RAPISTS, a drug dealer and burglars are among the defendants who have been jailed for their involvement in crime across Mid Cheshire in April.
Every week we cover court cases in both crown and magistrates courts, concerning both defendants from Mid Cheshire and offences which have happened in the area.
Here is our monthly round-up of those who have been put behind bars:
A NORTHWICH man who sexually assaulted a sleeping child and shared indecent images he had taken online has been jailed for four years and four months.
Craig Crowther, 31, was identified by National Crime Agency investigators as username ‘craggy2014’ who, on numerous occasions, discussed his sexual interest in children with who he believed were other paedophiles online.
In May 2020, Crowther, of Tilstone Close, Northwich, told an undercover police officer posing as another user that he likes to ‘get involved’ with children, and had access to a child who he had sexually abused.
A 20-YEAR-OLD has been handed a six-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Thomas Kellett, of Rosewood Drive in Winsford, drove a Vauxhall Corsa dangerously along Chester Way near Northwich town centre on February 6.
The next day, he then obstructed a police constable in the execution of his duty.
Appearing in Chester Magistrates’ Court on April 1, Kellett’s guilty plea was taken into account when imposing sentence.
A MAN caught selling class A drugs in Northwich has been jailed.
Ryan Stephen Bailey, of Austin Street in Lostock Gralam, was sentenced to three years at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 1.
The 29-year-old was found with quantities of both heroin and crack cocaine when police raided his home on January 26 this year.
Bailey was one of five people arrested in raids orchestrated by Merseyside Police in its crackdown on county lines drug dealing.
The joint operation with Cheshire Police, known as Project Medusa, led to several warrants being executed across the town.
A RAPIST who sexually abused a young girl in Wilmslow has been jailed thanks to the bravery and courage of his victim.
Gerard King, who put the girl through ‘truly horrifying systematic abuse’, has been put behind bars for 15 years.
The 59-year-old was found guilty of one count of rape of a child and seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 following a five day trial at Chester Crown Court, which concluded on Monday, April 25.
King, of Rochdale Road, Bury, returned to court the following day and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, plus one year on extended licence.
A MAN who raped, strangled and imprisoned a woman in Knutsford has been jailed for 12 years.
Lee Jones, of Cross Flatts Street in Leeds, threatened the victim with a knife and made threats towards her family.
The 46-year-old admitted raping the woman twice.
On the first occasion, he strangled her before motioning to a knife located on the floor and making threats towards her family.
Jones was arrested on Thursday, February 26, last year, after the victim messaged family members asking them to call the police.
TWO burglars who thought they had discovered ‘the perfect crime’ breaking into unoccupied homes under renovation have been jailed.
Martin Maloney, 49, and Christopher Leigh, 45, carried out at least 21 burglaries at expensive luxury homes across East Cheshire.
The duo were both sentenced to four years and three months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, April 26.
The pair, from Bolton, stole property worth around £120,000 from homes in Alderley Edge and Prestbury between September 2019 and April 2021, the court heard.
A MAN who admitted stalking TV star Denise Welch has been jailed for more than seven years.
Toraq Wyngard, of Cannon Street in Salford, was sentenced to seven years and seven months at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, April 7.
The 53-year-old had already admitted stalking the Hollyoaks actress as well as charges of arson, possession of a bladed article and damaging property.
During his disturbing stalking campaign, on September 19, 2020, Wyngard went onto Mrs Townley’s Wilmslow home and set fire to the skip on her driveway which spread to the garage attached to her property.
A 20-YEAR-OLD has been handed an 18-month sentence for multiple offences, including possession of indecent images and assaulting emergency workers by punching, kicking and spitting at them.
Thomas Michael Beswick, of London Road in Holmes Chapel, appeared at Chester Crown Court today, April 29, charged with various offences after his offending ‘snowballed’ over the past six months.
Up until October, 2021, Beswick had no convictions to his name – but Judge Michael Leeming said he had ‘certainly made up for it’ since.
THIEF Gary Bloor has been jailed after stealing £1,500 from a Northwich sports club and damaging its gambling machines during a month-long crime wave.
Between March 24 and April 27 this year, the 39-year-old, of Parkfield Road, committed a series of offences in the town.
Bloor appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on April 27 where he pleaded guilty to all of the offences.
Taking his guilty pleas into account, magistrates sentenced Bloor to a total of 48 weeks in prison due to the seriousness of his offending.
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