Stoke On Trent Crown Court Sentencing Results

On December 19, 2024, Jay Norbury, aged 32, of Fenton, was in J D Wetherspoons, Hanley, with his partner and baby. After drinking six to eight double Jack Daniel's and taking cocaine, he argued with three men who threatened him. He took a serrated steak knife from the pub (from his pizza order), chased the group outside while brandishing it to threaten and intimidate them. No one was injured. Incident witnessed by many in busy city centre. Arrested on Tontine Street.

John Lightfoot, a registered sex offender subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, breached notification requirements by attending a pub in Cheadle and using an alias, falsely claiming to be the son of a well-known pub chain owner. Staff became suspicious, discovered his true identity, and asked him to leave. His offender manager was not aware he was using the alias.

On 28 August 2025 in Stoke, John Martin attempted to steal a bicycle. Two men confronted him and, while they waited for police, others arrived and a violent attack took place. Both men were kicked and stamped on; one suffered two cheekbone fractures and required metal plates, and the other suffered two brain bleeds. Personal items were taken.

On 17 January, James Whitehead forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's home in Silverdale, having arrived unannounced. He was subject to a 2023 restraining order after assaulting her and had already breached it twice. He refused to leave, barged into her bedroom while she called the police, attempted to take her phone, and later returned to knock on the kitchen window. He took cocaine in front of her and threatened to slap her. The victim stated she lives in constant fear and believes he will kill her one day.

On 28 August 2025 in Stoke, two men confronted a person attempting to steal a bicycle. While they waited for police, James Hopper and others arrived and surrounded them. Hopper punched one of the men, knocking him unconscious, and both men were kicked and stamped on. One suffered two cheekbone fractures and required metal plates; the other suffered two brain bleeds. Personal items including a phone, bike, bank cards and AirPods were taken.

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.

Harrison set fire to his bedding while naked during a monkey dust-fuelled incident on 17 August 2024 at his home in Leek, Stoke-on-Trent. The fire spread through the property, causing around £100,000 of damage and requiring the house to be gutted. He was arrested at the scene and treated for smoke inhalation.

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.

Rafakat Abbas, aged 30, from 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.

Samuel Wilton, aged 24, of 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.

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.

On 16 December 2021 in Kildare Street, Dresden, Stoke-on-Trent, Naveed Hussain and an unidentified man were involved in a violent confrontation with a victim, his brother, and two others. During the altercation, which moved into an alleyway, the victim's brother was stabbed in the shoulder with a machete, sustaining a 6cm deep wound. Hussain was part of the group that retreated before the stabbing and was later found to have carried a bladed article. The stabbing triggered a revenge arson attack on Hussain's partner's home in Bentilee, leaving a mother and daughter seriously injured.

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.