Shrewsbury Crown Court Sentencing Results

Connor Heneghan admitted targeting a Tesco store and a Co-op in Telford on 37 occasions between March and July 2026, stealing goods worth £998 from Tesco and £1,576 from Co-op. He also admitted theft from a convenience store in the West Midlands in August 2025. The court heard he had 20 previous convictions for 176 offences, including 154 shoplifting offences, and that he had received a suspended sentence in August 2025 but continued offending. The judge said previous sentences and rehabilitation opportunities had had no effect.

Gareth Evans-Balmforth, a 52-year-old former soldier, was convicted of sexual offences against three victims who were all under 16. The offences included gross indecency with a child, inciting a child to commit gross indecency, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration, exposure, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. The offending took place over a 20-year period and began while he was serving as an army officer based in Shropshire and Yorkshire.

Corey Church drove dangerously by wheel spinning through a red light on Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, on December 4, 2025, and performed donuts and drifting in a Tesco car park in Shrewsbury on January 16, 2026. After being issued with a Notice of Intended Prosecution, he supplied false details through a third party about who was driving the car. He pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Henry Stokes, 28, from Shifnal in Shropshire, was sentenced after admitting controlling behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempted common assault, dangerous driving, theft, assault and criminal damage. At Shrewsbury Crown Court he was handed a 35-month prison sentence suspended for three years. Prosecutors offered no evidence in court over charges of sexual assault and voyeurism, which he had denied.

Philip Whitehouse posted overtly racist comments on YouTube between 26 January and 28 March 2025, using racial slurs and expressing hatred towards black people, Muslims, and the police. The comments were reported to West Mercia Police by the FBI. He denied being racist but admitted the offences and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to sending communications of an offensive nature.

Aurimas Juodokas admitted producing 34 cannabis plants at a property in Telford in May 2020. Police raided the property and found a cannabis farm containing 34 plants, lighting systems, and a re-routed electricity supply. He was alone at the property at the time. After failing to appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court in February 2021, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest; he remained at large and was later sentenced in his absence.

David Boylett, 62, was arrested in July 2021 after NCA officers raided his home in Telford, Shropshire. He had been using two 3D printers to manufacture a firearm and was about 15 minutes from completing a functional weapon. Investigators found firearm components, tools, a powerful air rifle, ammunition, and a stolen shotgun part. His computer contained extensive documents on converting firearms, making ammunition, and using 3D printers, including a folder titled 'naughty stuff' containing instructional videos for the same model of firearm seized. Experts used recovered files to print the remaining parts and successfully test-fired a completed weapon.

David William Frederick Boylett was arrested in July 2021 after a National Crime Agency warrant at his home in Telford. Officers found a partially completed 3D-printed handgun on his living room coffee table. A firearms expert determined that about 15 minutes of additional work would have made it an illegal firearm component, and that with further work it could be completed into a fully functional weapon. Officers also found 92 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition, an overpowered air rifle classed as especially dangerous in its modified form, and part of a shotgun hidden in a garden shed. He held no firearms or shotgun certificate. Forensic examination of his computer, phone and a memory card found a full set of 3D-printing design files for the handgun in a folder named 'naughty stuff'; those files were later used to recreate and successfully test-fire the weapon. He had also ordered a specialist rifling button, metal lathes, welding equipment and 3D-printing materials, and phone logs showed discussion of illegally modifying air rifles.

In 2017, Christopher Brownhill met a woman online. They discussed their attraction to children, and she sent him non-sexual pictures of her one-year-old daughter. They planned to meet so Brownhill could sexually abuse the child; they never met, but Brownhill described what he would do. Police investigated after receiving intelligence, and both were arrested two years later. The investigation also uncovered that Brownhill had communicated with another woman about meeting to abuse her one-year-old twin nieces.

Lee Broders, 56, from Broughall, near Whitchurch, was found to have hundreds of indecent images of children. The offences took place between August 2018 and July 2023. He admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Awais Sheikh, aged 28, contacted a 15-year-old schoolgirl from Telford via Snapchat and Instagram in October 2024, falsely claiming to be 25. Despite knowing her age, he continued communication, complimenting her appearance. A few weeks later, he drove from his home in Rotherham, Yorkshire, to Telford to pick her up from school. He took her to McDonald's and then to a secluded spot near the Wrekin. The girl was reported missing, and police found her at the Wrekin, discovering condoms and cannabis in the glovebox of Sheikh's vehicle.

Danny Francis, of Welshpool, drove a Range Rover Sport under the influence of alcohol and lost control on the A458 Welshpool Road near Rowton Castle, Shrewsbury, on October 1, 2023, colliding head-on with two motorcycles. The crash killed the 17-year-old victim at the scene and caused life-changing injuries to his friend. Francis had visited multiple pubs, drinking 11 pints of cider and a shot, and fled the scene with his passenger after the incident.

Alvin Hutchinson, a 55-year-old car salesman from Hartley Close, Telford, operated as an illegal loan shark over a four-year period, lending money to 16 victims at exorbitant interest rates, such as 40% initial interest with another 40% added if not paid within a week. One victim borrowed £500-£600 but ended up owing £3,000. He intimidated victims, forcing some to take out credit agreements for items like televisions which he then took, leaving them to pay for goods they never received. One man defaulted on payments for a television given to Hutchinson. Many transactions were in cash with no paper trail, and not all victims provided statements.

Michael North, aged 36, of Ketley, Telford, was involved in handling criminal property for a gang operating since 2012 that imported raw steroids from China and manufactured illegal anabolic steroids in an uncontrolled laboratory in Stafford Park, Telford. The operation, known as D4NET, produced products worth an estimated £500,000, sold across the UK and abroad. The lab was discovered in 2018 during a police warrant execution.

Jessica Panasiuk, aged 32, of Leegomery in Telford, acquired criminal property for a gang operating since 2012 that imported raw steroids from China and manufactured illegal anabolic steroids in an uncontrolled laboratory in Stafford Park, Telford. The operation, known as D4NET, produced products worth an estimated £500,000, sold across the UK and abroad. The lab was discovered in 2018 during a police warrant execution, where she was arrested alongside David Panasiuk, with more drugs and £17,565 in cash found.

David Neville Johnson was involved in an operation at Cosford Grange Farm Shop, Holyhead Road, Albrighton, where 1,870 live exotic animals were seized on 10 December 2020 due to poor welfare conditions including cold environments, lack of heat, food, water, overcrowding, and poor body condition. Animals included 1,061 Leopard Geckos, 294 Sulcata Tortoises, 73 Hermann’s tortoises, and others. Specific failures included needs of 167 animals for appropriate environment, 83 for body condition, selling without licence, and causing suffering to 83 animals, two African grey parrots, 73 Hermann’s tortoises, and 15 quail. Additional animals found at other locations including Senorita Sparkles, Station Road, Newport, Shropshire.

Andrew Baker was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Christopher Downes was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Dean Rogerson was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Neil Shevlin was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Thomas Nutt was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Ryan Taylor was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Wayne Price was involved in a gang that stole millions of pounds worth of tractors, 4x4s, quad bikes, and other agricultural equipment from rural businesses in Shropshire and North Wales between August 2022 and February 2023. The group targeted farms under the cover of darkness and was linked to more than 150 offences, with evidence gathered through CCTV, forensics, and phone records.

Callum Roberts stole a silver BMW from a car park near St Julian’s Crescent in Shrewsbury on 15 February 2025 at around 10pm. He led police on a high-speed chase reaching 60mph in a 30 zone, narrowly missing another vehicle, before abandoning the car in Roden. A McDonald’s receipt in the vehicle led to his identification via CCTV. On 1 March 2025, he stole keys and took a Citroen C3 Aircross the following night. On 5 March 2025, he led another high-speed chase in the stolen Citroen, reaching 60mph in a 20 zone, driving the wrong way around a roundabout, and 100mph on the wrong carriageway of the A5, narrowly avoiding an HGV, before being caught. He also fraudulently used the Citroen owner's bank cards to buy McDonald’s after the theft.

Logan Addison lost control of a car on 4 February 2023 on an unnamed road in Shawbury Heath, Shropshire, and collided with a telegraph pole. The victim, a 17-year-old passenger, died at the scene, and Addison suffered serious injuries. Witnesses said he was driving at speed and dangerously before the collision; Addison claimed he swerved to avoid another car.

On June 29, 2024, Richard Forbes, aged 46 and of no fixed abode, returned home drunk, assaulted his 64-year-old landlady who fled to a neighbour, then attempted to drive away in her car but was arrested. He boasted of harming her 22-year-old Pomeranian dog Comet, which was found with multiple stab wounds, a broken neck and jaw, wrapped in a blanket, and had to be euthanised. Sentenced alongside charges for grievous bodily harm from assaulting several people in Shrewsbury on July 28, 2023.

Between February and April 2022, Nicholas Peacock, a PC based in Market Drayton, engaged in a sexual relationship with a suspect in an assault case he was investigating. He failed to investigate fully, closed the crime falsely stating no witnesses and victim did not support prosecution. Allegations came to light on 22 April 2022, leading to his immediate suspension. The case was referred to IOPC, investigated, and charges brought. The original assault case was re-opened and a suspect charged.

On Friday 27 May 2023, Oliver Barber, of Shifnal, drove his BMW after drinking with friends in Shifnal. Despite being three times over the legal drink drive limit, the 20-year-old offered lifts to three people, including the 19-year-old victim. Shortly after, Barber collided with a fence on the A464 after reaching speeds of more than 60mph in a 30mph zone. The victim, a backseat passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene. Barber suffered serious facial injuries and was arrested following a police investigation.

In March 2024, Jade Davies was at a house in Wem, Shropshire with her dog, a Pit bull, which is a banned breed in the UK. The dog bit a West Mercia Police officer on the forearm and leg, causing a deep laceration. The officer has made a full recovery.