Unpaid rent row 'led to kidnap' in Carlisle

A CARLISLE man who helped a housemate kidnap a man as he sought to settle a dispute over missing rent money has been given a suspended jail sentence.

The city’s crown court was told that Sebastian Stec, 24, and another man kidnapped their victim as he was making his way to work at the city’s Kingstown industrial estate on June 12.

Stec’s only physical role in the offence was to drag the victim into the rear of a Ford Fiesta before his pal drove him away.

The two men were annoyed because their victim – who had money troubles – was collecting their rent on the understanding that he would then hand it to the landlord.

He instead he secretly kept the money, said prosecutor Brendan Burke.

Without telling his house-mates, he simply upped sticks and moved to another flat in Carlisle.

As a consequence, the defendant faced the threat of eviction.

The two men involved in the kidnap initially forced the victim to try to take out a pay-day loan - but he was refused. They then took him to the Argos store within Sainsbury’s in Carlisle, planning to make him buy a laptop on credit.

It was as they were doing this that they were confronted by police officers, who had been alerted by passers-by in Kingstown following the abduction.

Passing sentence, Recorder Ciaran Rankin told the defendant: “You were trying to right a wrong that you had been subjected to but you went about it in entirely the wrong way.”

He noted that Stec, of Borland Avenue, Botcherby, Carlisle, was a man of hitherto good character.

The judge imposed an 18-month jail term but suspended the term for two years and ordered the defendant to perform 20 days of rehabilitation.

Stec must also do 120 hours of unpaid work in the community.

The man who was the driver during the kidnap admitted beating up the victim, but he has since fled the country.

Stec initially denied the kidnap offence but later changed his plea to guilty.

Using threatening behaviour

A THIRTY-five-year-old Carlisle man has been convicted of using threatening behaviour after he failed to turn up for his trial at Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court.

Andrew Dennis Boswell, of Merith Avenue, Botcherby, whose alias was given in court papers as Andrew Dennis Pattinson, was fined £120 with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

The court was told he committed the offence in Workington on June 17, using ‘threatening or abusive’ behaviour or disorderly behaviour within sight or hearing of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress. No further details of the offence were given on court papers.

Obstructing a police officer

A WOMAN has been fined by the courts for obstructing a police officer in exercise of their duty.

Tracey Margaret Bruce of Ennerdale Road, Cleator Moor, pleaded appeared before Workington's magistrates' court.

Bruce, 52, was charged with wilfully obstructing PC 2572 Murdock a constable in the execution of his duty. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined £460 and made to pat £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as £46 to fund victim services.

Bruce also stood charged with driving a motor vehicle on Clayton Avenue, Melbreak Avenue, Gragg Road and Jacktrees Crescent but failing to stop when asked to do so.

She also pleaded guilty to this charge but no separate penalty was added.

Bruce's guilty pleas were taken into consideration when imposing the sentence.

Found in possession of drugs

A MAN has appeared in court after he was found in possession of illegal drugs.

Alan Paul Whiteside admitted being in possession of the class B drug cannabis in Whitehaven.

The offence took place on August 16.

Whiteside, of Sneckyeat Grove in Hensingham, pleaded guilty before Workington's magistrates' court.

The 44-year-old was fined £120 by the court.

He was ordered to pay a £34 surcharge to fund victim services.

Whiteside must also pay £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

He was not represented by a solicitor during the hearing.

A collection order was made by magistrates.

The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis.

It was agreed he must pay the £239 balance at a rate of £20 per month.

The first payment must be made by November 13, the court said.

Troubled teen kicked police

A troubled teen who spat in a PC’s face during the first lockdown later kicked two other officers while drunk at Barrow railway station.

Ellie Sinead Robertson, 19, was previously sentenced early last year for a series of violent offences, outbursts and uncontrollable behaviour.

Police then went to her mum’s Workington home in April after Robertson committed more crimes; throwing a glass which smashed in her mother’s face and causing a cut and swelling around an eye.

She also hurled a child’s scooter through a window, took a knife outside and spat in the face of a female PC who was left anxious and affected.

And Robertson got into even more hot water on July 25 at Barrow’s railway station, where she and other young people were noted to be drunk.

“They were told by staff to sober up and return for the last train, and walked away,” said prosecutor Jane Dagnall.

But when their return prompted more complaints from staff, police attended and Robertson was arrested for an unconnected matter.

She became “extremely violent” and started spitting and headbutting the ground.

In between, attempts were made to subdue her, but Ms Dagnall said: “She managed to kick both police officers.”

Robertson admitted four offences arising out of the Workington incident, and assaulting the two PCs in Barrow.

A judge opted to defer sentence for the April offences after hearing of difficult personal issues and believing there was a “glimmer of light.”

And after hearing a positive progress report, Judge Nicholas Barker imposed a two-year community order, rehabilitation requirement and a fine.

“You should not underestimate how seriously the courts take assaults on police,” he told Robertson, now of Borrowdale, near Keswick.

“But in this case I recognise the right course is to undertake work which rehabilitates you.”

Brothers jailed or drug dealing trips to Cumbria

TWO brothers who made drug-dealing day trips to north Cumbria from their homes in Manchester and used text bombs to advertise illegal wares for sale have been jailed.

Police stopped a Seat Leon travelling northbound on the M6 between Penrith and Carlisle on the late afternoon of January 10 last year.

Ashley Hayes, 34, was driving and 30-year-old sibling Blake Hayes was a passenger.

After the patrol car’s blue lights were illuminated, a small package was hurled from the front passenger window.

This was recovered with the help of a sniffer dog and found to contain a small amount of cannabis bush.

Three phones were also recovered. Analysis revealed bulk messages - stating “on with both, 10z and 20z” - had been sent to scores of contacts on 17 separate dates during a month-long period which included Christmas, 2018.

Evidence also showed the phones were in Carlisle on 17 different days.

“On occasion there was an overnight stay,” prosecutor Chloe Fordham told the city’s crown court.

“But more often than not the pattern was a trip up the motorway, the phones remaining in Carlisle for a few hours before remaining back to Manchester.”

Potentially, she suggested, thousands of pounds could have been netted on each trip.

Ashley Hayes, of Burgin Walk, Collyhurst, and Blake Hayes, of Tufton Walk, Harpurhey, both Manchester, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

The court heard while Ashley Hayes had only one drugs crime on his record - for possession of the class B drug - his brother had been handed a jail term of almost 10 years in 2011 for heroin and cocaine supply crimes.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin sentenced Ashley and Blake to prison sentences of 24 months and 27 months, respectively, for the recent county lines crime.

“You both played important roles in what appears to have been a professional - and, I conclude, a highly profitable - business supplying cannabis in the Cumbria area,” said the judge.