Stoke On Trent Crown Court Sentencing Results

Ghalum Haider caused a fatal crash on the M6 between junctions 15 and 16 southbound on February 27, 2024, when his Toyota Avensis collided with a broken-down HGV, killing the victim, a 58-year-old father-of-six and respected community rugby league referee who was standing outside the truck. Haider sustained leg and facial injuries in the incident.

Ghulam Haider was driving a Toyota Avensis when he collided with a white MAN Truck HGV on the M6 southbound between junctions 15 and 16 on February 27, 2024, causing the death of the victim, who was outside the victim's broken-down vehicle. Haider was taken to hospital with leg and facial injuries.

Craig Blyth, aged 64, of Wadham Street, Penkhull, was caught after his partner reported him to police in May 2024 following a screenshot of his comment 'hot' on a photo of a teenage girl on a Facebook page called 'Dating site for nine to 18 year olds', where others called him a 'paedo'. She confronted him, checked his tablet's browsing history, and found evidence of viewing indecent images of children. Police seized his devices, including a computer tower, and discovered 11,262 indecent images of children and 59 indecent videos. He had been searching for child pornography for 12 years. Blyth was arrested at his Hanley workplace and admitted the offenses.

In September last year, Pointon strangled the victim in a Leek hotel, causing her to lose consciousness. She managed to escape and alert hotel staff, leading to Pointon’s removal from the premises. He repeated the attack in November at his home, forcing the victim to flee to a friend’s house before contacting police. Pointon was arrested and declined to answer police questions during his custody interview.

Rachel Bourne and the victim's father exposed their 10-week-old daughter Phoebe-Rose Douglas to heroin, cocaine, and cannabis, leading to her cardiac arrest on October 25, 2019, at their home on Meaford Drive, Blurton. The baby was found unkempt, smelly, with dirt under her fingernails and armpits. She suffered severe brain damage due to lack of oxygen and died on October 29, 2019, after life support was withdrawn. The parents were drug users, had prior social services referrals for housing and drug issues, and neglected the baby's immunisations and check-ups.

Jason Perks, aged 32, of Biddulph, turned up at the victim’s address in November 2021 demanding £20 that the victim owed him. He ripped off the victim's doorbell camera. Later that day, Perks met the victim in Biddulph, where the victim was in the passenger seat of a car. Perks punched the victim in the head and stabbed him in the leg and arm with a craft knife. Bystanders intervened and stopped the attack. The victim was not seriously injured.

Sulejman Zekthi, 34, of Edge Street, Burslem, took a £105,000 silver Audi from his workplace in Wolverhampton and drove home to the Potteries. He weaved through traffic, undertaking and overtaking cars on the A500, before exiting at the Wolstanton junction at 3.30pm on May 4, 2023. Driving at 102mph 130 metres from the collision and 61mph 45 metres from it, he struck a Vauxhall Grandland carrying the victim's partner and her 81-year-old partner, as well as a Nissan which overturned. The victim suffered traumatic head injuries including a subdural haemorrhage and died three weeks later on May 28, 2023. The Nissan driver received minor injuries.

Carla Foster, a 44-year-old mother-of-three, illegally procured her own abortion by obtaining pills from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) after lying about being between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. She conducted internet searches on topics such as 'how to hide a pregnancy bump' and 'how to have an abortion without going to the doctor'. She was initially charged with child destruction but pleaded guilty to the alternative charge, leading to her sentencing.

John Stephen Owen was driving his Skoda Fabia under the influence of alcohol and cocaine while on a hands-free phone call. He lost control of the vehicle on a bend at speed, estimated at around 48mph, crossed the road, mounted the kerb, and struck six-year-old the victim, who was walking on the pavement with her father in Endon Road, Norton, north Staffordshire, in June 2021. Owen was not wearing a seatbelt and was injured in the collision.

Robert Hicks, aged 68 and formerly of Campbell Road, Stoke on Trent, breached his indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order on three occasions. In February 2022, he sent an inappropriate image to a woman via WhatsApp. Police found an additional SIM card and a hidden tablet device in his home during a search. He admitted the WhatsApp account was his but provided no explanation for accessing the service, claimed to have forgotten about the tablet which he had possessed for three years without declaring it, and declined to provide the correct PIN for the device. He was aware that possessing these items breached his order.

Jamie Lines used an anonymous username to exploit children on internet forums, saving indecent pictures and movies to his personal device. In July 2019, officers acted on intelligence and executed a search warrant at his property in Leek, where various devices were seized and examined. He was found to be in possession of 31 indecent images and 13 movies, eight of which were Category A, the most severe classification.

On 11 January 2019, Usman Mohammed Farooq pulled out quickly from a junction on Uttoxeter Road towards Blythe Bridge in Draycott without looking properly, causing a collision with 50-year-old motorcyclist the victim who was riding his Kawasaki motorcycle. A blue VW Golf behind the victim attempted an emergency stop but the victim ended up beneath the vehicle, sustaining serious injuries. He died the following day at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Gareth Robinson, a 39-year-old man from the Gillow Heath area of Biddulph, committed historical sexual offences against children between August 2004 and June 2005. He was found guilty at an earlier hearing in July 2021 and sentenced on August 27, 2021.

Regan Webb, 25, used Snapchat for about a month in 2025 to communicate with what he believed was a 14-year-old girl, posing as a 15-year-old boy named Jason Watt. He offered money and gifts, shared intimate images and a video of himself performing a sex act, discussed sexual activity, and suggested meeting. The profile was in fact operated by a police officer. A search of his home found two category A moving images showing child sexual abuse on his device. He initially claimed no knowledge of the Snapchat account but pleaded guilty at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Richard Carr started a fire in his room at a property in Hanley on 9 December 2020 at 10.05am. Police were called by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service reporting people were trapped. Officers found Carr sat outside refusing to allow firefighters into the property. All occupants were evacuated. No-one was injured.

Samuel Wilton, aged 24, of Barrie Gardens, Talke, engaged in controlling and coercive behaviour towards his pregnant partner between March and October 2025, restricting her movements, isolating her from friends and family, monitoring her actions, preventing her from leaving the address, controlling her personal care, pestering her for sex despite her illness, and making threats about the unborn baby including restrictions on cuddling or walking it and suggestions it would not be kept. On September 26, 2025, he assaulted her by repeatedly pushing her, dragging her into the living area, and taking her phone when she sought help. After the relationship ended and while on bail, he breached conditions by sending threatening messages to her and her mother, including threats to burn down the family home and harm family members. Victim now suffers flashbacks and panic attacks; discovered prior similar behaviour via Clare's Law.

Rafakat Abbas, aged 30, from Lilleshall Street in Dresden, was the driver of a grey Audi A4 in the early hours of 3 November 2020 when it was involved in a single-vehicle collision on Sandon Road in Meir at the junction of Queensmead Road. The Audi was travelling at 115 miles-per-hour as it approached the right-hand bend, on a 30 mile-per-hour road. Abbas lost control of the vehicle, and following its collision with a residential wall, the vehicle was found on its roof. Front seat passenger the victim, aged 65, from Meir, was pronounced dead at the scene. Abbas failed to provide a specimen of blood for analysis and admitted during police interview that a quantity of cannabis found at the scene belonged to him.

Paul Leon suggested that he, his wife Christine, and the victim sleep together. He had sexual intercourse with Christine and with the victim, with Christine participating throughout.

Omar Farooq failed to surrender to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on July 31. He denied the charge, but the judge found him guilty after hearing evidence. Separately, he denies arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered on June 24, with trial listed for February 2027.

Nathan Cotton was identified through forensic examination of evidence from the 19 April 2020 incident involving Adams and Vernall. On 24 December 2020, officers attended Sheppard Street, Stoke-on-Trent, where Cotton identified himself. He was voluntarily interviewed at Longton Police Station. Seized mobile phones contained messages detailing Cotton's involvement in the supply and operation of dealing cocaine and cannabis.

Levi Watkis from Meir was found guilty of sexual activity with a girl, aged between 13 and 15, between July 2006 and July 2007. He took advantage of his victim’s age by paying her compliments in the run up to the attack. They were alone and he pressurised and scared her into doing what he said.

Matthew Charlesworth, of St Aidan’s Street in Tunstall, contacted who he thought were four 14-year-old girls on social media in May 2020. The girls were in fact adults who later arranged to meet Charlesworth on 11 June. The police were alerted and seized Charlesworth’s phone before he was arrested a day later. In interview, Charlesworth initially denied the communications and claimed his phone and social media accounts had been hacked, but later admitted the offences.

Matthew David Worthington, a registered sex offender, breached his sexual harm prevention order through determined and persistent actions, ignoring warnings from officers during unannounced visits. He also made and possessed indecent images of a child. He was arrested in November 2020 after checks on his electronic devices revealed the breaches.

On 10 February 2023, at around 4:00 AM, Martin Sigley encountered a rival at the BP garage on Dividy Road, Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent. Due to longstanding bad blood, Sigley confronted the man, retrieved a hammer from an associate’s bag, and chased the victim, who fled into the shop and barricaded himself inside. Sigley repeatedly threatened to kill the man, causing the victim to fear for his life. The victim stated he is now too frightened to return to the area.

In the early hours of Wednesday 14 September 2022, Hange ran over a dog near Cherry Hill Lane in Knutton, killing it. A confrontation broke out with the dog’s owner. After the victim walked away, Hange got into his Vauxhall Insignia, drove off towards Silverdale Road, turned around, and drove back towards Cherry Hill Lane at speed, directly at the victim, who hit the windscreen before falling to the ground. The victim was not seriously injured.