As they are locking criminals up for horrendous crimes, judges have an additional power to declare them 'dangerous'. The dictionary definition of the word dangerous is 'likely to injure or harm someone, or to damage or destroy something'.
But dangerous has a specific legal meaning within the criminal justice system. A criminal can deemed to be dangerous if they have committed a violent, sexual or terrorist offence, or a crime which holds a punishment of ten years in prison or more.
Judges can then declare a criminal dangerous if they believe there is a 'significant risk to members of the public of serious harm occasioned by the commission by him of further specified offences'. This means that judges can then impose an extended sentence.
This can include defendants having to serve two-thirds of their sentence in prison, their release date being determined by the Parole Board rather than automatically, as well as an extra period on licence when they are released. These laws are designed to allow judges to impose sentences for public protection, against those who they deem could pose a risk in the future.
Here are some of the Manchester criminals who have recently been declared dangerous.
The raging knifeman who attacked ex's Tinder date
When Derek Malcolm found his ex-girlfriend in bed with a Tinder date, he armed himself with a knife. The couple had been in a relationship for eight years, but broke up in 2019.
The year before they had split, Malcolm, 34, was hauled before the courts for attacking her during a row. In August 2021, she had met a man using the dating app Tinder, and agreed to go on a date.
The pair enjoyed drinks in Bury town centre before returning to her home, sleeping in the same bed. In the early hours, the man was woken to find he was being punched repeatedly.
Malcolm, who had let himself in, stopped and left the room, but he returned seconds later armed with an 18cm kitchen knife. She pleaded with him to stop but Malcolm shoved her out of the way.
During the attack Malcolm slashed the man to the face, inflicting a 'large wound'. Malcolm only stopped as his ex jumped on him. The victim, who previously served in the Army, said: "This has scared me more than anything I have ever experienced in my life."
Malcolm's barrister said the defendant had been a 'successful footballer' in his youth, before he 'fell in with the wrong crowd'. Sentencing Judge Hilary Manley told Malcolm: "Many people have personal difficulties and setbacks in their lives.
"There is nothing in your past that can possibly begin to explain and justify how you have turned out in terms of your violent and controlling behaviour." Malcolm, of Langley Grove, Prestwich, was declared dangerous and received an extended sentence, comprising of 13 years in prison and an additional five years on licence.
After a trial he was found guilty of wounding with intent, assault and perverting the course of justice.
The woman who bit pal's nose off in act of 'animal savagery'
Claire Bold's victim has been subjected to vile abuse and people have stared at her in the street after she was attacked in an act of 'animal savagery'. Bold, 38, bit the woman's nose clean off after a row.
The pair had known each other for about two years when the shocking incident unfolded. They had previously got on well and had smoked crack cocaine together.
But in April 2021 they became embroiled in a fight, injuring each other. Bold was raging as she believed that the woman had taken her credit card. She followed her to a friend's house and the fight resumed.
She then clamped her teeth onto the woman's nose before biting on it, leaving her in 'excruciating' pain and bleeding profusely. The attack has left her permanently disfigured and people have called her 'piggy'.
Weeks after the appalling incident, Bold left another woman permanently disfigured, after hitting her to the face with a handheld mirror. Bold stormed out of court as the judge laid bare the facts of her shocking crimes.
"In the course of a fight you bit off the end of her nose, in a display of appalling, vicious, deliberate and calculated violence," Judge Timothy Smith said.
The judge declared her dangerous, and sentenced handed her a ten year sentence, comprising of six years in jail and an extra four years on licence after she is released. Bold pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, unlawful wounding and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
The robbers who targeted 18-year-old waiting for an Uber home
Two 18-year-olds were waiting for an Uber home when they were approached by three men on Portland Street near Piccadilly Gardens. The trio appeared friendly, and talked to them about football before things turned violent.
A third, unknown man put his hand around the victim's shoulder and offered him cocaine, which he refused. He then commented on one of the men's Burberry bag, saying it was nice before asking how much it cost.
The victim was wrestled into a headlock and Latif Sanyang, 23, began pummelling him in the face. The victim's friend estimated that Sanyang punched him about '35 times'.
As the witness tried to intervene, Ryan Speed, 27, threatened him by lifting up his tracksuit top to reveal a knife. While the attackers continued, the unknown offender said of the Burberry bag: "Just stab him, we'll take it."
He gave up the bag and sought help from a nearby police officer. The victim suffered graphic injuries, including cuts to his face, swelling, loose teeth and a black eye.
Sanyang pleaded guilty to robbery and two counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order. Speed pleaded guilty to robbery, theft and fraud.
Both Speed and Sanyang were declared 'dangerous' offenders and handed extended sentences for public protection. Both will serve at least two-thirds of a six year jail term before they can be considered for release by the Parole Board. They were also handed an extra three years on licence.
Robber who told musician 'you’re gonna die tonight'
Revellers at a nightclub were out celebrating Christmas when an armed gang struck 'for the purpose of robbing people'. Live music had been performed during the evening on Christmas Eve, and into the early hours of Christmas Day.
Paul Edwards, 34, was one of a gang of four men who had arrived at the Tinapa nightclub in Openshaw. Edwards was armed with a knife, and the others had weapons including a machete.
Three of the musicians were sat outside in an Audi after performing their set. The driver of the Audi ran off, and, after seeing Edwards had a knife, and the second man also fled.
The gang got into the Audi, apparently believing it was empty. "Who the f*** are you?," one asked after seeing a third man was still in the car.
He pleaded with the gang to let him go. Instead he was kidnapped and subjected to a terrifying ordeal. "You’re gonna die tonight," Edwards told him. "We’re gonna kill you."
After being driven around in the Audi, the gang stopped in a 'remote location', thought to be a car park or alley in Openshaw. He was told to get out and strip.
The victim took off his clothes and shoes, leaving him wearing just a top and shorts. The gang told him they wanted his possessions. Edwards moved closer to the victim, who pushed him away.
During a scuffle, Edwards slashed him in the face with his knife. Shortly after the victim ran away, and was chased by Edwards who eventually gave up.
Edwards, was found guilty of two counts of robbery, one count of kidnap and one count of wounding with intent. He pleaded guilty to one count of section 47 assault. He was declared a 'dangerous' offender and handed a nine year prison sentence, with an extra four years on licence.
The fatal horror crash driver with 146 previous offences
Career criminal Craig Norman, who has racked up 146 previous offences, was declared dangerous after causing the death of his friend in a high speed horror crash. Norman, 45, had spotted his pal James Dickson after stopping at traffic lights in Little Hulton.
The pair raced through the streets before Mr Dickson, 37, reached speeds of up to 99mph in a 30mph zone, hit another car and ploughed into some railings. Mr Dickson died after suffering fatal head injuries. Norman was able to stop his Audi following the collision in June, before leaving the scene and driving home.
"It is, in my view, only surprising that given your record an incident such as this has not happened before," Judge Timothy Smith told him. Norman was unanimously found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving after a trial, and he was sentenced to nine years in prison, and an extra five years on licence.
Norman previously hit the headlines after he was stabbed by a homeowner during a burglary. He spent six months in hospital, suffered serious injury to his major organs, and, according to his own barrister was 'lucky to be alive'.
In 2015 Norman was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to burglary.
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