Liverpool's law courts remained as busy as ever in 2022.
While a courtroom will usually foster a quiet and serious atmosphere, sometimes this can be broken up by a surprising outburst from a defendant. Here we take a look at some of those unexpected responses in our courts this year.
"Nice one mate"
A man involved in a knife brawl which saw a grandad stabbed in the back, simply responded “nice one mate” to a judge when told he was going to jail. Jack Nolan 20, appeared alongside co-defendant Charles George, who both went to an address on Glover Place in Bootle to confront another teen on May 10 2021.
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Their intended victim was not home though, and the two yobs instead fought with his family. The boy's grandad was knifed in the back during the shocking incident, which was caught on CCTV, while his uncle was stabbed in the arm. It could not be established who had inflicted the injuries, so both teens had their sentences suspended.
For two previous offences, one for possession of cocaine with intent to supply and another for obstructing a police officer, Nolan received a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years, as well being told to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
He admitted to two counts of breaching a suspended sentence order after not maintaining contact with probation and only completing on hour of his unpaid work, and three rehabilitation activity days. After being jailed for 18 months, Nolan replied "nice one mate" as he was led down to the cells.
"It's a f***ing joke that"
A notorious crime family leader told a judge “it’s a f***ing joke that” after being sentenced to 14 years and nine months in December. Paul Whitney, 44, of Clocktower Drive, Walton, has a long criminal history as the head of a family drugs ring which was responsible for a huge amount of heroin and crack cocaine on the streets.
He had 12 previous convictions for 34 offences, including receiving five years for supplying class A drugs in 2001. Whitney was back in court again in November, accused of using encrypted communications platform EncroChat under the name Bullet-Hawk to facilitate his involvement in the supply of drugs.
His secret chats demonstrated that he supplied or agreed deals for at least 3kg of cocaine and 5kg of heroin as well as 2kg of ketamine and in the region of 30kg cannabis. Whitney also opposed his arrest on the grounds that it was his birthday.
After the authorities gained access to the underground messaging service, officers executed a search warrant at his house on Clocktower Drive in Walton on March 30 last year - his 43rd birthday. On this occasion, Whitney answered the door and replied: "It's my birthday, this is a joke."
£600 in cash was seized by Merseyside Police, as well as a quantity of cannabis and several expensive motorbikes during the raid.
"Get in"
A thug who launched a brutal attack on an unsuspecting man proudly proclaimed “get in” as he had his liberty taken away and was sentenced to jail. Ryan Fagan, 40, and co-defendant Kyle Johnson attacked Paul Buckley, 45, on Victoria Street in the early hours of March 1, 2022.
On June 21, a court heard that the men instigated a brutal assault in Liverpool City Centre on Mr Buckley, “for no apparent reason”. Fagan elbowed the victim to the face and kicked him, leaving him with a large laceration to his eyebrow which required nine stitches.
He has 13 previous convictions, and initially denied assault in a police interview and claimed he was defending himself but then pleaded guilty to the assault in May. Mr Recorder Imran Shafi, QC, sentenced Fagan to 12 months in prison. Afterwards, Fagan thanked Recorder Shafi, before letting out a loud cheer of "get in" as he left the courtroom .
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