South London criminals jailed for serious offences in October

Several individuals from south London have been sentenced to prison terms in October for a range of serious criminal activities, including child abuse, violent assaults, and acts of domestic terrorism. The cases heard in courts across the region involved offences that had significant impacts on victims and public safety.

Paedophile magician sentenced

Kevin Doig, 66, from Bexley, was jailed for two years and two months after admitting to sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl. In addition to the abuse, Doig also pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of a child and one charge of possessing prohibited images of a child. Doig had a long career as a schoolteacher for 32 years before becoming an eleven plus tutor. He was also involved in pantomimes and worked as a magician. For over a decade, he served as the child protection officer for The Magic Circle's Young Magicians Club, a youth initiative, and was its chair from 2011 to 2022.

Nightclub shooting leads to lengthy sentences

Marvin Bulle and Carlos Parks received substantial prison sentences following a shooting incident outside a nightclub in Bexleyheath. A 30-year-old man was left critically injured after being shot at close range on January 4. The incident occurred after what police described as a minor altercation as the victim and his group were leaving the venue. A gun was fired twice, with one bullet striking the victim below his eye. He required extensive hospital treatment, spending eight days in a critical care ward, and suffered vision loss and a bullet lodged in his spine. Detective Inspector Raymond Sekalongo stated the victim's survival was 'nothing short of a miracle'. Bulle, 33, was captured on camera shooting the victim. Parks, 35, acted as the getaway driver and crashed his vehicle approximately 100 metres from the scene. Bulle was sentenced to 35 years for attempted murder, and Parks received 20 years after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

ULEZ camera destroyed by home-made bomb

Kevin Rees, 64, of Sidcup, was jailed for 15 years for using a home-made bomb to explode a ULEZ camera. The incident took place on Willersley Avenue in Sidcup around 6:45pm on December 6, 2023. Rees was convicted of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. The ULEZ camera had been installed earlier that day and had been cut down by another activist. Rees then placed an explosive device, made with a substance found in commercial fireworks, next to the camera and lit the fuse. The explosion sent shrapnel into a parked van and a passing car, narrowly missing the driver. A piece of metal travelled over 100 metres, damaging a child's bedroom window frame. Prosecutor Simon Denison KC noted that the residential area had significant traffic and pedestrian activity at the time, and it was 'sheer chance that nobody was killed or caused seriously injured'. A judge concluded that Rees's actions had a 'terrorist connection'.

Cyclist run over in road rage incident

Mark Okotie, 44, from Peckham, received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for deliberately running over a cyclist in New Cross. The incident occurred on March 20, 2024, while Okotie was transporting medical supplies. He swerved his van into the left lane without checking, narrowly missing the cyclist. After an exchange, the cyclist spat at Okotie's van. Okotie then accelerated to get in front of the cyclist before slowing down to 'cut him up'. Video evidence shows Okotie's van moving across the road into the cyclist's path, knocking him from his bike and running him over, causing serious injuries. Okotie was not disqualified from driving.

Ringleader of monkey torture network jailed

Bartosz Poklek, 30, of Abbey Wood, was sentenced to three years and three months for leading an international network involved in torturing and killing monkeys for entertainment. Poklek distributed 'horrific' cruelty videos, which sold for up to 500 dollars, and directed the methods of animal torture, including bludgeoning with hammers. Some monkeys were dressed as babies during the attacks. He managed chat groups and distributed thousands of 'abuse on demand' videos and images within an online community described as 'zoo sadists'. Judge Christopher Grout called the case 'a horrific case of animal abuse' and highlighted that Poklek would be released after serving approximately one-third of his sentence. The judge also urged Parliament to consider increasing penalties for animal cruelty, noting the current five-year maximum was insufficient for such severe offences.

What happens next

The individuals sentenced will begin serving their respective prison terms. Details regarding any potential appeals or further legal actions are not specified in the provided information.