In June 2025, several individuals from Somerset and neighboring regions were sentenced for serious crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, and sexual offences. Crown Courts in the area have acted decisively to bring justice to victims and communities.
Among those jailed is Ben Starr, 35, who admitted to manslaughter after fatally punching his brother Lee during a dispute at Foxhill motocross in August 2024. The altercation, witnessed by family and bystanders, led to Lee’s tragic death. Starr received a custodial sentence reflecting the gravity of the incident.
Simon Huckvale, 36, of White Castle, Toothill, Swindon, was sentenced to four years for drug offences following a raid that uncovered over £120,000 worth of drugs, including crack cocaine, cocaine, cannabis, and heroin. The property was reportedly used for cuckooing, a form of exploitation.
Adam Culverwell, 53, a psychiatric nurse from Yeovil employed by Dorset Healthcare Trust, received a seven-year prison term for engaging in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient under his care. Convicted on multiple counts of sexual activity with a person having a mental disorder by a care worker, his actions represented a serious breach of trust.
Two men, David Garland and Mark Roberts, were handed life sentences for the murder of Michael Wheeler, whom they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. Garland received a minimum term of 32 years and Roberts 27 years. The victim was attacked and hidden following grievous injuries sustained at Roberts’ flat. Other men charged in connection with the case were acquitted.
In Bristol, Jardel Edwards, 22, admitted possession of firearms and drugs after police discovered handguns, a taser, and Class A drugs at his home in Barton Hill. Edwards was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Finally, Caetano Mauricio Vas, 54, was sentenced to over two decades at Swindon Crown Court for sexually abusing a child over several years, starting when she was eight. His convictions include multiple counts of rape and sexual assault of a child under 13. The victim endured profound trauma, eventually reporting the abuse in 2021.
These sentences underscore the courts' commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society and punishing criminal behaviour in Somerset and its surroundings.