Large numbers of defendants have continued to move through our region's courts in April.
They include people jailed for horrendous crimes - but also those who walk free. For some, that's simply because the offence they have committed is not serious enough to demand a jail term.
For others, judges have deemed it appropriate to give them a second chance. This happens for a variety of reasons, including their personal circumstances, a lack of previous convictions or clear remorse for what they have done.
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While these people do not lose their liberty, they are often handed suspended sentences. That means the threat of a prison term hangs over them if they break the law again.
Here are 14 people who have walked free from Merseyside's courts in April.
C atherine Martin
A woman fled after driving into a five-year-old girl with her car while under the influence of cannabis.
Catherine Martin was at the wheel of her red Peugeot when she hit the little girl near a school in Netherton, on September 20 last year. The 29-year-old drove away but was later arrested after her registration was tracked.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard Martin had used cannabis the night before the accident and had not realised it was still in her system the next day.
Martin, of Abingdon Grove, was disqualified from driving for 22 months and placed under a four month curfew, requiring her to be in the house from 7pm to 7am.
Shannon Tuddenham
A veterinary nurse drunkenly groped a woman’s breasts after being invited to her house to look at a collection of exotic pets.
Shannon Tuddenham bonded with her victim over their interest in rare animals but when she was invited to come round to look at some she sexually assaulted her. The pregnant 26 year old was spared jail today but has lost her job as a result of her grim assault.
A judge at Liverpool Crown Court said the incident, which took place on June 15 last year, was “nasty” and resulted in long lasting effects on the victim. The pair had communicated over Facebook about exotic animals and the victim and her boyfriend organised for Tuddenham, of Garston, to visit their home in another part of Merseyside to see a number of their pets, including a python.
However, Tuddenham became drunk and later groped the woman’s breasts in a car as they gave her a lift home. Tuddenham, of Lowbridge Court, was handed a 15 month prison term, suspended for 18 months.
Peter Wilson
A jilted man let himself into his ex’s home while she was on holiday and took pictures of the rooms to send to her later.
Peter Wilson, of Eccleston, also watched the woman on her own home CCTV system and regularly drove past her home. It all formed part of a weeks long stalking campaign between July and September last year.
The 48-year-old avoided prison today despite his chilling behaviour, which also included harassing the woman’s new partner. Angela Conlan, prosecuting, said Wilson and his ex were in a relationship for an extended period but it ended last summer.
He then started tracking her Whatsapp messages and watching her on her home CCTV which he installed. Wilson admitted stalking and was handed a 12 week prison term, suspended for two years, for the stalking of his ex. Magistrates also insisted he must complete a series of rehabilitation activities and pay £500 in compensation. For the harassment of the woman’s partner, he must undertake unpaid work. A restraining order prevents him from contacting either of them.
Donald Coleman
A terminally ill man who held a loaded gun to his head outside Royal Liverpool hospital was spared jail.
Donald Coleman sparked a 12-hour police standoff when he dialled 999 and said he wanted to kill himself with a Russian semi-automatic pistol. Armed officers descended on Prescot Street on November 3 last year.
The front entrance of the Royal was closed, the road shut down and ambulances diverted to other hospitals during "severe disruption" . However, Judge Garrett Byrne today said: "This is a wholly exceptional and tragic case, and in my view, justice must be tempered by mercy."
Liverpool Crown Court heard Coleman rang 999 at around 10.30pm on November 3 last year, when he said he was very ill and wanted to end his life. Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, said the 61-year-old told police he "didn't want to hurt anybody" but someone had asked him to "mind" a gun for them.
Judge Byrne handed Coleman two years in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Louise Whelan
A mum breached a home curfew then blamed her dodgy internet signal.
Louise Whelan was handed an 18-month community order in October last year for a catalogue of "disgraceful" offences. They included threatening behaviour - when she claimed to have coronavirus and "threatened to infect" others - assaulting a police officer and a detention officer, and shoplifting.
As part of that sentence, the 31-year-old, of Rankin Street, Poulton , was hit with a four-month home curfew, between 7pm and 7am daily. But the serial offender admitted failing to comply with the electronically tagged curfew.
The judge handed her 40 hours of unpaid work.
Lee Hannan
An ex-teacher who filmed himself having sex with a former pupil 20 years his junior was spared jailed.
Lee Hannan, 49, was arrested after the young woman went to police complaining she had been 'groomed'. Hannan had taught the woman while she was a pupil at a high school in the St Helens area.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the woman had consented to having sex with Hannan and to having the pictures taken. Hannan, of Mossford Avenue, Crewe, Cheshire, had admitted two charges of taking indecent images of a child.
Louise McCloskey, prosecuting, said Hannan had told police “he had no idea taking of images of sexual intercourse was illegal and had he known it was illegal he would never have taken those images.” The images were recorded on the victim's phone.
Judge David Aubrey, QC, said he was satisfied the girl had consented to sexual activity with Hannan and consented to the images being taken. He said: “I have to determine whether there was any grooming and I cannot find there was.”
He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment but the judge suspended this for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 35 days of rehabilitation activities and imposed a seven year restraining order.
Canasta Dixon
A mum cheated the benefits system out of more than £47k while living with her casino worker partner.
Canasta Dixon, 47, failed to notify the DWP she was sharing her home with David Dixon over a four year period and continued claiming benefits when she was not entitled to. Her partner was employed by Genting Casino and Liverpool Crown Court heard he used her address on Glenfield Close, Prenton , on his bank statements.
When the mum-of-three was quizzed by the Birkenhead Job Centre in November 2019 she admitted to being in a relationship with her partner. She denied they were married and said she had changed her surname to his on her 40th birthday.
She later pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud involving falsely claiming employment and support allowance and housing benefit totalling £47,354 after failing to notify a change in circumstances.
The judge suspended a six month term of imprisonment for 18 months. He also placed her under supervision for 18 months and ordered her to carry out 10 days rehabilitation activities.
The court heard that repayments are being deducted from her benefits.
Michal Koper
A man who pulled a gun from his trousers claims he found it in a skip and decided to keep it.
Armed police were called to the scene in Huyton when Michal Koper was seen producing the “flintlock type musket” from his waistband. The gun, which is believed to be about 200 years old, was dropped to the ground when he was handcuffed by officers.
The 39-year-old told Liverpool Crown Court he found the weapon in a skip and had kept it as “a curiosity”. The jury chose to accept this explanation and, on Wednesday, gave him the benefit of the doubt.
The court heard Koper was drunk at the time he pulled the gun out of his trousers. He admitted possessing an altered firearm without a certificate and was sentenced
to six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months. The judge said he would benefit from some support from probation and ordered him to carry out five days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work.
A "cowardly" man tried to wriggle out of justice by pretending to be his brother - not once but on three separate occasions - when stopped by police.
Lee Johnson had failed to attend court for offences of criminal damage and common assault committed in October 2020. He had been released on bail but failed to attend the magistrates' court in December that year.
Despite using his brother’s name on three separate occassions Johnson was not sent to jail. Johnson, of Park Brow Road, Kirkby , pleaded guilty to three offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice and possessing cannabis and was handed six months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
The judge also ordered him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activities and fined him £100.
Peter Melia
A man sacked from his job threatened to paint "paedophile" and "nonce" on his manager's house.
Peter Melia, 46, flew into a rage when he was dismissed from his role as a warehouseman at a company in Speke . The dad-of-four and grandad-of-two had worked for the firm for more than a year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the company decided to fire Melia for reasons not heard in open court. Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, said Melia reacted "very badly" when his manager called him into his office on January 6, 2021. He said Melia threatened to spray paint the manager's house and also the business. Police were then called and Melia, of Worcester Avenue, Clubmoor, was arrested.
After electing for a trial, Melia pleaded guilty and was handed a 12 month community order with a 25 day rehabilitation requirement.
Joshua Stoll
A paedophile who shared pictures online of children as young as six being raped walked free from court on Thursday.
Joshua Stoll used chat platforms Kik and Wickr to send indecent images to other paedophiles but still denies he has a sexual interest in children. Officers analysing his phones found the 25-year-old, from Warrington, had also downloaded images of young babies in what Liverpool’s top judge said was “truly shocking” abuse.
Police raided Stoll’s home in November last year after receiving intelligence he had indecent images of children. Officers found 1,115 such pictures and videos and later discovered Stoll had used private groups on chat forums to distribute images.
The court later heard babies judged to be around six months old were seen in some of the images in Stoll's possession and that he sent images to others of kids as young as six. Stoll later admitted to making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children as well as possession of extreme pornography.
He was sentenced to a 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
Arron Wilson
A drunk thug subjected a paramedic to racist abuse after threatening to bite and stab a hospital guard’s face.
Arron Wilson launched a tirade against staff at Arrowe Park Hospital last year after going on an overnight booze bender. The 43-year-old later kicked and spat at police as he was arrested, Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard today.
The court heard Wilson became agitated while sitting in the waiting area of the hospital and punched the guard as he was escorted out. The paramedic who brought him to the hospital in her ambulance then came over to try to assist him but he racially abused her.
Wilson said he had little recollection of the incident and was ashamed of his behaviour. Magistrates agreed to suspend his ten week jail term but he must also complete an alcohol treatment program, 15 rehabilitation days and follow a curfew from 7pm to 7am for the next 12 weeks. Wilson, of Clifton Road, must also pay £100 compensation each to Ms Haynes-Garcia and Mr Clarke and pay prosecution and police costs.
Luke Welsh
A teenage robber who brandished a suspected wheel brace at his victim and stole his fake Rolex watch has been spared prison.
Luke Welsh, 19, of Rusholm Close, Halewood, and his accomplices struck at about 3.40pm on December 10, 2020, on Lilac Avenue in Widnes when three men in their early 20s walked past a blue Mazda in which Welsh and others were prowling.
They threatened the man, chased him while holding up their weapons and made him hand over his fake Rolex.
Welsh was sentenced to 15 months in custody, suspended for 18 months, alongside 200 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
David Cummings
A sitting Liverpool councillor swore at a 14-year-old girl after she put a Lib Dem leaflet criticising him through his letter box.
David Cummings, who represents Wavertree for Labour, kicked off at the teenager as she was campaigning for the Lib Dems on May 3, 2021. He was later convicted of verbally abusing her after a trial last week. It is the 57-year-old’s second conviction while a sitting councillor and follows a criminal damage conviction back in 2020 for wrecking a neighbour’s CCTV camera.
Sefton Magistrates’ Court heard last week that the girl was delivering Lib Dem leaflets with her dad in the run up to the local elections, which saw a third of Liverpool’s 90 council seats up for election in addition to elections for the mayor, metro mayor and the region’s police and crime commissioner. Cummings was not up for re-election that year but was referenced on a leaflet being distributed by the Lib Dems during their campaign. The ECHO understands the leaflets referred to Cummings’ criminal damage conviction.
He pleaded not guilty but was convicted at the end of last week. He was fined £96, ordered to pay £600 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
Linda Hill
A bare-footed drunken mum stumbled into the home of a pregnant woman and her husband before helping herself to a bottle of water and driving home in their car.
Linda Hill had discharged herself from Whiston Hospital while heavily intoxicated. The mum-of-three, who had no recollection of her ambulance trip, left the hospital without shoes or a coat and said she "just wanted to get home" to Widnes .
The 47-year-old told later police in interview that “she got lost, knocked on doors but no-one answered. She tried door handles and when she tried one in Lyneham, Whiston , the door was open.
Hill, of Ingham Road, Widnes, later pleaded guilty to burglary and taking a car without consent, and was also dealt with in a lower court for drink driving.
She was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for two years after a court heard she was progressing well with her rehabilitation and was controlling her drinking.
