Five criminals sentenced in Norfolk in week starting June 17

Matthew Venthem

Matthew Venthem was jailed for stalking four women (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Matthew Venthem, 25, of Summerwood Estate in Great Massingham, was sentenced to four years in prison at Norwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to four counts of stalking between March 2019 and November 2021.

Venthem used aliases to send the women he stalked online messages pretending to be other people. He also contacted others who were known to the victims. 

One of the women was stalked for 18 months, while a second suffered harassment between January 2020 and November 2021, a third between December 2018 and August 2021 and another for 12 months from October 2020.

Wesley Theobald

Wesley Theobald was jailed for 19 offences (Image: Facebook)

The con-man builder was jailed for scamming customers including a vulnerable pensioner and a recently bereaved widow out of more than £73,000.  

Wesley Theobald, 33, of Rainsthorpe in South Wootton, used illegitimate tactics to “trap and coerce” homeowners in Norwich, Ashill and Dereham into paying him to carry out unnecessary or shoddily done work. 

The self-employed roofer, who also used the alias Wesley Moriarty, admitted to 19 offences including theft and fraud between July 2022 and July 2023.

Theobald had been released on licence from a jail sentence for previously defrauding customers just weeks before.

Jailing him for three years Recorder David Herbert told him: “You brought nothing but misery to these households.” 

George Gardiner

George Gardiner leaving Norwich Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

George Gardiner, of Alderson Road in Great Yarmouth, appeared for sentencing on Thursday - his 38th birthday - after previously admitting to dealing drugs.

Gardiner, who had been addicted to drugs, became involved in an operation to supply heroin and diamorphine on the streets of Great Yarmouth.

Norwich Crown Court heard Gardiner, who had been coerced into becoming involved, was so intimidated by those above him that he "took to wearing a homemade stab vest".

Accepting Gardiner had been coerced and intimidated, Recorder Herbert imposed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

Gardiner was also ordered to carry out 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement as well as a four-month trail monitoring programme.

Jake Taylor

Jake Taylor, 25, of Furze Road in Norwich, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after admitting to possessing almost 3,000 indecent images on electronic devices. 

Norwich Crown Court was told 550 of the pictures had been classified as being category A - the most extreme - and had included images of children and babies. 

The software technician pleaded guilty to four charges including possession of category A, B and C images between Christmas Day 2021 and December 27, 2022.

The judge said he saw “little point” in sending Taylor to prison and imposed a requirement that he complete 20 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Taylor was also given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements.

Gareth McDermott

Gareth McDermott has been banned from a number of shops and libraries (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Gareth McDermott, 44, of Mousehold Street in Norwich, appeared at Norwich Magistrates’ Court having previously admitted to four counts of theft from a shop and four counts of theft.

Multiple offences were committed between November 11 2023 and January 21 2024, where items such as alcohol, wire cutters, cash and two charity boxes were stolen from shops and libraries in Norwich, Gorleston and Dereham.

McDermott must not enter any charity shops in Norwich or Dereham, the Sainsbury's Supermarket in Pound Lane, Roys in Magdalen Street or any Co-operative Retail Stores or East of England Co-operative Stores in Norfolk.

He was also banned from Dereham Library and Gorleston Library. 

In addition to the order, McDermott was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and was ordered to pay £100 in compensation and complete a drug rehabilitation activity requirement.