Robbers, sex offenders and drug dealers were among the criminals from across Waveney put behind bars in 2022. 

Here we take a look at 10 criminals who were locked up over the year. 

Jerry Lawson

Jerry Lawson, 33, was jailed for more than six years after threatening a man with a claw hammer and kicking him to the floor at a Lowestoft garage.

In July, Lawson was sentenced to 64 months in jail for robbery and 12 months for possession of an offensive weapon to be served concurrently.

Lowestoft Journal: Jerry LawsonJerry Lawson (Image: Suffolk Police)

He was also ordered to pay the victim a surcharge of £190.

His sentence came after a man in his 50s was attacked by Lawson as he returned to his car at the Shell Garage on High Street, Lowestoft, on May 10.

Lawson admitted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon and was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court on July 8.

After sentencing, Det Con Anne-Marie Davison, the investigating officer in the case, said: "This was a shocking display of violence and would have been a frightening experience for the victim.

"It is clear that Lawson targeted the victim as he was the only person present at the garage."

Azgan Gashi and Klisman Toci

Two men who ran a cannabis factory from an industrial unit in Kirkley were jailed.

Azgan Gashi and Klisman Toci worked as gardeners in the cannabis farm that was discovered during a police raid on a building in Horn Hill, Lowestoft on April 20 last year.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how officers noted a strong smell of cannabis, with the windows of the industrial unit boarded up, door handles removed and a van parked by the doors, blocking access.

The officers could hear the sound of mechanical equipment operating inside and after forcing entry they discovered a large cannabis farm with over 500 cannabis plants.

Two men inside the premises had climbed onto the roof and then jumped down in a bid to escape.

One of them was wrestled to the ground nearby and the other jumped over a fence into the rear compound of a car dealership, landing on a Suzuki car and dislocating his shoulder.

The rear car window smashed and damage was caused to seats inside.

Lowestoft Journal: Azgan GashiAzgan Gashi (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Gashi, 20, and 24-year-old Toci, both of no fixed abode, admitted being involved in the production of cannabis.

Toci also admitted criminal damage to a car.

Lowestoft Journal: Klisman TociKlisman Toci (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Sentencing the men, Recorder Jeremy Benson said they had been involved in a "sophisticated industrial-scale cannabis growing operation".

He said the cannabis had a potential street value of between £97,000 and £167,000.

Gashi was sentenced to 14 months' detention in a young offenders’ institution and Toci was jailed for 16 months.

Bobby Jeffs

A serial paedophile, who groomed a teenage girl in Canada to take photographs of her sexually abusing a baby, was jailed for nine years.

Bobby Jeffs was branded a danger to children when he was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on April 4.

Judge Emma Peters said he had caused "utter devastation" to the teenager and her family.

The 40-year-old, of Water Lane, Lowestoft, had also downloaded more than 7,000 indecent images and movies of children, the court was told.

Lowestoft Journal: Bobby JeffsBobby Jeffs (Image: Suffolk Police)

Jeffs admitted 16 charges, including six offences of making indecent images and videos of children, two offences of possessing prohibited images of children and two offences of possessing extreme pornography and six offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and was jailed for nine years with an extended licence period of five years.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Ross Smith

A man who sexually abused a young girl was jailed for 10 years for child sex offences.

Smith, 33, of Banham Road, Beccles, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court in January last year having previously been convicted of three offences.

He had denied three counts of causing or inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity but was found guilty by a jury at trial.

Lowestoft Journal: Ross SmithRoss Smith (Image: Suffolk police)

The offending took place between 2018 and 2019.

At the sentencing hearing, the victim's mother described Smith's offending as "despicable" and outlined the impact it had had on her daughter and their family.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life, with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order imposed.

Christopher Webster

A conman from Lowestoft swindled vulnerable victims out of more than £250,000 after making "fantastical" claims and inventing a string of false identities.

Christoper Webster, 43, was jailed for more than seven years in July, with Recorder Gabrielle Posner describing the frauds as "elaborate".

Lowestoft Journal: Christopher WebsterChristopher Webster (Image: Suffolk police)

The court heard Webster had created more than 17 fake identities, opened bank accounts and created phantom law firms, with his actions leaving one of his victims around £1million out of pocket.

Webster, of Marsh Lane, Carlton Colville in Lowestoft, admitted three offences of fraud over a four year period and was jailed for seven years and two months.

One of the biggest frauds involving £231,000 concerned the friend of a retired surveyor from Lakenheath.

The victim also incurred bridging loan costs of £106,000 and was forced to sell two houses at massive losses estimated at £1m.

Anthony Beech

A man with more than 100 previous convictions was jailed for almost three years after admitting a burglary at a home in Lowestoft while the owners were on holiday.

In July last year Ipswich Crown Court heard that Anthony Beech smashed a kitchen window of the home in Cotmer Road, Lowestoft, on January 15 and stole a purse, cash and a mini disc player.

Lowestoft Journal: Anthony Beech.Anthony Beech. (Image: Suffolk police)

Beech was arrested after DNA found in blood on the broken window matched his profile.

Beech, 43, of Marbella Green, Lowestoft, admitted burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.

He was jailed for 29 months for the burglary with six months to run consecutively for the knife offence.

The court heard that he had 111 previous convictions including 62 offences of theft and dishonesty.

Kane Platten

A repeat offender was jailed for three years for a burglary in Beccles.

Kane Platten, 33, of New College Close in Gorleston, was jailed at Norwich Crown Court in July after he pleaded guilty to burglary.

Lowestoft Journal: Kane PlattenKane Platten (Image: Suffolk Police)

It comes after he entered an unlocked property on Hungate in Beccles via the back door on July 3, 2021.

He was disturbed by the occupant and then fled the scene after stealing nothing.

The court heard Platten was a repeat offender with an extensive criminal history for theft and burglary.

Ryan Page

A 23-year-old man was jailed after a stabbing in Lowestoft.

Ryan Page was sentenced for his role in an incident on Yeovil Road after a fight broke out between a group of men late on May 1, 2021.

During the altercation, a 21-year-old man was hit on the back of the head with a glass bottle and suffered a single stab wound to the chest.

Five men - all aged in their 20s - were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, with four later told they would face no further police action.

Lowestoft Journal: Ryan Page.Ryan Page. (Image: Norfolk police)

The fifth man, Ryan Page, of no fixed address, was charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a knife.

On March 4, Page appeared at Ipswich Crown Court where he denied one charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but pleaded guilty to the other offences.

He was sentenced to eight years and one month in prison for causing grievous bodily harm and 27 weeks’ imprisonment for possession of the bladed weapon, to be served concurrently.

Daniel Burrows

A Lowestoft man who threatened a kebab shop owner with a toy gun while stealing a can of Dr Pepper was for 40 months.

Lowestoft Journal: Daniel Burrows, of London Road South, LowestoftDaniel Burrows, of London Road South, Lowestoft (Image: Suffolk Police)

Daniel Burrows went to Kings Kebab in London Road South, where he was a regular customer, at 11.30pm on September 21 and said he wanted some free food and drink, Ipswich Crown Court heard on January 17.

When the shopkeeper refused, Burrows’ took out a toy gun from the waistband of his trousers and waved it around.

The shop owner was scared as he couldn’t tell if the gun was real or not.

Armed officers arrived in the area and Burrows was arrested just before 1am on London Road South.

During questioning, he disclosed that the gun was gas-powered and had been stripped to make it inoperable.

Burrows, 33, of London Road South, Lowestoft, admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, robbery, possession of a knife and possession of cannabis, and was jailed for 44 months.

He was sentenced to 32 months for robbery and eight months for possession of an imitation firearm.

Burrows was also ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.