THOSE found responsible for the most serious crimes committed in East Lancashire end up in front of a judge at the crown court.

Over the last month, the Lancashire Telegraph has reported on dozens of the most shocking crimes to have taken place in the county, either being heard at Burnley or Preston Crown Court.

From a murderer to a rapist, robbers to cruel pair who stole from a dying woman, all manner of cases have taken place.

Here are just a handful of those who faced justice in March for committing some of the most serious crimes in Lancashire.

Man found guilty of murdering Darwen woman Susan Waring

A man has been convicted of the murder of a woman who has been missing for more than two years.

Alan Edwards, 48, claimed he last saw Susan Waring as she kissed him goodbye and walked out of his flat in Darwen, Lancashire, on January 30 2019.

But the prosecution said he was a “violent bully” who killed the 45-year-old and then disposed of her body.

Miss Waring’s mother reported her missing several days later but, despite extensive police inquiries, her whereabouts are unknown and there is no evidence to say she is alive, Preston Crown Court was told.#

Edwards is to be sentenced on Wednesday April 7.

Blackburn nightmare teen stabbed neighbour during dispute

A ‘SELFISH’ teenager who made his neighbours’ lives a living nightmare almost killed one of them by stabbing him during a heated argument.

Danish Moosaji was just 18 when he plunged a knife into Fahim Rashid, severing his main artery, the aorta, and leaving him fighting for his life.

A jury found the teenager not guilty of attempted murder but guilty of wounding with intent. He has now been sentenced to serve nine years in a young offenders' institution for the crime he committed outside his home on Dalton Close, Blackburn, on August 5.

Preston Crown Court heard how Moosaji’s behaviour leading up to the incident had escalated, resulting in his own parents calling the police 28 times.

Read the full story here

Darwen man raped boy, 8, with the help of his wife

A PAEDOPHILE who is already serving time for a string of vile offences has again appeared in front of a judge.

Joseph Tracey Swindlehurst, of Darwen, admitted he had subjected an eight-year-old boy to months of sexual and physical abuse by beating and raping him.

During sentencing for the offences, it was heard how Swindlehurst’s late wife was also heavily involved in the abuse.

The 62-year-old will now serve a further 16 years on top of a seven-year sentence which was imposed upon him in 2018 after he pleaded guilty to historical offences on four girls and a boy.

Read the full story here

Couple stole from dying woman after her husband asked them for help

BURGLARS took a dying woman’s phone and purse after the 84-year-old’s frantic husband had asked them for help.

Kelly Cassidy and Steven Morris walked into partially-sighted Ronald Crowther’s home as he was upstairs caring for his dying wife Dorothy, who had fallen ill in the night on October 15.

The heroin addicts seized the opportunity to strike after seeing a distressed Mr Crowther looking for help in the street at around 3am – even offering to call an ambulance when he told them his wife was ill.

But the pair never called an ambulance. Instead they waited until the coast was clear to enter Mr Crowther’s Brierfield home.

Read the full story here

Blackburn criminal struggling with gender identity jailed after throwing away judge's help

A JUDGE who ‘stuck his neck out’ in a bid to help a criminal who was transitioning gender has been forced to jail him after he was arrested for drug dealing.

Simran Khan was caught dealing drugs on the streets of Blackburn just months after Judge Simon Newell imposed a 22-month suspended prison sentence on him for reckless arson.

Part of the requirement of that was for Khan to stay in a residential home in Leeds, where the 24-year-old could get help with the struggles he was facing with his transition.

Just three months later he was spotted dealing drugs in Bank Top, Blackburn.

Read the full story here

Predator took 13-year-old to Blackburn hotel for sex

A PREDATOR who lured a 13-year-old girl to a hotel for sex has been jailed in his absence after he fled the country to return to India.

Venkat Rakesh Annapureddy was an IT student at UCLan in Preston when he struck-up an online friendship with the teen before arranging to take her to a hotel in Blackburn.

However the 25-year-old was stopped in his tracks when the hotel’s owner became suspicious of the pair - coming up with a plan to stall them while he secretly called the police.

Annapureddy pleaded not guilty to one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and a second of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence and was sent on bail to crown court for trial.

But the student fled back to his home country in May 2020, meaning the decision was made for the trial and consequent sentence hearing to take place in his absence.

Read the full story here

Dealer jailed as £10,000 worth of cocaine found in car

A MAN has been jailed for seven years after being caught in a car with £10,000 of cocaine.

On the evening of August 28 officers stopped a black Audi in Victoria Street, Oswaldtwistle, which had been linked to drug-dealing.

The sole occupant of that vehicle was 36-year-old John Smith, of Norman Road, Oswaldtwistle.

As well as the cocaine, officers also found three mobile phones in the vehicle.

Smith was arrested on suspicion of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and later charged with the same offence.

Read the full story here

Blackburn dealer led officers on chase around town in rented BMW

A DEALER who was selling cocaine to fund his own habit led police on a dangerous pursuit after he was seen to be involved in a drug exchange.

Waqaar Ali drove his rented BMW so badly that officers were forced to stop pursuing him over fears of a serious incident.

Preston Crown Court heard how the 32-year-old drove on the wrong side of the road, went through red lights and exceeded the speed limit on several roads in Blackburn before he abandoned the vehicle on Minnie Terrace.

While officers had stopped pursuing Ali, they were able to track down the vehicle and later found the dealer hiding in a back garden with a plastic bag containing over £1,000 worth of Class A Drugs.

Read the full story here

Career criminals jailed for spree of terrifying incidents in Accrington

A GANG of career criminals terrorised people in their own homes by breaking in and threatening to kill them before escaping with low-value items and cash.

In one instance a vulnerable man’s phone line was cut by the thugs so he would be unable to call for help as they threatened to slit his throat.

The burglary and robbery spree undertaken by Jamie Lonsdale, Mark Swain and James ‘Bronco’ Doherty took place in April 2019 in Accrington.

The trio have now been jailed for a total of more than 30 years after Swain and Lonsdale were deemed to be dangerous offenders.

Read the full story here