CRIMINALS jailed in May include drug dealers, men who attempted murder and rogue dog traders.

The list below includes some of the offenders that were put behind bars by judges during May.

The offenders' names and a summary of what led to them appearing in the dock are as follows:

Dorset plotted to import ton of cannabis from Morocco

Bridport and Lyme Regis News: Rupert Kelly, of Broadwinsdor, DorsetRupert Kelly, of Broadwinsdor, Dorset

Rupert Kelly was dubbed the organiser of a plot to smuggle a metric ton of ‘high quality’ cannabis into the country has been jailed.

Kelly, 29, of Higher Park Farm, Broadwindsor, was jailed for five-and-a-years after he took a ‘leading role’ in a planned operation to import cannabis from Morocco via a sailing yacht into the UK between February 29 and June 1, 2020. He planned to sell each kilo for between £3,000 to £3,500 – yielding at least £3 million in income.

Bristol Crown Court heard how Kelly, Gavin Challis, 46, from Essex and Daniel Parrot and Jason Tongue, both aged 47 and from Nottinghamshire, conspired to collect the packages of Class B drugs from a moored yacht, land at the Cornish Coast to then be distributed across the country.

In order to discuss the drug trafficking plot, the four individuals used encrypted communication network EncroChat and used code names to disguise their identities.

Under the alias ‘Organic Shoe’, Kelly was to arrange a boat and crew to access the moored yacht and bring the drugs package back onto the UK coast using a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB).

Kelly asked Challis, also known as ‘Mushroom Waffle’ to purchase and supply the drugs and instructed Parrott, under the handle of ‘Bluff Pizza’ to buy fuel drums to for a boat.

The planned operation was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Part of Operation Venetic – the UK law enforcement response to the takedown of EncroChat – the NCA’s investigation found that the group had discussed the quantity of drugs to be transported, as well as images of the RHIB and landing areas for the cannabis.

The men were all arrested and officers seized multiple mobile phones from their properties.

A search of Kelly’s home in Dorset, showed ‘a great immersion into the world of drugs’ and messages on his devices showed he ‘bragged’ about his illegal activity, sitting Judge Julian Lambert remarked. More than £25,000 was found in cash.

Father and son scammed elderly people out of thousands of pounds for building works

Bridport and Lyme Regis News: Father and son from Dorset jailed after targeting elderly with rogue roof workFather and son from Dorset jailed after targeting elderly with rogue roof work

A father and son who overcharged elderly victims by thousands of pounds for building work at their homes have both been jailed for three and half years.

Kevin Sherwood, aged 61, of Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, and his son Kevin Mark Sherwood, also known as Kevin Doe, aged 39 and of Craigmoor Avenue, Bournemouth, were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court in May.

They had both been found guilty following a trial at the same court of two charges of fraud by false representation.

They were both sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

In July 2017, Dorset Police received a banking protocol notification in relation to cash withdrawals made by a man aged in his 80s from Corfe Mullen.

The bank told officers the man had wanted to withdraw £5,000 for gardening work, but when asked for more details he did not actually seem to understand what work the money would cover - as he had not received a proper quote or breakdown of costs. As a result of the concerns raised police were called and spoke with him.

The victim said some time ago he had been experiencing problems with his roof. He had approached some men who were doing work on a neighbour’s property and asked them to look at his roof.

The men told him it needed a lot of work and they would let him know the costs as they went along.

Over a period of several months the victim said two or three men carried out work on his roof and decking in his garden and he paid them in cash for various things as they went along.

He could not say exactly how much he had paid, but enquiries indicated withdrawals amounting to £50,000 had been identified as leaving the victim’s account and going into Sherwood Jr’s bank account.

The jury found that the defendants had falsely represented that £50,000 was a fair price.

The court heard evidence a chartered surveyor attended the addresses to assess the works that had been carried out. The surveyor estimated a reasonable price for the work carried out at the property was £8,600 plus VAT.

A second victim, a man aged in his 70s from Poole, reported that over the summer of 2017 a man knocked on his door and claimed he had noticed one of the victim’s roof tiles had come off.

The man offered to have a roofing company come and take a look and the victim agreed. The man identified himself as Kevin Sherwood.

The victim was initially quoted £14,800 for work that needed doing on the roof and a further £6,800 for replacing a brick wall around the boundary of his property.

The victim subsequently agreed for further work to be carried out at the property.

The jury found the defendants had falsely represented that £76,800 was a fair price. A chartered surveyor estimated that a reasonable charge for the work carried out at the property was £40,000.

Detective Constable Jo Poultney, of Bournemouth CID, said: "These defendants targeted vulnerable elderly victims and massively overcharged them for work carried out on their home.

"I'm pleased through our enquiries we were able to prove their fraudulent business practices so they could be held accountable for their actions.

"I'd urge anyone with concerns about vulnerable neighbours or relatives who are potentially being targeted by rogue traders in this manner to please contact us.

"We would always advise against accepting work from doorstep traders.

"If you think a job needs doing, we would suggest getting multiple quotes from reputable traders and take time to think it over."

‘Dishonest’ Rogue puppy trader made close to £1,000,000 before being jailed

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

A ROGUE animal trader who was living in Weymouth has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after putting the nation's rabies-free status at risk.

Peter Graham Harman ran two fraudulent puppy-selling businesses - namely for the sale of unlawfully imported cropped and docked puppies from Serbia - making £1million, a court heard.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how the 39-year-old ran a fraudulent business between February 8, 2017 and March 23 last year.

Peter Harman who was living in Weymouth earlier this year has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after putting the nation's rabies-free status at risk

Harman pleaded guilty to misleading customers through false advertisement and the sale of cropped and docked Doberman and Cane Corso puppies between May 24 and June 26, 2018.

He also admitted knowingly and intently evading the provisions of rabies for 25 Doberman puppies between the dates May 25 and July 12, 2018, and unlawfully imported puppies while falsely claiming they were rabies-free to customers.

On multiple occasions Harman deliberately provided false information of the delivery location of Doberman puppies between May 1 and July 7, 2019.

Harman committed the offences while running his businesses UK Dobermans and UK Cane Corsos, which were based in Shaftesbury.

Officers working with Trading Standards at Dorset Council searched Harman’s address, and found conversations on his phone with eastern European colleagues which demonstrated he understood the regulations he was breaking.

Judge Stephen Climie, sentencing Harman, said due to his unlawful actions the rogue puppy trader put the UK's rabies-free status at risk.

He said: "The UK was at risk of losing its rabies-free status.

"Even though the risk did not come to pass you have still put this country at risk.

"Custody will show all those involved what will happen if they put this country at risk."

Man watched bomb tutorial videos on his mobile phone jailed for terrorism offences

Bridport and Lyme Regis News: Robert Gregory, aged 24 and from Bournemouth was jailed for terrorism offences. Picture: Dorset Police

Robert Gregory was jailed after he viewed instructional videos of how to create explosives.

Robert Gregory, aged 24 and from Bournemouth pleaded guilty to two charges contrary to section 58(1)(c) of the Terrorism Act 2000 – these being that he viewed, or otherwise accessed, by means of the internet a document or record containing information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

An investigation was launched after Gregory’s mobile phone was seized on Friday, April 26, 2019 after concerns were raised about searches that had been made on the device.

A detailed review of his mobile phone revealed that instructional videos on the manufacture of a small explosive device and an electronic timer had been viewed, or otherwise accessed, on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Gregory was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and was made the subject of an extended licence period for a further six years at Winchester Crown Court on Thursday, May 6.

He will also be subject to a terrorism notification order, which means he will be closely monitored for a period of 30 years.

Man spat towards police officer in cell

Bridport and Lyme Regis News: Reuben Junior Charles was jailed at Bournemouth Crown CourtReuben Junior Charles was jailed at Bournemouth Crown Court

Reuben Junior Charles, 53, committed the assault of spitting towards a police officer at Bournemouth custody centre, having been arrested for an unrelated matter.

The incident took place when Charles became agitated and spat at the officer through a cell hatch on September 5 last year.

He was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court on May 5.

Charles pleaded guilty to the offence as well as a breach of a conditional discharge order made by magistrates’ in August 2020 for being drunk and disorderly and possessing class B drugs.

The defendant, of Muscliffe Road, Bournemouth, was jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to pay £150 compensation to the police constable.

District Judge Stephen Nicholls noted the seriousness of the offence, with Charles spitting towards the officer during the course of the Covid pandemic.

No action was taken by the courts in relation to the conditional discharge order breach.

Thug put man into coma following serious assault

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

A man has been jailed for a violent assault outside a bar in Bournemouth.

Manuel Eugenio Caldeira, aged 57 and of Randolph Road in Bournemouth, was sentenced on Wednesday, May 26 2021 after admitting an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm at an earlier appearance at the same court.

He was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

At around 8.50pm on Saturday, January 25, 2020 the ambulance service was called to a report that a man had been found unconscious outside Bar 7 in Christchurch Road.

The victim, a man aged in his 60s, had a number of head injuries and a witness reported that he had been involved in an altercation with another man.

Police were called and, following enquiries, it was established that Caldeira had attended the bar at around 7pm that evening and had been involved in an altercation with the victim inside the premises.

The victim went outside a short time later and the defendant was seen to follow him and lunge toward him.

Caldeira was arrested later that evening after attending the Royal Bournemouth Hospital for treatment to a hand injury.

The victim was taken to hospital and was placed in an induced coma due to the severity of is head injuries. He was subsequently treated for a number of facial fractures and has been left with long term neurological issues.

Man jailed for attempted murder and false imprisonment

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years after two women and a teenage girl sustained serious injuries during two violent attacks in Bournemouth.

Mark Robert Williams, 37 and of Cecil Road in Bournemouth, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday 29 March 2021 and admitted two counts of attempted murder, two counts of false imprisonment, committing grievous bodily harm with intent and sexual assault by penetration.

Williams appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, May 21 and was sentenced.

The two incidents occurred during the evening of Thursday, February 18 in Maxwell Road and Vale Road.

At around 8.10pm Dorset Police received a report of a stabbing at the address in Maxwell Road.

Officers attended and located a woman aged in her 40s with a cut to her throat and abdomen, as well as a puncture wound to her thigh. She was flown to hospital by air ambulance in a life-threatening condition.

A teenage girl who was also present at the address had sustained a cut on her cheek. She was taken to hospital for treatment to serious injuries.

While at the scene, one of the victims told officers that Williams had attended the address and attacked them, tied them up, gagged them and threatened to kill them. During the incident, the teenage girl was sexually assaulted by Williams.

Later that same day at 11.59pm, officers were called to reports of a woman screaming in Vale Road. The victim – a woman aged in her 30s – was found with a laceration to her throat. She was flown by air ambulance to hospital with very serious injuries and underwent surgery.

Extensive searches were carried out of the area and at around 1.30am on Friday, February 19 officers noticed Williams acting strangely on Old Christchurch Road. Williams was covered in blood.

Officers approached Williams and he immediately told them he was the man that they were looking for. He was subsequently arrested in connection with both incidents and an investigation was launched by Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT).

During police interview, Williams confirmed that he had attacked three female victims at two locations and confirmed that he had committed serious offences.

Drug dealer fled country in desperate bid to avoid prison

Bridport and Lyme Regis News: Jordan James Daniel Phillips of Bournemouth, DorsetJordan James Daniel Phillips of Bournemouth, Dorset

A man involved in a major operation to supply illegal drugs in Dorset has been jailed, nearly four years after he fled the country in an attempt to escape justice.

Jordan James Daniel Phillips, aged 32, of Brassey Road in Bournemouth, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, May 17 to be sentenced after being found guilty of conspiring to supply class A drugs following a two-week trial at the same court.

He was sentenced to nine years for the drug offence and a further four months for failing to surrender to bail.

On Friday, August 31, 2018 six men were jailed for more than 32 years for offences including conspiring to supply class A and class B drugs following an investigation by Dorset Police’s Serious Organised Crime Team into a group that was suspected of supplying large quantities of class A and class B drugs across the county.

The six men were found to be part of an organised crime network controlling a number of other individuals to orchestrate the distribution of high purity cocaine and cannabis between January 2016 and January 2017.

During the course of the operation just under four kilograms of high purity cocaine was recovered along with more than three kilograms of cannabis. Additionally, dealer lists seized during the operation from the organised crime group showed significant sums of money totaling just over £600,000.

Phillips was arrested in connection with the initial police operation, but prior to answering police bail in June 2017 he fled the country. He took a ferry to France before travelling to the Philippines, where he stayed in a bid to avoid prosecution.

On Friday, October 30, 2020 Phillips returned to the country via Heathrow Airport, where he was arrested and subsequently charged.

During his trial, the jury heard evidence that he was involved with the network of drug dealers and oversaw safe houses where the drugs were stored by other members of the group.