The killer, ATM heist gang and torture teens jailed at Oxford Crown Court in May

Lewis Brown Picture: TVP

Drug dealer Lewis Brown was jailed for 10-and-a-half years for fatally stabbing customer Lee Butler.

The 20-year-old was cleared of murdering Mr Butler, 39, but found guilty by an Oxford jury of manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.

Prosecutors claimed Mr Butler was stabbed for ‘chatting s***’ about the quality of the drugs being sold through Brown’s ‘Bob’ drugs line.

Jailing him for 10-and-a-half years, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: “You, Lewis Brown, and your actions were the sole cause of Lee Butler’s death that day.”

READ MORE: Barton killer gets 10-and-a-half years for Lee Butler's manslaughter

Torture teens

Washington, Weir, Azevedo and Sallaj Picture: TVP

A group of drug-fuelled teenagers and 20 somethings were jailed for 35 years for holding a young woman against her will in a Banbury flat and torturing her.

Jailing them, Judge Nigel Daly: “This all went on for something like 12 to 16 hours. She was totally abused, humiliated and tortured. It included as I say, forcing her to take heroin and eventually being raped.

“Had I not heard the evidence I do not think I would have believed this sort of thing could have happened between so-called friends and acquaintances.

“I was shocked not only by the events covered by this indictment but by the lifestyle that you described, the lifestyle you were leading, as if it was in some way normal.

“None of you were over 20 years. You seem to have descended into a life of drug-fuelled debauchery, displaying a total lack of morality or self-control.”

Alexander Azevedo, of Britannia Wharf, Banbury, was convicted of rape, false imprisonment, administering heroin and ABH. He was found not guilty of one count of ABH and administering Valium. He was jailed for 15 years.

Sonny Weir, of Pope Walk, Banbury, was cleared making a threat to kill and one ABH count but convicted of administering a noxious substance with intent, false imprisonment and ABH. He received nine-and-a-half years, including a six month sentence for dealing drugs in Bournemouth.

Natasha Washington, of no fixed address, was convicted of false imprisonment, ABH and administering heroin but acquitted of administering Valium with intent. She was jailed for eight years

Argest Sallaj, 17, who could be named after the judge lifted reporting restrictions, was convicted of false imprisonment, ABH, common assault and battery. He was cleared of pouring hot water on her foot and urinating over her. He was sentenced to three years in a young offenders’ institution.

READ MORE: Drug-fuelled gang that tortured victim in 12-hour ordeal jailed for 35 YEARS

ATM gang

A judge handed down almost three quarters of a century’s worth of jail time to members of a gang that moved on to dragging-out ATMs when their attempts at blowing them up proved hit-and-miss.

Jimmy Sheen was the leader of the gang, which carried out raids across the Home Counties, assisted by his trusted lieutenant David Riley.

Both men were also involved in breaking into the Newmarket Horseracing Museum in 2020, when they made off with trophies worth almost £400,000.

Sheen was jailed for 17 years and four months. Riley got 17 years and three months.

Other members of the gang received between three years and four months and 14 years and three months’ imprisonment.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC said: “You were completely indifferent to the effect of your actions on others, indifferent to the risk of injury from the explosions, indifferent to the cost of repairing the damage, indifferent to the financial loss to the owners of the buildings and the ATM machines.

“You were not the least bit concerned as to the effect of the disruption to businesses, the effect of your crimes on the staff the loss to the insurance companies and the loss of amenities to members of the public.

“You couldn’t care less.

“The attitude of each of you was fully focussed on yourselves.

“Your attitude was ‘what can I make out of the offending and how can I avoid being caught?’”

READ MORE: ATM blow-up gang's 'attitude to life' blasted by judge as he jails them for 74 YEARS

Instagram fantasist

Fantasist Lee Alexander hid behind the Instagram profile of a made-up model agency in order to trick a teen woman into sending nude pictures.

The 22-year-old had been charged with blackmail, but admitted a lesser charge of fraud by false representation.

Jailing him for two years and nine months, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: “It is almost impossible to think of a greater humiliation for a young girl to have to go through than to be told pictures of her without any clothes on are going to be published online unless she sends more pictures of herself in the nude to you.”

READ MORE: Scammer tricked girl, 18, into sending nude photos - then held her to ransom

‘You thoroughly deserve it’

Rick Passway faces the prospect of dying in prison after he finally faced justice for repeatedly raping one child in the 70s and 80s, raping a woman days after a gynaecological operation in the mid-80s and pawing several other girls.

Sentencing the 77-year-old, Judge Nigel Daly blasted: “Your treatment of your [first victim, who was repeatedly raped as a child] was despicable.

“You’ve heard what she has to say about that. You’ve taken away her childhood. You have ruined her adult life.

“The rape of your [second victim, who was sexually assaulted in the mid-80s] was shocking in the extreme.

“In respect of the other offences, it is quite clear you were unable to keep your hands off young women and would sexually assault them at any opportunity, repeating it again and again and again because you never got caught and you were never punished.

“You showed your victims no mercy. You showed them no compassion and you have displayed no remorse or contrition since - either at trial or since.”

Sending him down for 29 years, the judge added: “That is the sentence upon you. You thoroughly deserve it.”

READ MORE: Judge says paedophile rapist 'thoroughly deserves' 29 year jail term

‘No remorse’

Dad-of-two Martin Holmes, 36, was more than twice his victim’s age when he began abusing his nine-year-old victim in the mid-2000s.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC accused him of showing 'not one iota of remorse' for his actions as he jailed him for 15 years.

“The fact you were bullied at school is absolutely no excuse for what you did, but may indicate the sort of inadequate man in some respects that you are,” he said.

READ MORE: Oxford judge slams remorseless paedophile as he jails him for 15 years

Cat died in Bicester fire

Paul Glen was accused of setting fire to a mid-terrace house in Chichester Close, Bicester, in a revenge attempt.

The 48-year-old had been asked to leave by the tenant, who had taken him in out of the goodness of her heart when he was left with nowhere else to stay. Glen was said to have become aggressive and there were concerns about him taking drugs at the property.

A neighbour called the fire brigade when he heard a fire alarm coming from the house. He briefly spoke to Glen, who had been thrown out the house by police earlier that day, and saw him get in a taxi.

The house was badly smoke damaged and the family’s cat perished in the blaze. When he was arrested later that evening, Glen had soot marks on his face, hands and clothes.

Jailing him for 44 months, Judge Nigel Daly said: “You were in a right mess at the time, I accept that. A real mess. Hopefully you will be able to pull yourself together a bit in the future.

“You spent some time not getting into trouble – quite a long period of time – so you can do it and you can do it particularly if you get help.”

READ MORE: Good Samaritan’s cat died in fire

'Let them die'

An arsonist who set fire to a B&B room bragged: “I don’t give a s***. It was just some Vietnamese people. They brought the virus over to the UK. Let them die.” 

Robert Steele covered an electric toaster, which he had brought to the Cowley Road guesthouse, with a duvet. Luckily, no one was injured and the fire service attended promptly.

Steele under investigation at the time for sending threatening Facebook messages and making nuisance 999 calls claiming to have set fire to his mum’s home and threatening to shoot his family dead.

Sentencing him to five years and four months, Judge Ian Pringle QC described Steele’s behaviour as 'totally and utterly unacceptable'. “You were utterly reckless as to whether life was endangered and that is a most serious offence.”

He was given an extended sentence with a three year licence period.

READ MORE: Arsonist who set fire to B&B room on Cowley Road said: 'It was just some Vietnamese people'

Read more from this author

This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward