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
SENTENCE: Eight weeks in jail
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
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
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.
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
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 Magistrates Court
NAME: Stefan Bradbury
AGE: 36
COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court
DATE: Saturday, February 9
CRIME: Theft and possession of an offensive weapon
SENTENCE: 25 weeks in jail
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.
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.
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
Graham Lewis
NAME: Phillip Duffy
AGE: 47
COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court
DATE: Wednesday, February 13
CRIME: Four counts of fraud
SENTENCE: Ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains and fined more than £1,000
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
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.
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
Rachel Tinsley
NAME: Cannot be named for legal reasons
AGE: 15
COURT: Warrington Magistrates Court
DATE: Wednesday, February 20
CRIME: Arson
SENTENCE: Fined £315
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.
SENTENCE: 12-week curfew
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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here