Justice was delivered to a gang who flooded the streets with heroin and cocaine on streets, and to criminals who turned blank firing replicas into guns. Both groups, who were not connected, featured as big sentencing hearings at Nottingham Crown Court.
The drugs gang were jailed after police found narcotics had been kept in plastic tubs in safes - and one of the offenders had used 36 different telephone numbers during the conspiracy period. The criminal scheme to supply illegal Class A and B drugs was active between January 2021 and March 2022, selling through three distinct mobile phone lines, known as ‘drug lines’. Read the full story here.
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And a second criminal gang were locked up for a combined 79 years after guns were made out of blank firing replicas in Nottinghamshire. Andrew Wheelhouse ran a workshop in a garage at his home in Mansfield Woodhouse where he converted replica pistols into viable guns and then transported them.
The 41-year-old was arrested when armed police officers searched his address in Marples Avenue, on July 6, 2021. During the search they found 15 blank firearms, around 40 blank cartridges, an adapted lathe and drill press - which could be used in the process of converting firearms, and metal shavings on and near the tools.
Investigators rumbled a wider criminal enterprise, with group members communicating with each other, and found that blank-firing guns were being turned into live-firing weapons before being moved to an address in Canver Close, Bilborough. Read the full story here
More stories before the courts included:
Tram passenger 'stamped on head' and kicked repeatedly at Bulwell tram stop
Maciej Rewers was jailed for 14 months for his role in the attack alone - but was hit with more prison time after he attacked a girlfriend and breached a restraining order.
His co-accused was sentenced separately for assault, causing bodily harm to the victim, and received 16 months in prison. Read the full story here
Man threatened to cut woman's face with pizza cutter and burn her
Violent partner Anthony Pendleton threatened to cut his girlfriend's face with a pizza cutter and to burn her with the flame from a deodorant can. Those were just some of the terrifying threats made by Pendleton as he exerted a campaign of controlling and coercive behaviour on his now ex-partner.
Pendleton, 32, of Winchester Close, Worksop, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour and causing criminal damage. He was jailed for 29 months. Read the full story here
Nottingham stalker drove his car at woman during campaign of harassment
Thomas McGuigan, 32, pleaded guilty to stalking, two counts of dangerous driving and threatening to destroy or damage property.
McGuigan was jailed for one year after appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on April 7. Read the full story here
Burglar 'tried to ram' police car in stolen vehicle
Charlie Cawley was caught by police before he could escape in a stolen car. The 27-year-old, of A'Court Street, Radford, Nottingham, was jailed for a total of two years and four months when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday, April 12.
He had earlier been convicted of burglary, driving while disqualified, going equipped to steal and driving without a licence or insurance. Read the full story here
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Reckless driver dragged police officer down high street
A reckless driver dragged a police officer down a Nottinghamshire high street before crashing into a tree. The officer was knocked trying to stop Ian Stone from pulling away in Clumber Street, Mansfield.
The 24-year-old was charged with dangerous driving, assault causing actual bodily harm, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and driving without insurance. Having pleaded guilty to the charges, Stone, of Priory Road, Alfreton, was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for three years. Read the full story here
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