Preston Crown Court Sentencing Results

Michael Aspinall, a former Greater Manchester Police officer from Salford, was convicted of three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He communicated online with individuals he believed to be children, who were in fact undercover officers, and was arrested in October 2024. He was suspended from duty immediately and later resigned from the force before sentencing.

Between October 2023 and September 2024, Aiden John Shuttleworth carried out poor quality roofing and property maintenance work for customers in Chorley, Liverpool and Bolton. He recommended unnecessary work, falsely claimed to be VAT registered, and several times failed to complete work for which he had been paid. A widow paid £27,400 over 10 months for escalating roof work before work stopped, leaving defects and unfinished jobs; an independent surveyor later found much of the work was unnecessary and completed to a very poor standard. The prosecution followed a Lancashire County Council Trading Standards investigation.

Jason Jeynes, a 40-year-old Preston mechanic and owner of Ashton Autos, struck two sisters who were cycling along Tom Benson Way, Preston, on 25 May 2025 after drinking at a local pub. He failed to stop and drove his Volkswagen Amarok home, where he was arrested later that night. The victims were taken to hospital, with one requiring surgery to repair a snapped ligament in her arm. Jeynes also damaged another vehicle when leaving the pub car park.

In October 2025, the victim sent a code word text to a relative to signal for help as she feared for her safety. Jase Dawe had subjected her to violent and controlling behaviour. He attempted to intimidate the victim and the relative who contacted police, and accused them of bullying him by reporting his offences. After a trial at Blackburn Magistrates Court in July, he was found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation, controlling and coercive behaviour, three counts of beating, and two charges of criminal damage.

Darren Davies set fire to a four-bedroom detached bungalow in Hambleton where he lived with his brother following the death of their parents in 2024. On 27 March, neighbours heard a loud bang at about 9.50am as the property erupted into flames; glass and debris flew out and the roof collapsed. Three gas cylinders had been placed in the kitchen, living room and a front bedroom, petrol was found in the loft and a candle had been lit. Davies emerged uninjured and said: 'My family want the house. If I can't have it, no-one can.' Firefighters brought the blaze under control before it could spread.

Mackenzie Feenie was one of three teenagers involved in a stabbing in Blackpool on 28 October 2025. Officers were called shortly after midnight following reports of an assault. A local man in his 30s was attacked and suffered a number of stab wounds, requiring hospital treatment for serious injuries; he later recovered. Feenie was found not guilty of Section 18 wounding with intent but was convicted of Section 20 wounding.

On 21 September 2024, Matthew Isherwood was driving a black Seat Altea on Oxcliffe Road, Heaton-with-Oxcliffe, Morecambe. He struck the victim, an 81-year-old cyclist, who was riding a racing tricycle, causing him to fall into the road. Forensic examination of his phone showed he started his journey at 7:41am and within four minutes had taken and sent a selfie on Snapchat, sent Snapchat messages to three people, viewed photos and videos on Instagram, and sent an Instagram message to a fifth person just seconds before the collision. The victim was subsequently run over by a second vehicle and died at the scene. Isherwood was arrested at the scene and later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

On 11 December 2024, Joe McAldon, then aged 17, collected three friends in a Vauxhall Corsa and drove them near Clieves Hill in Aughton, Lancashire. Returning down the hill along Fir Tree Lane, he lost control on a bend and struck a stone wall shortly after 9 pm. Emergency services attended and all four occupants were taken to hospital. Passenger the victim, aged 17, died from his injuries shortly after admission. McAldon and the other two boys were treated for serious injuries. A police investigation found McAldon was travelling at 57 mph, significantly exceeding the 40 mph speed limit.

Lisa Green was sentenced after admitting contempt of court. She discussed an ongoing trial in prison telephone calls despite knowing she could not do so as a potential defence witness. The judge found the conduct represented a serious interference with the fairness and integrity of the trial process.

John Crossley, 44, of Leyland Road, Burnley, sent multiple sexually explicit messages in November 2025 to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. The recipient was actually an adult member of a paedophile hunter group who alerted police. Crossley was arrested in November 2025.

Peter Vernal torched a Dacia Sandero car parked on the driveway of a house on Summerville Avenue, Staining, near Blackpool, on 21 July 2025, in a deliberate attack due to mistaken identity. The intended target was an address in the same street, and the car belonged to a man in his late 80s. The owner was awoken around 10.30pm by the fire starting near the front wheel, just a metre from the front door where two elderly people were asleep. An improvised Molotov cocktail was used, and the fire was extinguished by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Vernal purchased a petrol can and three litres of petrol at a garage near the M55 junction shortly before the attack, with his vehicle seen leaving the garage at 10.22pm and arriving in Summerville Avenue around 10.33pm. He was arrested in Fleetwood the following day.

On 22nd November 2023, during a routine stop in Lancaster, George Jacob and another man were spotted in possession of an electric motorbike. The police officer seized the motorbike, but Jacob became violent, shouting and pushing the officer before running away. Jacob then returned armed with a brick and threw it through the driver's side window of the police car, hitting the officer in the face. The officer suffered severe concussion, two chipped teeth, a laceration to the face, and had glass removed from his face. Jacob was arrested and charged with wounding with intent, criminal damage, and assaulting an emergency worker.

Walid Saadaoui was the ringleader of a foiled terrorist plot intended to target the Jewish community in Greater Manchester. In late 2023 he came into online contact with an undercover operative he believed shared his extremist views, and he discussed plans to conduct a significant terrorist attack targeting Jewish people. He introduced the operative to a co-defendant, and together they developed plans, conducted reconnaissance around Upper Broughton in Salford, and visited the Port of Dover to observe the border through which they believed illegal firearms would be imported. He was convicted of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1)(b) of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Walid Saadoui, 38, planned an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on Jewish communities in north-west England, aiming to kill hundreds. He intended to smuggle four AK 47 rifles, two pistols, and 900 rounds of ammunition into the UK, paying a deposit in February 2024. The target was a mass march against antisemitism in Manchester city centre, followed by an attack in a predominantly Jewish area of north Manchester. He conducted reconnaissance in Greater Manchester, travelled to Dover port in March and May 2024 to monitor weapon importation, and secured a safe house between December 2023 and May 2024. He was arrested on 8 May 2024 while attempting to take possession of two assault rifles, a pistol, and ammunition. The plot was uncovered via an undercover officer.

Bilel Saadaoui was found guilty of failure to disclose information about an act of terrorism. He was aware of the planned terrorist attack but chose to remain silent. He initially denied awareness when questioned, but later confessed during cross-examination. Police said that being aware of a plan to cause such devastation and knowing he could act to prevent it, but choosing not to, made him as guilty as the others.

Bilel Saadoui, 36, Walid Saadoui's younger brother, was aware of his brother's plans for an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack on Jewish communities in north-west England but failed to disclose this to authorities. He shared ISIS beliefs, accessed and shared related media, spent hours with his brother, and offered post-death support to the family. He held a key to a safe containing £70,000 of his brother's money and a copy of his will to prevent police seizure. He exchanged voice notes about the plans days before arrests but denied authorities the chance to stop the plot. The attack involved smuggling weapons for a mass killing in Manchester.

Amar Hussein was recruited to help Walid Saadaoui carry out an Islamic State-inspired attack on Jewish communities in north-west England. He travelled to Dover in March and May 2024 to conduct reconnaissance and was involved in monitoring the arrival of weapons. He also helped secure and equip a safe house for storing weapons. The plot included killing law enforcement officers who might intervene.

On July 31, 2025, in the early hours, Mark Conroy, aged 53, banged on his neighbour's back window and door in Colne, awakening the victim in his 40s. When the victim opened the door, Conroy pushed through with a serrated knife, stabbing the victim under the chin and multiple times while shouting 'I will kill you'. The victim grabbed the knife and shoved Conroy against the wall. Conroy then headbutted the victim, jumped over the wall into the neighbour's yard, and threw items including wooden ladders at him before fleeing. The victim called the police, and Conroy was arrested minutes later at his house in Blucher Street. He threatened female police officers, saying 'you’re next' and 'that’s what you get when you mess around with Mark Conroy', and to another 'When I come back, I’m going to mess him up'. The victim was treated at Airedale General Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary for non-life-threatening neck wounds.

Reuben Fleet, aged 20 and of no fixed abode, secretly filmed himself having sex with two teenage girls under 18 on separate occasions in the Lancaster area. He shared the indecent videos online and showed them to friends, despite assurances to one victim that the footage had been deleted. The offences began when he was in his late teens, with the most recent when he was 20. Police investigated after reports of the images circulating.

Wesley Austin, 32, from Windsor Terrace, Fleetwood, was caught driving without a licence, without insurance, and without due care and attention, posing a serious risk to public safety. Officers also discovered he was in possession of a Class B controlled drug.

Steffan Pattie, 28, of Fairburn Road, Skelmersdale, entered a relationship with his victim in December 2020 and became abusive and violent on multiple occasions. In 2023, while she was pregnant, he took her to the floor and strangled her with both hands around her neck. After the child was born, he called her names and blamed her if the child was unwell. On another occasion, after neglecting to feed their child for five hours while playing Xbox, an argument led to him kicking her to the floor and punching her in the face. In August 2025, during an argument over their dog's care in the backgarden, witnessed by a neighbour and child, he headbutted her and said 'she's my bird I will do what I want'. He then emerged with a kitchen knife, threatened 'if you don't open the door I'm going to stab you up', entered the property, and caused criminal damage. Aggravating features included domestic context, strangulation while pregnant, and children present.

On October 27, 2023, Stuart Jackow, 35, encountered a group of men on Charnock Street in Preston, including his victim who was half his size and spoiling for a fight. After an initial scuffle in the street, Jackow entered a corner shop on Kent Street, Deepdale. The men shook hands and appeared to reconcile, but CCTV showed Jackow leading the victim to the back aisle where he punched him in the face, then punched him three more times and stamped on his face while he was dazed on the ground, leaving him unconscious. The victim suffered fractures to his cheekbone and skull, and a brain bleed, requiring three weeks in hospital. Jackow claimed he feared violence but the judge ruled it gratuitous.

On February 2, Emily Margison, accompanied by another man, visited the home of a 64-year-old man. They left but returned around 5pm, claiming the man had left his keys behind. Margison kept the householder talking while her accomplice entered the house and stole a mobile phone. Later, the victim was told he could get the phone back for £40, as Margison had sold it. She claimed she did not know the phone was stolen until after the fact and did not touch any property inside.

On October 7 at 3.20pm, Declan Ainsworth, 31, of Edlestone Street, Accrington, exited his Ford Transit van on Haslingden Road, Accrington, and approached a Volkswagen Golf carrying an axe while his ex-partner was a passenger inside. The road was busy with traffic and children crossing to walk home from school. He had been harassing her since their breakup a few weeks earlier and made threats to send people to her house. A mother in nearby traffic witnessed the incident and called police. When stopped, his ex was trembling in fear. CCTV and police bodyworn footage captured the event, showing the fear instilled in the victim.

On October 10, 2025, Michael Traves, 46, who has learning difficulties, returned to his supported accommodation at Queens Terrace in Fleetwood after a day of heavy drinking at the pub. He continued drinking and began asking for the support worker, pulling a knife from his trousers. The support worker retreated to the staff room and locked the door. Traves banged on the door, causing damage, and shouted threats while the support worker called the police. Officers arrived to find Traves in his room, where he had put the knife down and waited patiently.