A HIGH school IT technician caught with thousands of indecent images of children, a mum who stabbed her boyfriend and a man who called in a bomb hoax at his own home are among the Warrington criminals brought to justice last month.

Every month, the Warrington Guardian will take a look back at some of the court cases that have been featured in the paper in the few weeks previously.

Other defendants appearing in February included a finance manager who defrauded his employer out of thousands of pounds and a man who exposed himself to children in an Orford park.

These are 14 criminals who were sentenced by the courts in February:

NAME: Alison Sleigh

AGE: 52

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Friday, February 1

CRIME: Taking an prohibited item into prison

Sleigh smuggled £150 worth of steroids into HMP Risley, where her son is currently serving a prison sentence.

SENTENCE: Eight weeks in jail

Warrington Guardian:

HMP Risley

NAME: Warren Ho

AGE: 30

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Tuesday, February 5

CRIME: Fraud

Ho stole £25,000 from a Birchwood comapny by faking invoices while working as a finance manager over an 18-month period.

He paid money on at least 30 occasions into his own bank account instead of to suppliers.

Ho made the first payment on his third day at the company.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: "Fraud against a business might seem victimless but it is certainly not – this amounted to a year's profit.

"You spent money on luxuries that the business owners could not affor - you ought to be ashamed of yourself as your actions ripple far beyond the effect on the company."

SENTENCE: 15-month imprisonment suspended for two years

Warrington Guardian:

Liverpool Crown Court

NAME: James Loose 

Age: 36

COURT: Chester Crown Court 

DATE: Tuesday, February 5

CRIME: Burglary

Loose burgled a home in Grappenhall in December last year.

He used tools to break through the patio doors and took a laptop, more than £1,000 of jewellery and a tablet computer.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: "From your relatively short time on this earth, you have an appalling record."

SENTENCE: 20 months in prison

Warrington Guardian: James LooseJames Loose

James Loose

NAME: Jason Rotheram

AGE: 48

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Wednesday, February 6

CRIME: Communicating false information

Rotheram drunkenly told police officers that he had a bomb in his Padgate flat.

After a siege in which 'half of Cheshire's emergency services' were deployed to the area, an air rifle, meat cleaver and kitchen knife were found in the property.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: "He's 48?

"Is this date of birth correct?

"It's just that he looks very much older than that, that's all.

"Try to grapple with your alcohol problems and mental health issues - whether you would look younger and be healthier if you stopped drinking I don't know, but if you continue drinking it will only get worse and worse."

SENTENCE: Three-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months

Warrington Guardian:

Biggin Court - picture by Google Maps

NAME: Andrew Matthews

AGE: 47

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Friday, February 8

CRIME: Actual bodily harm

Matthews punched his girlfriend in the face after accusing her of taking his medication.

SENTENCE: 18 weeks in prison

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Magistrates Court

NAME: Stefan Bradbury

AGE: 36 

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Saturday, February 9

CRIME: Theft and possession of an offensive weapon

He was arrested for two trolley push-outs at Tesco Extra in Winwick Road and for trying to hide a screwdriver under a table as officers arrived.

SENTENCE: 25 weeks in jail

Warrington Guardian: Stefan BradburyStefan Bradbury

NAME: Christopher Waring

AGE: 25

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Monday, February 11

CRIME: Possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of an imitation firearm, dangerous driving and battery

Waring led police on a car chase through Birchwood before crashing into a kerb.

When he was stopped, the mechanic trapped a police officer's arm in the window of his Ford Focus.

Cannabis and an air gun were then found in the vehicle.

Co-defendants Olukieme Oyinloye and Richard Antrobus were also given jail time after admitting being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of an imitation firearm respectively.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: “You were clearly ready for street dealing.

“This was a pretty unattractive combination of offences."

SENTENCE: 26 months in jail and banned from driving for two years.

Warrington Guardian:

Christopher Waring

NAME: Graham Lewis

AGE: 25

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Wednesday, February 13

CRIME: Three counts of making indecent images

Birchwood High School IT technician Lewis was caught with 18,000 indecent pictures and videos of children when police raided his home.

He left the dock in tears after being spared jail.

SENTENCE: 20-month imprisonment suspended for two years

Warrington Guardian:

Graham Lewis

NAME: Phillip Duffy

AGE: 47

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Wednesday, February 13

CRIME: Four counts of fraud

Duffy fraudelently claimed a total of £4,403.11 in council tax support from Warrington Borough Council.

SENTENCE: Ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains and fined more than £1,000

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Magistrates Court

NAME: Christian Taylor 

AGE: 41

COURT: Liverpool Crown Court

DATE: Friday, February 15

CRIME: Engaging with sexual activity in front of children

Taylor exposed himself to young boys playing in Peel Hall Park while serving a suspended sentence for a similar offence.

He then made lewd comments to the children and told them to lie about what had happened.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: "I am quite satisfied that there is a significant factor of risk from you to members of the public, especially young boys."

SENTENCE: Eight years in jail

Warrington Guardian:

Christian Taylor

NAME: Rachel Tinsley

AGE: 33

COURT: Chester Crown Court

DATE: Monday, February 18

CRIME: Unlawful wounding

Tinsley stabbed her boyfriend in the chest after discovering he was having an affair with her best friend.

Mark Donnelly was left with a punctured lung and severed tendons and nerves in his hand after the attack at the couple's flat in Orford.

WHAT THE JUDGE SAID: "It is something of a contradiction between how hard you are trying to better yourself, while being seemingly keen to rekindle a relationship that has been so destructive.

"You need to give that decision very serious thought."

SENTENCE: 20 months in jail

Warrington Guardian:

Rachel Tinsley

NAME: Cannot be named for legal reasons

AGE: 15

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Wednesday, February 20

CRIME: Arson

The teenager targeted a house in Appleton in an arson attack, with the fire causing damage to the property's letterbox.

SENTENCE: Fined £315

Warrington Guardian:

St Mary's Close - picture by Google Maps

NAME: Cannot be named for legal reasons

AGE: 16

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Wednesday, February 20

CRIME: Burglary and theft

The teenager smashed a window at the Manna House venue in Penketh and stole a pair of keys during a burglary.

His previous convictions include a break-in at the Lockton Lane Islamic Centre and causing nearly £6,000 of damage to cars at a BWM dealership.

SENTENCE: 12-week curfew

Warrington Guardian:

The Manna House - picture by Google Maps

NAME: Martin Beecham 

AGE: 37 

COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court

DATE: Monday, February 25

CRIME: Using threatening behaviour and making threats to kill

Beecham screamed at his neighbour during a dispute, shouting: "I am going to kill you, I am going to open you up."

The court heard that he also lunged at the victim, grabbing him around his throat in front of onlooking children.

SENTENCE: Eight-week imprisonment suspended for 12 months.