It's been an eventful year in the county's courts, and we have covered hundreds of cases and seen numerous criminals brought to justice - from killers to drugs gangs, dangerous drivers to rapists.
No day is the same, whether it be at Preston Crown Court or Burnley Crown Court, or even one of the magistrates' courts; and when you step through those doors and into the court room you realise that no case is the same either.
While many of the tales we relay to our readers will sound familiar -'drugs gang jailed for X amount of years', or 'man jailed for town centre burglaries' - some of the stories we hear piqued your interest more than others.
So here, we've provided a comprehensive round-up of the biggest court stories of 2022.
Yesterday, we took you back to the courts between January and June.
Today we've collated the biggest court stories from July to December, which include the Katie Kenyon murder trial and two women convicted over historic child neglect and abuse charges.
July
Pair embroiled in multi-million pound drug gang headed up by two Darwen men jailed
Two men who became embroiled in a major cannabis conspiracy headed up by two Darwen drug dealers have been jailed.
Nicholas Wilson, 40, of Wood Street, St Annes, and Phillip Peters, 41, of Edward Tyler Road, London, were sentenced yesterday for their part in the operation, which aimed to flood East Lancashire’s streets with millions of pounds worth of class A and B drugs.
Wilson had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis at a hearing in August last year, while Peters pleaded guilty to the same charge on day two of his trial earlier this year
Full story here: Pair embroiled in multi-million pound drug gang headed up by two Darwen men jailed
Barnoldswick care worker inappropriately touched and sent naked photos to girl
A care home worker, whose job it was to look after vulnerable children, has been jailed after she pleaded guilty to sending graphic sexual images to and inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl under her care.
Kelly Stowell, of St Mary’s Avenue, Barnoldswick, Pendle, pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity with a person in a position of trust, and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court.
The offences date back to a period in 2018, when Stowell, now 41, was working at a children’s care home in Lancashire, where she abused the trust of a vulnerable teenage girl under her care, calling her ‘special’ and telling her she ‘needed her in her life’.
Full story here: Barnoldswick care worker inappropriately touched and sent naked photos to girl
August
Clitheroe hospital worker stabbed friend of 20 years
A frenzied hospital worker who had been drinking cans of lager and taking drugs stabbed her sleeping friend five times with a kitchen knife.
"Emotionless" Michelle Woodward stood over friend of 20 years Paula Townsend and plunged a knife into her chest and abdomen five times after having taken cocaine, zopiclone and drinking several cans of beer.
The 46-year-old, who had worked with Ms Townsend at Calderstones in Whalley for several years, had never been in trouble with the police before the violent attack on February 5.
Re-read in full here: Clitheroe hospital worker stabbed friend of 20 years
Accrington rapist used 'the peaceful religion of Islam as excuse' for crimes
A 'dangerous offender' who inflicted a 'campaign of rape' on his terrified victim, reducing her to a shadow of her former self, has been jailed.
Faran Abbas subjected his victim to multiple rapes over a period of nine months, and controlled parts of her life and her behaviour.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had her "innocence taken away and her body mauled" while she felt her "spirit had been crushed" and considered herself "ugly, un-loveable" and had "lost trust in others".
Full story here: Accrington rapist used 'the peaceful religion of Islam as excuse' for crimes
Blackburn dad-to-be jailed after providing false details to dodge 103mph speeding fine
A father-to-be who paid someone £150 to take the rap for him after he was caught speeding on the M65 has been jailed.
Abdul Habib, of Grindleton Road in Blackburn, was clocked travelling along the M65 at 103mph – 33mph over the legal limit - in November 2020.
At Preston Crown Court, Beth Pilling, prosecuting, said Habib, who had just turned 21 at the time, had been told about a man in Oldham who was, for a cash fee, offering to provide a false address to help people avoid penalty points and fines.
Accrington man taped-up victim before carrying out 'ruthless and horrific' rape
A "dangerous" man who "ruthlessly and horrifically" raped a woman after hitting her over the head with an axe and taping both her arms and legs together so she could not move, has been jailed.
Mark Yeates, 51, of Nuttall Street, Accrington, was jailed for 12 years at Preston Crown Court, with eight years on extended licence.
Prosecuting, Julian Goode told the court that on February 28, Yeates, who, according to his distraught victim, was "off his head" and "stank of stale beer", had entered the woman’s home and cornered her in the living room.
Full story here: Accrington man taped-up victim before carrying out 'ruthless and horrific' rape
Blackburn paedophile found with more than 1,500 images of children jailed
A paedophile who stored thousands of extreme and indecent images of children online, and bragged about how he liked incest, has been jailed.
Bilaal Saghir, of Providence Street, Blackburn, set up online accounts seven years ago, saving more than 1,500 images of child pornography.
Amanda Johnson, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said in June 2020, police from the child abuse team were tipped-off to an account which had sent out images of child sexual abuse, and linked it to Saghir’s old address on Whalley Old Road.
Re-read in full here: Blackburn paedophile found with more than 1,500 images of children jailed
September
Blackburn sisters tied up girl, 9 and boy, 8, and burned their feet with heated metal spoon
Two women who beat a brother and sister with brushes and burned the soles of their feet with a heated metal spoon some 37-years-ago have finally been brought to justice.
Preston Crown Court heard how the "cruel and unusual" punishments were carried out by sisters Hamida Baghdadi and Hasina Kapadia at a house in Bicknell Street, Blackburn, in October 1985.
The victims, a girl and boy who were aged nine and eight-years-old at the time, respectively, were the step-children of Baghdadi.
Burnley dad tried to stab son to death with kitchen knife
A father told police he wanted to kill his son after stabbing him in the chest with a kitchen knife, narrowly missing his heart.
Andrew Heaton, 50, walked outside as police arrived at his home in Cog Lane, Burnley, and told them: “I’ve just stabbed my son”.
Paul Cummings, prosecuting at Burnley Brown Court, said Michael Heaton visited his dad’s home on the evening of Sunday, November 28.
Police were called at about 6pm after a member of the public heard someone scream: “My dad stabbed Michael”.
Full story here: Burnley dad tried to stab son to death with kitchen knife
October
30-year-old man jailed for having sex with 15-year-old girl
A man who said he entered into a ‘consensual sexual relationship’ with a child almost half his age, telling his friends that she was about to turn 18, has been jailed.
Joshua Carter Denson, originally from Nelson, was arrested on a European warrant in Malta in May and spent time in a Greek prison before being extradited back into the country to answer for his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child and making indecent images of her and was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court.
Full story here: 30-year-old man jailed for having sex with 15-year-old girl
Drug-dealing Blackburn brothers kidnapped and tortured man
These are the faces of the violent drug-dealing Blackburn brothers who callously kidnapped, tortured and left an innocent man to die in a terrifying case of mistaken identity.
Preston Crown Court heard the sordid story of Faisal and Faizaan Fareed, siblings who considered themselves gangsters.
The pair were obsessed with weapons and drugs and between August 2020 and January 2021, dealt heroin, cocaine and cannabis from a property on Sandon Street in Blackburn.
The property belonged to a man named Robert Weir, whose life and home had been taken over by the Fareed brothers in what police refer to as an act of ‘cuckooing’.
Full story here: Drug-dealing Blackburn brothers kidnapped and tortured man
Father and son jailed for 'honour-based violence' attack
A father and son have been jailed after they brutally attacked and beat their 16-year-old daughter and sister in a case of honour-based violence.
The pair, aged 53 and 22 respectively, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, were sentenced at Preston Crown Court after they admitted to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at a property in Pendle.
The offence happened on May 14 after the 16-year-old victim, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, had returned home having gone to the shop for around 10 to 15 minutes to get some fresh air.
Re-read in full here: Father and son jailed for 'honour-based violence' attack
Wilpshire dad who thought he was speaking to 'schoolgirls' jailed
A father asked supposed schoolgirls to make "sucking and moaning sounds" while watching videos of him "playing with himself".
Neil Pickup, 40, was jailed for 12 months after he was found talking to two girls who he believed to be 12 and 13.
Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court that both ‘Emily’ and ‘Elle’ were actually decoy accounts made by so-called paedophile hunting groups.
Pickup, of Parsonage Road, Wilpshire, met ‘Emily’ on a website on January 4 with the pair quickly exchanging numbers and starting to talk on WhatsApp.
Full story here: Wilpshire dad who thought he was speaking to 'schoolgirls' jailed
November
Prolific Nelson drug dealer caught with more than £100k of cocaine
A prolific drug dealing dad-of-five who was caught with more than £100,000 worth of crack cocaine and cocaine just weeks after being released from prison has been put behind bars again.
Abid Ashraf was jailed for 40 months in 2020 after police caught him peddling heroin, cocaine and cannabis on the streets of Nelson.
He was released in 2021, but, Ashraf, of Barkerhouse Road in Nelson, was jailed again after officers raided his house last December and found £85,500 worth of cocaine and £15,000 worth of crack cocaine, along with cutting agents and other drug paraphernalia.
Re-read in full here: Prolific Nelson drug dealer caught with more than £100k of cocaine
Katie Kenyon murder: Andrew Burfield jailed for life, minimum 32 years
‘Vindictive monster’ and murderer, Andrew Burfield, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 32 years for killing mother of two Katie Kenyon.
Appearing at Preston Crown Court on Thursday November 17, the 51-year-old, of Todmorden Road in Burnley, was sentenced for the planned and pre-meditated murder of his ex-girlfriend, Katie Kenyon.
He pleaded guilty to murdering Katie on the morning of the third day of his trial on Wednesday, November 16.
Katie, 33, went missing from her home in Padiham on the morning of April 22.
Full story here: Katie Kenyon murder: Andrew Burfield jailed for life, minimum 32 years
December
Blackburn street dealers jailed over cocaine supply
Two young drug dealers who were caught with thousands of pounds worth of cocaine have been jailed.
Jack Donnelly, 22, tried to dispose of several grams of the drug by throwing the white powder out of a bedroom window, while Damion Hart, 24, was found to have messages on his phone evident of “significant” drug supply.
The pair appeared at Preston Crown Court charged with being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
Full story here: Blackburn street dealers jailed over cocaine supply
Blackburn paedophile had police document containing child sex websites
A paedophile who thought he was talking to a 12-year-old girl sent her explicit videos of himself masturbating and asked her to "play with him" in a hotel room.
Predatory Harold Blackburn, 63, was in fact speaking to an undercover police officer when he sent graphic images and sexually explicit messages to the ‘girl’ in behaviour Judge Graham Knowles described as “manipulative and motivated by a deviant sexual interest in children”.
Preston Crown Court was told how Blackburn, of Lawrence Street, Blackburn, had added the decoy, called 'Gemma', as a friend on Snapchat, with her user profile stating, “I’m 12, female, UK.”
Re-read in full here: Blackburn paedophile had police document containing child sex websites
Man jailed after abandoning his injured cousin after a crash
A man who left a family member unable to walk when he crashed his car after hitting speeds of 78mph has been jailed for more than five years.
Akhlaq Ahmed, 21, was driving on June 5, 2021, showing off to his drunk friends when he crashed into a parked vehicle.
Preston Crown Court heard how Ahmed was driving around with a number of friends including Atif Zarif, who is a distant relative.
Ahmed started to show off to his friends, driving dangerously and at high speeds, with Mr Zarif telling him on a number of occasions to slow down.
Full story here: Man jailed after abandoning his injured cousin after a crash
Five people guilty of illegally demolishing Punch Bowl Inn
Five people illegally demolished the Grade-II listed pub the Punch Bowl Inn, a judge has decided.
A trial at Burnley Magistrates Court found that Andrew Donelan, 60, Nicola Donelan, 58, and Rebecca Donelan, 28, all of Carr Hall, Whalley New Road, Wilpshire, David Cotterell, 57, of Percliff Way, Philips Road, Blackburn, and Brian Ingleby, 69, unlawfully demolished the pub in Longridge Road, Hurst Green.
Ribble Valley Borough Council, which brought the case to court, said the pub, which was Grade II listed, was razed to the ground unlawfully on June 15, 2021.
Re-read here: Five people guilty of illegally demolishing Punch Bowl Inn
Cowboy roofer avoids jail over "appalling" and "amateurish" work
A roofer who ripped off five elderly customers to the tune of more than £30,000 has avoided jail.
Tyrone Young received a suspended sentence at Burnley Crown Court and was told he will need to pay back £11,500 in compensation to his customers, as well as £500 in court costs after he carried out “appalling” and “amateurish” roofing work on homes in Bacup and Blackburn.
Young, 30, of Ewood Caravan Park, Aqueduct Road, Blackburn, operated alongside Abraham Young and James Young under the business name Regal Roofing, and completed shoddy work on the homes of four retirees and one working man in his 70s, which was all required to be redone by alternative contractors.
Re-read in full here: Cowboy roofer avoids jail over "appalling" and "amateurish" work
Burnley bank clerk stole almost £20k from vulnerable customers
A bank clerk who stole almost £20,000 from three vulnerable customers and used some of the money to buy a treadmill for herself has been jailed.
Hannah Bibi was working at the Halifax branch in Curzon Street, Burnley, when she transferred money into her own account and withdrew thousands in cash between February 2020 and April 2021.
Burnley Crown Court heard how the now 25-year-old was rumbled when Pamela McIntosh, who was employed as an investigator for the Lloyd Banking Group, began looking into issues at the Burnley branch in relation to suspicious transactions that had been made on customer accounts.
Re-read in full here: Burnley bank clerk stole almost £20k from vulnerable customers
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