The Accrington Observer is naming and shaming criminals who have appeared before the crown courts for offences connected with Hyndburn during September.

  • A financial director who ‘abused his position’ to steal £175,000 from his former employer was ordered to pay back less than a TENTH of his criminal earnings. Christopher Harold Horsfield, of Orchard Drive, Oswaldtwistle, stole the money over a six-year period while overseeing the accounts for Kooga Rugby Limited based in Cheadle. He pleaded guilty last year to theft, removing criminal property and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for six years and six months.

  • A repeat sex offender has admitted snatching a young girl up off the street and then dumping her in a wheelie bin. Imran Khan, 34, of Pendle Street, Accrington pleaded guilty to kidnap, kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence and breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at Preston Crown Court. He is due to appear for sentencing on October 23.

  • A soldier who ‘deserted’ the Army for nearly two years was convicted of breaching a court order. Curtis Greenfield, 23, of Lancaster Avenue, Accrington, pleaded guilty to breaching the community order and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge.

  • A provisional licence holder was spared jail after being involved in a high speed chase through residential streets . Ben Riley, 22, of Moorside Drive, Clayton-le-Moors, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop when asked by police, driving without a licence and using a car without insurance. He was given four-month jail term, suspended for 12-months, disqualified from driving and ordered to take an extended driving test, fined £100 and ordered to pay £150 costs.

  • A father-of-eleven who tried to buy £2 worth of chocolates with a fake £50 note was jailed. Brian Ward, 42, of Church Street, Oswaldtwistle, was caught trying to use the counterfeit note by staff at a Thornton’s chocolate store. He pleaded guilty to committing fraud by false representation and was jailed for eight months.

  • A teenager who went into an unlocked house in Great Harwood and stole a 40-inch television worth £400 while the woman who lived there was inside was jailed. Dylan Mawdsley, 19, of Queen Street, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to burglary and was given a five-month term at a young offenders institution and ordered to pay a £180 criminal courts charge.

  • A factory worker who aimed a ‘number of punches’ and a kick to the head of his victim in a ‘vicious’ town centre attack was jailed. Pawel Mirocha, 25, of Sharples Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for six months.

  • A car factory worker who was caught with 121 ‘serious’ indecent images and 200 videos of images of children was spared jail. Jason Limb, 43, pleaded guilty to seven counts of possessing indecent images of children, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child and 10 counts of making indecent photographs of children. He was given a 12 month suspended jail term with supervision and ordered to take part in a sex offence treatment programme.

  • A newly qualified driver who lost control of his car while under the influence of alcohol and cannabis and causing the death of a 17 year old passenger on her birthday has been locked up. Accrington and Rossendale College student Estelle Thompson was in Callum Gray’s Ford Ka when it crashed in Hapton. Gray, 19, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink or drugs and was sent to a young offenders institution for 32 months.