The faces and stories of the criminals locked up in Greater Manchester in 2021: Part I

Published date30 December 2021
With an ever mounting backlog of cases, and two national lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, courts have been sitting longer hours with barristers and judges working round the clock to ensure justice is delivered

The Manchester Evening News has dedicated court reporters covering an array of cases -from murders to robberies and everything in between.

Throughout the year, our reporters have witnessed the moment violent and dangerous criminals were handed lengthy jail sentences for their sordid crimes.

The list below details the despicable offences that landed them in the dock.

January

Geoffrey Strike

Geoffrey Strike, now 75, stabbed Jason Comerford, 21, in an unprovoked attack in 1994.

A court heard Strike may have mistakenly believed he was 'under threat of some kind' due to his mental health problems, but that Jason was 'entirely blameless'.

Following a Manchester Crown Court sentencing hearing, Strike, who admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Strike was charged with murder in February 2020 -26 years after he killed Jason. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the week he was due to go on trial in October last year.

READ MORE: Brother of young man stabbed to death 26 years ago speaks out as his killer finally faces justice

Jayden Hayes

Drug addict Jayden Hayes, who tried to murder lone women in two vicious knife attacks just 19 days apart was handed a life sentence.

Hayes, 24, attempted to kill one of his victims just 90 minutes after he had been released on bail by magistrates following other alleged offences.

On January 8, Hayes was given a life sentence, to serve a minimum of 14 years before he can be considered for release.

Hayes, of no fixed address, admitted two counts of attempted murder.

READ MORE: Drug addict with picture of Corrie killer on phone tried to murder two women 19 days apart -he attacked a gran 90 MINUTES after being bailed by a court

Matthew Collins

Matthew Collins bombarded his ex-partner with hundreds of drunken emails containing his own song lyrics.

The 38-year-old, of Chatburn Road, Chorlton, breached a non-molestation order imposed at the family court four times in less than a year, Manchester Crown Court heard.

He was sentenced to two years in prison of which he will serve half before being released on licence.

READ MORE: Architect jailed for bombarding ex-partner with hundreds of emails containing his own song lyrics

Kevin Pryce

Kevin Pryce, 45, who tested positive for cocaine and cannabis, claimed 14-year-old Mia Strothers had stepped out into the road before he hit her with his car.

But Pryce was 'absolutely flying' while driving at 57mph in a 30mph zone, and was in a BMW which he knew had faulty brakes.

He drove off, leaving Mia with injuries which would prove fatal.

Pryce, who has never had a licence, was jailed for 10 years and banned from driving for life.

Pryce, of Quail Street, Oldham, admitted causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving without a licence and driving with no insurance.

READ MORE: Drug-fuelled speeding BMW driver killed teenage girl Mia Strothers as she walked to school -then tried to blame her after driving off

Marek Swistak

Remorseless 'predator' Marek Swistak sexually assaulted a teenage girl after plying her with alcohol.

A court heard he carried out a 'catalogue of sexual offending' against his victim.

At Bolton Crown Court Swistak was jailed for 13 years.

Judge Walsh imposed a restraining order, banning Swistak from contacting his victim, and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

He will also be forced to sign the sex offender register for life.

READ MORE: Remorseless predator sexually abused teenager after plying her with alcohol -he summoned her by text... leaving her 'haunted' by the sound of alerts on her phone

Farooq Ahmed

Greater Manchester Police officer Farooq Ahmed was jailed after repeatedly sexually assaulting a young girl.

The 37-year-old, walked into a police station with a confession note before Christmas last year. He was jailed for two years.

Ahmed, from Mossley Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, is believed to have served with GMP in the Tameside area for around three years.

He was required to sign the sex offenders' register and the judge also passed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will last for five years.

He was then dismissed from the force.

READ MORE: Greater Manchester Police officer dismissed from force after being jailed for sexual assault of young girl

Anthony Lutkevitch

Anthony Lutkevitch was found with an artillery of weapons including a sawn-off shotgun and hand grenade.

The 31-year-old was being paid by an unknown man to store the weapons at the property on Tonge Street in Heywood , a court heard.

Police found the gun and 'Russian' explosive in the attic after executing a warrant in July last year.

Bomb disposal experts had to be called. A controlled explosion was carried out.

Officers also found a 'large amount' of cannabis and ketamine, worth around £17,000 on the streets, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

A judge was told he dealt drugs 'prolifically' for nine years.

Lutkevitch, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm without a firearm certificate; possession of a prohibited weapon; and two counts of possession with intent to supply class B drugs.

He was jailed for four years and four months.

READ MORE: A sawn-off shotgun, a 'Russian' hand grenade, a knuckle duster, SIX phones and £17k-worth of drugs -what cops found at this dealer's house

Catara Mattie

Three women who tried to smuggle £50,000 worth of cocaine into the UK through ‘internal concealments’ were jailed.

Catara Mattie, 20, from Salford, was on the same flight from Kingston, Jamaica, as Shantori Daniels, 23, and Shaliquah Talbot, 27.

The three women arrived at Gatwick Airport on November 11, 2020, and were searched by Border Force officers.

All three women were found to have ‘internal concealments’ of cocaine, the National Crime Agency NCA said.

The total weight of the packages was just under a kilo.

All three pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs.

During a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on December 9, Daniels was sentenced to 32 months in prison, Mattie was jailed for three years and Talbot was sentenced to 32 months in jail.

READ MORE: Three women tried to smuggle cocaine worth £50,000 into UK from Jamaica

Peter McConville

Peter McConville thought he was talking to a teenage girl on an online chat room.

The 29-year-old from Harpurhey , then began making sexual remarks to the 'girl' and talked about meeting up and having sex, despite her telling him that she was only 13-years-old and just 'looking for a chat'.

He arranged to meet up with her outside Debenhams in Manchester city centre -but 'Sienna' was an undercover police officer.

McConville, of Ryedale Avenue, pleaded guilty to one charge of facilitating or arranging the commission of a child sexual offence.

He was jailed for two years and two months.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be made to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

READ MORE: 'If I get to be your boyfriend you have to keep it secret': The sick words of paedophile to '13-year-old girl'

Scott Robinson

Officers, part of an operation tackling serious and organised crime, raided the home of Scott Robinson, 43, on Higher Lime Road in the Limeside area of Oldham last October.

Inside they found a handgun.

The weapon was seized and Robinson arrested.

He was later charged and pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm.

He was jailed for five years at Minshull Street Crown Court.

READ MORE: Man found with handgun in his house during police raid in Oldham is jailed

Kaden Hand

Paedophile Kaden Hand sexually abused a teenage girl he met on social media in a park.

It was one of a number of occasions that Kaden Hand, 20, engaged in sexual activity with the child.

Detectives said he "knew how old she was but he didn't care."

He was jailed for four years for child sex offences and abduction.

READ MORE: Man jailed for abducting and sexually abusing teenage girl in park

Keith Dube

Keith Dube launched a violent attack on his ex-girlfriend -and threatened to 'bite her face off'.

Keith Dube, 27, kicked his former partner, stamped on her and gave her a bloody nose after the woman was accused of swearing at a child.

Dube, from Eccles , Salford, threatened to 'bite her face off', before slamming her into a door after she tried to call a friend for help.

He later told her: "I told you you would fg get it" after smashing the rear window of her car.

He has now been sentenced to two years and seven months.

READ MORE: 'You really are dead, you little b': Thug launched violent attack on ex -and threatened to 'bite her face off'

Wayne McLaughlin

Wayne McLaughlin filmed himself launching a sickening sex attack on a woman who was 'out cold' -using the victim's phone.

McLaughlin, 31, was jailed for six years at Minshull Street Crown Court after admitting sexual assault by penetration and voyeurism.

The court heard the victim was 'incapable' of consent to sexual activity at the time and has no memory of what happened.

He was jailed for six years.

READ MORE: Man filmed himself launching sick sex attack on woman while she was 'out cold' -using her phone

Sarah Aikenhead

Sarah Aikenhead, 37, stole more than £136,000 from a solicitor's firm using the bank account of an elderly client with dementia.

The mum-of-one, of Beech Road, Sale, spent the cash on holidays, shopping at designer retailers, her wedding, and gave £30,000 to her brother, the court was told.

She was jailed for three years and four months for two offences of fraud.

READ MORE: Fraudster jailed for stealing £136,000 from solicitor's firm using elderly dementia sufferer's bank account

Amir Khan

Amir Khan, 40, was jailed after he was caught driving around with more than £150,000 of 'dirty' cash stuffed in carrier bags.

He...

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