Three men have been jailed for violent crimes in Suffolk and north Essex over the last seven days – receiving a combination of more than 17 years behind bars.

Ipswich Star: Robertas Piliukaitis was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARYRobertas Piliukaitis was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARY (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Dangerous criminal locked away for armed jewellery store hold-up

Robertas Piliukaitis will spend at least eight years behind bars for his part in a ‘mafia-style’ heist.

Piliukaitis, now 50, waved a fake pistol at staff and customers, including three schoolgirls, before he and an unidentified accomplice made off with £185,000 worth of watches from a jewellers in Bury St Edmunds almost six years ago.

On Wednesday, Piliukaitis was jailed for 12 years, with a four-year extended licence period, and told he must serve at least two thirds of the sentence behind bars.

Read more about the case here.

Ipswich Star: Fortune Musiwa was jailed for 26 months at Ipswich Crown Court Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARYFortune Musiwa was jailed for 26 months at Ipswich Crown Court Picture: SUFFOLK CONSTABULARY (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Man jailed for throwing punch which caused traumatic brain injury

Fortune Musiwa was jailed for 26 months at Ipswich Crown Court after he used his fist to inflict a traumatic brain injury on a takeaway customer.

The 25-year-old left a 62-year-old man in the critical care unit of Addenbrooke’s Hospital following a confrontation in a fast food restaurant in Stowmarket last year.

Musiwa had been kicked out of Golden Fried Chicken and Pizza for being aggressive and was seen punching windows in Ipswich Street before returning to the shop and hitting Steven Goymer in the head, who suffered a subdural hematoma and remained in hospital for several weeks.

Before jailing Musiwa for 26 months, Judge Rupert Overbury said he was satisfied the attack was premeditated.

Read more about the court case here.

Ipswich Star: Lee Sexton has been jailed after hitting a man with a hammer Picture: ESSEX POLICELee Sexton has been jailed after hitting a man with a hammer Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Archant)

Man jailed after attacking teenager with hammer over Instagram post

Lee Sexton has been jailed for three years after he attacked a teenager with a hammer over an Instagram post.

The 19-year-old had sent the victim a series of abusive messages after the victim had tagged Sexton’s girlfriend in a picture on Instagram.

Later that day Sexton confronted the victim in the car park of the Co-op in East Street, Coggeshall, and he struck the victim over the head with a hammer causing him to fall to the floor.

The entire attack was caught on dash cam footage while a forensic examination of a hammer found by officers at the scene had DNA matching Sexton’s on it.

Investigating officer PC Vicki Fairchild, from Braintree CID, said: “This was an extremely vicious attack which could have left the victim with some really serious injuries.

See more about the case here.