Three men have been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment after they violently robbed a man for £40 in cash and left him with a fractured skull in July last year. Darren Dawson, aged 33, of Smith Street, Scunthorpe and Thomas Mobbs, aged 37 of Frodingham Road, Scunthorpe were both sentenced to seven years imprisonment. A third man, Zack Tingle, aged 27 of Berkley Street, Scunthorpe was handed a six-year prison sentence. All three men appeared at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday 2 December for sentencing following a four-day trial which commenced on Monday 28 November after all three men entered not guilty pleas at an earlier date. On Monday 19 July a man was walking home after visiting a pub on Oswald Road in Scunthorpe for some food when he was approached by the three men at around 8pm on Teal Street. In an unprovoked attack the man was repeatedly punched in the face as the men demanded money from him and attempted to take his bag. As the man had no cash on him, with broken glasses, swelling and cuts to his nose, Dawson, Mobbs and Tingle dragged the man to an ATM on Frodingham Road and threatened him to make a cash withdrawal for £40 cash before fleeing the scene. The man was taken to hospital to receive treatment for a fractured skull as a result of the incident. Detective Constable Scott Belton leading the investigation said: “This was an unprovoked attack on an innocent member of the public who was attacked, assaulted and robbed purely because he was dressed smartly, and they believed he had money. “As a result of their violent actions, these three men have left a man with a lifelong head injury. “I hope this outcome at court provides the victim and members of the public with some reassurance that these men can no longer cause fear or harm within our communities. “Violent crime and robbery will not be tolerated, and we will do everything we can to seek justice for victims to ensure our residents feel safe and criminals are punished.”

Joint agency raids on two premises in Grantham have led to more than 10,000 illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, 350 illegal vapes and cash seized.

A chop shop gang operating a million-pound car theft operation, have now all been sent to prison for 46 years for their involvement in the biggest conspiracy Humberside Police says it has ever seen. The 11 men appeared at Grimsby Crown Court from September through to December for sentencing for their involvement in operating various chop shops across North Lincolnshire. Large quantities of brand new and high-end vehicles such as Land Rovers, Jaguars and BMWs, had been stolen, stripped down and the parts sold and shipped overseas. Five of the men entered not guilty pleas to the charges against them, with four separate trials all taking place at Grimsby Crown Court, starting in August 2021 and concluding on Wednesday 10 August 2022. Tomas Bruzikas, 34, of Hiles Avenue, Grimsby was found guilty of Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and Converting Criminal Property and has now been handed a seven year and six month sentence. Lukas Voveris, 30, of Spencer Avenue, Grimsby was found guilty of Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and Converting Criminal Property and was handed five years and six months. Guntars Dubrenieks, 30, of Wells Street, Grimsby was found guilty of Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and Converting Criminal Property and was handed five years and seven months. Giedrius Eimutis, 46, of Mulgrave Street, Scunthorpe was found guilty of Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and Converting Criminal Property and was handed a four-year sentence. Kantrimas Zukauskas, 44 of Wincolmlee, Hull was found guilty of Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and Converting Criminal Property and was handed seven years and nine months. Four of the men, all from Scunthorpe, entered guilty pleas to the charges against them at earlier court hearings. Sarunas Eidininkas, 27, of Somerby Road, pleaded to Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and converting criminal property and was handed a two year and ten month sentence. Lucas Lidzius, 29, of Ripon Close, pleaded to Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and converting criminal property and was handed five years and three months. Charlie Rhodes, 25, of Orchard Close, pleading to Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and converting criminal property and was handed a four-and-a-half-year sentence. Darren Watson, 27, of Queensway, pleading to Conspiracy to handle stolen goods and converting criminal property and was handed a three year and one month sentence. Following on from the outcome at court, Detective Inspector Mick Keech said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation into a large scale and sophisticated organised crime group who used a range of tactics including keyless cloning devices to steal vehicles from hard working members of our communities. “Whilst they may have been operating a £1.2 million business which they reaped the rewards from, they left a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of people who were left feeling unsafe in their own homes. “Not only did they violate their privacy by taking people’s vehicles from their homes, they also took away the ability for people to go about their daily lives, leaving many without their main form of transport. Not to mention financial repercussions. “I hope the outcome at court provides those affected by this gang, and the wider community, some reassurance that they are now behind bars and unable to cause further harm.” The first chop shop was uncovered by officers in August 2020 on Hebden Road in Scunthorpe, and led to a lengthy and protracted investigation, as Detective Inspector Mick Keech explains: “As part of the investigation, we uncovered six chop shops across North Lincs, all of which had numerous vehicles in various dismantled states and an abundance of car parts. “When car part dealers operate legitimately, they either keep, or sell the parts. However in this case, due to the vast volume of vehicles the gang were stealing at such a fast pace, they couldn’t dismantle the cars as quick as they were stealing them, and often parts were just being thrown away. “However, with expert assistance and collaboration with manufacturers, we were able to identify 72 vehicles, stolen from 17 different forces across the country as far north as York and as far south as Surrey. “Nineteen of the vehicles had been stolen from our force area mainly from the Pocklington area and linked to two-in-one burglaries. All of the vehicles were broken down so we were unable to return them to their rightful owners.” As the investigation progressed, 12 warrants were executed at residential and commercial properties in Scunthorpe and across the Humberside force area, which resulted in 11 men later being charged with various offences. Officers seized 208 devices including mobiles and laptops and had a total of over 1,500 exhibits in evidence from car parts to CCTV, with so many departments involved in the investigation, from the Major Crime Team, Operation Galaxy and the Neighbourhood teams, to the investigators in CID, the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, Financial Investigation Unit and Intelligence. Detective Inspector Mick Keech continued: “It is important everyone remains vigilant and takes steps to protect their vehicle from thieves, whether at home, work or in public areas. There is more advice in regard to crime prevention on our website https://www.humberside.police.uk/protect-your-vehicle “We are committed to taking down organised crime groups and we will always thoroughly investigate any type of criminality associated with them. These groups are a blight on our society and those responsible will be dealt with and brought to justice.”

Plans are being submitted this week by South Kesteven District Council for 21 new homes in Grantham for people on the Council’s housing register. The proposal, for land next to Larch Close on the town’s Earlesfield Estate, is reduced from the originally envisaged 35-home development following local consultation. If planning permission is granted, it will be a mixture of one-bedroom flats and two to four-bedroom houses, each with their own parking. There will also be an additional nine visitor spaces. A spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council said: “There is a need for good quality social housing in this area and we are putting forward the Larch Close development to help meet some of that demand. “These homes are designed to meet the Lifetime Homes standard and will support the needs of residents, now and in the future.” SKDC conducted face-to-face consultation with residents at public meetings as well as inviting comment by phone, email or letter. There will be a further opportunity for interested parties to comment during the upcoming planning process when any formal objections can be submitted.

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment following a “terrifying incident” where he wielded a knife in the streets of Immingham in September this year. Danny Whewell, 31, of Rose Gardens, Immingham, appeared at Grimsby Crown Court on Thursday 1 December after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing. Whewell was found guilty of one count of GBH wounding with intent and one count of threatening with a bladed article. On Thursday 8 September, Whewell entered a supermarket on Washdyke Lane in the town and threatened a stranger with a large knife. He then walked round the corner into a pub, brandishing knives and locking the door behind him. Whewell then stabbed a man to the shoulder. Officers quickly attended and Whewell was arrested at the scene. Officer in the case DC Emma Mclauchlan, who said: “This was a terrifying incident for those involved and will have also shocked the community, especially those who witnessed it. “Whewell showed a complete lack of concern for anyone whilst he was wielding knives in the town centre, before then locking petrified customers in a pub and assaulting a man, causing injuries to his shoulder. “Whewell is a dangerous man and I am pleased that he is now behind bars and unable to cause any further harm in, and to, our community.” On sentencing, Judge Michael Fanning KC said: “It was simply a random attack on a randomly selected member of the public. “You are dangerous. It is only a matter of time before the harm you cause could be very serious.” Whewell was given life imprisonment with a minimum term of four years.