Here we take a look at some of the criminals locked up during the first third of the year.
All of the information below comes from either Sussex Police or our reporters attending court in person.
1.
Daniel Appleton, 38, was found guilty of murdering his wife and a 76-year-old neighbour who rushed to help. Appleton had attacked his wife, Amy Appleton, on the drive of their Hazel Way home in Crawley Down on December 22, 2019. Sandy Seagrave, 76, was passing and crossed the road to confront Appleton, who beat her with her own walking stick. He then used the stick to further attack his wife. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene. Appleton then reentered the house and was found by police inside, having inflicted multiple life-threatening injuries to himself. His friends and family said he had been acting strangely leading up to the incident and witnesses said he seemed 'like he was possessed'. Three psychiatric assessments considered Appleton to have experienced a brief psychotic episode at the time of the killings and hallucinogenic drugs were found in his system. Appleton was jailed for at least 26 and a half years on January 25.