Year in Review: Murders, shootings, grooming and drugs plots brought before courts

As has been the case in recent years police officers, barristers, judges and all others have dealt with these against the backdrop of an ongoing crisis in the criminal justice system. As he retired in April this year, the outgoing Honorary Recorder for Bolton Judge Martin Walsh warned that the system was facing as great a challenge as he had ever known.

Judge Walsh, who was succeeded this year by Judge Nicholas Clarke KC as Bolton’s most senior judge, warned that victims, defendants and witnesses were all waiting for their days in court.

The Honorary Recorder for Bolton Judge Martin Walsh retired this year (Image: Newsquest)

What follows are some of those biggest days in court that featured over the course of 2025.

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Tyler Harrison, James Gregory and Jacob Humphreys were involved in a shooting plot in Little Hulton (Image: GMP)

January – “Revenge shooting”

The start of the year saw the recurring menace of gun crime brought before the courts as three men, all in their early 20s, were dealt with for shooting attack in Little Hulton.

A gun stuffed into an old sofa at a house in Farnworth ultimately led police to James Gregory, 20, Jacob Humphreys, 21, and Tyler Harrison, 20, who were involved in the shooting.

Judge Timothy Smith described the incident as a “carefully planned, conceived and coordinated attack”.

He said: “It is likely that the motivation for this attack was revenge of some sort or some sort of extreme penalty.”

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Levi Cull and Jenson McNally fled to Scotland before police caught up with them (Image: GMP)

February – “Feud” boiled over

Gun crime was present again as another shooting case came before the courts in February after a gun man and his accomplice fired at a man through a front door in Deane.

Levi Cull, 28, and Jensen McNally, 23, both fled to Scotland after the shooting, which took place after a day of rising tensions between Cull, McNally and their rivals.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Cull apparently shouted “oi bezza, bezza, bezza come out with your gun” before he opened fire when a man opened the door on Mercia Street. 

Judge Bernadette Baxter said: “This must have been a terrifying experience for all of those present, including some children who you knew were there.”

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The attack took place at Queens Park (Image: Newsquest)

March – Attempted rape “in broad daylight”

The start of spring brought a particularly disturbing case before Bolton Crown Court after a teenage boy had tried to rape a “total stranger” on Queens Park.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was only 16 when he tried to rape a woman who had been out for a morning jog with her friend on the park.

He had previously been involved in the robbery of another young man in the town centre in what Judge Abigail Hudson described as a “gratuitous piece of bullying”.

On the attempted rape, Judge Hudson said: “This was frankly an astonishing attack in broad daylight with a number of people there as witnesses.”

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Ashley Darbyshire was involved in a Blackrod based grooming gang (Image: PA)

April – “Monsters of men”

As spring wore on the culmination of the long running investigation into child sex abuse in Blackrod finally came before the court.

A gang dubbed “monsters of men” by their victim, who they had abused at a so-called “party house” in Blackrod were finally brought to face justice.

The court heard from prosecutor Ben Lawrence how Ashley Darbyshire, 28, was “well used to grooming and manipulating under-aged girls.”.

A statement from the gang’s victim said: “I live my abuse out every day, I live every single detail and as much as I would love to stop my brain and body remembers it and always will.”

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Nadeem Begum ruled his family “like a medieval baron” (Image: GMP)

May – “Like a medieval baron”

A man who had murdered his own daughter-in-law after dominating his family in the style of what a judge called “a medieval baron” was dealt with in May.

Nadeem Begum, 53, was handed a life sentence after he strangled his daughter-in-law 24-year-old Mashal Ilyas to death and lied that she had fallen down the stairs.

Before sending him down, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls blasted Begum’s attitude to his family, telling him: “You ruled your family, and I suspect particularly the women, like a medieval baron ruled his fiefdom.”

She added: “You are clearly an egotistical and domineering man and to that we can now add the description of murderer and coward.”

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(Left to right) Attila Angyal, Laszlo Matus and Melinda Petrovic (Image: GMP/NWROCU)

June – “Profound harm to the most desperate and vulnerable members of our society”

As the summer began, a “brothel manager” who was the last member of a human trafficking gang to be sentenced was dealt with at Bolton Crown Court.

Lazlo Matus, 53, had worked for husband-and-wife traffickers Attila Angyal, 43, and Melinda Petrovic, 35 to drive women kept enslaved with “false debts” around the country.

Judge Abigail Hudson said the women were kept under such control that they were “unable to plan a trip even to local shops”.

Jailing Matus, she told him that crimes like his “caused profound harm to the most vulnerable and desperate members of our society”.

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Christopher Barlow murdered Mariann Borocz and kept her hidden in his shed (Image: GMP)

July – “Body found in shed”

In July Christopher Barlow, 62, was brought before the court where he denied murdering 55-year-old Mariann Borocz, who had gone missing just before the previous Christmas.

The ensuing trial the following month heard how Barlow had killed Ms Borocz and dragged her body into his garden shed, lying to the police when they came looking for her.

CPS North West complex casework specialist prosecutor Rebecca Macaulay-Addison said: “When Ms Borocz’s body was found in his shed, he claimed to have no knowledge of her being there, nor any involvement in her death.

“He has shown no remorse for his actions and continually changed his account.”

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Jamie Rothwell led a huge Echrochat conspiracy (Image: Cheshire Police)

August – “You issued orders, you expected them to be obeyed”

At the height of summer, a gangland boss behind a huge criminal conspiracy was finally handed a lengthy sentence.

Using the handle “Live Long” on the notorious Enchrochat messaging service, 38-year-old Jamie Rothwell directed drugs conspiracies and shooting plots across the region.

There were gasps in the public gallery at court as Judge John Potter handed Rothwell a 43-year prison sentence, with steep sentences also handed out to the rest of his gang.

Addressing Rothwell, Judge Potter said: “You issued orders, and you expected them to be obeyed.”

He added: “I heard evidence from your co-accused that they feared you.”

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Jack Naylor murdered his mother’s former partner Thomas Gomm (Image: GMP)

September – Murder of “local legend”

A young man who murdered his mother’s ex-partner, revered in the community as a “local legend” was brought to justice at the start of this autumn.

Jack Naylor was on the cusp of his 22nd birthday when he launched the brutal attack that ended up killing 44-year-old Thomas Gomm.

A statement from Mr Gomm’s mother set out how Naylor had “ripped the heart out of Thomas’s family and the wider community.”

Jailing Naylor, Judge Maurice Greene described Mr Gomm as a “kind-hearted man, a local legend and a devoted father figure”.

ALSO READ: Killer who battered ‘local legend and devoted father figure’ to death faces justice

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Pamela Gwinnett fled to Tenerife rather than face justice (Image: Public)

October – “You have some brass neck”

A judge had to direct his sentencing remarks at an empty dock in October after fraudster Pamela Gwinntett, 62, fled the country.

Gwinnett had used threats, bullying and lies to keep the elderly Joan Green under her control and steal nearly £300,000 before fleeing to Tenerife.

Judge Michael Maher said he sincerely hoped Gwinnett would be brought back to the UK to face justice.

Addressing the empty dock, he said: “To use the colloquialism, you have some brass neck Ms Gwinnett.”

He added: “It is an affront to justice and the rule of law for this defendant to be allowed to remain in Tenerife.” 

ALSO READ: Fraudster fled to Tenerife after isolating elderly woman and stealing nearly £300K

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Kieron Leonard conspired to flood the streets with cocaine (Image: GMP)

November – “Stark message”

As autumn ended, a drugs boss and his two accomplices were jailed for their roles in flooding the streets with around 14g of cocaine.

Keiron Leonard, 32, had lived a lavish lifestyle of the back of his illegal dealings before his conspiracy unravelled with a series of police raids.

Three Rolex watches valued at more than £80,000 were seized at Leonard’s home, but were not much help to him after he was jailed for 14 years and three months.

Detective Inspector Waywell, of GMP’s Bolton Challenger Unit, said: “I hope it sends a stark message to anyone looking to commit drug offences, and I hope it reassures our residents that we will continue to act on intelligence to keep them safe.”

ALSO READ: Drugs boss lived ‘lavish’ lifestyle as henchmen flooded streets with cocaine

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Asif Vali was convicted of sexual assaul (Image: Newsquest)

December – “Ultimately one of them is lying”

As the year ended, another high-profile case came before Bolton Crown Court when boxer Amir Khan’s ex-manager Asif Vali, 56, was convicted of sex assault.

A three-day trial heard how the evidence came down to “one person’s word against another” and that Vali at the time had had “important job managing a successful boxer in the town”.

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Before the jury were sent out, the Honorary Recorder for Bolton Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told them: “To be blunt, one of them is lying through their teeth about what happened.”

He added: “Ultimately one of them is lying.”

After the jury unanimously voted to convict Vali, he was remanded into custody ahead of a sentencing hearing next February.

Source – INDIA TV