A predatory police officer who sexually assaulted teenagers in his own ‘grooming playground’ is amongst those who have been jailed in Greater Manchester this month.
Also locked up from Manchester’s courts in June are teenage killers, a sick couple who abused children and an ‘embarrassed’ paedophile.
Prison sentences are handed down to the worst offenders each week at our region’s courts. The M.E.N. has dedicated court reporters on hand to cover the most serious cases day-in-day-out.
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Here is a roundup of the most serious offenders in June:
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.
Family of 86-year-old man who died after car crash speak out as driver jailed
The family of an 86-year-old man who died in a car crash have paid tribute after a driver pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving.
Roy Jones was involved in a crash with another vehicle on Belmont Way in Stockport, at the junction of Short Street, at around 11.48pm on August 27, 2021. Roy, a stage performer known locally as Steve Russell and the ‘Singing Milkman’, was driving home after performing at The Moor Club in Heaton Moor.
He was taken to hospital following the incident, but died from his injuries almost two months later on October 16. Jack Lomas, 28, of Warbeck Close in Stockport, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
On Thursday (June 8) at Minshull Street Crown Court, Lomas was sentenced concurrently to nine years in prison for death by dangerous driving and two years and eight months for serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for 13 years and two months.
Paedophile 'bit off LIP' of innocent drinker in savage pub attack while on bail for 27 child abuse offences
A ‘savage’ thug who carried out a string of child abuse attacks bit off a piece of the LIP of a ‘well-liked’, innocent pub-goer in a vicious attack while on bail for his perverted crimes.
Sean Paul Johnson, 32, carried out the ‘savage assault’ on the man at the Berkeley Inn in Wigan while on bail for a string of sexual offences committed against a child. Now Johnson has been handed a lengthy prison term for the pub attack and sexual abuse.
Today, Judge Martin Walsh jailed the pervert for 16-and-a-half years, describing him as ‘a significant risk of causing serious harm’ to the public. Johnson, who appeared in court via video link from prison, must serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order; and will be made to sign the sexual offender register for life.
'Embarrassed' paedophile tried to leave the country after being caught
An 'embarrassed' paedophile tried to leave the country after being caught offering money for pictures of teenage children. Cristinel Solomon, 50, thought he was messaging two girls online but the accounts were actually being operated by adults who worked with a paedophile hunter group.
After being arrested and released on bail, Solomon tried to flee and was detained at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
Manchester Crown Court heard that he 'completely and utterly denied' the offences when interviewed by the probation service.
Solomon, of Brentwood Street, Moss Side, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, and will serve half of the jail term in custody. Given that he has already spent around eight months in prison, he is due to be released soon.
Faces of the teenage killers who lured college student to park in row over drug debt and left him to bleed to death
These are the three teenage killers who lured a college student to a park in a row over a drug debt and left him to bleed to death. Maciej Mikolajczyk, then 17, stabbed his 'close friend' Alan Szelugowski 20 times before taking his mobile phone so he had no chance of calling for help.
On Monday he was jailed for life for murder and told he will serve at least 20 years before being considered for parole. His accomplices Lilner Neto and Benson Jones, both 16 at the time of the attack in January 2022, have each been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of manslaughter.
Their names and faces can today be revealed for the first time as they are all now 18-years-old. Alan, 17, suffered horrendous injuries to his head and body in the 'brutal, mindless' attack..
He was discovered in Clowes Park in Salford the following morning by dog walkers. A trial had earlier heard Alan was murdered after he had 'fallen out' with his 'close friend' Mikolajczyk over a cannabis debt.
They had arranged to meet at the park on January 29, 2022, to 'sort things out', Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Mikolajczyk, of Moorsley Drive, Blackley, brought along Lilner Neto, of Duke Street, Broughton, and Benson Jones, of Edith Street, Moss Side, to the 'pre-planned' assault.
Carrying 'at least one knife' they arrived at the park in a stolen BMW. They then 'set upon' Alan in the dark in a vicious attack which lasted around 10 minutes.
Sick and twisted husband and wife drugged children before sexually abusing them
A sick and twisted husband and wife who groomed children before drugging and sexually abusing them have now been jailed.
Claire Moores, 46, and husband Craig Moores, 51, from Stockport, were reported to the police in May 2019 in relation to non-recent sexual offences against two girls between 2002 and 2008.
The couple were arrested and charged on August 2020 and found guilty of 15 charges at trial. They have now been jailed at Minshull Street Crown Court for a combined total of 28 years.
The court heard how two girls, who have not been named due to legal reasons, reported being given substances prior to being sexually abused by the couple. A third victim was exposed to the presence and consumption of controlled drugs and sexual activity.
Driver ploughed into stranger 'at speed' as he walked home from night out with friends
A driver ploughed into a stranger as he walked home from a night out with friends in south Manchester in a 'mindless' act of violence.
The man was left with catastrophic injuries, including two broken legs, after Mohammed Gulshin followed him at speed, before mowing him down in his Volkswagen Scirocco on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield - whilst over the drink drive limit.
He subsequently crashed into a nearby wall with such force that the bricks became dislodged, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Hours earlier, Gulshin, 25, had been removed from the area following a disturbance with police due to his 'aggravated' behaviour.
Gulshin, who attended the hearing with his wife, admitted causing wounding, as well as possession of two knives which were found in his car, and separate offences of drug dealing.
During a break in the hearing, in which he was told to remain within the precincts of the court, he was spotted going to Greggs. After he returned, he was jailed for four years.
Gulshin, of Newport Street, who admitted section 20 wounding, possession of a knife, conspiring to supply class A drugs and possession with intent to supply class B drugs, was also banned from driving for five years.
Armed robber waved claw hammer around in terrifying raid - but had plans foiled after being confronted by fearless owners in their 70s
An armed robber who waved a claw hammer around in a terrifying raid at a jewellers in Manchester had his plans foiled after being confronted by the shop's brave owners, both aged in their 70s.
But weeks before, in January 2023, Daniel Smith, 38, from Old Trafford, had scoped out another store, Christopher Brown Jewellers in Stockport, for 'security weaknesses' before barging through the door and threatening staff with a weapon.
He propped the security door open with a brick in a bag before pressing a weapon against a terrified member of staff and demanding they handed over a unique, highly-valued necklace before stealing it from the scene.
A brazen Smith later appeared at Abelson's Jewellers in the St Ann's Arcade, Manchester city centre, in March of 2023, with intentions to steal similar items.
He waved a claw hammer as he tried to snatch an expensive bracelet from the owners, Malcolm Abelson, age 78 and Elise, age 71, but left empty handed by their fearless reactions when they bravely fought back.
After pleading guilty to three charges of armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and possession of an offensive weapon, Smith was sentenced to four-and-half-years at Minshull Street Crown Court on June 15.
Coward who ‘prowled the streets’ before following and running over his ex-partner’s husband as he cycled to work
A coward who ‘prowled the streets’ before following and running over his ex-partner’s husband as he cycled to work has been jailed. Ijaz Ahmed, 51, drove to the man’s address and lay in wait before pursuing him.
Captured on CCTV, Ahmed caught up to him and knocked him from his bike. He then attacked him with a knife and left him to bleed out on the street, Minshull Street Crown Court previously heard.
Ahmed, of Stoke-on-Trent, was convicted following a trial of an offence of attempted murder. Today (June 15) he was jailed for 30 years.
The court heard that in the early hours of the morning on December 10 2021, Ahmed drove to the man’s address and ‘lay in wait’. As the victim was cycling to work, Ahmed followed him in his car and knocked him to the ground.
He then attacked him with a knife.
Police were called to reports of the collision on Bowness Road, in Middleton, at around 6.30am that morning. They found the victim had suffered deep wounds to his face and scale that were inflicted by a knife, as well as an open skull fracture and blunt force trauma to his body.
Ahmed fled the country following the attack in an attempt to evade capture by the police, and returned five months later when he thought that police were ‘no longer looking for him’.
He was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury and jailed for 30 years with an extended licence period. Ahmed, of no fixed abode, was also made the subject of a restraining order indefinitely.
'I was so hammered - if I did it, I did it', says man watching CCTV of carnage he caused
A former keep fit fanatic threatened to stab and shoot a pub regular, held up an off licence at knifepoint and vowed to rape the mothers and girlfriends of police after he went on a lager and Jack Daniels fuelled rampage.
Later, after ex-gym disciple Samuel Tinker, 32, had sobered up and was shown CCTV footage of his hour long violence spree, he confessed: ''I was so hammered - if I did it, I did it.'' Tinker, a groundsman, had got drunk at his local before turning on a fellow tippler at random saying: “what the f**k are you looking at. I’m not a f*****g muppet, I’ll stab, slash, and shoot you.”
He then left the premises and staggered to a nearby store where attempted to steal Jack Daniels mixer cans from the shelves. When confronted by an assistant, Tinker threatened him with a craft knife saying: “I am English - you’re a f*****g Iraqi, Iranian or Pakistani.''
When police arrived at the scene in Mossley, Tinker called one officer a ''daft c***'' and told his colleagues: ''I'm gonna rape your mothers and girlfriends.'' He even told a second officer: ''What you are looking at it Mr Abu Dhabi P**i?” whilst being processed at the police station. He later admitted being a ''pathologically aggressive and racist bully boy'' when in drink.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Tinker, from Mossley, was jailed for 30 months after he admitted attempted robbery, possession of a bladed article, a public order offence and two counts of causing racially aggravated alarm or distress.
Manipulative bully vowed former partner would be the ‘next Katie Piper’ following 'toxic' relationship
A manipulative bully vowed his partner would be the ‘next Katie Piper’ following years of vile abuse. Luke Coleman, 28, and the woman had been in a relationship for a number of years which was ‘characterised’ by physical and emotional abuse.
Coleman was possessive, constantly accused her of cheating on him and regularly assaulted her.
Over a two year period, there were 31 separate callouts to the police reporting violence or threats of violence, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Gwen Henshaw described how between October 2020 and April 2022, Coleman was abusive and controlling towards the woman.
Reading from the woman’s statement, she said: “He said I would look like Katie Piper. I later realised that she was the victim of an acid attack.”
“He had threatened to throw acid on her face,” the prosecutor said.
Coleman, of Banner Street, Ince, was jailed for three-and-a-half years, for three offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour. He was also banned from contacting his ex and her family indefinitely.
"How many more parents, families and friends have to go through the pain and heartache that knife crime brings?"
The father of a student brutally stabbed to death by a 'coward' armed with a 13-inch 'mafia stiletto' weapon has called for a crackdown on knife crime. Jason O'Connor said the 15 year sentence handed to his son's killer 'does not reflect the magnitude of the crime'.
Luke O'Connor, a second year business management at Manchester Metropolitan University, was just 19 when he was knifed eight times by Shiloh Pottinger in Fallowfield. Manchester Crown Court heard that Luke, originally from Bedford, had been out with friends for a Halloween party in October last year before bumping into Pottinger, a music production student at BIMM music university. The pair were total strangers.
Luke's friend made a 'jocular' comment about Pottinger having a skateboard, as their paths crossed. A confrontation followed and Pottinger, then 19 and now 20, produced the flick knife he'd been carrying, which he'd bought from China.
He stabbed Luke repeatedly then fled, leaving him to die. When he went on trial accused of murder, Pottinger told 'many lies' and tried to blame Luke, claiming he was acting in self defence.
But sentencing judge Nicholas Dean KC labelled Pottinger's reaction as 'pathetic', saying his behaviour suggested 'arrogance'. Pottinger later said he had bought the knife as 'a sort of fashion statement'.
Pottinger was sentenced to 15 years in prison, after being found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter.
Man killed 61-year-old dad after pushing him over outside pub just three days before Christmas
A man killed a 61-year-old dad after pushing him over outside a pub in Wigan just three days before Christmas. Carl Sinclair, 58, assaulted Roy Halliwell on December 22 last year after he had been seen 'nonsensically shouting' at him and 'making threats'.
Sinclair then followed Halliwell to a pub on Wallgate, where he violently pushed him to the ground, causing Roy to hit his head before leaving him lying in the street. Roy was taken to hospital but died a week later from his injuries.
Greater Manchester Police began investigating the incident and, after interviewing a number of witnesses at the scene, officers quickly identified Sinclair as the suspect.
He was initially arrested at home on suspicion of an assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was then later re-arrested, charged with manslaughter and remanded into custody whilst awaiting trial.
The 58-year-old of Cemetery Road in Ince, appeared at Bolton Crown Court via live link from HMP Forest Bank for sentencing, after he pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of manslaughter. He has been jailed for five years and six months.
Predatory police cadet leader jailed after using training scheme as 'grooming playground'
A former Greater Manchester Police constable who sexually assaulted teenagers he was training for his own 'sexual gratification' has been jailed.
Adnan Ali has been sentenced to five years in jail for misconduct in a public office and five sexual assaults on a 16-year-old boy and two young girls. The assaults and misconduct took place between 2015 and 2018 while he was serving with GMP’s Volunteer Police Cadet Scheme.
A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 36-year-old father, from Old Trafford, used the training scheme as a 'grooming playground' and 'exploited the freedom he was given.' On June 23 (Friday), he was jailed for five years.
The sexual assaults involved touching a girl cadet inappropriately while giving her a lift home and kissing another in his room while they were away at a camp. The boy had his shoulders rubbed by Ali before his genitals were touched over his clothing while they were together in an apprenticeship office.
Ali, of Leighton Road, also sent hundreds of inappropriate messages per day to young people in his care as well as 'highly inappropriate' photographs, before encouraging them to be sent in return. One sickening text message included: "Just lay in bed... wish u were here xx" and another said: "Wish you were in the bath with me."
Ali was arrested in October 2018 after the force received a complaint that he had been 'behaving inappropriately' towards a 16-year-old boy. His devices were seized and analysed and officers found thousands of messages and identified more victims.
'You need to sort your life out...' drug addict thief branded 'lowest of the low' stole parcels from city centre apartment blocks
A drug addled thief branded the 'lowest of the low' by one of his victims has been told to 'sort his life out'. Craig Darcey, 32, snuck into Manchester city centre apartment blocks and stole parcels, striking on seven occasions during a month-long spree.
One of the parcels, stolen from an apartment block off Ducie Street in the Northern Quarter, contained medication. "Taking my wife’s medication is the lowest of the low," the victim's husband said.
Darcey, who was homeless and addicted to drugs at the time, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft. Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean KC told him: "You need to sort your life out. I hope you understand that, but it is in your hands to do so."
Manchester Crown Court heard that some of the other parcels stolen by Darcey between January and February this year included important documents from HM Revenue and Customs, personal letters and coronavirus testing kits.
Darcey, of no fixed address, was sentenced to nine months in prison. Given that he has been in custody since February, he is expected to be released 'immediately or very soon'.
