FROM robberies, drug dealing, child abuse images and weapons, the cases heard in south Essex this week have been varied.

The crown courts have once again seen justice handed down to various criminals in Southend and Basildon.

Here is a rundown of the most serious cases heard in the past week.

Dean Dickens

Dickens has been spared jail after was found with indecent images of children in a hidden folder on his phone.

The 43-year-old of Lorrimore Close, Billericay had been having conversations with online profiles in the lead up to the police raid being carried out on his home on August 18 last year.

Basildon Crown Court heard that one of the users was an undercover officer, who raised the alarm.

A police raid found 11 images of an indecent nature on his phone.

Read more here.

Rhys Morgan and James Saunders

Echo:

Rhys Morgan and James Sanders were managing the “Ben” county lines operation across Southend, and phones linked to the line were found to have sent messages to 647 “clients”.

Morgan, 23, of Canewdon Road, Westcliff, and Sanders, 30, of Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff, were trying to shift huge quantities of heroin and cocaine before being caught in April.

The two men were discovered after police were approached by a recovering drug addict being badgered by messages.

The men were sentenced at Basildon Crown Court yesterday for being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

They were jailed for a combined seven years.

Raiders target high street store

The Co-op in Wickford High Street was targeted by Danny Brandon, 40, and Paul Robinson, 48, both of no fixed address, and Nicola Andrews, 54, of Nightingale Crescent, Harold Wood.

They smashed their way into the store before being found with bolt cutters and a wrench in a car.

Brandon and Andrews avoided jail at Basildon Crown Court while Robinson was handed a 10 month prison sentence.

Read more here.

Harry Lee

Echo:

Harry Lee claimed he did not know it was illegal to import weapons such as knuckledusters to the UK, despite sending the weapons to a Southend address that was not his own.

The 25-year-old of Percy Cottis Road, Rochford, sent the package to a property in Burleigh Court, Southend, which was intercepted in September last year.

He later called police and confessed his crimes but claimed they were a present for his father to serve as ornaments.

He was jailed for 14 months.

Plumbers steal £12,000 of foods from bosses

Scott Spencer, 31, of Great Knightleys, Basildon, James Challis, 33, of Seaview Road, Canvey and Thomas Aungier, 28, of Eastern Esplanade, Canvey avoided jail at Basildon Crown Court.

They admitted working for Connect Plumbing and heating Supplies, in Basildon and agreed to sell boilers and parts and split the £12,489 between them.

Mitigation for Spencer said the offending happened after the death of his child.

Read more here.