THESE are the cases heard in south Essex magistrates' courts this week.

From abusers, stalkers to those damaging whatever they fancied, some bizarre and serious crimes have been heard in the lower courts this week.

Here is a rundown of some of the criminals who have been sentenced.

Cha Austin carried out criminal damage on a woman's Nissan Qashqai on July 3 this year in Basildon.

The 21-year-old, of Hermitage Drive, Laindon, appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court where he admitted the offence.

The magistrates bench fined him £40 and he must also pay £105 in prosecution costs.

The total amount will be deducted from his benefits.

Scott McKay has been ordered to pay police compensation.

McKay appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court where he admitted damaging the police vehicle in Basildon.

The offence happened on February 25 this year.

McKay, 25, of Elizabeth Way, Laindon, caused an unknown amount of damage to the vehicle, but was ordered by the magistrates’ bench to pay £150 in compensation to the police.

He was also charged with two counts of assault, but these were dismissed.

Shaun Bennett has been banned from driving for more than a year after being found under the influence of drugs.

Bennett, 49, of Blackmores, Basildon, appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court where he admitted the offence, which happened on January 10 this year.

He was stopped while driving a Vauxhall Astra on Station Gate and found to have 800 micrograms of drugs per litre of blood, which exceeded the limit.

Bennett was fined £461 by the magistrates’ bench and he must also pay prosecution costs of £145. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Reece Cooper has been jailed as he refused to cooperate with a court order because he is a “Freeman of the Land”.

Cooper has been jailed for a month after breaching non-molestation orders against a woman.

The 30-year-old of no fixed address made telephone calls in Basildon between May 12 and June 22 this year to the woman which he was banned from doing.

Also in Basildon on May 22 and July 22, he made a Facebook comment about the woman, which he was also banned from doing.

Cooper appeared at Southend Magistrates’ Court where he denied all charges against him.

However, he was convicted by the bench. Despite being given proposals to take part in a community order so he could stay out of prison, Cooper refused this.

He told the bench he is a “Freeman of the Land and will not comply with a community order”.

Cooper was sentenced with no pre-sentence reports as he told probation he wouldn’t comply.

He must also pay £625 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Matthew Duncan has been fined whilst driving when under influence of drugs.

Duncan has appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court to admit the drug driving which happened on January 12 this year.

The 31-year-old was stopped in Queens Park Avenue, Billericay, and tested for drugs. He was found to have an amount of drugs that was over the legal limit for driving.

Duncan, of Oakley Drive, Billericay, admitted the one offence and was fined £80 by magistrates. He was disqualified from driving for a year.

Diana Amoako has been fined after running a red light.

Amoako will pay a bill of hundreds of pounds after running the red light earlier this year.

The 49-year-old of Wickford Avenue, Basildon, was caught going through the traffic lights on Wickford Avenue on March 6 this year in a Renault Clio vehicle.

Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard that Amoako had driven through the light 26.4 seconds after the signal had changed to red.

This was contrary to section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 and Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

The offence happened at 6.20am.

She appeared at court where she was fined £220, and must also pay costs of £90. Her driving licence was also endorsed with three penalty points.

Luke Lackenby has been sent to a young offenders’ institution after beating a woman.

Lackenby, 19, of Annalee Road, Westcliff, appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court following the attack on January 9.

Lackenby visited the Londis shop on London Road in Westcliff and carried out the attack on the woman. He admitted the charge at court.

The magistrates’ bench committed him to a six week detention at a young offenders’ institution.

The bench said the woman had been “doing her day to day shopping” and it was aggravated by Lackenby’s previous offending.

He must also pay compensation of £300.

Othneal Gill has been fined after speeding in Benfleet.

Gill, 63, was clocked on London Road at the junction with Kents Hill Road going 38 miles an hour when the speed limit was 30.

Gill, of Hallsville Road, London was driving at 4.29am when he was caught.

At Basildon Magistrates’ Court, Gill was fined £220 by the magistrates bench and he must also pay costs of £90.

He received three points on his driving licence.

Flavius-iulian Neagu has been fined hundreds of pounds for having no car insurance while driving.

Neagu was caught driving his Vauxhall Zafira on Woodgrange Drive, Southend on January 6.

The 23-year-old of Woodgrange Drive appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court. He was fined £660 and must also pay a victim surcharge of £66.

He also received six points on his licence.

Michael Faulkner  has been jailed for interfering with a car so it could be stolen.

Faulkner has been jailed for a month after interfering with the Citroen Dispatch in Westcliff on June 16 last year.

The 37-year-old, of Ingleby Road, The Wirral, had his case heard at Basildon Magistrates’ Court.

He was sentenced to four weeks in jail and must also pay £700 in compensation.