THE courts continue to push ahead during the latest lockdown.

Travelling for court cases in the criminal justice system has been marked as essential, with criminals still being sentenced every day.

Here is a round up of some of the most serious cases to come before Basildon Crown Court this week.

Janet Ouchterlonie

62-year-old Ouchterlonie of Meteor Road, Westcliff, claimed Universal Credit, Housing Benefits and Jobseekers’ Allowance over the course of six years to help support her and her husband.

Despite this, she failed to declare to the Department of Work and Pensions that she had £33,000 in her bank account.

At court on Monday she was given a community order. 

Read more here.

Thomas Warwick

Echo:

Thomas Warwick was discovered by police in Rochford by officers under Operation Raptor - who fight serious drug crimes in Essex - on December 2 last year.

The 29 year-old of Prospect Close, Southend, saw the officers at the same time they saw him, and he immediately fled the scene.

The officers chased him down and he was detained in a cul-de-sac.

He was found to have phones with messages marketing drugs. He had only been released from prison five weeks earlier for identical offences.

He was jailed for five years and eight months.

Angela Kingston

Echo:

Controlling mum Angela Kingston has been jailed for three counts of coercive control on a family relationship, along with assault, stalking and causing unnecessary suffering to a child.

Her husband and two sons told how she would steal and sell their belongings for drug money, including loans meant for Christmas presents.

The 43-year-old of Rochford Garden Way, Rochford has been addicted to drugs for the best part of 20 years - but upon meeting her husband in 2005 he tried to quell her offending, as she previously committed low level thefts to pay for her habit.

However, in the following years her addiction would return and her offences began again.

She was jailed for two years.

Stacy Kennedy

Echo:

Stacy Kennedy has been jailed, despite being 14 weeks pregnant.

The 32-year-old was sentenced on Wednesday for the crimes committed back in 2019.

She entered a hair salon in Westcliff and tried to steal belongings of staff in the back room.

When confronted about this and told she had to leave, she bit a man on the chest, drawing blood and scratching him in the face.

She was jailed for 30 months.

Laurence Bourne

Echo:

Laurence Bourne has been jailed for historic crimes against a young girl almost 30 years ago.

Bourne abused his victim under the age of 13 between 1989 and 1992, and they bravely reported the crimes to police in April 2019.

The 68-year-old of Brackendale Court, Basildon, appeared via video link from prison yesterday at Basildon Crown Court.

The victim said she was left with "shame and anger" after the offences, but bravely reported them in April 2019.

She was praised by Judge Samantha Cohen for giving her evidence during Bourne's trial.

He was jailed for six years.