A mum who thrust an electric drill into a disabled woman’s head is among those to have been jailed in Greater Manchester this week.
Also locked up was a predatory paedophile who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl; a cowardly thug who repeatedly assaulted his ex; and a hapless burglar who was spotted wearing an ‘odd choice of clothing’.
Prison sentences are handed down to the worst offenders each week at our region's courts. And Manchester Evening News reporters are on hand to cover the most serious cases.
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Mum screamed 'I'm gonna kill you!' before shoving electric drill into disabled neighbour's head
A mum thrust a drill into her disabled neighbour’s head while screaming 'I’m gonna kill you' in a horrifying attack. Jade Kent, 31, barged into the woman’s home before pinning her to her seat using her foot and shoving the Black and Decker drill against her skull.
After turning the power tool on, the woman squirmed down into her seat to get away but was caught in the neck. Despite telling Kent that she was disabled and pleading with her to stop, the mum-of-one continued to punch and kick her before running home.
The woman was left with multiple injuries including a 4cm wound to the side of her scalp, a cut to her neck, as well as bruising to her collar bone, face and neck.
Kent, of Lees Street, Abbey Hey, was originally charged with attempted murder, but has since pleaded guilty to an alternative offence of section 18 wounding with intent and aggravated burglary. Last week, (April 21) she was jailed for five years and four months at Manchester Crown Court.
Predatory paedophile who kidnapped and sexually assaulted girl, 6, jailed for life
A girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a depraved paedophile who had been taking pictures of her and her friends while they played together. Lewis Jones abducted and violently attacked the six-year-old while she and some friends made a den on a field in Droylsden, Tameside.
Jones, 24, had been sitting on a bench when he secretly took pictures of the children's bottoms, before he took his chance to snatch the six-year-old. He picked her up and ran over to a wooded area, covering her mouth with his hand so she couldn't scream out for help.
Manchester Crown Court heard that during a near 30 minute period while he was alone with her, Jones subjected the child to a horrific, violent sexual attack, leaving her covered in blood. Jones only let her go after he heard her family screaming her name in a desperate bid to find her.
He was handed into police by his own father, after he saw pictures of his son released by GMP in a bid to catch the kidnapper. Police said residents now feel 'scared' of letting their children play out, and told how the terrifying incident has bred a feeling of 'fear and distrust' in the area.
Now Jones, who was already being investigated for the sexual abuse of a child when he kidnapped the girl, has been handed a life sentence. He will have to serve 12 years in prison before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.
The coward who 'absolutely wrecked' a woman's life
A thug launched terrifying attacks on his girlfriend - pouring cola over her, strangling her and biting her ear. Cowardly Jamie Brock assaulted the woman having accusing her of cheating after a man 'touched her shoulder'.
During one sickening incident, the 30-year-old grabbed the woman as she tried to leave, before pulling her to the floor by her hair and raining punches down on her. He bit her ear and strangled her, hissing: "I'm going to bite your ear off, you b****.
He also made threats to kill her. In desperation, the woman said: "If you're going to kill me, just do it quickly, I've had enough."
The judge said there was a 'high risk' of Brock causing serious harm to future partners and deemed him to be a dangerous offender under sentencing provisions.
Brock, of Church Lane, Harpurhey, was jailed for six years with an extended licence period of two years. He was also made subject of a restraining order, banning him from contacting the woman indefinitely.
Burglar spotted on CCTV wearing a ‘rather odd choice of clothing’ after breaking into hotel
A burglar was spotted on CCTV wandering around a hotel he’d broken into wearing a high-vis jacket. Ryan Parker had sneaked into the Mitre Hotel, in the city centre, at around 5am when he caught the attention of the female guard.
The night porter, who was sat in reception monitoring the CCTV cameras, heard something fall and saw Parker, 49, walk past the camera wearing the neon-coloured jacket.
“You entered and were seen on CCTV by a witness, and curiously, wearing a high-visibility jacket. It seems to be a rather odd choice of clothing for somebody involved in a burglary,” Recorder Imran Shafi KC said in sentencing.
Immediately calling the police, she watched as he walked past the bar area and attempted to steal a TV. Officers arrived in time and were able to catch him in the act.
Parker, of Briardene Gardens, Wythenshawe, who has over 150 offences on his criminal record, was jailed for 18 months at Manchester Crown Court.
Man who couldn't accept he'd been dumped launched vile attacks on ex
A jilted thug told his ex to ‘stop being so mardy’ as he poured Vimto over her, punched her and stood in her way so she couldn’t leave. Jake Rawlinson refused to accept his relationship with the woman was over and subjected her to abuse and violence.
In one attack he grabbed her by the neck and punched her as she packed a bag to leave. And in another he threw fizzy drinks over her before hauling a clothes horse at her. As she wept he told her to ‘stop being so mardy’.
Rawlinson, 27, of Marabel Close, Salford, pleaded guilty to assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and a further offence of stalking, in which he’d called the woman over 130 times and demanded she drop the charges against him.
He was jailed for three years as a judge told him: “Stay away from her”.
In a statement, the woman said she has since moved to a women’s sanctuary with her children, which has meant she has had to move away from her family.
“This made me feel like a failure as I kept taking him back and forgiving him but he kept letting me down,” she said. “It’s completely destroyed me.”
“I felt unsafe in my own home and I was constantly walking on eggshells. Over time he pushed me to breaking point, I would break down in tears, and felt like I had no option but to call the police.”
Salford drugs boss caught in Amsterdam dragged back to face justice after turning fugitive
A drugs boss caught in Amsterdam was dragged back home to face justice after spending 15 months on the run. Fugitive Francis McAnulty, 27, fled the country as police were about to pounce on him in his native Salford, when he had around £35,000 in cash and tens of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine stashed in his van.
He narrowly managed to avoid the law following a car chase and headed for the European mainland in a bid to evade the consequences of his crimes. But after being caught in the Dutch capital, McAnulty was flown back to the UK and has finally faced justice, after being handed a 12 year jail term.
Manchester Crown Court heard how McAnulty was the latest dealer to fall foul of the law enforcement hack of EncroChat, a highly encrypted network often dubbed 'WhatsApp for criminals'. He hid behind an apparent cloak of anonymity using the handles 'Noisy Bear', 'Eastern Killer' and 'Shapely Toast' on the communications platform.
But his messages would later come back to haunt him when European law enforcement cracked the encryption and handed the data to police forces across the UK under Operation Venetic. The information gleaned from EncroChat revealed that McAnulty had been brokering drug deals and was involved with vast sums of money.
McAnulty was linked to at least 31 kilos of cocaine, three kilos of heroin, one kilo of ketamine and 25 kilos of cannabis, prosecutor Alexandra Sutton said. He also paid another man to store drugs on his behalf and adulterate them.
McAnulty, of James Henry Avenue, Ordsall, Salford, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring to supply class A drugs, two counts of conspiring to supply class B drugs, two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, and possession of criminal property. He will serve half of his sentence in prison.
His respectable career went down the pan... the next thing he knew he was hauling coke for the likes of 'SpicySalad' and 'Mr Inappropriate'
A 'reliable foot soldier' was caught hauling more than 155 kilos of cocaine - working under the Encrochat handle 'GingerSpeaker'. Courier Matthew Clarke, 43, is the latest criminal to be hauled before Manchester’s courts following the law enforcement hack of the encrypted communications network.
He was ordered to pick up large amounts of the class A drug on behalf of an organised crime group based in Ashton-under-Lyne. Over a three month period, Clarke supplied 155 kilos of cocaine and transferred £100,000 of criminal cash.
Messages to people higher up the chain were discovered when European law enforcement officials cracked the Encrochat network and handed the data to UK cops.
Cops said the amount of drugs police uncovered during the investigation into Clarke had an estimated street value of over £14m.
Manchester Crown Court heard Clarke was linked to at least 10 different drugs pick-ups and drop-offs between March and June 2020 across the north.
Clarke, of Mansfield Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine; and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
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