Raiders among Norfolk criminals sentenced last week

Nile Mustafa, Ricardo Monteiro and Piers Ewens

A couple with young twin babies was left "terrified" after raiders - one of whom was armed with a 'gun' - tried to break into their home.

The man, woman and their children were at home when Nile Mustafa, 30, Ricardo Monteiro, 20, and Piers Ewens,18, tried to force their way into the property in Music House Lane, Norwich. 

Norwich Crown Court heard Mustafa had taken a gun, which was found to be an imitation firearm, to the scene with him in order to pull off the burglary.

Nile Mustafa (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

All three, who were wearing masks, were dropped off and went to the address expecting to take "cannabis and cash".

But the property was not empty and instead a petrified couple were inside the home fearing they would be killed with their children. 

The men left shortly after police were called following the attempted aggravated burglary on October 17 2023.

Mustafa, of Rosary Road, Norwich, previously admitted attempted aggravated burglary, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause a fear of violence, possession of a prohibited weapon, and possession of a prohibited weapon as a prohibited person.

Ricardo Monteiro (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

He was given an extended 13-year sentence, made up of 10 years custody and three years licence.

Monteiro, 20, of Heathgate, Norwich, admitted attempted aggravated burglary and was jailed for four years and nine months.

Ewens, of St Margarets Drive, Sprowston, received an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order with an additional curfew and unpaid work requirement.

Billy Stratton

A prolific criminal was jailed after continuing to offend - despite being the subject of two suspended sentences. 

Billy Stratton, from Great Yarmouth, was sentenced to 12 months in July after being arrested on the A47 at the wheel of a stolen Fiat Punto while four times over the drink drive limit.  

However, despite admitting nine offences including burglary, theft, driving while disqualified, driving while unfit and failing to provide a specimen, the 22-year-old was spared immediate custody with the jail term suspended for 18 months. 

Norwich Crown Court was told within months he was back offending again and was arrested for shoplifting.

This meant he was also in breach of another suspended sentence imposed at Norwich Magistrates' Court last year for driving while disqualified.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin sentenced him to nine months saying he was a “high-risk offender” and that probation officers had deemed that there was nothing more probation could do with him in the community. 

Shlok Rodriguez-Guerra

Two teenagers left a man with a fractured eye socket and nose in an attack in the city after he tried to intervene in a dispute branded a "play fight".

Shlok Rodriguez-Guerra, 19, and a 17-year-old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - repeatedly punched the man who was also kicking him to the ground during the violent confrontation on Riverside. 

Norwich Crown Court was told the 23-year-old student had stepped in after seeing a group of youths in what appeared to be a fight close to Estabulo, beside Lady Julian Bridge, on March 26.

Instead, the group turned on him, punching him to the head and face and pursuing him as he attempted to escape. 

Both teenagers pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm over the attack which left the man with blurred vision and hand-eye coordination problems.  

Rodriguez-Guerra, of Guardian Road, Norwich, was sentenced to 10 months suspended for 18 months with alcohol abstinence monitoring and unpaid work.

The younger teen was made the subject of an 18-month youth rehabilitation order. 

Lucas Charlton

A man found with images of young children was given a suspended sentence and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.  

Lucas Charlton, 22, of Queens Hill in Costessey, pleaded guilty to four charges of having images on his Samsung phone when he was arrested in October 2022. 

The images included eight of category A - the most serious, 13 category B and two category C. 

He also admitted possession of six prohibited sexual images of children, said to be aged between one and 10.

He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for 12 months at Norwich Magistrates' Court with a requirement that he complete rehabilitation activities. 

He was also placed on sex offender’s register and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. 

Edward Kemmann-Lane

A man who repeatedly assaulted a UEA student in a terrifying series of incidents was spared prison. 

Edward Kemmann-Lane, 22, subjected the young woman to serious and prolonged physical attacks, including strangling her, at a house close to the university campus.

His frenzied behaviour also saw him smash up the property.

Kemmann-Lane, from Dedham in Suffolk, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault and criminal damage between February and April this year. 

Magistrates said the offences crossed the custody threshold but after “careful consideration” they had decided to suspend an 18-week jail term for two years. 

They ordered that he undergo a rehabilitation programme, alcohol monitoring and that he pay £1,043 compensation.