Luke Bellfield Murder

Luke Bellfield, 18, from Eastwood, died as a result of a stab wound to the heart during a knife fight on February 26 2021.

Alfie Pollard, 19, of Woodside, Leigh who was involved in the incident previously admitted possessing a bladed article in a public place.

He was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on January 30 to five years and six months in a young offender institution, in relation to the knife offence and various drugs offences.

Wayne Kavanagh and Thomas Sitek torture

Wayne Kavanagh, 32, and Thomas Sitek, 27, of Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh, tortured a hostage and stabbed him repeatedly at a house in Canewdon on January 22.  They were jailed for a total of 24 years.

Kavanagh, of West Road, Shoebury filmed himself punching the victim and another video showed the two criminals standing over the victim repeatedly kicking his head.

A knife was taken from the kitchen and used to stab the man in the back. 

A further knife wound was delivered to the victim’s ear, while the two co-defendants spat on him and hurled verbal abuse. 

Michael Ugwa Murder

Michael Ugwa, 29, was stabbed through the heart at Lakeside Shopping Centre, after complimenting his assailant’s girlfriend on April 28 last year.

Muhammad Khan, 24, of Castle Drive, Ilford, Brandon Lutchminsing, 21, of Grafton Road, Dagenham, cornered Ugwa for speaking to Shannon Weston, 21, of Paddocks Close, Canewdon, who is Lutchmunsing’s girlfriend.

Khan brandished a knife and stabbed Mr Ugwa in the chest.

The trio appeared in Basildon Crown Court on July 28 for sentencing as Khan was jailed for a minimum of 27 years for murder, whilst Lutchmunsing was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Weston was given a suspended sentence of two years.

Dominic Clark-Ellingford Murder

A jury found Perry Coulson, 39, of Lesney Gardens, Rochford, guilty of murdering 32-year-old Dominic Clark-Ellingford following a week-long trial in July.

Mr Clark-Ellingford was killed in Coulson’s Lesney Gardens flat after the two friends got into an argument on November 25 last year.

Mr Clark-Ellingford was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene as Coulson was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years on August 11 in Basildon Crown Court.

Matt Portwood Murder

Canvey father-of-two Matt Portwood died after being stabbed in the neck outside the Haystack Pub, in Furtherwick Road, in the early hours of Saturday, February 4.

Jamie Lewis, 24, of Bensham Lane, Croydon, was convicted at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday (October 10) after a jury found him guilty of murder.

He is due to be sentenced for the murder in December.

Dave Peck Murder

Dave Peck was died after being shot in the Lamb and Lion Pub in Station Road, Westcliff, on December 23 last year aged 51.

Alfred Turner, 44, of Station Road, Westcliff, was seen by witnesses leaving his home address with a crossbow and two knives in his possession at around 6.30pm.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility on June 30 and was jailed for life with a minimum period of eight years in Basildon Crown Court on October 26.

Jay Lang Child Sex Crimes

Jay Lang, 24, of Thorney Bay Road, Canvey, posed as a 16-year-old girl named ‘Chloe Norris’ and messaged hundreds of boys between April 2018 and November 2021.

During those conversations, Lang, disguised as Norris, pursued sexualised conversations on Snapchat and Instagram and would ask the boys to reciprocate with images and videos.

Lang was charged with 46 offences including numerous counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing or inciting child sexual exploitation, arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, causing or inciting child prostitution of pornography and blackmail.

Lang was jailed 21 years with an extended licence period of six years on September 22 in Basildon Crown Court.

Richard Oliver Rape

Richard Oliver, 51, was jailed at Basildon Crown Court on November 24 after being convicted of a series of child sexual offences, including two counts of rape.

The offences, committed against two young girls, took place in Basildon between 2005 and 2015.

Oliver was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape, sexual activity with a child and inciting sexual activity with a child.

Aurel Ukcenaj, Xheni Ukcenaj, Elton Vata

Brothers Aurel and Xheni Ukcenaj along with their cousin Elton Vata were jailed for a combined 29 years.

The brothers ran over and stabbed two teenagers in a botched cannabis raid in Southend on October 11 last year.

Aurel, 32, of Marischal Road, Lewisham, and Xheni, 27, of Chase Side, Enfield were charged with GBH and conspiracy to produce a controlled drug of Class B (cannabis).

A group of men travelled to York Road, Southend to steal £75,000 worth of cannabis that Elton was looking after.

Elton called the brothers who chased off the group in cars and two teenagers were run over, with one suffering life threatening injuries.

Xheni was jailed for 15 years, Aurel was jailed for 12 years, and Elton was jailed for 26 months.

Jay and Mus Drugs Line

The two gangs - which operated the “Jay and Mus” drug lines - flooded south Essex with cocaine and cannabis and earning up to £13,000 a week. 

In March this year, seven addressed were raided in Southend, Rochford and Benfleet, and police seized 239 wraps and a lump of cocaine, cannabis plants and 8768 cannabis buds - together worth more than £25,000.

Designer trainers worth £12,600 were seized as well as a bracelet valued at £37,440, while officers also recovered two knives, a hammer, several phones and unused syringes.

Eren Karagozlu, 31, of Woodlow, Benfleet David Cadge, 31, of Carnarvon Place Southend and Michelle Dennis 43, of Coleman Street, Southend were jailed for a combined 12 years.

Kingsley Dennis, 46, of Jackdaw Close, Shoebury, Tyler Mihilll, 25, of Bournemouth Park Road, Southend and Bailey Mihill, 23, were jailed for a combined 12 years.

Danny Giggs, 37, of Portland Avenue, Southend and Daniel Watkins, 40, of Middle Mead, Rochford, were both handed suspended sentences.