This month saw the conclusion of two tragic cases involving the death of a pensioner and a man on a night out in separate but truly horrifying circumstances where they were both killed quite by random.
On Friday (July 29) defendant Kyle Turton was handed a nine-year jail term, with an extended period on licence for five years on his release, as he was sentenced for manslaughter at Nottingham Crown Court.
Turton, 21, of of Brooksby Lane, Clifton, was drunk in Upper Parliament Street, in Nottingham city centre, in the early hours of Saturday, March 5. His friend said Turton wanted to hit someone, was looking to start something and his behaviour had changed completely and he was "jumpy and aggressive". Stranger Nathaniel Bierley died in hospital 12 days after he was knocked to the ground from a single punch and hit his head. Read the full story here
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This followed another awful case on Friday, July 22, where James Gill, 39, of Doncaster, was jailed for nine years over the manslaughter of 75-year-old Neil Robinson. Mr Robinson was the, "unwitting victim of an unprovoked road rage attack by the defendant", explained Sarah Knight, prosecuting.
He pushed Mr Robinson, who had been crossing Ranson Road, Chilwell, and he fell to the ground where he hit his head. He died in hospital six days later. Read the full story here
In another case heard this month, the court heard how a thug assaulted a 15-year-old girl and threw a flat-screen TV at his former partner as he rampaged through a house during two terrifying incidents.
Martin Slack, 31, of Griffin Road, Ollerton, was jailed for four months for common assault, two months concurrently for criminal damage, six months on two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, and two years for assault, causing bodily harm.
A restraining order was imposed for life.
And robber Paul McDonald, 48, of Mary's Court, off Duke Street, in Derby, was sentenced after he tried to raid a shop armed with a cardboard toilet roll tube. A frightened teenage cashier, believing McDonald was gripping a deadly firearm, immediately handed over a small amount of cash to him.
McDonald then fled the shop in Wollaton Steet, Nottingham city centre, but the same cashier then gave chase and heroically tackled him to the ground.
And it was only then that McDonald’s lethal weapon was in fact revealed as an empty cardboard loo roll. He admitted robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, following the hold-up on April 14 this year, and was sentenced to three years in prison. Read the full story here
A court also heard how an arsonist set fire to a woman's house whilst she was inside with her two daughters. Danny Fretwell, 24, of Griffin Road, Sutton in Ashfield, deliberately started the blaze at the victim's house in Mansfield following an argument on October 13, 2021.
The family managed to escape from the house and called the emergency services.
Nobody was injured, but the blaze caused around £20,000 in damage. Fretwell pleaded guilty to a charge of arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered at Nottingham Crown Court on February 16.
He appeared before the same court on Tuesday, July 19, where he was sentenced to three years in prison. Read the full story here
Earlier this month Joshua Gittins, 23, of no fixed address, was jailed for a total of 18 months after he told officers over the phone that he had stabbed a woman in Exchange Row, Nottingham city centre. In reality he had struck the woman on the forehead with what is believed to be the handle of the blade. The victim, a woman aged in the 30s, sustained bruising in the attack but was otherwise unharmed.
Gittins, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and possessing a bladed article in a public place, and wasting police time, relating to an incident on March 6 when he falsely claimed that somebody was carrying a gun. Read the full story here
Prolific offender Shane Green was jailed after leaving his blood at the scene of a burglary. He smashed his way into the Lammas Leisure Centre, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, causing more than £2,500 of damage and making off with more than £13,500 of goods.
Green, of Woods Hill, Sutton-in-Ashfield, admitted burglary and was jailed for one year and eight months. Read the full story here
July also saw the conclusion of a major case where three members of a violent criminal gang - who conspired to steal millions of pounds worth of jewellery were jailed for a total of more than 100 years. Police closed in on the gang after heritage jewellery of national importance, worth around £3.7million, was stolen during an audacious raid at a Nottinghamshire art gallery.
Subsequent investigations linked the prime suspects to a series of violent home-invasions targeting wealthy victims in locations in Nottinghamshire and Surrey.
One defendant in the gang - Clifton man Kurtis Dilks - was jailed for 30 years, with five years on extended licence, for a terrifying raid at the home of former Ashley Cole's home.
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In another shocking incident in Carlton, in March 2019, a burglary victim had his earlobe cut with pliers to coerce him into handing over valuables. Police were alerted to the gang’s wider activities during an investigation into the theft of the treasured Portland Tiara. The tiara and a matching brooch were stolen during a smash-and-grab raid at the Harley Gallery, on the Welbeck Estate, on the evening of 20 November 2018. Read the full story here
Man strangled and punched ex-partner in 'vicious' attack in front of her children
Kane Evans, aged 35, repeatedly strangled, punched and kicked his former partner during a vicious attack in front of her children. Evans bit his victim and cut her hair during the assault at her home in Bulwell on September 8 last year.
Evans, currently of HMP Doncaster, later admitted to offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage. Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, July 14, he was jailed for two years and two months. Read the full story here
Victim couldn't recognise himself in mirror after 'frenzied attack'
Luke Lawton, 28, of Graham Way, Taunton, Somerset, launched a ‘frenzied’ attack on two people after he twice paid for drugs but was left empty-handed. Lawton pleaded guilty to separate counts of causing grievous bodily harm with and without intent at Nottingham Crown Court and was jailed for three years and nine months. Read the full story here
Man attacked victim with metal bar
Anthony Christie was jailed for more than five years after a metal bar attack outside a pub. Christie, 46, of Sherwood Street, Hucknall, had been drinking in the same pub with the victim. He launched the attack close to the junction of Radford Road and North Gate, New Basford, at around 5.30pm on January 10 2022.
Christie admitted GBH and possessing an offensive weapon. Read the full story here
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Toy gun and a kebab knife brandished by man in terrifying incident
