Two men have been sentenced for criminal damage and public order offences in Bransgore, stemming from incidents that occurred in early 2023.
Dillon Alan Cooper, 21, and Thomas Edward Cooper, 21, both of Burnt House Lane, Bransgore, were sentenced at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 10 September. The pair had previously pleaded guilty at a hearing on Thursday, 25 July.
Both brothers were handed 18-month community orders for their involvement in the crimes.
Thomas Cooper was sentenced to a maximum of 15 rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work. In addition, he was found guilty of two common assaults on a police officer and sergeant during an incident on Burnt House Lane on 26 January 2023.
Dillon Cooper was ordered to complete up to 20 rehabilitation activity days and 270 hours of unpaid work. His charges also included criminal damage to a taxi after firing ball bearings at it during an incident on 28 February 2023, which occurred on Burley Road, Bransgore. The taxi driver was left in fear of violence during the attack.
Both brothers were ordered to pay £650 each in compensation to the taxi driver, totaling £1,300.
Dillon Cooper also pleaded guilty to stealing camping equipment and tools worth £3,500 from a vehicle in Emery Down on 25 June 2023. The theft occurred on Bolderwood Road. For this, Dillon Cooper was ordered to pay £2,746.62 in compensation to the victim.
Speaking after the sentencing, PC Katherine Gillingham expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “I am pleased for the victims in these cases with the positive outcome at court. The Cooper brothers will now face the consequences of their actions and will have to compensate those they have wronged. Behaviour and criminality such as theirs will never be tolerated, and we will always work tirelessly to ensure offenders are held to account.
She added, “This should serve as a reminder to other offenders out there that we will always seek to bring you to justice. You will not be allowed to simply get away with stealing, causing damage, putting innocent members of the public in fear of their safety, and assaulting police officers in the execution of their duties.
