Murderer and drug dealers among criminals jailed in June

A murderer, drug dealers, and a man with a bow and arrow are among those people from Gloucestershire who have been put behind bars in the past month. Judges at Crown Courts have been dispending justice to those who have broken the law.

The latest tranche of criminals includes a pair of violent cocaine dealers, a drug dealer whose class A drugs trafficking wreaked havoc on a small town, and a man for jailed for life for murdering his friend in a stabbing.

Here Gloucestershire Live looks at some of the criminals jailed in June 2024.

ZAC JONES AND RYAN JONES

Two drug dealers have been jailed for a combined total of more than seven years after admitting to supplying cocaine. Zac Jones, 23, and Ryan Jones, 22, fled Herefordshire once they realised police knew about their operation.

Tegan Green, a 26-year-old woman, also from Herefordshire, helped them by booking accommodation for the two dealers when they were on the run from the law. Green walked free from court, having been handed a suspended sentence.

The two Joneses were not so lucky. Zac Jones, of Muir Close, in Hereford, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for being concerned in the supply of cocaine. He was also given one month for criminal damage which will run concurrently and ordered to pay £265 in court costs.

Ryan Jones, of Birch Close, also in Hereford, was also sentenced three years and four months for being concerned in the supply of cocaine. His sentence will run concurrently with two months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was also ordered to pay £165 in court costs.

ARANIT AHMATI

A drug dealer from Cheltenham has been jailed after he was caught with cocaine worth around £100,000. Aranit Ahmati, 23, was sentenced to three years behind bars at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (May 31).

He was spotted walking in New Street and Chapel Street, in Cheltnham, while carrying a black carrier bag in November last year. He got into a car with Kristi Como, of Wood Green, London, and left the vehicle a short time later carrying a different bag.

Police officers then stopped Ahmati and found he was in possession of over a kilo of cocaine. According to the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU), this has a street value of up to £100,000.

During a search of Ahmati’s home address, £5,142 in cash was discovered as well as drugs paraphernalia and false ID documents bearing his photograph. The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to supplying class A drugs and was jailed for 32 months, which also activated a four-month suspended sentence for a previous unrelated offence.

JOSHUA MOORE

A drug dealer whose class A drugs trafficking wreaked havoc on a small town on the edge of the Forest of Dean has been sentenced to five years and eight months in jail. Joshua Moore, 32, of no fixed address, brought Class A drugs into the pretty market town of Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire.

He admitted to several charges related to the possession and distribution of crack cocaine and heroin at Worcester Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, June 5. His early guilty plea earned him credit, resulting in a concurrent sentence of five years and eight months for four counts.

They included being involved in the supply of heroin, being involved in the supply of crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin, and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine. He was sentenced to six months, also to run concurrently, for possession of criminal property.

MICHAEL BEACH

A man from Cinderford jailed for life for murdering his friend last year. Michael Beach, 46, from Ruspidge Road in Cinderford, had denied murdering Scott Hopkins on Friday, December 8, 2023.

Beach instead admitted to manslaughter, claiming the fatal chest stab wound was inflicted "by accident". However, after a week-long trial at Gloucester Crown Court, the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict for murder.

Scott Hopkins sadly lost his life after the incident at a High Street property in Cinderford at around 10.20pm on Friday, 8 December 2023. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics, Scott died at the scene.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Scott had been enjoying drinks with Beach and another friend at a local pub in Cinderford on the day of the incident, seemingly in good spirits. Later that evening, the group went back to a flat on Cinderford High Street to carry on drinking, where Scott followed Beach into the kitchen.

Beach testified that he had unintentionally stabbed Scott while turning around with a kitchen knife in hand, which he claimed to have been using to chop cannabis. He said he had been unaware of Scott's presence and believed Scott was approaching him for a hug, prompting him to push Scott aside to pass by.

The jury rejected Beach's account, convicting him of murder on Friday (7 June). The judge said that the "significant force" must have involved.

Bodycam footage presented to the jurors showed Beach confessing to stab Scott to both a police officer and a paramedic. Beach will be required to serve 17 years in prison before he is eligible for parole consideration, minus the time he has already spent on remand.

IAN KINGSTON

A man has been jailed after being caught with a long bow and arrow. Armed police were called to London Road, in Stroud, shortly before 6am on Monday (June 24).

It was reported that a man was spotted in possession of a weapon and then fled. The same man was then spotted in a garden shortly before 8.30am before being chased through other people's gardens.

Ian Kingston, aged 37 and of no fixed abode, was arrested before being charged with possession of an offensive weapon in connection. Gloucestershire Police officers then recovered a long bow and several arrows from an address.

As well as admitting to being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, Kingston also pleaded guilty to eight counts of interference with a motor vehicle and two counts of theft within the Stroud area. He appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (June 25) and was jailed for four months.