been falsely accused of theft and his career seemed in tatters.

“Your world had just imploded,” Judge Pini told Hill. “In short you should not have been driving that day in that mental state.

“The result for these two young ladies was catastrophic beyond words.”

As he was taken from court to the cells to begin his sentence Hill mouthed “I’m sorry” to his two victims who were in court to watch.

Horse rider Miss Hunter, of Tealby, had learned to walk and talk again after a 2009 riding accident, had competed for Great Britain and had dreams of qualifying for the Rio Paralympics next year.

But she was forced to abandon her plans after she was left unable to use her left arm properly because of nerve damage she suffered in the crash in December 2013.

In a victim impact statement which was read out in court Miss Hunter said her dreams of representing Great Britain were now lost and she still suffered nightmares.

Miss Tyson was forced to give up her ambitions of becoming a paramedic after she suffered a crushed left foot, broken bones in her wrist and fractures in her neck, back, chest, wrist, thighs and lower left leg in the accident.

In her statement Miss Tyson said she was still walking with a stick, needed a wheelchair for longer distances and was waiting for her seventh operation since the crash.

Both of the victims, who were just 18 at the time, had previously described how their lives had been changed forever.

Miss Tyson, also from Tealby, spent 35 hours in surgery and needs a wheelchair or custom-made insoles for any walking.

The 20-year-old has had to undergo therapy and counselling in order to get behind the wheel of a car again.

Hill was jailed for 15 months, disqualified from driving for three years and must take an extended re-test.

Constable Mark Brown of Lincolnshire Police’s Collision Investigation Team said: “This was a terrible, heavy impact crash that left two innocent young women fighting for their lives. Both survived but will have to cope with the legacy of their serious injuries for the rest of their lives.

“Adam Hill has gone to prison for 15 months and he will be able to reflect on the manner of his driving that night whilst serving his sentence.”

A man who bludgeoned his parents, before driving with their bodies 150 miles and burying them in a garden in Lincoln, has been found guilty of manslaughter.

As previously reported, the trial heard that ex-Ministry of Defence worker Timothy Crook, 51, killed his elderly parents Robert, 83, and Elsie, 76, at their home in Swindon, Wiltshire in July 2007.

Crook, who had schizophrenia, attacked the pair by kicking, punching and stamping on them as well as hitting them with what’s thought to be a hammer.

Courts heard how he had crammed their bodies into the back of a Nissan Micra before burying them under a set of wheelie bins at a house he owned in Lincoln.

Crook was found guilty on July 20 of manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

The Crooks’ daughter, Janice Lawrence, said after the verdict: “After eight very difficult years we are pleased to finally have a guilty verdict and hope that this will provide us with some closure.

“However, as a family we still feel that we have been severely let down by the authorities regarding the help we were trying to access leading up to the deaths of my parents.

“We have found it very hard to come to terms with the way two such loved members of our family lost their lives. They were wonderful people, amazing, supportive parents and a devoted couple who adored their grandchildren.

“They were loved by the whole family and their many friends. Our loss has affected us deeply. We will never forget the special times we shared with them and they will always remain in our hearts.”

Sentencing will take place on July 29.

A burglar was caught thanks to the alertness of a neighbour, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Jordan Ray was spotted by the neighbour as he climbed through the window of a house in Allison Place, Lincoln, in broad daylight.

Ray, who was with an accomplice, made off with an X-Box console and X-Box games.

Lisa Hardy, prosecuting, said the victim discovered his home had been broken into when he returned later in the day to find a kitchen had been smashed and items were missing.

Police conducted house to house inquiries in the area and a neighbour told them she had seen something suspicious and was able to provide officers with information which led to the arrest of Ray and the other man.

Most of the stolen property was later recovered from the accomplice’s flat in Carholme Road.

Ray,21, of Blenheim Close, Skellingthorpe, admitted burglary on 9 April. He was given a six month jail sentence suspended for a year with 60 hours of unpaid work.

David Eager, defending, said that Ray was living a “feckless” lifestyle at the time but has since turned himself around and now has a full-time job.

Three young men have been jailed after admitting drug offences in connection with the death of a Lincoln student last year.

University of Lincoln student Ashley Hughes, 19, from Gatley in Cheadle, was taken to Lincoln County Hospital after being taken ill in the early hours of December 17 last year, where he died.

A post mortem into his death found he died as a result of a drugs overdose.

Lincoln students Reis Bilal and Luke Green, both aged 19, and Haydon Watson, 21, all admitted a variety of drug offences in connection with his death and were sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on July 24.

• Haydon Watson, 21, of High Street in Lincoln, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of class B (Cannabis) between 10th December 2012 and 17th December 2014; and being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of class A (MDMA) between 10th December 2012 and 17th December 2014. He was sentenced to three years and two years in prison to run concurrently.
• Reis Bilal, 19, of Ruston Way in Lincoln, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of a controlled drugs of class A (MDMA) between 28th October 2014 and 17th December 2014, and supply of a controlled class A drug (MDMA). For the two counts he was sentenced to two years and 18 months, to be served in a young offenders institution and to be served concurrently.
• Luke Green, 19, of Grantham Street in Lincoln, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug of class A (MDMA) on 16th December 2014; concerned in the supply of a controlled drug of class B (Cannabis) and a controlled drug of class A (MDMA), both between 18th October 2014 and 17th December 2014. For the three counts he was sentenced to 12 months, four months, and three months, all to be served in a young offenders institution and to run concurrently.

Ashley Hughes’ family – his mum Lisa Leigh, Dad Mark Hughes, and his sister Paige and brother Elliott – said in a statement after the sentencing:

“It’s like a dream. I find it very hard to accept what has happened just because of Ashley’s nature. In my heart I knew he didn’t drink, smoke, and certainly was not interested in drugs. Our lives don’t feel real anymore. What people don’t see is the pain and hurt for the family and friends left behind.

“If it was a car accident I could accept it, but not this. It was so out of character. He was at university for 13 weeks but people don’t change in that short time.

“I have read text messages on his phone in his own words saying that it was peer pressure.

“He was desperate to go to uni and enjoy life. People don’t understand what sort of drugs they’re selling and the outcome. My son was a gentle giant and didn’t have a bad bone in his body.

“I spoke to Ashley on the 16th December for 12 mins. That evening in bed at 3.26am there was a phone call to tell me my son was in cardiac arrest and to get to Lincoln A&E as quick as possible.

“I got there at 5.45 and I saw a police officer and they told me that my son was dead. I was with my daughter and we had to phone his dad and his brother to tell them. He was still warm when we got there to see him.

“The memories that haunt me are him lying there in hospital and when we brought him home for his funeral. This is the hardest thing in all our lives. I go to bed thinking of him and think about him as soon as I wake up, he never leaves my mind.

“With regards to the boys’ parents who sold Ashley the drugs. Yes, they have done wrong and their uni life has ended, but their families still have their sons, something we no longer have.

“I never knew that two ecstasy tablets could kill someone.

“There should be no mercy for people who sell drugs and prey on the innocent minded. These sorts of people put people’s lives at risk for their own financial gain and if they spent a week with our family then they would soon see the effects and destruction that they can cause.

“I have Ashley’s post mortem results at home and there was no alcohol in his body, he didn’t like drinking, it wasn’t for him. Neither were drugs.

“I feel sorry for the boys’ families at what monsters they have become. I would gladly swap places with them as at least they can still see and speak to their boys.”

Detective Constable Ian Ingamells, one of the senior investigating officers in the case, said following the sentencing: “This has been a truly traumatic case for all of Ashley’s family, and indeed his friends, and while I am pleased with the sentences today is not a day for celebration because Ashley’s death was completely unnecessary.

“The actions of Bilal, Green, and Watson essentially caused a young man to lose his life. If they had not provided Ashley with the powerful drugs that killed him it’s likely he would still be here. I hope that their sentences allow them the time and space to reflect on that fact.

“This tragic case raises a whole number of issues. First, about the dangers of taking drugs, especially if, like Ashley, you are naive concerning their effects. He was not a regular user, in fact this was probably the first time he took any kind of drugs, and because he didn’t know what to expect he wouldn’t be able to appreciate how unwell they would make him.

“Second, it highlights the potentially fatal consequences of the behaviour of anyone supplying or in possession of controlled drugs. How do you know that the person you are giving them to isn’t going to suffer a terrible physical reaction?

“Finally, this shows the criminality and the sentences these type of offences can carry. If you are someone who supplies others with drugs you would be wise to understand how committed police are to tackling issues concerning the supply and use of controlled drugs.

“Our thoughts are with Ashley’s family today and we can only hope that today’s sentences may help bring them some closure.”