As we say goodbye to 2023 Bury can look back on a busy year for the criminal courts.
Against the backdrop of an ever-growing backlog of cases and pressures on the system, the courts dealt with a string of drug dealers, sex abusers and even killers.
What follows are just some of the cases that worked their way through the criminal justice system this year, some of them high profile incidents that shocked the nation, some that mattered on a very personal level in Bury.
January – “Disgraceful incident”
The start of 2023 saw a man jailed after “glassing” fellow pub goers, spitting at a police officer and threatening his partner.
James Smith, 29, of Trencherbone in Radcliffe was jailed for 22 months in prison and given a five-year restraining order keeping him away from his ex-partner after what Judge Mark Savill called the “disgraceful incident” of “vile abuse.”
READ MORE: Thug glassed pubgoer, threatened former partner and spat at police officers
February – “Another life lost to knife crime”
The final tragic stage of a case that had worked its way through the courts for much of the previous year concluded in February. This came when 17-year-old King Sibanda of Beech Avenue, Kearsley, was jailed for murdering 18-year-old Abdikarim Ahmed in Bury town centre on Friday, March 11 2022.
Sibanda had been found guilty after a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court. After he was taken away to start serving a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years before he is eligible for release, Detective Sergeant Andrew Middleton urged people to think long and hard about the devastating impact crimes like this have.
He said: "There are no positives to carrying a knife and I would urge anyone who might be carrying a knife or thinking of carrying a knife to think very carefully about the consequences."
READ MORE: Warning to 'think about consequences' of carrying a knife after young murderer jailed
March – Bargain Booze robbery
Robberies have long been a cause of concern to shopkeepers and any others who may be going about their lawful business. In March this year the consequences of crimes like these played out when Louis Dearden, 31, of Copse Drive, Bury, and Anton Cassidy, 30, of no fixed address were both jailed for carrying out two robberies in just a week.
They had robbed a Bargain Booze in Radcliffe town centre on October 5, 2021 before going on to rob another man around Thomas Street in the town just a week later on October 11.
Dearden was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison, while Cassidy was jailed for five years and eight months.
READ MORE: Two jailed after two robberies in a week in Radcliffe
April – An “appalling record”
Another man guilty of racist abuse, this time against police officers, was 20-year-old Kyle Corrigan of Mossfield Close, Bury. After burgling a home and stealing a car, Corrigan was arrested and hurled slurs at two police officers of Asian heritage.
Taking note of his “appalling record”, Recorder Michael Blakey jailed Corrigan for two years.
READ MORE: 'Immature' Bury man racially abused police officers and stole car
May – Decoy account
As spring wore on the courts kept on just as busily with a string of serious cases. One such case was 29-year-old Gharat Khan who has tried to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl from Bury in an Asda car park after sending “her” explicit sexual images.
But the “girl’s” social media accounts were in fact decoys and Khan, of Ferndown, Northwood, Middlesex, was caught out by a group of young people.
He was eventually contacted by police and arrested. Brought before Minshull Street Crown Court he was jailed for two years and three months.
Khan was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and made subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.
READ MORE: Man sent sexually explicit images to 'girl' before trying to meet in Bury
June – “Cold and calculating” killer driver
Dangerous drivers are ever present at crown courts across the country. But few have committed crimes more serious than 27-year-old Usher Donson, who killed his passenger, 31-year-old Aaron Jarvis, while driving from Manchester to Whitefield.
Donson, described by Recorder Alexandra Simmonds as “cold and calculating”, denied his crimes and tried to cover up his involvement by wiping down the steering wheel of the crashed car before running off an trying to “lie low” in the south of England.
But after a trial at Bolton Crown Court, Donson, of Dallow Road, Luton, was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.
READ MORE: 'Cold and calculated' danger driver 'ran off' after crash that killed passenger
July – “Insulting sentence”
Another, just as appalling, killer driver was brough before the courts over the summer. This was 22-year-old Adil Iqbal, who had driven into and killed pregnant 38-year-old mother of two Frankie Hough as she waited on the hard shoulder on the M66.
Iqbal, of Hope Street in Accrington, had been driving his BMW at speeds of up to 100mph and filming himself as he did so before he hit Ms Hough.
The 22-year-old was jailed for 12 years, a sentence described as “insulting” by Ms Hough’s loved ones, sparking a move to increase his jail time to 15 years under the Unduly Lenient Sentencing Scheme.
READ MORE: Killer driver was going more than 100mph and filming before he crashed into mum's car
August – “Targeted attack”
Tragedy struck again in Radcliffe in August when 45-year-old Donald Patience, known as “Prentice” was found dead after what police believe was a “targeted attack.”
Mr Prentice was described as a “a much-loved son, brother and father” and a man has since been charged with murder. A trial is expected to start in February 2024.
READ MORE: Murder investigation launched after 'much-loved' man found dead
September - "Permanent and irreversible" injuries
Another act of violence in Radcliffe was committed by 35-year-old Ben Tebay, who had broken into his ex-partners’ house earlier in 2023 and stabbed a man she had been with at the time.
Having been found not guilty of attempted murder Tebay, of no fixed abode, still stood to be sentenced for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Prosecutor Nicholas Clarke told a sentencing hearing in September how Tebay had left his blameless victim with injuries that were permanent and irreversible.”
As he jailed Tebay for six years, the Honorary Recorder for Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC told him that his victim would be “left for the rest of his life with the mark of what you did.”
READ MORE: Intruder who left ex-girlfriend's partner with 'permanent' injury jailed
October – “Sibling rivalry”
As the autumn continued an rivalry over a family inheritance made its way all the way to the crown court. This came after 69-year-old Robert McCabe was caught spiking his sister, Sharon McCabe, on a hidden camera in the kitchen at their shared home.
It was discovered that McCabe, of Deacons Crescent in Tottington, had poured laxative into her milk while she suffered with pancreatitis.
Before passing sentence, Judge Maurice Greene told McCabe: “This incident which took place three-and-half years ago involved sibling rivalry, a sort of sibling rivalry that really a man of your age should not be involved in.”
McCabe was sentenced to 80 hours' unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity days.
READ MORE: Brother administered 'noxious substance' to sister over inheritance rivalry
November – Drugs and cash stash
Illegal drugs and all the crimes that flow from their trade were ever present at the courts of the last year, as they have been every year for decades one.
Paul Glasgow, 57, of Halliwell Road in Prestwich, and Thomas Coffey, 56, of South Radford Street, Salford, were just two among many to be dealt with. A police investigation discovered both were involved in the hierarchy of the drugs trade with phone messages showing how Glasgow reported to Coffey and the latter then acted as a courier for others.
Coffey was jailed for two years and four months for supplying Class A drugs, while Glasgow was given a sentence of 16 months, suspected for 18 months for supplying cannabis, possession of amphetamine and permitting his premises to be used for supplying Class A drugs.
Glasgow was also ordered to do 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
READ MORE: Drug dealers sentenced after large amount of drugs and cash found at home
December – Killer driver at twice the speed limit
As the winter set in the courts dealt with another driver who had killed on the roads.
Sarah Holden, now 47, had killed "caring and loving" 36-year-old Marukh Aslam after crashing into a wall in Holcambe Brook around three years previously on Wednesday December 2 2020. The court heard how Holden had been driving at 63 and 71mph as she approached the bend on Bolton Road West, more than double the maximum speed limit of 30mph.
A police officer reported Holden had the "strong smell of alcohol" on her breath but she refused to give consent for a blood sample to be taken for analysis.
Holden, of Rochdale Hay Lane, Rochdale, was jailed for eight years. Before she was taken away, Judge Mark Savil told her: ““Nothing I say at sentence at the court will do anything to relieve the appalling suffering and anguish the death of Marukh Aslam has caused her family and friends.
“One day you will be released from custody, however, the impact of your behaviour on her friends and family is irreversible. There will never be a release for them.”
READ MORE: Driver caused death of 'caring' woman after driving at twice speed limit before crash
ALSO READ: 2022 court cases in review - A 'crumbling system' and the crimes that shook Bury
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