Although the coronavirus pandemic has meant fewer people are appearing in court, it has not meant a total shutdown of the justice system in Basingstoke. 

The number of people put behind bars since the start of lockdown has been less than what the public may be used to, but police and judges alike are still working hard to bring justice to the world.

That includes Hampshire Constabulary, who since the start of July, have made public the sentencing of 10 individuals.

We have compiled a list of all eight of these perpetrators, including what their jail term was and what they did to deserve it.

Derek Jennings

Jennings was jailed for a year and eight months on July 31 after he punched a police horse before a much-anticipated match between Portsmouth and Southampton football clubs.

The 53-year-old of Laburnha Grove, Portsmouth, pleaded guilty in an earlier hearing to violent disorder on September 24 last year.

The court heard how one of the police commanders noticed Jennings becoming aggressive towards police officers and rival Southampton fans during the build-up to the game in Goldsmith Avenue, at the Fratton Way end.

The officer riding Luna headed towards Jennings, who clenched his fist and punched the horse in her nose and mouth.

Luna instantly shied away from the attack but Jennings swung out at Luna twice more before he turned and attempted to run away.

The court was told that Jennings ran towards a group of officers who warned him to stop, with Luna following after him.

He was quickly arrested and taken into custody.

Jennings was also handed a six year football banning order.

Teenagers sentenced to six month detention order

Two teenagers have been sent to a Young Offenders' Institution for six months on July 13 after pleading guilty to Section 4 Public Order Act 1986 and affray.

A 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, both from Basingstoke, were sentenced on July 10 to a six month detention and training order at Basingstoke Youth Court.

They will spend three months in a Young Offenders' Institution before being supervised for three months on licence in the community.

The 16-year-old boy also pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer during the Buckskin Centre incident.

Police were called at around 10pm on Monday May 25 to reports of a large disturbance outside a take-away at the Buckskin Centre, Blackdown Close in Basingstoke.

Yaashmi Ravikumar

Ravikumar was jailed for 18 months in a young offender's institute, and disqualified from driving for 33 months on July 13 after killing a woman on the Isle of Wight.

The incident occurred at around 12.46pm on April 14 2019, when a Mini driven by 20-year-old Ravikumar collided with a Fiat Bravo and a bus on Forest Road in Newport, at the Betty Haunt Lane junction.

Yvonne Copland, aged 64 year and from the Shide area of Newport, was a passenger in the red Fiat and died as a result of the collision.

It was reported to police at the time that three other people in the Fiat sustained injuries, as well as the four occupants of the Mini Cooper and the driver of the bus – Stephen Pitman.

Ten passengers who were travelling on the bus were also taken to hospital as a precaution.

Following an investigation led by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, Ravikumar, of Buller Road in Laindon, Essex, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Ravikumar appeared at Newport Crown Court on July 13 where she admitted causing death by dangerous driving, and four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

David Berridge

Berridge has been jailed for two years and four months on July 9 after threatening a shop worker with a pair of scissors on the Isle of Wight.

David Berridge, of Cockleton Lane in Gurnard, entered Rashley’s store on Park Road, Cowes at around midday on June 2 this year.

Inside, he made threats before helping himself to £300 cash from the till.

The 27-year-old subsequently ran and hid in a hedge on Moorgreen Road where he was then arrested by police.

He was later charged with robbery and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

On July 8 he appeared at Newport Crown Court where he admitted the offences.

Berridge was also handed a concurrent sentence of 10 months for the threats.

Anthony Deville & Emma Urquhart

Deville and Urquhart have been jailed on July 6 after pleading guilty to a burglary on Alma Road, Southampton.

Deville was put behind bars for five years, and Urquhart was handed down two years and eight months.

Anthony Deville, aged 38, and Emma Louise Urquhart, aged 38, both from Alma Road in Southampton, appeared before Southampton Crown Court on July 6.

Both admitted breaking into the student property between March 15 and May 6, and stealing hundreds of items from the address. 

The court heard how Deville and Urquhart stole the sofa, TV, fridge-freezer, dining table, coffee machine, jewellery, kitchenware, clothing, and many other personal belongings.

Police enquiries identified the pair, and they were arrested on Friday May 8.

A subsequent search of their address located much of the stolen property.

Krystian Kwarta

Kwarta, aged 20 of Keyhaven Road, Milford-on-Sea, has been sentenced to eight years in jail on July 1 for raping and assaulting a 21-year-old woman in Southampton.

The incident took place in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre in Southampton on Saturday February 15, as the victim walked to work.

The sentence comes after a woman reported a man unknown to her grabbed her from behind and raped her in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre.

Officers from Southampton’s Operation Amberstone team immediately analysed extensive CCTV that covered the area of West Quay retail park and identified a man in the area where the rape happened.  

CCTV showed that shortly before 8am, the man, now known as Kwarta, started following the woman towards the shopping centre.

Moments later she was violently attacked and raped by him.  

Having identified the potential suspect, extensive CCTV analysis was carried out which led officers to a home in Milford-on-Sea.  

Kwarta was arrested and taken to Southampton Central police station for questioning and it was confirmed that his DNA matched the DNA left at the scene.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, officers charged Kwarta on February 18 with two counts of rape and one count of assault.

Kwarta pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one count of assault at Southampton Crown Court on March 20.