A paedophile, a domestic abuser and a woman who tried to steal money from a blind man were among the criminals jailed in Suffolk this week.


Vasile Chindea

Vasile Chindea was jailed for 22 months at Ipswich Crown Court after being trapped in a sting by paedophile hunters.

Chindea engaged in sexual discussion and sent naked pictures to a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl.

The 55-year-old, of Aureole Walk, Newmarket, was snared by a paedophile hunter group called Strike UK.

He admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity between November 20 and December 8, 2019.

In addition to being jailed, Chindea was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.


Glen Martin

Glen Martin was jailed for three years at Ipswich Crown Court for assaulting two former partners.

The 40-year-old, of no fixed abode but living in Sudbury at the time, was repeatedly violent and threatening towards the women.

He punched one of the women in the face, grabbed her by the throat and threatened to set her on fire – and hit another former partner in the face with her phone after accusing her of speaking to another man.

Martin, who had 82 previous convictions spanning 21 years, admitted a string of offences including criminal damage, common assault, assault causing actual bodily harm, making a malicious and threatening communication and theft.

April Carter was jailed for 30 months at Ipswich Crown Court for witness intimidation, twice breaching a restraining order, burglary and attempting to use a stolen bank card.

She repeatedly pestered a vulnerable 67-year-old man for money despite being banned from contacting the victim following a previous jail spell for similar offences.

He gave Carter £90 and £70 on two consecutive days in January last yea, before having to sell his phone for £50 at Cash Converters to satisfy her demands, until she asked for more money and took him to a cashpoint to withdraw £180.

After the police became involved, Carter, 27, of Mulberry Avenue, Colchester, tried to get him to withdraw his statement.

The court heard that, on February 23 this year, she went to the home of another vulnerable man in his 60s, who was partially sighted and had learning difficulties, and, after pushing her way in and asking for money, stole his bankcard, which she tried to use at a Co-op store.