Here is a roundup of some of the biggest court cases that took place in North Cumbria over the week.

Would-be Carlisle killer was arrested for carrying machete

A WOULD-BE killer responsible for a frenzied knife attack on his girlfriend in Carlisle was prosecuted previously for carrying a machete.

Seven years before he tried to murder Kerry Wilson, police found 39-year-old Matthew Ryan on a Carlisle street with a machete, when he told officers he planned to "hurt" the first person he met.

The chilling revelation emerged at the city’s crown court as a judge jailed Ryan for 22 years, stipulating he must serve a minimum of 15 years.

Thursby man jailed over late night shovel attack on his uncle

A NORTH Cumbrian man who "rammed" the blade end of a shovel into his uncle's face has been jailed for five and a half years.

John Park, 35, denied wrongdoing, claiming he used the shovel against his victim in self-defence. But after a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, a jury convicted him of intentionally causing farmer William Harrison grievous bodily harm.

During the trial, the jury heard a description of how Park carried out the attack on the doorstep of his uncle’s home at night, taking the victim by surprise.

Bust-up at Carlisle McVitie's factory lands worker in court

A WORKER from Carlisle’s McVitie’s biscuit factory has been sentenced after he admitted assaulting two colleagues.

The bust-up happened as 37-year-old Robert Bickley was working on the factory’s custard cream production line on July 5, magistrates at the city’s Rickergate court heard.

The defendant admitted two assaults.

Longtown man jailed for Carlisle assault and driving dangerously twice

A LONGTOWN man has been jailed after he admitted two offences of dangerous driving and a one-punch assault, which knocked out the victim.

Callum Kerr, 28, carried out the unprovoked attack at a bar in Lowther Street, Carlisle, punching the victim once on the back of the head shortly after having a conversation with him. The defendant was identified from CCTV footage.

Kerr admitted the actual bodily harm assault, committed in September of last year, as well as two counts of dangerous driving and two charges of disqualified driving, all committed within the space of four days in June of this year.

Drink driver in Carlisle Asda car park was in a 'mental health crisis'

A CARLISLE woman prosecuted for drink driving was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of the offence, a court heard. 

Carol Attenborough, 54, denied the offence, telling magistrates that she had consumed the alcohol that put her over the drink drive limit while she was sitting in her car in the city’s Asda car park at St Nicholas Gate on May 22.

She was convicted after a trial.

Egremont drug dealer's angry reaction to being jailed - four years on

AN EGREMONT man reacted furiously after a judge jailed him for drug supply offences that he committed four years ago.

Carlisle Crown Court judge Michael Fanning gave 40-year-old Duncan Kelly a three year jail term after hearing how the defendant was caught with cocaine that was potentially worth up to £6,000. 

He also had other incriminating evidence, including a debtors’ list. The defendant had earlier admitted possessing the class A drug with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Workington man Reece Kelly charged with downloading child abuse images

WORKINGTON man Reece Martin Kelly has appeared in court accused of downloading dozens of child abuse images.

The 31-year-old appeared before magistrates at Carlisle’s Rickergate court today, via a video link. He was told that he is facing three charges, relating to a 169 illegal images, 29 of which are categorised as Category A, the most serious kind.

According to prosecution papers, the defendant downloaded the indecent photographs between September 16, 2021, and October 13 that year.