Manchester Crown Court Sentencing Results

Dean Clarke, from Salford, messaged the schoolgirl through an online video and messaging platform. Greater Manchester Police said Clarke was reported to officers by the girl's mother when she was 13 and he was 21. The mum discovered Clarke's messages on a laptop. Some of the messages implied they had had a sexual relationship as they also talked about pregnancy tests. In a powerful statement read out in court yesterday (May 14), the victim's mum described the toll Clarke's actions had taken on her daughter - leaving her unable to attend school and struggling to eat or sleep.

In early 2014, 21-year-old Darryl Howe met a 14-year-old girl from Nottingham online and sent explicit photos of himself, encouraging her to do the same. Later in August 2014, he met a 15-year-old girl from Greater Manchester over Blackberry Messenger, knew her age, groomed her into a sexual relationship. After police gave him a warning under the child abduction act, he continued contact, encouraging her to go missing from home, which led to his arrest. Police then learned of the sexual relationship.

On 16 March 2026 in Blackley, Francis Croft attacked an elderly Staffordshire bull terrier by kicking it, then repeatedly striking it with a wooden mop handle and an ashtray. The dog suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury so severe that it had to be euthanised. Witnesses said the dog cried out before collapsing motionless and bleeding from the head. Croft later claimed the dog had bitten him, but the prosecutor said there was no evidence of a bite and Croft had not mentioned being bitten when speaking to police.

A Portuguese national took part in an organised arson attack on a bedding supply business after planning on Snapchat. The group forced open shutters, broke in, and started a fire with accelerants, causing around £300,000 of damage. Simoes was jailed for three years.

Between April 18 and May 12, 2022, a gang of five men roamed wealthy areas in a blue BMW, using signal jammers and skeleton keys to steal 11 luxury Range Rovers and a Land Rover Sport worth up to £100,000 each from car parks, town centres and private driveways across Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Alderley Edge, Poynton and Rochdale. The thefts often occurred in broad daylight. The gang was intercepted on May 13, 2022, with all five inside the BMW.

In the early hours of Sunday 7th February 2017, the victim, a 25-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome, was leaving the Pen and Pencil bar on Hilton Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. After friendly banter and a 'rap-off', when two women stopped to watch, Arron Garner forced the victim against a wall and Leo Doyle assaulted him. The Wright brothers and Charlie Potts then carried the victim into the road where they repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him, causing a broken jaw and other serious injuries. The attack was ongoing until another group leaving the bar intervened and called for help.

Jan Pasulka, 34, from Plymouth, was the trusted lieutenant in a gang smuggling crystal meth from Turkey through the UK to Japan. He absconded during the trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Jan Stinic, 37, from Plymouth, was involved in transporting crystal meth as part of a gang that smuggled the drug from Turkey through the UK to Japan. He was on the same flight as Dusan Staruch when Staruch was stopped with drugs at Leeds Bradford Airport.

In the early hours of Sunday 7th February 2017, the victim, a 25-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome, was leaving the Pen and Pencil bar on Hilton Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. After friendly banter and a 'rap-off', when two women stopped to watch, Arron Garner forced King against a wall and Leo Doyle assaulted him. The Wright brothers and Charlie Potts then carried King into the road where they repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him, causing a broken jaw and other serious injuries. The attack was ongoing until another group leaving the bar intervened and called for help.

Ian Rooke, 29, stabbed orthopaedic surgeon the victim in the neck from behind outside Altrincham Islamic Centre on 24 September 2017 at about 5:30 pm, leaving a two-inch wound. The victim, who was also the mosque's imam, was not seriously injured and discharged from hospital shortly after. Rooke admitted wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon but denied attempted murder. At a trial in March, a jury found him not guilty of attempted murder. It was agreed that Rooke had a personality disorder and had not taken his mood-stabilising medication for two days at the time of the attack.

Police raided Wilson's home in Macclesfield in December 2023 after reports he had bought prohibited chemicals without a licence. Officers found a large amount of literature giving advice on how to conduct a terrorist attack and materials that could potentially be used to create a homemade explosive device. He was said not to have been actively trying to build an explosive device, but the discovery caused serious concern.

Between April 18 and May 12, 2022, a gang of five men roamed wealthy areas in a blue BMW, using signal jammers and skeleton keys to steal 11 luxury Range Rovers and a Land Rover Sport worth up to £100,000 each from car parks, town centres and private driveways across Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Alderley Edge, Poynton and Rochdale. The thefts often occurred in broad daylight. The gang was intercepted on May 13, 2022, with all five inside the BMW.

Joshua Molnar was involved in a fight with the victim in Hale Barns in March 2019, during which the victim was fatally stabbed in the heart. Molnar claimed self-defence at trial and was cleared of murder and manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court. He was convicted of possessing a knife and perverting the course of justice.

In the early hours of Sunday 7th February 2017, the victim, a 25-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome, was leaving the Pen and Pencil bar on Hilton Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. After friendly banter and a 'rap-off', when two women stopped to watch, Arron Garner forced the victim against a wall and Leo Doyle assaulted him. The Wright brothers and Charlie Potts then carried the victim into the road where they repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him, causing a broken jaw and other serious injuries. The attack was ongoing until another group leaving the bar intervened and called for help.

On 2 August 2025, Julius Goncarukas deliberately drove slowly along a street in Salford while waving an imitation firearm out of the driver's window. Residents, including children, saw him; some ran away in fear and police received four calls reporting the incident. He was arrested shortly afterwards near his car, and the weapon, a gas-powered BB gun, was recovered from the passenger seat. He made no comment in police interview but later admitted waving the imitation firearm. He initially claimed his actions were not fuelled by hate, but at sentencing he abandoned that basis and accepted the offence was hate-fuelled.

Kyle Ratcliffe, from Leigh, committed the offences just days before his 16-year-old son's murder trial began at Manchester Crown Court on November 27, 2023. Police charged Ratcliffe on January 17 2024, and he was remanded in custody. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

In the early hours of Sunday 7th February 2017, the victim, a 25-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome, was leaving the Pen and Pencil bar on Hilton Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. After friendly banter and a 'rap-off', when two women stopped to watch, Arron Garner forced the victim against a wall and Leo Doyle assaulted him. The Wright brothers and Charlie Potts then carried the victim into the road where they repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on him, causing a broken jaw and other serious injuries. The attack was ongoing until another group leaving the bar intervened and called for help.

Majid Rasoolzadeh, 46, from Alderley Edge, ran a kebab house in Timperley and led a gang that smuggled crystal meth from Turkey through the UK to Japan. The National Crime Agency uncovered the operation, which involved at least 17 trips. He absconded during the trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Between April 18 and May 12, 2022, a gang of five men roamed wealthy areas in a blue BMW, using signal jammers and skeleton keys to steal 11 luxury Range Rovers and a Land Rover Sport worth up to £100,000 each from car parks, town centres and private driveways across Altrincham, Hale, Hale Barns, Alderley Edge, Poynton and Rochdale. The thefts often occurred in broad daylight. The gang was intercepted on May 13, 2022, with all five inside the BMW.

McVey set up One Design & Build Ltd in February 2015, providing interior design, manufacture and project management services. He was made bankrupt in June 2015 after becoming liable for a debt from a previous failed business. He resigned as a director two days later but continued to run the company as a shadow director, dealing with third parties and receiving the highest salary, exceeding that of the sole official director. The offence came to light after the company entered voluntary liquidation in April 2016. The court found he had deliberately breached the terms of his bankruptcy prohibition.