Drug growers, hit and run driver and ‘Robin Hood’

Every week day the courts of Nottingham deal with a variety if people, from those caught speeding or failing to pay for a TV licence, to those facing the most serious charges. Whether it's the city's magistrates' court or the crown court, where those serious cases are dealt with, the backlog of people facing civil or criminal cases grows longer by the day. Derbyshire Live's court reporter Martin Naylor spends each day covering courts across the East Midlands and in December he wrote about a wide variety of cases, from a man who sexually assaulted a new mother outside hospital to a hit and run driver who seriously injured a pedestrian.

Here he has highlighted some of the cases he has covered in December.

Mei Yong Chen and Zhigang Jia

Cannabis gardeners Mei Yong Chen and Zhigang Jia were caught tending to plants in two Ilkeston houses in the same street which could have netted the gang who set it up hundreds of thousands of pounds[1]. The Chinese nationals were both in the UK illegally when police snared them inside a former dog grooming parlour in Bath Street. The pair attempted to escape from police but were quickly caught and keys found on one of them led to a nearby former Chinese takeaway, in the same street, where more of the class B substance was found to be growing in the rooms.

In total, a judge ordered for more than 870 individual plants be destroyed as well as sending the men to jail.

Judge James Sampson said: "You were both involved in the commercial production of cannabis and these grows, both individually and taken together, were capable of yielding between GBP50,000 and GBP200,000. Neither one of you is present in this country legally and I work on the basis that you have no previous convictions in this or any other country. "You both claim to be gardeners, acting under direction, and I sentence you on that basis.

You had a lesser role in this but it was an essential role as without you these grows would not have been possible. You were far from prisoners, there was money around, telephones and a well-stocked larder." The raids took place on June 13, this year and both men pleaded guilty to production of cannabis.

Chen, 48, of Bath Street, was jailed for 18 months and Jai, 40, also of Bath Street, was jailed for 15 months as he entered his plea on an earlier date to his co-defendant. A decision on whether or not to depot them will be made by the Home Office on their releases.

'The Robin Hood of Langley Mill'

The self-proclaimed 'Robin Hood of Langley Mill,' Mykal Annable[2], told police he stole cannabis from dealers to stop it getting into the hands of children. But the 32-year-old's boast spectacularly came back to bite him after he was jailed for 15 months for having more than 2kg of the drug in a wardrobe at his then home in the town.

The defendant also claimed he was smoking such a large amount of weed each day that a drugs expert referred to it as 'bordering on the absurd'. And when he realised he was to spend his first Christmas behind bars and without his young daughter, he turned to the public gallery and, crestfallen, solemnly said "love you mum".

Jailing him for 15 months, Judge Steven Coupland said: "When you were interviewed by the police you described yourself as 'The Robin Hood of Langley Mill' saying you stole from dealers to 'stop them selling drugs to kids'. That was utter nonsense, you were no hero, if you stole these drugs at all you stole them so you could sell them yourself."

Police executed a warrant at an address in Kew Crescent. Langley Mill, where the defendant was then living, on January 23, 2023 and found the drugs, mainly in a bedroom wardrobe. Annable, formerly of Bath Street, Ilkeston, but now living with his partner and child at an address in Pinxton, his barrister said, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis and possession of criminal property.

He has five convictions for seven offences but until now has never been sent to prison before. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, which could see the defendant stripped of cash and assets, will take place next year.

Dylan Smith

A new mother was sexually assaulted outside Nottingham's Queen Medical Centre after taking herself to accident and emergency with stomach pains[3]. Derbyshire's Dylan Smith approached the victim, attempted to kiss her and then put his hands down her leggings.

The woman was able to grab his arm and pull it out but five minutes later, he approached her again and tried to kiss her for a second time. Jailing him for 18 months, Judge Michael Auty KC said: "You were extraordinarily pursuant, grabbed her face and tried to unfasten her jacket. You then put your hand under her legging and moved it towards her bottom area and your finger moved towards her (private parts).

"She was understandably absolutely terrified at what you were doing , this was absolutely appalling behaviour. She was targeted, she was extremely vulnerable and I cannot think of a place where she, or anyone, should have felt any more safe than at a hospital at 4.30am." The sex attack happened in the early hours of March 1, 2023.

Smith, 26, of Cromford Road, Langley Mill, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault. As well as the jail term, the judge placed Smith on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Sohail Afzal

Sohail Afzal was jailed for two years after a pedestrian was seriously injured in a hit and run incident in Derby[4]. Officers were driving along Normanton Road when they saw a green BMW being driven by the 33-year-old, which they attempted to stop.

The defendant, of Burton Road, failed to stop for officers and sped off before mounting the pavement where several pedestrians were walking. He continued to accelerate and ploughed into a pedestrian - a man in his 60s - before speeding off. The man was seriously injured and taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment.

He has since been discharged from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Afzal pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, and criminal damage to a police vehicle.

He was further remanded to prison and appeared at Derby Crown Court[5] on November 28, where a judge handed him a two-year prison term. He was also given a further driving disqualification order for a period of three years and four months.

PC Cameron Spowart, officer in the case said: "It is a matter of sheer luck that the victim in this case was not fatally injured. He was hit with such force by the BMW that he was propelled into the air, before hitting the ground. "Afzal showed extreme recklessness and complete disregard for the victim and any other pedestrians that day.

This was a truly shocking incident which could have quite easily resulted in further casualties. "My final word goes to the victim who I would like to thank for the courage they have shown in the aftermath of this incident." Normanton Road was partially blocked in both directions for five hours due to the collision in October on the roundabout which connects the A601 Lara Croft Way.

Tabita Paun

Two sisters carried out a spree of break-ins at staff rooms in Derby city centre[6] to steal personal items, cash and bank cards. Pregnant mum-of-seven Tabita Paun and her younger sibling Sara Paun also ransacked a flat above The Hideout in the Market Place and stole 50 rings belonging to the woman who lived there.

One of them, along with a bracelet, belonged to her late grandmother and had been passed down to the broken-hearted victim when she died. And while 21-year-old Sarah Paun is still on the run from the police, her older sister faces giving birth to her eighth child behind bars. Jailing the 31-year-old for two years and eight months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: "There was absolutely no doubt a significant degree of planning and organisation went into this.

You target commercial premises in order to steal not items from the shelves but from the private areas of the staff who worked there.

"This caused a great deal of inconvenience but you also ransacked a flat where you tipped over ring boxes and drawers of clothes and stole something in the region of 50 rings and other jewellery including one ring and bracelet which held a great deal of sentimental value to the victim." The main set of offences took place over a matter of days in early July, 2022 at staff rooms at the Plant Cafe and Bar in Sadler Gate; Chopstix in St Peter's Street; another shop in the city centre and then, a year later while both were on bail, a Heron Foods store in Derby. Tabita Paun, of Cromwell Terrace, Chatham, Kent, pleaded guilty to five counts of burglary and has two previous convictions for three offences.

Sara Paun, of Dogpool Lane, Birmingham, is still being sought by the police, the hearing was told.

Michael Holmes

Former bin man Michael Holms was caught with cocaine and more than GBP1,500 in cash at the Ilkeston home he shared with his then partner and two children. The 33-year-old had stashed the money in a partially-renovated kitchen and under a mattress. The now HGV driver admitted turning to drug dealing due to financial difficulties.

And despite turning his life around since he was arrested more than 18 months ago, he was sent to prison to face Christmas and New Year behind bars. Jailing him for two years and eight months, Judge Steven Coupland said: "Back in March of last year, you were involved in the supply of class A drugs at a relatively high level for financial gain. It was a deliberate choice you made to get yourself involved and in total two ounces were packaged up and ready to be sold.

"Class A drugs ruin lives.

Most of the cases that come through this court involve class A drugs in some way and so what you have done by choosing to do this is to inflict misery on other people. "It is made worse by the amount of drugs found and by the fact that children were at the address, although I accept the drugs were kept hidden away from them. In mitigation, for many years you're somebody who has worked hard and made yourself employable and has demonstrated you can stay out of trouble and so I accept this offset is out of character for you now."

Holmes, of Concorde Close, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and has seven previous convictions for 15 offences.

Dan Scothern, mitigating, said his client had worked at Nottingham City Council for five years "from the bottom of the ladder to the top".

References

1. ^ could have netted the gang who set it up hundreds of thousands of pounds (www.nottinghampost.com)
2. ^ 'Robin Hood of Langley Mill,' Mykal Annable (www.nottinghampost.com)
3. ^ after taking herself to accident and emergency with stomach pains (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ after a pedestrian was seriously injured in a hit and run incident in Derby (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
5. ^ Derby Crown Court (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
6. ^ carried out a spree of break-ins at staff rooms in Derby city centre (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)