Drug dealers, violent burglars, and abusive partner jailed by Swindon courts this year

Eurico Tavares, 26, from Sandgate is serving five years in prison after admitting to possessing a firearm and being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.

He, was arrested at his home just after being seen carrying a handgun in his waistband on Manchester Road in May.

During the search of the property, officers found a BB gun, mobile phone used to run a local drugs line, Class A drugs – heroin and crack cocaine – and £5,000 in folded bank notes. 

Police arrested Jose Rasgado, 36, from North Finchley in London, on Queens Drive in October 2019. He will be in jail for two-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

Darnell Brown, 20, from Handsworth in Birmingham, was arrested on Turner Street on August 3. The front seat passenger was seen to conceal a package of drugs which was later recovered in a strip search. He was sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars.

Jahred and Isaiah Tafari

Meanwhile, two drug-dealing brothers are staying behind bars after police in Swindon seized £20,000 in cash and £14,000 of cannabis and other narcotics.

Jahred Tafari, 22, was jailed for 21 months for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs while his 20-year-old sibling Isaiah Tafari was jailed for 19 months for conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and money laundering.

The pair, formerly of Beech Avenue, Pinehurst, were already serving time in HMP Bullingdon.

Taylor Burt

In November, a drug dealer who supplied crack cocaine and heroin worth £64,000 around Penhill was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Police identified a mobile phone used to sell drugs in Swindon using the street name of Hammer then linked this phone to 20-year-old Taylor Burt from Ramsbury Avenue.

Officers from the Fortitude team carried out extensive enquiries and digital forensic work in December 2020 to prove that Burt was controlling this drugs line for 12 weeks between January and March 2021.

Callum Sherry and Lee Fitchett

As for other crimes, two men threatened a man in his own home during a 'traumatic' burglary.

Lee Fitchett, 38, currently of HMP Bullingdon, was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison in June for aggravated burglary, dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon.

While Callum Sherry, 31, of Spruce Court, Pinehurst, was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for aggravated burglary, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage.

Officers received a call from the victim in the early hours of November 19, 2019, after Fitchett - wearing a stab vest - and Sherry entered the address on Sheppard Street with weapons including knives and an extendable baton.

They stripped him naked and got him to squat in front of others present in the room before hitting him in the face with the baton. The two men then searched the room and took tracksuits, alcohol and trainers.

Sherry was arrested at his home address the next day, where he spat on two occasions at officers.

Fitchett was stopped on the A419 when driving in a white VW Passat. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, he drove off reaching in excess of 100mph and hit police vehicles before he was detained.

Matthew Reynolds

An abusive partner who assaulted and controlled his victim is serving three years and five months in jail.

Matthew Reynolds, 28, of Bratton Close, Penhill, pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of actual bodily harm and one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

In April, Reynolds took his victim to hospital due to her sustaining injuries caused during an assault, which included him kicking and stamping on her leg.

Hospital staff raised concerns about what had caused her injuries and alerted the police.

A few days later he visited her in Gloucestershire, where she was staying with a friend, and threatened her so she felt she had to return with him to Swindon. Again he assaulted her, punching her in the face and putting his foot on her neck.