Jailed in June at Truro Crown Court: Enraged dad who threw his defenceless baby and other criminals banged up

Month in and month out we see some diabolical criminals come before Cornwall's courts because of their crimes. And of those dozens of cases, only some of those get put behind bars for a vast number of reasons.

Here we take a look back over the past several weeks in Truro Crown Court and the vile criminals whose actions were so disturbing nothing but an immediate custodial sentence was deemed good enough. They include a young man who violently stabbed another several times and a dad who threw his defenceless baby across a room in a rage.

There's also a drug dealer who led police on a high-speed chase up and down the M5 before ramming cars and a paranoid man who bombarded his ex with increasingly sinister and disturbing messages during a relentless stalking campaign.

READ MORE: Angry dad dragged ex from car while their young children were in the back

READ MORE: 'Feral' young mum bit pub worker and 'clamped down' on victim's hand

Please be aware we do our best to attend as many sentencing hearings as we can, but it is not always possible to be at them all. Here are the cases we did attend this month that saw people jailed.

Lewis Ford

The victim of a knife crime needed a new belly button after being stabbed in the stomach. Lewis Ford armed himself with a knife for his own protection from drugs gangs before getting into a fight with the man he stabbed several times.

Appearing before Truro Crown Court on June 7 for sentencing, Ford, 24, from Wallace Road in Bodmin, faced charges of wounding with intent (GBH) and possession of a knife in connection with the stabbing of a man outside the White Hart Inn in the town on July 17, 2020.

The court heard how that evening, Ford, who was described as "functioning below his chronological age" and having learning difficulties, armed himself with a knife as a way to protect himself after being preyed upon by county line drug dealers. He became involved in a verbal altercation with the victim who was also out with friends. The verbal argument heated up until Ford pulled his knife out and stabbed him multiple time across the stomach and shoulder before fleeing the scene.

The court heard how Ford was arrested at his home address by Devon and Cornwall Police in the early hours of the next morning. In police interviews Ford first said he had been with a friend at the time of the stabbing. He later pleaded guilty to the two counts against him.

A victim impact statement read out in court said the injuries he had sustained had a dramatic impact on his physical and mental health and have also greatly impacted his ability to work, leaving him less able to lift heavy objects as he used to or with ongoing pain across his stomach and shoulder.

The victim said he was off work for three months following the attack and has had to receive counselling on a regular basis over the past four years. In his statement, he said the had lost 2st in weight since the attack and had found it difficult to put on healthy weight again having lost so much core strength.

He said the attack had left him feeling anxious and angry when he had been such a mild-manner and calm person until then. He said he no longer goes out with friends and prefers to go shopping at out-of-town supermarkets rather than go into Bodmin town centre for fear of what could happen to him.

He added: "For the last years I have struggled with depression. I have to go and see a counsellor. I have good and bad days but it still plays on my mind. I suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) as a result. I have nightmares and wake up in a panic. I'm very anxious in medical situations and I have panic attacks. Every time I hear about stabbings it makes me anxious and depressed. It has been difficult as I am self-employed."

The court also heard from the medical report listing his injuries which said that he received six stiches on his shoulder and a 25cm long deep cut to his stomach. A medical report also read out in court said he needed to have a new bellybutton reconstructed during surgery as a result of his injuries.

Ryan Murray, defending, said Ford had been a 20-year-old young man of previous good character who had fallen prey to county line drug gangsters who often target people with learning disabilities. He said: "Mr Ford is a man of few words who struggles to articulate his emotions and operates significantly below his chronological age. He is sorry for what he did and for the pain and suffering he caused to another totally innocent person.

"He had aspirations to join the Royal Marines but that career plan went down the pan. He has been waiting for the last four years for the police to knock on his door.

"This was a dreadful incident. Mr Ford is a man of previous good character so it begs the question why he committed such a serious crime. He was in bed with bad people and was in over his head. He was young and impressionable and was easily influenced by people involved in county lines operations who prey on people like him.

"This is no excuse but an explanation why he had a knife with him that day. It was for protective purposes."

His Honour Judge Simon Carr said this was a "deeply saddening case" highlighting once again the dangers of knife crime. Sentencing Ford to four years in prison, Judge Carr added: "You have been preyed upon by those involved in county lines who like to target vulnerable people like you. Drugs are always associated with violence and so you armed yourself with a knife to protect yourself in case anything went wrong.

"On the night in question you had been out drinking. You met the victim whom you knew by sight. You had an argument and took out your knife and stabbed him multiple times. The most serious injury you caused was a deep wound to the stomach. This court deals with murder trials where stab wounds are involved. Why this was not the case on this occasion is down to luck."

Judge Carr added: "You ran off, leaving an injured man lying in the street. For reasons no-one can explain you have had to wait for four years for this matter to come to court. That's inexcusable. You have expressed genuine remorse and disbelief at what you did. The impact on your victim has been devastating physically and psychologically."

Ford will serve two thirds of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

James Endean

A man who attacked his former partner and threw his baby son two metres across the room has been sent to prison after committing further offences. James Endean, 24, of Truro, was originally given a chance by the court and handed two suspended sentences but has failed to change his ways.

Endean appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment - breach of a restraining order on conviction and one count of assault by beating. Prosecuting the case, Piers Norsworthy explained how Endean and his then-partner had been in an on-and-off relationship for seven years and had three children together.

Endean was described as being jealous of who his former partner contacted on social media and tried to contact her via Snapchat to try to get her back. If she said she was at work, he would come in and make threats to her.

In 2022 Endean lost his rag, attacked the mother of his children and threw his baby son two metres across the room. He had previously spent time in custody for attacking his former partner but as of last year had failed to change his ways.

At that time he pleaded guilty to criminal damage, assault and cruelty to a child. Prosecuting the case, Michael Brown described how Endean and his then partner had been in a relationship for four years and had a nine-month-old son at the time.

Mr Brown said that during a morning of rage from Endean, the partner “attempted to diffuse matters and offered to take care of her son. The defendant picked up their son and threw him two metres to her. Fortunately she was able to catch him to stop him from falling to the ground.” Read that full story here.

Now, in February of this year, Endean went to the takeaway restaurant where his former partner worked and said he wanted money from her. It was heard that he kicked over a bin and grabbed her by the throat, and when a customer walked in, she said she needed to serve them as she was the only staff member working. Endean stayed in the restaurant the whole time and when she gave him money after serving the customer, he left.

On another occasion, Endean turned up at her address when she was in the bath and pushed his phone through the letterbox of her front door. When she got out, she recognised he had posted his phone through the door, so pushed it back through.

Endean called her to say his phone was broken and called her a b***h. He then tried to climb through the bathroom window and she told him she would meet him in a park nearby. It was heard that while at the park, Endean grabbed her by the neck and had some sort of a blade on him which he tried to cut his stomach and arms with in front of her, saying she didn’t care about him.

He began shouting in her face and asking to show him her Snapchat inside her house. When she said she would do it outside, he grabbed her and said he “didn’t want to be like this” but blamed his drug addiction.

Endean’s ex-partner then tried to offer him money to find somewhere to stay but when he rejected the offer, she gave him money to get himself some food. When he returned later that evening, she said he could stay on the sofa and the police were called the next day.

In a victim impact statement, Endean’s partner described how she has left her feeling “really scared” of any noise she hears at home or at work as she thinks it’s him coming after her. She said: “He has the ability to seriously hurt me, especially when drugs are involved.

“He’s unpredictable and turns up randomly. Even when we aren’t together he tries to control me, he tells his family not to talk to me. His name-calling and making me feel worthless has affected my confidence, I don’t go out much and it’s affected me socially, I don’t have friends. We have three children together and his son is missing his father figure, they used to have a good relationship but he’s ruined that.”

In mitigation, it was heard that Endean’s previous inability to control his temper or emotions, particularly at a time when he was abusing substances, has been the cause of his offending. However, it was heard that he has shown the first signs of wanting to address those issues.

Endean was also said to have no interest in resurrecting a relationship with his former partner and that he has completed a number of courses to continue to address his temper and emotions.

Sentencing Endean, Judge Simon Carr said: “The victim of all your offending has been your former partner with whom you have three children. From what I have seen it has been an abusive relationship throughout.

“You are unable to control your anger and you use physical violence against your partner, including times when your children were in the house. Money that would have been better spent on children was spent on your drug addiction.

“When you committed the offences in 2024, you were physically and verbally abusive and you bothered her at her home and workplace in a manner she would have found frightening. I cannot ignore the circumstances of offending over a period of time.”

Endean was sentenced to a total of 15 months imprisonment.

Joby Reed

A drug dealer from Cornwall led police in a high-speed chase both ways down the M5 before flying at speed through residential neighbourhoods and ramming their car trying to escape a dead end. Joby Reed, with accomplice Alexander Stewart on board, smashed backwards into people's walls and cars as a helicopter and armed police had to be called in to arrest him after he was boxed in.

Reed had aroused suspicion as he hit speeds of up to 100mph on the M5, flashing at and tailgating other drivers, all the while high on cocaine and cannabis with his car full of drugs. A knife was also found in the Ford Focus.

Reed, 31, from Race Hill, Launceston, and his drug-dealing associate Stewart, 37, from Station Road, also in Launceston, appeared before Truro Crown Court on Friday (June 21) for sentencing in connection with a series of drug offences relating to an incident outside the Greenaways Service and MoT centre in the town's Newport Square on January 5 this year. Both also pleaded guilty to being in possession of a knife at the time.

In addition, Reed also pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to offences of dangerous driving, assaulting a police officer, possession of a knife, in connection with an unrelated matter last August and three other drug offences with regards to the possession of Class A drugs.

Ryan Murray, prosecuting, told the court that on August 13 last year, Reed's Ford Focus was reported being driven dangerously on the M5 at speeds of 100mph, while flashing his lights at others and tailgating drivers in front of him.

The court heard how a police chase ensued. Reed was followed along the M5 from Exeter to Cullompton where he exited the motorway and turned round back down the M5. A police helicopter had to be deployed during the incident.

Mr Murray said that Reed drove through a set of red lights as he left the motorway, forcing others to take evasive action. While hitting 50mph in built up areas in Exeter, Reed ended up in a cul-de-sac where, not being able to turn around, he tried to escape from the police by reversing at speed down the road.

He told the court that it was during that manoeuvre that Reed damaged property walls and parked cars and rammed the police car being used to try to box him in. Reed was eventually stopped and arrested by armed police.

While resisting arrest he bit a police officer on the arm. He tested positive for cocaine and cannabis and a knife was also found in his car along with class A and B drugs.

In an unrelated incident, police were alerted to suspicious goings-on outside the Greenaways Services and MoT centre in Launceston on January 5 this year when a Skoda car was spotted with non-matching number plates.

An unmarked police car was dispatched to the area and police officers soon pounced on the occupants - Reed in the driving seat and Stewart as his passenger - after they tried to evade arrest by ramming the police car. Both were taken out of the car and searched.

Their car was searched and quantities of cocaine, heroine and cannabis in retail wraps with a combined street value of £14,000 were found on them and in a holdall bag on the footrest of the passenger seat. Reed and Stewart were also found to have a knife on their persons while some digital weighing scales were also found on Reed. The pair were charged with possession and intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs, and being in possession of a knife.

Mr Murray said Reed has four convictions for similar drug offences and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence in 2013 as a 20-year-old for the production of and intent to supply cannabis. Stewart has 11 previous convictions for 19 offences mostly relating to driving matters, breaches of court orders, low level violence and drugs as well as for being in possession of a razor.

Victoria Bastock, defending Reed, said he had made progress while on remand in prison in kicking his drug addiction. She said he had expressed his "utter disgust at his behaviour" with regards to the dangerous driving incident and also expressed genuine remorse for his actions.

She added: "He is hard working in nature. He's had a difficult childhood. He has started putting in work in prison and started an education and has taken part in a drugs awareness course. He used to play a significant role in the care of his disabled father so being in prison has had an impact on his family."

Emily Cook, defending Stewart, said he had got back into using Class A drugs following the suicide of his brother in January last year when they had been very close. She said it had been a way to cope with a broken relationship and a break down in his mental health.

Ms Cook said he had been receiving counselling while on remand in prison "to start on an even keel". She told the court: "He said that being in prison has given his head a wobble and he realises that he needs to stop offending and think and reflect on what he wants his life to be. He has plans to work with We Are With You to deal with his addiction and to reconnect with the mental health services and to undertake course and find work to repay his debt to society."

Recorder Richard Mawhinney told Reed that had it not been for the dangerous driving offences, he would have suspended his sentence for the drug offences but combined, the two sets of offences made it inevitable that a custodial sentence would be passed. He also told him that the various letters of support from his father and sisters had shown another, more positive, side to his character.

He said Stewart had shown genuine remorse for his actions but the possession of a knife had been an aggravating factor.

Stewart was sentenced to a total of 24 months in jail suspended for 18 months as well as 26 days of rehabilitation activity days and a four-month curfew to reside at an address. Reed was jailed for a total of 32 months including 24 for the drug offences and eight months for the dangerous driving and assault on an police officer. He was also disqualified from driving for two years and 10 months.

Marcus Harbison

A jealous and paranoid man who bombarded his ex with increasingly sinister and disturbing messages during a relentless stalking campaign has been put behind bars. Marcus Harbison subjected his ex-partner to such an onslaught of emotional abuse and increasingly nasty threats that she felt physically sick and on edge every time she went to work.

Harbison's stalking campaign became so bad he told his victim that he'd kill himself and it would be her fault, threatened to put a brick through her window and even put a bomb in her car. The 60-year-old appeared before Truro Crown Court on Thursday (June 27) for sentencing on five counts of intentional strangulation, two assaults by beating, threatening to share photograph or film of a person in an intimate state as well as stalking involving the fear of violence.

The court heard that Harbison, from Treneere Road in Penzance, met his victim at the Land's End Hotel where they both worked and started a relationship.

Ramsay Quaife, prosecuting, told the court how the pair had become engaged several months into their relationship but it came to a grinding halt at a staff party at the hotel when he became drunk and abusive. That night Harbison tried to prevent her from leaving the party by grabbing her car keys and throwing them in a hedge.

She decided to go home and Harbison followed her while a colleague looked for her car keys. When Harbison found the colleague in his ex's home as he returned her keys, he became physically abusive towards both of them. After that incident, despite being told the relationship was over, he subjected her to a "bombardment " of text messages and calls on a daily basis.

Mr Quaife said Harbison, who lost his job at the hotel as a result of his behaviour, would park his car outside his ex's house and when she lost her job and had to move back in with the father of her children, Harbison would park outside his house. He continued to stalk her once she found a new job and a new place of her own.

Harbison would send her unsolicited flowers at her place of work, would wait for her in the lobby, would follow her home demanding that he spend the night with her. Mr Quaife told the court that when she turned him down, he finally snapped and grabbed her by the throat and became more and more threatening.

"He would follow her to see who she was with and if she was seeing someone else," Mr Quaife said. "He would follow her secretly and even threatened to release photographs of her sleeping and put a bomb in her car and throw a brick at her window. On one occasion she had 26 missed calls from him in two hours.

"When he was arrested and interviewed by police he said he couldn't remember but believed he was still in a relationship and believed she was having an affair with someone else."

In a victim impact statement read out in court, Harbison's ex said his behaviour had made her feel vulnerable and scared and she felt "constantly on edge". She said: "It made me feel like I was constantly being watched. One day I saw someone who looked like him and it made me feel sick. This has taken a toll on my mental health. I have anxiety. Stress is affecting my sleep. I was constantly looking over my shoulder. I didn't feel safe in my own home."

Harbison's barrister said this was a man whose life had taken a dark turn when his wife of 40 years died and he took to drinking again as a way to cope with grief. His solicitor said: "His behaviour towards his ex-partner was unacceptable. He is deeply ashamed about the abuse he inflicted and apologises unreservedly.

"He has not come to terms with the loss of his wife of 40 years. She was a teetotaller and when he was with her, he was sober and he was not offending. He led a law-abiding life. He thought his new partner would offer him the emotional support he needed but he started drinking and felt compelled to fall in with her social circle and the drinking that came with it.

"He convinced himself that she was having an affair behind his back and became suspicious of her colleagues. He threw her altruism back in her face. He has vowed to abstain from drink in the future and he now accepts that the relationship is truly over."

The court was told that Harbison has 21 convictions for 77 offences. Sentencing Harbison to 30 months in prison, His Honour Judge James Adkin said his campaign of stalking over several months between December last year and March this year, was "sinister and disturbing".

He said: "You threatened to kill yourself saying it would be her fault. You threatened to throw a brick through her window and to put a bomb in her car. What amounted to a campaign of stalking has put a severe emotional toll on her and has had an impact on her life. There has been some recognition of the problem you have but this was very serious."

As well as a prison sentence, a restraining order was also imposed on Harbison preventing him from making contact with his victim.