A dad who murdered his 10-month-old daughter 'in a fit of rage' and then repeatedly lied to his wife and the emergency services about it is among the criminals jailed in Manchester this week.
Prison terms were also handed to a teenage driver high on cocaine who killed a mum-of-three and injured two others after mounting the pavement outside a pub.
A woman who groomed an underage girl into sleeping with men for money, plied her with drugs and then sexually assaulted her in front of a man has also been put behind bars.
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Jail sentences are handed out to some of the worst offenders each week and Manchester Evening News reporters are in court to cover the most serious cases. Here are some of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester this week...
One-man crimewave yelled 'you should all get raped and killed' in terrifying rampage
A one man crimewave who caused chaos across the city centre has been jailed. Roger Clarke, 54, repeatedly lost his temper, abusing receptionists, managers, police and members of the public in a fit of rage.
Clarke, of Fallowfield, admitted offences of criminal damage, public order, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting an emergency worker and affray and was jailed for 16 months. He was also banned from going into the city centre as well as two residential homes for vulnerable people.
Manchester Crown Court was told of a number of incidents, including one where “he was shouting ‘you f***** b****’ and was heard to shout ‘you're all filthy c****, should all get raped and killed” to a receptionist, prosecutor Michael Goldwater said.
A few months later, he used racist language towards a man and abused another. As officers arrived to arrest him he said one officer was a ‘fat f******* lesbian b******’ and said ‘I’ll kick you in the c*** b*****’.
As they went to put him in the back of the police van, he became violent, attempting to headbutt one officer and kicking out at another, making contact with her groin. As she moved away he kicked out again, striking her in the face, before kicking the other officer in the face.
Clarke was said to have 68 previous convictions for over 100 offences including possession of a bladed article, driving offences, drug offences, battery, criminal damage, racially aggravated harassment, abusive behaviour and breach of a criminal behaviour order.
Driver ploughed into innocent boy walking along footpath then reversed over him
A drink driver hit a 15-year-old boy after reversing over him in a ‘reckless and dangerous’ manner - he was left looking like a ‘pile of clothes’ on the ground. John Burton, 40, had reversed at speeds of 20 miles per hour over almost 50 metres before striking the boy in his friend's VW Golf.
Burton was arrested and smelt of alcohol, so officers conducted a roadside breath test, of which he returned a reading of 78 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. This was said to be twice the legal limit of 35 milligrams.
A further breath test at the police station recorded a reading of 46 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. He later told the police that he was insured on his friend's car and paid £70 per week for its usage. He said that prior to the collision he had drunk a can of cider before going to visit his mum.
Burton was said to have a number of previous convictions including for an offence of drink driving in November last year for which he was disqualified for 15 months. Burton, of Newall Road, was jailed for 34 months, banned from driving for three years and five months and must take an extended retest before he gets behind the wheel again.
Man's horror 48-hour rampage HOURS after he's released from jail
A thug who threatened to kill a woman just hours after being released from prison has been sent back to jail for more than four years. Noel Jennings, 32, was released from prison on licence on March 9 this year, before subjecting a woman to 48 hours of abuse so bad she 'wet herself without realising' out of fear.
He had just been released from jail when a woman, who cannot be named, picked him up to take him to his brother's house. But he locked her inside the house and instead began a ruthless two days of abuse, where he sprayed fire at her face and threatened to kill her whole family.
She managed to escape but Jennings sent her "repeated threatening messages," said Brian Berlyne, prosecuting at Minshull Street Crown Court. She agreed to meet up with him. At one point when she was driving he pulled the hand brake, the court heard, "before screaming at her and striking her with his hand".
In another incident, he brandished a large knife and told her: "I will cut you up and kill your whole family." Jennings then got a smaller knife and held it against her face, threatening to cut her again, the court heard.
Mr Berlyne told the court that Jennings had 28 previous convictions, including a history of domestic abuse. Jennings was sentenced to 52 months behind bars for common assault, malicious communications, assault occasioning Actual Bodily Harm.
Dad who murdered his 10-month-old daughter in 'fit of temper' after her crying woke him up jailed for life
A dad who murdered his 10-month-old daughter after her crying woke him up in a ‘fit of temper’ has been jailed for life. Aiman Abbas Toor was killed at the hands of her father Ali Zain, 25, in November 2019, in a ‘brutal and deliberate’ act.
Prosecutors said that in a 'fit of temper' Zain killed Aiman, who died from asphyxia. He then repeatedly lied about how she died to paramedics, his wife and police and came up with a 'fantasy story' to align with medical evidence, Manchester Crown Court heard. The prosecution suggested he deliberately smothered or 'crushed' Aiman, causing fatal injuries.
When she stopped crying, he thought she'd gone back to sleep and only later discovered she was unresponsive. Zain later said that he'd lied as he in was in a panic, and because in Pakistan the police 'torture and beat you'.
Two 'elite' pathologists with 60 years of experience between them said they'd never encountered the 'exceptional' injuries Aiman suffered. She sustained petechial haemorrhages, bleeding under the skin which revealed themselves as red spots on her face.
At trial Zain admitted responsibility for her death but said it was an accident and denied acting unlawfully, but was unanimously found guilty of her murder by a jury. Zain, of Crompton Street, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years and six months, less the 271 days he spent on remand.
Mug shots of defendants are released by police following sentencing. Greater Manchester Police said it did not have an image of Zain on file.
Serial thug attacked his pregnant partner and broke another woman's jaw
A Stella-drinking thug attacked his pregnant girlfriend and threatened to ‘kick the baby out of her stomach’. Anthony Breame, 34, strangled and headbutted her during the vile rampage - and then broke another woman's jaw just months later.
Breame, of Oldham, was found guilty of two offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, burglary with intent to cause GBH and threats to kill after a two-week trial. Manchester Crown Court heard of a number of terrifying attacks, which included strangling the woman after learning she'd had sex with someone else.
In another incident months later he returned to her house and made threats to kill her in front of her children. On another occasion he used a brick to smash her window and encouraged another man to smash the door with a black-handled hammer before he punched the woman’s new partner in the head.
The court heard of a second victim, who had been in a relationship with Breame. In June 2021 he turned up drunk at her house before attacking her. Months later he attacked her again whilst she was holding her daughter, grabbing her by the throat and punching her to the side of the face.
Breame was said to have 12 previous convictions for 20 offences, and was most recently jailed in 2015 for offences of blackmail and arson. He was also said to have previously assaulted his ex-partner in 2015. Breame, of Marion Street, was jailed for 10 years with an extended licence period of three years.
Woman groomed girl into sleeping with men for £100 - then sexually assaulted her as a pervert watched on
A woman groomed an underage girl into sleeping with men for money - then sexually assaulted her as a man watched on. Dominika Weremczuk, then 19, met the then 13-year-old at a house party, during which Weremczuk plied her with drugs including cocaine and engaged in sexual acts with her, a court heard.
This escalated to them having sexual intercourse when the girl was aged between 14 and 15 and when Weremczuk went to university to study criminology and psychology, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. The girl was encouraged to go and meet Weremczuk where they took drugs and there was a suggestion that she was working as an escort at the time.
She then encouraged the girl to ‘meet guys’ so she could get money to come back and visit her. Later, Weremczuk arranged another occasion where the girl met a different man and he gave her money for performing sexual acts, it was said.
Then, she took the girl round to Mark Houseman’s house in Stalybridge. She told told by Weremczuk that he was going to ‘take some pictures’ but once they got to the bedroom she told her to get undressed and they engaged in sexual activity as Houseman, 31, watched them.
Once things came to an end, Weremczuk became abusive, and the girl told her family, who in turn informed the police. In an interview with the police, Weremczuk, now 25, admitted having performed sexual activity with the girl and admitted being a prostitute.
Both Weremczuk and Houseman, both of Stalybridge, were found guilty of causing or inciting exploitation of a child, and Weremczuk was also found guilty of sexual activity with a child and arranging or facilitating child exploitation. She had also pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child.
Weremczuk, of Hawkshead Close, was jailed for 11 years, of which she will serve two thirds in prison. Houseman, of West Avenue, was jailed for three years. Both were made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention order and must sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
Driver killed mum-of-three after inhaling nitrous oxide at the wheel and 'passing out' - before cowardly fleeing the scene
A teenage driver high on cocaine killed a mum-of-three after smashing into her outside a Wigan pub. Jacob Gaskell, who also injured two other pedestrians when he mounted the pavement in Ormskirk Road, Pemberton, had been inhaling laughing gas from a balloon at the wheel of his Land Rover Freelander before the hit-and-run crash.
The incident happened on the evening of April 8 - the day before Gaskell's 19th birthday and just two months after he was handed a suspended sentence for a previous dangerous driving offence. Cowardly Gaskell then fled the scene on foot as 44-year-old teacher Laura Hazeldine lay dying outside pub Number 15.
The court heard that Gaskell held the balloon in his mouth as he drove and other drivers on the road at the time described seeing Gaskell attempt an overtaking manoeuvre but instead mounted the pavement and smashed into three pedestrians, before hitting the pub wall and a lamp post.
Gaskell, of Marlbrough Avenue, Ince, pleaded guilty to six offences, including causing death by dangerous driving. He was jailed for nine years at Bolton Crown Court. He will also be banned from driving for a further 10 years upon his eventual release from prison.
Man ‘invaded’ vulnerable woman’s home and sexually attacked her as she slept
A man invaded a vulnerable woman’s home before sexually assaulting her as she slept. Richard Bradley, 45, walked into the woman’s house in the early hours of the morning before making his way to her bedroom.
The woman, who suffers from a number of learning disabilities and shared her home with live-in carers, was awoken on August 15 2021 to see a man standing in her bedroom. She described seeing him unzip his trousers before ‘messing with himself’.
He then walked over to her and sexually assaulted her, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. In body worn footage shown to the court, officers asked Bradley what he was doing and he replied “[Name] lived here, I’m seeing her, she’s in the other room, she knows I’m here.”
It was later said that he believed his ex-partner lived at the address. He was arrested and cautioned and replied ‘Yeah, fair enough’. In a prepared statement, he said he had suffered from a severe brain injury as a result of being struck to the head some years ago, and it has since affected his memory.
“He recalls going out that evening with a friend for a few drinks, and remembered nothing until waking up in the police station,” prosecutor Matthew Curtis said. Bradley was said to have 58 previous convictions including offences of burglary, possession of an imitation firearm and driving offences.
Bradley, of Burns Avenue, Bury, was jailed for 30 months after admitting two offences of sexual assault. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restraining order and must sign onto the Sex Offenders Register, all to run indefinitely.
Flash drugs ring used ice cream parlours and takeaways to live lavish lifestyle
Ice cream parlours, a take-away and a shed making firm have all been used by a Wigan drugs ring to launder huge sums of money made by dealing cocaine. The gang enjoyed a lavish lifestyle from their earnings - with flashy cars and designer clothes - until they were rumbled by police and brought to justice.
Seven men were jailed at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday (May 18) for their roles in the conspiracy. Following a six-week trial, the group will serve a combined seven decades behind bars, while the wife of one of the men has also been handed a suspended prison sentence.
During the trial, the court was told about a police investigation codenamed Operation Trinket, used to uncover an organised criminal drug supply network in Wigan. Specialist staff carried out a period of intensive surveillance, before officers raided properties across the borough on the morning of July 20, 2018.
They included the homes of Paul Witter and his wife Jane Witter, Marc Talbot, his brother Michael Talbot, and Marc's son Cameron Talbot. The group were all arrested on suspicion of being involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Hundreds of items were seized for examination - including quantities of drugs, cash, mobile phones and SIM cards, along with hundreds-of-thousands of pounds' worth of assets seized under Proceeds of Crime Act powers. These included high value designer clothing, jewellery and prestige vehicles.
Yet despite the lavish lifestyles some of the suspects enjoyed - funded by their illegal activity - they were declaring very little in the way of official income to the authorities. Following the initial investigation, police soon pieced together evidence of a wider network from recovered mobile phones and SIM cards.
Three further suspects were identified as also being involved in the wholesale supply of cocaine over a seven-year period, dating back as far as 2011 - Paul Whittaker, Thomas Tither and David Barnes. The trio were arrested following further drugs warrants being executed at their home addresses during May and June 2019.
Paul Whittaker, Thomas Tither, Michael Talbot, Cameron Talbot and David Barnes all denied conspiracy to supply cocaine and pleaded not guilty. However, following a trial in which Whittaker and Tither declined to give evidence, they were all found guilty as charged.
Paul Witter and Marc Talbot had already pleaded guilty to both conspiracy to supply cocaine and the money laundering offence of possession of criminal property at an early stage. Jane Witter had pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property.
