A prolific paedophile, an Only Fans mum and a thief are among those jailed this week in Liverpool’s courts.
A woman who stabbed her partner’s neighbour in an unprovoked drunken rage and a homophobic thug were also put behind bars. Liverpool Crown Court heard one man broke into a Greggs store and then assaulted a police officer in his failed escape bid, and another hid in a backroom cupboard from police after sending a naked picture of himself to an undercover police officer.
Here are the faces of 10 criminals from our region who were imprisoned in the past week.
Allan Mitchell
A 75-year-old paedophile who undertook a “campaign of sexual abuse” against his victims cried as he heard he may not live to see the end of his sentence. Allan Mitchell, of Washington Parade, Bootle, was sentenced to 18 years and three months imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to more than 30 sexual offences against two victims.
Ben Jones, prosecuting, detailed that Mitchell groomed and repeatedly abused a young teenage girl over a period of five years, and assaulted another girl in the 1970s. He said the offending came to light after Mitchell took the first victim to a wooded area with the intention of making her sleep with other men.
The victim said Mitchell told her he was “teaching her about what would happen to her in the future”. A court also heard that during his interview with the probation service prior to sentence, Mitchell blamed this victim, stating that she was “leading him on” and “initiated sexual contact”.
After the allegations against Mitchell came to light, a second victim came forward stating that Mitchell sexually assaulted her when she was a young child, by touching her breasts over clothing. She described the defendant as being "creepy" and a "sleaze".
Neal Jackson
Neal Jackson, 42, of Arncliffe Road, Halewood broke into a city centre Greggs and Holland and Barrett on two separate occasions while drunk. Jackson and co-defendant Isaiah Gregory, 38, of no fixed abode, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, March 6 after the pair burgled a city centre Greggs on August 28 last year.
Peter Hussey, prosecuting, detailed that in the early hours the two men broke into the Greggs on Richmond Street, Liverpool, while the shop was empty. Jackson, who was drunk, and Gregory, attempted to access a safe in the office but failed.
A charity box in the office was also emptied, but the amount stolen could not be confirmed. The two defendants then entered the Turtle Bay on Victoria Street, and were spotted by members of the public who described them as “unkempt” so notified police officers.
PC Bragg and PC Norman found Jackson and Gregory and spoke to them, noticing they were acting obviously “evasive”, before they both ran from the officers. A chase ensued as PC Bragg followed Jackson and he managed to get hold of his rucksack, however the defendant turned and punched him in the face, cutting his lip.
Jackson continued to run, and in his attempt to flee, he collided with PC Norman. Mr Hussey said Jackson “flattened her to the floor”, causing her to hit her head and left her momentarily dazed.
At this point, members of the public intervened and detained Jackson, conducting a citizen's arrest before PC Bragg arrested him. Gregory managed to escape the building but was captured on city centre CCTV and found around 20 minutes later, with the de-tagging device on him.
Jackson previously pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal, going equipped to steal with a crowbar, and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker. Gregory pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and one count of going equipped to steal with a de-tagging device.
On January 23 of this year, a security worker was securing the buildings in Liverpool One when he heard an alarm go off at the Holland and Barrett store, so called the police. The security officer spotted Jackson leaving the scene and when officers arrived, told them which way he went and the burglar was caught quickly.
The office was searched and it was discovered that cash deposit books, cash amounting to around £300, and a bottle of aftershave had been taken. Jackson was interviewed by police and admitted he had been drunk and had “made a bit of a mess” but could not remember exactly what he had done.
He pleaded guilty to one count of burglary for this offence. Jackson was sentenced to two years imprisonment for both offences.
Gregory was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 10 rehabilitation days, plus 150 hours of unpaid work.
Wayne Jones
Violent domestic abuser and convicted robber Wayne Jones, 34, of Arden Drive, Speke, appeared for sentence via video link at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, March 6 after he was found hiding in a cupboard after sending a naked picture of himself to an undercover police officer.
The paedophile tried to shift the blame onto his innocent partner who was in hospital at the time. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual communication with a child and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Kate Morley, prosecuting, told how Jones flew into a rage in Runcorn on March 25 last year when his then-partner, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, “confronted” him and "questioned his sexuality" over content she found on his phone.
In his then-partner's words Jones “flipped” and attacked her. Ms Morley said Jones “jumped on (his victim), kneeling on her legs, and shouted in her face - she couldn’t move”. In the ensuing struggle she grabbed his T-shirt and said she might have scratched him while “trying to escape”, and he elbowed her in the face, knocking her glasses off.
She began to cry, and “described not being able to breathe out of her nose and her lip was bleeding”. The assault happened around only a month after Jones had been engaging in a lewd conversation on social media with an undercover police officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
He had on-and-off conversations with the ‘girl’, during which time he sent a picture of his genitals, asked if she wanted to see his genitals and perform a sex act. He also asked to see pictures of her breasts.
She refused and he branded her a “weirdo” and told her to “f*** off”, but a few days later made a similar request to see her genitals. Judge David Potter sentenced Jones to two years and two months in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register with Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years in addition to a restraining order.
Leigh Dennis
Leigh Dennis, 24, of Palatine Road, Wallasey, conned one man she met on Facebook dating out of more than £30,000 of his inheritance money and another of almost £2,000.
Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, detailed that Dennis used social media websites to commit “romance fraud”, conning Colt Candeias out of £33,672 between January and June 2021, and Aaron Carroll out of £1,940 between January and July 2021.
Ms Smith detailed that Dennis, 24, began chatting with Mr Candeias, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and difficulties with communication, on Facebook dating, and later asked him to subscribe to her only fans account.
She explained that the fraud began with Dennis asking Mr Candeias to send her food orders to her address in Wallasey, and she gave a variety of reasons for needing money including for council tax, to buy goods for a friend from Argos, help with rent, or that she was having suicidal thoughts.
However, things soon escalated and Dennis received electrical and electronic goods including nine iPhones, items for pets, a new washing machine, money, jewellery, and even convinced him to send sums of money to others. In relation to the second victim, Mr Carroll and Dennis also matched on Facebook dating and he also subscribed to her Only Fans account.
She asked for food, utilities, a condolence gift for her grandmother after the death of her grandfather, money to be sent to others, and orders from Argos. If Mr Carroll asked for repayments, she would either ignore him, claim online banking was not working, or say she had not been paid.
Dennis’ phone was also analysed and showed messages from a separate party relating to her receiving money in return for engaging in sexual activity with a dog, with 11 extreme pornographic images recovered showing her undertaking that activity.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation, and possession of extreme pornographic images. The mother-of-one was sentenced to 19 months imprisonment, and a restraining order barring her from contacting Mr Candeias for five years was implemented.
Katie Dalziel
Katie Dalziel, 31, stabbed her neighbour with a serrated kitchen knife and shouted “after my fella are you” in an unprovoked drunken rage.
William Beardmore, prosecuting, detailed that on the evening of September 7, 2022, Laura Glannister was at her home on Clarendon Road, Anfield, when she heard “loud and inappropriate noises” coming from next door, where Dalziel was staying at her boyfriend’s home.
Ms Glannister asked them to “keep it down”, but the defendant soon turned up at her house and confronted her. Dalziel, 31, asked if Ms Glannister had knocked at “my fella’s door”, and then said “are you after my fella?”, to which Ms Glannister simply laughed and closed the door.
She then heard a very loud commotion coming from next door, so called police, who came to the scene but left without detaining anybody. In the early hours of the following morning after officers had left, the defendant shouted “grass” at Ms Glannister and said “I will shiv you” in the street.
At 12.45am, she knocked on the victim’s house again, as soon as Ms Glannister opened the door, swung her arm in an uppercut motion at the victim, shouting “after my fella are you?". Mr Beardmore said: “The victim recalled feeling pain and then blood coming down her face, before realising the defendant had used a weapon to strike her.”
She was pulled inside her house by her partner, who tried to help with her wound but eventually had to be taken to hospital to treat the two centimetre laceration to her chin. Dalziel, of St Marks Road, Huyton, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, and an indefinite restraining order barring her from contacting the victim was imposed.
She pleaded guilty to one count of wounding with intent, and to one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Jamie Dempsey
Jamie Dempsey accidentally stabbed his mum in the heart as she intervened in a fight he was having with another man over a drug debt.
Dempsey then hugged his fatally-wounded 55-year-old mum and fled the scene, and later asked a cousin to burn the clothes he was wearing and bought beers from an off-licence before handing himself into police.
After a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a jury cleared the 32-year-old, of Brechin Road, Kirkby, of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter, wounding with intent, and possession of a bladed article and he appeared on Wednesday to be sentenced.
During the trial, Peter Glenser KC outlined that the mother and son had arranged to meet in the pub on the evening of August 22 last year. Dempsey ran into Brian Flynn, whom he owed £2,000 and a fight ensued after Mr Flynn threw a glass at Dempsey inside.
The two men left through different doors, but began to fight outside, before Dempsey stabbed Mr Flynn five times causing serious injuries. As Karen Dempsey tried to intervene, a sixth blow struck her in the chest, leaving her with blood pouring down her chest, the knife having pierced her heart and liver.
Dempsey ran from the scene after hugging his mother, who was rushed to Aintree Hospital but pronounced dead at 9.45pm. He later handed himself in to Merseyside police, not knowing that his mother was dead.
Dempsey was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment for manslaughter, and told he will likely serve two thirds of that sentence. He was also handed a four year sentence for unlawful wounding, and three years for possession of a bladed article, which will be served concurrently.
Glen Gardner
Glen Gardner, of Folly Lane, Warrington, smashed the window of the victim's home, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, with a hammer to gain entry during the early hours on May 26, 2021.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, March 7 how Gardner "made threats" to the victim before grabbing a butter knife and "punching and headbutting" him. Gardner had accused the victim of a crime that he did not commit.
Prosecuting, Nardeen Nemat, said Gardner, who was convicted of burglary at a previous trial, entered the address via the living room window and the hammer was likely used to gain entry, meaning there had been "some degree of planning and organisation".
Gardner was given a custodial sentence of two and a half years, and a restraining order was also made not to contact the victim or enter a street in Warrington.
Gabriel Genesis
Gabriel Genesis, of Alexandra Park, ranted in court and demanded a "retrial" after hurling vile homophobic abuse towards his neighbour, making their life a "misery".
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday that after Genesis discovered his neighbour, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, was part of the LGBTQ community, he subjected him to several months of harassment in 2020. The court heard how he would often shout slurs and was said to have on one occasion made a "gun reference" and threatened to "jump on his head".
The 55-year-old would often put the radio against the shared wall, forcing the victim to "sleep on the sofa". His Honour Judge David Swinnerton said Genesis made the victim's "life a misery" as he said: "I know you still deny it and you are still shaking your head as I speak".
He added: "You came to discover he is gay, that was not a secret, you didn't like that because of your homophobic views." Genesis claimed he had "never spoken to him" as he shouted: "I never said those things, that is in God's words."
Judge Swinnerton said Genesis' presentation in court on occasion has been "so bizarre" as he said: "You are eccentric and extremely extraverted." He added: "You have certain entrenched views that defy logic at times."
Genesis said from the dock that he was "not guilty". Judge Swinnerton added: "You have complained at times that you have been the victim of racism. You know being the victim of prejudice based on personal characteristics is a terrible thing to do."
Genesis was given a custodial sentence of two and a half years as well as a 10 year restraining order as he repeatedly shouted: "I am entitled to a re-trial.". He added: "I'm not happy with this."
Michael Daniels
Michael Daniels, 33, of Centurion Row, Castlefields, Runcorn, kicked a man unconscious and continued to “rain” down blows as he lay motionless in what a judge described as a “sickening” attack.
The father-of-six appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, March 10 for sentence after pleading guilty to one count of Section 20 assault grievous bodily harm.
The charge related to a “prolonged and persistent” attack on another man, Jake O’Hare, in the early hours of May 7 last year in “retaliation” after Mr O’Hare saw Daniels, who “made a comment” about one of his friends and told Mr O’Hare “wait there, you’ve had it”.
Mr O’Hare headed back to the pub where he had been drinking only to encounter him again while walking for a taxi home. This time Daniels threw punches, one of which Mr King said hit the other man on the head and he fell to the ground.
As Mr O’Hare tried to stand up, Daniels followed up with punches and a kick to the head, which is believed to have knocked him out, and Daniels then kicked him twice again to the head.
Friends tried to stop him, but Daniels landed three more punches to the head. He then walked around and then as described by Mr King, referring to CCTV footage, “rains down a further seven blows to his face”. Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced Daniels to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a £156 victim surcharge.
Sean Aspinall
Sean Aspinall, 24, had a “fascination” with guns so modified them to look like a “hard-man”, after a relationship breakdown.
He was convicted after trial of one count of conspiring to convert an imitation firearm into a weapon, and conspiracy to supply or transfer prohibited weapons. Stella Hayden, prosecuting, detailed that Aspinall went online and bought blank firearms which he then passed onto Steven Shannon, who modified the weapons.
She said that Aspinall purchased the weapons off the internet, and assisted with their conversion, of which there were at least six. He claimed he bought them to give to ground workers to scare away birds from a developing site that he shared with a friend.
Aspinall claimed the interest shown in converting guns was simply “bluster and bluff”, as his ego and self esteem had been shattered following a break up. He also made videos showing the guns.
When arrested, he was also found with knives and an amount of amphetamine, and pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a private place, and possession of a controlled Class B drug (amphetamine).
Aspinall was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.
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