Two loan sharks who acted in 'abject greed' and threatened to take victims 'to the moors' where they'll 'never be seen again' were among the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester this week. Two brothers whose drugs organisation was busted when they were pulled over by police were also jailed in our region.
Prison sentences are handed out to the worst offenders each week and Manchester Evening News reporters are in court to cover the most serious cases.
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Here are some of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester in the last seven days...
Thugs attacked stranger in horror street attack - and boasted about it
A man was attacked and robbed minutes after being followed by two drunk thugs. The young man had been enjoying a night out on Canal Street, in the city centre, when he was verbally abused by Ryan Partington.
As he walked home alone, after being separated from friends, he became aware Partington, 29, was following him. Just minutes later, after crossing the road to avoid him, he was followed again by Partington and another man, Zack Kelly, 24.
They both launched an unprovoked attack on him and robbed him, before he ran away and called the police. In CCTV footage shared with the Manchester Evening News , both Kelly and Partington walk alongside the man before he is grabbed by Partington from behind, and punched by Kelly.
He is dragged to the ground as the men scuffle, with Kelly kneeing him, and they are seen to grab the bag and white jacket from him in the frightening attack. Afterwards, Partington recorded a series of videos on the victim’s iPhone, boasting of what they had done, before they went to a nearby shop and tried to buy energy drinks and cigarettes with his bank card.
Both Partington and Kelly admitted an offence of robbery. Partington, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 26 months; and Kelly, also of no fixed abode, was jailed for 24 months.
The loan sharks who threatened to take their victims 'to the moors' where they'll 'never be seen again'
Two loan sharks acting in ‘abject greed’ exploited vulnerable people ‘trapped in poverty’ and left one with just £40 a month. Stephen Lee, 65, and Gary Karucz, 47, befriended two different men, who both suffered from mental health conditions and lived in supported accommodation.
Working together, Lee and Karucz offered to lend the men money but charged an interest rate of over 100pc. The court heard that Lee was acting as the driver and assisted Karucz in the collection of the monies.
Over a six month period, the men took between £4,000 and £5,000. Lee even threatened one of the victims with kidnap and assault. Both men were arrested at their address in Radcliffe, and Karucz replied to his caution: “Are you here because I have been loaning money to the homeless?”
Lee and Karucz, of Radcliffe, both pleaded guilty to offences of theft, fraud, illegal money lending, and Karucz also admitted separate offences of supplying cannabis.
Both were jailed on Thursday (November 24) at Minshull Street Crown Court. Karucz, of Exeter Road, was jailed for 31 months. Lee, also of Exeter Road, was jailed for 28 months.
Criminal brothers hauled to court after Audi trying to flee from police pulls into dead end
A drugs line run by two brothers was uncovered after one was pulled over alongside his girlfriend - who had £350 and cocaine in her Tommy Hilfiger bag. Daniel Dean, 31, and Melissa Garcia, 27, were spotted in a white Audi, and were pulled over by police.
Prosecuting, Imran Khan said that on October 6, 2018, officers saw the white Audi travelling in Stockport. As they pulled up behind it at a junction it took off at speed and so officers followed. The Audi pulled onto Hardon Grove, which turned out to be a dead end.
Upon searching the car, officers found the cash, along with a number of wraps of ‘white powder’ in the designer bag. They also found five mobile phones, all with evidence of drug dealing.
After examining the phone, officers arrested Daniel’s brother, Marcus Dean, at his house in Reddish, and found cocaine and a drug debtor’s list. Text messages on the phones showed that Daniel Dean and Garcia, both of Hyde, were out selling drugs on behalf of Marcus, 30.
All eventually pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs, and both brothers were jailed at Minshull Street Crown Court. Garcia was handed a suspended sentence.
Marcus Dean, of Woodhall Road, was jailed for four years; Daniel Dean, of Green Street, was jailed for three years and seven months; and Garcia, of Green Street, was handed two years imprisonment which was suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and 250 hours of unpaid work.
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