From thugs to killers, dangerous drivers to wife beaters, and rapists to paedophiles, last month was eventful in the county's criminal courts.
While not every case heard in the Crown results in jail time for the offender, the vast majority are brought to justice and punished accordingly for their crimes.
Here, we've given you a round up of all the East Lancashire criminals jailed in the month of April.
Darwen man jailed for breaking barmaid's jaw in three places
A 'dangerous and violent' man attacked a barmaid outside a Darwen pub, breaking her jaw in three places.
David Barr, 33, of Quaker Lane, Darwen, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court today (Thursday, April 6) following the assault last year.
Around 6.45pm on August 13, Barr entered the Punch Hotel in Chapels, Darwen.
He ordered drinks and became irate, walking out of the pub. A staff member, Sarah Barrett, told him his drinks were ready, with Barr becoming aggressive and screaming in her face.
Full story here: Darwen man jailed for breaking barmaid's jaw in three places
Nelson drug driver took police on high speed chase not once but twice
A drug driver led police on a dangerous high speed chase through the streets of East Lancashire, was banned from driving - and then did the same thing again three months later.
Khaider Hussain was followed by police in Nelson on March 7 2022 after they spotted him in a vehicle which they believed had been stolen the day before.
Burnley Crown Court heard officers saw the VW disability vehicle at the Texaco garage on Scotland Road and began to follow it, activating their blue lights in an attempt to stop it.
Full story here: Nelson drug driver took police on high speed chase not once but twice
Burnley man jailed for robbing taxi driver at knifepoint
A man produced a knife and stole a car while out on a test drive before going on to rob two taxi drivers and assault a police officer.
Burnley Crown Court heard how in November 2020, Mohammed Farook, of no fixed abode, went to Manchester to take a test drive out on a Seat Leon that was for sale for £1,495.
He arrived with another man around midnight and went for a drive with the seller.
Joe Boyd, prosecuting said a price was agreed and bank details were asked for before Farook’s friend said they would go and get some cash from Oldham.
Full story here: Burnley man jailed for robbing taxi driver at knifepoint
Man thought his pal, 70, was having an affair with his wife
A pensioner who attacked his friend of 20 years with a hammer and accused him of having an affair with his wife has been jailed.
Derek Morgan, 72, had been friends with Nigel Hughes for 20 years, Preston Crown Court heard, with their wives also being close.
However, after Mr Hughes’ wife died in July last year, the Morgans visited in August but then didn’t see much of the widower again.
Prosecuting, David Clarke told the court how on the morning of November 15, Morgan turned up at Mr Hughes’ home uninvited and asked to come in for a cup of tea.
Full story here: Man thought his pal, 70, was having an affair with his wife
Darwen man climbed on roof and hurled racist abuse at people
A man climbed on top of a roof and started hurling racist and religious abuse at a crowd below before throwing slates at a police car.
Preston Crown Court heard how Craig Lloyd had gone to his ex-partners house on November 10, where she was at home with her young child and mother.
Prosecuting, David Traynor said: “She got a call from the defendant threatening to assault her and her mother.
“He then arrived at her house and started to call her a slut and a racist name before she told him to leave.”
Full story here: Darwen man climbed on roof and hurled racist abuse at people
Thug attacked girlfriend two weeks emergency C-section
A thug ‘blacked out’ while throwing his girlfriend into the wall and onto concrete two weeks after she had an emergency Caesarean section.
Kane Hunter, 26, had said to his partner that he would do all the housework and take her daughter to school after she had the surgery so she could relax as the doctor told her to do.
Lisa Worsley, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that on November 28, when their son was two weeks old, an argument broke out between the pair, with Hunter complaining about having to look after their baby even though his partner was not strong enough to pick the child up
Full story here: Thug attacked girlfriend two weeks emergency C-section
Husband jailed for controlling the life of wife of 14 years
A husband set up dating profiles in his wife’s name ‘catfishing men’ and sent a naked photo of her to a friend.
Chris Taylor, 60, has been jailed for controlling his wife, Tanya, who agreed to be named, and after 14 years, decided enough was enough.
Bob Sastry, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that during their marriage, Taylor punched walls, set up dating profiles in his wife’s name and even sent a naked photo of his wife to one of her friends.
On one occasion, the court was told that Tanya was told about a dating profile in her name online and approached her husband about it.
Full story here: Husband jailed for controlling the life of wife of 14 years
Paedophile who sent a love poem to ’12-year-old-girl’ jailed
A paedophile sent a love poem and used ‘flowery language’ to a ’12-year-old-girl’.
Ali Hassan, 31, thought he was contacting four girls aged between 12 and 14 but he was speaking to paedophile hunters.
Lisa Worsley, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that Hassan was ‘caught’ when turned up at Blackburn train station with chocolates and chocolate biscuits for ‘Stephanie Miller’, a decoy account, on November 7, 2021.
Full story here: Paedophile who sent a love poem to ’12-year-old-girl’ jailed
Blackburn man punched teenager five times before stealing his bike
A man punched a teenager in the face five or six times before stealing his bike.
Liam Spencer, 21, stole the bike from the 16-year-old who he thought he had been in an argument with earlier that night.
Spencer’s co-defendant, Cameron Stanger, 25, stole a bike that belonged to the teenager’s friend.
David Traynor, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that on July 10, 2021, at about 11.30pm two teenagers had been on their bikes before stopping outside the Foyer on Prince’s Street in Blackburn.
Full story here: Blackburn man punched teenager five times before stealing his bike
Jailed Burnley man walks free after spending a year on curfew
A man who was jailed for 12 months for unlawful wounding has walked free from court after already spending more than a year under curfew.
Gary Taylor, 37, caused the wounding of his cousin, Jonathan O’Brien, during a drunken argument that took place on March 7, 2021.
Burnley Crown Court heard how on that date police attended Taylor’s home address at around 7.30pm after the handler on a 111 call made by Taylor became concerned for his safety, after hearing an argument in the background.
Full story here: Jailed Burnley man walks free after spending a year on curfew
Man jailed after raping 12-year-old in Brierfield flat
A man who lured a 12-year-old girl to a flat and raped her has been given a 16-year prison sentence.
Nicusor Manole, 27, came across the girl by chance in Burnley in June last year – she had travelled to the town but wasn’t familiar with the area.
Initially Manole was kind to her, buying her a drink of Lucozade.
He then offered her £10 so she could travel to Manchester the next day, but on condition she would go back to his place for a few hours.
Full story here: Man jailed after raping 12-year-old in Brierfield flat
Burnley man jailed for assault on ex in Blackpool
A man who breached the requirements of his suspended sentence has been jailed for 12 months for criminal damage and assault.
George Stevens was convicted of assaulting his former partner during a night out in Blackpool where he also smashed her phone on the ground and threw it away from her.
Burnley Crown Court heard how Stevens, of Edgworth Grove, Burnley, had agreed to go on a night out to Blackpool with his ex, saying his behaviour had changed after the breakdown of their three-year relationship.
Full story here: Burnley man jailed for assault on ex in Blackpool
Burnley burglar who stole laptops from Pendleside Hospice is jailed
A prolific burglar who stole two laptops from a hospice and later a sum of cash from a wallet has been jailed.
Peter Everall, 49, of Fielden Street, Burnley, entered Pendleside Hospice in Colne Road, Burnley, and stole two laptops, which staff noticed were missing four days later.
Burnley Crown Court heard how on Friday, October 21, CCTV showed Everall at the front of the hospice with something in his hand and trying to open the doors.
After establishing it was locked, he waited for somebody to exit the building and then entered, ducking behind the front counter and donning a face mask
Full story here: Burnley burglar who stole laptops from Pendleside Hospice is jailed
Former Accrington soldier jailed for throwing plate at partner
A former soldier has been called a dangerous “wife batterer” by a judge after committing a series of domestic violence offences over the last six years.
Liam Fishwick, 31, was convicted in 2018, 2019, and then jailed in 2022 for violent attacks on his partner and mother of his two young children.
Burnley Crown Court heard he was released from his most recent sentence last year and was let back into the family home, but in January things took a turn for the worse when he threw a plate at his partner’s leg.
Full story here: Former Accrington soldier jailed for throwing plate at partner
Darwen woman set fire to bedroom while trying to light crack pipe
A woman who set fire to a bedroom in her friend’s house said she was trying to light a crack pipe with a blow torch when her mattress went up in flames.
Sarah McCrudden appeared at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.
The 30-year-old was staying in the back bedroom of her friend Adam Fletcher’s house in Clifton Street in Darwen, the court heard, when she set her mattress on fire before exiting the property, leaving Mr Fletcher and his brother Michael inside.
Full story here: Darwen woman set fire to bedroom while trying to light crack pipe
'Dangerous man' strangled and put knife to throat of girlfriend
A woman thought she was going to die when her partner was strangling her and put a knife to her throat in a Boxing Day outburst.
Carl McMahon, 34, put his hands around her neck twice within four days, with the final occasion seeing the woman pack her bags and leave.
Paul Cummings, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court said that the pair had been in a relationship for about six months.
During that time, McMahon would hit her, punch her and kick her but she said, ‘she thought she could handle it’.
Full story here: 'Dangerous man' strangled and put knife to throat of girlfriend
Rishton man jailed for historic indecent assault offences
A 65-year-old man has been jailed for historic sexual abuse on a girl under the age of 14.
Neil Kinney, of Fielding Street, Rishton, appeared at Preston Crown Court charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14.
The court heard how the offences were all carried out on the same victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between January 1978 and January 1979, in Clitheroe.
Full story here: Rishton man jailed for historic indecent assault offences
Prolific Blackburn thief jailed for spending £200 on stolen bank cards
A man with a “very poor record” for theft has been jailed after stealing bank cards and using them to buy goods worth more than £200.
Preston Crown Court heard how Colin Bray, 36, had been jailed in 2022 for 14 counts of theft and was released on licence on February 17.
Just two days later on February 19, his first victim, who had left her car parked outside her home reported to police that her bank card had been stolen along with some chewing gum and scratch cards which she had left inside her car.
Full story here: Prolific Blackburn thief jailed for spending £200 on stolen bank cards
Darwen woman jailed after holding knife to mother's throat
A woman who held a knife to the throat of her mother and cut her thumb after accusing her of taking her drugs has been jailed.
Preston Crown Court heard how Alisha Oakley, 23, was given a suspended sentence in 2022 for stabbing a man in the head at a party
She breached the conditions of this suspended sentence by failing without reasonable excuse to attend planned appointments with a responsible officer.
Oakley then, on March 9, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage at Blackburn Magistrates Court.
Full story here: Darwen woman jailed after holding knife to mother's throat
Blackburn thug jailed for killing man in single punch attack
A loving son was killed as a result of injuries sustained in a single blow as part of a 25-second encounter with a stranger.
James O'Hara, 45, was a loving son, brother and uncle, killed by an illness he developed as a direct result of a one-punch attack by Blackburn-man Michael Hannan on October 19, 2021.
Francis McEntee, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that James O'Hara had been out at a charity shop on Gisburn Road in Barrowford buying an LP while Hannan, of Tynwald Road, Blackburn, and his friend Matthew Shackleton had been up the road at the White Bear Inn.
Full story here: Blackburn thug jailed for killing man in single punch attack
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