Liverpool Crown Court Sentencing Results

Eleanor Hepburn, 22, formerly of Havant, stalked her ex-partner by posting a dead mouse through their letterbox, scattering mice, barricading their door, throwing eggs, and threatening to post fireworks, starting in August 2024.

Choni Kenny, a former Greater Manchester Police officer who joined in 2020, engaged in a casual sexual relationship with drug dealer Josh Whelan, 31, and was filmed embracing him at Forest Bank Prison in Salford. She later started a physical but casual relationship with her former schoolmate Rahim Mottley, 27, who was under investigation by GMP. Kenny used her position to access police databases and pass information to both men. She was attracted to both and may have been infatuated with Whelan.

Iain Barton, a 58-year-old support worker at a Merseyside home for people recovering from mental health disorders, engaged in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable younger female client he was caring for. The relationship, which the victim believed was consensual, began a couple of years before December 2022 when Barton left his job. The victim had been admitted to the home following hospital treatment for severe mental health problems. She revealed the relationship to staff in January 2023 and later discovered she was pregnant with Barton's child, after which she supported the prosecution. Barton was arrested in January 2023, answered 'No Comment' to police questions, and the offences caused significant distress to the victim, impacting her mental and physical health.

Colin White, 32, of Liverpool, used his position at Scottish Power to assist in diverting electricity to cannabis farms. He enabled the group to cut into cables as part of Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd.'s operations, involving 54 sites over three years and producing cannabis worth around £7 million, with property from Scottish Power found in his home.

Aidan Doran, 27, of Wigan, was a groundsman responsible for exposing the cable to be jointed, before filling and/or tarmacking the holes to make the work appear legitimate. The gang diverted electricity to supply cannabis farms run by organised crime gangs, including some from Albania, across 54 sites up and down the country over three years, extracting £253,980 worth of electricity enabling production of cannabis worth around £7 million.

Aiden Doran, 27, of Wigan, participated in a scheme to illegally divert electricity to cannabis farms. As part of Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd., he handled groundwork including exposing cables and making the work appear legitimate, across 54 sites over three years, resulting in cannabis worth around £7 million.

Ross McGinn, 33, of Huyton, Merseyside, was a director of Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd. He facilitated a group that illegally diverted electricity to cannabis farms by splicing mains cables to supply houses, warehouses, and disused shops. The operation involved 54 instances over three years, enabling the production of cannabis worth around £7 million and extracting £253,980 worth of electricity.

Lewin Charles, 22, of Roby, was part of a criminal operation where he helped divert electricity to cannabis farms by performing groundwork tasks like exposing cables. The group, operating under Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd., affected 54 sites over three years, enabling the production of cannabis worth around £7 million.

Greg Black, 28, of Huyton, was part of a group that diverted electricity to cannabis farms by splicing mains cables. As an employee of Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd., he supervised and participated in illegal operations across 54 sites over three years, facilitating cannabis production worth around £7 million.

Graham Roberts, 47, of Wigan, was an integral part of a group that illegally diverted electricity to cannabis farms. Working for Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd., he performed the physical cable jointing for 54 instances over three years, enabling organised crime gangs to grow cannabis on an industrial scale worth around £7 million.

Jack Sherry, 20, of Wigan, was involved in groundwork for a group that illegally diverted electricity to cannabis farms. Operating under Elev8 Civils and Utilities Ltd., the operation covered 54 sites over three years, allowing organised crime gangs to produce cannabis worth around £7 million.

James Nielson, 41, from Bootle, stalked his former lover for three weeks in December 2024, bombarding her with 37 messages, following her to work, banging on her door at night, leaving a note exposing their 12-year affair to her husband, honking his car horn outside her home, and tailing her in his black Volkswagen Golf while banging on her car bonnet. The stalking arose from his demand for DNA tests regarding the paternity of two of her three children born during their on-off relationship. He was arrested after she called police during one incident.

On February 24, 2025, shortly after 6pm, the 84-year-old victim wandered onto the driveway of Sean Garner's home in Warrington, Cheshire, after leaving the pub. Garner's XL bully dog, Toretto, weighing 7st 4lb, attacked the victim in a 45-minute savage assault, causing catastrophic facial injuries. The dog, which had no food in its stomach, began eating the victim alive while he remained conscious in absolute agony. Neighbours attempted to intervene using items like a spirit level and walking stick. Armed police shot the dog 10 times and a second dog in the house. The victim died from his injuries about a month later. Garner had moved into the home three weeks prior, falsely telling the landlord he owned only one French bulldog despite having a micro bully and two XL bullies, a banned breed. He claimed the dog was secured in a shed with a padlock, but prosecution called this absurd. The prosecution alleged a catalogue of failures by Garner causing the dog to be dangerously out of control.

Andrew McIntyre established a Telegram channel named 'Southport Wake Up' and shared content inciting violent disorder and criminal damage following the Southport knife attack on July 29, 2024. He posted messages urging people to 'rise up' and warned others to 'stand in our way', with his phone and car present in the area during the disorder on July 30, 2024. He congratulated those involved in the disorder and shared information about immigration advisers. Police arrested him on August 8, 2024, finding a knife in his car and weapons along with a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf at his home in Rufford, near Ormskirk.

On December 23, 2023, at 11.45am, Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy ambushed the victim on Highfield Road, Rock Ferry. Salkeld approached the victim from behind after a vehicle pulled up, leading to a struggle outside 75 Highfield Road. Salkeld pushed the victim into the front garden and began assaulting him. Duffy joined in, and together they punched, kicked, and stamped on the victim's head multiple times while he was on the ground. The victim briefly fought back but was overpowered. The attack lasted around a minute and was captured on Ring doorbell footage. The victim suffered injuries to his ribs, forearm, and a large laceration to his head requiring glue and steri-strips. He was treated at Arrowe Park Hospital but declined to cooperate fully with police.

Jamie Coggins, 28, supported Connor Smith and Martin Wilson in the planning and clean-up operation after the murder of the victim on 12 November 2020. Evidence including telephone data and CCTV showed his association with the defendants before and after the murder.

Paul Mockett was involved in an organised crime group that plotted to import 1.3 tonnes of cocaine from Sierra Leone, concealed in flour. He set up BH Supplies Ltd to facilitate the purchase of chemicals for cutting the drugs and participated in communications about the operation, including hiring labour to unload the shipment.

Stephen Martland was part of an organised crime group led by Darren Schofield that attempted to smuggle 1.3 tonnes of cocaine from Sierra Leone, hidden in flour shipments. He arranged the lease of an industrial unit in Wigan for drug storage and was involved in communications about the importation, including concerns over the operation's risks.

Darren Schofield, known as 'Thor', led an organised crime group that plotted to smuggle 1.3 tonnes of cocaine worth £140 million into the UK from Sierra Leone, hidden in a shipment of flour. The drugs were intercepted at the Port of Felixstowe in June 2022. Schofield coordinated the importation, including handovers of cocaine and cash in locations such as a Beefeater pub car park and outside a GP practice. He used encrypted communications and was involved in drug mixing at a property in Kirkdale.

Darren Wetton was involved in supplying cannabis, including couriering quantities to locations such as Norwich and Glasgow. He admitted to transporting cannabis in exchange for his own supply and was found with class B drugs during a search of his home.

David Jones was involved in the supply of cocaine as part of an organised crime group. He was arrested with nearly 1kg of a cutting agent and participated in handovers, including meetings with Darren Schofield. Group chats revealed issues with equipment and his perceived lack of experience in drug preparation.

Lorenc Bashota, 25, was found with Aleks Xhelo in an upstairs growing room at a cannabis farm on Smithdown Road, Toxteth, Liverpool, on December 8, 2024. The farm contained 351 plants with a potential yield of 10 to 30kg, valued at nearly £450,000. Electricity had been bypassed. Bashota's role was limited to gardening.