A thug who ‘randomly’ attacked shops and climbed up scaffolding thought his crimes were ‘a bit of fun’, a judge said. Daylan Burgess, 20, has been jailed for his role in large-scale disorder which broke out in Piccadilly Gardens. Far-right activists had organised a demonstration for August 3 after three young girls died in Southport. There was a large police presence as officers tried to keep the far-right group and counter protesters away from each other. Burgess’s lawyer said the defendant had ‘no understanding’ of the issues behind the demonstration, as he was jailed for 16 months. Read the full story here. (Image: GMP) 1 of 11
A ‘gardener’ tried to escape from a first floor window as police stormed a property which had been transformed into a cannabis farm. Krisjan Nikolli, 26, was offered £6,000 to look after the grow, which had been set up in a semi-detached house in Chorlton. But Manchester Crown Court heard that police became aware of it and raided the property. As they conducted a search, Nikolli, an illegal immigrant who had previously been smuggled into the country, tried to escape from a first-floor window. He has now been jailed for his part in the scheme and warned that he faces deportation. Read the full story here. 2 of 11
A man was driving past a baying mob outside a hotel believed to be housing asylum seekers when he parked up, grabbed a bottle of beer and joined them. Laurence Dunkerley, 37, was captured on body-worn footage in a neon green t-shirt whilst swigging from the bottle. He and a group of males and youths were loitering in the middle of a busy road whilst others were hurling racist abuse towards the hotel and police. As a bus drove up to the group he stood in front of it before tapping his bottle at the window as it drove past. When the Tactical Aid Unit arrived to move the group on, he became abusive. Dunkerley, of Marlborough Drive, was jailed for 25 months. Read the full story here. 3 of 11
A man who sexually assaulted a girl told police: "I've never made anyone do anything they didn't want to do." Jordan Appleby, 28, left his victim feeling 'dirty', a court heard. The girl was shown a video of Appleby having sex. She was filmed performing an indecent act without her consent. Prosecutor Gavin Howie told Manchester Crown Court: "The defendant did not ask and she accepted she did not refuse though she knew it was not right. "She knew she did not want to have sex and she said she felt dirty." Appleby was arrested after the victim raised the alarm. He told officers: "I've never raped anyone. I've never made anyone do anything they didn't want to do." Appleby pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child. He was initially charged with two counts of rape, but alternative pleas were accepted by prosecutors. Appleby, of Crowden Road, was jailed for two years and two months. Read the full story here. (Image: GMP) 4 of 11
A cocaine kingpin dragged back from Spain to face justice is serving a lengthy prison sentence. Vincent Edwards was the latest to be locked up as a result of evidence gleaned from the law enforcement infiltration of the EncroChat network. He received a 16 year and eight month jail term for his involvement in the trafficking of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and ketamine. Manchester Crown Court heard messaging from the communications system revealed that Edwards was linked to almost 250 kilos of class A drugs, the majority of that total being cocaine. His drug trafficking covered an 18 month period, from the spring of 2018 until summer 2020, when EncroChat was infiltrated by the authorities in France. Officers in Europe then handed data to police forces in the UK. Read the full story here. (Image: GMP) 5 of 11