Some of the criminals with Suffolk links who were sentenced in September, with cases from Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Woodbridge and more
It has been a busy month for the courts, with sentences handed out to dozens of people across the county.
While some were punished for more minor offences, others received long jail terms for the more serious of crimes.
These are the people with Suffolk links who faced justice in September.
Cambridge dealer jailed for selling across two counties
Our first case sees a drug dealer from Cambridge jailed for dealing drugs across two counties.
Denis Sylaj, of Arbury Road, Cambridge, appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on September 9.
He was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (cocaine), driving a vehicle without third party insurance, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and possession of a fraudulent driving licence.
Sylaj admitted all charges and was jailed for 32 months, disqualified from driving for 22 months.
In addition, £2,380 in cash and an iPhone were seized.
Police officer sent sexually explicit messages to alleged rape victim
Next, a former police officer from Ipswich was jailed for misconduct.
Ryan Althorpe, 33, who was a sergeant for Woodbridge’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, sent sent sexually explicit messages to a woman trying to report an alleged rape.
He was jailed for 10 years on September 11.
Althorpe denied one count of attempting to engage a female into sexually inappropriate conversation with a view to engaging in sexual activity with that person and one count of wilful neglect to record her disclosure of a non-recent rape allegation.
Beccles man jailed for sex crimes from the 1990s
Also in September, a man from Beccles was jailed for sex crimes from three decades ago.
David King, of Old Farm Road, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court on September 12.
King was convicted on two counts of indecent assault on a young girl plus one count of indecency with a child, relating to crimes which took place in the mid 1990s.
He was cleared of a further three counts of indecent assault.
An investigation into King was launched in May 2020 and he was charged in July 2021.
Dealer dealt drugs to fund his own habit
This month also saw a 41-year-old from Lowestoft jailed for selling drugs to feed his own habit.
Russell Stanley, of Denmark Road, was jailed on three counts of being concerned with the supply of cocaine between August 2021 and April 2022 and two other counts of possession with intent to supply cocaine between 2023 and 2024.
Stanley had 14 convictions for 45 offences between 2002 and 2024, including 17 drug offences.
Stanley made no comment upon his arrest, but while on bail in October of last year, police attended his address once again and found cocaine, scales, paraphernalia and a mobile phone with messages showing he was involved in commercial supply.
He was sentenced to seven years and eight months imprisonment on September 12.
Teenager sent to young offenders institute for drug offences
Also in September, a teenager from Ipswich was sentenced for drug dealing.
Gabriel Szypulski, 18, of Fulham Way, was sentenced to 12 months at a young offenders institute on September 19.
He was first arrested in May and was sentenced on July 11 after pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, being concerned in Class B drugs and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property.
Officers detained Szypulski after witnessing a suspected exchange of drugs, with a quantity of drugs discovered in subsequent searches.
Following a search of his home, £12,000 in cash was discovered in one room
The 18-year-old was handed a suspended nine month sentence while he was ordered to forfeit £13,500.
In July, Szypulski was again arrested with evidence suggesting he was involved in drug dealing.
Having pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class B drugs, he was sentenced to three months at a young offender institution at Ipswich Crown Court earlier this month.
He was also ordered to serve the previously suspended nine month sentence and to forfeit £590 in cash that had been discovered during police searches.
Former teacher ‘groomed’, ‘watched pornography with’ and ‘gave alcohol’ to victims
A harrowing case from September saw a former teacher from Bury St Edmunds jailed for sexual abuse.
Richard Taylor, 56, of West Street, Icklingham, near Bury St Edmunds, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment at Ipswich Crown Court on September 20.
He was convicted in June of sexual activity with two children, aged 10 to 14, between 1999 and 2003.
These included one count of rape, six counts of indecent assault of a male and nine counts of indecency with a child.
Taylor’s victim’s described their trauma to the court.
Handing down his sentence, Judge Martyn Levett said: “You groomed each of these children, watched pornography with them and on occasion gave alcohol.”
Man jailed for burglary
Also in September, a Lowestoft man with 23 prior convictions was jailed for burgling a house.
Paul Anderson, 55, of Fowlers Crescent, Corton, admitted the charge and was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on September 20.
He was arrested after the owner of a house in Lyngate Avenue contacted police when they discovered cash had gone missing amid signs of a break-in on July 5.
He will spend two years and 11 months behind bars.
Owner of stately home fined for installing structures without planning permission
September also saw the owner of a prominent Suffolk estate fined for breaching planning regulations.
The British Institute of Technology Ltd, which owns Shrublands Hall in Barham, and its directors appeared before Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on September 25.
A spokesperson for Mid Suffolk District Council said they didn’t have planning permission for a timber-framed storage building or a portable cabin at the site.
The council’s requests for them to be removed proved unsuccessful, the court was told.
The firm pleaded guilty, having previously denied the charges.
All eight charges against Professor Muhammad Farmer, 54, of Romford Road, London, which he had previously denied, were dismissed by the court after no evidence was offered.
The business was fined £450 for each of the eight offences, totalling £3,600. It must also pay a surcharge of £1,440 and costs of £875. All must be paid within 28 days.
Man jailed for burglary and drug offences
Next, a man from Bury St Edmunds was jailed for both drug and burglary offences.
Gavin McConkey, 54, of no fixed address but the Bury St Edmunds area, was handed a 36-week sentence at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on September 28.
McConkey stole bottles of alcohol from a premises on Cornhill on September 26.
He was also sentenced for possession of cannabis and a breach of a suspended sentence order and ordered to pay a £250 fine.
Drink-driver banned
Our final case sees a 60-year-old man handed a 17-month driving ban after being caught drunk behind the wheel.
Andrew Seeley, of Needham Road, Stowmarket, appeared before Norwich Magistrates’ Court on September 24.
Officers stopped his car at a garage on the A47, between Thorney and Guyhirn, after police reported a suspected drink driver crossing into Cambridgeshire and heading towards Suffolk.
Seeley was arrested and charged after failing a breath test and giving a result of 63mcg per 100ml of breath in custody which is nearly double the legal limit of 35.
