The start of 2024 has been marked by significant legal proceedings in south London, resulting in numerous individuals being incarcerated for a range of offences, from theft to murder. Here are the stories of some of those who have been sentenced:
1. Bardhyl Mustafaj
64-year-old Bardhyl Mustafaj, residing in Coupland Place, Greenwich, received an eight-year prison sentence after being convicted of rape. Mustafaj’s DNA was discovered on a teddy bear that he had touched during the assault at the victim’s home near Hampstead Heath.
2. Louis and Stewart Ahearne
Woolwich brothers Louis and Stewart Ahearne, aged 35 and 45 respectively, were sentenced to three years and six months in prison for stealing Ming Dynasty artefacts valued at approximately £3 million from a Swiss museum.
3. Ibrahim Moro
Ibrahim Moro, 33, from Bromley, and his partner Rebecca Patrick, 32, from Croydon, were found guilty of conducting a romance scam targeting elderly individuals through dating sites. Moro received a five-and-a-half-year prison term, while Patrick was given an 18-month suspended sentence.
4. Matthew Bower
52-year-old Matthew Bower from Swanley was sentenced to 13 years in prison for commissioning the sexual abuse of children as young as two, involving explicit photos and videos.
5. Dean Beason
Dean Beason, 41, of Bromley, was involved in a county-line drug operation in Gravesend and was sentenced to four years in prison after being caught with drugs and related paraphernalia.
6. Christopher Gibbons
Carshalton resident Christopher Gibbons, 40, received an eight-year prison sentence for using a podcast to advocate for violence against ethnic minorities.
7. Jake Simms
29-year-old Jake Simms from Southwark was sentenced to two years in prison for stealing cash from a Co-op in East Peckham.
8. Jamie Lewis
Jamie Lewis, 25, from Thornton Heath, was given a life sentence for murdering Matt Portland during a fight in an Iceland car park on Canvey Island.
9. Harvey Smalling
Harvey Smalling, 20, from Orpington, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for stabbing an off-duty police officer near a fast-food restaurant.
10. Shaun Bent
29-year-old Shaun Bent from Lewisham was sentenced to eight years in prison after police discovered pistols, cocaine, and a large sum of cash at his residence.
11. Hameed Baig
Hameed Baig, 25, from Greenwich, received a four-year and three-month prison term for his involvement in a drug line operation from London to Southampton.
12. Ashley Singh
39-year-old Ashley Singh from Bromley and his girlfriend Sophie Bruyea, 20, were involved in stealing from gym lockers and were sentenced to three years and 20 months respectively for their crimes.
