Man handed 22-year prison sentence after being found guilty of murdering boyfriend

News and Star: Aaron RayAaron Ray (Image: Police)

A MAN has been handed a 22-year-old jail term after being convicted of murdering his boyfriend.

Aaron Ray, 21, stabbed Jason Brockbanks at Jason’s student accommodation on Howard Street, in Newcastle, in the early hours of September 24 last year following an argument.

Ray then cruelly left Jason, a 24-year-old Northumbria University student who was originally from Whitehaven in Cumbria, with fatal wounds and returned to his Sunderland home without informing the emergency services that Jason was injured.

Full story here.

 

Convenience store staff alerted police to drink-driver who bought bottle of wine

News and Star: Harrington Road SparHarrington Road Spar (Image: NQ)

STAFF at a convenience store alerted police to a driver who appeared to be drunk when she bought a bottle of wine and then drove home.

Police were called by staff at Spar on Harrington Road in Workington, just after 12.30pm on February 3, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Hayley Winthorpe, 44, was dropping her items and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when she purchased a bottle of wine from the store.

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Care worker accused of ill-treating person she cared for

News and Star: Workington Magistrates CourtWorkington Magistrates Court (Image: NQ)

A CARE worker has appeared in court accused of ill-treating a person she cared for.

Vivienne Anderson, 64, of South View Road, Whitehaven, faces a charge of being a care worker ill-treating or wilfully neglecting an individual.

The offence is alleged to have taken place in Whitehaven on November 11, 2019.

Full story here.

Young Carlisle man presented fake prescriptions to various pharmacies

News and Star: One of the pharmacies where the defendant presented a fake prescriptionOne of the pharmacies where the defendant presented a fake prescription (Image: Google)

A YOUNG Carlisle man has admitted a series of prescription fraud offences - though pharmacy staff were not taken in.

When the police caught up with 23-year-old Jake Godber, who is battling against metal health problems that include autism and ADHD, he told the officers that he was “desperate to take drugs”, the city’s Rickergate court heard.

The defendant, of Orton Road, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to eight identical fraud offences.

Full story here.

Teenager admits handling stolen farm quad bikes worth £11,000

News and Star: Carlisle's Rickergate Magistrates' CourtCarlisle's Rickergate Magistrates' Court (Image: NQ)

A CARLISLE Crown Court judge is to sentence a teenager who handled two quad bikes worth £11,000 after they were stolen from a north Cumbrian farm.

At the city’s Rickergate court, 19-year-old Lewis Shields-Cromar pleaded guilty to handling the two quad bikes, which were stolen during a burglary from a farm at Plumpton, between Carlisle and Penrith, near to the A6.

Andy Travis, prosecuting, said the burglary happened at 10.30pm on May 11 last year, half a hour after the farmer had finished his day’s work.

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Drug-driver told magistrates he will struggle to take his children to school

News and Star: The driver was stopped on Main Street in DistingtonThe driver was stopped on Main Street in Distington (Image: Google)

A DRUG-DRIVER who lives in a remote west Cumbrian village, told magistrates he would struggle to get his children to school after being banned from driving.

Paul Green, 32 was driving a Nissan Primestar on Main Street, Distington, when he was stopped by police at 11.50am on November 16.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said there was a “strong smell” of cannabis and a search was conducted.

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Woman fined for being drunk and disorderly in town centre

News and Star: The woman admitted being drunk and disorderly on Tangier Street in WhitehavenThe woman admitted being drunk and disorderly on Tangier Street in Whitehaven (Image: Google)

A woman has been fined for being drunk and disorderly in a town centre.

Laura McGrady, 36, was on Tangier Street in Whitehaven when the offence took place on March 7.

McGrady, of Main Street, Distington, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place, when she appeared at Workington Magistrates’ Court.

Full story here.

Judge sentences fugitive Cumbrian who tried to rape woman as she slept

News and Star: Alan AdamAlan Adam (Image: nq)

A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man who fled the country after trying to rape a sleeping woman has been given a nine year jail term.

The dock of Carlisle Crown Court was empty as Judge David Potter passed sentence on 38-year-old fugitive Alan Adam, who had denied sexually assaulting the victim and attempting to rape her.

Still on the run, the defendant, formerly of Harrington Road, Workington, failed to turn up for his own trial last week and was convicted in his absence.

Full story here.

 

Mum whose two children missed months of school had 'a lot on her plate'

News and Star: Magistrates CourtMagistrates Court (Image: NQ)

A NORTH Cumbrian mum prosecuted for failing to ensure her children regularly go to school was too busy providing essential care to her bedbound father to tackle the issue, a court heard.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, the woman - who has multiple caring responsibilities - pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to make sure her children regularly attended their secondary school.

Jonathan Farnsworth, prosecuting on behalf of Cumbria County Council’s Children’s Services Department, said the decision to prosecute was made after months of efforts by officials to change the situation.

Full story here.

Judge sentences man who 'outraged public decency' on bus

News and Star: Scott Barton, inset, felt ashamed, the court heard. Scott Barton, inset, felt ashamed, the court heard. (Image: nq)

A MAN travelling on a bus from Carlisle city centre left fellow passengers shocked as they saw him expose his genitals and touch himself sexually.

Police identified the culprit after two women reported what they had seen and police examined the bus’s CCTV footage, which allowed them to identify the offender, 43-year-old Carlisle man Scott Barton.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he was sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to an allegation of outraging public decency.

Full story here.

Drug driver caught after he crashed on a country road

News and Star: Cumbria policeCumbria police (Image: Archive)

A MOTORIST who crashed and then abandoned his car on a country road near Penrith was drug driving at the time, a court heard.

The offence committed by Harry Phillips, 27, came to light on November 21 last year after he lost control of his Ford Mondeo on the B5288 Greystoke to Penrith Road in wet driving conditions, Carlisle’s Rickergate court heard.

Neither the driver nor his female passenger were injured but the car was damaged and left at the scene, the court heard.

Full story here.

'Go to Specsavers - and back to your own country' - driver told Polish traffic warden

News and Star: Douglas BorlandDouglas Borland (Image: NQ)

A CARLISLE area motorist annoyed by being given a ticket by a Polish traffic warden “slapped it” on to the woman’s shoulder and told her: “Go to Specsavers – and back to your own country.”

Douglas Borland, 56, felt stressed when the warden ticketed his Mercedes while it was in Stanwix Car Park, magistrates heard. He pleaded guilty to a charge of racially aggravated common assault.

George Shelley, prosecuting at the city’s Rickergate court, said the traffic enforcement officer and her colleague were working in Stanwix at 12.30pm on April 15 last year when the female officer noticed the defendant’s white car.

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Man accused of forcing dog's head into hole in ground

News and Star: Nathan Thompson is accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a dogNathan Thompson is accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog (Image: nq)

A MAN has appeared in court charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog.

Nathan Thompson, 28, is accused of dragging the dog around by the scruff of the neck, forcing its head into a hole in the ground and not seeking medical attention when the dog was injured.

The young Border Collie dog was found deceased in a bin on September 8 last year.

Full story here.

 

'You can stick your order', says boyfriend given 28-day ban from contacting woman

A CARLISLE man battling to prevent a proposed ban on him seeing his girlfriend after she accused him of biting her during a row directed a rude comment at a judge as he stormed out of court.

Gary Ferguson, 32, aimed the comment at a district judge who had just heard evidence of the defendant’s alleged violence towards his partner and banned him from contacting her for 28 days.

Cumbria Police lawyer Tom Young set out why the force was applying for a domestic violence protection order against the defendant.

Full story here.

Man making illegal visit to mum's house fled from the police like 'The Flash'

News and Star: Josh SmithJosh Smith (Image: nq)

A HOMELESS Carlisle man who visited his mother in defiance of a court order swiftly made a run for it like “The Flash”, magistrates heard.

But Josh Smith, 24, was no so lucky when police returned to his mother’s Belahy home later the same day – when officers found him in the bedroom where they had earlier glimpsed him through a window.

The defendant, now of Spencer Street, Carlisle, admitted two counts of breaching a restraining order which a court had imposed on November 29, 2021, prosecutor George Shelley told the city’s Rickergate court.

Full story here.

Shoplifter stealing perfume told pharmacy worker her make-up was 'cakey'

News and Star: Cohens ChemistCohens Chemist (Image: google)

A SHOPLIFTER told a member of staff at a chemist she was “wearing far too much make-up” as she stole perfume and aftershave.

Lucy Dobbin, 34, entered Cohens Chemist in Cleator Moor on December 21, Workington Magistrates’ Court was told.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant was there with a male and was seen to place perfume and aftershave into her pockets.

Full story here.

Man appears in court charged with rape of a woman

A MAN has appeared in court charged with rape.

Jake Simpson, 29, of Duke Street, Workington, did not enter a plea to a charge of raping a woman over the age of 16, when he appeared at Workington Magistrates’ Court.

The offence is alleged to have taken place in Workington, between March 1, 2016 and May 1, 2016.

Full story here.

Three men conspired to supply cocaine and woman had £16,000 and MDMA

News and Star: Crown courtCrown court (Image: Newsquest)

THREE men are to be sentenced for conspiring to supply cocaine, along with a woman who had £16,000 in cash and MDMA in her possession.

Dean Moore, 30, and Jackson Moore, 23, of Thwaite Bank, Northside, Workington, and Kieran Moore, 25, of Far Moss, Northside, Workington, pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply a Class A drug – cocaine, in Workington between December 26, 2021 and July 14, 2022.

Amber Moore, 28, of Hillcrest, Northside, Workington, pleaded guilty to possessing a Class A drug - MDMA and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property, namely £16,000 in cash, in Workington on July 13 last year.

Full story here.

'Dangerous' sex offender with history of flashing was caught buying knives

News and Star: The defendant was arrested in a car park at St Nicholas Gate, off London Road, Carlisle.The defendant was arrested in a car park at St Nicholas Gate, off London Road, Carlisle. (Image: google)

A DANGEROUS sex offender whose criminal history includes downloading indecent child images and flashing at strangers was caught buying knives in Carlisle in the early hours of the morning.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, a Crown Prosecution Service lawyer described west Cumbrian man Benjamin Connor, 47, as a “danger to the public.”

The defendant pleaded guilty to four offences: possessing four knives illegally in the Asda car park at St Nicholas Gate, Carlisle, and three counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order by having a secret phone and software.

Full story here.

Christmas Eve bust-up ended with wrecking spree

News and Star: Callum GriffithsCallum Griffiths (Image: Supplied)

A CHRISTMAS eve bust-up reached a destructive climax as a Carlisle man began smashing up his former partner’s home, kicking a dog basket, smashing a mirror and throwing things at the TV.

But 23-year-old Callum Griffiths offered a sincere apology to magistrates after he admitted a spate of offending linked to his outburst.

Prosecutor George Shelley said the alarm was raised when police received a 999 call the defendant’s former boyfriend, who summoned the police as the call handler listened to the sounds of a disturbance.

Full story here.

Assault charges dropped against asylum seeker as 'no evidence offered'

AN asylum seeker who faced charges of assault has had the case against him dropped.

The male, who was living at The Waverley Hotel in Whitehaven at the time of the alleged offences, had pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault by beating at a hearing on December 16.

The offences were alleged to have taken place in Whitehaven on November 7 last year.

Full story here.

Man accused of having American bulldog that was dangerously out of control

A MAN has appeared in court accused of owning an American bulldog that was dangerously out of control and caused injury to a woman.

Jonathan Foxcroft, 47, did not enter a plea to a charge of being the owner of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury, when he appeared at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The offence is alleged to have taken place on St Bees beach on September 14 last year.

Full story here.

Street attack followed earlier violence in city club, court told

A CARLISLE man caught on CCTV attacking a man on a city centre street claimed the victim had assaulted his younger brother.

At the city’s Rickergate court, Steven Rhys Weir, 26, pleaded guilty to a using threatening behaviour on March 18 after it was confirmed that the victim of his violence declined to give police a statement.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly described what the city centre CCTV showed of the defendant’s violent behaviour.

Full story here.

Secret visits to social media sites land man with suspended jail term

News and Star: Secret visits to social media sites land man with suspended jail termSecret visits to social media sites land man with suspended jail term (Image: nq)

AN ASPATRIA man has been given a suspended jail term after he twice breached a court's sexual risk order by secretly downloading and deleting social media software on his smartphone.

The court order was designed to ensure that Thomas Wilkinson, 46, had his internet usage closely monitored by the police and to prevent him from deleting the history of any internet enabled device he owns or has access to.

But police discovered that the defendant, of North View, Aspatria, downloaded and deleted Snapchat and Instagram multiple times.

Ful story here.

Man accused of assaulting woman and driving vehicle towards her

News and Star: Keekle MeadowsKeekle Meadows (Image: google)

A MAN has denied assaulting a woman and driving a vehicle dangerously towards her.

Paul Mossop, 46, pleaded not guilty to driving a motor vehicle dangerously and assault by beating, when he appeared at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Mossop is accused of assaulting the woman in Keekle on October 6. It is also alleged that Mossop drove a VW Transporter dangerously towards her at Keekle Meadows on October 14.

Full story here.

Lawyer for drunk 43-year-old man who punched two women: 'His mum will pay his fines'

News and Star: Grey Goat, PenrithGrey Goat, Penrith (Image: google)

A BOXING Day drinking session ended in a police cell for a former Carlisle businessman who got drunk and then punched two women at a pub.

William Lee, 43, who subsequently had no memory of his bad behaviour at the Grey Goat pub in Penrith last year, punched one women in the face after touching her bottom and then punched a second woman when she protested.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court, the defendant, now living at the Lakeland View Caravan Site, Penrith, admitted two assaults by beating.

Full story here.

Woman and her sex offender boyfriend 'concealed' birth of their child

A WOMAN allowed her sex offender boyfriend to deliver their baby in a DIY home birth as part of a desperate bid to keep the child hidden.

The couple concealed the newborn because they knew that the father's history of committing serious child sex offences meant the authorities would never let them live under the same roof as any infant.  

At Carlisle Crown Court, the woman – who was living in west Cumbria but cannot be named for legal reasons - pleaded guilty to helping a sex offender flout the terms of his Sex Offender Registration.

Full story here.

Pervert snared by paedophile hunters is jailed for 28 months

News and Star: Pervert snared by paedophile hunters is jailed for 28 monthsPervert snared by paedophile hunters is jailed for 28 months (Image: NQ)

A PERVERT was snared by paedophile hunters as he engaged in lewd online sexual chat with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

After 48-year-old Martin Gray was confronted by vigilantes and brought to the attention of police it emerged he had conducted internet searches about the legal age of consent and possible penalties for breaking the law.

Officers arrested Gray at his Keswick address on January 23 last year after he was confronted by the paedophile hunters — one of whom had set up a Facebook profile pretending to be a schoolgirl aged 13.

Full story here.

 

Motorist, 19, driving 'fast and recklessly' had taken 'cocktail of drugs'

A 19-year-old motorist had taken a “cocktail of drugs” on a Saturday night bender before he was seen by police driving “fast and recklessly”.

Michael McCombe was driving a Ford Fiesta just before 2am on January 9 but police had been unable to catch up with the vehicle, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant had driven past the officers again, just past the Brewer’s Fayre car park in Distington and he was stopped.

Full story here.