Kids, mums and a grinning pimp have all been in Lancashire's courts this week
This week has seen two prolific shoplifters who made life a misery for traders jailed. Young offenders have also been in court for serious offences.
One boy, 12, appeared in the dock in his school shoes after handing himself in for his role in the riots in Southport. A 13-year-old was also in court for attacking a lollipop man, who was on patrol in Preston.
Also in the dock was a pimp who trafficked a woman from Romania, woman who glassed a passer by after Bible study. Each week dozens of defendants pass through Lancashire's courts and LancsLive reporters are on hand to cover the most serious cases. Here we take a look at who has been in the dock this week.
Pimp flashed cash and danced on camera as smiles hid his wicked crimes
A vile sex trafficker who enslaved a vulnerable woman, subjected her to physical abuse and stole her earnings was caught on camera gleefully dancing with a wad of cash.
Jean Marinel Mihai, 29, raked in at least £100,000 over a span of 15 months as he forced the woman into prostitution on the streets. Mihai had lured the woman with promises of a better life after she had endured "years of physical and emotional abuse" in her home country of Romania.
He flew her to Liverpool in December 2018, where he lodged her in a guest house and made her work on the streets of Manchester. This week, he faced justice at Manchester Crown Court, where he was sentenced to ten years behind bars after admitting to modern slavery and exploitation, the M.E.N. reports.
FULL STORY: Pimp flashed cash and danced on camera as smiles hid his wicked crimes
'If I hadn't left him I would have been dead' says woman who feared for her life at the hands of violent construction boss
A dad-of-two pinned his partner on a couch and held a knife to her head after a drunk row over who had paid the bill on a night out.
Glenn O'Connell, 59, also pushed his partner down the stairs and stepped over her as she lay on the floor in a separate attack, a court heard.
The woman, who had been in an 18-month relationship with the thug, said: "If I hadn't left him I would have ended up dead." She said she had been a vibrant woman with a large group of friends but since her relationship with O'Connell her confidence is at rock bottom.
'Don't start in front of my kid' Mum's terror as woman glassed her after Bible study
A woman smashed a glass on mum's head after doing her Bible study in her front garden, a court heard.
Rosanne Rourke, 42, had been sitting outside her house in Burnley when she saw her victim walking down the street with her four-year-old child. The mother had been socialising with friends but had left the gathering to see her boyfriend, who lived a few streets away.
As she made her way down Dalton Street, Rourke began walking towards her with a wine glass in her hand. Noticing Rourke’s body language, the mother said: “Don’t start anything in front of my kid.” She then handed the child her phone, telling her to run to a neighbour.
FULL STORY: 'Don't start in front of my kid' Mum's terror as woman glassed her after Bible study
Drug dealer travelled from Manchester to sell drugs on Blackpool's streets
A drug dealer who sold heroin and crack on the streets of Blackpool has been jailed for two years.
Michael Mulligan, 24, was seen in a car on November 9, 2022. Officers carried out a check on the vehicle and found intelligence linking it to drug dealing.
They followed the car along the Promenade and stopped it at the Grand Hotel. Mulligan had a black shoulder bag containing a mobile phone and £591 cash. Another mobile phone was found between his legs in the car, Preston Crown Court heard.
FULL STORY: Drug dealer travelled from Manchester to sell drugs on Blackpool's streets
Boy rioter, 12, appears at court in school shoes after handing himself in
A 12-year-old boy who threw stones at police after rioting erupted outside a mosque in Southport is believed to have become the youngest person sentenced after this summer’s disorder.
The boy, accompanied by his father at Liverpool Youth Court, had admitted at an earlier hearing a charge of violent disorder on July 31. He handed himself in to the police after he was captured on camera throwing stones at officers while a mob shouted racist abuse and targeted a mosque..
District Judge Wendy Lloyd gave the youngster, who wore a black fleece and school shoes, a 12-month referral order, a three-month curfew order and his father a six-month parenting order. His father was also ordered to pay £85 costs and £200 compensation to Southport Mosque.
FULL STORY: Boy rioter, 12, appears at court in school shoes after handing himself in
Prolific Blackburn shoplifters who made hardworking traders' lives a misery jailed
Two prolific shoplifters who made life a misery for traders have been jailed.
David Yates and Scott Chinnery were arrested following investigations by Blackburn Police. Officers detained Chinnery, 35, on September 4 in connection with a number of thefts that had taken place at various businesses across the town.
Chinnery, of no fixed address, appeared in court the next where he pleaded guilty to the charges. He was jailed for 36 weeks.
Yates, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested on September 10 and was charged with 14 shoplifting offences and two breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order. He appeared in court on September 11 where he was jailed for 22 weeks.
FULL STORY: Prolific Blackburn shoplifters who made hardworking traders' lives a misery jailed
Dad who won Pride award unable to watch in court as 'horrifying' video showed his crimes
A dad who had previously been heralded as a hero with a Pride award faced the stark glare of condemnation in court for attacking police officers with bricks, concrete, and a wheelie bin.
Joshua Cropper was honoured last year for saving five dogs were trapped inside a burning house. However the 31-year-old found himself at the heart of violent clashes in Southport after the fatal stabbings of three young schoolgirls.
The dad-of-three was unable to watch as shocking video footage revealed his crimes. He covered his eyes in the dock of Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (September 17) as he was played footage of himself stripping off his t-shirt to use as an improvised mask, before trying to smash the window of a police van while one PC was still trapped inside.
FULL STORY: Dad who won Pride award unable to watch in court as 'horrifying' video showed his crimes
Drunk woman beat ex-girlfriend with chair leg in booze-fuelled attack at her Blackpool flat
A woman feared she was going to die in a vicious attack with chair legs and an alarm clock at the hands of her ex.
Pauline Sumner, 49, was drunk when she arrived at her ex's flat in Blackpool and declared she was still in love with her, on December 9, 2023. The pair argued about issues in their past relationship but when the woman tried to leave, Sumner pushed her back into the bedroom.
She began hitting and kicking the woman, who felt 'defenceless' as Sumner rained down blows on her. Sumner took the legs from a chair and continued to beat her with them. She left the room briefly but returned, swinging an alarm clock by its cable and launching other household items at her ex.
9-year neighbours feud left woman blind after family 'acted like animals'
Three men who acted "like a pack of animals" when a nine-year neighbour dispute got out of hand appeared in the dock to be sentenced.
Mohammed Zulefqar Nasar, 21, Mohammed Bilal Nasar, 23, and their father Mohammed Sattar, 51, set upon a woman after Sattar's wife was blinded in a feud between warring families. On April 11, 2023, a window at their home in Accrington was smashed causing tempers to flare.
The men went to their rivals' house in Richmond Road and began throwing objects into the grounds. A piece of wood was thrown back, hitting Sattar's wife in the face. She 'immediately doubled over in pain', Preston Crown Court heard.
FULL STORY: 9-year neighbours feud left woman blind after family 'acted like animals'
Predatory paedophile, 67, left lives 'shattered' by vile crimes over five decades
A depraved paedophile whose actions have left a trail of devastation over five decades has been sentenced to prison.
Peter Wilson, 67, has been handed a 27-year sentence due to the courage of his victims. Spanning 51 years from 1972, Wilson preyed on seven individuals.
He admitted to two charges of sexual assault on a child under 13 and making an indecent image of a child. A jury also convicted him of an additional 23 sexual offences against children and adults, including indecent assault and rape, following a trial.
FULL STORY: Predatory paedophile, 67, left lives 'shattered' by vile crimes over five decades
Preston teen, 13, attacked lollipop man while on bail for spree of violence
A Preston teenager who attacked a lollipop man was on bail for a separate spree of violence when he injured the school crossing patrol man.
Tim Ackroyd suffered a fractured rib when he was assaulted at work outside Queens Drive Primary School, on Black Bull Lane, Fulwood. The 74-year-old was kicked to the ground by a teenager, who was riding on the back of a motorbike which sped up, moments before the attack.
The 14-year-old, who can not be named for legal reasons, has been handed a 12 moNth youth referral order for the attack on Tim, as well as violence against a married couple six weeks earlier.
FULL STORY: Preston teen, 13, attacked lollipop man while on bail for spree of violence