Who appeared in the dock in Suffolk during this week

A number of individuals appeared at Suffolk Magistrates Court and Ipswich Crown Court for trial, to enter pleas and for sentencing.

Michael Banham

Michael Banham was jailed for 20 months (Image: Suffolk Police)

Described by Judge Emma Peters as "a real evil in society", Michael Banham was jailed for 20 months at Ipswich Crown court for possessing more than 1,000 "vile” indecent images and videos of children.

The 39-year-old had appeared before a court for possessing indecent images on a separate occasion.

“The only way such images and videos can be made is by children being subjected to actual abuse,” said the judge.

She said the “vile” images featured young children and some involved dogs and cats.

She continued: “The possession of images and videos like this fuel the trade in the abuse which literally destroys children’s lives, both physically and mentally."

Banham, of Kenyon Street, Ipswich, admitted three offences of possessing indecent images and videos of children and one offence of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Banham was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.

The court heard that in 2018 Banham was jailed for 16 months for downloading indecent images of children.

His phone was analysed after being arrested for an unrelated incident in 2022 and indecent images and videos were found.

Ryan Hayes

The 41-year-old was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court after admitting to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Hayes, of Raedwald Drive, was stopped by police who found cannabis with a street value of up to £170 in the boot of the car, they then seized his phone.

Samuel Roles was also in the car, the lead offender in the drug operation who has admitted to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.

Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley told the court that messages on the phone revealed Hayes drove Roles to cocaine deals.

Hayes had no previous convictions.

He was given an 18-month community order with 150 hours unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days.

Darren Hodgeson

Hodgeson was jailed for 18 weeks (Image: Suffolk Police) Hodgeson, of no fixed address was charged with two counts of breaching an existing criminal behaviour order.

A criminal behaviour order prohibits offenders of crimes from doing activities listed in the order, which may include acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress to the public. 

Hodgeson, is from the Bury St Edmunds area and was arrested on September 9.

Hodgeson pleaded guilty to the charges and appeared at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court on November 12 where he was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment.

Delphi arson

A 14-year-old was sentenced to a 12-month referral order (Image: Joe Collins) A 14-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared before Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

He admitted to arson while being reckless as to whether life was endangered and given a 12-month referral order.

The teenager admitted to starting the fire at the derelict Delphi Systems factory, in Newton Road on May 28 this year.

A referral order is the community sentence most often used by the courts when dealing with 10 to 17 year olds, particularly for first time offenders who plead guilty.

His mother was ordered to pay £111 in court costs.

Ongoing murder trial

Isabella Wheildon died on June 26 last year (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

In the latest update from Ipswich Crown Court on the case of Isabella Wheildon's death, the court heard Scott Jeff denied not reporting the two-year-old's death for four days in the hope there would be less chance of doctors discovering how she’d died.

“No that’s not true at all,” said Jeff, who was giving evidence on his fourth day in the witness box.

Jeff accepted that he and his partner Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell hadn't officially notified anyone of Isabella Wheildon’s death on June 26 last year.

The couple had fled to Bury St Edmunds four days later leaving her body in her pushchair in temporary accommodation where they were staying in Ipswich.

He said he had actually been hoping that when doctors found out how Isabella died they would know he hadn’t anything to do with it.

Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell, both 24 and of no fixed address, have denied murdering Isabella between June 26-30 last year.

In addition to denying murder, Jeff has also denied causing or allowing the death of a child between June 26-30 last year and two offences of cruelty to a child.

Gleason-Mitchell has pleaded guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child and two offences of cruelty to a child under 16.