A prolific sneak thief who feels 'mean' about his callous crimes was among the criminals jailed last week in Greater Manchester.
Also locked up this week was a knifeman who stabbed three people in a horrific attack, a thug who knifed a complete stranger and a college student who illegally sat driving theory tests on behalf of learner drivers.
Prison sentences are handed down to the worst offenders each week at our region's courts. And Manchester Evening News reporters are on hand to cover the most serious cases.
Criminal 'feels mean' about what he did to victims
An elderly food bank volunteer lost her mum's wedding ring in a callous handbag snatch by a prolific sneak thief as she shopped in Aldi. The 73-year-old was browsing the aisles when 37-year old Martin Stokes crept up to her trolley before grabbing the bag and walking off.
Her handbag contained a yellow wedding band belonging to her mum plus a Samsung J12 phone, a red purse, her car key, bus pass and driving licence. Police arrested Stokes after CCTV of him walking away from the store at the Crownpoint retail park in Denton was posted on Facebook, a court heard.
It emerged Stokes had carried out a string of other thefts - the court heard another elderly woman had her purse stolen, containing £100, after Stokes asked her for help to find chicken in a Tesco supermarket.
Another theft involved a 'switcheroo' distraction con, a judge was told, in which Stokes stole an £2,750 Omega watch from a jeweller whilst replacing it with a cheap replica he had in his pocket.
When quizzed he initially claimed he had no memory of the thefts due to previously being in a medically-induced coma following a heart attack - and claimed he would 'never shop in an Aldi'. But he later admitted pawning the pensioner's wedding ring, confessing to police: "I feel tight for those two ladies."
His barrister said of Stokes: "He understands what he did, and he does feel mean about these two ladies." At Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court Stokes, of Walmersley Road, Bury, was jailed for 30 months after he admitted four charges of theft, one of fraud and possession of cannabis.
Man's chilling Snapchat warning to woman after stabbing three men with Rambo knife
A man left three people with catastrophic injuries after stabbing them with a Rambo knife - before sending a chilling Snapchat warning to one of their friends. Ryan Cullen, 21, had summoned a taxi to an apartment block in Halliwell, Bolton following a 'nasty' exchange with a woman he'd been texting, where he was met by three men.
Bolton Crown Court heard that a short time after a fight broke out, with punches thrown between all four men. Backed into a corner, Cullen then pulled out a Rambo style knife in retaliation, stabbing the three men to the stomach.
All three men had to be rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery after the attack on Peterhead Close on January 7. They were kept in intensive care for several days due to the horrific nature of their injuries.
He then made off, with the taxi driver that had dropped him off at the address reporting he saw Cullen 'running from the scene.' Prosecutor Helena Williams told the court that following the attack, Cullen sent 'several messages' to the girl he'd been messaging before, saying: "If it's a war you want I'm not scared, I'll get my people involved, I already have."
He then sent the girl a Snapchat message of a picture of himself with a single finger on his lips and three laughing emojis, the court heard. Cullen was jailed for 39 months for section 20 wounding.
Thug randomly stabs stranger in horror attack outside takeaway
A thug randomly stabbed a complete stranger and robbed him of his £9,000 Rolex watch as he waited for a takeaway with his fiancé. Farren Chevelleau, 23, was looking at the man's fiancé as she waited in a car parked outside.
The man asked if Chevelleau was alright, before another man, James Lagan, squared up to him. Lagan, 33, who had never met either man, was 'spoiling for a fight,' Manchester Crown Court heard.
He then launched at the man, who the M.E.N has not named, punching him numerous times and knocking him to the ground. During the fracas, Chevelleau removed a knife from his waistband and stabbed the man to the stomach. He then forcefully grabbed his Rolex, which was given to him by his fiancé's family, before she managed to pull him away. Chevelleau fled, with the watch in hand.
As the man slowly got to his feet, a paramedic, who was in the takeaway at the time, quickly called for assistance. Lagan, who bizarrely helped the man up, then told him: "You can’t come these ends, these are my ends."
Chevelleau, of Abbey Close, Stretford, was jailed for four years for offences of robbery, wounding and possession of an offensive weapon.
Lagan, of Linden Avenue, Swinton, was handed a 12 month community order, and ordered to complete a Thinking Skills Programme, and 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements. He admitted assaulting an emergency worker and assault occasioning actual bodily harm of the man. Lagan had also attacked two other police officers in a separate incident in March last year.
Dad-to-be JAILED after long-running fraud at driving test centre
A struggling college student who set himself up as a £300-a-time 'exam cheat for hire' so he could illegally sit driving theory tests on behalf of learner drivers has been jailed. Olivier Yolo, 27, agreed to fraudulently take theory tests for cash at a series of DVSA centres across the the north of England, including in Bolton and Stockport, for learners who feared they would fail.
The engineering undergraduate masqueraded as provisionally licenced motorists in six separate theory tests after being put in touch with them through his local barber, but was arrested when staff became suspicious as he tried to take a seventh test at the Stockport centre in August 2022.
Yolo, who had passed his driving test just 12 months before the scam, had also tried to sit theory tests at Preston, Scarborough, Sheffield and Chester. A court heard the father-to-be had been struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis and the ruse seemed like 'easy money'.
It is thought he successfully passed three of the exams but was turned away at the others.
At Chester Crown Court, father-to-be Yolo, of Lathbury Road, Monsall, pleaded guilty to seven charges of fraud by false representation, and was jailed for 24 weeks.
Prolific ‘menace’ with over 150 offences on his record jailed for targeting shop
A ‘menace’ with over 150 offences on his criminal record has finally been jailed after targeting the same shop twice. Prolific thief, Lee Gorman, walked into the Londis store on Pollard Street, in Manchester city centre, before helping himself to multiple bottles of wine.
As he attempted to leave without paying, he and fellow thief David Homer, were challenged by the manager who tried to reclaim the bottles.
But, Homer threatened: “I’m going to put this through you”, as Gorman held one of the bottles over his head and said: “You’re going to be wearing this”.
Just days later, Gorman, 38, went back into the same store, and again attempted to lift some more bottles of booze. The shop assistant, a student at Manchester University, challenged him, but Gorman told him: “I’m going to smash you with this”, as he held up one of the bottles.
Both Gorman and Homer, 37, admitted offences of robbery and were jailed following a hearing at Manchester Crown Court. Gorman, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 33 months in prison while Homer, of Highclere Avenue, Salford, was handed a 27 month sentence.
For more of today's top stories click here.
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