Armed trio forced their way into home of South Yorkshire drug dealers

Christopher Coles was carrying a chair leg and Aleisha Brownlie had a knife tucked into her waistband, when Ricki Mellor followed them into the address, on Day Street, Barnsley, at 2.30pm, on June 28.

Recorder David Gordon said a couple were at home in their garden when the trio turned up, and a “serious disturbance” followed.

He told the defendants: "I appreciate your relationship with them was against the background of a trade in drugs, but nonetheless they are entitled to be safe in their own home.

"This was a frightening and troubling incident."

Prosecutor Simon Reevell said Coles received 40 months for burglary, in December 2018, and was released in April this year.

Mellor has 35 previous convictions for 64 offences, and received 40 months for robbery in November 2015.

Brownlie has seven convictions for 12 offences, including battery and drunken disorder, and the current offence puts her in breach of conditional discharge.

Vanessa Saxton said Brownlie has already served six months in custody, which had a big impact on her young children.

"It was a very quick matter,” she said. “She was under the influence of alcohol. An alcohol treatment order would be of benefit to her."

Chris Aspinall said Coles offered an early guilty plea.

Stephen Littlewood said Mellor’s offending was driven by substance misuse.

"As he said to me, he has had enough of prison,” he said. “He can turn a corner and be given a chance. This is his opportunity. He has spent six months in custody. It has had a sobering impact on him. He knows if he were to breach the suspended order he would be going right back to prison."

Coles, 36, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing an offensive weapon, Brownlie, 25, of Dodworth Road, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing a blade, and Mellor, 26, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to affray.

Recorder Gordon sentenced all three to 10 months in prison. Brownlie received six months for the blade, which will run concurrently, and Coles was handed four months, concurrent, for the weapon charge.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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