Here are some of the most high profile sentencings, from late July through August, including a bomb hoax in Hailsham, an armed robbery with a meat cleaver and some harrowing accounts of sexual assaults made public by their extremely courageous victims. All information is from our reporters attending court in person or official Sussex Police spokesmen.
9. Lee Cummings
Lee Cummings, of Selby Road in Uckfield, was given a community behaviour order (CBO), banning from him entering parts of Uckfield town centre after persistent criminal and anti-social behaviour. He was also ordered not to appear in a public place with six named people. The 18-year-old breached the order within two weeks and was seen on CCTV stealing alcohol from a service station on July 6. On July 30, he was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison for activating a suspended sentence, four weeks for breaching the CBO and four for theft, all to run concurrently. SUS-200109-142414001
10. Lisa Scopes
Lisa Scopes, of West Way in Wick, was jailed for six months after attacking two police officers, coughing in their faces and saying she wanted to infect them with covid-19. The 36-year-old was sentenced on August 19 after admitting threatening behaviour and assaulting the two PCs at her home on March 29. Officers said she had 'clearly been drinking', was abusive and threatening, coughed repeatedly in their faces and blew air out of her nose. It transpired she had been self-isolating and had a temperature, but both officers tested negative for the virus. SUS-200109-142424001
11. Mark Stevens
Mark Stevens, a warehouse worker of Rye Harbour, was jailed for three years and nine months after recording himself sexually assaulting a woman and sharing the video with his friends. The victim, who was known to him, was asleep or unconscious at her home during the offence in October, 2018. She only became aware of the assault two months later. Stevens, 34, pleaded guilty to sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration and publishing an obscene article on August 5. He was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. Police praised the courage of his victim. SUS-200109-142434001
12. Mathew Gardiner
Mathew Gardiner, of Preston Road, Bexhill, collided with cyclist Antoney Colley at around 100mph on the A2690 on May 26, 2019, while high on drink and drugs. Antoney, a 53-year-old from Bexhill, sadly died at the scene. Police said Gardiner admitted to drinking between 15 and 20 pints of beer the day before, as well as shots, cocaine and having had no sleep for 24 hours. While awaiting trial, he assaulted a man in Hastings who lost vision in one eye and some vision in the other. He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and grievous bodily harm and jailed for 13 and a half years on August 28. SUS-200109-142444001