Bolton Crown Court Sentencing Results

Ryan Schofield of Ashton-under-Lyne, befriended his victim online and subjected her to controlling and coercive behaviour, horrific physical and sexual abuse, including assault, rape, threats to kill, and false imprisonment between March and October 2022. Evidence of the abuse was found on his phone after his arrest for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Hugh Nelson used artificial intelligence tools to manipulate normal photographs of real children into indecent images of child sexual abuse, which he sold online for approximately £5,000 over an 18-month period or shared for free. He operated through internet chatrooms on the 'clean web', accepted requests to create explicit images depicting children being sexually and physically harmed, and encouraged the rape of children via online discussions. His activities involved exchanging images with individuals in other countries, and police investigations identified potential victims and offenders globally.

On 3 June 2024, Ryan Breheny, 48, from Wigan, called emergency services just after 6.15pm, complaining about the NHS and making threats to execute hospital staff using an AK-47, chemicals, and bombs. Less than an hour later, he sent two threatening emails to an MP's constituency office containing threats to kill the MP, distressing the office manager. Police attended his address that evening; he greeted them with a loaded crossbow, which he dropped after being ordered to do so. Further weapons including slingshots, rifles, a baton, and a machete were seized from his home. In his police interview, he admitted the communications but claimed no intention to carry out the threats.

On 20 December 2022, Ruth Auta, a 28-year-old nurse, left her ten-week-old son the victim home alone in her nurses' accommodation at Royal Bolton Hospital while she went to work her shift starting shortly after 6.30am. She returned over eight hours later at 3.13pm. At 3.24pm, she called an ambulance reporting that her son was not breathing. Despite resuscitation attempts, the victim was pronounced dead at 4.40pm. Experts could not confirm the cause of death; he was healthy but may have overheated due to layers of clothing and bedding, though other causes could not be ruled out. Auta initially lied to police, claiming she had collected the victim from a childminder after work, fed him, placed him on her bed, and fell asleep next to him, waking to find him unresponsive. CCTV showed her leaving alone at 6.47am and returning alone. Messages on her phone asked the childminder to lie about caring for the victim that day, but the childminder confirmed she had not seen him for days. Auta gave no comment in her police interview and was released on bail. She was arrested on 6 June 2024 at Gatwick Airport attempting to board a one-way flight to Nigeria.

Shaun Vincent, a 36-year-old care worker from Wigan, Greater Manchester, abused his position of trust by committing sexual offences against a teenager unable to consent. He made unwanted sexual advances, used sexual language, and committed the offences. Following his arrest, he breached police bail conditions by continuing to contact the teenager, leading to him being brought before the court in custody where he has remained since charge. The case was built with eyewitness testimony, phone evidence of messages sent to the girl, and forensic evidence linking him to the victim.

Nigel Simpson was involved in violent disorder in Bolton town centre on August 4, 2024, during civil unrest. He was captured on CCTV charging at counter protesters while carrying an England flag, collecting items from the floor, and throwing a black object that hit a police officer. He was part of a group hurling items at police and opposing factions, and he later retreated with others.

Liam Walmsley, along with Kingsley Doring and Dylan Hogg, attended a property on Siddow Common armed with weapons on August 18, 2023, and demanded the victim accompany them. The victim was detained for more than eight hours, during which he was hit with a wooden weapon and an axe, and demands for money were made to his mother over the telephone.

Kingsley Doring, along with Liam Walmsley and Dylan Hogg, attended a property on Siddow Common armed with weapons on August 18, 2023, and demanded the victim accompany them. The victim was detained for more than eight hours, during which he was hit with a wooden weapon and an axe, and demands for money were made to his mother over the telephone.

Anthony Callan, aged 34, of Bolton, was involved in abusive relationships with two partners. In August 2024, he accused his first partner of cheating, sent abusive messages, and threw a brick through her window after entering her property uninvited, leaving her terrified. While on bail, he began a new relationship and strangled his second partner on New Year's Eve, restricting her breathing for about 10 seconds and damaging her dress, causing her to fear for her life. He was arrested multiple times and continued to contact the first victim via messages and gifts.

Jordan Hook, aged 29, from Milton Close, Atherton, was in a relationship with the victim throughout much of 2024. He subjected her to physical violence, including breaking her left wrist and a finger on her right hand, throwing her down the stairs at least three times, strangling her for around a minute during an assault on December 27, 2023, and controlling her clothing, social interactions, and movements. He also damaged property, such as smashing a 55-inch television and a glass table, and threatened suicide to prevent her from leaving. On December 7, 2023, he followed her to a bus station, demanded she remove clothes he had bought, and later attempted to force entry into her home, leading to his arrest.

On April 22, 2024, Jordan Parden-Bell was driving a black Nissan Qashqai on Thicketford Road when a police officer asked him to stop due to suspicions of stolen vehicles in the area. He initially complied but then drove off at speed, reaching 70mph in a 30mph zone through heavily populated areas. He failed to stop at a give way, collided with another vehicle, drove over a pedestrianised embankment where the car became stuck, and fled on foot before being apprehended in a wooded area. He admitted to having no insurance or licence at the time of arrest.

David Farrington, 68, went to his neighbour's house to complain about music, pointed a shotgun at the neighbour, which prompted a scuffle in which the gun went off on December 9, 2023. He was a registered firearms holder, and police seized the shotgun and found another shotgun and several cartridges during a search of his house in Golborne.

John Fairhurst subjected four children to abhorrent sexual abuse over a number of years, including sending intimate photos and requesting that they take part in degrading acts. He became aggressive and took advantage of his victims, leading to his arrest in October 2022 and subsequent conviction on 17 counts of sexual offences.

Jamie Evans, 30, was driving a Volvo car on Lily Lane in Bamfurlong, Wigan, in the early hours of New Year's Day, 2022, when he struck and killed the victim, who was walking barefoot in the middle of the road after being released by police. CCTV footage captured the victim moments before the crash, showing him whistling and clapping while walking on white lines with his jumper tied around his waist.

Naveed Ishaq downloaded almost 400,000 indecent images of children (31,307 category A, 29,256 category B, 327,531 category C) between March 2017 and August 2020. Images included children aged from one-year-old to 17, many appearing distressed and in severe pain. He also had 47 images of extreme pornography involving animals, including a video featuring a child, and a 120-page paedophile manual on 'how to practice child love'. Ishaq used chat rooms to request child porn, employed secretive browsers, and searched terms like 'pre-teen hardcore' and 'rape'. He was identified through a National Crime Agency investigation into a New Zealand-based file sharing website Mega.NZ, with six email addresses traced to his Bolton address. Police seized multiple devices from his home in Bolton, uncovering the material.

Harry Bowman, aged between 14 and 18 at the time, blackmailed seven underage girls into sending explicit images via social media. He used the images to coerce further acts, physically abused some victims below the age of consent, threatened to set a victim's house on fire, and sent indecent images to a victim's family as revenge. Police seized his phone containing over 1,200 indecent images, including 364 in the most serious category, of girls as young as two or three. One victim described him as very controlling and noted encouragement to self-harm.

Heather Jeffrey was convicted of money laundering for her part in a scheme that smuggled cash through Manchester Airport to the UAE. Members of the gang posed as holidaymakers and hid bundles of cash inside clothes in suitcases. They were put up in expensive Dubai hotels and attended nightclubs and beach clubs, sometimes returning after only a short time to collect more cash.

Emma Roberts set fire to a Vauxhall Mokka belonging to a woman on 4 September 2025 and a Renault Trafic and Audi A3 belonging to the same man on 15 and 21 September 2025. She also threatened to bomb a vehicle belonging to the male victim. The case was sent to Bolton Crown Court for sentence.

Lamara Noel was convicted of money laundering for her part in a cross-border scheme that moved criminal cash through Manchester Airport to the UAE. The group posed as holidaymakers and concealed cash inside clothing in suitcases. Prosecutors said she played a significant role.

Kieran Alwill created 11 category A indecent images of children, 12 category B images and 10 category C images between October 2022 and February 2023. He further admitted possessing two extreme pornographic images of intercourse between humans and animals. He was sentenced to a suspended custodial term with unpaid work and rehabilitation requirements.