A driver whose actions led to the death of a retired council worker is among the offenders who were jailed at Derby’s courts in June.

A burglar, who a judge described as a “one man crime wave,” was also put behind bars during the month.

And a knife-wielding arsonist who set fire to her own Sinfin home was also sent to prison during June.

A driver who killed a retired Derby City Council worker when he ploughed into the back of a bike he was riding had been on the road for almost 17 hours when the crash happened.

John Barnes, aged 28, jailed for three years for causing death by dangerous driving of retired Derby City Council worker
John Barnes was jailed for three years for causing death by dangerous driving

Father-of-two John Barnes, was speeding and had also also been on his mobile phone for over 30 minutes when he sent John Stewart flying into a hedgerow causing fatal injuries on the A50 near Derby.

The 28-year-old, who has previously been banned from the roads and who had 11 points on his licence at the time of the crash, “chose to drive” the long hours because he was working a zero-hours contact, a court heard.

Now he has been jailed for three year at Derby Crown Court for causing death by dangerous driving of Mr Stewart, who worked for the council for 47 years before retiring.

Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “I have heard how Mr Stewart was a good man, a popular man who, along with his wife Veronica lived an active life and who made a positive contribution to society.

“Tragically, he died as a result of the way you drove on that day which was way below an acceptable standard.

Barnes, formerly of Nelson Street, Swadlincote, and now of Ashwicken Road, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Sex attacker Ashkan Bayramhaghigsi deliberately targeted a drunk woman in a Derby city centre kebab house before following her and sexually assaulting her.

The 32-year-old subjected his victim to a terrifying 20-minute ordeal during which he put his hands down her jeans and exposed her breasts.

During the attack the woman was telling him not to do what he was doing and her actions led to a pub door staff worker becoming suspicious and calling the police.

When they arrived Bayramhaghasi, of St Chads Road, Normanton, tried to flee but was apprehended nearby and denied anything had happened meaning his victim was forced to relive her ordeal in the witness box at his trial.

Ashkan Bayramhaghigsi attacked his victim in Becket Street
Ashkan Bayramhaghigsi attacked his victim in Becket Street

Now he has been jailed after the jury at Derby Crown Court unanimously found him guilty of sexual assault.

Jailing him for 30 months, Judge Robert Egbuna said: “This was a sustained attack which went on for at least 20 minutes in the city centre late at night with members of the public walking by.

“Women going out in Derby city centre, or any city centre, are entitled to feel safe and not be approached and sexually assaulted in the manner that you behaved on that night.

“You deliberately targeted a particularly vulnerable victim and sexually assaulted her in a public place where she should feel protected.”

A gypsy from Derby, who was deported from the UK four years ago for shoplifting, managed to walk back into the UK undetected and carry on stealing.

A court in Derby heard how Eriks Gindra, of Allenton, was twice turned away from re-entering the UK in just over a week in 2016 having tried to fly back in from his home country.

But four months ago he arrived on a boat from Ireland and breezed through passport control without being stopped.

Eriks Gindra walked back into the UK through passport control
Eriks Gindra walked back into the UK through passport control


However, checks later revealed he should not have been in the country having been deported in 2014 and he picked up more than a month later.

Derbyshire police has admitted bailing Gindra was down to “human error”.

Now he is likely to be deported once again after he serves a short prison sentence for his latest offence.

James Close, for Gindra, of Victory Road, said: “Not only did the police miss the fact he had a deportation order so did the custody services.

“He said he went to Ireland looking for work but could not find any.

“Therefore, around four months ago, he got on a boat to England.

“Using his passport he went through customs and they allowed him entry.

“Then he was arrested in Derby and at the police station he was charged and then let go.”

A “one man crime wave” who stole communion wine from a Derby church during a spate of burglaries at Christmas is now taking Bible studies in prison.

Derby Crown Court heard how Richard West targeted the Central United Reformed Church in Becketwell Lane through a third floor window on Boxing Day.

He could not get into the safe so “all he could find to steal” was the wine and some cakes.

Over other eight break-ins, between Christmas Day and January 6, the 43-year-old father-of-four, of no fixed address, caused more than £12,000 of damage.

Richard West went on a Christmas burglary rampage
Richard West went on a Christmas burglary rampage

He took alcohol, laptops, cigarettes and even ice cream but items he dropped or left at some of the scenes contained his DNA leading to his arrest.

And in a victim personal statement, the church said: “It’s a disgrace that a church has been broken into.

“We have an elderly congregation which carries out a lot of work for charity and our cleaner is now afraid to go inside alone.

“This is an awful crime.”

Jailing West for 22 months, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “You are a one-man crime wave that caused enormous disruption.”

A knife-wielding arsonist from Derby threatened to slash the throat of a woman living in her communal house and stab another man who lived at the address.

A court heard how university graduate Amanda Shaw set light to the bottom of a stairwell at the Sinfin property where she lived putting the other occupants lives at risk.

She then threatened to kill one one woman in her sleep and called a third resident “a rapist” as he watched her “drag the knife back and forth through the flames” while the blaze took hold.

Amanda Shaw started a fire in her communal house

When officers did arrive at the Arleston Street address, off Kitchener Avenue, Shaw refused to drop the weapon and so an officer had to us CS spray to get it from her.

Derby Crown Court was told that she carried out the offence because she felt “bullied and disrespected” by those she lived with.

Jailing the 37-year-old mother, now of Cleveland Close, Swadlincote, for the equivalent of six years, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “You have worrying previous convictions including a section 18 (GBH) for which you were jailed for four years.

“At the time of this offence you were also on a suspended sentence for threatening to kill a housing manager.


“But the other residents will have been petrified by what they saw and setting a fire in a multi-occupancy address while waving a knife around gives me very grave concerns.”


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