Faces of nine jailed Northamptonshire criminals jailed whose stories we brought you in June 2023

Some of the biggest cases to land before Crown Court judges

By Kevin Nicholls

Published 3rd Jul 2023, 10:31 GMT

Updated 3rd Jul 2023, 10:31 GMT

These are the faces of nine Northamptonshire criminals put behind bars whose stories we reported during June 2023.

They included a killer drink-driver, a man who subjected his victim to a horrific homophobic attack after setting up a meeting online, a drug dealer caught red-handed during a police raid in Northampton and a thug who attempted to suffocate a police officer responding to reports of a man with a gun in Wellingborough town centre….

Faces of a few of Northamptonshire's most serious offenders now behind bars.

1. Jailed in June 2023

Faces of a few of Northamptonshire's most serious offenders now behind bars. Photo: Chronicle & Echo

The 69-year-old was over the limit after drinking three gin and tonics with his dinner when his van slammed into a stranded VW Golf at 60mph, killing Daniel Pastaca, 27, who was changing a punctured wheel on the A45 near Earls Barton in February 2022.
Tests showed Cook, formerly of Palmer Square, Northampton, had 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. He was sentenced to 22 months and banned from driving for three years, 11 months.

2. Stephen Cook

The 69-year-old was over the limit after drinking three gin and tonics with his dinner when his van slammed into a stranded VW Golf at 60mph, killing Daniel Pastaca, 27, who was changing a punctured wheel on the A45 near Earls Barton in February 2022. Tests showed Cook, formerly of Palmer Square, Northampton, had 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg. He was sentenced to 22 months and banned from driving for three years, 11 months. Photo: Northamptonshire Police

Rausch, 35, was jailed for more than 12 years, three months after telling Northampton Crown Court a man he met online then stabbed in a homophobic attack “deserved what he got”.
The court heard how Rausch tied up his victim before stabbing him four times. He then stole the victim’s car but was stopped driving at 65mph in a 30mph zone near Talavera Way.
Rausch, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to a string of charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

3. Mark Rausch

Rausch, 35, was jailed for more than 12 years, three months after telling Northampton Crown Court a man he met online then stabbed in a homophobic attack “deserved what he got”. The court heard how Rausch tied up his victim before stabbing him four times. He then stole the victim’s car but was stopped driving at 65mph in a 30mph zone near Talavera Way. Rausch, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to a string of charges including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Photo: Northamptonshire Police

The convicted sex offender was charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order after he was spotted on CCTV following three woman through a town centre at 2am. Sills, of London Road, Kettering, was given an indefinite SHPO in 2016. He has convictions for 17 offences including stalking and sexual assault, and was handed a suspended sentence in 2022 over another breach. Sills, 36, was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison — half in custody and half on licence.

4. James Sills

The convicted sex offender was charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order after he was spotted on CCTV following three woman through a town centre at 2am. Sills, of London Road, Kettering, was given an indefinite SHPO in 2016. He has convictions for 17 offences including stalking and sexual assault, and was handed a suspended sentence in 2022 over another breach. Sills, 36, was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison — half in custody and half on licence. Photo: Northamptonshire Police