From burglars to paedophiles, violent offenders to drug dealers, Lancashire saw its fair share of law-breakers jailed in September.
As industrial action by the Criminal Bar Association continues to affect court proceedings throughout the country, and particularly in East Lancashire, last month's list of jailed offenders is somewhat shorter than it normally would be.
That said, the county's judges have still been able to deliver justice in some cases, and here, we bring you a round up of the 14 men banged up in September for committing crimes across Lancashire.
Prolific burglar jailed for a string of offences in Accrington
A prolific criminal who has been before the courts more than 50 times was handed a prison sentence by a judge - who stated the defendant continues to repeat the same crimes.
Kristopher John Murphy, 34, appeared before Preston Crown Court at the beginning of September charged with five offences, two of burglary with the intent to steal, theft from a shop and two counts of breaching his criminal behaviour order.
Over the course of 2021, Murphy breached his criminal behaviour order, which was handed to him back in October, and banned him from entering an area of Accrington after repeatedly targeting stores in the town centre.
Full story here: Prolific burglar jailed for a string of offences in Accrington
Burnley paedophile who talked to '13-year-old girls' online jailed
A paedophile who spoke to who he thought were ‘young and impressionable’ 13-year-old girls and sent one of them a horrific video has been jailed.
Lee Terrell, 36, who had also assaulted his partner, appeared before Preston Crown Court at the beginning of September for two different offences.
Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said Terrell had set up an account on Kik, a messaging service, calling himself ‘cheating husband’ and ‘boy with a big toy’.
On March 26, Terrell started talking with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl called ‘Izzy’, who was in fact an undercover police officer.
Full story here: Burnley paedophile who talked to '13-year-old girls' online jailed
Burnley man gets life sentence after stabbing man in neck
A Burnley man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he stabbed a man in the neck late last year.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court, Lee Hart, 39, was to be sentenced having pleaded guilty to section 18 wounding with intent after being charged with attempted murder
On December 16, 2021, Hart went to the property where he was residing in Smith Street in the early hours of the morning.
When he arrived his flatmate and the victim of the stabbing were talking in the flat.
Full story here: Burnley man gets life sentence after stabbing man in neck
Irtiza Bashir jailed for running multimillion pound drugs ring
AN East Lancs businessman man who built a successful trading empire and who was described as a “kind God fearing man” played a “leading role in an organised crime group” selling large quantities of drugs.
Irtiza Bashir, who owned two luxury homes and drove a Bentley was involved in supplying 537 kilogrammes of drugs with a street value of £40m was jailed for more than 20 years.
The boss of Haslingden-based Globe Recycling Services was involved in a conspiracy to smuggle huge quantities of cocaine from the Netherlands, packed in frozen chickens, to a cold storage unit in the Blackburn and Accrington area.
Full story here: Irtiza Bashir jailed for running multimillion pound drugs ring
Brother used vans to move drugs and cash during lockdown
A brother who used the Covid pandemic as a smokescreen for transporting drugs and cash in rental vans has been jailed for almost 20 years.
Lloyd Ellison claimed the vans were being used to take vital goods around the country when travel was banned as part of lockdown rules.
But they were in fact carrying huge amounts of money and cocaine.
Lloyd Ellison, 32, of Grape Lane, Croston, was jailed for 15 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and three years, to run consecutively, for money laundering.
Full story here: Brother used vans to move drugs and cash during lockdown
Father and friend jailed for £51,000 cannabis farm in Burnley
A father who was renting one of his houses out to a friend and helping him to grow more than £50,000 worth of cannabis has been told to ‘grow up’.
Bradley Herring, 37, who goes by the name Pablo, was letting out his home in Albion Street, Burnley to his friend, Taylor Bell, who was jailed earlier this month for three years for his involvement.
Beth Pilling, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court police searched the Burnley home on August 3, and found two bedrooms and the cellar set up as ‘sophisticated’ cannabis grows, with 128 plants.
Full story here: Father and friend jailed for £51,000 cannabis farm in Burnley
Knifeman 'terrified' a Blackburn busker and a Mall shopper
A woman who was busking outside The Mall was left terrified after a knife wielding man came up to her asking for a date and to sing.
Mohbeen Shah, 23, has been jailed for 14 months after he terrified Sophie Stott while she was busking in Blackburn town centre.
Betsy Hindle, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court said Shah went into town on June 20 with two kitchen knives.
Ms Stott was out busking in King William Street at the time when suddenly Shah came up to her leaving her "terrified".
Full story here: Knifeman 'terrified' a Blackburn busker and a Mall shopper
Prolific offender Ian Carr battered pal with hammer and duct-taped him to chair
A man who robbed his friend after smashing him over the head with a hammer and taping him to a chair has been jailed.
At Preston Crown Court, Ian Carr was sentenced for robbery, false imprisonment and fraud after being found guilty of the offences following a trial in June.
The court heard how in November 2021, Carr, who had been staying with Father Ged Barry at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church in Pilmuir Road, Blackburn, hit his friend, William Burke, over the head with a hammer, used duct tape to strap him to a chair, and repeatedly punched him until he told him his pin number, and then proceeded to steal £250 from his bank account.
Full story here: Prolific offender Ian Carr battered pal with hammer and duct-taped him to chair
Blackburn pair jailed over £40,000 World War Two memorabilia burglary
Two men who meticulously planned the burglary of a house by scoping the property out, stealing more than £40,000 worth of World War Two memorabilia as well as sentimental items of jewellery, have been jailed.
Ian Carr, 47 and Brett Makinson, 56, conspired to burgle the cottage, in Sandy Lane, Brindle, in August 2020.
Preston Crown Court heard how two weeks before the burglary, Carr, previously of Pilmuir Road, Blackburn, was spotted loitering in the garden of the property, peering through the windows.
Full story here: Blackburn pair jailed over £40,000 World War Two memorabilia burglary
School girl set up secret camera to catch vile abuser
A pervert who sexually assaulted a child has been jailed for 30 months.
Michael Halliday, 67, groped and kissed his victim on numerous occasions, with the abuse starting when she under the age of 12
Despite living in fear of Halliday the victim bravely set up a secret camera to catch him in the act of abusing her.
The victim then informed her school about Halliday, who reported the matter to the police.
The Preston Child Exploitation Team then launched an investigation into Halliday and he was subsequently convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16.
Full story here: School girl set up secret camera to catch vile abuser
Dangerous paedophile raped 9-year-old girl
A dangerous paedophile who raped a nine-year-old girl and put his hands down the trousers of a seven-year-old girl has been jailed for 16 years.
Damon Townsend, 36, was found guilty by a jury of raping the victim more than once and touching the younger girl on her bottom, under her clothes on a number of occasions, despite their pleas for him to stop.
Amanda Johnson, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said the older victim, aged just nine, had not told anybody about her ordeal for some years, but when using a computer at school, she broke down.
Full story here: Dangerous paedophile raped 9-year-old girl
Young man 'used as a pawn' in Bolton, Bury and Darwen burglaries
A young man with severe learning difficulties was ‘used as a pawn’ by more sophisticated criminals in a three-week car burglary spree.
Evan Smethurst, 21 of Hawthorne Street, committed the spate of burglaries across Bolton, Bury and Darwen between October and November of last year, targeting homes at night and stealing their car keys while families including young children slept upstairs.
He was finally arrested after a highspeed police chase through Bolton in the early hours of the morning, on November 4.
Full story here: Young man 'used as a pawn' in Bolton, Bury and Darwen burglaries
Blackpool man convicted of historic sexual abuse jailed for eight years
A man who is still adamant of his innocence despite being found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing a young girl more than 10 years ago has finally been jailed.
Stuart Pyle was found guilty of inciting or causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and six counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial in March.
But during a sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court at the beginning of September, Judge Graham Knowles told the court Pyle still says his victim “is a liar” and brandished him a “dangerous offender who was a risk to other children”.
Full story here: Blackpool man convicted of historic sexual abuse jailed for eight years
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