£28m gang’s ‘money man’, lying sisters and thieving carers among 18 criminals jailed
The "money man" for a £28million drugs gang, an armed robber who went on the run for years and carers who stole thousands of pounds from their patients were among the Merseyside criminals jailed over the past week.
Also locked up were two sisters who framed their brother-in-law for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, Liverpool Crown Court heard that pair of brothers utilised contacts in South America and Europe as they plotted to import cocaine and supply firearms on a "breathtaking" scale.
Here are the faces of 18 criminals from our region who were imprisoned over the last seven days:
Faye Collins
Faye Collins, 25, of Hare Croft, West Derby, was jailed for two counts of fraud (Image: Merseyside Police)
A heartless carer "despicably" entered the home of a dementia patient to take her bank card while suspended for stealing money from another vulnerable woman.
Faye Collins stole £4,360 over eight separate withdrawals from one of the patients she cared for. While suspended from him job, the 25-year-old targeted a dementia patient she had previously cared for and stole a further £880.
Collins, who appeared via video link from HMP Styal wearing glasses and a Disney t-shirt, was jailed for 30 months in total. She was found guilty of two counts of fraud.
Lewis Price
Lewis Price (Image: Merseyside Police)
A mum returned home from a friend's house in the early hours to find a shadowy figure lurking in her front window.
The homeowner fled in terror after discovering Lewis Price inside her property uninvited. The intruder had been staying next door on his sister's sofa at the time and helped himself to items including electronic goods, money boxes and half a packet of biscuits.
Price admitted burglary. He was jailed for 876 days, this being the minimum three-year term for a third-strike burglar minus a reduction for his guilty plea.
Helen and Michelle McPartland
Helen McPartland (Image: Facebook)
Two sisters wept and wailed in the dock as they were jailed for framing their brother-in-law for a crime he did not commit.
Helen and Michelle McPartland made up the false allegations amidst an ongoing family feud, sparked when they were left out of their late mother's will. Victim Graham Potter was being wrongly convicted of a criminal offence as a result of their brazen lies, which followed a jibe over a "tummy tuck".
Michelle McPartland (Image: Facebook)
Both women admitted perverting the course of justice. They were locked up for 10 months each.
Aiden Dodd
Aiden Dodd (Image: Cheshire Police)
An eight-year-old girl was left in hospital after an illegal driver smashed into her mum's car.
Aiden Dodd caused the head-on crash while attempting to overtake other vehicles on a blind bend on a country lane, then callously fled the scene. The youngster whom he injured is now a "nervous wreck" when travelling on the roads, having suffered a "nasty" wound in the collision.
Dodd admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident and driving without a licence and insurance. He was jailed for 14 months.
Craig Gallagher, Christopher Van Maren, Wesley Campbell and Marcus Allen
Craig Gallagher (Image: National Crime Agency)
A pair of brothers called on contacts in Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain as they plotted to import cocaine and supply firearms on a "breathtaking" scale.
Craig and Ashley Gallagher had ambitions to flood the UK with hundreds of kilograms of class A drugs every week while arranging the sale of a frightening arsenal of guns, including AK-47 assault rifles and semi-automatic AR-15s. While the former was today handed a lengthy prison sentence over their multi-million pound operation, his older sibling remains on the run from the law and is believed to be in hiding abroad.
Craig Gallagher admitted conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, conspiracy to convert criminal property and assisting an offence of conspiracy to transfer firearms. Appearing remotely from HMP Liverpool, he shook his head after being jailed for 24 years before leaving the video link booth.
Appearing alongside him was "trusted" OGC member Christopher Van Maren, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to convert criminal property. The 40-year-old, of Marbury Road in Kirkby, was locked up for 12 years and replied: "Thank you."
Christopher Van Maren (Image: National Crime Agency)
Wesley Campbell, a customer of Gallagher's and an onward supplier, admitted the same counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to convert criminal property. The 39-year-old - of Castle Green in Kingswood, Warrington - was also handed 12 years.
Wesley Campbell (Image: National Crime Agency)
Gang courier Marcus Allen, of Grey Road in Walton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis and conspiracy to convert criminal property. The 29-year-old said "nice one" after he was imprisoned for eight years.
Marcus Allen (Image: National Crime Agency)
Douglas Webley
Douglas Webley (Image: Merseyside Police)
A sick paedophile raped a young girl then branded her a "nuisance" and a "liar".
Douglas Webley subjected his victim to a catalogue of vile sexual abuse when she was aged as young as eight. She has described how his sickening actions "ruined her life", while her dad says he "just wants his little girl back".
Webley admitted rape and sexual assault. He was jailed for 15 years and four months and handed an additional year on licence.
Thomas Mayer
Thomas Mayer, 21, pleaded guilty to three offences including dangerous driving
A man who drove down the wrong side of the motorway "risked killing people".
Thomas Mayer, 21, made off from police while behind the wheel of a Honda Civic near the Knowsley Expressway in the early hours of New Year's Day. He drove at speeds of more than 100mph and crashed into the central reservation before being found hiding in bushes.
Mayer pleaded guilty dangerous driving, using a motor vehicle without insurance and driving otherwise in accordance with a licence. He was jailed for eight months.
Joanne McGarity
Joanne McGarity (Image: Cheshire Police)
A woman stole tens of thousands of pounds from her own grandma and left her facing the prospect of eviction.
Joanne McGarity swindled nearly £50,000 out of her nan over the course of several years in order to fund her gambling addiction. As a result, her elderly victim was left with debts which nearly saw her turfed out of her home of more than three decades and threatened with bailiffs coming round to repossess her belongings.
McGarity admitted fraud by abuse of position. She was jailed for two years and eight months and handed a restraining order preventing her from contacting Ms Jones for 10 years, and blew a kiss to family members in the public gallery as she was led down to the cells.
Suzanne David
(Image: Merseyside police)
A furious mum led a vicious attack on her daughter's love rival after an argument in a tanning salon.
Suzanne David, 51, and her daughters Tiffany and Shannon Baker, 26 and 20, brutally attacked Melanie Park outside Tropical Heat on Corinthian Street, Rock Ferry, at around 3.15pm on March 3, 2022. Video footage of the incident, filmed by a passerby, showed David and Tiffany Baker pulling Ms Park to the ground.
Tiffany Baker, of Rock Close, Rock Ferry (Image: Merseyside police)
The former then sat on top of her and banged her head on the pavement, shouting: "You f****** little sweat, dirty f****** sweat. Don't you dare talk to my f****** kids.
Tiffany was seen punching the complainant to the face at least four times, pulling her hair and dragging her into the road. Shannon then kicked her twice in the head.
Shannon Baker, of Church Road, Tranmere (Image: Merseyside police)
All three women admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm. David was jailed for one year and three months, while the sisters received 10 months.
Mark Roberts
Mark Roberts of Freehold Street, Fairfield (Image: Merseyside police)
An armed robber went on the run for seven years after stabbing a man in a botched stick-up.
Mark Roberts, who was once one of the UK's most wanted men, stabbed Mohamad Alkshaib in the chest after cornering him on the driveway of his South Liverpool home and attempting to steal his BMW M4 car and £60,000 Richard Mille watch on September 30 2016. He went on the run and was discovered seven years later in Estepona, near Malaga in southern Spain following an operation involving the National Crime Agency, Guardia Civil and Merseyside Police.
Roberts admitted attempted robbery and wounding with intent. He was jailed for eight years.
Joseph Jones
Police scene on Lodwick Street
A garage owner has been jailed after a mechanic was crushed and killed in a workplace accident.
Kenneth McCord died aged 55 having been critically injured by a falling flatbed truck he was working underneath at JJ Tyres on Lodwick Street in Bootle. His employer Joseph Jones, who oversaw the "amateurish and shambolic operation", was locked up over the "wholly avoidable" incident.
The 44-year-old, of Townsend Avenue in Norris Green, admitted failing to discharge health, safety and welfare duties to an employee. The dad-of-one was imprisoned for 10 months, waving to his supporters in the public gallery and saying "see you later" before he was led down to the cells as Mr McCord's family sat in tears.
Darren Gray
Darren Gray (Image: Merseyside Police)
The "money man" for a £28million drugs gang was arrested in Spain after fleeing the country via the Channel Tunnel.
Darren Gray acted as the bookkeeper for a lucrative organised crime group headed up by Jordan Talbot. Both men sought to head for the continent when their secret dealings over encrypted communications platform EncroChat were exposed - but while one was halted in his tracks at the border, the other successfully made it to Europe and was able to evade justice until now.
Gray admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis and possession of criminal property. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey Nike zip-up top and jeans and sporting long brown hair, a beard and glasses, he was jailed for 17 years.
References
- ^ Victim's brother told not to attend court in case it caused attacker 'stress' (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)