Sheffield Crown Court: Judges' nine most damning comments about defendants' criminal behaviour
By Jon Cooper
Published 26th Sep 2022, 09:50 BST
Here are some key cases where judges at Sheffield Crown Court have made damning comments about nine defendants’ serious criminal behaviour.
Judges very often recognise wider societal problems and always take the opportunity to highlight the need to address certain types of rising crime by sending out a message that such offending will not be tolerated.
Here are several cases involving serious offending including guns, knives and drugs or attacks that warranted not only custodial sentences but damning comments from the judges involved.
Such sentencing remarks help to deter future offending and serve to reassure the public that cases are being addressed with a wider understanding so both the judicial system and the police can better fight the most serious types of crime.
Here are several cases involving serious offending including guns, knives and drugs or attacks that warranted not only custodial sentences but damning comments from the judges involved.
5. Jordan Davies
Sheffield Crown Court heard during a sentencing hearing in August how 26-year-old Jordan Davies, pictured, and 27-year-old Jacob Carroll, both of no fixed abode, were both found guilty by a trial jury of murdering 18-year-old Joevester Takyi-Sarpong. Prosecuting barrister Mark McCone said the defendants had chased Joe before he was stabbed and murdered on October 31, 2021, and his body was later found near to the derelict former Doncaster County Court. Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said the defendants had acted together and ensnared Joe, and Carroll had stabbed him. He sentenced both Davies and Carroll to life imprisonment and told them they must both serve a minimum of 22 years before they can be considered for release. Judge Richardson told them: "Those who kill others in the way you did and against the backdrop of carrying knives associated with drug dealing must expect to be punished with appropriate severity.”Photo: SYP
Sheffield Crown Court heard this month, in September, how robber Anthony Parry, pictured, aged 39, of Bankwood Road, Gleadless Valley, Sheffield, struck with two others at Claypit News, on Claypit Lane, Rawmarsh, Rotherham, where a 73-year-old woman was working alone in the early hours. The defendant, who has 39 convictions for 79 offences including burglaries, pleaded guilty to the robbery which happened on October 16, 2019. Judge Peter Kelson who sentenced Parry to seven years and two months of custody told him: “The CCTV shows what a callous and cowardly offence this was. Three of you. You a grown male – the other two presumably grown males – just helping yourselves.”
He added: “When you get in there and see this poor lady cowering in distress and shaking you carry on, you carry on the offence, you point the knife at her and you get the black bags to get what you wanted.”Photo: SYP
Armed drug-fuelled thug Aiden Bierton, pictured, threw knives towards concerned police officers as they tried to detain him at his home, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing. The court heard this month, September, how Bierton, aged 40, formerly of Colley Avenue, Parson Cross, Sheffield, prevented police from entering a property where he had been staying so officers had to force their way in and were threatened by the defendant. Bierton, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing cannabis after a small quantity of the class B drug was found in the kitchen and living room of the property. Judge Kirstie Watson told him: “The behaviour the police had from you was disgraceful. Officers tried repeatedly to get into the property but you prevented them from doing so. Special police officers were called to force their way into the property. Knives were thrown down the stairs at them, glass was broken and they were threatened with the knives you had in your possession.”Photo: SYP
A knife-wielding Sheffield son, Joseph Akroyd, made “chilling and murderous” threats to kill his mother, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing. The court heard in March how Akroyd, pictured, aged 25, of Hayfield Crescent, Frecheville, Sheffield, threatened to attack his father and repeatedly punched his mother before he armed himself with a knife and threatened to kill her. Akroyd, who has previous convictions including assaults, pleaded guilty to common assault against his father, assault by beating against his mother and to making threats to kill his mother. Judge Jeremy Richardson told Akroyd: “Violence or attempted violence was visited upon the victims. There was a sustained and serious endeavour to break down the door while the defendant was issuing chilling and murderous threats and despite requests to disarm the defendant would not do so.”
Akroyd was sentenced to four years of custody with an extension of four more years of custody on licence because he is deemed to be dangerous and his release from prison will be at the discretion of the parole board.Photo: SYP