The phrase “they’re there to do their job” was repeated several times in Lynn’s courtroom last week.
While the majority of people do not need to be reminded not to aggravate the police, there were a few who had not quite got the memo.
Jake Graham and Harvey Devitt from West Winch, as well as Savannah Collinson from North Lynn, were amongst those who faced magistrates on Thursday.
Read more about them and other West Norfolk criminals below…
19-year-old had ‘nothing to say’ for himself after hurling abuse at female police officer
Harvey Devitt, stood arms crossed in the dock after becoming verbally abusive to officers during his arrest.
Appearing unrepresented, he pleaded guilty to the offence, which was recorded by his friends on Friday, August 8.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb said that Devitt was spotted by an officer in the early hours of the morning at the King’s Abbey taxi rank on Norfolk Street.
He could be heard shouting: “Come on then, I will f***ing lay you out.”
When the officer approached him, she noticed his pupils were large and suspected he was drunk or on drugs.
He told her to “f*** off”, and as she took hold of his arm, he began to resist.
Devitt was handed an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £40 in court costs, as well as a £26 victim surcharge.
‘Idiot’ cleaner launched water bottle at police car
Savannah Collinson, 36, of Columbia Way in North Lynn, appeared in court with 16 offences to her name, pleading guilty to one more of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
Prosecutor Libby Smith told the court that at around 1.30am on Sunday, July 27, officers were driving down Norfolk Street when a half-full water bottle came hurtling towards them.
After stopping, they saw Collinson, who had thrown the item, unsteady on her feet with glazed-over eyes.
When one of the officers turned around, she tipped more water down their back and legs.
Appearing unrepresented in court, Collinson said: “All I can do is apologise.”
She was handed a £62 fine and will have to pay a £24 victim surcharge, as well as £40 in court costs.
Each will be added to her fines account, which already stands at £365, and she will pay it off at £10 per week.
Drunk mechanic kicked officer during second police assault this year
Jake Graham, of Chapel Lane in West Winch, claimed he has “no issue” with the force despite having kicked an officer on August 2.
He pleaded guilty to two charges in court, including being drunk and disorderly and assault of a constable – though he said he did not remember it.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb jogged his memory, saying the incident started in the early hours of the morning on Norfolk Street, where the 36-year-old, who was “clearly intoxicated”, refused to leave one of the bars.
He became aggressive towards the police on their arrival, and it got to the point where they had to restrain his arms using straps.
Graham, an auto-repairman, proceeded to thrust his hips to get the officers away.
His offence breached a conditional discharge that was given to him earlier this year when he grabbed hold of a police taser while involved in a brawl.
He has been ordered to pay a £300 fine as well as a victim surcharge of £120 and court costs of £85.
No compensation was given to the officer who was assaulted, as magistrates felt it may “escalate” the situation.
Man stuffed wine, crisps and sandwich down his trousers during stealing spree
Arturas Gilys, of Pleasance Close in Gaywood, was in the dock for two counts of theft and one attempted theft.
The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to all three offences – which saw him breach a conditional discharge given to him on July 10.
He was caught on CCTV on two occasions, July 24 and 29, entering Home Bargains in Lynn.
The first time, he entered with another man and proceeded to stuff the wine down his trousers.
Gilys then returned 45 minutes later to try to steal a sandwich.
Staff saw him take the food out of his trousers and place it back on the shelf, at which point the packaging was so damaged that it could not be resold.
Days later, he reappeared in the shop and made off with another bottle of wine and a multipack bag of crisps.
His haul came to a grand total of £18.68.
Gilys was handed a £120 fine and will have to pay back the £18.68 to the shop.
He will also pay a victim surcharge of £48 and £85 in court costs.
Drink-driver who tried to hand police bank card instead of licence avoids jail
Darren Whitehouse travelled 104 miles to Lynn’s court room where he heard about the seriousness of his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to drink-driving for the third time in his life after he was pulled over on North Beach Road in Heacham on Friday, August 1.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb said that officers were told by a member of the public that the 45-year-old and another man had been drinking, before getting into a red Toyota.
When police stopped him, he tried to hand over his bank card instead of his driving licence.
Whitehouse, of Dugdale Street in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was handed a 46-month driving ban and has been ordered to pay a £120 fine, as well as a victim surcharge of £48 and £85 in court costs.
Cleaner back in court after 25 years as police uncover drugs at his home
Wayne Greenacre, 42, a cleaner who lives on Losinga Road in North Lynn, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis.
Police attended his home on March 3 last year, and during a search came across 45g of the Class B drug.
When arrested, Greenacre, who had 16 previous convictions, admitted the drugs belonged to him.
Solicitor George Sorrell said: “The only thing I can say in mitigation is that Mr Greenacre, for a long time of 25 years, has stayed out of this court and he has not committed any other offences in the last 18 months.
Magistrates ordered the drugs to be destroyed and handed Greenacre a 12-month conditional discharge.
He will also have to pay a £26 victim surcharge and £40 in court costs, which he agreed to pay back at £20 a month.
Man caught drink-driving less than two decades after causing crash which killed cousin
Mark Murkin, who lives in a caravan park on Mere Way in Milton, Cambridgeshire, was back in the dock just shy of 20 years since causing the 2006 death.
He pleaded guilty to another offence, which saw him pulled over by police on the A10 at Setchey on August 2 with 67mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit to drive is 35mcg.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb said that the 44-year-old, who was also convicted of drink-driving in July 2021, was spotted swerving across the white lines and hitting the curb on the 40mph road.
Murkin told officers that he had consumed six pints before getting behind the wheel.
He was handed a 46-month driving ban and was fined £120.
He will also have to pay a £48 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
Walking out of the courtroom, Murkin could be heard joyfully humming to himself.
Drug-driving father ‘shocked’ that cocaine was in his system days after taking it
Father-of-four Tony Foreman, who lives on a houseboat in Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to drug-driving with no insurance.
Officers stopped the 37-year-old over on Elm High Road at Emneth after catching a strong whiff of cannabis coming from his Volkswagen Touran.
When searching his vehicle, police came across eight grams of cannabis, and came to the realisation that he was under the influence.
A test taken at the station confirmed he had 2.1mcg of cannabis per litre of blood in his system – the legal limit to drive is 2mcg.
It also contained 86mcg of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine breakdown, exceeding the legal limit of 50mcg.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell, said: “It was some days before that a friend had come forward and offered him a small quantity to make him feel better.
“It didn’t really make him feel better, and now, days later, he was caught.
“It came back to hit him as the cocaine was still in his system. He was shocked.”
Foreman was handed an 18-month driving ban, and will also have to pay a £120 fine, court costs of £85 and a £48 victim surcharge.
Magistrates ruled that his licence should be endorsed to show he has been convicted of driving without insurance.
Drink-driver brake-checked tractor because its headlights were ‘blinding’
Ethan Salway, of Church Road in Wretton, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb said that police were called by the farmer who spotted Salway on Field Lane in Wretton on Sunday, August 3.
The 24-year-old had been flashing his lights at him repeatedly, overtaking and brake-checking him.
The farmer tried to speak to the Salway, but was “unable to reason with him”.
When officers arrived, they found he had 67mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell told the court that the tractor’s lights were “blinding” and that Salway was trying to “demonstrate his unhappiness”.
He was handed a 36-month driving ban as well as a £120 fine.
He will also have to pay a £48 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
Father-of-six stole food from discount shop as he was ‘short on money’
Mark Ogle, 34, of Walpole Road in North Lynn, pleaded guilty to shoplifting £25.86 worth of food items from Home Bargains on October 16, 2024.
Prosecutor Nicola Lamb said Ogle was caught on CCTV leaving the shop without making any attempt to pay for the stolen goods.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell, said: “He was very short of money and succumbed to the idea that he could get food by stealing from the shop,” he said.
At the time, Ogle already had £583 in outstanding court fines for previous offences.
Magistrates added a further £250.86 to that, including a £100 fine, a £40 victim surcharge, £85 in court costs and compensation of £25.86 to Home Bargains.
Shoplifter stole whiskey, scissors and cafetière during anger-fuelled spree
Carl Pritchard, of Queen Mary Road in Gaywood, stole goods to the value of £52.50 from Tesco in Fakenham.
The 52-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence, which saw him loot £40 whiskey, a pair of scissors and a cafetière.
Prosecutor Libby Smith said that Pritchard – who recently moved into homeless accommodation managed by the Purfleet Trust – visited the store on July 13.
He placed the bottle into his trolley with number of other items, paid for some and left without paying for others
Police later approached Pritchard as part of an unrelated matter, and when they searched his bag, they discovered the whiskey still had its security tag on.
They questioned him on where he got it from, and although he initially claimed he found it, he later admitted that he had in fact stolen the items.
In mitigation, solicitor George Sorrell said that Pritchard was “upset and angry” as he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and they had split up.
Pritchard asked magistrates if there was any way that he could serve his punishment by contributing to one of Tesco’s charities.
They rejected the request.
Instead, he will have to pay back the £52.50 to the store alongside £40 in court costs.
