Jailed in Norfolk this week: Drug dealers and burglar who left victim with nightmares

Sean Lutkin and Bradley Chambers. Photo: Norfolk Police (Image: Norfolk Police)

Callum Ascione

Callum Ascione, 25, had been caught supplying Class A drugs to an undercover police officer, named Tommo, in Norwich as part of Norfolk Police’s Operation Granary crackdown in January 2017.

Ascione told officers he had been “trafficked”.

Norwich Crown Court heard Ascione has been hospitalised following a serious attack in which he was stabbed in November 2017.

Ascione, from Middlesex, appeared for sentence on Monday via videolink, having admitted four counts of supplying Class A drugs.

He also admitted being concerned in supplying controlled Class A drugs, two counts of being concerned in supplying Class A drugs, two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs as well as a further count of possession of Class B drugs.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said the defendant, having been bailed in relation to the initial offences in September 2019, again became involved in county lines drugs dealing.

Jailing Ascione for 28 months, Judge Stephen Holt said he considered his background, the fact he had been attacked and received “life threatening” injuries and the considerable pressure he was under.

Leon Punchard

Leon Punchard, 29, broke into four homes in the Norwich and Drayton areas in four days earlier this year.

Norwich Crown Court heard that during the daylight raids Punchard stole iPads, laptops, jewellery, watches, designer sunglasses, cash and a 100-year-old engagement ring which had belonged to the great-grandmother of one of the victims.

Statements from two of the victims described the devastation the raids had caused them.

One victim from a home targeted on Plumstead Road East, said his sons were left “shocked” and were forced to stay off school afterwards while his wife suffered “nightmares for weeks afterwards”.

Punchard, of no fixed address, appeared for sentencing after having admitted burglary at a property at Plumstead Road East on January 21 this year and another at Hall Lane, Drayton on January 24 this year.

He asked for burglaries at Century Way, Drayton, on January 23 and another at Longdale, Drayton, on January 22, to be taken into consideration.

It meant Punchard, who has 40 convictions for 82 offences, was a three-strike burglar subject to a mandatory minimum term.

Jailing him for 876 days, Judge Anthony Bate said the devastation and the violation that any burglary caused was well known.

Sean Lutkin and Bradley Chambers

Sean Lutkin, 28, was driving a Vauxhall Corsa on Ketts Hill, Norwich when it was stopped by police on January 23 this year.

Norwich Crown Court heard the car, which had been hired by Lutkin, had Bradley Chambers as a front seat passenger at the time of the stop.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said officers found the SIM card of a phone belonging to a Class A drug dealing group in Lutkin’s underwear while Chambers had hidden the phone it belonged to in his pants.

In addition to the phone, which was found to be linked to a drug dealing network, there were drugs also found in the vehicle, including wraps of heroin and cocaine.

Lutkin, of no fixed abode, appeared for sentence on Monday (April 20) having admitted two counts of being concerned in Class A drugs and two other offences of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs following the stop in January this year.

Chambers, of Brewers Court, Norwich, also appeared for sentence via videolink, having admitted two counts of being concerned in supplying Class A drugs, two offences of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and a further offence of possessing a drug of Class B.

Judge Stephen Holt, who carried out the sentencing hearing over Skype following the coronavirus lockdown, said only a custodial sentence could be passed in both cases.

He sentenced Lutkin to 28 months in prison and Chambers to a 36-month sentence.