Last month in East Lancashire a large number of paedophiles and sex offenders were sent to prison for their depraved crimes.
Out of all the East Lancashire criminals jailed in March, more paedophiles were given jail time than any other kind of offender, including drug dealers.
Other crimes for which wrong-doers were jailed included dangerous driving, rape, burglary and assault.
Here, we bring you our round-up of all the East Lancashire criminals banged up for breaking the law in March 2024.
Convicted paedophile sexually assaulted girl, 14, in Darwen
A paedophile who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Ireland in 2018 was jailed for a second time after giving a 14-year-old girl three love bites.
Preston Crown Court heard that in August last year Ashley McPhee, 26, found himself alone with his most recent victim at a house in Darwen.
Peter Wilson, prosecuting, said as they sat on a bed together chatting, McPhee edged his way towards the girl before getting on top of her, pulling her shirt down, and giving her three love bites on her chest area.
Full story here: Convicted paedophile sexually assaulted girl, 14, in Darwen
Rishton and Accrington men involved in drug supply across the UK
Two men from East Lancashire who were involved in the production and supply of drugs across the country were jailed in March for a combined total of more than 18 years.
Carl Williams, 42, and Simon Day, 55, appeared at Preston Crown Court via video link from prison in Liverpool following their arrest over the offences in 2021.
The court heard how Day was involved in the wholesale supply of class A drugs and the production of “industrial quantities” of amphetamine.
Thomas Bramhall, prosecuting, said Day also organised and facilitated the sale and transportation of drugs across the UK.
Full story here: Rishton and Accrington men involved in drug supply across the UK
Man robbed Blackburn woman and threatened another in Darwen
A man stole sentimental jewellery believed to be worth around £10,000 while in the midst of a drug addiction.
Martin Lawrence, 34, grabbed the gold necklaces off the woman, who had collected them since she was 12 years old, while she was wearing them, leaving a deep mark on the back of her neck.
Lawrence also threatened to kill another woman in a separate incident a week later, scaring her by banging and headbutting her window.
Preston Crown Court heard how the first incident happened on November 5 at around 3.45pm when Lawrence attended the home of David Irving in Blackburn.
Full story here: Man robbed Blackburn woman and threatened another in Darwen
Earby man assaulted woman at Gisburn Holiday Park
A man left a woman with multiple injuries when he hit her over the head with a silver tray while she lay in her bed.
Leigh Jarvis, 38, of Shaw Square, Earby, was on conditional bail when he attacked his then-partner in her own home at Parkdean Resorts Todber Valley Holiday Park in Gisburn.
On the night of Wednesday, January 31, Jarvis stole her Motorola mobile phone, blue Versace bag and e-cigarette.
Burnley Magistrate's Court, where Burnley Crown Court is sitting, heard Jarvis was arrested for theft after the police rang the phone number the victim provided, and a phone that Jarvis had in his possession started ringing.
Full story here: Earby man assaulted woman at Gisburn Holiday Park
Former Blackburn teacher jailed in NCA paedophile ring probe
A former Blackburn primary school teacher was jailed in March for his role in a major probe into an international paedophile ring which spanned more than a decade.
Police swooped on the home of perverted William Chambers after they were notified by the National Crime Agency (NCA) about the arrest of a Belgian national who was suspected of selling thousands of indecent images of children.
At Blackburn Magistrates’ Court in January, the court was told Chambers was tracked down after the arrested Belgian national provided the NCA with the 60-year-old’s phone number.
Full story here: Former Blackburn teacher jailed in NCA paedophile ring probe
Nelson man raped vulnerable woman in her Colne flat
A man from Nelson forced his way into his victim's home, raped her, and said "I will get my boys to rape you" after threatening her with a knife in a chilling episode of sexual violence.
Burnley Crown Court heard how at 2am on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, Jason Halim forced entry into a woman's property in Colne.
Halim was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault on a female, two counts of rape, and one count of attempted rape after a trial on December 5, 2023.
The remorseless, callous rapist has refused to accept guilt for his crimes and was handed an extended sentence due to being a significant danger to the public.
Full story here: Nelson man raped vulnerable woman in her Colne flat
Burnley drug addict turned class A drug dealer sentenced for supplying
A Burnley drug addict profited nearly £3,000 from selling class As to other drug addicts.
Assim Rafiq, 29, of Townley Street, was arrested at his address on July 29 2021.
Burnley Magistrates Court, acting as Burnley Crown Court, heard that Lancashire Police knocked on Rafiq's door at 11.35am.
Prosecutor Emma Clarke told the court that Rafiq, from an upstairs window, told the police that he would be down soon, but only opened his door after five minutes wearing just a dressing gown.
Full story here: Burnley drug addict turned class A drug dealer sentenced for supplying
Man told children he had a "fetish for girls wetting the bed"
A depraved man from East Lancashire who has a "fetish for girls wetting the bed" was snared after talking to a police decoy on a chat application.
Sean Hall also sent explicit messages to children on the platform.
Hall, 41, of Huttock End Lane, Stacksteads, made contact with a police decoy account on an app named RandoChat, a service where you can anonymously talk and meet new people.
Burnley Crown Court, sitting at Burnley Magistrates' Court, heard how between July 2022 and February 2023, Hall messaged the decoy and two underage girls, with the messages being of a sexual nature.
Full story here: Man told children he had a "fetish for girls wetting the bed"
Man jailed for exposing himself to kids in Burnley
A 58-year-old indecently exposed himself in front of children playing in the woods.
On Saturday, March 9, Alan Mercer asked girls to stand guard while he went to urinate.
Having then told the victims he had finished, they turned around to find Mercer with his trousers around his ankles in the area close to Lockeyer Park in Burnley.
Following CCTV enquiries, police arrested Mercer a day later.
Full story here: Man jailed for exposing himself to kids in Burnley
Paedophile breached sexual prevention order multiple times
A paedophile who was caught with indecent images of children as young as three has failed to register devices that could access the internet, and refused to give the police the passwords to them.
In 2015, Robert William Esson, 39, of Back Lane, Newton-in-Bowland, was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Preston Crown Court heard the prevention order was part of a three-year jail sentence for making and distributing indecent images of children and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.
Full story here: Paedophile breached sexual prevention order multiple times
Colne burglar left dirty sock at scene which led to capture
A serial burglar with a “horrendous record” was caught after leaving a dirty sock on the floor at his victim’s house.
DNA from the sock traced the offending back to 47-year-old Carl Pollitt, who broke into the house in Chapel Street, Colne, on October 7.
Burnley Crown Court heard the occupier of the house had gone out for the evening after securing the house.
Eddison Flint, prosecuting, said when the man returned to the house at around 1.30am, he found a rear window was smashed and two Rab winter jackets, worth around £200, had been taken.
Full story here: Colne burglar left dirty sock at scene which led to capture
Man breached sexual assault order after moving to Burnley
A man found guilty of sexual assault breached his court requirements after he failed to tell police he had moved to Burnley.
Connor McInearney, 27, of Windsor Street, was arrested by police on January 28 after they were investigating another matter surrounding the person who he was living with at the time.
Burnley Crown Court heard that McInearney was sentenced to a seven-year notification order after he was found guilty of sexual assault in April 2023.
Prosecutor Beth Piling told the court that he was also found guilty of public indecency on July 11, 2023, and was put on the sex offenders register list.
Full story here: Man breached sexual assault order after moving to Burnley
Woman high on cocaine took police on chase through Blackburn
A woman stole her friend’s car and sold it for drug money before stealing another vehicle and taking police on a chase through the streets of Blackburn while 14 times over the legal limit for cocaine.
Rebecca Garner was drinking at a friend’s house on January 17 last year, Preston Crown Court heard, when she and the owner of a Skoda car, Michael Booth, went to get cash from an ATM in order to buy more booze.
Prosecuting, Clare Thomas, said Mr Booth exited the car to take some money from the ATM and seconds later he saw the defendant driving away in his vehicle.
Full story here: Woman high on cocaine took police on chase through Blackburn
Dangerous Blackburn driver took police on high-speed chase
A man narrowly missed crashing his car into another vehicle as he sped away from police in a chase around Blackburn.
Warren Hadfield, 47, failed to stop for officers when they approached the car he was driving in Highfield Road, Blackburn in the early hours of January 12.
Maxwell Cope, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said at around 1.10am police officers sighted a silver Peugeot and conducted a PCN check.
The person insured to drive the car was a female, which did not match the description of the driver in the car, later identified to be Hadfield.
Full story here: Dangerous Blackburn driver took police on high-speed chase
Blackburn sex offender who harassed former partner jailed
A sex offender who breached a suspended sentence order also harassed his former partner on multiple occasions.
Cailen Hackett, 27, was given a 15-month term of imprisonment, suspended for 10 months, in April last year.
However, a course of offending since then put him in breach of that order, resulting in this sentence hearing at Burnley Crown Court.
Hayley Bennett, prosecuting, said Hackett and his previous partner ended their on-off relationship on September 2.
Full story here: Blackburn sex offender who harassed former partner jailed
Oswaldtwistle man jailed for breaching sexual harm order
A sex offender who is a danger to women breached a court order by deceiving police as he travelled to have sex with a teenage girl.
Callum Cox, 23, told officers during a home visit he did not have a mobile phone, access to the internet, or social media.
Just 10 days later, officers from both Lancashire and Greater Manchester Police discovered Cox had been travelling from his home in Oswaldtwistle to Bury to engage in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.
Full story here: Oswaldtwistle man jailed for breaching sexual harm order
Clitheroe men sentenced for drugs and money laundering
Two men were jailed after a police investigation into drug supply and money laundering that spanned three years.
Ribble Valley Rural Task Force began the drugs and money laundering investigation in May 2021, after executing drug warrants at addresses in Clitheroe.
A total of £4,000 in cash was seized by the Rural Task Force “which were the proceeds of this criminal enterprise”.
Last December, Christopher Wood, 32, of Kay Street, Clitheroe, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to charges of conspiracy to supply class B drugs and money laundering.
Full story here: Clitheroe men sentenced for drugs and money laundering
Man hid under Burnley woman's bed despite restraining order
A “toxic” man hid from police under the bed of a woman who had a restraining order against him.
Dean Crockett, 30, was given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years last year after admitting threatening to kill the woman, who is from Burnley.
A three-year restraining order was also imposed to protect his victim.
Stephen Parker, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court, said on December 22, police attended the woman’s address following a third-party call to them.
She initially refused them entry but after some persuading, they went inside and found Crockett hiding under her bed.
Full story here: Man hid under Burnley woman's bed despite restraining order
67-year-old sex offender jailed again over indecent images
A 67-year-old sex offender who was jailed for 15 years in 2013 for heinous crimes against children, including rape and sexual assault, has been jailed again, for making indecent images of young people.
David Jones appeared unrepresented at Burnley Crown Court after pleading guilty at a lower court to making 25 category C images of children (the least severe), in Nelson, between August 27, 2021, and September 9, 2022.
Full story here: 67-year-old sex offender jailed again over indecent images
A man who was jailed for nine years for subjecting his ex-partner to a brutal attack and stabbing her in front of his own child and several other children, has been sent back to prison.
Daryl Dyson, who was in breach of a restraining order and was on prison licence when he carried out the vicious assault in Burnley, was put behind bars in 2019, but was released from prison in December last year – four and a half years after being sent down.
Full story here: Burnley man's threats to 'bury' ex days after prison release
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