A wanted teen who was found by police hiding inside a teddy bear was one of the criminals jailed in Greater Manchester this week.
A serial domestic abuser who strangled his pregnant girlfriend just days after she helped him avoid jail for assaulting her has also been put behind bars. An 'intoxicated' man who took a shortcut along a railway meaning 13 trains had to be delayed, costing almost £10,000 in damages was also among those locked up in our region.
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: Drunk car wash worker jailed after smashing customer's £90k car into restaurant
Here are some of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester in the past seven days.
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. The following month, Berry smashed a mirror in the woman’s home in front of her nine-year-old daughter, following another argument.
The schoolgirl then punched 35-year-old Berry to the ground, before he got up and punched a hole in the bedroom door. 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.
"See you soon muppets": 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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