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Man’s random attacks after downing his raffle prize of eight pints of lager

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December 20, 2016
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Jonny Karrasch targeted a three-year-old boy along with a couple

A man launched a random attack on a little boy and a couple out trick-or-treating with their young daughter.

Kirklees Magistrates heard how the bizarre incident in Lockwood happened after Jonny Karrasch downed his pub raffle prize of eight pints of lager.

His behaviour caused one terrified mother and daughter to flee and a pregnant woman and her partner to detain him after he went to a home and assaulted a three-year-old boy standing on the doorstep.

Prosecutor Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said that on the evening of October 22 Shahbia Shahid and her mother were returning home in their car.

They stopped in Milner Street and as they got out of the vehicle Karrasch approached them. He shouted at the women: “Who do you think you are?

“It will take me two minutes to know who you are and where you live.”

Taking this as a threat, the frightened women ran away with Miss Shahid seeking shelter in a relative’s home nearby.

Karrasch, of New Street in Meltham, continued to shout and swear and grabbed hold of her wrist as she tried to get inside.

Mrs Jones said: “At one point there was a three-year-old little boy stood in the hallway and he grabbed hold of the boy by his shirt and tried to pull him out of the house.”

As the two women at the house tried to push door shut, the 24-year-old let go of the child and got his own leg trapped in the door.

They opened the door to release his leg and managed to close the door on him, resulting in Karrasch punching and kicking at the door and causing £300 of damage.

Police were called and after a few minutes he stopped and ran down the street towards a pregnant woman who was with her partner and eight-year-old girl.

Mrs Jones said: “Karrasch tried to hit the male and because of his demeanour they detained him on the floor until police arrived.

“The (female) witness said that they were walking along the street with their little girl going trick or treating and saw the male with his t-shirt ripped and he was shouting.

“He kept calling her ‘Chelsea’ and said: ‘You say you are with me or if not I’ll get locked up’.

“He peered towards the little girl and said: ‘Come here, beautiful’ and she was scared and started crying.”

As the couple detained Karrasch he used racist language, magistrates were told.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of assault, criminal damage, racially-aggravated threatening behaviour and possession of cannabis.

Victoria Sims, mitigating, described her client’s offences as “totally out of character.”

She explained: “He’d been in the pub, won the raffle and consumed his prize of eight pints of lager.

“Mr Karrasch doesn’t usually drink that much and that’s due to a cocktail of medication he takes.

“He simply doesn’t remember the offences but that doesn’t excuse his behaviour and he hasn’t touched alcohol since.”

Magistrates sentenced Karrasch to 10 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

He must complete a community order with 10 days of rehabilitative activities and curfew for six weeks.

Karrasch also has to pay £50 compensation to each of his victims and £300 to help fix the damaged door.

Huddersfield Examiner

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Jail for robbers who kicked and stamped on drunk man

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October 25, 2016
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Dean Thompson, left, and Jamie Welsh have each been jailed for three years.

Dean Thompson, left, and Jamie Welsh have each been jailed for three years.

A pair of robbers who knocked a drunk man to the ground and kicked him in the head have been jailed for three years.

The victim had been enjoying a night out in Newcastle city centre when he started talking to Jamie Welsh and Dean Thompson.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the pair followed him along the street and grabbed him with such force that he fell to the ground.

While on the floor he was aware his rucksack was being pulled from him by Welsh, 18, and Thompson, 21.

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, told the court: “Both defendants started to kick him to his head and stand on him.

“He raised his arms to try and protect himself, he felt there was blood running down his face.”

The victim, who lost possessions including a gold iPhone and his wallet and bank cards, managed to get away and went to a bar for assistance.

Tthe items taken from the victim were recovered from the defendants after the attack in August.

Welsh, formerly of Tyneside Foyer, Newcastle, and Thompson, of Westgate Road, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to robbery.

While on bail, Welsh broke into the empty home of a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and stole an ashtray containing money from a car.

He admitted burglary, theft and criminal damage in connection with those offences.

Barry Robson, defending Welsh, said he’d had to leave home due to his drug taking and had been living on the streets after being asked to leave the Tyneside Foyer.

In relation to the robbery, Mr Robson said: “We are dealing with someone who is 18 and has been coming before the courts since March 2015.

“The situation has gradually got worse.”

Paul Currer, defending Thompson, said: “He’s a young man, he has a learning disability and has problems with his mental health.

“He doesn’t seek to blame others, he’s a very immature 21-year-old, but he understands the seriousness of the offence.”

Recorder William Lowe QC told the pair: “A young man was making his way home after a night out in Newcastle, he had a lot to drink and admitted he was drunk. He was therefore vulnerable.

“He had on his back a rucksack, and a wallet containing credit cards, when he was set upon by these two men.

“He was set to the ground with considerable force. When he was on the ground he was stamped on by these two.

“CCTV was able to capture these two young men and their victim. They were arrested very close to the scene of the offence of robbery.

“They had the items that had been stolen from their victim including the credit cards from his wallet.

“This was in my view a serious offence of robbery.”

Recorder Lowe QC sentenced both Welsh and Thompson to three years in prison.

Sunderland Echo

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Vandal daubed offensive graffiti on Sunderland pub and house

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August 25, 2016
Uncategorized

A vandal who painted offensive graffiti on a random pub and house ‘has no idea’ why he did so.

Kieron Wright, 23, used black paint to daub slogans onto the wall of a house in Hylton Road, and the nearby Railway Tavern pub, Sunderland magistrates heard.

The court was told the properties were randomly selected, and had nothing to do with what was written on them.

Prosecutor Lee Poppett said: “This case concerns three offences of graffiti, for want of a better term.”

Mr Poppett said a rented property was defaced twice, on July 3, and July 7.

And on July 4, he repeated the offence on an outside wall of the Railway Tavern.

Mr Poppett added: “There is no suggestion that either of the premises were targeted in any way, or racially motivated in any way.

“Mr Wright has taken it upon himself to write on them in black paint.”

He was identified from CCTV footage and when police searched his house, they found a small amount of cannabis bush.

Wright, of Rosedale Street, Sunderland, admitted three counts of criminal damage, possession of cannabis, and breaching two conditional discharges.

He has 33 previous convictions for a total of 47 offences, five of which were criminal damage.

Tony Southwick, defending, said: “The second incident on July 7, he painted over what he had previously painted. He added a little bit extra.

“This was not targeted in any way. It’s not racially aggravated because he would not have known who the landlord was.

“He has no explanation as to why he has done this.

“He accepts that the small quantity of cannabis in the house was for his own personal use. He tells me it’s barely enough to make one joint.

“He was laid off from work in May and he uses cannabis more or less on a daily basis because he is bored.”

Wright was sentenced to a six-month community order with 10 days’ specified activity.

He was told to pay a £50 fine, and £110 in compensation.

Sunderland Echo

Man stubbed out cigarette on pregnant woman and then hit her across the head with a tablet

By
August 2, 2016
Uncategorized

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A FATHER-to-be who attacked the mother of his unborn child has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Jack Powell stubbed out a cigarette on the shoulder of his former partner before hitting her across the head with an electronic tablet when he flew into a rage on Sunday night.

Swansea Magistrates’ Court heard today that the 22-year-old had appeared calm when he turned up at her home, and she felt confident to let him in despite the can of Fosters lager in in his hand.

He had wanted to discuss a recent argument with the woman, who had recently found out she was pregnant with his baby.

“All of a sudden his demeanour changed and he started to say horrible things like she had used him to have a baby,” explained Alex Scott, prosecuting.

“He extinguished a cigarette on her shoulder and she asked him to leave.

“He hit her across the head with an electronic tablet and she screamed, hoping to attract someone’s attention.”

During the attack he also damaged several parts of the home.

His former partner fled the house and called police.

Powell, of Bedford Street, Morriston, was arrested the following morning and answered ‘no comment’ to police questions.

Matt Henson, in mitigation, asked the magistrates to show leniency and give “due credit” to him for pleading guilty.

The court heard he had previous convictions for assaults.

“We find the offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified,” Magistrate Ross Evans said. “It was an attack in a domestic setting and it was a sustained attack.”

He was jailed for 16 weeks for common assault and criminal damage and four weeks for criminal damage, to be served at the same time.

Magistrates explained they had reduced the sentence after his guilty plea, but ordered him to pay a total of £500 in fines, compensation and court fees.

South Wales Evening News

Thugs boasted on Facebook about starting a ‘war’ in pizza shop after attacking and racially abusing staff

By
June 20, 2016
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Drunken thugs boasted on Facebook about starting a ‘war’ in a pizza shop after attacking and racially abusing workers, smashing a door and hurling pizza boxes around the shop.

Brothers Jamie York, 32, and John Alexander Brown, 19, both of Greenwood Avenue, Mansfield Woodhouse and Shaun Andrew Bowers , 35, of Crompton Road, Mansfield were caught on CTTV in Chicho’s on High Street, Mansfield Woodhouse.

All three had been to Bowers’ grandfather’s funeral on January 26, had been drinking and went for food at the shop before 8pm that day.

However, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard how an argument broke out over the size of a pizza and things ‘turned very badly’, according to defence solicitor for Brown and York, Chris Perry.

The court was shown extensive CCTV footage of the incident which showed punches being thrown, pizza boxes and dishes being hurled between both the defendants and the shop workers. Racial insults and threats were also heard.

At one point Brown is seen picking up a ‘wet-floor’ plastic sign and throwing it at the staff. The staff can also be seen swinging a wooden stick around to defend themselves.

One member had to be later taken to hospital with bruising and swelling.

Brown was seen later seen returning to the shop and kicking the door, damaging it.

Two of the three defendants were later found to have posted entries on Facebook with what prosecutor Robert Carr described as ‘rejoicing at what they called a war’, and laughing and bragging.

But in mitigation, the court was told how the defendants do not consider themselves to be racist and insults may have been shouted in the heat of the moment.

Mr Perry said: “They did not intend to cause trouble, there were events that led to this inexcusable behaviour.

“The catalyst for it was very innocuous.”

Bowers admitted racially-aggravated provocation of violence and was handed a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work, £200 compensation and £145 in costs.

Brown admitted criminal damage and two counts of assault, while York admitted racially-aggravated criminal damage and two counts of racially-aggravated assaults.

They each received 18 weeks’ jail for the assaults, plus four weeks for the criminal damage charges, all suspended for 12 months.

They each had to pay £750 in compensation, Brown was also given 200 hours of unpaid work while York was given a three-month curfew order.

All three were handed a one-year restraining order to not enter the pizza shop.

Mansfield Chad

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Joshua Dempsey jailed: ‘He is undoubtedly a dangerous man who thought nothing of using a knife’

By
May 14, 2016
Uncategorized

JD

Police have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on robberies after armed robber Joshua Dempsey was jailed for nine years.

Yesterday, Dempsey, 25, of Convamore Road, Grimsby was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court after being branded a dangerous offender.

He previously pleaded guilty to the following:

Robbery on the December 3, 2015 at the Betfred Bookmakers of Ladysmith Road
Robbery on the December 6, 2015 at the Betfred Bookmakers of Laceby Road in Grimsby respectively
Two counts of being in possession of a knife/blade
Affray
Three counts of criminal damage

Dempsey also admitted the robbery on at Segal’s Jewellers on December 21, and this was taken into account.

Following the sentencing, Humberside Police said it remains “committed” to bringing offenders to justice.

Detective Constable Neil Haigh, the officer in charge of the investigation, said: “I am delighted Dempsey has been sentenced to nine years and am convinced he would have continued to offender if he’d remained at large.

“He is undoubtedly a dangerous man who thought nothing of using a knife to threaten innocent members of the public during two armed robberies in Grimsby. The robberies were terrifying for his victims and their bravery throughout should be commended. I am sure that they will welcome the fact he will is now behind bars.

“Dempsey was arrested on Christmas Day after members of the public called the force in response to a wanted person appeal. Unfortunately, he took to the roof tops to try and evade arrest causing disruption to family’s festive plans, as well as causing significant damage to property and vehicles area. I am sure they will all be pleased he has received such a significant sentence.

“I hope the case serves as a warning to other offenders that robbery will not be tolerated and any offences will be robustly investigated to ensure offenders are brought to justice and the public are kept safe.”

Dempsey was jailed for nine years for Christmas Eve disruption, pictured above, betting shop robberies and jewellers’ robbery

Detective Chief Inspector Nicki Miller, Humberside Police force lead for Robbery, added: “Across Humberside we are committed to bringing robbers to justice, while also working with the public and business to try and prevent offending in the first place. We have robust investigation plans in place to ensure we respond quickly and effectively to capture all evidence and ensure any potentially prolific offenders are taken off the streets quickly.

“This was the case in the Dempsey case with all the pillars of the police force coming together to secure a conviction with detectives, community teams, response officers and Crime Scene Investigators all playing their part.

“I hope that Dempsey’s case sends out a strong message to other likeminded offenders that we can and will do everything possible to bringing you to justice if you offender in the Humberside Police area.”

Grimsby Telegraph

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EDL member racially abused Grimsby shop workers and smashed window

By
March 27, 2016
Uncategorized
WALKED FREE: Mathew Burton, who racially abused two men in a shop

Mathew Burton, pictured outside Grimsby magistrates court.

A SELF-PROCLAIMED EDL member who racially abused two Grimsby shop workers and smashed in a window walked free from court – because his co-accused “had not faced the right charge”.

Mathew Burton, of Durban Road, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to racially abusing Kanaganayagan Thirumurugan and Kanaganayagam Thirukumaran at Today’s Local Store, in Victoria Street, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015.

He was also charged with causing £500 of criminal damage to the shop window.

Grimsby Magistrates’ Court heard that Burton racially abused and taunted the two victims.

The court heard the 27-year-old shouted racist abuse before saying “get out of the country. I am a member of the EDL.

“I will close your shop.”

CCTV footage from the shop was seized by police.

The complainant served Burton despite being abused and did not retaliate, Karen Tunicliffe, prosecuting, said.

Having left the shop after buying a packet of cigarettes, Burton then returned with Nathan Meadows, who was wearing a jumper with EDL on the back.

The pair started to become aggressive as they waited at the back of a queue, with Meadows shouting “I will brick your face and smash your face up”.

Meadows spat on the floor and then appeared to spit towards the man behind the counter, before pushing items off the counter, the court heard.

Meadows then threw and landed seven or eight punches.

They left the store and Meadows was seen to lash out at the window of a passing bus.

The two of them then caused the glass to shatter on the shop’s window.

Meadows, 27, of Convamore Road, was given a 12-month conditional discharge at an earlier hearing, having been charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Two other charges were dismissed after no evidence was offered.

Burton originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea before the case went to trial.

He carried out the offence while on bail for motoring offences, the prosecution said.

Mark McNeil, mitigating, said his client accepted what he did was unacceptable, adding that drink had impinged his decision making.

“He accepts he is easily led and often falls to peer pressure in a need to impress others,” he said.

He added: “I am not belittling the nature of the offence, but I am somewhat confused the co-accused was sentenced in the manner he was.

“One would say the co-accused was more culpable. He seems to be the main protagonist and yet he walked away with a conditional discharge.”

Deputy district judge Derek French described Burton’s behaviour as “absolutely despicable”.

“There is no way the charge against the co-accused was the right charge,” he added.

“If the co-accused did not go into custody then you shouldn’t either.

“You have been very fortunate today, you should have gone to prison.”

He was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months and was given 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the complainant, £500 to repair the window, an £80 victims’ surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Grimsby Telegraph

Man sentenced for fireworks attack on Rhyl mosque

By
January 18, 2016
Uncategorized

Magistrates expressed surprise that no-one else was charged alongside Keith Edward Hall, 38, of Bath Street, Rhyl

Keith Hill

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence for a firework attack on a mosque.

Magistrates saw video footage which showed Keith Edward Hall twice approaching the Islamic Centre in Rhyl, lighting the fireworks and pushing them through the letterbox on November 11.

In the background, a man and woman could be heard laughing and shouting: “Hurry up.”

Having seen the film, Prestatyn magistrates expressed surprise that no-one else has been charged in connection with the attack.

Hall, 38, of Bath Street, Rhyl, had pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated criminal damage at the centre in Water Street.

In the footage, filmed from the doorway of the Bow Bar opposite, Hall was seen approaching the mosque twice in 20 minutes.

In a victim impact statement, Rafiq Ullah, the centre’s treasurer, said the damage could have been much greater had they not taken measures to improve fire safety after a previous incident.

He said people could easily have been injured as the prayer room was behind the door.

The incident occurred only two days before the Paris shootings, and Mr Ullah said tension at the mosque was high in that period. It eased when Hall was arrested.

When interviewed, Hall said he could remember very little about the incident because he had drunk eight litres of cider and eight shorts.

He woke up the following morning with a sore arm where part of the letterbox surround had hit him when it was blown off.

He denied being a racist and claimed to have several friends from ethnic minorities.

Alex Fitzgerald, representing Hall, said he found it “astonishing” that no-one else had been charged even though they were interviewed.

Mr Fitzgerald told the court that Hall did not even realise that the building was a mosque.

“It was not born out of a deep-seated hate of the Muslim community, but was an act of utter stupidity,” he said.

“He is embarrassed at his stupidity and wishes to apologise. Alcohol affects his thinking and his behaviour.”

Hall was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, and must also observe a 7pm-7am curfew and attend a six-month alcohol treatment course and 25 days of rehabilitation.

He was also ordered to pay compensation of £558, costs of £300 and a surcharge of £80.

The Bench made a restraining order prohibiting him from entering Water Street for 12 months.

Daily Post

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Shoppers started brawl at Sunderland Tesco after threatening to slash staff

By
November 15, 2015
Uncategorized

Three men have been sentenced after starting a brawl in a branch of Tesco’s.

Connor McIntosh, 21, Daniel Gray, 25, and Lee Forster, 25, were all charged with affray after an altercation with two employees at Tesco’s on Newcastle Road in Sunderland.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the three men had been shopping at the supermarket on October 25 last year with McIntosh being asked to leave the store after being aggressive towards staff and causing trouble.

CCTV footage showed the men leaving the store and heading into the car park.

Mr Alec Burns prosecuting said that McIntosh – who has previous convictions for battery and criminal damage – then approached two employees of Tesco’s who were on their break and became aggressive towards them.

He threatened to slash them and continued to point and wave his arms around aggressively.

The CCTV footage shows McIntosh edging closer to one of the men before a fight breaks out.

Mcintosh is then seen throwing punches before Gray and Forster join in.

Mr Burns said: “Thankfully there were no lasting injuries and everyone got into Murray’s car and fled.

“The car was driven dangerously and was pursued by police before crashing into a school fence.”

McIntosh, of Barwick Street, Durham and Gray, of Northlands, Durham made no reply when interviewed by police and Forster, of Station View, Chester-Le-Street said he had joined in on the fight to protect his friends.

All three pleaded guilty to affray at a previous hearing.

The court heard that five months later on March 6 this year, Gray was intoxicated outside the Bridge Pub in Chester-Le-Street while still on bail for the affray.

Mr Burns said: “He was drinking a bottle of cider and was clearly drunk when an altercation between his brother began.

“The two began fighting in the street and at some point Gray pulled out an unloaded BB gun.

“His brother knew it was an imitation firearm but the defendant began pointing the gun at passing traffic.”

Concerned members of the public phoned the police and Gray was arrested.

He was initially compliant but once in the police car started telling the arresting officers that he would kill them and that they had “entered a very dark world” and threatened to “blow their heads off.”

Anthony Davis, defending Gray said that he bought the gun for £35 and was initially going to be used for shooting birds in the woods.

He said that he also accepts that the members of the public would have been very concerned seeing the weapon.

Gray pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm at a previous hearing and was sentenced to 22 months in prison for both offences.

McIntosh, who was said to have given up taking drugs and was in employment was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months as well as being ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

Lee Forster, who was said to have the better record of the men was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months as well as supervision for 12 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

Sunderland Echo

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Curfew for Salford man who plastered meat at his local Sainsbury’s with anti-halal stickers

By
July 24, 2015
EDL, English Defence League
Liam Edwards at Manchester Magistrates Court

Liam Edwards at Manchester Magistrates Court

A man who went into his local Sainsbury’s supermarket and stuck stickers on packets of meat that read “beware halal is barbaric and funds terrorism” has been given a month-long curfew.

Liam Gary Edwards, 29, today pleaded guilty to racially aggravated criminal damage on the day of his trial but insisted that he was protesting against the halal slaughter of animals after watching a television documentary.

The self-proclaimed “animal lover” stuck nine stickers with the hashtag #banhalal on halal poultry products after obtaining the stickers over the internet.

At an earlier hearing held at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, the van driver pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis after police found the Class B during a search of his home in Chancel Avenue, Ordsall, following the incident.

Today the same court was told that CCTV captured Edwards going into the supermarket on Regent Road, Salford, on February 20 with his girlfriend and two young children.

Later staff at the store became aware of the stickers on various packets of chicken breasts, thighs and a whole chicken worth £16.50 which could no longer be sold due to concerns for contamination.

Upon searching the hashtag term on Twitter, staff found images of the stickers on trollies and point of sale displays.

For the prosecution, Miss Lisa Connor said that upon his arrest Edwards apologised to officers.

She said: “He accepted he had been in possession of the stickers and placed them on various items. He got involved in a Twitter conversation about halal and maintains that his whole motivation was his concern for the way in which halal meat is obtained and what happens in abattoirs.”

She added that he had never disputed the offence and accepted the prosecution’s case

“He maintained he wasn’t motivated by any racial prejudice he just wanted to highlight the cruelty involved. He admitted he was sorry for his actions.”

The court heard that he had no similar matters on his record.

For Edwards, Mr Lee Hammond said that after watching a documentary on how livestock were dealt with in slaughterhouses he had taken to Twitter.

There he came across others who shared views of what they perceived to be “unfavourable methods” and one sent him the stickers.

Mr Hammond said: “Unfortunately the group he had found had more extreme views that went in to religion, funding and terrorism.”

He added that there had not been any complaints to the store or the police by members of the Muslim community.

Edwards told the bench: “I’m a big animal lover, be it for racial or other purposes I believe it is wrong to treat animals in that way.”

In passing sentence of a four-week curfew for the two offences to run between 9pm and 7am, chairman Mrs Vanessa Goldstone said it had not been “a run-of-the-mill case”.

He must also pay £100 prosecution costs, £60 surcharge and £16.50 compensation.

Manchester Evening News

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