Faces of 23 Northamptonshire criminals who spent Christmas behind bars whose stories we bought you during December 2023

Drugs gangs, a kidnapper, sex offenders, thugs and serial thief sentenced by the courts

By Kevin Nicholls

Published 29th Dec 2023, 08:52 GMT

Updated 29th Dec 2023, 08:52 GMT

These are 23 faces of just a few of the criminals who spent Christmas locked up and behind bars and whose stories we bought you during December after they were convicted of committing crimes in Northamptonshire…

Faces of a few of the jailed drugs gangs, a kidnapper, sex offenders, thugs and serial thief whose stories we bought you in December 2023.

1. MixCollage-19-Dec-2023-05-04-PM-8149.jpg

Faces of a few of the jailed drugs gangs, a kidnapper, sex offenders, thugs and serial thief whose stories we bought you in December 2023. Photo: Police

Police discovered 65-year-old Thompson defied a lifetime sexual harm prevention order by accessing Instagram, TikTok, Bebo, Signal and Snapchat using a mobile phone he kept hidden from police at his home in Moore Street, Northampton.
Thompson had 162 previous convictions including several for sexual offences against children and had the order imposed after he was jailed in 2002 for raping a child. He was sentenced to two years.

2. Kevin Thompson

Police discovered 65-year-old Thompson defied a lifetime sexual harm prevention order by accessing Instagram, TikTok, Bebo, Signal and Snapchat using a mobile phone he kept hidden from police at his home in Moore Street, Northampton. Thompson had 162 previous convictions including several for sexual offences against children and had the order imposed after he was jailed in 2002 for raping a child. He was sentenced to two years. Photo: Northants Police

Alliu (top left) led a wholesale drugs supply operation, using Bar Café Milano in Northampton’s Wellingborough Road as a front for moving huge volumes of cocaine aided by his associate Duka (top, second left). Lepuri (top, second right) acted as the group’s delivery man — often using Behari (top right) and Azizaj (bottom left) as drivers. Aliraj (bottom second left), Llanaj (bottom right) and Turca (bottom right) were also among a total of 13 men who have been sentenced to a collective total of 91 years for their parts in the conspiracy.
Police raids in July, August and September 2022 uncovered drugs, cash plus designer watches including Rolex, Brietling, Versace and Tag Heuer.
Aliliu, 42, of Cyclamen Close, Northampton, got 14 years and Duka, aged 42, of Adnitt Road,: 10 years, five months.
Lepuri, 23, of Grove Road, was sentenced to 10 years, 10 months; Azizaj, 28, of Goldings Road, to two years, 11 months; Behari, 52, of St Johns Street, to three years, seven months; Aliraj, 29, of Prentice Court, to two years, eight months; Llanaj, 33, of St Johns Street, to four years, 10 months; and Turca, 32, of Cowper Street, to four years, nine months. Two more defendants are still to be sentenced.

3. Arber Alliu, Dritan Duka, Bruno Lepuri, Mariglen Azizaj, Arif Behari, Romarjo Aliraj, Elis Llanaj & Ionut Turca

Alliu (top left) led a wholesale drugs supply operation, using Bar Café Milano in Northampton’s Wellingborough Road as a front for moving huge volumes of cocaine aided by his associate Duka (top, second left). Lepuri (top, second right) acted as the group’s delivery man — often using Behari (top right) and Azizaj (bottom left) as drivers. Aliraj (bottom second left), Llanaj (bottom right) and Turca (bottom right) were also among a total of 13 men who have been sentenced to a collective total of 91 years for their parts in the conspiracy. Police raids in July, August and September 2022 uncovered drugs, cash plus designer watches including Rolex, Brietling, Versace and Tag Heuer. Aliliu, 42, of Cyclamen Close, Northampton, got 14 years and Duka, aged 42, of Adnitt Road,: 10 years, five months. Lepuri, 23, of Grove Road, was sentenced to 10 years, 10 months; Azizaj, 28, of Goldings Road, to two years, 11 months; Behari, 52, of St Johns Street, to three years, seven months; Aliraj, 29, of Prentice Court, to two years, eight months; Llanaj, 33, of St Johns Street, to four years, 10 months; and Turca, 32, of Cowper Street, to four years, nine months. Two more defendants are still to be sentenced. Photo: Northamptonshire Police

Drug addict Craft was sentenced to 27 months after admitting she turned to dealing to pay off debts. Police raided the 40-year-old’s home in Brayford Avenue, Corby, in August uncovered, scales, £90 in cash, SIM cards, a disguised Taser and phones – which later revealed messages indicating she had been involved in the supply of class A drugs for about two months.

4. Joanne Craft

Drug addict Craft was sentenced to 27 months after admitting she turned to dealing to pay off debts. Police raided the 40-year-old’s home in Brayford Avenue, Corby, in August uncovered, scales, £90 in cash, SIM cards, a disguised Taser and phones – which later revealed messages indicating she had been involved in the supply of class A drugs for about two months. Photo: Northamptonshire Police