This is your weekly round-up of some of the latest court cases heard at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court.
The defendant’s name, age, address and details of the charge(s) and sentence are published in accordance with Criminal Procedure Rule 5.8, as agreed by HMCTS and the Society of Editors and approved by the Lord Chancellor. Not all cases heard will appear on this round-up due to legal restrictions.
This article is published from official information issued by HM Courts and Tribunal Service and is covered by qualified privilege. Please note: names/details of convictions will not be removed from this article on the basis of the convicted individual or their families requesting such action.
- Zacharie Armiger, 29, of Crossway, Bembridge – was sentenced for 10 shop thefts, criminal damage, 3 public order offences involving threatening or abusive behaviour intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and common assault. He received a 4-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months for a public order offence, with concurrent suspended terms of 4 months for each of 2 further public order offences and 1 month for common assault. The court took account of homophobic language used during the offending. Armiger was ordered to pay compensation of £100 for each of the 3 public order offences, £50 for the assault and £500 for criminal damage to a window at McDonald’s in Newport. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £182, £30, £7.05, £6, £4.80, £26, £15 and £79.60 for 8 shop thefts. No separate penalty was imposed for 2 further shop thefts.
- Malcolm Mattin, 73, of Fitzroy Street, Sandown – admitted stealing a folding pruning saw worth £11.99 from W Hurst & Son in Ryde. He was ordered to pay £11.99 compensation as his only sentence. Mattin also admitted common assault in Newport on 4th June 2026. He was ordered to pay £50 compensation as his only penalty.
- Toni Balmer, 38, of Parsonage Road, Sandown – admitted 4 counts of shoplifting, involving groceries, drinks and other food items stolen from Tesco and the Co-op in Sandown. She was fined £120 for one offence and ordered to pay compensation of £19.85, £22.55, £29.70 and £24.40 in respect of the individual thefts.
- Morteza Ahmadi, 33, of HMP Isle of Wight, Newport – was sentenced for assaulting a prison officer at HMP Isle of Wight on 26th September 2024. He was jailed for 26 weeks, to be served consecutively to his existing prison sentence, and ordered to pay the prison officer £100 compensation.
- Joe Appleyard, 39, of Arnold Road, Cowes – admitted assaulting 2 police officers in separate incidents in Cowes on 8th February and 8th June 2025. He was handed a community order running until 5th November 2027, including 60 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to each officer, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.
- Harrison Wyatt, 41, of Newbridge Close, Shanklin – admitted driving with cannabis above the specified legal limit on Bonchurch Shute, Ventnor, on 21st April 2026. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £136 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £54 surcharge.
- Daniel McShane, 44, of Binstead Road, Ryde – admitted failing to provide information identifying the driver of a Mercedes when required by police. He was fined £384, given 6 penalty points and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £154 surcharge.
Crown Court
- Gareth Wheeler, 44, of Blackthorn Close, Ryde – admitted 25 offences, including sexual assaults on girls under 13, penetrative and non-penetrative sexual activity with children, making and taking indecent images of children, attempted voyeurism and possessing an extreme pornographic image. He was sentenced to 16 years and 11 months in prison, with a further 5 years to be served on licence following his release. Wheeler was also handed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), placed on the sex offenders register for life and made subject to an indefinite restraining order.
- Leon Gladdis, 29, of Nelson Road, Newport – was sentenced for aggravated vehicle taking involving an accident in which injury was caused, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop for police, taking a vehicle without consent and careless driving. He was jailed for 16 months for aggravated vehicle taking and a further 4 months consecutively for driving whilst disqualified. He was also disqualified from driving for 4 years and 6 months, with a further 6-month extension, until he passes an extended driving test. No separate penalty was imposed for the remaining offences.
- David Yates, 45, of Spanners Close, Chale Green – was sentenced for controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship and child cruelty. He was jailed for 30 months for controlling or coercive behaviour and a further 9 months consecutively for child cruelty. He was also made subject to restraining orders prohibiting contact with a woman, except through solicitors for court proceedings, until further order, and contact with a child, except in accordance with a family court order or written instructions from social services, until 20th April 2028.
- Merrill Brown, 77, of Monks Lane, Freshwater – was sentenced for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Brown was fined £500 and ordered to pay £500 costs and a £200 surcharge.
