HERE'S a round-up of some of the biggest court cases to have taken place in Carlisle and West Cumbria this week. 

Housebound Carlisle pensioner targeted by women's 'mean' fraud

A TRUSTING and housebound pensioner who is in his late 80s was callously targeted by three Carlisle women as they carried out a "parasite-like" fraud.

Rachael Dixon, 32, Lisa Nunn, 44, and a third woman who is yet to be sentenced, carefully won their victim's trust before offering to do his shopping - only to then steal his bank card and use it to take hundreds of pounds from his account.

Dixon and Nunn were sentenced at the city's crown court, while the third woman involved, 47-year-old Kelly Bowman, will be sentenced after background reports are prepared. 

Carlisle man who attacked girlfriend shared cell with a murder suspect

A CARLISLE man who subjected his girlfriend to a drunken assault after a night in the pub wept as a court heard he shared a prison cell with a murder suspect.

The defence lawyer representing 41-year-old Richard Farish, who appeared before the city’s Rickergate court via a video link, said the defendant's experience while he was on remand at HMP Hull had left him "terrified."

Farish admitted three offences: an assault by beating, possessing a knife, and harassment without violence. Prosecutor Scott Parker outlined each offence.

Whitehaven thug's unprovoked attack gave victim life-changing injury

A THUG subjected a complete stranger to an unprovoked one-punch attack which left him with a life-changing brain injury.

Callous Liam McConnell, 29, simply walked away from his victim after punching him to the ground in Whitehaven town centre - for no reason other than he was trying to get into a taxi.

The victim's life was saved by life-saving emergency surgery, but his serious head injury - sustained as he fell to the ground - left him with a devastating injury and disability.

Homeless Carlisle man used car park barrier to attack police car

A BRAIN injury victim from Carlisle whose 'lifeline" mobile phone was stolen reacted furiously because he felt that the police were not doing enough to help him. 

Matthew Neale, 47, first wrenched a wooden car park barrier from its housing outside Carlisle Railway Station and he then dropped it on to a British Transport Police car, smashing its rear window.

In a later offence, Neale was so desperate to charge his phone that he kicked open a locked door at Workington’s bus station, and simply walked into the room and plugged in his mobile.

Carer who knocked over cyclist on Kingstown Road was 'careless'

A PROFESSIONAL carer whose car collided with and injured a cyclist on Carlisle’s Kingstown Road has been fined.

Dawn Sharples, 58, was accused initially of “causing serious injury” by careless driving but at the city’s crown court a prosecutor accepted her guilty plea to an alternative careless driving allegation.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans outlined the facts.

He described how a 68-year-old local man was cycling along Kingstown Road in Carlisle and had just passed the junction with Moorville Drive when the defendant’s car pulled out right in front of him.

High risk sex offender sent to Carlisle had secret online relationship

A HIGH-RISK sex offender who started a new life in Carlisle after serving a jail term committed two new offences within a month of his release.

Ashley McPhee, 26, flouted the rules that apply to him as a registered sex offender by not disclosing to the police that he had opened a “Snapchat” account online.

He also sent threatening messages to a woman.

McPhee admitted both offences – failing to comply with his strict Sex Offender Notifications requirement and a malicious communications offence.