Chester Crown Court Sentencing Results

Ian Crockford, 52, was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order after being jailed for child sex offences in 2019. On 7 March 2023, police received information that he had more indecent images of children. Analysis of his mobile phone and computers showed hundreds of indecent images of children, and he had also shared illegal images and instructed another person on how to abuse a child. He was charged with six counts of making or distributing indecent images of a child, one count of publishing an obscene article, and breaching his sexual harm prevention order. While on court bail, he obtained a new mobile phone and attempted to sexually communicate with children, leading to further charges.

Jonathan Price, a 35-year-old mechanic, was first arrested in December 2022 and found in possession of indecent images of children, extreme pornography, and cocaine. Bail conditions were imposed, but he continued to download and distribute sexual images of children and also downloaded extreme pornographic images. When officers went to arrest him again in August 2023, he tried to hide a mobile phone and resisted arrest. He was found intoxicated on cocaine. At interview, he claimed the phones belonged to friends and made bizarre claims about being threatened to hold devices for other paedophiles. Police evidence showed he had downloaded indecent images and had used the phones for personal purposes, including saving his own contacts. He also attempted to engage in sexual communication with children online. In total he was convicted of six counts of distributing indecent images of children, two counts of possession of extreme pornographic images depicting sex with animals, three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of attempting to communicate with children under 16 for sexual gratification, and two counts of possession of cocaine.

Dean used her mobile phone to download more than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse over a two-year period until her arrest by Cheshire Police in June 2025. She accessed the material via the encrypted app Signal and the dark web using The Onion Ring internet browser. Her Samsung phone contained 306 Category A images (including 224 videos) showing distressed babies being sexually assaulted, 173 Category B images (53 videos), 525 Category C images (48 videos), and six prohibited images that did not depict real children. She was arrested after police traced her email and IP addresses.

Kieran Mellor, along with Kenneth Stephenson and Nyle Smith, was involved in an altercation with two men outside a property on The Birches in Davenport Avenue, Crewe, on the evening of Sunday, April 19, 2020. They first arrived armed with knives and a wooden plank shortly after 8pm. They left and returned at 9.55pm with faces concealed and armed with a shotgun, which was fired at the 50-year-old man but missed and hit the house wall.

Kenneth Stephenson, along with Kieran Mellor and Nyle Smith, was involved in an altercation with two men outside a property on The Birches in Davenport Avenue, Crewe, on the evening of Sunday, April 19, 2020. They first arrived armed with knives and a wooden plank shortly after 8pm. They left and returned at 9.55pm with faces concealed and armed with a shotgun, which was fired at the 50-year-old man but missed and hit the house wall.

Michael Burrows was described as a ringleader of an organised criminal group that targeted construction sites and yards across Surrey and the south-east. The group stole dumper trucks, mini diggers and high-value vehicles, then replaced vehicle identification numbers with cloned details and obtained false certificates to sell the machinery on.

On 13 June 2020 at around 12.21am on the A534 Haslington Bypass, Ellson was driving a black Corsa towards Crewe for a takeaway when he lost control after an overtake, colliding with a parked HGV lorry. Passenger the victim suffered fatal injuries. Ellson lied to police and tried to blame his girlfriend.

Mark Grant pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods. He was part of an organised network that stole plant machinery and vehicles worth about £750,000 across Surrey and the south-east, then sold them on using cloned vehicle identification numbers and false certificates.

Monika Konopska blackmailed two men she contacted through an adult website. Posing as 'Serena', she demanded £40 from the first victim, then sent photos of his adult children from Facebook and demanded £1,000, threatening to cause a scene. After receiving payment, she sent a photo of his street, went to his home, and posted a note demanding another £1,000. She later posed as 'Bianca' and demanded more money, taking a total of £2,300 from that victim. The second victim reported her to police after she threatened consequences. She was identified through bank details in her real name and a doorbell recording. She admitted blackmail and attempted blackmail.

Terrence O'Neil, 42, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court after pleading guilty to arranging the commission of a sexual offence of sexual activity with a child. He had believed he was going to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex. He also pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and to breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

William Bath pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and production of cannabis. He was part of an organised network that stole plant machinery and vehicles across Surrey and the south-east. When he was arrested in January 2020, officers discovered a cannabis factory containing 48 plants valued at about £35,000.

Syzmon Celinski ran a cannabis distribution operation from his bedroom in Crewe. He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court to 40 months in prison.

On the night of 15 August and morning of 16 August, Sam Everitt assaulted a woman during a journey from Croydon to Horsham, causing her to lose consciousness on multiple occasions. The victim, a woman in her 40s, suffered significant injuries requiring hospital treatment. Everitt was arrested on 18 October after being tracked by police.

Nyle Smith, along with Kieran Mellor and Kenneth Stephenson, was involved in an altercation with two men outside a property on The Birches in Davenport Avenue, Crewe, on the evening of Sunday, April 19, 2020. They first arrived armed with knives and a wooden plank shortly after 8pm. They left and returned at 9.55pm with faces concealed and armed with a shotgun, which was fired at the 50-year-old man but missed and hit the house wall.

On 20 July 2023, Dillon Beeching drove a blue BMW deliberately across Frederick Road, Hastings, into the path of two teenage boys riding a stolen motorcycle, causing a head-on collision. Both boys suffered serious injuries, including one with life-changing injuries. Beeching and co-defendant Liam Hide then assaulted the injured boys; one rider had his helmet removed and was dragged across the road and further assaulted. The incident occurred after Hide had reported his motorcycle stolen and threatened to cause serious harm if it was not found. Beeching admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and actual bodily harm with intent.

On Friday, February 13, 2026, police attended Christopher Hall's address and examined his iPhone 14. Evidence of indecent images led to his electronic devices being seized. They found 32 category A videos, one category B image, 16 category B videos, 7 category C images and 14 extreme pornographic videos. He had also used an app to speak to someone who stated they were 14 years old and made continued sexualised comments and conversation with them. He had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent photographs, possession of extreme pornographic images involving animals, possession of indecent photographs, three counts of distributing indecent photographs and being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Daniel Hay, a former prison officer at HMP Styal, admitted misconduct in public office after having sexual contact with a former inmate one day after her release. Hay first met the woman on Valentine's Day 2024 while she was being escorted around the prison. After her release on 4 April 2024, he contacted her, bought her an alcoholic drink, and checked into a hotel where they had sexual contact. They had sex again on 6 April, by which time both were aware she had breached her licence conditions. Hay later gave her £100 to buy clothes and money for another hotel room before they parted. The relationship was disclosed to a probation officer and Hay was arrested. He initially denied knowing her, later admitted the relationship but claimed he had been assaulted and blackmailed.

Craig Yates, a 28-year-old from Washford Close, Congleton, took advantage of his position of trust as the victim's swimming instructor and manipulated his young victim aged 13-17. The offences occurred between 2017 and 2019 and consisted of two counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child.

89-year-old Albert Pentall was making the short journey home after an evening out with friends when his car collided with another vehicle as he made his way across a major junction. He was not concentrating and failed to notice the lights had turned red. The collision was substantial, with Mr Pentall’s vehicle travelling in the region of 40-45 mph. The victim’s car – travelling through the junction on green lights – was struck to the near side, causing her head injuries which proved fatal. Expert evidence established that Mr Pentall’s lights had changed to red (and been in full view) for approximately 9 seconds (and 150 metres) before he arrived at the junction.