Category Archives: Greater Manchester

Takunda Bere – Sale

08 Saturday May 2021

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May 2021

Flasher exposed himself to 13 girls and women in a day ‘using Trafford Centre ruse’

A flasher exposed himself to 13 teenage girls and women in just 24 hours as he drove around in his car.

Takunda Bere went on the ‘lookout for young women’ and tricked them into coming over to his Ford Focus by pretending to ask for directions to the Trafford Centre.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to 13 charges of indecent exposure and two charges of dangerous driving at Minshull Street Crown Court.

All the offences took place in a 24 hour period from June 27-28 last year, the court heard.

The victims were aged from 13 to 29-years-old. Most were either on their own or with one other female when they were targeted.

Lisa Boocock, prosecuting, said Bere ‘used the same ruse every time’ as he drove round the Sale, Urmston, Timperley and Flixton ‘on the lookout for young women’.

He would pull up alongside the victims as they walked down the street, beckon them over and ask for directions to the Trafford Centre, as he sat in his car naked from the waist down.

On one occasion he got out of his car completely naked and chased his victim along the pavement and on another he was seen to masturbate while exposing himself to a teenage girl near Timperley Metrolink station.

One teenage victim described how the incident left her ‘very shocked’.

In a statement she said: “I was crying when I got home. I thought afterwards he may have wanted me to get in the car.”

By the evening of June 28 police were searching for Bere when his car was spotted by officers near Flixton town centre.

He sped off, reaching 60mph in a 30mph zone, jumping a red light along the way and narrowly avoiding crashing into another vehicle.

On Washway Road in Sale he lost control of the car and crashed into a hedge and fence in a car park.

He tried to run off, but was caught a short while later by a police dog.

Judge Mark Savill described the crimes as ‘quite extraordinary’ and ‘appalling sexual behaviour’.

He added: “No woman should have to be subjected to this.

“It wasn’t just one offence, it was 13 committed against young women and teenagers. You drove around in your car, as soon as you came across the opportunity to do so you exposed yourself to these young women.

“An explanation of this offending is extremely hard to find.”

Judge Savill said in normal circumstances Bere, who appeared in court via video link from HMP Doncaster, would have been sentenced to jail.

But because he had already served several months in prison while on remand – most of which had been spent confined to his cell for 23 hours a day during the pandemic – the judge imposed a three year community order, with a requirement to complete a sexual offenders programme and 40 rehabilitation activity days.

Bere, of Ascot Avenue, Sale, was also banned from driving for 18 months.

Thomas Johnstone – Oldham

06 Thursday May 2021

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Oldham man groomed teenager he met online

An Oldham man has been jailed after admitting to grooming a teenage girl and engaging in sexual activity with her.

Thomas Johnstone admitted the offences during a recent appearance at Mancheter Crown Court Crown Square.

The court heard in March last year the 21-year-old began communicating with his victim online, and the conversations were sexual from the outset.

Knowing she was a teenager Johnstone arranged on numerous occasions to meet her in Hyde in Tameside and engaged in sexual activity with her.

Police received a report and arrested him in the company of his victim.

When officers received his phone the conversations he had been having with the girl emerged.

At court the man from Walter Mills Way in Oldham admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming with the intention of engaging in sexual activity and also inciting a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity.

He was sentenced to 28 months imprisonment and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order has been imposed.

He will also be required to sign the Sex Offender’s Register for a period of 10 years.

Simon Fitzgerald – Bury

06 Thursday May 2021

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Pervert jailed for sexually assaulting Bury girl, 14

A pervert who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl while she was asleep has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Manchester Crown Court heard Simon Fitzgerald, 29, of Otter Drive, Bury, engaged a 14-year-old girl in a horrific sex act after she fell asleep while watching TV.

Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to the offence, and intimidation of a witness.

On one occasion, he shouted through the letterbox of the victim’s mother and placed a can of petrol on her doorstep in efforts to intimidate her, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to both offences during a trial on March 1, despite previously denying the allegations.

Mark Kellett, prosecuting, told the court: “The act went on for about five minutes before the defendant left. The victim pretended to be asleep once she realised what was happening.”

Judge Timothy Smith jailed the defendant for 56 months and told the court: “The remorse that you maintain now and your guilty pleas are your best defence.”

Fitzgerald has also been issued with a restraining order to ensure he does not approach the victim or her family in the future.

He will also be bound by a sexual health prevention order – meaning he will not be allowed to stay in the same house as a child under 16 unless social services approve.

Paul Hayes – Royton

04 Tuesday May 2021

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Royton man found with child abuse images

An Oldham man has been spared jail after admitting being found with child pornography on his devices.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard police carried out a raid of the home of Paul Hayes in January 2019.

At first he was not home so they went to his work where he was located.

Officers seized a number of devices including a laptop and mobiles and later searched his home.

When Hayes was interviewed he admitted owning the devices, provided the pins but said there would be nothing incriminating, as he had only once looked for prohibited material and had never done so again.

Prosecutor Anthony Williams revealed what officers actually found.

He said: “There were 56 category A images of children, five were accessible, 51 were inaccessible, 31 b images, one was accessible 36 inaccessible, there were 34 c images, three were accessible and 31 inaccessible.

“There were 19 prohibited images of children, 18 were accessible one was inaccessible.”

He also said Hayes had the software installed which could delete material but there was no indication this had been done.

The court heard the offences had begun in July 2015.

Hayes admitted three charges of downloading category A, B and C images and possessing prohibited images and appeared in court to be sentenced.

Representing the man from Oldham Road in Royton, defence counsel Leonard Bernstein said: “He has a lack of previous convictions, he is a man of good character, he is 51 years of age.

Imposing a sentence, judge Sophie McKone said: “In order for you to have images like that, children are abused, and they are abused to supply the market for people like you.

“So you are playing your part in the abuse of children.”

She suspended a sentence of a year for 18 months, ordered him to attend at 24 rehabilitation requirement days and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

She also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Andrew Walsh – Bolton

30 Friday Apr 2021

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April 2021

Pervert admits sexually abusing 11-year-old Bolton girl

A Bolton man has been jailed for three years after he admitted sexually abusing a young girl.

Andrew Walsh, 55, who was known to his victim’s family, sneaked into the girl’s bedroom and touched her while he thought she was asleep.

Bolton Crown Court heard similar abuse occurred over a two-year period.

David Toal, prosecuting, said Walsh’s crimes were uncovered when his 11-year-old victim told a friend what had been happening in June 2019.

Phone messages describing the abuse were then shown to the victim’s mother, who confronted Walsh about the allegations, he told the court.

He said he didn’t remember doing it but that he was sorry.

A day later she confronted him again and secretly recorded their conversation in which he admitted the offences and blamed them on his heavy drinking.

He also asked her not to get the police involved but Walsh, of Hughes Street, Bolton, was arrested on June 8.

The girl told police that Walsh came into her room and touched her over her pyjamas while performing a sex act on himself.

When she woke up he offered to get her some biscuits with the victim telling officers the same thing had happened every month for two years.

She also said he had taken the girl’s mobile phone, put it in the waistband of his shorts and asked her to “grab it”.

Mr Toal added that Walsh, who pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, had no previous convictions.

Michael Goldwater, defending, said Walsh had lost his job as a breakdown recovery driver after the allegations became public

Sentencing Walsh, Judge John Edwards, said: “You were drinking heavily which doubtless numbed your inhibitions to indulge yourself in this dreadful way.

“It has left your victim anxious and confused at a pivotal time of her life and any child should be completely safe in their bedroom

“It should be a place of happiness.”