More than 30 East Lancashire criminals were put behind bars in March for offences ranging from rape to robbery.
The crown courts hear some of the most serious cases, with defendans often being handed lengthy jaily sentences for their crimes.
Here, we've rounded up all the East Lancashire offenders that were given prison sentences last month.
Man threatened to kill police officer while referencing Dale Cregan
A dangerous offender who had not long assaulted his ex-partner and another man, made threats to kill a police officer while claiming ‘cop killer’ Dale Cregan and Raoul Moat were his idols.
Jamie O’Shea, 32, had entered his ex-partner’s house in Burnley on the morning of August 27 and, after finding her in bed with another man, proceeded to attack them both while they slept, using a dumbbell to the smash the face of his male victim.
Full story here: Man threatened to kill police officer while referencing Dale Cregan
Prolific Great Harwood offender jailed over knifepoint robbery
A ‘dangerous’ offender with a horrendous criminal record has been jailed again for carrying out a knifepoint robbery.
Paul Smith, of Town Hall Street, Great Harwood, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery, assault by beating and possession of a bladed article.
Prosecuting, Mercedeh Jabbari said at around 5.05am on October 17, Smith’s victim had been leaving his house on Robert Street, Blackburn, in order to cycle to work.
Full story here: Prolific Great Harwood offender jailed over knifepoint robbery
Blackburn rapist jailed for five years
A judge commended a victim for her bravery and conduct as he sent her rapist to prison for five years.
Judge Simon Medland said “no sentence he imposed could make up for what happened” to the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when she was raped by Asad Mirza while she slept on his sofa.
Mirza, 36, of Limbrick, Blackburn, was found guilty of rape at a trial in January and was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday (March 8).
Full story here: Blackburn rapist jailed for five years
Burnley man hit partner's ex in face with knuckleduster
A man hit his partner’s ex across the face with a knuckleduster in the midst of a custody battle, a court has heard.
Lee Green, of Berridge Avenue, Burnley, struck Jeffrey Kay after coming across him while walking through the park.
Prosecuting, Andrew Evans told Preston Crown Court Green is in a relationship with Sue Wilson, the ex-partner of Mr Kay and mother of the children they share.
Mr Kay and Ms Wilson were in a custody battle for the children when Green decided to strike Mr Kay with a knuckleduster.
Full story here: Burnley man hit partner's ex in face with knuckleduster
Leaders of £1m stolen machine operation jailed for 22 years
Seven men have been sentenced for their role in a stolen machinery operation valued at more than £1 million.
The men, who all appeared at Preston Crown Court, were involved in the handling, cloning and sale of stolen machinery, with several of them also being concerned with illegal money laundering.
Full story here: Leaders of £1m stolen machine operation jailed for 22 years
Arsonist set fire to three houses and Pizza Hut in Blackburn
A dangerous arsonist who went on a ‘fire setting spree’ at Pizza Hut and three houses around Blackburn in the middle of the night has been jailed.
Callum Southworth, 22, says he ‘cannot remember’ setting any of the fires and is ‘confused about what happened that night’.
David Clarke, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said Southworth went on an arson spree on the night of April 21 into the morning of April 22.
The most serious blaze was set at Cambridge Street when a woman woke up at around 11pm to her smoke detector going off.
Full story here: Arsonist set fire to three houses and Pizza Hut in Blackburn
Drunk jailed after strangling girlfriend three times
A drunk strangled his girlfriend in his work van, then again in a caravan, before a third incident in which he kicked and punched her, and dragged her around the house.
Daniel Cardwell had only been seeing his victim a matter of months before he turned violent, assaulting her three times while under the influence of alcohol - once to the point where she floated in and out of consciousness.
Preston Crown Court heard how he was convicted of two counts of assault and one of intentional strangulation following a trial at the lower courts in which his victim voluntarily gave evidence.
Full story here: Drunk jailed after strangling girlfriend three times
Burnley men sentenced to more than seven years for violent disorder
Three men who chased and attacked a lone man into a Burnley takeaway have been handed a total of seven years and seven months in prison for violent disorder.
Mohammed Khan, 24, of James Street, Burnley, was sentenced to 35 months, Faisal Khan, 25, of March Street, Burnley, was handed a 33 month sentence, and Muhammad Hanzhalah was given 25 months in prison for their roles in the attack.
Alamzeb Anwar, 42, of Stafford Street, Burnley, was given an 18 month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity days and undergo 100 hours unpaid work for his part in the incident.
Full story here: Burnley men sentenced to more than seven years for violent disorder
Blackburn man conned woman he met on dating site out of £35k
A man who met a woman on a dating site conned her out of more than £35,000 which he used to feed his gambling habit and then threatened to "carve up" her dad and kidnap her brother.
Preston Crown Court heard how Roohan Amiji, of Buncer Lane, Blackburn, met his victim on a dating site in December 2021.
Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, told the court the pair began talking on Snapchat and it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to money, with the woman telling Amiji about a past relationship which had gone wrong, resulting in her losing £1,000.
Full story here: Blackburn man conned woman he met on dating site out of £35k
Padiham paedophile rapist jailed for eight years
A teenage paedophile has been jailed for raping and assaulting a woman and engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.
Billy Whitehouse, 18, was just 16-years-old when he carried out the sexual offence on his first victim, while she was 14, pressuring her into having sex with him when they were both drunk.
Whitehouse, of Green Street, Padiham, then met his second victim while on a night out in Burnley in June 2021, telling her he was 21, when in reality he was 17.
Full story here: Padiham paedophile rapist jailed for eight years
Blackburn man killed ex-partner's cat and dealt drugs with friend
A man has been jailed for beating a cat so hard with a mop handle that it died from its injuries.
Sajad Hussain was also put behind bars along with his co-defendant, Michael Mullin, for possession with intent to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
In respect of the drugs offences, Preston Crown Court heard how Hussain, 51, and Mullin, 37, were seen by police in a car in West Park Road, Blackburn, on January 21, 2021, carrying out what they believed to be a drugs transaction.
Full story here: Blackburn man killed ex-partner's cat and dealt drugs with friend
Burnley man threatened to 'carve up' girlfriend with 14 inch blade
A 21-year-old man twice assaulted his girlfriend and threatened to “carve her up” with a 14inch blade before punching her in the face causing her to fall down the stairs.
Mohammed Haroon, of Lindsay Street, Burnley, appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and threatening someone with an offensive weapon in a private place.
The court heard that in November last year, Haroon and his then partner were at his house when he became jealous, thinking she was texting another man.
Full story here: Burnley man threatened to 'carve up' girlfriend with 14 inch blade
Man in bra who exposed himself outside Burnley care homes jailed
A pervert who committed sex acts outside care homes in East Lancashire while wearing women’s underwear and a clown mask has been jailed.
Shocked witnesses described how Paul Whittaker entered the grounds of various care homes in the area wearing women’s underwear, including a bra, knickers, suspenders and stockings, and exposed himself to staff.
He also wore a mask and a basque and put underwear over his face in an attempt to hide his identity.
At a sentencing hearing in Burnley Crown Court, Whittaker, who appeared via video link from Preston Crown Court and was representing himself, still maintained his innocence, telling the court, “I was framed and set up for this, there’s no indication of why I was arrested”.
Full story here: Man in bra who exposed himself outside Burnley care homes jailed
Final defendant in East Lancs cannabis conspiracy jailed
The final defendant in a major drugs operation has been jailed.
In January, more than 25 men were put behind bars for a total of more than 70 years after police uncovered a multi-million-pound drugs operation in East Lancashire.
In total, 30 defendants, mostly Lithuanian nationals, faced the courts charged for their involvement in the conspiracy which saw the group set up 70 cannabis farms in houses across Nelson, Accrington and Brierfield, many in terraced homes with neighbours unaware of what was going on next door
Full story here: Final defendant in East Lancs cannabis conspiracy jailed
Accrington man sent explicit videos to young girl
A 39-year-old man had sex with a 16-year-old girl and sent her videos of himself masturbating.
Anthony Brown had begun a purely platonic relationship with the girl when she was just 15, but this slowly turned into one of a sexual nature, with the pair exchanging text messages and photos.
Preston Crown Court heard how just after her 16th birthday, safeguarding staff from the girl’s college had been made aware that the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was in a relationship with a man in his 30s.
Enquiries were made and it became apparent that there had been communications between the girl and the defendant, who is now 41.
Full story here: Accrington man sent explicit videos to young girl
Builder started dealing drugs to colleagues to pay off debt
A builder who ran up nearly £3,000 in drug debt started dealing cocaine to his colleague on the site.
Paul Hartley, 39, was addicted to cocaine and racked up a large amount of drug debt following his grandfather’s death.
Stephen Parker, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court, said that officers caught wind of Hartley’s criminal actions and at about 6.30am on August 20, 2021, they approached him outside a building site he was working on at Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, and said they were executing a drugs search.
Full story: Builder started dealing drugs to colleagues to pay off debt
Blackburn drug dealers jailed for heroin and cocaine conspiracy
Three drug dealers who operated a drugs line using various different hire cars for around six weeks, selling heroin and cocaine to users in Blackburn have been jailed for a total of more than 15 years.
Brothers Atiq Ashraf, 33, and Tussif Ashraf, 36, and their cousin Asraar Ali, 32, were all working for the ‘Immy’ drugs line, ending 1181, from May to June last year, before being caught by police, Preston Crown Court heard.
The court was told Atiq Ashraf was the main person responsible for the ‘Immy’ line and would send out regular ‘batch texts’ to drug users, and take orders for different amounts of heroin and cocaine, before directing Tussif Ashraf and Ali to deliver and drop off the drugs at various locations in Blackburn.
Full story here: Blackburn drug dealers jailed for heroin and cocaine conspiracy
Blackburn gang stored more than £40k of drugs in untaxed car
A gang used an untaxed Toyota Yaris to store more than £40,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine.
Daniel Coyne, 33, and Andrew Smith, 46, were both stopped while driving by police and tried to swallow packets of heroin and crack cocaine to hide their shady activities.
The pair appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday (March 27) alongside leader and co-defendant Shahid Farid to be sentenced for drug dealing.
Full story here: Blackburn gang stored more than £40k of drugs in untaxed car
Judge calls Accrington offender 'drunk, anti-social, racist man'
A “drunk, threatening, anti-social” man racially abused two members of Tesco staff before going on to try and rob a taxi driver and hurling racist abuse at him too.
Jan Clough was in the Tesco store in Accrington on June 7 last year and when he attempted to purchase some items, but found he was 11p short.
Preston Crown Court heard how he began asking customers and staff if he could borrow some money from them, and two of the staff members went to see if there was any spare cash anywhere.
However, Clough, 39, then pulled a £5 note from his pocket and became aggressive towards the staff, telling them he was 'paid double the amount they were'.
Full story here: Judge calls Accrington offender 'drunk, anti-social, racist man'
Rishton teen jailed for stealing car and taking police on 70mph chase
A teenager tried to break into a property before going on to steal a car, taking police on a 70mph chase through the streets of East Lancashire.
Thomas Hilton even goaded officers about their driving skills when they eventually found him hiding in some woods in Accrington.
Hilton, now 19, attempted to break into a house on Bold Venture Way in Clayton-le-Moors on the evening of February 12.
Preston Crown Court heard Hilton, who was accompanied by two other people, first tried the handle of a car parked in the driveway before then trying the handle of the front door of the property.
Full story here: Rishton teen jailed for stealing car and taking police on 70mph chase
Blackburn woman beater jailed after pushing ex into glass
A woman beater contacted his ex-girlfriend just two weeks after being ordered to stay away from her.
Declan Batty, 24, was told he should be ‘ashamed’ of his actions after pushing his ex-partner into smashed glass and hitting her in the head with a candle holder.
David Clarke, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that Batty had already appeared in court after assaulting the woman who he was in a relationship with for about two years.
Full story here: Blackburn woman beater jailed after pushing ex into glass
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