The second month of 2022 has seen plenty of defendants walk through Liverpool's courts.
From a man who got drunk on a plane and threw a bottle, to a security guard who stole £2,700 of cigarettes, these are just some of the people who have gone before judges in the past three weeks but have remained out of prison.
Some have been handed hefty fines, some were given suspended sentences, while others have received community orders as punishment for their crimes.
READ MORE: Quiet residential street rocked after gunshot hits house
Below, we list some of the people to have walked free from Liverpool's courts this month.
Drunk who abused police officer told to 'meet his victim'
A man who racially abused a police officer was told by a judge he should meet his victim.
The constable and a colleague had been called to a disturbance in Aigburth after the defendant himself had allegedly been subjected to racial abuse.
Judge David Swinnerton told 63-year-old Kasseon: “I'm not here to find out if you were racially abused, but if you were two wrongs do not make a right. To be met with racist abuse by you is wholly unacceptable.”
The judge said that from reading the officer’s victim impact statement he got the feeling he would "quite like to have a chat” to understand Kasseon’s behaviour that day and so he could understand the officer’s point of view.
When asked if he would agree to meet the officer if the probation service could arrange it Kasseon confirmed he would.
The judge imposed a 12 month community order, ordered him to carry out 20 days rehabilitation activities and imposed a four month curfew between 8 - 8 am.
He warned Kasseon: “If you do something like this again you will find yourself in prison.”
Man admitted he 'had a spliff' before speeding police chase with stolen car
A man admitted he 'had a spliff' before crashing a stolen car in a speeding police chase.
Scott Buckley, 29, was driving a Mitsubishi, which was reported stolen 16 days prior, when police spotted the number plate had been altered with black tape.
Officers then attempted to stop the car with their emergency lights as Buckley drove it along Stamford Road, Newton-le-Willows.
He refused to stop and a lengthy police chase began as he sped through St Helens exceeding the 30 mph speed limit, at times reaching 70 mph.
Buckley, 29, of Oak Avenue, Newton-le-Willows, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.
The judge imposed a 14 month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. He ordered him to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and 25 days rehabilitation activities.
The judge also imposed a two month curfew between 9pm-7am and banned him from driving for two years.
Teen downloaded child sexual abuse images when he was just 13
A teen found with images of girls aged three or four being sexually abused had been downloading child abuse pictures since he was 13.
Ryan Cham was found with 878 indecent images of children when police raided his parents’ home in Noctorum and seized electronic devices from him last year.
Later analysis revealed that Cham, now 19, had first downloaded indecent images in October 2016, when he was just 13.
The judge, Recorder Lam, said he felt Cham’s was a case where a community order would be the most effective way to protect the public in the future and that Cham had taken clear steps towards getting support to stop him reoffending.
He added that a pre sentence report had assessed his risk of reoffending as low if he was given the correct support.
Cham, of Saughall, was made the subject of a community order for 30 months.
That order will see him take part in an intensive course aimed at stopping reoffending among those convicted of a sexual offence.
He must undertake 35 rehabilitation days and pay a £500 fine.
Angry thug punched man unconscious after making death threats
A thug knocked a man unconscious after previously making death threats.
Steven Dumphy, 40, from St Helens went to the home of his ex-partner’s sister and was shouting and swearing at her in an agitated state.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how he called her a “f*****g rat” and spat in her face before going back to the street just as her boyfriend, Thomas Wareing got out of his car.
Olivia Beesley, prosecuting said: "He approached him and without any warning punched him to the face rendering him unconscious for a short time."
Dumphy walked off and Mr Wareing was later treated at hospital and was found to have suffered two fractures to his eye socket and a one centimetre laceration to his eye lid. Fortunately he did not need surgery and the wound to the eye lid was glued.
Liverpool Crown Court heard later on the day of the attack, December 18, 2020, Dumphy text messaged his former partner and said: "This is what happens when you use your kids as weapons”.
He also messaged his daughter saying he had not realised it was Mr Wareing. He said: “It was just someone walking towards me. I was angry.”
The judge, Recorder Jon Close, sentenced him to seven months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 25 rehabilitation activities and 120 hours unpaid work.
Dumphy was also ordered to pay £1,200 prosecuting costs and the judge imposed a five year restraining order to keep away from Mr Wareing.
Paedophile searched 'nonce Liverpool' while downloading abuse images
Nathan Critchlow amassed a "foul, obscene and revolting" collection of 1,529 child sex abuse images.
The 25-year-old - who said he was snorting cocaine and drinking heavily at the time - now says he's "cured" of his paedophilia.
But a judge said he didn't accept this claim and the pervert needed to complete a sex offender treatment programme to reduce the risk he poses to children.
Liverpool Crown Court heard police raided Critchlow's home, where he lives with his mum in Wolverton Street, Anfield, on September 4, 2020.
Officers seized his laptop and iPhone, before they interviewed Critchlow, who denied that they would find any indecent images on the devices.
But when they were examined, said indecent images were found on both, which he had downloaded between February 2018 and September 2020.
Critchlow was spared jail so he can go on a sex offender treatment course.
Recorder Harris gave Critchlow 15 months in jail, suspended for two years, with a sex offender treatment programme, 25-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 160 hours of unpaid work.
Morrisons security guard stole £2,700 of Lambert and Butler cigarettes
Craig Meddings has nine previous convictions for 13 offences, including six thefts between 2006 and 2017.
But he got a job as a security guard at Morrisons in Speke, where he helped himself to 5,000 cigarettes.
Meddings, 38, of Peel Road, Bootle, had worked at the Penketh Drive store for around a year last August.
Liverpool Crown Court heard a senior security guard was asked by a colleague on August 18 to look at CCTV footage of Meddings at the supermarket the day beforehand.
A statement read out in court said: "The CCTV has shown Mr Meddings moving a large quantity of cigarettes from the security cupboard, where we keep such items before they are placed on the shop floor.
"From there, he's taken them and placed them into the security podium, before moving them again and placing them in a sanitiser unit outside of the store.
"He's seen at a later time moving them from this location and going out of sight of the CCTV, before returning to the store without them."
The court heard old CCTV footage was then reviewed, which showed Meddings had used the same method to steal the cigarettes on July 27 and on August 6, 10, 13 and 17.
On each occasion, he stole 1,000 Lambert and Butler Silver cigarettes, valued at £540.
Meddings was arrested and interviewed on August 21, when he confessed.
The judge handed Meddings 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, with a 12-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 180 hours of unpaid work.
He ordered him to pay £2,700 back to Morrisons in compensation, plus £425 court costs, and warned him if he ignored these orders it was "at your peril".
Roofing boss fined after passerby snaps photo
Phillip McGinn, from Lydiate, was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a passerby reported a concern regarding unsafe work at height.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how on March 5 last year McGinn and two workers were replacing roof tiles on a detached dormer bungalow in Lydiate, without any scaffolding or edge protection in place to prevent them from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.
An investigation by the HSE found McGinn had failed to take suitable and sufficient measures to ensure that work at height was carried out safely.
He had also failed to provide sufficient work equipment to prevent a fall or to minimise the distance or consequences of a fall.
McGinn was found guilty of breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
He received a 13 month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.
Dad scammed thousands from DJs and now he has to pay them back
Christopher Russell took cash from six different people as he advertised deals for DJ equipment online.
None of them received their orders - though several were sent abusive messages while he made excuses to try and cover up his crimes.
Daniel Bramhall, prosecuting, said Russell would ask buyers to send him money over PayPal, convincing them to part with at least some of their cash before receiving equipment.
One victim, targeted in November 2019, “reluctantly agreed” to transfer £350 of a £700 fee for a Pioneer CDR device, saying he would only commit to sending the rest of the money on completion of the deal.
Mr Bramhall said: “It became apparent to him that the defendant wasn’t a genuine seller as the defendant was unable to provide evidence he had the items in the first place.”
Judge Brandon deferred passing sentence for two months, until April 8, and told Russell: “On that day you are going to come back to the court and I am going to sentence you.”
She said that if he had not repaid his victims and dealt with other outstanding matters by that time then she would have “no choice” but to consider sending him to jail.
Man burgled ex-boyfriend then sent explicit videos to his mum and brother
A man who burgled his ex-boyfriend before sending explicit videos to his mum and brother declared he was “free” after being handed a suspended sentence.
Jonathon Nolan was handed an 11 month prison term, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 120 hours of unpaid work. He was also made the subject of a curfew and a restraining order.
He appeared in court after admitting an offence of burglary, as well as disclosing private sexual images with intent to cause distress.
Nolan had burgled his ex-boyfriend, sent him a cryptic song reference and then shared explicit videos of the pair with his victim’s mum and brother.
Drunk EasyJet passenger on flight from Greece threw bottle
Dominykas Donela was flying back from Rhodes, Greece with his family when he was considered so drunk he was refused alcohol.
Nastassia McAdam, prosecuting told Liverpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 1, how the 24-year-old refused to wear a mask, became abusive and threw a bottle towards a crew member.
The captain of the flight called ahead to the manager at John Lennon Airport about "an abusive passenger on board" and when the plane landed at 10.10pm police were waiting for him.
Donela, of Vanbrugh Crescent, Anfield, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft. He was fined £480 and ordered to pay a total of £133 of costs at the rate of £20 a month.
Paedophile avoids jail because of his disability
A paedophile who said he wanted to take a girl to bed has avoided jail.
Philip Street, 41, sent sexually explicit messages to a person he believed was a 13-year-old child.
He asked the supposed girl whether she would make him wear a condom if they were to have sex.
The pervert, of Bedford Avenue, Rock Ferry, was actually talking to an undercover police officer.
But a judge said his "very significant disability" substantially reduced his responsibility for the crime.
Street admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
The judge told Street he would have to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.
The judge handed Street a two-year community order, with a 15-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a sex offender treatment programme.
Savers boss stole nearly £3k from store safe stuffed up his sleeve
An assistant store manager at Savers stole £2,930 from the business' safe to pay off his gambling debts.
Lee Bryenton, 39, was assistant manager at the Savers store in South Road, Waterloo, when he stole £2,930 from the business' safe.
Liverpool Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday, February 1, how Bryenton was seen on CCTV putting bank notes up the sleeve of his fleece on September 27 last year.
District Judge James Clarke said the theft had not been sophisticated or involved planning and he has no similar previous convictions. He is remorseful and there is a strong prospect of rehabilitation.
He imposed an 18 month community order with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work. He ordered him to pay £1,100 compensation plus £180 costs.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
