9 crimes which shocked Star readers in 2020

• Helen Dove

In January a 31-year-old woman was jailed for fraud offences after pretending to be 15 people in various roles at a local authority and Ofsted.

Helen Dove, of Prescot Road, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation.

Liverpool Crown Court was told that Dove had befriended her victim at a riding school in St Helens in January 2017. The woman told Dove that she wanted to pursue a career in child safeguarding.

Dove claimed she worked for Warrington Council as an adoption worker and as such could assist with an application for such a role and promised she would get a job.

A police officer said it was "a really unusual case and I have never seen anything like it before in my career".

See the full court report here

• Michael Greenall

In March a thug who attacked his girlfriend's dad with pickaxe handles and knocked a 15-year-old girl unconscious two days later was sentenced.

Michael Greenall, of Kitchener Street, St Helens attacked his girlfriend's dad with pickaxe handles in his own home. Two days later, while on police bail he then knocked a 15-year-old girl unconscious.

Greenall, 26, was jailed for a total of 11 years and 10 months for the two separate assaults at Liverpool Crown Court.

Judge Gary Woodhall said: "These offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

"I have no hesitation in concluding that you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm."

Read the full story here.

• Dean Weaver

Also, in March a man who stabbed his victim before allowing his dog to savagely attack him was jailed.

Dean Weaver stabbed his victim and then allowed his Staffordshire Bull Terrier to launch a savage attack on him.

Weaver launched the "brutal, horrifying attack" on his victim, a 30-year-old man who had been on a night out with friends in St Helens town centre.

The attack happened at around 5.15am on September 15, 2019 after the victim went to a house party at the home of Weaver, 28, on Fidler Street, Toll Bar.

He was jailed for eight years.

Read the full story here.

• Ryan Howard

A DRINK driver who killed a taxi driver and his passenger after speeding through a red light was jailed in April.

Ryan Howard 27, from Windermere Avenue in Clinkham Wood, was more than twice the drink-drive limit when his BMW collided with the taxi driven by David Sherwin, 51, who was taking mother-of-two Michelle Jennings, 35, to work at Greggs in Liverpool just after 5am on February 27 2019.

Sentencing Howard at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Andrew Menary QC said cases of dangerous driving "do not get much worse than this".

He was jailed for nine years.

Read the full story here.

• Melvin Miller

A PAEDOPHILE who filmed himself raping two girls was sent to prison in April.

Melvin Miller raped and sexual assaulted two young girls and filmed his crimes.

Miller, 44, assaulted and raped two young girls on several occasions over a period of two years.

Police discovered explicit video footage of him raping and sexually abusing both girls on two computer hard drives that belonged to him.

They also found 140,000 images of children being abused – the largest number to have been discovered to date in Merseyside.

A senior prosecutor described it a "very disturbing case" and called the video footage which formed a key part of the case called "disturbing".

Miller was jailed for 16 years.

Read the full story here.

• John Beirne

Former mayor of St Helens John Beirne was jailed after trying to stand for election while disqualified.

Beirne, 59, who has previously been convicted of sexual offences, has been jailed after he changed his name in a bid to get re-elected.

In June 2017 at Liverpool Crown Court, John Beirne – a former mayor of St Helens – received a 16 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to historic sexual offences.

At Bolton Crown Court in July Beirne was told he must now serve the 16-month prison sentence.

However, his sentenced was reduced on appeal to 12 months.

See the initial sentencing report here.

• Liam Connolly

A thug with a history of violence, Liam Connolly, launched a "frightening" attack on his ex-girlfriend leaving her with a broken jaw and cuts and bruises.

Connolly, 21, smashed his way into the home of his ex-partner in Newton-le-Willows in the early hours of June 2 last year and then attacked her.

He gained entry to the property by smashing a window before launching his vicious attack on the woman.

The victim sustained a fractured jaw and cuts and bruises.

Connolly, of Lapwing Close, Newton was jailed for two years and two months by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court in August.

See the full story here.

• Anthony Bloor

A PAEDOPHILE who sexually assaulted a girl was sentenced in September.

Anthony Edward Bloor of Brentwood Close, Eccleston, was found guilty of multiple counts of sexual offences against a child after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Bloor, who carried out the sexual assaults, in Southport was jailed for 15 years.

Police welcomed the prison sentence, branding Bloor "a dangerous individual".

See the full story here.

• Liam Wilson

An unlicensed driver who drove at almost three times over the speed limit and killed a teenage boy was jailed.

Liam Wilson, of Livingstone Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, was jailed at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of former Hope Academy pupil Jack Worwood.

The court heard that Wilson was driving at approximately 58 miles per hour on a 20 miles per hour stretch of road.

His sentence was later increased to five years in prison by the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

See the full story from the initial sentencing here.