Norfolk court round-up for the past week of June 2023

Here is a round-up of some of the defendants who have been in the dock.

Marley Fawcett and Dylan Saunders

Marley Fawcett (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Two men have been jailed over a pub brawl which is said to have resembled a scene from the Wild West.

The pair, Marley Fawcett, 24, and Dylan Saunders, 29, attacked another man as violence broke out at the Tramway, in Gorleston, with bar stools thrown through the air.

Their victim was targeted after he heard Fawcett and Saunders outside the pub saying "we will kill them".

Dylan Saunders (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Fawcett, of Farman Close, Belton, near Great Yarmouth, appeared for sentence on Thursday (July 20) after he admitted threatening another with a knife and affray on October 22 2021.

Saunders, of no fixed abode, admitted affray in relation to the same incident.

Fawcett also admitted being concerned in the offer to supply class A drugs, causing grievous bodily harm without intent and theft following an incident in Gorleston in January 2019.

Michael Maidens

Michael Maidens, 31, was found with almost 7,000 indecent images on devices found in his bedroom, a court has heard.

Police seized almost 40 electrical devices from Michael Maidens' Norwich home after he was found to have uploaded a single indecent image of a child from his phone.

A total of 6,894 indecent images were found on Maidens' devices, including 906 of class A, the most serious, and 268 moving images, 184 of which were category A.

Maidens, of Nelson Street, appeared for sentence on July 19, clutching a Marvel bag, having previously admitted 19 offences.

They included one count of distributing indecent photographs of a child, 14 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, two counts of possessing a prohibited image f a child and two counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Maidens received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years during which time he must complete up to 40 sessions on an accredited programme.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Richard Cosburn

Richard Cosburn, 56, a former Great Yarmouth primary school teacher, was jailed for raping children.

Norwich Crown Court heard Cosburn raped a boy in America while he slept and also filmed himself as he raped two other victims, a boy and a girl, in the Philippines.

Richard Cosburn (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

In total Cosburn admitted 23 sex offences against his four victims, none of who can be identified for legal reasons, including 10 counts of rape, between August 2001 and October 2020.

Cosburn, formerly of Mill Road, Great Yarmouth, admitted three counts of rape against one female child victim as well as four counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and taking indecent images of a child.

Against a male victim, then aged seven, he admitted one indecent assault and two rapes in the USA in August 2001.

He also admitted two rapes against a female child, aged 10 or 11, in the Philippines between January and December 2012 as well as taking indecent images of a child.

Cosburn also admitted three rapes of another child in the Philippines, who was approximately 11, in 2012 as well as an offence of taking indecent pictures of the child. 

In additon Cosburn admitted three offences related to indecent images of children including 54 category A images, the most serious, 123 category B images and 363 at category C.

None of the charges relate to children at schools Cosburn used to work at, including Great Yarmouth Primary Academy (GYPA) where he used to be a teacher but no longer works.

Robert French

Robert French, 32, accessed indecent images of children having searched for child porn and kids porn after the country was put into lockdown by the government as a result of the covid pandemic.

Norwich Crown Court heard French used phrases including child porn, kids porn and dog porn during his searches.

French, of Church Street, Cromer, appeared at court for sentence having admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, including 20 images and 44 videos at category A, the most serious on or before April 14 2021.

He also admitted possessing extreme pornographic images on the same dates.

Recorder Johh Hardy imposed an 18-month community order made up of 40 days rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) and 40 hours unpaid work.

James Stephen, Adam Miller and Stephen Bailey

Stephen Bailey (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

James Stephen, 28, Adam Miller, 24, and Stephen Bailey, 61 were stopped by police in a Kia car as they headed towards Norwich from Merseyside bringing a haul of Class A drugs.

Martin Ivory, prosecuting, said police recovered a "significant number of wraps" of class A drugs with an estimated street value of £18,260.

James Stephen (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

Stephen, from Liverpool, appeared for sentence having previously admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine between September last year and January this year.

Miller, from Bootle, Merseyside, and Bailey, of Brewers Court, Norwich, both previously admitted possession with intent to supply heroin and cocaine on January 16 this year.

Miller also admitted possession of cannabis.

Stephen was jailed for four years and Bailey for two years.

Miller was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 35 days rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR).