A pestering pensioner who plagued emergency call handlers, and two brothers with a long history of criminal behaviour were among the cases reported from the courts this week.
Derek Irons, 75, from Warrington, was often drunk when he made abusive calls to the 999 and non-emergency 101 number. He ignored a criminal behaviour order which had been intended to prevent him from making abusive calls.
During one night, he made a barrage of 22 recorded phone calls to the Cheshire Police's 999 emergency and 101 non-emergency service.
Meanwhile, David and Daniel D'Arcy, who have been breaking into homes, schools and businesses since they were teens and are now in their 30s, received another prison sentence for their latest despicable raid.
Daniel O'Sullivan
A man 'high on monkey dust' was jailed for stabbing a dog in the head as part of a rampage in which he also kicked a police officer in the face.
Daniel O'Sullivan spat at officers called to deal with him as he stood in a street wielding a broken bottle and a knife.
His case is a landmark prosecution under a new law that recognises police dogs as public servants.
Police were called to deal with O'Sullivan, who is from Litherland , following reports of a man with a knife in a street in Hanley, near Stoke, on July 1, 2019.
He was jailed for 21 months after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, five counts of assault and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Steven Lowry
A woman beater trying to escape police dived out of a stolen car before it smashed into a bus.
"Stupid" Steven Lowry led officers on a 70mph chase while serving a suspended sentence for battering an ex-girlfriend.
Liverpool Crown Court heard while awaiting his next court appearance the 34-year-old then twice harassed a former partner.
Lowry cried as the judge said it was also a "great shame" for his children that he was in prison and jailed him for 12 months. He was also banned from driving for two and a half years.
Phillip Meadows
A prison officer caught trying to smuggle thousands of pounds worth of drugs into jail has himself been put behind bars.
Suspicions about father-of-four Phillip Meadows had earlier been raised by a sniffer dog during an unannounced search by a team investigating the supply of illegal items into HMP Liverpool.
But nothing was found and he was allowed in to work.
The very next day, "assuming that the coast was clear" he arrived for duty but was again picked out by a drugs dog - and £91,000 worth of heroin and cannabis resin was found in his car.
Meadows pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and cannabis with intent and was jailed for five years four months at Liverpool Crown Court.
William Millican
A pensioner branded a "rat" by his nightmare neighbour had to hide in his home from a meat cleaver wielding yob .
Terrified William Haynes, 72, slammed his front door shut after a confrontation with foul-mouthed Olivia Avis, 30.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he lashed out after she swung at him over a garden fence in Berryhill Avenue, Knowsley .
But when he retreated inside his house, William Millican , 32, turned up armed with the weapon and demanded he come out.
Millican, who admitted affray and possession of a bladed article, was jailed for 14 months.
Benjamin Fitzsimmons
A convicted robber and rapist was caught with nearly £35,000 of dirty cash after making a bizarre stop at the side of a motorway.
Benjamin Fitzsimmons, 41, took his mum's car without permission while out on licence towards the end of a six-year prison sentence.
Fitzsimmons made no comment in a police interview but admitted aggravated vehicle taking and possessing criminal property.
He was recalled on licence last month and is not due for release until May 2021.
Judge Brian Cummings, QC, said he could not spare Fitzsimmons jail because of his recall, but equally because of the law could not pass a consecutive sentence.
He handed him 14 months in jail, which had to start today, meaning it will finish before and not affect his release date.
Ronald Wheeler
A donkey ride operator who let his horse die slowly and painfully from poisoning was jailed.
Ronald Wheeler, 42, admitted three charges of animal neglect at Liverpool Magistrates Court.
Wheeler, of Haydn Road, Knotty Ash, left his horse Oscar grazing in a field in Fazakerley which contained the poisonous weed ragwort - which is deadly to horses - despite being warned by Liverpool council to remove it.
The RSPCA were called to the field on August 6 last year after receiving reports from members of the public who were concerned about the horse's welfare.
Wheeler was jailed for 12 weeks and banned from keeping equines for 10 years.
David and Daniel D'Arcy
Two burglar brothers whinged and moaned in court when jailed over their latest despicable raid.
David and Daniel D'Arcy have been breaking into homes, schools and businesses since they were teens.
David, now 34, and Daniel, now 33, who both live in Carr Lane, Hoylake, each pleaded guilty to burglary and fraud.
When they were both given 28 months in prison, one of the brothers groaned: "I thought we were getting 18 months."
He then moaned "we got slammed there" while the other asked: "What did we get there?"
John Cassidy and Liam Miller
Two thugs punched and kicked a dad's teeth out on his doorstep because his 13-year-old son smashed a car windscreen for a dare.
John Cassidy and Liam Miller turned up at their victim's home to demand £500 as payment for damage caused to Miller's dad's car.
The day before a 13-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had shattered the windscreen of a Vauxhall Vectra, after being "dared by friends".
After finding out where the teenager lived Cassidy drove Miller to the dad's home and threatened to "chop him up" if he did not pay £500.
The pair returned three days later and carried out a vicious attack on the victim.
Both Cassidy and Miller were jailed for two years and two months for actioning bodily harm (ABH).
Cassidy was given an additional seven months for breaching a suspended sentence order.
Peter Higham
A uniform-obsessed vigilante caught posing as a policeman sped away with two officers hanging out of his car.
Peter Higham earned the nickname 'Fireman Sham' due to his love of dressing up as members of the emergency services.
The judge said it was "by luck rather than design" the officers were not injured when Higham drove off with them partially inside the vehicle.
He jailed him for 10 months, with a road ban of 17 months.
Derek Irons
A pensioner who plagued emergency call handlers with pointless waffle after downing booze was jailed.
Derek Irons, 75, from Warrington, was often drunk when he made abusive calls to the 999 and non-emergency 101 number. He ignored a criminal behaviour order which had been intended to prevent him from making abusive calls.
Irons, who made the calls using two mobile phones, never reported any ongoing incidents. The court heard how this would have resulted in further genuine calls from the public being delayed.
The majority of Irons’ calls were made when he was drunk. He would be abusive and swear at call takers causing. When they hung up on his he would just ring them back.
Irons, of Goose Lane in Hatton, pleaded guilty to breaching four criminal behaviour orders at Warrington Magistrates Court. He was jailed for 26 weeks.
