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All the East Lancs criminals put behind bars last month
Danger drivers, burglars, killers, and drug dealers were just some of the offenders appearing before the courts to be sentenced for their crimes.
Below, we’ve brought you our monthly round up of all the criminals banged-up during the month of May.
Dangerous driver jailed for sticking two fingers up at judge
A man who stuck two fingers up at a judge while being sentenced for aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving without insurance has been jailed.
Harry Macintosh, 26, was convicted of the offences on April 26.
But during the start of his sentencing hearing at Burnley Crown Court on Wednesday, May 24, while his barrister Holly Nelson was addressing Judge Sara Dodd, Macintosh raised his fingers to the judge in a rude gesture.
When Judge Dodd told Macintosh she had seen what he did, he replied, “good”.
Full story here: Dangerous driver jailed for sticking two fingers up at judge
Dealers who boasted on Snapchat jailed for almost 10 years
Two men who boasted on Snapchat about selling heroin and cocaine while revelling in their involvement in the production and sale of cannabis have been jailed for almost 10 years.
Danyal Chapman, 24, was found guilty after a trial in February of possession with intent to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis, and also possession of cannabis and abstracting electricity for the production of cannabis.
Mohammed Khan, 28, was found guilty after trial of possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin after being acquitted of the cannabis charges.
Full story here: Dealers who boasted on Snapchat jailed for almost 10 years
Blackburn men jailed for stealing £60k gold diamond ring
Video footage shows the moment two Blackburn thieves stole an 18 carat gold diamond ring from a business in Eastbourne.
CCTV footage shows Shabir Patel and Khaqan Raja entering a premises in Finmere Road at about 1.50pm on February 9.
They asked to see three high-value items, then grabbed the ring worth an estimated £60,000 and ran.
The two men were in the premises for less than 10 minutes before stealing the ring.
Full story here: Blackburn men jailed for stealing £60k gold diamond ring
Aya Hachem: Otway jailed for life for killing Blackburn law student
A man who was involved in organising and arranging a shooting which killed an innocent law student has been jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years.
Louis Junior Otway, was found guilty at trial of murdering Aya Hachem from Blackburn on May 17 2020.
The 42-year-old was also found guilty of attempting to murder Pachah Khan
Otway stood trial at Preston Crown Court in March alongside co-defendant Suhayl Suleman.
He is the final defendant to be jailed for his part in Aya’s killing, which happened as she walked by RI Tyres and QuickShine Tyres in Blackburn after going shopping for groceries for her family during the holy month of Ramadan.
Full story here: Aya Hachem: Otway jailed for life for killing Blackburn law student
Haslingden man attacked woman with spanner
A man attacked two women in their 50s with a metal spanner, thinking one of them was dealing heroin to his brother.
Christopher Lewis, 38, shouted “you are dying tonight” at one of the women, when he barged into a house on Pine Street in Burnley on June 3 2022.
Preston Crown Court heard how another man, Daniel Fisher, who is the son of one of the victims, had accompanied Lewis and gained access to the property by banging on the door and his mum to let him in.
Full story here: Haslingden man attacked woman with spanner
Man jailed for 45 months following Burnley drugs arrest
A man has been jailed for more than three years after being caught twice with class A drugs.
Alan Ruddock, 20, was first apprehended by police in Leeds in June 2021 after being involved in a large public order incident.
Preston Crown Court heard how Ruddock was arrested and upon being searched was found to have multiple wraps of class A drugs in his socks.
Full story here: Man jailed for 45 months following Burnley drugs arrest
Blackburn man attacked police officer and spat at paramedic
A paranoid schizophrenic breached a suspended sentence order by headbutting a police officer, climbing on the roof of a building, spitting at a paramedic, and assaulting two custody officers.
Kamil Stolarski was handed the suspended sentence in April 2021, for offences of dangerous driving and handling stolen goods.
However, Preston Crown Court heard how a year later, in April 2022, the 24-year-old was seen by police being ejected from a nightclub in Burnley.
Full story here: Blackburn man attacked police officer and spat at paramedic
Blackburn man jailed for causing man’s death in Darwen
A “showboating” driver who was behind the wheel of his friend’s modified car when he collided with another man has been jailed.
Kristian Rawcliffe, 26, was driving his friend’s Renault Clio when he hit his victim Sion Chaisty in Pole Lane, Darwen, at around 6pm on June 26, 2021.
Mr Chaisty’s family described him as a kind, considerate, and thoughtful brother, son and best friend, who “will never get to see the world”.
Full story here: Blackburn man jailed for causing man’s death in Darwen
Nelson drug dealer who was ‘lured back’ into dealing jailed
A drug dealer who was “lured back” into the world of crime has been jailed.
Aquib Ansar, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession with intent to supply cannabis, and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Burnley Crown Court heard how on April 17, 2021, Ansar was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by police.
Officers used batons to smash the windows of the car then arrested, detained and searched three men inside.
Full story here: Nelson drug dealer who was ‘lured back’ into dealing jailed
Attacker jailed after leaving Rawtenstall victim with scarred face
A man who left his victim with a scarred face after attacking him with a glass has been jailed for two and a half years.
Ellis Collins, from Brighouse in West Yorkshire, pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent during a trial at Burnley Crown Court earlier this year.
Preston Crown Court heard how Collins, 20, launched an attack on Liam Yih in a bar in Rawtenstall after a confrontation between the pair three years ago.
CCTV footage played in the court showed a large group of people dancing and then Collins being struck in the face by Mr Yih.
Full story here: Attacker jailed after leaving Rawtenstall victim with scarred face
‘Health centre’ in Accrington set up as front for brothel
A gang set up a ‘health centre’ in East Lancashire, which was in fact a brothel.
Shi Guang Zhong, Hongli Yi, Chen Cheng, Wanchun Zhang, Xinghai Zhou, Li Leong all appeared in Preston Crown Court on Friday, May 19, after helping in the setting up and running of brothels up and down the country, including one in Blackburn and one which they fronted as a ‘health centre’ in Accrington.
Prosecuting, Francis McEntee said that the group set up a ‘network of brothels’ across the country in Blackburn, Accrington, Bolton, London, Manchester, Coventry, Peterborough and many more towns and cities.
Full story here: ‘Health centre’ in Accrington set up as front for brothel
Bacup man jailed after threatening partner with ‘gun’
A man who thought his girlfriend was cheating on him and threatened her with a ‘gun’ before ramming her car has been jailed.
Connor Gilbertson, 28, thought his then-partner was cheating on him and sent her threats, saying he would shoot her or burn her parents’ house down.
Gilbertson, of Dale Street, Bacup, appeared in Preston Crown Court on Monday, May 22, having pleaded guilty to careless driving, destroying property, possession of an offensive weapon with intent of causing fear or violence, and sending malicious communications.
Full story here: Bacup man jailed after threatening partner with ‘gun’
Man hit ex-partner with hairdryer before strangling her
A man who hit his ex-partner with a hairdryer before strangling her has been jailed.
Jack Taylor, 31, grabbed his then-partner and threw her around the room before strangling her on the bed.
On Thursday, May 11, Burnley Crown Court heard how on March 19 Taylor had been back living with his partner when the attack happened.
The woman had asked him to leave and he started to attack her, hitting her with a hairdryer.
He threw her around before pinning her down and strangling her, with the woman ‘believing she was going to die’.
Full story here: Man hit ex-partner with hairdryer before strangling her
Brother who sexually assaulted younger sister is jailed
A brother sexually assaulted his younger sister when she was just five years old and told her ‘not to tell anyone’.
On Friday (May 26), Preston Crown Court heard how the now 36-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons committed the offences when he was aged 12 to 16 – his younger sister was aged between five and nine.
Prosecuting, Robert Smith said that the man, who grew up in Blackburn, would take his sister to his bedroom where he would sexually assault her – he did not rape her on any occasion.
Full story here: Brother who sexually assaulted younger sister is jailed
Blackburn women sentenced for perverting course of justice
Two women who knowingly provided false names in their response to speeding tickets have received sentences totalling more than two years.
Hajrah Jahan, 27, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and one count of perverting the course of justice, while Aneesa Ramzan, 30, was charged with one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Jahan pled guilty to the three offences if February this year. Ramzan was convicted of her count after a trial.
Full story here: Blackburn women sentenced for perverting course of justice
Man in ‘toxic’ marriage threatened to kill wife
A man who made threats to kill his wife at the tail-end of their “toxic” relationship was sentenced to eight weeks in prison but will not return there after serving four months on remand.
Jon Abbott, was charged with six counts which included an allegation of strangulation and threat with an offensive weapon. He also pleaded guilty to Section 4 harassment.
Abbott and his wife had been married for six years but by this point the marriage was failing.
Full story here: Man in ‘toxic’ marriage threatened to kill wife
Man breached restraining order and sent abusive Snapchat messages
A man breached a restraining order when he sent abusive Snapchat messages to his ex-partner threatening to slit the throats of their children, a court has heard.
Thomas McKee also called one of his kids a “ginger ugly little b*****d” during the tirade of harassing behaviour in February this year.
Preston Crown Court heard that in 2020, McKee, 30, had been handed a five-year restraining order which prohibited him from contacting his ex-partner.
Full story here: Man breached restraining order and sent abusive Snapchat messages
Burnley man jailed for string of burglaries across town
A man who went on a burgling spree last year has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Adam Ashworth, 33, pled guilty to all but one of the counts against him, which were related to burglaries committed in November.
Burnley Crown Court heard how on Monday, November 7, Ashworth gained entry to a house on Florence Avenue in Burnley.
The owner came downstairs at around 6.45am and gradually discovered she was the victim of a burglary when she saw her handbag on the kitchen floor, her purse open on the side and saw a PlayStation had been taken from the living room.
Full story here: Burnley man jailed for string of burglaries across town
Pregnant woman attacked at hotel by ‘violent individual’
A “violent individual” subjected a pregnant woman to a prolonged assault, leaving her with a bleed on the brain.
On February 20, Curtis Bamsey attacked the woman at a Ribble Valley hotel, and as a member of the public drove the victim away from the scene, Bamsey shouted that he would kill her.
When police spoke to the victim, she said Bamsey, 29, had subjected her to a number of previous assaults.
Bamsey was arrested and, following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Full story here: Pregnant woman attacked at hotel by ‘violent individual’
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