These 46 criminals will be spending the New Year behind bars after being convicted and jailed for crimes including murder, child abuse, drug dealing and rape.
All of these people were jailed during 2023 and received some of the heaviest sentences handed down by judges at Luton Crown Court and other across the country. These include the murderer of Saul Murray from Luton, Ikem Affia, who was sent down for life; serial rapist Petru Iancu who was jailed for 23 years; and drug dealer Ardjan Axhame who will spend the next decade in prison.
Some people may not have mugshots, due to the length of the jail term or legal restrictions.
Chief Superintendent Jaki Whittred, head of local policing at Bedfordshire Police, said: “We continue to work tirelessly to keep people safe from crime and bring offenders to justice.
“Crime is complex and multi-faceted, but we have many specialist and highly trained teams to deal with all aspects of criminality and we work closely with partners across the county to keep people safe. We cannot achieve this without the support of local communities, and I encourage people to tell us what is happening so we can take action.”
Scroll down to see which criminals were jailed over the last year...
1. Waqas Khan
This drug dealer from Luton was jailed for six and a half years back in January. He was found with around £40,000 of cocaine and almost £30,000 in cash. The 31-year-old was found guilty of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and criminal property. On Friday January 6, he was jailed for six-and-half years at Luton Crown Court. He was also given a 12 month sentence for possession of criminal property. Photo: Bedfordshire Police
2. Darren Andrews
This man from Dunstable pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman on Dunstable Downs in 2006. The 48-year-old was sentenced to three years and nine months at Luton Crown Court on January 6. He also received a restraining order for attacking the woman 17 years ago. Photo: Bedfordshire Police
3. William McDonagh
This man was jailed for life for driving over and murdering a man in Luton. McDonagh tried to break into Robert Duggan’s home before hitting him with a stolen Volvo. The 53-year-old had bought a bottle of whisky from a nearby Nisa store, and smashed the living room window with a brick. As the victim came outside with his daughter, CCTV showed McDonagh speeding toward them in a car. In February, he was told he would serve a minimum sentence of 16 years for the murder. Photo: Bedfordshire Police
4. Darnell Smith and Ryan O’Leary
This pair were jailed for violently attacking a man with bricks and running him over with a car. O’Leary, 30, of Brussels Way, Luton, and Smith, 23, of Whipperley Ring, Luton, pleaded and were found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. On February 1, Smith was handed an eight-year prison sentence and an additional year in prison after pleading guilty to separate drug supply offences, taking his total jail term to nine years. O’Leary was sentenced to spend six years and nine months in prison and has been disqualified from driving for over seven years. Photo: Bedfordshire Police