Shocking court cases the St Helens Star reported on during June
Jamie Buckley struck at the Ashcroft Service Station, in Fingerpost, on the night of Thursday, April 3 this year. A Crown Court judge said the shopworker, who was the only staff member in the store at the time, showed "considerable courage in remaining calm" during the "very frightening incident for him". Buckley forced his way behind the counter and pushed the staff member into the cigarette shelf while he shouted at and threatened him.
The defendant had pleaded guilty to robbery and also four counts of theft in relation to separate incidents. The court heard that on April 3, Buckley acted in an "extremely aggressive" manner at the store. At one point he went close to the shopworker's face and threatened him while he grabbed some cigarettes before leaving.
The shopworker was "very scared for his safety, he was scared the defendant may have had a knife but no weapon was produced". A 999 call was made during the robbery during the robbery during which the defendant could be heard "asking to be let out" and "lots of shouting". Buckley, of Pennine Drive, Parr, was sentenced to 32 months in total.
Ghalum Haider
The 58-year-old dad-of-six was a popular and respected figure in the area's community rugby league scene[2]. Cliff, who was out of the HGV which he had been driving, as it had broken down, died at the scene. Police were called to the crash scene at 9.55pm on Thursday, February 27 this year, to reports of the collision, which happened in Staffordshire between junctions 15 and 16 southbound.
Ghalum Haider, the driver of the Toyota, was taken to hospital with leg and facial injuries. Haider, of Dudley, was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday, June 20, after he had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing in May. Haider, 22, was jailed for nine years and four months.
He was also given a five-year driving ban, which will start when he is released from prison.