HERE are details of three court cases that shocked Star readers during September.
Assault at The Duke
Two women convicted of an assault at a town centre pub have been sentenced in court.
Rebecca Glover and Leanne Halsall both appeared before Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, September 4.
Glover, 25, of Canberra Avenue, Thatto Heath, had pleaded guilty to assault by beating in an earlier hearing on March 26 this year.
Meanwhile, Halsall, 42, of Borough Road, St Helens, had been convicted after a trial on July 23, following a not guilty plea.
The two defendants had assaulted a female victim at The Duke, on Duke Street, St Helens, on October 27, last year.
Glover was given a community order for 12 months.
She must do rehabilitation activity - for up to 10 days and unpaid work for 60 hours.
A restraining order for her not to contact the victim was passed for two years.
Meanwhile, Glover must also pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £85 and a surcharge of £114.
Halsall was also given a community order for 12 months and was made to do up to 15 days of rehabilitation activity.
She was ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work within 12 months. She was also given a two-year restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.
Read the report here.
Marshall Taylor
A man who drove the wrong way down the East Lancs at speed while being pursued by police was jailed.
Marshall Taylor, who failed to stop for officers and drove a car on the wrong side of the East Lancashire Road in St Helens was on Friday, September 13, sentenced to 28 months in prison.
Liverpool Crown Court heard details of the “shocking case of dangerous driving” during a police chase, which began in Parr, travelled through Newton-le-Willows, and culminated in officers ramming the car to bring it to a halt on the East Lancs.
The 19-year-old then deliberately drove at a police car before officers managed to ram his car and detain him.
Taylor had been on police bail at the time, following an incident in which he had knocked over his ex-girlfriend after riding at her on an electric bike.
The court was told Taylor had five previous convictions, including for criminal damage, two drugs offences, assault and possession of a knife.
The police car involved in the crash had to “written off” and replaced at a cost of around £40,000.
A police officer said the incident “was the worst driving he had ever seen”.
Taylor, of Bank Street, Newton-le-Willows, was sentenced to 28 months in a young offender’s institution in total, and disqualified from driving for five years and two months, plus an extended licence period of 14 months.
Read the full court report here.
Martin Speakman
A man who subjected his victim to years of physical, emotional and financial abuse and intimidation has been jailed.
Martin Speakman, of Newton-le-Willows, has been sentenced to four years and seven months in prison for controlling and coercive behaviour and assault.
Detectives say his behaviour included "preventing her leaving her home, physically assaulting her and spreading lies to family and friends".
Speakman, 37, also controlled the use of her phone and monitored her activity, verbally abused her and demeaned her in front of her children.
His behaviour extended to controlling all of her bank accounts and money and stopping her buying any luxuries for herself.
He even her to work with him, and stopped her from seeing any of her family, police added.
Speakman, of Queens Drive, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, September 19, where he was sentenced to four years and seven months in prison.
Read here.
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