A prison officer drug smuggler who used his ill-gotten gains for a hair transplant, a Skorpion machine pistol minder, and a thug who threatened to "murder" his partner and "drink her blood" were among the Merseyside criminals jailed over the last week.
Also jailed was a leading member of a prostitution gang who exploited women across Merseyside and beyond. Liverpool Crown Court also heard how a thug battered a dad with a metal wrench in front of his children following a trivial argument at a Bonfire Night fireworks display.
You can keep up to date with cases from both Liverpool's crown and magistrates courts here. Here are the faces of seven criminals from our region who were imprisoned in the past seven days:
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Peter Hughes
Peter Hughes, 32, of Linwood Road, Tranmere, smuggled drugs into a prison spent his ill-gotten gains on a hair transplant, breast surgery and a £10,000 wedding. Staff at HMP Liverpool noticed an increase in drugs inside the jail and carried out cell searches at one of the wings. It was then they uncovered numerous prohibited items, including mobile phones, SIM cards, spice drug, steroids and tobacco.
Following this, CCTV was checked and Hughes was seen entering HMP Liverpool carrying the bag prior to his shift starting in the early hours of April 25, 2020. He was seen entering a prisoner's cell and then leaving 20 seconds later with an empty bag. During a search of his house, officers recovered a large number of steroids, needles, syringes, wipes and a quantity of cash. On Friday, May 12, the former prison officer was jailed for four years at Liverpool Crown Court following a joint investigation between the NWROCUs anti-corruption Unit, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s Counter Corruption Unit, and HMP Liverpool.
Hughes pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, possession of class C drugs with intent to supply, and conveying class C drugs into HMP Liverpool while he worked as a prison officer at HMP Liverpool between October 9, 2017 and April 28, 2020. The 32-year-old spent the money he made from smuggling drugs on multiple holidays, a £10,000 wedding, a hair transplant and breast surgery.
John Leach
Thug John Leach, 34, battered a dad with a metal wrench in front of his children following an argument at a Bonfire Night fireworks show. Leach struck Gary Rigby twice over the head at around 8.30pm on November 5 2022 after approaching him on Pasture Road, near Moreton train station.
The attack, which happened in front of Mr Rigby's girlfriend and two young children, left the dad "unconscious and bleeding" on the ground, and he was taken to hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries, including a skull fracture and a bleed on the brain. He suffered a deep 10cm gash to his head, which required stapling, and an abrasion to his left knee.
Leach, of Colworth Road, Speke, left the scene in his girlfriend's car, and was tracked down by police after witnesses reported her number plate. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, pleading guilty to Section 18 wounding – grievous bodily harm with intent.
Judge David Swinnerton said: "I accept it was spur of the moment. But you proceeded to hit him twice over the head, leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the floor, leaving him with a 10cm laceration to his scalp, but most seriously fracturing his skull and causing a brain haemorrhage. You are lucky, and he is lucky, you did not kill him. That would have had devastating effects for his family, and for you – you took that risk."
The court heard Leach has 21 previous convictions for violent crimes, including common assault, actual bodily harm, robbery, affray, threatening behaviour, and attacks on police and emergency service workers. David Polglase, defending, said the 34-year-old, who wept throughout the hearing, had shown "genuine remorse and a degree of genuine insight into his behaviour".
But Judge Swinnerton said: "Plainly looking at your record, the number and variety of violence offences… I come to a conclusion that there is a risk of you committing further offences. You accept you have a short temper. You have a short fuse, so you are likely to overreact with violence in circumstances such as this."
He sentenced Leach to six years and three months in prison, with an extended licence period of four years, taking his total sentence to 10 years and three months.
Jake Watson
Jake Watson, 26, was caught red-handed hurling packages of ketamine and cannabis into HMP Altcourse on April 16 2023. Watson had already used a medieval-style device to catapult packages into HMP Risley and quickly returned to a life of crime after falling into financial trouble.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, May 16, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs. Prosecutor Joanne More told the court police had been called to the area by residents who reported a male was attempting to throw items over the wall of the prison. They found two packages containing 10.32g of cannabis, with a value of £131 to £197, and 32.4g of ketamine, with a value of £648 to just over £2,000.
Miss More said: "The defendant has accepted that he was doing this to make money. He was short of cash and this is why he was doing it."
Kate Morley, defending, said: "He was unable to secure stable employment because of his previous conviction; he was continually let down, and being in a financial crisis made the extremely unwise decision to supply drugs. He has been brutally honest, saying he did this in order to make money. The risk to reward was against him and his actions were highly conspicuous to members of the public, who informed the police."
Sentencing Watson to nine months in prison, Judge Stuart Driver said: "In my opinion, appropriate punishment can only be achieved through immediate custody, and there is neither strong mitigation nor a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."
Paul Cox
Paul Cox was caught minding a Skorpion sub-machine gun and more than 140 rounds of ammunition. Liverpool Crown Court heard how officers discovered the lethal weapon in the airing cupboard of Paul Cox's home. A large number of rounds of ammunition were found alongside the weapon.
A live hand grenade was also recovered when police raided the 59-year-old's house in Netherby Street, Dingle, but he was cleared by a jury of possessing an unlawful explosive substance for an unlawful purpose after a trial. The jury were not satisfied he knew the grenade was in his home. He pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon, the Skorpion gun, and the ammunition.
Martin Reid, prosecuting, said police went to the defendant’s home on September 19 last year and in the airing cupboard found a Tupperware container inside a pillow case. Inside it was the sub-machine gun, capable of being fired in semi-automatic and automatic mode, and a number of loaded magazines. The package also contained rounds of ammunition, most of which were viable and suitable for use in the weapon. A total of more than 100 rounds were found.
The court heard Cox has nine convictions for 14 offences including dishonesty and cultivating cannabis but has never been jailed. Brendan Carville, defending, said Cox was “a loner with a serious drink problem who suffers from epilepsy. He was the sort of man who could fall prey to those more sophisticated in crime.”
Mr Carville said he has had a “torrid time” while on remand in custody. For the first four days he was not medicated for his epilepsy and alcohol problems and fell from an upper bunk breaking his neck and wrist. Sentencing Cox to five years in prison on Monday, May 14, Judge Brian Cummings, KC said a total of 149 rounds of ammunition were found at his home, including 61 loose rounds found on a shelf.
Judge Cummings said: “You were reckless whether it would be used for criminal purposes. And what else should it have been used for?
Ryan Kearns
Ryan Kearns, 29, of Marlborough Road in Oxton, told officers he had swallowed wraps of drugs before vomiting as police raided his home. A plain clothes officer saw Kearns on Woodchurch Road with a gang of men in what he described as a drug deal on November 30, 2022 at around 12.35pm.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday, May 18, that Kearns noticed the officer and started to walk away from them. KC Suzanne Payne told the court officers saw Kearns again on Borough Road, at the junction of Balls Road East, where they stopped and detained him on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs. Officers found a graft phone which contained messages consistent with drug supply and £845 in cash.
The court heard officers told Kearns they would search his home and he told them he had drugs in his bum. He told officers "I'm getting pressured into it" when he was detained. Police found a total of 291 deals of crack cocaine with a street value of up to £3,110 and heroin worth up to £610. The prosecution told the court Kearns located where the drugs were in his home. He also told officers he had "consumed a quantity of drugs" before he then started vomiting in front of officers.
Kearns, who appeared at his sentencing via video link from HMP Altcourse, has 21 previous convictions for 46 offences, five of which are in relation to drug offences. Sentencing, Judge David Potter told Kearns he had been charged with a "very serious offence" which "could only have a custodial sentence" before jailing him for three years and four months. He also confirmed he would return to court on August 18 for a proceeds of crime act case.
Matthew Winstanley
Matthew Winstanley threatened to "murder" his partner and "drink her blood". Winstanley, 31, of Alderwood Avenue in Speke, was subject to a year-long restraining order when he was locked up for kicking and stamping on the face of mum-of-one Brittany Gannon.
Prosecutor Brian Treadwell told Mold Crown Court Ms Gannon had wanted to "continue their relationship" when he came out of prison but the judge overruled this for her own safety and wellbeing. Despite the order remaining in place, Winstanley breached it by sending letters to Ms Gannon while he was behind bars.
The court heard that, once the relationship began again in January 2023, he would binge on alcohol and drugs and become violent again. The court heard how he would let himself into Miss Gannon's Greenfield home in the early hours of the morning with a key he refused to hand back to her.
He also threatened to "murder" the mum and "drink her blood", Mr Treadwell said. Winstanley also left "vulgar" and abusive voice messages on Miss Gannon's phone, threatening to "bury an axe in her" and saying he'd "leather" Ms Gannon and her mum
.Judge Nicola Saffman acknowledged that Miss Gannon clearly had "very strong feelings" for the defendant and wanted to rekindle their relationship, but accepted something had to be done to protect her and her family from him. She imposed an extra two years and eight months on top of an already ongoing sentence and created a fresh restraining order, banning him from having contact with Miss Gannon, her daughter or mum for the next eight years.
Winstanley, who is currently serving a prison sentence for the battery of Ms Gannon, pleaded guilty to harassment and breaching a restraining order.
Shi Guang Zhong
Shi Guang Zhong, 39, of St Bees Close, St Helens, was part of a prostitution gang who controlled a number of brothels across the country. Lancashire Police's East Exploitation Team launched an investigation into nationwide sexual exploitation and human trafficking in September 2022 after concerns were raised about sexual services being advertised online.
As part of the operation, police initially raided a property in Blackburn, which led to further searches and arrests at properties in St Helens, Accrington, Hertfordshire and London. A number of women were found and have been safeguarded by police. The six members of the gang were jailed on Friday, May 19.
DS Stu Peall, of the East Exploitation Team, said: "The women at these brothels were treated as nothing more than a commodity without any regard for their wellbeing or human rights. The evidence clearly showed that these people were controlling these women for the purposes of prostitution."
He admitted conspiracy to control prostitution and was jailed for 29 months.
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