A man who robbed a Just Eat delivery driver, a con woman who lied about having cancer and EncroChat dealer using the name "ManlyDeser" were all jailed in October.
Also locked up was a pervert who sexually assaulted a pensioner, a woman who was banned from touching parking meters and a Merseyrail worker who left a young woman feeling "isolated and ashamed" after he sexually assaulted her whilst she slept.
Here are the faces of 24 criminals from our region who were imprisoned during October.
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Craig Arnold
A drug dealer tried to bury class A drugs in a plant pot in his back garden before police raided his home.
Cheshire Police started investigating Craig Arnold, 36, from Ellesmere Port, after he was identified as sending a large number of "flare" messages advertising drugs. CCTV and phone analysis confirmed Arnold was using the phone to sell crack cocaine and heroin in the area he lived in. Officers raided Arnold’s home address on Victoria Road, Ellesmere Port, where a significant quantity of crack cocaine and heroin were found.
Arnold was arrested after a further 80 bags of class A drugs were found buried in a plant pot in his garden. He admitted being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and dangerous driving and was jailed for six years and three months.
Read in full here.
Lee Whewell
A man battered his girlfriend after she sold his dog while he was in prison.
Lee Whewell glugged bottles of wine before savagely beating his partner black and blue, leaving her with a broken nose. She now lives in the fear that she will one day be killed by her abuser.
Whewell admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and harassment. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for two years.
Read in full here.
Luke Jones and Callum Jaxon
A man robbed a Just Eat delivery driver then claimed he had been asleep in a tent at the time.
Luke Jones held a knife to the throat of his victim as he was dropping off food in the early hours before stealing the "tools of his trade" in his car and mobile phone. He was later identified as the culprit by his "distinctive" ponytail.
Jones admitted robbery. He was jailed for five years and seven months.
A second man, Callum Jaxon, pleaded guilty to theft. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was locked up for nine months.
Read in full here.
Sanad Ahmed
A shop worker sexually assaulted two young girls after they went into a city centre newsagents.
Sanad Ahmed of Asbridge Street in Toxteth, attacked the two girls in Richmond News, on Richmond Street, on the afternoon of May 15, 2021. A group of teenagers reported what happened to police, and Sanad was arrested that day, but denied the assaults.
The 28-year-old was found guilty of all offences, including rape and assault by penetration, at Liverpool Crown Court today, October 5. He was sentenced to seven years behind bars, and will remain on the sex offenders register for life. He was also given a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting the victims in future.
Read in full here.
Kevin Griffiths
A paedophile took advantage of a five-year-old child he was supposed to be babysitting.
Kevin Griffiths, 66, of Ship Street in Frodsham, Runcorn, was found guilty of sexual offences against a child following a week-long trial at Chester Crown Court in August 2023. The court heard how the offences took place in the 1990s, when the victim was just five years old.
Griffiths was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday, October 5, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.
Read in full here.
Thomas Belmar
A Merseyrail worker left a young woman feeling "isolated and ashamed" after he sexually assaulted her whilst she slept.
Thomas Belmar appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault. The 35-year-old, of Cavendish Drive in Wirral, attacked the young woman while she was asleep at a house party in South Liverpool in the early hours and was jailed for nine months.
Daniel Sneddon
A paedophile would bribe his 10-year-old victim by offering to buy him gifts before his vile attacks.
Daniel Sneddon, of Galston Road, Kilmarnock, began abusing youngster, from Warrington, in spring 2021. The abuse lasted over a two-year period, with the 27-year-old bribing his victim in order to sexually abuse and rape him.
His activities were uncovered after the victim's mum found a number of concerning text messages sent by Sneddon. He was jailed for 13-and-a-half years after being convicted of engaging in sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and possession of indecent images.
Craig Ford
A prisoner set fire to his own cell and then punched a guard who came to help him.
Prosecutor David Mainstone told Mold Crown Court prison guard Jasmine Richards smelt smoke while on duty at HMP Berwyn in Wrexham on September 1. She opened the observation panel in Craig Ford's cell door and saw the fire.
Staff smashed the observation panel's glass of the 30-year-old from Wavertree's cell, and pushed a hose through the gap. In the end the door was opened but Ford "flew out aggressively" and hit a prison officer in the nose.
Guards restrained him and searched the cell, where they found a piece of sharpened cutlery, with some cloth wrapped around one end as a handle. The court heard the fire had been started most likely with a vape on one corner of a book.
Ford, 30, of Cinema Drive, Wavertree, was handed 20 months for possession of a bladed article in prison with a further five months for arson and five months for assaulting an emergency worker.
James Moreton
A thug stabbed a teenager in the eye with a crossbow before trying to bribe him to drop the charges.
James Moreton confronted his 18-year-old victim on a footbridge close to Glenburn Road and Windrows, in Skelmersdale, on January 10 before punching and kicking him in the face. Moreton, formerly of Fairstead, then jabbed him in the left eye with a crossbow.
The court heard the victim did not think he was seriously injured at first, but later ended up in intensive care. He had to be put in an induced coma for six days after contracting meningitis and suffering fractures to his skull and orbital bone.
While on remand in custody, Moreton tried to get his victim to drop the charges after an associate contacted him making threats and they also offered money. He pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, possession of an offensive weapon and attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for seven years and nine months.
Gabriel Fregonese
A paedophile who was given a second chance by the courts has been jailed after being caught with indecent images of children for a second time.
Gabriel Fregonese was given a nine month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after being convicted of making indecent photographs a child and possessing indecent images of a child in April 2021. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order with the aim of preventing future offending, and received regular visits from an offender manager at his Lathom Road home, Southport.
But the 34-year-old's offender manager kate noticed the search history on his phone had been erased, and became suspicious. A further search of the device found two indecent images of children, including one of a boy "aged five to seven years old".
He pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of indecent images of a child and breaching his suspended sentence and SHPO. Fregonese was jailed for 20 months.
Benjamin Fitzsimmons
A convicted rapist slashed an elderly man's face after he walked past his house singing on the way home from the pub.
Benjamin Fitzsimmons attacked 67-year-old Ronald Morris from behind as he walked down Altcross Road, Croxteth at around 11.30pm on May 31. The 45-year-old had heard the pensioner singing to himself after a night in the pub, and armed himself with a knife which he used to slash his face and head.
He was arrested and released under investigation. But police were called again just three weeks later when he went into a drunken rage and headbutted a woman outside Croxteth Family Health Centre, before going into the Lobster Hotel pub on Moss Way and stabbing landlord Peter Lanes.
Fitzsimmons pleaded guilty to two counts of assault inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a bladed article and affray. He was jailed for nine years.
David Eyre
A paedophile who claimed his offending was due to a pornography addiction admitted "I know what this is about" when police raided his house.
Merseyside Police officers from the specialist Online Child Abuse Investigation Team targeted the Southport home of David Eyre on June 20 this year following a lengthy investigation into his online activity. Liverpool Crown Court heard the 55-year-old told officers "I know what this is about" and pointed at his computer, adding "the devices are down there".
After examining his electronic devices police officers found a disturbing haul of indecent images that included a number of photographs and videos of the same child, whom he had been abusing from the age of only 15 months old. Eyre admitted sexual assault, three counts of taking indecent images and three counts of possession of indecent images and was jailed for 14 years.
Jade Joynson
A woman banned from touching parking meters was jailed after being caught engaging with a machine in the city centre.
Jade Joynson, 25, of Leeds Street, was given a three-year banning order last month at Liverpool Magistrates' Court banning her from touching Liverpool Council parking meters. The order was made after Joynson was convicted of attempting to steal money from a parking meter on Hawke Street on June 22.
But she breached the order and was jailed for 38 weeks. The ECHO understands that Joynson was apprehended by police officers on Old Hall Street while attempting to tamper with a machine.
Craig McKenzie
An EncroChat dealer using the name "ManlyDeser" has had £1.5million of his assets frozen over a huge heroin, cocaine and cannabis conspiracy.
Craig McKenzie was jailed for 20 years after being convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, and cannabis, drugs which had been sourced from the Netherlands, Spain and North America. The 41-year-old then used runners to move his drugs to customers who were mainly based in Liverpool and Manchester but were also as far afield as Wales and London.
Anthony Shackleton
A pervert sexually assaulted a bedbound woman after breaking into a property as she slept.
Anthony Shackleton broke into the address in Woodchurch in the early hours of Wednesday, May 31. Inside was a woman in her 80s, who was asleep at the time.
The victim, who is bedbound, woke up to the 33-year-old "standing over her" wearing a hoodie. When she asked who he was, Shackleton shouted that she was a "nosey b****" and a "c***" before sexually assaulting her.
He admitted burglary and sexual assault. Judge Robert Trevor-Jones jailed him for five years and 10 months and handed him an additional four-year licence period.
Alex Thompson
A jealous boyfriend with a history of domestic violence almost battered his girlfriend to death in a drunken rage.
Alex Thompson rained punches and kicks down on his girlfriend as she screamed at him to stop in the early hours of March 31 2023. He delivered a vicious blow to her abdomen, fracturing her back and causing serious internal bleeding which doctors described as "life threatening".
The 38-year-old was found guilty of wounding with intent. Thompson was jailed for seven years and handed an additional four years on licence.
Samantha Norris
A woman said "I'm f***ed aren't I?" after being caught trying to get drugs into a Yorkshire prison.
Samantha Norris, of Millfields Court, Eccleston, St Helens, smuggled heroin into HMP New Hall for her partner, who was an inmate, on January 6 and 12 2022. On both occasions the substance was discovered by guards, and the 38-year-old mum was hauled in for questioning in August 2023, where she frankly admitted what she had done.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of conveying prohibited articles into prison. Norris was jailed for 12 months.
Terence Griffiths
A paedophile who preyed on an eight-year-old girl promised her chocolate in exchange for her silence.
Terence Griffiths, from Moreton, abused the little girl over a period of one-and-a-half years, grooming and repeatedly sexually assaulting her. He told her to keep his actions a secret, and promised her chocolate in exchange for her silence – with a jar of Nutella being found in the bedroom of his home.
Griffiths, now of of David Street, Malltraeth, Bodorgan, was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison. He was also given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order, and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.
Terence Clarke
A drugs and firearms trafficker with contacts around the globe boasted he was the "best in Liverpool" at producing crack cocaine.
Terence Clarke bragged of having armed himself with an AK47 assault rifle and offered a Skorpion submachine gun and an Uzi up for sale via encrypted communications platform EncroChat, while also running county lines supply chains across England and Wales. After being rumbled as the man behind the secret identity "SacredTruck", the dad now says he wants to bring to an end his decades of involvement in the criminal underworld.
Clarke – who held his head in his hands at times during the hearing – admitted conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and cannabis and was found guilty of conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms and ammunition by a jury. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 26 years.
David Ashbrook
A "warped monster" showered a girl with presents and hundreds of pounds in cash as he subjected her to a sickening "campaign of rape".
David Ashbrook abuse left his victim "living a real life nightmare" and "robbed her of her childhood". A judge told her that her "courage knew no bounds" as he was handed a lengthy prison sentence.
Ashbrook admitted two counts of rape, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was jailed for 15 years, of which he will serve at least two thirds before becoming eligible for release on licence.
Adam Hoyle
A former police officer exploited vulnerable women for his own sexual gratification, a court heard.
Adam Hoyle, from Yelverton Close in Halewood, had previously been found guilty of misconduct after establishing intimate relationships with "vulnerable" women. Hoyle, who had been with Merseyside Police since January 5, 2009, came into contact with the women after they reported sexual and domestic abuse to the force.
He was sentenced for the offences at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday (October 27).
One victim personal statement read out to the court heard that one victim would now "struggle to trust a police officer going forward" and had suffered with "anxiousness". Another victim added the uniform made them "feel safe" and felt "tricked" by the police officer and was "worried no-one would believe me."
Passing sentence, Judge David Aubrey KC said: "Whilst a serving police officer, you exploited emotion and sexual relations with four separate and vulnerable women spanning a period of approximately six and a half years."
He went on to say that each woman was vulnerable, adding: "In my judgement, a common theme emerges throughout the exploitation of four vulnerable women. You were a serving police constable, a patrolling officer."
The judge added he would visit when on and off duty as he told Hoyle: "You have caused each of your victims untold emotional harm."
Hoyle was sentenced to four years behind bars, of which he will serve one half in custody and one half on licence. The judge added this was the "shortest possible sentence" he could give.
Lesley Clarke
A seasoned conwoman "brazenly and blatantly" fleeced the taxpayer out of thousands of pounds as she lied about having terminal cancer.
Lesley Clarke, of Blinkhorn Grove, St Helens, was awarded £22,962 in benefits over a period of three years, from March 2016 until April 2019, after falsely claiming to have terminal ovarian cancer. The 62-year-old mum submitted forged documents and letters from Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in support of her lies, and continued to feign illness until a hospital investigation exposed her.
On Friday, she pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud and forgery. She was jailed for 10 months.
Stephen Blackmore
A man who went on a drunken tirade in the middle of the street smashed his pint glass on a man's head when he told him to keep it down.
Stephen Blackmore, 53, glassed victim Harry Crawford, severing the artery in his left temple and cutting his ear and hand, on May 29 2023. Mr Crawford had been visiting his brother's house on Hunts Cross Avenue, Woolton, with his family when they heard Blackmore shouting in the street, and went outside to confront him. Blackmore told him to shut the window and Mr Crawford went back inside, but returned a short time later as Blackmore continued his rage-filled tirade.
Judge Ian Harris sentenced Blackmore, of Hunts Cross Avenue, Woolton, to six years and nine months in prison.
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