Killers drivers, charity boss and pervert chef among 14 crooks jailed this week

A burglar who fell asleep for four-and-a-half hours during a break-in, a perverted chef and two killer drivers were among the Merseyside criminals jailed over the last week.

Also locked up were a couple who lured an old man to a flat on the promise of sex but instead attacked him with a hammer. Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that a charity boss is on the run in Turkey after stealing £150,000 from her employer.

Here are the faces of 14 criminals from our region who were imprisoned in the past seven days:

Nasrin Saleh

Nasrin Saleh was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday (June 5)
Nasrin Saleh was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday (June 5)

A mum high on nitrous oxide killed her passenger after crashing into a roundabout at speed.

Nasrin Saleh, of Colville Street in Wavertree, had been driving along East Prescot Road after a night out in Manchester in the early hours of October 10 2021. Witnesses reported seeing her speeding at up to 80mph in a Volkswagen Golf GTI before it collided with the traffic island at its junction with Pilch Lane, sending the car flying through the air and rolling onto its roof before bursting into flames.

Front seat passenger Luqman Mehboob died as a result of his injuries aged 28. Saleh, 26, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Donna Wells

Donna Wells of Bridgeway East, Runcorn outside Liverpool Crown Court
Donna Wells of Bridgeway East, Runcorn outside Liverpool Crown Court

A charity boss fled to Turkey and remains on the run after stealing more than £150,000 from the organisation and “effectively putting it out of business”.

Donna Wells brazenly jetted out of the UK two days before she was due to face justice over her long-running campaign of fraud and is believed to remain abroad. The “greedy” conwoman transferred tens of thousand of pounds out of her employers’ bank account and into that of her friend’s butty van, as well as swiping cash and purchasing gift vouchers for herself using the company credit card.

Wells previously admitted fraud by abuse of position, fraud and money laundering. She was jailed for four years in her absence.

Carl Ashall

Carl Ashall
Carl Ashall

A mum discovered that her teenage son had been recruited to deal drugs when she checked his old phone.

Carl Ashall and Neil Swift put the boy to work selling cocaine and manning their graft phone in return for small sums of cash. He was left living in fear of reprisals from the two older men, whom he perceived as “dangerous” dealers.

Ashall admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for five years. Swift, who appeared in court via video link to HMP Liverpool, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was imprisoned for three years.

Lee Barnes

Lee Barnes, aged 23, of Cygnet House, St James Drive in Bootle was sentenced to a total of 45 months for drug offences and received a nine-month concurrent sentence for possession of criminal property
Lee Barnes, aged 23, of Cygnet House, St James Drive in Bootle was sentenced to a total of 45 months for drug offences and received a nine-month concurrent sentence for possession of criminal property

A county lines drug dealer set up a new graft phone just one day after being questioned by police.

Lee Barnes, 23, of Cygnet House, St James Drive in Bootle was found in a home in Bootle by Merseyside Police on June 10, 2022 during an investigation into county lines drug dealing in the city. A court heard Barnes had taken over the home to operate a county line graft phone and exploit vulnerable people to carry out drug offences.

He was arrested on suspicion of drug offences and money laundering, but was released under investigation so police could obtain further evidence. Just one day later a new phone line came into operation within the same area contacting the same customer list as the previous phone.

Following further investigations, Barnes was arrested again on Thursday, August 4, and later admitted being concerned in the supply of Class A cocaine and heroin and possession of criminal property. He was jailed for 45 months.

Shaun Tinsley

Shaun Tinsley, 28, of Deysbrook Way, Liverpool, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified as well as failing to stop and failing to report the collision
Shaun Tinsley, 28, of Deysbrook Way, Liverpool, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified as well as failing to stop and failing to report the collision

A Mercedes driver huffed on laughing gas and sped at up to 134mph before killing another motorist.

Shaun Tinsley, from West Derby, smashed into the back of Wirral man Paul Loller’s car “like a missile” on the M62 in the early hours while high on nitrous oxide. He then careered into the central reservation and fled, leaving the innocent 61-year-old dying at the scene.

Tinsley admitted causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident, causing death by driving while disqualified, causing death by driving while uninsured and driving without insurance. He showed no reaction as he was jailed for nine years and four months, holding a hand up to the public gallery as he was led down to the cells.

Yohammes Eyob-Berakhi

Yohammes Eyob-Berakhi was jailed for two years and six months
Yohammes Eyob-Berakhi was jailed for two years and six months

A gang lurked around cashpoints before stealing people bank cards and spending tens of thousands of pounds.

Yohammes Eyob-Berakhi and Abdulla Mohammed were identified as being part of a wider group of fraudsrers following an investigation into an incident on Hanover Street in Liverpool city centre, in April 2018. A man was withdrawing cash from an ATM and during the process of entering his pin he was closely watched by one of the men who was stood near him.

The court heard his bank card was later stolen and used fraudulently with more than £19,000 spent at high end stores in Manchester city centre and ATMs in Liverpool city centre. Following further enquiries, the men were linked to five other similar incidents in Liverpool and Manchester. During these occasions, people who were withdrawing cash during a night out were targeted in the same way.

Eyob-Berakhi, 35, was jailed for two years and six months plus a concurrent three years and six months for a separate drugs offence. Mohammed, 30, was also jailed for two years and six months for fraud.

James Owen

James Owen
James Owen

A perverted chef who sexually assaulted a semi-conscious student on Concert Square has been jailed again after groping a girl on a train.

James Owen, who has a shocking record for sex offences, drunkenly attacked the teenager as she travelled on the service with a friend.

Owen admitted sexual assault shortly before he was due to stand trial, as well as a further charge of failing to comply with notification requirements after neglecting to inform the police of a change of address. He was jailed for two years and told to sign the sex offenders’ register for a further 10 years, as well as being handed an indefinite restraining order.

Paul Lipson

Paul Lipson
Paul Lipson

A purse dipper feigned innocence and pleaded “I wouldn’t do that, that’s the lowest of the low” when he was confronted by an elderly woman after targeting her in an Asda supermarket.

Paul Lipson callously stole from several OAPs aged up to 97 as they shopped in stores including Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s. When challenged on another occasion, he brazenly claimed that his victim had dementia and he was her carer.

The drug user admitted four counts of theft, one of attempted theft and six counts of fraud. He was jailed for 44 months.

Garry Earle

Garry Earle
Garry Earle

A heroin and crack cocaine dealer who offered “fat bags for 20” was caught out when he ordered a taxi.

Garry Earle was described as being a “trusted lieutenant” for the “Bevo Line”, having been tasked with manning its graft phone. But he was rumbled when he used the same mobile to book a lift home.

Earle admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine and possession of cannabis. He was jailed for three years with forfeiture of the drugs, paraphernalia and phone also ordered.

Carl Roberts

Carl Roberts
Carl Roberts

A drunken burglar fell asleep for four and a half hours during a break-in but was still able to escape while wearing the victim’s jumper.

Carl Roberts also stole tens of thousands of pounds of jewellery and luxury watches when he targeted another house. But some of the goods he pilfered were retrieved when a quick-thinking pubgoer pretended to be a police officer and spooked him.

Roberts admitted two counts of burglary and possession of cannabis. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed four years.

Ornela Borisova

Ornela Borisova, 22, of Clough Lane, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft
Ornela Borisova, 22, of Clough Lane, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft

A woman targeted an 85-year-old in a café and then broke into her house.

Ornela Borisova managed to steal the victim’s keys during the interaction before ransacking her address, stealing a large amount of money along with jewellery and medication. The 22-year-old was jailed for 16 months after admitting burglary.

Jacob Dickinson

Jacob Dickinson, 19, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday
Jacob Dickinson, 19, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday

A teenager carrying a knife in a Tesco bag stabbed a delivery driver and tried to steal his bike.

Jacob Dickinson, 19, and another man – who has not yet been identified – approached Alex Byers, who had just made a delivery on his electric bike, on Bridge Road in Brighton-le-Sands on March 30 2023. Dickinson brandished a kitchen knife told him: “Give me your bike or I’ll stab you.”

The victim was knifed in the shoulder during an ensuing scuffle. Dickinson pleaded guilty to robbery and wounding and was given six years in a young offenders’ institute.

Tracey Bailey

Tracey Bailey
Tracey Bailey

A couple lured an old man to a flat on the promise of sex but instead attacked him with a hammer and a crow bar and robbed him.

Tracey Bailey and Samuel Patterson set the honeytrap on an online dating website, inviting their 75-year-old target around for a sordid romp before threatening to “break his kneecaps”. He feared he was “not going to make it out alive” and was then accused of rape after he went to the police.

Patterson admitted robbery and was jailed for six years and nine months. He turned to his two supporters in the public gallery, although he discovered one of them was asleep, before being led down to the cells.

Bailey pleaded guilty to robbery and fraud. She was imprisoned for four-and-a-half years.

James Tully

James Tully was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday
James Tully was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday

A drunk thug knocked a grandad to the floor and took out his tooth with an elbow to the face.

James Tully attacked the 80-year-old man in Newsham Park while fishing with his granddaughter. Unprovoked, he then hit the pensioner in the face with his elbow, knocking him to the floor and knocking out a tooth.

Tully was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after a trial. He was jailed for nine months.

Couple lured old man to flat for sex before attacking him with hammer[3]

Young mum who led double life as Encrochat user ‘StiffNinja’ has jewellery and property seized[4]

Perverted chef who preyed on girl in Concert Square groped teen on train[5]

Teen told police ‘I’m not getting bailed’ after stabbing delivery driver[6]

References

  1. ^ Drunk burglar fell asleep for four hours but escaped wearing victim’s jumper (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  2. ^ Woman pleads not guilty to murder of Kasey Anderson (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  3. ^ Couple lured old man to flat for sex before attacking him with hammer (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  4. ^ Young mum who led double life as Encrochat user ‘StiffNinja’ has jewellery and property seized (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  5. ^ Perverted chef who preyed on girl in Concert Square groped teen on train (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  6. ^ Teen told police ‘I’m not getting bailed’ after stabbing delivery driver (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)