Abigail Banks-Smith

Mark Wright, 41, of Bildeston, denied failing without reasonable excuse to provide a blood sample during a police investigation. He told Suffolk Magistrates’ Court that officers mishandled or tampered with an inconclusive roadside drug test, and his solicitor said an unfamiliar traffic officer may have exceeded the test’s time limit. Wright said he refused the blood test because of these concerns. He was granted unconditional bail, with a trial listed for June 1, 2027.

Police UK data recorded 327 crimes across Bury St Edmunds’ four wards in June 2026. Bury St Edmunds Town North had the highest total, with 153 offences, followed by Town South with 115. Violence and sexual offences were the largest category in both wards, while St Edmundsbury Retail Park, Merchant’s Place, the bus station and West Suffolk Hospital were identified as notable hotspots. Crime levels were substantially lower in the rural wards, with 47 offences in Bury Rural North and 12 in Bury Rural South, the town’s safest ward.

A woman who alleged she was sexually abused between the ages of 14 and 16 said she was devastated after the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case shortly before she was due to testify. She had waited four and a half years, undergone extensive police interviews and prepared for trial, but the prosecution offered no evidence after the defendant was diagnosed with terminal cancer and reportedly had only months to live. Restitute chief executive Cath Pickles criticized the delays and their impact on victims, while the Ministry of Justice said it was considering reforms to unfitness-to-plead rules and court procedures and emphasized the need to reduce the court backlog.

Debenham Sports and Leisure Centre plans to fell 30 mature poplar trees along its southern boundary because ecologists and managers consider falling branches a public safety risk. The trees were originally planted for screening, but surrounding scrub now provides that function. The centre says removing them will also improve biodiversity management and has committed to planting 90 replacement trees, including cherry plum, crab apple, dogwood, field maple, guelder rose, hazel, rowan and spindle. The Forestry Commission has approved the work through a felling licence.

Darrel Palfrey, 59, of Rougham, was sentenced after admitting drink-driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and possessing a bladed article in public. Police stopped him as he drove away from The Pakenham Fox after he had consumed four pints; his breath-alcohol reading was nearly twice the legal limit. Magistrates imposed a community order, a nighttime electronically monitored curfew, a £319 financial penalty and forfeiture of the knife. He was also disqualified from driving for a further 36 months, having committed a second drink-driving offence within 10 years.

Daniel Palmer, a 44-year-old homeless man already serving a sentence at HMP Norwich, admitted burgling Bury St Edmunds RUFC and stealing a signed England rugby shirt and JBL speaker, as well as stealing wine from Tesco Express. Despite mitigation citing homelessness, alcoholism and an allegedly uncharacteristic burglary, magistrates noted his extensive offending history, poor compliance with court orders and high risk of reoffending. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £108 compensation, with an expected release date of April 30, 2027.

Italian national Rexher Shpati, 32, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to three years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing 218g of cocaine with intent to supply. Police found the cocaine, valued at £23,000 to £28,500, along with burner phones, more than 50 grip-seal bags and £2,100 in cash. The defence cited Shpati's addiction, homelessness, unemployment, ADHD diagnosis, remorse and concern for his ill father in Albania, but the court concluded that the offence involved supplying substantial quantities of Class A drugs for financial gain. Shpati will face deportation proceedings after his release.

Samuel Huggins, 55, is on trial at Ipswich Crown Court after denying attempted murder, arson with intent to endanger life, and threatening someone with an offensive weapon. Prosecutors allege he set fire to a council flat in Station Street on June 26, 2025, then repeatedly stabbed neighbour Gary Kerr as he tried to escape. Fire and rescue officer Peter Blagg testified that the flat was blackened and that the fire appeared to have started near a washing machine, where a burning bag containing clothing, books and documents was found. Huggins accepts starting the fire but denies the more serious charges. The trial is continuing.

Jason Johnson, 35, of Sudbury, pleaded not guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to four charges of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and two charges of causing the child to watch a sexual act. The alleged victim was aged 11 or 12 at the time. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 4, 2028, because of the court backlog.

A review of Suffolk Constabulary’s handling of the 1999 murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall remains unresolved five months after the Independent Office for Police Conduct advised the force to conduct one. The complaint concerns the original investigation, disclosure of evidence during criminal proceedings, and comments made after an acquittal in 2001. Hall’s murder investigation was reopened in 2019, and serial killer Steven Wright was charged in 2024 before receiving a 40-year sentence in February after admitting to her murder and kidnap, as well as the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty. Suffolk Constabulary says the complaint remains ongoing and that its outcome will be shared with the complainant and the IOPC.

US Air Force aircraft engine mechanic Colin Packer, 25, of RAF Mildenhall, pleaded guilty at Suffolk Magistrates' Court to driving over the legal alcohol limit after being stopped on the A1101 at Icklingham. His breath reading was 42 micrograms per 100 millilitres, just above the legal limit of 35. He was fined £600, ordered to pay a £240 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs, and disqualified from driving for 12 months, with the ban potentially reducible after completing a rehabilitation course. The USAF had already revoked his driving privileges.

David Hawes, 45, of Brandon, pleaded guilty at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court to committing an act outraging public decency after he was seen touching himself while driving through Newmarket High Street. The incident was captured on CCTV and witnessed by a member of the public. Hawes said it resulted from poor judgment and apologized. Magistrates granted him unconditional bail and ordered an all-options pre-sentence report before sentencing.

Paul Matthews, 68, from Lowestoft, lost £262,000 from the sale of his late parents’ home after the money was transferred into Universal Wealth Preservation, a trust business run by Steven Long. UWP collapsed in 2018, leaving 115 victims and total losses of about £11.5 million. Long was sentenced to eight years and four months for fraud, while co-defendant Raymond Simpson was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five and a half years. Although police recovered some smaller assets, Matthews says the house-sale proceeds are gone, leaving him and other victims with financial insecurity, distrust and a lack of closure.

A brothel operating under the guise of the China Diamond massage parlour in Bury St Edmunds was uncovered as part of a nationwide prostitution network, leading to the jailing of three individuals for conspiracy to control prostitution for gain. Local residents and a councillor expressed shock at the discovery, while authorities detailed how women were exploited and instructed to dispose of evidence in public bins. The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and Crown Prosecution Service highlighted the operation’s organised nature and confirmed ongoing efforts to trace criminal assets and prevent future offending.

A woman from Halesworth, Brooklyn Knight, pleaded guilty to assault and public order offences after throwing a flower pot at her neighbour during a long-running dispute. The incident followed an exchange in which the neighbour threw water over a fence when he believed there might be a fire. Knight also made threats during the confrontation. The court heard details of her mental health diagnoses and past trauma, and noted that she has since moved away and receives social worker support. Magistrates imposed a 12‑month conditional discharge and ordered £100 compensation to be paid to the victim.