These are the faces of 25 criminals jailed for some of the most shocking offences across Northamptonshire whose stories this newspaper brought you during May 2024…
1. Fiona Beal
Northampton primary school teacher Beal, 50, admitted murdering her partner Nick Billingham and buried his remains in the garden of their home in Moore Street, Kingsley, in 2021. Sentencing her to serve a minimum of 20 years at the Old Bailey, Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft KC, described Beal’s “significant degree of planning and pre-meditation”.He added: “Not only did you kill Nick Billingham,” he said. “You intended to do so. And having moved and buried his body in the garden, you lied to his mother, his numerous friends and family, as well as your own family, about what you had done.”Prosecutors told the court that Beal lured her victim to bed on the promise of sex but ad stabbed him in the neck. It was almost certain that he had been cable-tied to the bed at the time of the fatal attack, the court heard. Copy this link to read the full story: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/people/northampton-primary-school-teacher-fiona-beal-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murdering-partner-nick-billingham-and-burying-him-in-the-back-garden-4648001 Photo: Northamptonshire Police
2. Aaron David Smith
The 29-year-old was drunk and high on cocaine when a car he was driving crashed at a Rushden roundabout, killing two of his friends.Smith, of Grove Street, Higham Ferrers, admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years, eight months after Northampton Crown Court heard how he had taken cocaine and cannabis and was twice the drink-drive limit when he got behind the wheel in June 2022.Brian Sibanda, 21, and 41-year-old Carrie McLellan were in the back of the car but did not have their seatbelts on. They were both killed during the smash in John Clark Way.Smith was disqualified from driving for ten years and four months. Copy this link to read the full story: https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/drunk-driver-aaron-smith-who-was-high-on-cocaine-flew-his-car-through-the-air-killing-two-pals-in-rushden-4617923 Photo: Northamptonshire Police
3. Ian Darren Scott
The 58-year-old was jailed for life after admitting kidnapping a woman and forcing her to drive from Milton Keynes to Northampton before threatening shop staff with a gun and defecating into his own hand in a bid to scare off people trying to detain him — all just six days after he had been released from prison.Scott pleaded guilty to one count of kidnap, two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of possessing an imitation firearm and one count of threatening a person with a bladed article in a public place. Copy this link to read the full story:https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/crime/58-year-old-jailed-for-life-for-threatening-northampton-shop-workers-with-gun-and-separate-kidnapping-4638242 Photo: Northamptonshire Police
4. Gemma Vickery
Magistrates jailed Vickery after she ignored a suspended sentence by threatening a man while stealing coffee worth £60 from Tesco Express and carrying a folding pocket knife in a local kebab shop. The 35-year-old, of Barnes Close, Kettering, was convicted for failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions that she was no longer carer for a child, and not entitled to the child element of universal credit.But she went on to admit possession of an offensive weapon, shoplifting and a public order offence and was sentenced to a total of 37 weeks in prison. Copy this link to read the full story:https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/kettering-benefit-fraudster-jailed-after-failing-to-stay-out-of-trouble-4622660 Photo: Northamptonshire Police