Stafford Crown Court Sentencing Results

In October 2025, Wayne Shepherd was seen driving a BMW erratically on the A34 in Stone. When officers asked him to stop, he initially pulled over but then accelerated away, weaving through traffic, travelling the wrong way around Walton roundabout and driving down the wrong side of a one-way street. The pursuit was abandoned due to the risk to the public. Shepherd was later arrested in Stone. Testing showed cannabis at more than three times the legal limit. He only held a provisional licence, had no insurance, and was already disqualified from driving.

Robert Walker co-owned MH Horse Disposals in Cannock, a knackers yard where owners sent animals to be put to sleep. An inspection by environmental health and RSPCA officers on July 5, 2024 found bins overflowing with carcasses and animals in distressing conditions, including underweight horses, a blind duck with a broken leg left in a filthy hutch, and a turkey with an untreated back wound. A stallion named Ernie was so underweight he was euthanised immediately, and other equines were later seized.

Lynn Chetter co-owned MH Horse Disposals in Cannock, a knackers yard. An inspection on July 5, 2024 found bins overflowing with carcasses and animals left in poor conditions, including a blind duck with a broken leg kept in a filthy hutch and a turkey with an untreated wound. A stallion named Ernie was in such poor condition he was euthanised immediately, while other horses were underweight and suffering hoof and dental problems.

Jack Denny attacked his ex-partner in her own home in Stafford in January 2026. He subjected her to repeated assaults, threatened her with a knife, and when she tried to flee he dragged her back inside the house and continued the attack, including intentional suffocation. The victim managed to send a photograph of her injuries to a family member, who raised the alarm. Denny later fell asleep and was arrested when he woke.

Police apprehended Devon Anderson on Walkmill Lane, Bridgetown, in August 2022, discovering four deals of crack cocaine and a phone in his possession. A subsequent search of his residence in Cannock revealed approximately 50 additional deals of heroin and crack cocaine, along with scales.

On May 11, 2025, intoxicated Liam Dawson assaulted his partner of eight months in a prolonged attack lasting over an hour. After heavy drinking at a bar in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, he drove erratically, crashed into a cricket club and a metal fence, then repeatedly struck her head 15 to 20 times. He threw her phone into a brook, dragged her into sewage water, held her head under it, slammed a car door into her head multiple times, jabbed her vagina with a car key, defecated on her, and rubbed faeces into her cuts and face. The victim, a mother of three, feared for her life and swallowed sewage water. Neighbours heard her screams and alerted police, who found her in a horrific state with her face almost black with dried blood. The assault was motivated by jealousy and accusations of infidelity.

On December 13, 2025, Matthew Shelton, 19, of Stafford, stabbed a man in his 40s, known to him, in the hand during a confrontation on Marston Road in broad daylight. The attack was witnessed by many people, and emergency services were called. The victim was hospitalized. Police seized the knife used in the attack.

Mohammed Omar Raysat, 36, of Great Wyrley, was stopped by police while driving a Seat Leon on Cannock Road in Chadsmoor in November. He was found with heroin, crack cocaine, cash, and a burner phone. Further searches at properties in Great Wyrley and Walsall uncovered additional drugs and paraphernalia, including a tick list and SIM card involved in drug supply.

On July 28, 2025, at lunchtime, Adam Farnell, 33, was observed driving a Renault Traffic van erratically on the A50, swerving and hitting kerbs. Police stopped him on Newcastle Road, Etruria. He admitted being disqualified from driving until September and had no insurance. He drove while disqualified after failing to inform his employer of a March ban, fearing job loss to support himself and his daughter. He clipped a kerb at a roundabout.

On November 7, 2024, at 10.45pm, police responded to a report of a drink-driver in Ridgeway Drive, Blythe Bridge. They found a car with the engine running and Kelly Thomas in the driver's seat. She admitted to having two double vodkas and provided breath samples showing 162 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35. She drove a short distance from a friend's address after consuming alcohol following her friend's bereavement.

Paul Robinson, 40, of Chell Heath, initiated contact on January 2, 2025, with a police decoy account posing as a 12-year-old girl on an online chatroom. He disclosed his age as 39, asked if she was interested in older men, inquired if she had seen a penis before, asked if she would perform a sex act on it, and sent pictures of his genitals. The conversation continued five days later with additional lewd messages and another genital image. He was arrested on February 17, 2025, and admitted responsibility in interview. His actions were attributed to insomnia and seeking company online during sleepless nights.

Sam Booth, 39, of Cheadle, stalked his ex-partner after ending their eight-month relationship in early 2025. Before the breakup, he placed a tracking device in her bag to monitor her location, driven by unfounded suspicions of infidelity to justify his decision. Over one month, he sent her four messages referencing her whereabouts, including on January 31 asking if she was at the gym (which she denied, and he responded evasively) and on February 22 accusing her of being at a man's house while she was actually at a police station reporting his behavior. He asked her to destroy the device upon realizing it would be discovered by police. The victim reported feeling unsafe, anxious, and manipulated, with disrupted sleep and constant paranoia.

On October 11, David McKenna, aged 56, of Kidsgrove, was found sitting in the driver's seat of a Jaguar in the car park at Birchenwood playing fields with the engine off. He walked his dog, flagged down police, appeared drunk, said 'hello', returned to his car, and drove onto Mount Road towards Newchapel Road roundabout. Police stopped him; he initially denied drinking but admitted it after being asked again. Two unopened cans of cider were in the car. He failed a roadside breath test and recorded 97 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath at the station.

On July 18, 2024, a vehicle on Kidsgrove Bank in Goldenhill slowly reversed into the wall of The Traveller's Rest pub at no more than 5mph. Billyjoe Broad, who appeared extremely drunk, returned to the scene and refused to provide a sample of breath for analysis. He denied driving the vehicle but admitted sitting in it without keys while having a cigarette, after which it rolled back and he fell out. He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.

Glenn Despres, 38, of Stafford, was stopped by police driving at excessive speed on Beaconside, Stafford, at 2.05am on November 2, 2025. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle, failed a roadside breath test, and in custody his lowest reading was 64 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeding the legal limit of 35. He had attended a Halloween party where his partner vomited on him due to excessive alcohol consumption. After taking her home, showering, and having a verbal argument, he left the family home and drove, believing he would be fine after drinking small bottles of French beer the previous evening. He was fully co-operative with police.

Alan Moore, 56, of Bentilee, was banished to the shed due to his use of monkey dust. On September 28, he banged on the windows and doors of a house in Burslem, at 10pm, causing damage to a window. He returned the next day at 10.30am and broke another window. On September 30 at 8.40am, he banged on the bedroom window, shouted, and asked to use the toilet, causing the victim to fear he would throw bricks through the window. The victim stated she was living in fear and afraid to leave her address.

Anne Colclough, 48, of Trentham, met her ex at The Holiday Inn, Clayton, on October 8, 2025, where she consumed a substantial amount of wine. Despite staff attempts to stop her, she drove away and was stopped by police on Lower Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme. She provided a roadside breath reading and later tested at 106 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, over three times the legal limit of 35. Alcohol clouded her judgement after failed arrangements to stay or get home.