A SOPHISTICATED stalker and a man who fleeced the company he worked for out of thousands, were just two defendants sent to prison in January.
It has been a busy start to the year for our judicial system with several offenders being handed jail terms, starting with a drug dealer who used his illgotten gains to fund a lavish lifestyle.
Man jailed after funding lavish lifestyle by running huge drug dealing hub
A MAN who funded his lavish lifestyle by running a huge drug dealing operation in Winsford has been jailed for more than six years.
Shane Preece, 43, 'brought misery' to residents thanks to his illegal enterprise and was sentenced to six years and nine months at Chester Crown Court yesterday, Thursday, January 20.
Meanwhile, his wife, Carla Preece, 32, pleaded guilty to money laundering offences and was handed a 20-day rehabilitation order.
Jamie Green, 28, was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for possession with intent to supply class B and possession of criminal property.
Northwich man stole paint from company and sold it for cash
A NORTHWICH man has been jailed after selling £40,000 worth of paint stolen from his employer – and splashing out on drink, drugs and prostitutes.
George Smith, of Violet Grove, admitted stealing stock from Bromborough Paints in Manchester before selling it on for cash.
The 33-year-old covered his deceit by adjusting computer stock records, but his 16-month long spree of thieving was eventually spotted by a finance director carrying out an audit.
He appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, January 21, where he was jailed for 21 months.
Stalker Matthew Hardy created fake social media profiles to harass victims
A ‘SOPHISTICATED’ stalker who harassed multiple people online by creating countless fake social media profiles of his victims has been jailed.
Matthew James Hardy, of Forest Place, Northwich, was sentenced to nine years at Chester Crown Court today, Wednesday, for the ‘deep and sophisticated infiltration into his victims’ personal lives’.
The 30-year-old admitted creating fake profiles on social media between April 2016 and August 2021 to try and befriend his victims – sometimes even posing as their friends and family members in order to gather information about them that would cause embarrassment.
Man jailed after being caught four times over drink-drive limit
A MAN has been sent to prison after being caught almost four times over the drink-drive limit.
Dawid Mazur, of Laburnum Road in Northwich, was driving in Crewe on December 10 when he provided a reading of 130 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.
The 40-year-old was also found to be driving with no insurance and driving while already disqualified.
Magistrates at Chester Magistrates Court handed him an 18-week sentence on Monday because of his previous record, but did take his guilty plea into account.
Man jailed after stealing £11k of cigarettes from 24 stores in month-long crime spree
A MAN who stole more than £11,000 worth of cigarettes from 24 different stores in a month-long crime spree across Cheshire has been jailed.
Edward Warde appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 28 where he was sentenced to three years in prison.
The 35-year-old of Warrington Road, Runcorn, had earlier pleaded guilty to theft, driving while disqualified and assault.
The court heard how between Wednesday, September 29, and Tuesday, October 26, 2021, Warde carried out 24 high value thefts at convenience stores.
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