Criminals brought to justice at Sheffield Crown Court for crimes including arson, a shooting and sex offences

They have been convicted of offences relating to arson, a shooting, downloading indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Megan Bramhall: Shocked woman's 36-year home was torched by an arsonist

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 23 how arsonist Megan Bramhall, aged 33, of Calladine Way, at Swinton, near Rotherham, set fire to a sofa and the blaze spread to two properties on Calladine Way including one where a woman had lived for 36 years.

Prosecuting barrister Ian West said the complainant was woken by a neighbour and managed to escape from her home as it went up in flames.

Mr West added: “She left her ‘house’ and saw the defendant on the pavement upset and she was shouting and hitting herself over the head and it was known she suffered with her mental health.”

The complainant’s property was damaged beyond repair, according to Mr West, in June, 2022.

Mr West added: “The fire service was present and saw the defendant rolling around on the floor hitting herself on the back of her head and laughing at everyone.”

Bramhall, who is of previous good character, pleaded guilty to committing arson as to be reckless as to whether anyone would be endangered.

Defence barrister Dermot Hughes said Bramhall has had personal difficulties and she fell into a downward spiral but she hopes to resume her career as a nurse.

Mr Hughes added that Bramhall is genuinely remorseful and she is now free of the drugs that were troubling her and she wants to take advantage of any available help.

Judge Michael Slater sentenced Bramhall to 30 months of custody.

Kian Thorpe: ‘Gang member who terrorised an estate’ jailed for 10 years

Kian Thorpe, aged 22, has been jailed for 10 years at Sheffield Crown Court after he admitted shooting a 27-year-old man in the arm in May 2022, as well as pleading guilty to possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

The court heard how Thorpe, wearing a balaclava, approached his victim on Princes Street, Edlington, Doncaster, shortly before 1pm on May 22. Thorpe then fired what detectives believe to have been a shotgun, before running off down a side street. The man was left with a gunshot wound and heavy bleeding, which was described as having the potential to lead to life-changing injuries.

Thorpe was stopped by police five days later, on May 27. While detaining him, officers seized around £800 worth of cocaine.

Det Cons Morgan Horton, of South Yorkshire Police, who investigated the shooting, said: “Thorpe is a prolific OCG (organised crime group) member who has terrorised the Edlington community for many years. I hope local residents share the sense of relief we do that he is finally behind bars and will remain there for a significant amount of time."

Thorpe, formerly of Shaw Road, Edlington, pleaded guilty to section 18 wounding with intent and possession of drugs with intent to supply at an earlier hearing and was jailed for 10 years at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday December 21.

Police are urging anyone with concerns over drugs supply or the use or storage of illegal weapons in their community to pass information. The public can anonymously pass on information by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers

Emilio Calderon: Jailed paedophile caught with indecent images of children hopes to open restaurant

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 14 how Emilio Calderon, aged 30, was found by police to have been distributing indecent images, with children as young as a baby featured.

Zaiban Alam, prosecuting, said: “At 7.45am, on March 23, 2021, police officers executed a search warrant at Gordon Street, Doncaster. He lives alone. He allowed officers inside and he was arrested. Various devices were seized.”

Police found 357 category A, 275 category B, and 297 category C indecent mages of children across three electronic devices including a drive system and two mobile phones, according to Ms Alam, with the category A images regarded as the most serious.

Ms Alam added that an analysis of the devices revealed Calderon, of Gordon Street, near Doncaster city centre, had used a variety of search terms indicative of searching for indecent images of children and there was evidence of a conversation with a contact with both expressing a desire to have sex with a pre-teenage youngster.

Judge Rachael Harrison confirmed that the indecent images included a four-month-old baby and children aged up to the age of 15 and that Calderon had been looking at indecent images of children for a long time.

Calderon, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing category A indecent images of children and one count of distributing category C indecent images of children, and to three counts of making indecent images relating to categories A, B and C.

Defence barrister Richard Etherington said Calderon is ‘disgusted and ashamed’ by his actions and he regarded the nature of his conversations concerning children as ‘role play’ only.

Mr Etherington added: “He describes it as going down a rabbit hole – tumbling and tumbling and unable to stop but fortunately he did stop.”

Mr Etherington said: “He works for Amazon as a team leader and he hopes to finish his business degree and he wants to open a restaurant.”

Judge Harrison sentenced Calderon to two years and two months of custody.

Alun Sutton: Sheffield sex-offender is jailed after making sexual comments to a 14-year-old work colleague

Doncaster Crown Court heard on December 7 how Alun Sutton, aged 44, of Hazlebarrow Grove, at Jordanthorpe, Sheffield, had originally been given a custodial sentence for attempted child communication offences and he had been made subject to a restrictive ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

But prosecuting barrister Emily Hassall said Sutton got a job as a head chef at a Derbyshire pub after he was released from custody on licence and he failed to declare his conviction and his employer also failed to do a background check and the defendant came into contact with two female kitchen porters aged 15 and 14.

Ms Hassall added that during a Facebook communication from the 14-year-old girl who had been checking if she needed to work, Sutton had replied making a reference to oral sex and suddenly recalling her young age.

The judge – Recorder Alex Menary – said: “Your employer failed to carry out a DBS check. Nevertheless, you went to work there as a head chef. At that time you were the first point of contact for kitchen staff and the offences arise in this way.”

Sutton initially claimed to police he had not known the girls were aged under 16 and that he had not gained any sexual satisfaction during the Facebook communication because he said he is gay. However, the defendant, who has nine previous convictions for 22 offences, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his SHPO relating to the undeclared and unsupervised work-related contact with the two girls who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

He also admitted a further breach of his SHPO after the sexual communication via Facebook with the 14-year-old girl, as well as admitting engaging in sexual communication with a child. Benn Robinson, defending, said Sutton had been in a long-term relationship with his former husband and when that relationship had become difficult he had started drinking alcohol and that seems to be the foundation for his offending.

Mr Robinson added that Sutton had also worked a difficult shift and had just discovered his motorbike had been stolen so he had been drinking and was upset when he spoke to the 14-year-old girl over Facebook.

Recorder Menary highlighted that Sutton had already been convicted and sentenced to custody in May, 2020, for attempting to incite a sexual act with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Recorder Menary sentenced to Sutton to two years of custody and stated that the length and terms of defendant’s SHPO would continue as originally outlined.