Preston Crown Court Sentencing Results

Nicolette Goldrick pushed away a pram containing a seven-month-old baby outside a shop on Central Drive, Blackpool, on 10 May 2025. The baby's mother chased her and stopped her a short distance away, taking the pram back. Goldrick returned to the area later that afternoon and was arrested; she verbally abused officers and spat at one of them.

Siann Cawley, aged 27, was sentenced for inflicting child abuse on a young boy. The abuse was described as horrific.

Paul Handley escaped from HMP Kirkham on June 2, 2025, after facing difficulties with other prisoners. He remained at large for ten days, hiding in his mother's cupboard in Bacup, before being arrested on June 12, 2025. This led to his sentencing for the escape.

David Hawkyard, 24, of Lady Acre, Bamber Bridge, a registered sex offender, delayed handing over his mobile devices during a police visit. Examination revealed indecent images of children, leading to his arrest and guilty plea.

Neil Platt, an HGV driver, was distracted by pornography on his mobile phone while driving on the M58 near Skelmersdale on 17 May 2024. He failed to react to traffic slowing ahead and drove into the back of a Hyundai car. The car was shunted into a second lorry, causing its fuel tank to rupture and the vehicle to be engulfed in flames. The driver of the Hyundai died at the scene. Platt pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

On July 18, 2025, Laura Ashleigh Mart exposed her penis to a 10-year-old girl while she was playing on monkey bars in Williamson Park, Lancaster, and wiggled it before putting it away. The girl reported the incident, leading to Mart being found hiding in a bush. Mart has a history of three previous convictions for exposure in 2014, 2015, and 2016, as well as breaches of a sexual harm prevention order in 2017 and 2018. She was identified via social media appeals and photos taken by a parent.

Spencer Darer-Conroy was spotted driving suspiciously on Station Road in Bamber Bridge on August 1, 2025. He failed to stop for police, crashed his car into a barrier and a tree on Loom Crescent, and attempted to flee. A search of a nearby property revealed 40 wraps of Class A and Class B drugs, approximately £2,000 in cash, and several mobile phones. He was arrested and charged with possession of Class A and Class B drugs and dangerous driving.

Gareth Morgan, 45, from Leyland, set fire to a bin outside a man's property in the early hours of May 18 after hearing online rumours that the victim had committed a sexual offence against a child. The fire spread to the home's plastic door, causing significant damage and endangering the victim's life. The victim, who has mobility issues and a heart condition, suffered a swollen voicebox, burns to his nasal passage, and required intensive care. He was forced to relocate due to the incident and now struggles with sleep and fear.

Paul Stone, 37, of Perry Street, Darwen, led police on a high-speed chase in a Peugeot 2008 with his pregnant partner in the passenger seat. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, November 15, around Darwen, where he reached speeds over 60mph on Tockholes Road, Sunnyhurst Lane, and Earnsdale Road. He drove through a red light, careered past a cyclist, and attempted to flee on foot after stopping the vehicle, leaving his shaken partner, who was 27 weeks pregnant, to deal with the aftermath. She was shaking and vomited due to the ordeal.

On May 6, 2025, Dylan Murgatroyd argued with his partner about going to the pub and drove off in her Audi A3 without permission. He ignored police signals to stop, drove dangerously through a car park and onto Church Street, collided with another vehicle on Bank Street causing damage, and abandoned the car on Lune Street before being arrested. He denied driving and claimed he was unaware of his disqualification, but was convicted of multiple offences.

David Jones, from Lancaster, was hired to carry out building work on a house in Grange-over-Sands in July 2024. A dispute arose over a £21,500 bill, leading him to make threatening phone calls on October 18, 2024. In the calls, he threatened to harm the victim's family, stated he knew where they lived, and warned he would put the victim in a wheelchair. The victim reported immense fear for his family's safety, including his 85-year-old mother-in-law.

Ashir Shahid drove a Toyota Prius at high speed, estimated between 58mph and 71mph in a 30mph zone, in dark and wet conditions, striking the victim, a 31-year-old pregnant woman, on a zebra crossing in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire, on September 29. The collision caused the death of her unborn baby boy, who lived for only five hours and 38 minutes. Shahid engaged in dangerous driving, including accelerating rapidly and swerving, as captured on video where he and his brother were laughing, singing, and driving erratically. After the incident, he abandoned the vehicle, covered it with a sheet, and had it moved to Greater Manchester. He was arrested days later and his phone revealed searches related to hit-and-run charges and videos of him singing along to music.

Leonie Wilkinson, a 27-year-old prison probation officer at HMP Preston, failed to disclose her pre-existing relationship with prisoner Gary Hampson when applying for her role in 2020. Their relationship, which started in 2018, involved communication via a mobile phone found in Hampson's cell, including calls, emails, and messages. She was also accused of smuggling contraband into the prison and had unauthorised access to a computer, with the misconduct uncovered in 2021 during an investigation.

Sean Corless was involved in an incident on 25 January 2023 in which a stolen BMW was driven through Lancaster and a firearm, believed to be a shotgun, was fired at another car, shattering its rear windscreen and causing extensive damage. The BMW was later abandoned near Heysham and set on fire. Items discarded near the route, including a can and a glove with DNA matching Corless, linked him to the offence.

Connor Lynch was involved in an incident on 25 January 2023 in which a stolen BMW was driven through Lancaster and a firearm, believed to be a shotgun, was fired at another car, shattering its rear windscreen and causing extensive damage. The BMW was later abandoned near Heysham and set on fire. Items discarded along the route, including a glove containing Lynch's DNA and gunshot residue, linked him to the offence.

Ben Bryan, 34, from Ash Bank Road, Stoke-on-Trent, groomed a 14-year-old schoolgirl on Snapchat and Roblox. He travelled from Staffordshire to meet her, picked her up from school on one occasion, and engaged in unwanted sexual advances, including touching her leg, attempting to remove her clothing, and exposing himself. On October 24, 2024, he abducted her by picking her up at 2am, refusing to let her out of his car, and giving her vapes and an iPhone to keep their communication secret. He was stopped by police due to a faulty rear light and no MOT on his Ford Mondeo.

Joseph Chapman, 36, used the Snapchat handle 'PJ' to groom two 14-year-old girls by offering them vapes and arranging meetings. He sexually assaulted the first victim in his car in November 2022 in Burnley and the second victim on two occasions in January 2023 in Colne. The offences were discovered through diary entries and vape packaging, leading to his arrest in May 2023. He attempted to contact other girls, including asking for photos in school uniforms.

On November 1, 2024, police visited Craig Holmes' home in Sandy Lane, Cottam, and discovered 27 canisters of nitrous oxide, 26.8g of cannabis in a Cadbury's Celebrations tin, two sets of digital scales, small plastic bags, and £695 in cash. Holmes claimed the nitrous oxide was for making birthday cakes and milkshakes for his children and that the cannabis was for personal use. He refused to provide access codes to four phones found during the search and has prior convictions for drug-related offences.

Colin Barrow, 60, was drunk and encountered his old friend the victim on January 7, 2025, in Blackburn. He invited the victim into his flat on Abington Street and offered him a drink. Barrow then attacked the victim by smashing a plate into his face, hitting him with a bottle, and stabbing him in the bicep with a kitchen knife, causing significant injuries including head wounds and a 4cm arm wound that required hospital treatment.