A thief who swiped an elderly woman's purse and was chased down by an off-duty police officer was among those jailed in Greater Manchester last month.
A serial domestic abuser who threatened to kill his partner and held a knife to her throat has also been put behind bars. A drunken thug 'lost it' and killed a beloved dad in an attack was also handed jail terms.
Jail sentences are handed out to the worst offenders each week and Manchester Evening News reporters are in court to cover the most serious cases.
Read more: Woman, 29, with 'chaotic lifestyle' turns to sex work to pay for her £200-a-day heroin habit
Here are some of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester in August.
Thief in breach of court order swiped elderly woman’s purse
An off-duty cop has been commended by a judge after chasing a thief who swiped an elderly lady’s purse. Thomas Sharrocks, 40, saw the woman putting her purse back into her bag after she had done her shopping in Oldham.
He approached her and said “I’m sorry love, I’m sorry love” before stealing the purse and running away. The woman, aged 83, called out for help, and fortunately an off duty police officer was nearby who then chased Sharrocks.
He caught up to him and challenged him, before Sharrocks threatened to ‘stab or prick’ him with a needle that he produced from his jacket pocket. The officer managed to wrestle the syringe from his hands and detained him before on-duty police arrived and arrested him.
On Tuesday (August 30), Sharrocks was jailed for more than three years after admitting theft and threatening a person with a sharply pointed article, and the officer, named in Minshull Street Crown Court as Ashley Wildman, has been commended for his bravery.
In a victim personal statement, that elderly woman said she was left feeling ‘really shaken up’. “I feel shocked how somebody could do this to me, it’s left me feeling scared and shook up to go out on my own,” she said.
The court also heard that the incident put Sharrocks in breach of a suspended sentence order, which was imposed in June this year after he pleaded guilty to an offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Sharrocks was said to have 73 previous convictions for 119 offences, 44 of which were for theft and 40 were for breaching court orders.
Mitigating, Steven Sullivan said his client was ‘anxious to apologise to the court and to the complainant’. “He describes himself as being absolutely ashamed of what he has done,” Mr Sullivan said. “At this time he was deeply struggling with a class A drug addiction - he was motivated by nefarious actions.”
Sharrocks, of Furness Avenue, was jailed for three years and two months.
'Evil' man abused his partner days before she died
An 'evil' man who inflicted horrific abuse on his partner in the days before she died of a drug overdose has been jailed. Charissa Brown-Wellington, 36, was found unresponsive at a house she was living at in Gorse Bank, Bury, with Bobby Hardman earlier this year.
She died the same day - February 2. A pathologist report revealed she died as a result of a drug overdose. The pathologist noted Ms Brown sustained a number of injuries - including bruising to her face, head, stomach, arms and legs.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard Hardman, from Bury, had been abusing Ms Brown and refused to let her leave the house in the 24 hours before she was found. On Thursday (August 18) Hardman, 33, was jailed for four years, with an extended licence period of two years, after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and false imprisonment.
Prosecuting, Vanessa Thompson said Ms Brown was released from prison on licence in 2021 and initially moved in with her mum. Her family said she was healthy and had made the most of her time in custody.
After the probation service found her a property in Oldham, Ms Brown met Hardman on Facebook, the court heard. A relationship quickly developed and he moved in.
This put her in breach of her licence conditions. Family members noted a change in Ms Brown's behaviour once Hardman moved in, the court heard. On January 25, probation service officials discovered she was living with Hardman. She was told she had to leave.
They briefly moved in with Ms Brown's mum. During that time, the court heard she told her mum Hardman was 'horrible' to her after she told him she was mixed race. "On January 31, she told her mum that he had battered her. She said they had moved but she didn’t know where and said he had 'popped her nose then popped it back in'," Ms Thompson said.
"She said he had been dragging her round the streets by her hair, that the defendant had snapped up her phone and she was scared. She said she didn't want her family to know where she was because she was concerned about their safety."
There were repeated calls from her family to Ms Brown and Hardman, during which they could hear him being abusive to her in the background. On February 2, Ms Brown's mum received a call from Hardman saying she wasn't breathing.
She was taken to hospital, where she tragically died. The court heard her mum was horrified to see her daughter's face 'bruised and battered' when she went to identify her body. Hardman was initially arrested on suspicion of murder.
He told police in a prepared statement Ms Brown had been abusive towards him; that she 'would often fall over and bruise easily' and that she had taken diazepam, 'meth' and prescription drugs. A pathologist later concluded that her injuries did not cause or contribute to her death.
Hardman, of Rutland Drive, was jailed for four years with an extended licence period of two years after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm; and false imprisonment. He must serve two thirds of his sentence in prison before being considered for release by the parole board.
Man jailed for stealing two watches worth £21,000 from pawnbrokers
A 29-year-old man from Rochdale has been jailed for stealing two expensive watches from pawnbrokers, after asking to try on the luxury items before running away with them. Johari Nazir Carter, also known as Graham Bagasan, stole a Cartier watch from a pawnbrokers on Yorkshire Street, Rochdale, on June 15 2021.
He asked members of staff to let him view the expensive item, before grabbing it and running away. The man, of Clock Tower Court, Rochdale, committed a similar theft in London.
There, he stole a Rolex from a pawnbrokers on Kingsland High Street, London, with the same trick, asking to see the luxury watch before sprinting away with it. Both watches are estimated to have a combined value of around £21,000.
The man appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on July 20, this year, where he was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, with a further 18 months added to his sentence after appearing at Wood Green Crown Court in London on August 1.
Pervert who performed vile act in front of girl at bus stop told her 'oh, f*** off' when she challenged him
A pervert who performed a vile sex act in front of a schoolgirl at a bus stop told her 'oh, f*** off' when she challenged him. Motie Mughal, 44, approached the child while she was waiting for the bus and asked her about service times - before exposing himself.
The 44-year-old spoke to the girl, who was under 16, as she stood alone on Wood Lane in Partington, Trafford. The teenager saw Mughal performing a sex act. She challenged him, before he told her 'oh, f*** off', and walked away.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that later, a woman walking her dog noticed Mughal standing on a nearby with his trousers down, exposing himself. He's now been jailed.
Mughal was said to have two previous convictions for five offences, including for outraging public decency; and exposure. The court heard he had previously exposed himself in similar circumstances in front of four separate victims.
Mitigating, James Preece said his client suffers from mental health issues and admitted using cannabis to ‘self medicate’. “ “He displays genuine remorse and victim empathy. He feels very embarrassed and sorry for what he has done.”
Mughal, of New William Close, Partington, was jailed for 24 months and ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years. He earlier pleaded guilty to engaging in a sexual act in the presence of a child; and exposure.
'Violent' thug left victim in coma after brutal stabbing with ice pick
An 'aggressive and violent' thug left another man in a coma after brutally stabbing him 14 times with an ice pick. Paul Farrington, from Wythenshawe, launched the frenzied attack on his victim on July 22 last year.
The victim - aged in his 40s - came across Farrington on Rippleton Road, before approaching and repeatedly stabbing him, police said. Passers-by rushed to help as Farrington fled the scene. The victim was rushed to hospital and put in a medically-induced coma.
He needed life-saving heart surgery and has been left with scars after the attack. Witnesses at the scene helped police identify Farrington as a suspect.
The 39-year-old was traced to a family address where he was hiding out by detectives in South Manchester. They arrested him and he was identified by a key witness.
Farrington was charged and remanded, and identified by the victim after he was woken from his coma. He pleaded guilty to section 18 assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Farrington, of Rippleton Road, was handed an extended sentence on Wednesday (August 24) at Manchester Crown Court. He will serve 12 years and nine months in jail, and 17 years on licence.
The 'drunk', swaggering 'idiot' who robbed two men armed with a baseball bat... because he 'couldn't be a***d not having money'
A 'drunk', swaggering 'idiot' armed with a baseball bat robbed two men - and attempted to rob a third - within the space of a few hours... because he 'couldn't be a***d not having money'. Masked Brandon Rennie, 20, approached his first victim, who was in his way to a 24-hour gym, in the early hours.
He demanded he hand over his 'stuff'. Rennie then held a metal bat to the man's chest. The man handed over his wallet and passport. Rennie, from Oldham, demanded his phone. When the man refused, he said: "Do you want this wrapped around your head?"
The victim handed over his mobile, before Rennie told him to 'scram'. In the space of an hour and a half, he approached two more people. He threatened the first and asked for a cigarette from the second.
Having pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery; one of attempted robbery; and two of possession of an offensive weapon, Rennie was jailed for five years and three months. A judge deemed him a 'dangerous offender'.
Rennie had a list of previous convictions - 23 convictions for 48 offences. These include arson, robbery, criminal damage, battery, burglary, theft, affray and failing to comply with court orders.
Mitigating, Damian Zelazowski said his client had a difficult background and had a 'lack of stability'. He said he admitted he was drunk at the time of the incidents. Rennie, of Edward Street, Oldham, was jailed for five years and three months, with an extended licence period of 18 months.
'Jealous' thug stabbed stranger in taxi row minutes after shouting at girlfriend over Snapchat video
A thug threatened a passerby with a knife after they challenged him over his behaviour towards his girlfriend - minutes later he stabbed another man following a row over a taxi. Jordan Darcy, 22, was on a night out on February 19 this year with his partner when they got into an argument.
Darcy, of Rochdale, believed she was laughing at a Snapchat video involving her former partner, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. During the row he shouted at her saying: “How dare you laugh at your ex-boyfriend, it’s so disrespectful, get the f*** away from me”.
A worker at the pub in Middleton asked the woman if she was OK whilst in the toilet, shortly before the couple left. “At this point the defendant started to push her down the street and she was pleading with him to stop,” prosecutor Alison Whalley told the court.
“During this, a passerby was going past when he said to ‘leave her alone’. The defendant replied: “I have got a knife, I’ll do you.” He believed this was a threat to stab him. The defendant then pulled out a knife, dropped it before picking it back up.”
They both began to walk off but later came into view on another street, and Darcy again threatened to ‘do them in’. Darcy’s partner ‘begged’ him not to do anything before they both walked away, after which he grabbed her by the neck and ‘lifted her off the ground’ and pushed her before telling her it was ‘all her fault’.
Afterwards he apologised and she asked to go home, but he instead suggested going to the Middleton Archer pub, and she agreed as there would be other people present. The couple stayed until closing and were waiting outside for a taxi when events escalated.
An argument then broke out between the defendant and the victim, who got into a taxi that Darcy claimed was 'his.' The taxi stopped and the victim got out and they started shouting at each other, before they heard someone say: “be careful, he’s got a knife”.
The victim, who had been out watching football with his partner and daughter, was stabbed multiple times receiving two puncture wounds to his chest, a five centimetre wound to his arm, as well as wounds to his elbow and lower abdomen. He was later given medical treatment in hospital.
Darcy was said to have no previous convictions. Stuart Duke, mitigating, said: "The defendant was clearly out of control, he had far too much to drink and lost control of his temper.” Mr Duke added that Darcy appears to be a ‘changed man’ since he was remanded into custody and has some insight into his offending.
Darcy, of Newton Crescent, Middleton, was jailed for 42 months (three-and-a-half years) after admitting to common assault, section 20 wounding and threatening a person with a knife.
Man nearly sliced off taxi driver's nose after knifepoint robbery in 'sadistic' act of violence
A man who nearly cut off a taxi driver’s nose in a “gratuitous and sadistic” act of violence has been jailed. Manchester Crown Court at Crown Square heard how Richard McCormack, 38, of Bell Lane, Bury, had gone out in the early hours of January 8 when he came across a man close to The Rock shopping centre, asking him for a cigarette paper before producing a four inch knife and demanding the whole stack.
Robert Elias, prosecuting, told the court that McCormack threatened the man, saying “get your white a**e out of here or I’ll stab you up and kill you”, whilst wearing a face mask. A taxi driver then pulled up outside the Halifax bank to let a woman grab cash out to pay the fare, and McCormack jumped into the back of the cab, bringing the knife to the driver’s throat and threatening to kill him unless he handed over his cash.
The frightened driver passed over his takings bag, and McCormack stabbed him in the back of the hand, leaving a 7cm gash around his thumb area which later needed stitches. The driver also pressed his emergency button, and the taxi office called his personal phone, prompting the driver to flee the cab shouting down the phone for help.
In a callous act of violence, McCormack chased the man down and stabbed him to the back of the head after he slipped on ice and fell, before picking him up and slashing at his face at least four times, almost completely severing the driver’s nose from his face in what Mr Elias described as a “gratuitous and sadistic piece of violence for his own satisfaction”.
After the senseless attack, McCormack picked up the victim’s phone and ran off, leaving the man and his passenger at the scene of the crime. In a chilling twist, the passenger later reported receiving a Facebook message from McCormack in the days after the attack, asking what she’d seen before telling her “I’m in the paper, the attacker" and saying he did nothing wrong.
McCormack has 23 previous convictions for 55 offences, including convictions for attempted robberies, rape, and affray, with three convictions for possessing a bladed article or weapon.
Milena Bennett, defending, urged the judge to consider an alternative sentence, instead asking for an extended licence period for her client, as he accepted full responsibility for his actions, which were part of an opportunistic wave of crime rather than a pre-planned operation.
He was willing to engage with further assessments to determine whether a brain injury sustained as a child at the hands of his abusive alcoholic father, which may have been made worse after McCormack lost consciousness due to a stab wound in his neck, may be a cause for his offending behaviour.
But Judge Smith passed down a life sentence to McCormack for wounding with intent, stating he must serve a minimum term of 15 years for the offence. He will not be eligible for release for ten of those 15 years, after which a parole board may meet to discuss whether he still poses a risk to the public or whether he can be considered for release.
Concurrent sentences of nine years and four months for the robbery of the taxi driver, five years and five months for the robbery of the cigarette papers, and 19 months for possession of the knife were also handed down in court.
Man jailed for laundering money after companies targete d in scams
A man police said was 'heavily involved' in a huge money laundering operation has been jailed. Naeem Khalid, 58, of Stott Street, Failsworth, Oldham, made a 'calculated effort to disguise large sums of money that legitimate businesses had been scammed out of', investigators added after he was sentenced.
Police said money he laundered was traced back to millions of pounds lost by businesses who fell prey to scams. An investigation by the City of London Police's Serious Organised Crime Team uncovered 20 victims - including a care home, two solicitors' firms and several manufacturers. Khalid - and 38-year-old Abiya Hussain - admitted to laundering £283,000 between them, the force said.
Former supermarket worker Hussain, of Grange Street, Failsworth, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing criminal property in December last year and was sentenced to an 18-month community order and unpaid work. A court heard her crimes were committed under the orders of others, and that she received 'pocket money' for her involvement.
Khalid also pleaded guilty to five counts of money laundering at a court hearing last December but has now been jailed at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court for 46 months. The force said his sentencing hearing was held on August 10, but details have only just been revealed.
Both Khalid and Hussain will now be subject to confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act, police said.
Drug dealer jailed after he's arrested at home
A drug dealer who was caught in possession of class A and B drugs has been jailed as part of a county lines drug operation. Jack Stockwell, 22, was arrested on March 11 2022 at his home after officers suspected he was involved in supplying drugs.
Stockwell, of Raleigh Close, Oldham, has been convicted at Minshull Street Crown Court and sentenced to five years in prison for possession with intent to supply. Led by GMP detectives, the operation worked alongside partners including Oldham Council as part of a multi-agency response.
DC Kavita Young of GMP’s Oldham’s Complex Safeguarding Team said: “This investigation and subsequent conviction has shone a light on the recent work of our Unit and our commitment to securing the best possible outcomes.
“If you have any information regarding county lines and drug dealing, you can call GMP by dialling 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
The predator put behind bars for 17 years for child sexual offences
This is the face of a predator who has been locked up for 17 years for child sex offences. Kieron Jackson, from Salford, was put behind bars at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday (August 2), police said.
The 33-year-old was first reported to officers by a 'concerned party' who alleged that he had had sexual contact with a child. An investigation was launched and a judge has now jailed Jackson for 17 years for sexual offences against children. Police said the child now has the 'justice they deserve'.
Officers posted about Jackson, of Holm Court, on the Greater Manchester Police Salford Facebook page. In full, the post said: "#LOCKEDUP | A Salford man has been jailed for 17 years for sexual offences against children.
"Kieron Jackson, 33, of Holm Court, Salford was jailed at Bolton Crown Court on 2 August 2022, for sexual offences against children. Jackson was reported to GMP on 8 June 2020 by a concerned party who alleged he’d had sexual contact with a child."
Investigating SIO, DC Paula Birchby, said: "I am extremely pleased for the child and her family, who now have the justice they deserve. The hard work of everyone involved in the case meant that Jackson was convicted and that a lengthy sentence has been issued.
"The police and courts have shown that this terrible abuse will not be tolerated."
"I have no doubt you will regret what you did that night for the rest of your life..." - The moment drunken thug 'lost it' and killed beloved dad
A beloved dad was killed when a thug 'lost it' as a drunken row spilled onto the street. Jamie Kennedy, 24, punched Robert Payne in the head after the pair had argued and Kennedy had been told to leave.
Despite Mr Payne being knocked unconscious after banging his head on the pavement, Kennedy continued punching him, landing three or four more blows. Mr Payne, 60, known to friends as Bob, died three days later after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that the pair had been drinking together at Mr Payne's home in Oldham, before an argument broke out. Kennedy was acquitted of murder but admitted manslaughter.
"This is clearly more than just a one punch manslaughter," Judge Suzanne Goddard QC told Kennedy. "As he was lying prone on the floor, you carried on." But she accepted that Kennedy was 'genuinely remorseful' for his actions.
"I have no doubt you will regret what you did that night for the rest of your life." The judge said Mr Payne may have 'forcibly ejected' Kennedy, following him to the front gate of his home.
Kennedy admitted he 'lost it' and then punched Mr Payne to the face. Mr Payne fell backwards and banged his head on the pavement. A pathologist said this was the cause of his death.
Kennedy, of Garden Terrace, Royton, has now been sentenced to four years and eight months in jail. He will serve half of his sentence in prison.
Serial abuser threatened to kill partner and held a knife to her throat after she questioned texts found on his phone
A violent thug who repeatedly punched his partner in the head before holding a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her has been jailed. Michael Craven, 29, inflicted the “barrage of violence” on his partner in November 2021 after she confronted him about messages she found on his phone following a night of drinking.
He appeared in Manchester Crown Court last week, where the court heard how Craven pinned his victim to the bed and punched her, before putting his arm around her neck and threatening her with a knife. He then smashed a beer bottle and held it over her, before beginning to self harm and taking pills.
His victim escaped to a friend’s house, who then drove her to hospital, after a “prolonged and persistent assault”. Craven had previously claimed his actions were self-defence after his victim had headbutted him, but Judge Lawton called the assertions “nonsense”.
Mitigating, Mr Sullivan said Craven had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and “realises that mistakes have been made,” but is now looking forward and keen to make changes.
Craven was charged with controlling behaviour of his partner, assault and threatening to kill her. Judge Lawton called the attack a “brutal assault” and sentenced Craven, of Crowthorn Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, to 3 years imprisonment.
He noted Craven’s history of violence towards female partners, including a previous conviction from last year for which he had been handed a suspended sentence in order to allow him to continue to work on his personality disorder.
Vile thug throttled girlfriend and held pillow over her face after convincing her to take him back
A vile thug throttled his girlfriend and put a pillow over her face after being released from prison for another attack on her. Tyler Lowe had promised his victim that ‘things would be different’ and she had taken him back, despite it being against his release conditions and initially moving from Bolton to Wigan in a bid to avoid him.
Just two days after smothering her, on June 28 of this year, Lowe returned to the woman’s home and 'smacked her onto the floor like a dog', and broke her phone, Bolton Crown Court heard. A worried neighbour called police after hearing arguing and the victim also “expressed previous fears that she might be killed”, prosecution barrister David Farley said.
The woman refused to provide a formal statement to police and ‘remains in contact’ with him, the court was told. Lowe has 11 previous convictions for 17 offences, including grievous bodily harm against the same victim in 2019, for which he was jailed.
He gave a no comment interview to police and later pleaded guilty to non-fatal strangulation and suffocation, assault, and criminal damage. Of the early guilty plea, defence barrister Nicholas Ross said: “He was very adamant and very keen that he should not bring about the forced attendance of his victim at court. He wanted to do the right thing having done very wrong things.
“He’s devastated for [his victim] and he understands this sort of conduct is shameful and has no sort of place in society and realises he has a lot of work and learning to do while he’s in prison for the foreseeable future.”
Jailing Lowe for two years and four months, Judge Tom Gilbart said: “These are grossly and utterly abhorrent things to do, which could have led to a real risk of causing really serious harm to your victim”. Judge Gilbart also imposed a restraining order on Lowe, stopping him from contacting the victim for the next ten years.
Crying burglar's bizarre 'ruse' when he's cornered by cops in house goes completely wrong
A career criminal brought on the crocodile tears to try and fool cops who were arresting him for burglary - before he was tasered after trying to run away. 'Habitual' burglar Sean Gavin, 29, was caught when his victim was alerted by her phone that her house had been broken into while she was at work.
The police were called and found Gavin and a teenager had broken into the Rochdale house via the patio doors before ransacking it. In body cam footage played to Minshull Street Crown Court, the two officers made their way to the garage armed with tasers, where they found the two males cowering in the corner.
Gavin began to cry and apologise, saying he was ‘sorry for what he did’. This was a ‘ruse’ as he pushed past both officers in an attempt to run away, prosecutors said.
However, he was quickly brought down as one of the officers deployed a taser, and arrested him. Gavin was jailed on Wednesday (August 3) for four years after admitting burglary.
Gavin was said to have 30 previous convictions for offences of burglary and attempted burglary since he began offending as a youth. At the time of these offences, he was subject to licence conditions.
Mitigating for Gavin, Kay Driver said her client was abandoned by his mum at 13 and lived on sofas whilst ‘supporting himself by committing crime’. “He met a group of youths in similar circumstances and learnt how to earn a living in that way,” she said.
Gavin, of Princeville Street, Bradford, was jailed for four years.
Teen hacked at man with machete as he screamed 'I'm sorry' - all because he asked for his stolen car back
Two young men were jailed after a man was subjected to a vicious machete attack in Salford - “miraculously” escaping serious injury.
Rio Smith, 19, and Kieran Lawrence, 25, were both involved in the “terrifying” attack on the man in October last year, which saw Smith “hack” at the man with a machete. Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, told the Manchester Crown Court that problems began on October 3, when Smith stole the victim’s Volvo V40 after they were drinking together in a pub in Swinton and had a “falling out”.
After the victim asked for his car back, Smith turned up to the house in a taxi, pulled a “large machete” out of his pants and chased the victim into his sister’s house, with the siblings trying to hold the front door shut as Smith smashed one of the windows in the door with the weapon, punched the victim’s sister in the face, and chasing the victim into the kitchen, where he started hitting the man with the machete as he repeatedly screamed “I’m sorry”, apologising for calling the police over his car’s theft.
When Smith left the house, the victim ran out of the house to see if his car was there. At that point, Lawrence, who was not wearing a shirt at the time, got out of the taxi holding a brandy bottle, and started chasing the victim alongside Smith, with the pair assaulting the man when he reached his sister’s garden.
Lawrence has previous convictions for battery, common assaults, and a section 20 assault of causing grievous bodily harm. Smith has no relevant convictions, but His Honour Judge Cross made reference to a photo shown in court, with Smith holding a machete in what was described as “gangster mode”. Smith admitted this was not the same machete used in the incident, and that the photo had been taken when he was 15 or 16-years-old.
Smith, who admitted a section 18 assault, theft, and possession of a bladed article, was sentenced to seven years and two months imprisonment, and must serve two-thirds of that sentence before he can be released. Lawrence, who admitted the less serious section 20 assault, was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment.
Man who took a shortcut along a railway line and delayed 13 trains is jailed
An 'intoxicated' man who took a shortcut along a railway meaning 13 trains had to be delayed has been jailed. Stephen Harrell was spotted by police climbing down from a platform at Salford Crescent before walking towards Swinton.
All trains in the area were stopped for his safety, while a helicopter was also dispatched as police tried to find him in the dark. The 36-year-old was later arrested rummaging through a bin outside a pub on Agecroft Road.
He was on the tracks or lineside for around an hour, causing delays of 287 minutes and 13 trains to be stopped. Network Rail say the total cost of delays on Sunday, July 31, amounted to £9,223.90.
Harrell, of Springfield Street, Wigan, pleaded guilty to obstructing the railway and was jailed for eight months at Manchester magistrates' court. He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation.
Man jailed after police notice teddy bear 'breathing'
A teenager wanted for nicking a car was found hiding INSIDE a teddy bear by stunned cops. Police were looking for Joshua Dobson, 18, over the theft of a Mitsubishi ASX in May and not paying for petrol on the same day.
And whilst searching for him at an address, baffled officers said they heard the bear "breathing". After examining it they then found he was "stuffed inside."
The toy had been cut open and Dobson, from Rochdale, had somehow managed to squeeze himself inside the lining in a bid to evade detection. He was arrested and was last week sentenced to nine months behind bars, police said.
Sharing the extraordinary arrest on Facebook page, GMP Rochdale said: "A wanted car thief who tried using a teddy bear to hide from our neighbourhood cops out looking for him last month has been put behind bars for nine months. Joshua Dobson, 18, from the #Spotland area of the town, was sought by us after stealing a car in May and not paying for fuel that same day.
"When we went to arrest him, our officers noticed a large bear breathing in the address before finding Dobson hidden inside! He's now stuffed behind bars after being sentenced last week for theft of a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified, and making off from a petrol station without payment."
Court documents show Dobson, of Airhill Terrace, Rochdale, was sentenced to a total of 32 weeks in prison for a series of offences at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Friday (August 5). They included theft of the Mitsubishi, valued at £8,500, and its keys, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and making off from a petrol station without payment, on Saturday, May 21 this year.
According to the documents he was also sentenced for taking a Vauxhall Astra van without consent, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, theft of a toolbox and two tablets and criminal damage, all on March 3 this year and was also banned from driving for 27 months.
Thug strangled pregnant girlfriend just days after she helped him avoid jail for assaulting her
A serial domestic abuser strangled his pregnant girlfriend less than two weeks after he was given a suspended sentence for previous assaults against her. In February, Marc Berry walked free from prison, where he was being held on remand, after his victim wrote a letter to the court, describing him as 'one of the kindest people she’s ever met'.
Just 10 days later, Berry grabbed the woman around the throat with both hands and squeezed until she ‘blacked out’ after accusing her of sleeping with someone else, while he had been in custody. When she came back around, Berry was “stood over her, crying” and told her that he “thought he had killed her” because her “eyes rolled back in her head”, prosecution barrister Adam White told Bolton Crown Court.
Later that day, the victim discovered that she was pregnant and has subsequently suffered a “bleed on the amniotic sac”, however Mr White told the court that there is no medical evidence linking this to the assault.
In April Berry, of Kintore Walk, Collyhurst, then bombarded the victim with calls from a withheld number. He called her so many times that she had to turn her phone off to avoid him, the court heard.
Berry pleaded guilty to common assault, breach of a non-molestation order, breach of a restraining order, and criminal damage. He also admitted to breaching his two-year suspended sentence.
Berry, who has 11 convictions for 26 offences, including a history of harassment and violence against previous partners, was defended by Dan Gaskell. Mr Gaskell told the court that Berry works in traffic management.
“It is perhaps frustrating and somewhat disappointing that a man who is able to hold down a good job simply cannot manage his emotions when difficulties arise in domestic situations,” Mr Gaskell said.
The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh described Berry’s breaches as “flagrant” and “persistent”, as he jailed him for three years. He also imposed a restraining order to stop Berry from contacting the victim and her family for an indefinite period of time.
Man threatened to turn up at ex’s home after 'altercation' with her dad
A Wigan man threatened to turn up at his ex-girlfriend’s home after getting into an ‘altercation’ with her dad in public. Callum Clayton, 21, and the woman were in a relationship for around 18 months but it came to an end in 2020.
She got a restraining order against him, after he was convicted of battery, Bolton Crown Court heard. On December 7 last year, he was given a suspended sentence after hiding a knife in his waistband.
Just 10 days later, he rang his ex-girlfriend twice and sent her three text messages in the space of a few minutes. Prosecution barrister Clare Thomas told the court that the first text said: “I’m not a grass. Tell your dad, hitting me, he’s having it now.”
Clayton followed up with a message that read: “I’ll have a car around yours in two hours. See you soon muppets.” He sent her a further text and the victim did not respond to any of them.
Clayton, of Martland Mill Lane, Standish, was arrested on December 20 but denied sending the messages. He later pleaded guilty to sending malicious communications.
Clayton also admitted to breaching his suspended sentence by failing to turn up to two probation appointments in June. The restraining order preventing Clayton from contacting the victim expired in March 2021 so he was not in breach of this, the court heard.
The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh said that he was “satisfied that only a custodial sentence can be imposed” as he jailed Clayton for 46 weeks.
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