All the criminals jailed in East Lancashire this May

Among those jailed were a dangerous driver who was branded a 'menace' by the sentencing judge, an organised crime group, and a man who destroyed a family fishery.

Here's a round-up of all the criminals banged up in May.

All the East Lancashire criminals jailed in May

Christian Lewis

Christian Lewis (Image: Lancashire Police) Christian Lewis, 34, of no fixed abode, was jailed for life with a minimum term of seven years for raping a woman in Burnley.

Lewis attacked the woman in her own home after walking her back from the pub where they had a drink together.

DC Laura Jenkins of Lancashire Police's rape and serious sexual offences team, said: "I hope that the victim can now begin to rebuild her life knowing that the man responsible for this attack is behind bars.”

FULL STORY: Man who assaulted and raped woman in Burnley jailed for life

Grant Eddleston

Grant Eddleston (Image: Lancashire Police) Grant Eddleston, 35, formerly of Cliviger, was jailed for 10 years for assaulting a toddler and leaving him with a fractured skull.

Eddleston was found guilty following a two-week trial at Preston Crown Court. 

His victim has made a good recovery.

FULL STORY: Thug who assaulted toddler in Burnley jailed for 10 years

Usman Akhter, Arkadiusz Matejko, James Sneath, T-Jay Russell

Usman Akhter, James Sneath, T-Jay Russell and Arkadiusz Matejko were jailed for a combined 18 years (Image: Lancashire Police) Usman Akhter, James Sneath, T-Jay Russell and Arkadiusz Matejko were jailed for a combined 18 years for their roles in supplying ketamine and cannabis across East Lancashire.

Akhter orchestrated the gang from his prison cell while his associates carried out the day-to-day activities.

He was sentenced to six years in prison on top of the 13-year sentence he was already serving, while Matejko was sentenced to seven years and eight months, Russell to four years, and Sneath to 12 months.

FULL STORY: Usman Akhter's organised crime group jailed for 18 years

Stephen Holden

Stephen Holden (Image: Lancashire Police) Stephen Holden, 33, of Wensley Road, Blackburn, was jailed for 26 weeks after he threatened to smash his pregnant partner's face in.

Holden was in an argument with his partner because he wanted to go drinking with his brother rather than accompanying her to a scan.

He went to the scan but things turned nasty afterwards, with Holden kicking a door and making the threat towards his partner.

FULL STORY: Blackburn thug told partner 'pregnant or not I’ll smash your face in'

Jordan Mollet

Jordan Mollet was sentenced at Preston Crown Court. A custody image has not been provided. (Image: Anthony Moss) Jordan Mollet, 25, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, was jailed for 10 months after leading police on a high-speed chase.

Mollet was branded a "menace" behind the wheel of a car by Judge Michael Maher having previously appeared in court for other driving offences.

A drug wipe was taken at the scene and returned a positive result for cannabis, though no charge was sought for that by the prosecution.

FULL STORY: Blackburn woman branded 'menace' by judge after police chase

Shaun Lally

Shaun Lally (Image: Lancashire Police) Shaun Lally, 39, of Monmouth Street, Burnley, was jailed for 19 weeks after he was found to be carrying a knife at the Burnley FC promotion parade.

The knife was found in Lally's pocket and the court heard he had a previous conviction for possessing a bladed instrument.

Lally claimed to have forgotten about having the blade on him, which was only illegal because it was lockable.

FULL STORY: Man jailed for having knife at Burnley FC promotion parade

David Shorrock

David Shorrock (Image: Lancashire Police) David Shorrock, 53, of Ballantrae Road, Blackburn, was jailed for nine months for engaging in sexual activity with a mentally disordered patient while working as a carer.

Shorrock was disturbed by one of his colleagues while engaging in the sexual activity at a home in Great Harwood.

He denied the offence throughout the trial but Judge Richard Gioserano said the pre-sentence report claimed Shorrock was "peddling the same story you told the jury, the same lies they rejected".

FULL STORY: Blackburn care worker jailed over patient sexual abuse

Liam Field

Liam Field (Image: Lancashire Police) Liam Field, 34, of Bethesda Street, Blackburn, was jailed for three years after selling class A drugs in order to pay off his own drug debt.

Field was arrested in his garden shed in November where officers found 10.2g of cannabis, 4.5g of ketamine, and 142 ecstasy tablets.

A number of text messages were uncovered exchanged between Field and a man named Arek Matejko, who was recently jailed as part of a larger police operation targeting drug supply, mentioned previously.

FULL STORY: Blackburn street dealer sold drugs to pay off debt

Abubakar Mahmood

Abubakar Mahmood (Image: Lancashire Police) Abubakar Mahmood, 20, of Farrer Street, Nelson, was jailed for 12 years for killing carer Safia Karieem as he drove at speed through Nelson.

Mahmood was driving at around 65mph in the 30mph zone on Manchester Road when he struck Ms Karieem, who was dragged along the road where she died.

Mahmood failed to stop for around 1.2 miles before abandoning the car.

FULL STORY: Dangerous driver who killed Nelson mum jailed for 12 years

Lance Cook

Lance Cook (Image: Lancashire Police) Lance Cook, 64, of Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, was jailed for 30 weeks after making repeated nuisance 999 calls. 

A further 26 weeks from previous suspended sentences was also imposed, while a criminal behaviour order was extended by three years to October 2028.

The court heard Cook referred to the welfare of his sons, who were all now adults. He also became abusive to call handlers.

FULL STORY: Blackburn nuisance 999 caller jailed for repeated calls

Saqib Sohail

Sohail was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court. A custody image has not been provided. (Image: Anthony Moss) Saqib Sohail, 36, of Manchester Road, Nelson, was jailed for two years and 10 months after attempting to talk to a girl he believed to be 14-years-old online.

The girl was in fact a decoy account run by an adult from Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but he did not know this.

Paul Brookwell, prosecuting at Burnley Crown Court, said Sohail told the 'girl' she "looked sexy" and asked for her breast size.