SOUTH Essex criminals were jailed in January for crimes ranging from murder to drug dealing.

Here are the some of the south Essex crooks who will be spending time behind bars.

Jamie Lewis

Jamie Lewis, 25, was convicted of murdering 42-year-old Matt Portwood by stabbing him in the neck outside the Haystack Pub in Furtherwick Road, Canvey, in the early hours of Saturday, February 4, 2023.

A month-long trial started on September 12 last year with prosecuting barrister Cyrus Shroff pointing to Jamie Lewis as the killer.

The jury heard Lewis attempted to re-enter the Haystack pub and buy a drink while covered in blood but was refused service.

Following the trial, Lewis was found guilty of murder and possession of a bladed article.

On January 11, Lewis, of Bensham Lane, Croydon, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years and 30 days. He was also handed an 18-month sentence for possession of a bladed article to run concurrently.

Tai Parsons

Tai Parsons, 23, ran a series of drug operations supplying Class A drugs to users and were linked with “bulk marketing” text messages and huge amounts of cocaine.

In a sentencing at Basildon Crown Court on January 10, the court heard Tai Parsons had been linked with the delivery of “five to nine ounces” of cocaine.

The brothers’ previous address in Olive Court, Basildon, and current address in Colchester were both raided on March 28. Officers found £4,000 in cash, further phones confirming a third drugs line and designer clothes.

Tai Parsons was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

Charlie Ainscough

Charlie Ainscough, 30, of Battleswick, Basildon, was in a relationship with his ex-partner for two years which ended last May.

His episodes of violence began prior to the break-up, the court heard, and he initially assaulted the victim by slapping her and throwing a mobile phone at her face.

Over a six-month period, Ainscough’s “horrifying” abuse continued, resulting in him punching the victim in the face, pulling her to the floor, stamping on her, throwing a brick through her window and stealing her phone and bank card.

Ainscough was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, witness intimidation, malicious communication, criminal damage and theft.

He was jailed for four years and seven months on January 12

Ryan Massey

Ryan Massey, 31, of Roots Hall Avenue, Southend, was initially handed a sexual harm prevention order on September 14, 2021, after being sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

At the time he was convicted of attempting, causing or inciting a female under 13 to engage in sexual acts.

He was released on August 25 last year and between September 25 and October 10 downloaded and deleted several “virtual private networks” and dark web browsers, breaching his order.

Massey appeared in Basildon Crown Court on January 10 and was sentenced to 20 months in prison concurrently for three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Malcolm Sururr

Malcolm Sururr, 45, of Oakfield Road, Croydon, sold drugs for the ‘Nino’ line from a property in Hastings Road, Southend.

He sold drugs from three different numbers and eight phones, resulting in more than 4,000 bulk messages sent to class A users in Southend.

Sururr sold crack cocaine and heroin coined as ‘sugar’ and ‘coffee’ to pay of a £6000 debt.

He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on January 3.

Rasheed Shittu

Rasheed Shittu, 33, held a “senior management position” in a gang selling drugs in Basildon and surrounding areas between September 2021 and May 2023 before he was arrested.

During Shittu’s time managing runners, a 15-year-old girl was arrested on November 6, 2022, in possession of 100 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin in her bedroom.

Shittu, of Swanage Road, Southend, was arrested on May 18 last year as officers raided his home in Southend, pleading guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin and one count of converting criminal property.

He was jailed for more than five years at Southend Crown Court on January 23.