Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court Sentencing Results

Yasser Akhtar, working as an MOT tester at The Car Group in Rochdale Road, Bury, issued fraudulent MOT pass certificates to over 300 vehicles, resulting in a zero per cent failure rate. Investigations showed that 14 vehicles were not present at the garage during their supposed tests, which were conducted via his mobile phone late at night or on weekends. He confessed to the fraud, stating he was pressured to do so after crashing a car during a test drive and incurring debt. This conduct put road users at risk by undermining the testing system.

Paul Simmons and Jordan Downs murdered Michael McCann after he tried to steal drugs from them. On June 7, 2024, in Bolton, Mr McCann confronted them while armed with a knife. Simmons armed himself with a wooden stick, disarmed Mr McCann, and restrained him in a headlock during a struggle. Downs then stabbed Mr McCann in the leg. Mr McCann was taken to hospital but died two days later. Simmons denied intent and claimed self-defence.

Aslam Khan, formerly known as Maurice ‘Morris’ Wynn, committed historical sexual offences by indecently assaulting three children in Rochdale between 1987 and 1998.

Jordan Downs and Paul Simmons murdered Michael McCann after he attempted to steal drugs from them. On June 7, 2024, in Bolton, Mr McCann confronted them, demanding drugs while armed with a knife. Downs armed himself with a kitchen knife, and during a struggle, he stabbed Mr McCann in the back of the leg while Simmons restrained him in a headlock. Mr McCann was rushed to hospital but died two days later. Downs later admitted to stabbing him and called his mother about the incident.

Lee Smith sexually abused a young boy starting in 1999, when the victim was a child. Smith, who had befriended a relative of the victim, would visit the house and abuse the boy, sometimes under the pretext of reading a bedtime story. The assaults continued for over a decade, often leaving the victim in pain, and involved inappropriate touching and other sexual acts.

Callum Cox participated in a pre-planned attack on January 12, 2022, where he fired a shotgun at the victim in his home in Barron Meadow, Leigh, following a dispute over American Bulldogs and puppies. He was masked during the incident, fired two shots that missed the victim, and caused the victim's dogs to escape. Cox fled to Spain after the event but was arrested in Sussex on March 19, 2025 (likely a typo for an earlier year), and held on remand before sentencing.

Donna Foster's relationship with the victim deteriorated due to financial disputes over American Bulldogs and puppies. On January 11, 2022, she sent threatening text messages to the victim after a scuffle at her home in Belmont Avenue, Bickershaw, stating it was 'war' and wishing ill on his family. These messages contributed to the subsequent armed attack on the victim the next day. She was also captured on CCTV picking up her son after the incident.