Charles Thomson

Jurors at Basildon Crown Court were shown photographs of Riley Clarke with red welts and other injuries, which the defence said had been inflicted by the complainant during consensual rough sex or BDSM-related activity. Clarke denies the prosecution's account that he raped the complainant while she was helplessly drunk after a night out. His defence barrister, Chris Martin, questioned the complainant about messages discussing submissive and dominant sex, safe words and consensual non-consent. She denied engaging in BDSM or consenting to being restrained and maintained that the relationship involved only limited rough sex. The trial is continuing.

Jaiden Green, 25, of Basildon, was sentenced at Southend Crown Court to 57 months in prison for a burglary, arson at HMP Chelmsford and assaulting a prison officer. He and accomplices Ahmed Sufi and Ibrahim Syed pleaded guilty to stealing cash from a property in Corringham, although they disputed whether the amount was £20,000 or approximately £6,000. Sufi received 29 months, while Syed received a one-year sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to wear an electronic tag. The court also ordered £2,765 recovered from the men to be paid to the victim. Green received an additional sentence for a previous train attack and was already a convicted drug dealer.

Denver Clift, 40, of Rayleigh, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to breaking into a home in Westcliff-on-Sea and stealing jewellery and an air humidifier. A second alleged burglary on Canvey Island was left on file under a plea agreement. The sentence was imposed by Recorder John Brooke-Smith at Colchester Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a satellite courtroom for Basildon Crown Court. The report also details Clift’s previous convictions and police investigations, including vehicle theft, armed robbery and alleged further burglaries.

Isam Mohmoud, 53, pleaded guilty to four GBH-related offences committed in south and mid Essex between April and July 2025, including one Section 20 malicious wounding offence and three Section 18 offences involving intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He is currently detained in a mental health facility, and sentencing at Southend Crown Court was postponed so a second psychiatric assessment could be obtained. His defence is seeking a hospital order instead of imprisonment.

Noble Nwokocha, a convicted drug dealer from Basildon, was arrested at a Laindon probation office while carrying a loaded revolver that had been converted from a blank-firing weapon. Police testing found it capable of causing fatal injury. Although Nwokocha claimed he possessed the gun under duress and intended to hand it in as evidence that he was unsafe, the prosecution rejected that account. He was sentenced at Southend Crown Court to four years and eight months in prison after the other charges against him were dropped.

Former Southend builder Oliver Playle pleaded guilty to assaulting a nurse during a dispute over payment for construction work on her Thorpe Bay home. The court heard that he grabbed cash envelopes and restrained the woman after she challenged his demands and disputed the quality of his work. Robbery charges against Playle and an associate were dropped as part of a plea agreement, leaving him convicted of assault by beating. Basildon Crown Court sentenced him to a six-month community order, 60 hours of unpaid work and £500 compensation, with the judge noting his limited remorse and tendency to minimise his actions.

Essex Police released footage of Mohammed Younas being questioned after he kidnapped a 13-year-old girl in Basildon and engaged in sexual activity in her presence. DNA evidence linked him to the crime, and police also found cocaine, cannabis and criminal property at his home. Younas initially denied the allegations but pleaded guilty to kidnapping, sexual activity in the presence of a child and drug offences. Basildon Crown Court sentenced him to nine years and two months in prison, followed by three years on extended licence, with a lifetime requirement to remain on the sex offenders register and an 18-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A 17-year-old South Essex boy was given a ten-and-a-half-year extended sentence after being convicted of raping three girls and assaulting one by penetration over a five-month period. He met each victim through Snapchat, continued offending while under police investigation and was found by the judge to pose a high risk of further sexual attacks, with no demonstrated remorse. His convictions were upheld on appeal after the victims were cross-examined again. The sentence includes at least five years and eight months in custody followed by an extended licence period. A reporting restriction continues to prevent identification of the defendant, although Essex Police wants it lifted to encourage other potential victims to come forward.

Basildon Crown Court heard Mackenzie Kelly’s 2022 interview with Essex Police in a trial over an alleged rape involving a fellow teenager. Kelly, who has pleaded not guilty, said he stopped within seconds when the complainant asked him to, while she alleges he continued for several minutes after withdrawing consent. He told officers that she appeared comfortable afterward and later accused him of rape after he declined to pursue a relationship. Kelly acknowledged that he may have been wrong not to stop immediately but denied intending to hurt her. The trial is continuing.

Mackenzie Kelly, 21, is on trial at Basildon Crown Court over an alleged rape involving a fellow teenager. Prosecutor Michael Hillman told the jury that the complainant repeatedly asked Kelly to stop because she was in pain, but that he allegedly continued until he had finished. Kelly reportedly told police that he stopped within seconds and acknowledged he could have withdrawn sooner. The prosecution argues that the complainant was clearly not consenting and that Kelly could not reasonably have believed otherwise. The trial is continuing.

Obi Foley, 19, of Westcliff, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to 20 months in prison and a two-year-and-nine-month driving ban after admitting two dangerous driving offences committed while uninsured and unlicensed. The offences involved a Husqvarna Norden motorbike and a Surron electric motorbike, with the second incident also involving possession of cocaine, MDMA, cannabis and a machete. The court ordered the drugs and weapon forfeited, and Foley must pass an extended driving test before driving again.

Rahim Ghasemi, a 40-year-old kebab shop worker from Basildon, was convicted of raping an elderly woman after offering her a lift and stopping at a remote layby. The court rejected his claim that the woman had agreed to sex for money. The judge condemned the offence and noted that Ghasemi continued to deny responsibility and showed no remorse. The victim described severe physical and psychological effects, including weight loss, heavy drinking, ongoing fear and suicidal thoughts. Ghasemi was sentenced to nine years and two months in prison and, because he is not a British citizen, is liable for automatic deportation.

Paul Gibson, 36, of Grays, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Basildon Crown Court after pleading guilty to controlling or coercive behaviour, criminal damage, threats, assault, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. The court heard that he monitored a woman’s contacts, threatened people she had relationships with, damaged her door lock, threatened to smash her windows and assaulted her.

Marcella Horvathova, 48, was convicted at Basildon Crown Court of persistently harassing her neighbour in Shoeburyness over nearly a year, including shouting abuse, chasing her and banging on her windows. The victim described significant anxiety and distress affecting her ability to leave home and concern for her child. Horvathova received a 12-month community order requiring 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days, along with a two-year restraining order and £500 compensation payable in instalments from her Universal Credit.

Victor Kolev, an Albanian national also known as Altin Cuka, pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and carrying a box cutter in Southend. He received a 22-month sentence for the drug offence, with an additional month for the bladed-article offence served concurrently. Because the sentence exceeded 12 months, he faces automatic deportation proceedings.

Jaden Banton, who acted as a line holder and handled accounting for the Cash county-lines operation supplying cocaine and heroin from London to Southend, was convicted despite presenting a modern-slavery defence. Experts later supported his account that he had been pressured to work off his brother’s drug debt and faced intimidation. Basildon Crown Court judge Siew Loke found he played a lesser role and had significant personal mitigation, including developmental difficulties and possible trauma-related conditions. Banton received a 24-month sentence suspended for 18 months, along with mental-health treatment, rehabilitation requirements and four months of electronic monitoring, while his co-defendants received immediate prison terms.

Harvey Michaelson and Louis Brown admitted supplying ecstasy and cannabis after police searches in January 2023 uncovered drugs, cash, dealing equipment and evidence linking them. Their prosecution was delayed for more than three years because Essex Police did not initially send the case to the Crown Prosecution Service and the file was returned as incomplete. Both men had stayed out of trouble, pleaded guilty and received suspended prison sentences: two years for Michaelson and two years and three months for Brown. They must each complete 250 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity days.

A roundup of the Echo’s most-read South Essex crime and court stories from July 2026 covers drug dealing linked to a Basildon pub, an attempted shooting in Billericay, a police-ramming high-speed chase, the sexual abuse convictions of former taxi driver Scott Layfield, stalking by former GP Olusegun Omosini, a violent Southend shop dispute, the county-lines “Cash Line” gang and an armed sex offender. Multiple defendants received prison sentences, while several people involved in the drug gang received suspended sentences after arguments including modern slavery and family responsibilities were considered.

Tony Dicker, a 35-year-old Canvey Island man with significant mental-health and addiction problems, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court for acting as a line holder in the “Cash line” county lines operation supplying cocaine and heroin from London to Southend. Prosecutors said he managed the drug phone, directed runners and delivered supplies, while his defence argued he was a vulnerable courier exploited by gang members to repay a drug debt. The judge found he had played a significant role and rejected claims of coercion, sentencing him to 42 months for drug dealing and a consecutive four months for dangerous driving after a police chase. He is expected to serve 40% of the sentence, with credit for time spent on remand.

Scott Layfield, a former Southend chauffeur and taxi driver, was sentenced at Southend Crown Court to 22 years in prison followed by six years on extended licence for 45 child sex offences against six children, including 27 rapes. He must serve at least 14 years and eight months before parole can be considered. Layfield maintained that he had been set up, claimed memory loss despite medical evidence contradicting an alleged stroke, and said he planned to appeal. Three victims described the lasting effects of the abuse, including disrupted careers, education, relationships and family life. Recorder Peter Clark became tearful while commending their courage and telling them that Layfield no longer defined their futures.

Robert Cooke, 49, admitted assisting the Cash Line county lines gang by driving a female drug runner around Southend while carrying out drug deliveries. Essex Police found about 100 wraps of Class A drugs, including 62 of crack cocaine, in his car. Cooke, who has 50 previous convictions and a long history of heroin addiction and depression, received a two-year prison sentence suspended for 18 months, alongside mental-health and drug-rehabilitation requirements, electronic monitoring and other probation conditions. The court accepted that he had played a limited role and acted during a relapse, while gang leader Keian Creary was previously sentenced to 12 years in prison.

James Cowley, 33, of Southend, pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite or cause a child to engage in or watch sexual acts after communicating with a vigilante posing as a 14-year-old girl. The court heard that he initiated sexual discussions, exposed himself during a video call and discussed meeting her, although his barrister argued that the decoy encouraged some exchanges and that Cowley later stopped the sexual communication. Recorder Peter Clark found grooming behaviour but noted that Cowley appeared to be withdrawing from the communication before arrest. He received a 28-month prison sentence suspended for 30 months, alongside treatment and rehabilitation requirements, a ten-year sex-offender registration period and restrictions on internet use and contact with children under 16.

Jack Dowson, 32, of Basildon, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation involving a female victim. The offences occurred on December 5 and December 16, and the court also activated a previously suspended 12-month sentence. Recorder Peter Clark imposed consecutive terms totaling 21 months for the new offences in addition to the activated sentence.

Robert Brindley, a 50-year-old Basildon man with 70 previous convictions, admitted or was sentenced for seven burglary and attempted burglary offences in Benfleet, including repeat attempts against the same homes. The offences, captured on CCTV, involved food as the only stolen or targeted goods and caused significant anxiety to the victims. His defence cited childhood abuse, drug addiction, bowel cancer and deteriorating mental health. Recorder Peter Clark imposed a 46-month sentence, including concurrent terms, but suspended it for 30 months with mental health treatment, rehabilitation work and electronic monitoring.

Ricole Douglas-Francis, 31, was sentenced to 38 months in prison at Basildon Crown Court for acting as a line-holder in his brother-in-law Keian Creary’s county lines operation, which supplied cocaine and heroin from London to Southend between March and May 2025. The court heard that Douglas-Francis became involved after losing his job and falling into substantial debt while supporting four young children, but prosecutors said he understood the criminal nature and scale of the operation. He used two drug phones, directed runners and reported performance problems to Creary. Creary, described as the operation’s mastermind and linked to the Get Money Gang, received a 12-year sentence.

Keian Creary, 33, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Basildon Crown Court for running the “Cash line,” a county lines operation that supplied cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin from London to Southend and south Essex. Prosecutors described him as an aggressive repeat offender who voluntarily controlled the operation and profited from a lavish lifestyle, while his defence argued that he had been groomed into crime, exposed to gang violence and suffered from schizophrenia, PTSD, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. Creary had 14 previous offences, including earlier convictions for trafficking Class A drugs, making him a third-strike offender.

Aaron Thompson, a 34-year-old Essex man, was sentenced to 24 months in prison suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour, assault, dangerous driving and attempting to pervert the course of justice against his former victim. Prosecutors said he allegedly continued intimidating her from Chelmsford Prison after persuading staff to add her phone number to his approved contacts and having a prison negotiator contact her. Basildon Crown Court Judge Richard Conley criticized the CPS and Essex Police for failing to progress the allegations or obtain a statement from the complainant, while the CPS said it needed a police evidence file and police cited the victim's health. The alleged prison offences were not considered in sentencing, and Thompson was made subject to a restraining order.

Three men were jailed after a violent confrontation between Kurdish businesses at a vape shop in Southend High Street. Mohammed Rezhwan Fatah was sentenced to two years and nine months for stabbing a shop worker and causing serious injury, Kisra Karime received two years and six months for striking another worker with a shisha pipe, and Ali Maulood was jailed for one year and two months for affray. The judge refused to suspend any of the sentences, and because each term exceeded one year, the men face automatic deportation proceedings as foreign nationals.

Music producer Gareth Keane, who performed as Bless Beats, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to four and a half years for rape and a consecutive six months for voyeurism. The court heard that he violently attacked a woman after an argument, secretly filmed sexual acts and threatened to publish the footage. A neighbour heard the assault, while friends described earlier abusive behaviour and injuries suffered by the victim. Keane denied the allegations and claimed he had been falsely accused, but the jury convicted him.

Thomas Harvey, 31, was sentenced to 26 months in prison after pleading guilty to four offences: assault, stealing £28.50 of groceries from a BP petrol station in Wickford, tampering with a Toyota, and stealing a £500 DeWalt drill from a vehicle in Walthamstow. Recorder Gelaga King issued the sentence at Basildon Crown Court.

Essex Police released footage of Ryan Bowden leading officers on a high-speed chase through Southend while driving a Ford Transit van without a licence or insurance after smoking cannabis. The 28-year-old ran red lights, mounted kerbs, drove the wrong way on a one-way road and deliberately rammed a police car, injuring two officers, before abandoning the van and hiding in a block of flats. Basildon Crown Court sentenced him to immediate custody after Judge Richard Conley rejected his request to remain in the community, citing the seriousness of the incident and his poor history of complying with court orders.

Music producer and songwriter Gareth Keane, also known as Bless Beats, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to five years in prison for raping a woman and committing voyeurism. The court heard that he attacked the victim after she insulted his music career, subjected her to controlling and violent behaviour, and secretly recorded or threatened to distribute sexual footage. Keane denied the allegations, claiming they were fabricated out of spite, but was convicted by a jury. He must serve half of the sentence before becoming eligible for release on licence and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

A woman raped by music producer Gareth Keane described lasting shame, anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks and difficulty trusting romantic partners in a victim impact statement read at Basildon Crown Court. Keane was convicted of rape and voyeurism after secretly recording sexual acts without her consent and was sentenced to five years in prison, with a lifelong requirement to sign the sex offenders register. He maintains his innocence.

Aviation engineer Aaron Thompson, 34, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court after admitting controlling and coercive behaviour, assault, dangerous driving and attempting to pervert the course of justice against a woman. The court heard that he stabbed her with an insulin pen, drove at her, damaged her property, sent abusive messages and breached bail by contacting her. His 18-month prison sentence was suspended because he had already spent almost nine months on remand. He must complete mental health treatment and rehabilitation, wear a GPS tag for at least six months, and comply with a ten-year restraining order protecting the victim and her family. He is also under investigation over alleged intimidation attempts from prison.

Wickford security specialist Joe Joyce, 42, has pleaded not guilty to charges including controlling and coercive behaviour, stalking involving serious alarm or distress, and threatening to share an intimate image. Basildon Crown Court heard allegations that he monitored a woman’s devices and clothing, restricted her contact with others, followed her to various locations, sent unwanted messages, and entered her home. Judge Richard Conley kept bail conditions requiring Joyce to wear an electronic tag and prohibiting him from entering the SS6 postcode area. His trial is scheduled for the week beginning January 24, 2028.

Benjamin Mears and Jacob Dymond, both from Thurrock, pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and possessing criminal proceeds. Mears, 35, was sentenced to four years and one month in prison. Dymond, 26, also admitted possessing a knuckleduster and received a two-year suspended sentence, electronic monitoring and mandatory drug rehabilitation.

A Westcliff man, Ryan Bowden, was sentenced to one year in prison after admitting to dangerous driving during a police chase in Southend, during which he rammed a police car and drove recklessly through residential streets and roadworks. Both pursuing officers sustained injuries, and the police vehicle was damaged. Bowden, who had cannabis in his system, abandoned his van and was arrested after trying to hide in a block of flats. His defence cited personal difficulties, but the judge ruled that deterrence outweighed mitigation and imposed an immediate custodial sentence.

Luke Clements, a 36-year-old man from South Ockendon, received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence at Basildon Crown Court after admitting involvement in supplying cocaine and cannabis between July and November 2025. Judge John Bristow imposed concurrent sentences for the offences, ordered the destruction of the drugs, and applied a statutory victim surcharge.

Three men were jailed for operating a county lines drug operation that moved heroin and cocaine from London to south Essex, led by repeat offender Keian Creary, who exploited minors and lived off drug profits. Creary received 12 years in prison, while associates Tony Dicker and Ricole Douglas‑Francis were handed sentences of 46 and 38 months. Jaden Banton received a suspended sentence due to his recognised status as a modern slavery victim, and a trial of issue will determine the credibility of coercion claims by Luke Dunbar. Further sentencing in the case is pending.

A man from Westcliff, Jon Davey, admitted possessing a kitchen knife in public after appearing at a woman’s home and causing fear, while prosecutors dropped a related threat-to-kill charge. A judge postponed sentencing to obtain a probation report, citing concerns about Davey’s history and behaviour. Davey was released on bail and is scheduled for sentencing in September.

A man from Grays was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to a total of 40 months in prison after admitting cocaine possession with intent to supply, involvement in supplying cocaine, and cultivating cannabis. The judge imposed concurrent sentences for the Class A offences and an additional consecutive term for the cannabis charge.

A 20-year-old Southend man, Oliver Champion, received a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence at Basildon Crown Court after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing a knife, following a stabbing near Westcliff railway station. An attempted murder charge was dropped after the guilty pleas. His 18-year-old brother, Oscar Champion, admitted to assault causing actual bodily harm in the same incident and was given a community order with rehabilitation days and unpaid work. Essex Police released a mugshot of the primary offender.

Ashley Gordon, a 23-year-old from Southend, pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to possessing cocaine, MDMA and cannabis with intent to supply, as well as assaulting an emergency worker. The judge ordered a pre-sentence report but warned that the seriousness of Class A drug supply means a custodial sentence is likely. Sentencing is scheduled for August 25.

A Basildon man, Ricky Kerry, appeared at Basildon Crown Court charged with falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting a woman, as well as a separate GBH offence involving another victim. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The court scheduled two trials in September, one for the GBH allegation and another for the set of Westcliff offences. Kerry remains in custody pending trial.

A roundup of the most-read Essex crime and court stories from June 2026 highlights a series of serious cases including sexual offences, violent assaults, drug trafficking and historic child abuse. Several offenders received significant prison sentences, while one case involving a disputed murder conviction drew renewed attention through a Channel 4 documentary. The list spans crimes across Southend, Basildon and wider Essex, reflecting major police investigations, court outcomes and high public interest in local criminal justice developments.

Several defendants appeared at Basildon Crown Court to enter pleas on charges including rape, coercive control, GBH, ABH and drug dealing. All pleaded not guilty, with trials scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Most were released on bail with varying conditions and restrictions pending their trial dates.

A 23-year-old Leigh man, Elidon Murataj, received a one-year prison sentence at Basildon Crown Court after admitting to growing cannabis. The judge ordered the destruction of his drugs and equipment and directed that £107 seized at his arrest be donated to the Essex Community Foundation. Because the custodial term exceeds one year, authorities were notified, making Murataj likely to face automatic deportation to Albania.

Essex Police released footage of the arrest of Johnny Smith, who was sentenced alongside accomplices Donny Archer and Nelson Buckland for a failed drive‑by shooting targeting a van in south Essex. The men attempted to evade capture by dispersing across the country and altering their appearances but were convicted following extensive investigative work linking them to a stolen vehicle used in the attack. The court condemned the act as senseless and unjustified, and all three individuals received substantial prison sentences.

A Basildon man, William Thomas, received a three‑year suspended prison sentence after admitting involvement in cocaine and cannabis supply linked to drug dealing at The Owl & Pussycat pub. Essex Police uncovered nearly £29,000 worth of cocaine at his home and evidence that he supplied drugs to principal dealer Lee Kelly. The court heard Thomas acted to support his addiction and had since undergone rehabilitation and moved to Shropshire. Recorder Suki Dhadda cited his progress, low risk of reoffending and family responsibilities in suspending the sentence and ordering 30 rehabilitation days.

A South London man, Osama Sulieman, received a five‑year jail sentence at Basildon Crown Court after admitting involvement in supplying heroin and crack cocaine across Southend between February and July 2025. He changed his pleas to guilty in January. The court ordered the destruction of his phones and drugs, while £30 seized at arrest will be donated to the Essex Community Foundation.

A repeat offender from Pitsea was given no additional penalty for stealing an air fryer from The Range and £330 of Nike items from JD Sports, despite breaching a suspended sentence for the third time. A judge activated three months of his previous custodial term, which will likely result in his release soon due to time already served. The court declined to order compensation due to his inability to pay.

A jury at Southend Crown Court convicted Paul Valentine of attempting to meet a child after sexually grooming what he believed was a 13‑year‑old girl, who was actually a vigilante decoy. Chat logs, video messages and images recovered by police showed Valentine expressing affection and intent to meet the supposed child. He also created a fake profile to communicate with her. Despite his claim that he never intended a sexual offence, the jury found him guilty and also convicted him of possessing three Category C indecent images. Sentencing is scheduled for September 11.

Billy Sullivan pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm on an Evri delivery driver after an argument over an undelivered parcel. The judge noted the attack was an extreme and unexpected outburst but indicated a likely suspended custodial sentence due to Sullivan’s prior good character, employment and guilty plea. Prosecutors detailed multiple blows during the brief assault, and Sullivan is expected to face a substantial compensation order when sentenced on July 15.

Arran Markwick pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court to multiple sexual offences against an adult woman and a young girl, including rape and attempted rape. He had previously admitted additional offences, including sexual assaults on the child and coercive behaviour toward the woman. Judge Richard Conley warned him to expect a lengthy prison sentence, with sentencing scheduled for August 17. Prosecutors accepted his latest pleas as resolution of the case.

Paul Valentine testified at Southend Crown Court that he did not intend to engage in sexual activity with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, asserting he sought only friendship and was physically incapable of sex. The purported teen was actually part of a vigilante group that confronted him at Rochford railway station before his arrest by Essex Police. Valentine said his online comments suggesting romantic intent were efforts to determine whether the person was a scammer and maintained he had done nothing wrong as the trial continues.

Peter Anderson was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court to two years in prison for three burglaries committed over two days in April, involving the theft of an electric bike, a petrol chainsaw and several power tools from properties in Basildon.

Jurors at Southend Crown Court were shown a video that defendant Paul Valentine sent to what he believed was a 13‑year‑old girl but who was in fact a decoy operated by vigilante Frances King. Prosecutors allege Valentine travelled to meet the girl in April 2023 before being confronted by vigilantes. The defence questioned whether King had maintained the persona of a child during four days of messaging, highlighting discussions on adult topics. The trial remains ongoing.

Shaneyse Boyaram, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of involvement in supplying Class A drugs after managing the Cash Line county lines operation in Southend for about a month. Prosecutors said she advertised crack cocaine and heroin, took orders and dispatched runners, earning £400 a week in a significant operational role under gang boss Keian Creary. Basildon Crown Court heard that imprisonment would seriously affect her two children, one of whom has ADHD, while Boyaram was living in a women’s refuge and had no previous convictions. Judge Siew Loke found the conduct irresponsible and described Boyaram’s role as important and trusted, but accepted her remorse and efforts to leave negative influences. She received a two-year prison sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to complete ten days of rehabilitation activities.