A prominent gang boss, an ex-police officer and an abusive thug are among the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester this week.
A man who attacked a paedophile with a hammer after finding him watching and sharing vile child abuse videos, and a desperate crook who bungled his own attempts to hide a gun have also been jailed.
Ex-cop Darren Coathup - who worked just over the border in Lancashire - was dealt with at Manchester Crown Court.
Prison terms are handed out to the worst offenders each week at the region's courts. Manchester Evening News reporters are on the press bench to cover the most serious cases.
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Here are some of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester this week...
Ex-cop who took advantage of vulnerable victims
A police officer who 'took advantage of his status and power' and slept with a domestic violence victim and sexted another was jailed by a judge who said such crimes affected public trust in the police at a time 'when it had been so seriously undermined'.
Ex-Lancashire Police PC Darren Coathup, 39, bedded the 'vulnerable' woman days after completing a training course on sexual misconduct, during which he was also sending her 'intimate' messages and pictures.
He later told her he had a sexually transmitted infection and asked her to take a test, posting money through her letterbox.
She was the second woman he met through his work he formed a relationship with, having also exchanged sexual messages, pictures and videos with another alleged crime victim who said he 'preyed on her' after she reported her ex had assaulted her.
Coathup's offending came to light after staff at Lancashire Police, where he worked for 18 years from 2003, noticed unusual activity on his work mobile.
Following an investigation, he was charged with - and admitted - misconduct in a public office. Coathup, from Chorley, was jailed for two years.
Crime boss who ran gang under title 'NeverSayNever' busted in huge police operation
The head of an organised crime group (OCG) was jailed after his Encrochat messages were uncovered by police.
Detectives from Greater Manchester Police kept the OCG under surveillance as they used encrypted mobile phones to communicate and arrange their drugs drop-offs between 2019 and 2020.
Over £60,000 in cash, 27.5kg of cocaine and 50kg of amphetamine, totalling £400,000, were seized as part of the large-scale investigation, along with machinery including a hydraulic press and paraphernalia used in the preparation of drugs.
Using the handle 'NeverSayNever', dad-of-four Michael Doyle, 36, discussed prices and locations for picking up drugs and money, prosecution barrister Andy Scott told Manchester Crown Court. GMP also identified Doyle as the ringleader of the OCG, the court heard.
In one message, he ordered 20 kilos of cocaine. In another, he suggested that he wanted to take a step back as he began a new business venture and made reference to his ‘guys’ getting arrested. Further messages saw him discussing cryptocurrency and how to convert bitcoin into real money.
Doyle, from Salford, was jailed for 14 years and nine months for conspiracy to supply cocaine; conspiracy to supply cannabis; and conspiracy to supply amphetamine.
It follows eight other men in the OCG being sentenced at Manchester Crown Court between 13 and 16 September 2021. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has been set for June 9.
Desperate criminal tried to hide loaded gun in an extractor fan after cops burst in - it didn't end well
A man was jailed after a loaded gun was found hidden in an extractor fan in a kitchen in Salford. Officers burst into the property on Langworthy Road in the morning on April 26 last year. They found the loaded .32 calibre revolver in the kitchen in a search.
Marco McKenzie had placed it there, Greater Manchester Police said. The 26-year-old was arrested and taken into custody.
McKenzie, of Old Moat Lane, Withington, was charged with possession of a firearm. He was jailed for five years in prison at Manchester Crown Crown after pleading guilty.
Detective Inspector Lee Newburn, from Challenger’s City of Manchester South team, said: "Diligent enquiries led to locating McKenzie at the property in Salford. A thorough and full search of the kitchen resulted in a viable and dangerous firearm being located with the bullets placed inside.
“The weapon has now been taken out of circulation, preventing it from being used by individuals involved in, or associated with, serious and organised crime. We will remain relentless in our pursuit of criminals involved in organised crime and encourage members of the public to report their concerns to the police or anonymously via Crimestoppers, so we can remove firearms from our community and put criminals like McKenzie behind bars."
Thug who attacked pregnant ex 'hoped baby would die'
An abusive thug rang his pregnant ex from prison over 100 times to get her to drop her statement against him, claiming he would ‘get revenge’. Jordan Burton, 22, attacked his former girlfriend on at least three occasions, despite her being pregnant with his unborn daughter.
On one occasion he threw a hoover at her six times leaving her with multiple bruises. On another occasion he struck her with a piece of wood, Manchester Crown Court heard.
After reporting him to the police he continued messaging her and sending abuse and telling her to die. He was reported again and remanded into custody, where he managed to get her number added to his prison contact list and rang her up to 100 times ordering to ‘retract or he’d get revenge’.
In some of the messages he said he hoped their ‘unborn daughter would die’. The woman asked if the baby mattered, and he replied: “No she don’t, die rat, I don’t care anymore, f**k you c**t.”
He also called her a ‘police informant’, said she ‘deserved every bat she got’ and said he ‘only hits skets’.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said: “I was pregnant at the time and I knew the only way our unborn baby would be safe was if I was to escape that relationship.”
She said he made her feel ‘worthless’ and she didn’t understand what she had done to deserve such violent behaviour.
“I don’t understand why me carrying his daughter was not enough to stop the abuse from happening,” she continued.
Burton, of Washway Road, Sale, was jailed for three years and one month after pleading guilty to assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, sending malicious communications and perverting the court of justice. He was also made the subject of a restraining order indefinitely.
Man found lover watching child abuse videos minutes after they'd had sex
A man attacked a paedophile with a hammer after he caught him watching heinous and depraved images of children being abused. David Lane and Peter Ash had chem-sex but when Lane, 35, woke up he caught Ash, 49, viewing the vile videos online.
As Ash began to show him the videos, Lane told him to stop but Ash refused to. He then struck Ash in a frenzied attack with a hammer to the back of his head.
A violent melee ensued, with both men fighting using a knife and a pair of scissors. Lane was eventually forced out of Ash’s flat, before Ash fled for help.
Lane, of Middlewich, went back into the flat and retrieved his clothes before getting an Uber back home and immediately calling the police.
During the phone call he admitted: “I tried to kill somebody, I imagine he’s in more pain than me”… “I saw the TV and what he said and couldn’t stop myself”…. “My intention was to kill him so he can’t hurt anyone else”.
Lane was originally charged with attempted murder but the prosecution later accepted a plea to causing wounding with intent, due to his police interview, in which he said he didn’t intend to kill him.
Peter Ash has since pleaded guilty to five offences of possession and distribution of indecent images, eight drug trafficking offences and one of simple possession of drugs. He will be sentenced later this month.
Lane, of Cross Lane, was jailed for three years, of which he will serve half in prison, less the seven months he spent on remand.
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