Paedophile teachers, thugs in Halloween masks and killer drivers - Essex criminals jailed in November 2024

Another month draws to a close, and another round of criminals have been sent behind bars in Essex. We're nearing the end of 2024 and the month of November has seen severe cases come before the courts - including a teacher with an MBE who had a secret, depraved double life as an abusive paedophile.

We have also seen "methodical" and calculating crooks who have targeted wealthy, isolated homes away from prying eyes so they could enter and ransack the properties, leaving a trail of destructive burglaries across Essex and the wider south east region.

Additionally, a terrifying incident played out where a man in a Halloween mask, armed to the teeth, raided shops in Essex and demanding cash as soon as they could get their hands on it. An additional tragic case in the courts saw a man lose control of his car, and veer into the path of another, resulting in the death of a beloved grandma.

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Here is a rundown of all the Essex criminals jailed for more than a year in November 2024.

The robber who tortured and murdered a man over cannabis

The Old Bailey heard how a group of men burst into the home of 25-year-old Albanian national Olsi Kuka while he was asleep and ransacked his flat for his stash of cannabis on May 11 2022. Mr Kuka was shot four times in the head with a BB gun in an apparent attempt to get him to reveal the location of drugs.

This was before he was fatally stabbed with two knives in the early morning raid, the court heard. Mr Kuka’s cousin, Alush Kuka, who was living in the flat in Whetstone, north London, was threatened, punched and slashed in the raid but survived to raise the alarm.

Reuben Bernard, who is now 19 but was 17 at the time, was convicted of murder, wounding with intent and conspiracy to rob. He is the last of the group involved in the incident to be sentenced and was detained at His Majesty’s pleasure at the start of November for a minimum term of 22 years.

The crook who stole more than £10,000 worth of skincare products

Billy Greenwood has been jailed after a string of crimes including where he stole £10,000 worth of skin care products from a single Boots store. The 29-year-old of no fixed address stole from shops and vehicles, as well as breaching a pre-existed criminal behaviour order (CBO) between July 31 and September 5 this year.

He targeted the Boots on the Epping Forest Retail Park in Langston Road on six occasions, stealing more than £10,000 of skin care goods and make items. He also stolen between £100 and £200 worth of meat from the BP in Chigwell Lane, as well as attempting to steal items from a car in Burney Drive, Loughton. In May of this year, he’d been made subject to a CBO which banned him from entering the BP on Broadway, Loughton or the Boots in Langston Road.

A thief who stole 50 bottles of alcohol and a £9,000 bike

Jordan Hurst has been locked up for a year after raiding two businesses over the summer of this year. The 28-year-old of no fixed address appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday November 1 where he was jailed for 12 months for the two burglaries, and criminal damage to a car on three separate dates.

An investigation was launched following a burglary at a Maldon bicycle shop on July 31 when a window was smashed to gain access and a bike valued at £9,500 was stolen. A search of the area led officers to locating Jordan Hurst nearby, but he was released on bail.

While investigating a burglary at a pub in Chelmsford, reported to have taken place on August 27, the police identified Hurst as the suspect. During the burglary, 50 bottles of alcohol worth £450 was stolen. Hurst was arrested in Chelmsford city centre on 5 September when officers were on routine patrol. Hurst ran off from officers and in the process, he jumped on a car, causing £1,000 damage to the windscreen.

The "despicable" teacher with an MBE who abused multiple boys

65-year-old David Pickthall, from Brentwood, was a teacher at the school and a local choirmaster, previously having a distinguished career and was awarded an MBE for his services. However, Pickthall is said to have abused as many as 19 people.

Pickthall showed no emotion as he sat in the dock of Chelmsford Crown Court as details of his offending were read out at his sentencing hearing on Monday (November 11), which resulted in him being jailed for 12 years.

Pickthall “secretly had been touching and spying on young boys". The disgraced music teacher was said to have started by tickling his young victims before escalating to more serious abuse in behaviour described as “predatory”.

The dealer who made ecstasy in his grandma's shed

Thousands of pounds worth of cocaine, and equipment to make pills were found, after police searched the pensioner’s property. The Serious Organised Crime Unit had long been building a case against Frankie Lee Watkinson, 31, after intelligence gathered led them to suspect Watkinson was supplying Class A drugs.

In January, police had enough evidence to execute a warrant at his grandmother’s home in Thurrock, and found ecstasy pill manufacturing equipment in her shed. A pill press machine, bags of suspected MDMA, powder-covered gloves and loose pills were discovered, with the pill press machine fully operational and covered in fresh, loose powder.

Searching the loft area of the house revealed a small safe that had been secured into the joist beam. Officers were able to open it using a key seized from Watkinson at the time of his arrest. It was then than officers recovered 108g of cocaine, valued at between £4,300 and £8,600.

The crook with a 'burglary checklist' who hit affluent homes

Emiliano Krosi's rampage took place across Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Surrey, where he targeted affluent areas in private roads with detatched houses and large gardens to avoid being spotted.

The 24-year-old of Ditton Court Road in Southend was was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court after being found guilty of 33 counts of conspiracy to commit burglary between October 2022 and March 2023.

Investigators from police forces from The Met Police, Surrey, Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire estimate that approximately £1,139,000 worth of items were stolen in this period. Krosi ended up being jailed for 11 years and three months.

Krosi had a very specific checklist for the homes he targeted, with the ideal home being a large, detached house in an affluent area, situated on a private road and with a large rear garden. Often these gardens also backed onto fields or golf courses to give him an extra level of privacy whilst committing his crimes.

The knifeman raiding stores in a Halloween mask

Braintree CID secured a prison sentence for 49-year-old Daniele Aldegheri, who used numerous weapons – including a knife – to target five shops. Officers found that the culprit would strike just prior to the shop closing. Aldegheri allegedly carried out his crimes to get funds for his terminally ill partner.

On February 14 this year, a masked Aldegheri entered a Co-op store in Silver End armed with a metal baton, approaching staff and demanding they open the till. He used the baton to hit the Perspex screen door by the till. He stole a three-figure sum of cash.

On July 15 this year, he entered a Morrisons Daily in Braintree armed with a knife, threatening staff and stealing a three-figure sum of cash from the till. Days later, on August 4, he entered a Co-op store in Hatfield Peverel, forcing staff to open the till at knifepoint and stealing around £100.

He also targeted a Morrisons Daily in Witham, on August 15, waving a knife at staff and stealing a four-figure sum of cash. Aldegheri later went on to be jailed for eight years.

The masked man who lunged at a woman and sexually assaulted her

A balaclava-wearing man at a woman in an Essex street, grabbed her and sexually assaulted her. Unfortunately for attack Marian Canuci, his victim bravely called emergency services and his attack was witnessed by several members of the public.

The victim was at the waterfront in Purfleet near London Road on August 24 this year when she turned and saw a man, now known to be 31-year-old Canuci, running towards her wearing a balaclava before grabbing her and assaulting her.

What he did not see was the victim calling emergency services on her phone before members of the public heard the incident and he fled the scene. The victim and multiple witnesses provided police with accounts, including a detailed description of Canuci, and forensic investigators were able to trace blood left on the victim’s clothing back to him. He was later jailed for four years.

The driver who lost control and killed an elderly woman

Naeem Shahani said he has felt the "horror" of his actions every day for more than two years since he killed 84-year-old Phyllis Willis in the crash in Takeley in September 2022.

Mrs Willis had been the passenger of the vehicle being driven by her friend Lynn Smith, who was taking her back to a bus stop after they had spent the day together shopping. As they were driving on Parsonage Road in the village in the afternoon of September 26, Shahani crashed straight into their vehicle after the Range Rover he was driving veered into their lane.

Ms Smith was severely injured in the crash while Mrs Willis sustained critical injuries and despite the best efforts of everyone who tried to help her, she died at the scene. Following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Shahani, 39, of Sheppey Road, Dagenham, was found guilty of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed this week for 28 months.

The paedophile who manipulated and abused three young girls

Brian Craig groomed, controlled, manipulated and abused three young girls during the 1970s and 80s. During those decades, the now 74-year-old Craig of Coast Road, West Mersea, would groom and later sexually abuse the children whilst living in Stone near Aylesbury. The offences were reported to Thames Valley Police in March 2019. Craig was arrested on April 8, 2019 and charged on December 11, 2020.

Appearing at Aylesbury Crown Court on November 1, Craig was sentenced for one count of rape, one count of attempted sexual intercourse with a girl, four counts of sexual intercourse with a girl and seven counts of indecent assault. He had previously been found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of the offences at the same court, following a two week trial concluding on October 25.

The brazen shoplifter who stole repeatedly from the same shop

Daniel Archer was known to police, and already had a Criminal Behaviour Order. Archer, 36, of no fixed address, had been charged with 15 thefts or attempted thefts from shops as well as breaching the existing Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

Charges related to incidents between August and October this year at the Co-op store in Hawthorne Avenue, Colchester. In spite of already having a CBO in March 2023 banning him from going into the store, Archer brazenly repeated offending from the same location. He was convicted of the charges against him and was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, November 25, to a year and 10 months in prison.

The murderer who killed a man and then waited calmly for police

Gary Hindle (pictured above) was just 53 when he was attacked by Barry Mooney in Hamlet Court Road at around 6pm on Thursday July 18. CCTV showed that in the moments leading up to the attack, Mooney and Gary had had a short conversation, possibly an argument.

Mooney got up from the bench, where they were both sitting, walked over to a nearby tree, and got out a large knife before attacking Gary with it. Gary sustained injuries to his face and back and, sadly, died at the scene.

Shortly after, Mooney also attacked another man who happened to be walking through Hamlet Court Road at the time. He was taken to hospital and his injuries are life-changing injuries to his face. Mooney stayed at the scene, sitting on a bench still holding the knife until officers pulled up in a police car.

Despite being told to drop the knife he refused, and officers had to taser him and were then able to arrest him. While in custody, Mooney made threats towards officers and admitted he had carried out the attack. Fifty-five year-old Mooney, of Crowstone Road, Westcliff, was charged. At Basildon Crown Court on Thursday November 28, he admitted murder and GBH with intent and was jailed for life and told he would not be eligible for parole for at least 26 years.