HERE is a round-up of the biggest court cases that have taken place this month from the Cirencester area.
An engineering graduate was jailed for raping a woman in Cirencester, a man pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and a woman was jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a young boy.
Matthew Dickens
A student who graduated with a first class degree in engineering has been jailed for twice raping a young woman in Cirencester.
Matthew Dickens, aged 25, of Greet Road, Winchcombe, was jailed for six years at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday, October 20 for raping a woman he met on Snapchat.
The court also heard that Dickens had past convictions of five offences which including three of stalking, against a young girl while he was a youth.
He entered into a relationship while she was underage and had become controlling and coercive towards her.
READ MORE: Graduate with first class degree jailed for rape in Cirencester
Kim Bailey
A woman has been jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing a young boy for more than six years in Cirencester.
Kim Bailey, aged 40, formerly of Cirencester, but now of Blackpool, was found guilty by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court earlier this year of 20 sex offences against a boy.
The victim was aged between 10 and 17 at the time of Bailey’s offending.
READ MORE: Jail for woman who had sex with underage boy in Cirencester
Matthew Woodward
A man from Cirencester has pleaded guilty to three counts relating to making indecent images of children.
Matthew Woodward, aged 27, Woodhouse Close, Cirencester, was charged with one count of making 43 Category A indecent photographs, one count of making four Category B indecent photographs and one count of making 80 Category C indecent images.
The charges relate to images which had been downloaded and stored on a USB device - Category A is the most serious category.
Woodward was arrested as part of an investigation by the Child Sexual Exploitation team at Gloucestershire Constabulary.
READ MORE: Cirencester man admits making indecent images of children
Elliot Harris
A 28-year-old prolific burglar has been jailed for six years after his latest spree of 20 break-ins and thefts in Cirencester and Cheltenham.
Elliot Harris, formerly of Hester’s Way, Cheltenham but now of no fixed address, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday, October 11 for ten house burglaries, one attempted dwelling burglary and nine thefts.
He admitted seven charges on the indictment and asked for 13 more offences to be taken into consideration.
Caitlin Evans, prosecuting, said: “The first burglary was on December 13 last year when a messy search was made of a property in Cheltenham and items of jewellery were stolen.
READ MORE: Prolific burglar sentenced to six years in prison after Cirencester break-in spree
Teen yob
A 15-year-old boy has admitted breaching the conditions of an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction by attacking a man in a Cirencester subway.
The boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - admitted the breach when he appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates Court on Friday, September 29.
According to information on the court register, video footage showed the boy shouting at the man in the Kingsmead subway - which goes under the A419 Bristol Road in Cirencester - before he wrestles him onto the floor on Monday, August 14.
It also showed the boy pushing the victim against metal railings before punching him in the face.
READ MORE: Teen yob caught on video attacking man in Cirencester subway
Tracey Goodfield
A 51-year-old woman who claimed more than £46,000 in benefits for a rented house for three and a half years that she was not living in has avoided immediate jail time.
Tracey Goodfield, of Northfield Road, Tetbury, moved out of Bromford Housing accommodation to live with a partner in Bristol in 2017 but did not notify the Department of Work and Pensions or Cotswold District Council so continued to receive benefits.
Goodfield admitted defrauding the Department of Work and Pensions out of £19,470 between August 21, 2017 and April 9, 2021 and housing benefit of £23,031 and council tax support £3,869 from CDC between the same dates two months before her trial date.
She has since been repaying the £46,370 at a rate of £30 a month.
READ MORE: Tetbury woman who claimed £45,000 in benefit fraud avoids jail
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