Sheffield Crown Court: Here are the biggest cases from the last week including paedophile sting

Over the last few days, defendants have been handed out sentences potentially totalling over 23 years in custody and fines and fees of over £1.1million.

Rong Ren: Sheffield businessman ordered to pay £1.1m by courts over phone scams

On August 5, Judge Peter Kelson ordered businessman, Rong Ren, to pay over the value of his assets – worth £1,097,563.64 – within three months or face 14 years in jail.

The order was the result of a number of years worth of investigating Ren and his business, 2028 W Ltd, as he ran an international scam selling fake phone parts.

In February 2020, Ren has been sentenced to 12 months in prison and banned from acting as company director after he pleaded guilty to Trade Marks Act offences.

The sentencing judge at the time said this week: “Offences of this type materially undermine public trust in the legitimate brands and involve serious criminality. The public have essentially been duped by the defendant and legitimate businesses have been cheated of profit.”

Councillor Mike Chaplin, deputy chair of the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “This is a terrific result for our trading standards team and is a great example of partnership working with colleagues from South Yorkshire Police and the North East Regional Economic Crime Unit.”

Arron Jeffcock: Jealous Sheffield thug is jailed after he pinned down ex-partner with his knee on her neck

On August 3, Arron Jeffcock, aged 30, was sentenced to 45 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to using controlling and coercive behaviour between August, 2018, and June, 2020, to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and witness intimidation from February, 2022.

The court heard how Jeffcock had been abusing his ex-partner, including kneeling on her whilst her child was present.

The judge – Recorder David Brooke QC told Jeffcock: ““You dragged her away causing a laceration to her foot and you put your knee on her neck. That’s a nasty assault in her home with a child present and you have a bad record with antecedents going back a long time.”

An indefinite restraining order to protect the complainant, after the court heard how Jeffcock attacked the complainant and her friend at her home.

Defence barrister Chris Aspinall said drugs and alcohol played a part in Jeffcock’s behaviour and he wants to be referred to a substance misuse course and he has no intention to contacting his ex-partner.

Toni Machin: "Wicked" serial burglar posed as a carer as she conned her way into elderly people's homes

Sheffield Crown Court heard on August 10, how Toni Machin, aged 33, targeted five vulnerable pensioners in Rotherham while they were in their own homes as she posed as a carer between October and November, 2021.

Machin was sentenced to six years in prison, with Judge Jeremy Richardson QC saying: “You made the decisions as you did and you executed your task with zeal and determination, and it was truly wicked.”

Defence barrister Gurdial Singh said Machin had been married with children and had her own business in Lincoln but after she developed an addiction to a pain killer after an accident she met a homeless man in Rotherham and was introduced to heroin.

Mr Singh said it was after this she started committing thefts to fund her addiction.

Jamie Fox: Paedophile hunter group members posed online as young girls to trap pervert

Jamie Fox, aged 32, of Roman Crescent in Rotherham was sentenced to two years in custody, suspended for two years, with a sex offender programme and a rehabilitation requirement, at Sheffield Crown Court on August 8.

The court heard how Fox had struck up sexual conversations with three online profiles operated by paedophile hunter group.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting sexual communication with a child, one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and to arranging a child sex offence all committed between the end of August and the beginning of September, 2021.

Richard Adams, defending, said Fox has learning difficulties and he has had a difficult upbringing but he is supported by his sister.

He added: “This is a case where a vulnerable individual is crying out for intervention.”

Mr Adams also said the whole process has been a “daunting and terrifying” experience for Fox and this is not something the defendant wishes to repeat.