Darrell Lambert, a 40-year-old career criminal with over 169 convictions, was jailed for six years and nine months after admitting to grievous bodily harm with intent and burglary. Four days after his release on July 26, Lambert and two accomplices attempted to rob a Spar store in Ipswich, driving over the female owner twice as she tried to stop them. The male owner sustained injuries but both survived without serious harm. Vejay Odedra criticized early release schemes, stating that offenders should serve full sentences.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Darrell Lambert, 40, was jailed for six years and nine months after a botched burglary four days after his release from prison. On July 26, Lambert completed slightly over half of his previous 34-month sentence for offenses including actual bodily harm. Just days later, on July 30, he and two accomplices broke into a Spar store in Ipswich to steal goods such as vapes, cigarettes, and alcohol. During the escape, Lambert drove over shopkeeper Vejay Odedra twice while she tried to stop him with a mop. Her husband Uluben managed to grab onto the car door but let go as it sped away. Despite the violent nature of the crime, Ipswich Crown Court was told that Lambert had not caused serious injury to his victims. Recorder Jeremy Benson described Lambert as "dangerous," noting he has 169 convictions for mainly motoring offenses and burglaries dating back to at least 2008.
Written for “Prison Release Violence” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
A ‘dangerous’ career criminal who drove over a shopkeeper twice during a bungled burglary just four days after being released from prison on licence has been jailed again.
asserted
who → drive → licence
Darrell Lambert, 40, had just been let out of jail after serving slightly over half of a 34-month term for offences including actual bodily harm when he and two accomplices broke into a Spar store and stole goods including vapes, cigarettes and alcohol.
asserted
he → let → vapes
Owners Vejay and Uluben Odedra, who lived next door, ran out and Mrs Odedra shouted ‘I’ve worked hard for that’ before hitting the bonnet of the thieves’ car with a mop to try and stop them driving away.
asserted
I → live → them
Lambert then reversed over her before going over her again as he drove away.
Her husband was left hanging onto the door after grabbing the handle before letting go as the car sped off.
asserted
car → reverse → handle
Lambert was jailed for six years and nine months yesterday after he admitted two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and burglary.
asserted
he → jail → intent
Recorder Jeremy Benson described him as ‘dangerous’ - and noted he had been released from prison on July 26 this year before committing the offences on July 30.
asserted
he → describe → July
Darrell Lambert, 40, had just been let out of jail after receiving a 34-month term when he broke into a shop and drove over one of the owners twice as he escaped
Ipswich Crown Court was told the defendant - who has 169 convictions for mainly motoring offences and burglaries dating back to at least 2008 - had not caused serious injury to his victims.
asserted
who → let → victims
But Mr Odedra today told the Daily Mail he and his wife were still recovering from their injuries and criticised the government’s early release scheme – which Lambert didn’t benefit from – saying serious offenders should always serve the full term they are sentenced to.
asserted
they → tell → term
He said: ‘We’ve still got injuries.
asserted
We → say → injuries
It’s going to take a while to recover from them.
asserted
It → go → them
‘Up to six months, my wife will take.
asserted
wife → take → ?
She got a number of bruises but she’s also got a haematoma [a large lump caused when blood pools outside blood vessels following a trauma] on her leg.
asserted
blood → get → leg
I’m struggling with my hand because my wrist still hurts.
asserted
wrist → struggle → hand
But we’re carrying on with our daily business.’
asserted
we → carry → business
Serious offenders should ‘obviously’ remain in jail for the whole term they are given in court, Mr Odedra added, saying: ‘They should get a really long sentence and they should serve their full sentence.’
asserted
they → remain → sentence
Lambert had just been released from prison after serving around 19 months of his last sentence, including time on remand, for the ABH offences and driving while disqualified.
asserted
Lambert → release → offences
Vejay Odedra, who runs the store with his wife Uluben, said serious offenders should 'serve their full sentence'
asserted
offenders → run → sentence
But his criminal career goes back to at least 2005, when he was sentenced to two years in a Young Offender Institution.
asserted
he → go → Institution
Three years later, he was still just 21 and a father-of-two when he was jailed for three years after a jury convicted him of dangerous driving for the fifth time and driving while disqualified for the eleventh time.
asserted
jury → jail → time
He was also in breach of an anti-social behaviour order which prevented him from being the driver or passenger in a car.
asserted
which → prevent → car
After hearing how the defendant had tried to evade police by driving a stolen car at 70mph through narrow residential streets in Saxmundham, ignoring red lights and going the wrong way at a roundabout before crashing into a hedge, a judge told him: ‘It was a miracle no one was injured or died.’
asserted
one → hear → him
Lambert was jailed for another 68 weeks in 2011 for stealing a car and trailer while still disqualified from driving and over the drink-drive limit.
asserted
Lambert → jail → limit
He was also sentenced for a separate shoplifting offence.
asserted
He → sentence → offence
In 2014, he was banged up for four months after admitting offences including drink-driving, driving while disqualified, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and careless driving when he caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage after crashing into a pub in Lawford, Essex.
asserted
he → bang → Lawford
After the appearance before magistrates in Colchester, Inspector Scott Egerton said ‘Lambert is a menace to the public.’
asserted
Lambert → say → public
Accomplice Jake Laurie, 33, was given three years for offences including burglary
The repeat offender received four years inside in 2020 in connection with two burglaries and a police pursuit through Ipswich that was caught on a patrol car’s CCTV.
asserted
that → give → CCTV
Lambert could be seen driving the wrong way on a one-way road, repeatedly mounting kerbs and going the wrong way around a roundabout before coming to a crunching halt after hitting a tree stump.
uncertain
Lambert → see → stump
One of his Spar burglary accomplices, Jake Laurie, 33, also of Ipswich, was given three years for offences including burglary yesterday.
asserted
One → give → burglary
A police source said of Lambert: ‘A career criminal – that’s the only way to describe him.’
asserted
that → say → him
The Ministry of Justice was contacted for a comment.
asserted
Ministry → contact → comment
The Aporia
