Every week day the courts of Nottingham deal with a variety if people, from those caught speeding or failing to pay for a TV licence, to those facing the most serious charges. Whether it’s the city’s magistrates’ court or the crown court, where those serious cases are dealt with, the backlog of people facing civil or criminal cases grows longer by the day.
Nottinghamshire Live’s court reporter Martin Naylor spends each day covering the city’s courts and this December he wrote about a wide variety of cases, from a man who neglected his partner so badly she died in hospital to the ‘Robin Hood of Langley Mill’ who said he stole cannabis to prevent dealers from selling it to children.
Here he has highlighted some of the cases he has covered in December.
Christopher Tansley
Bed bound Caron Kinsey died after her partner Christopher Tansley left her on the floor for 11 days when she fell out of bed. For all the time the 63-year-old victim was helplessly lying there, the defendant failed to summon any help at all.
While she was on the carpet he would light cigarettes for her and bring her soft drinks. But when he finally did call the emergency services, paramedics found her covered in urine and faeces and with pressure sores all down the left side of her body.
She died in hospital on the day she was discovered and Home Office pathologist Dr Michael Biggs gave the cause of death as bronchial pneumonia which was caused by the time she spent lying on the bedroom floor. The medic said she would not have contracted it had the emergency services been called on the day of the fall.
Christopher Tansley, 63, of Markham Pace, Mansfield, outside Nottingham Crown Court during his sentencing hearing for manslaughter by gross negligence.
(Image: Reach Plc)
Jailing 63-year-old Tansley, of Mansfield, for two years and three months, the Honourable Mrs Justice Tipples KC said: “The circumstances of her death are sad and tragic. Caron was curled up on the floor in the foetal position on her left hand side. She was covered in several urine-soaked blankets. She had pressure sores on almost the entirety of her left hand side.
“This was a terrible and distressing scene and it was plain that Caron was in need of urgent help. Morphine was given and she was taken to hospital and died just after 11pm that night.
“She had undiagnosed terminal lung cancer and her cause of death was bronchial pneumonia brought on by the prolonged period she was on the floor and without assistance.
“The gross negligence for which you were responsible caused Caron significant pain, trauma and suffering. There’s no doubt Caron suffered a great deal during the time she spent on the floor. 11 days is an extraordinary period of time to leave Caron lying on the floor without summoning any help at all.”
Ms Kinsey fell on New Year’s Day, 2022 and remained on the floor of her bedroom until January 12. Tansley, of Markham Place, pleaded guilty to an offence of gross negligence manslaughter and has no previous convictions.
Mei Yong Chen and Zhigang Jia
Cannabis gardeners Mei Yong Chen and Zhigang Jia were caught tending to plants in two Ilkeston houses in the same street which could have netted the gang who set it up hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Chinese nationals were both in the UK illegally when police snared them inside a former dog grooming parlour in Bath Street.
The pair attempted to escape from police but were quickly caught and keys found on one of them led to a nearby former Chinese takeaway, in the same street, where more of the class B substance was found to be growing in the rooms. In total, a judge ordered for more than 870 individual plants be destroyed as well as sending the men to jail.
Mei Yong Chen and Zhigang Jia
(Image: Derbyshire Police)
Judge James Sampson said: “You were both involved in the commercial production of cannabis and these grows, both individually and taken together, were capable of yielding between £50,000 and £200,000. Neither one of you is present in this country legally and I work on the basis that you have no previous convictions in this or any other country.
“You both claim to be gardeners, acting under direction, and I sentence you on that basis. You had a lesser role in this but it was an essential role as without you these grows would not have been possible. You were far from prisoners, there was money around, telephones and a well-stocked larder.”
The raids took place on June 13, this year and both men pleaded guilty to production of cannabis. Chen, 48, of Bath Street, was jailed for 18 months and Jai, 40, also of Bath Street, was jailed for 15 months as he entered his plea on an earlier date to his co-defendant. A decision on whether or not to deport them will be made by the Home Office on their releases.
‘The Robin Hood of Langley Mill’
The self-proclaimed ‘Robin Hood of Langley Mill,’ Mykal Annable, told police he stole cannabis from dealers to stop it getting into the hands of children. But the 32-year-old’s boast spectacularly came back to bite him after he was jailed for 15 months for having more than 2kg of the drug in a wardrobe at his then home in the town.
The defendant also claimed he was smoking such a large amount of weed each day that a drugs expert referred to it as ‘bordering on the absurd’. And when he realised he was to spend his first Christmas behind bars and without his young daughter, he turned to the public gallery and, crestfallen, solemnly said “love you mum”.
Jailing him for 15 months, Judge Steven Coupland said: “When you were interviewed by the police you described yourself as ‘The Robin Hood of Langley Mill’ saying you stole from dealers to ‘stop them selling drugs to kids’. That was utter nonsense, you were no hero, if you stole these drugs at all you stole them so you could sell them yourself.”
(Image: Derbyshire Police)
Police executed a warrant at an address in Kew Crescent. Langley Mill, where the defendant was then living, on January 23, 2023 and found the drugs, mainly in a bedroom wardrobe.
Annable, formerly of Bath Street, Ilkeston, but now living with his partner and child at an address in Pinxton, his barrister said, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis and possession of criminal property. He has five convictions for seven offences but until now has never been sent to prison before. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, which could see the defendant stripped of cash and assets, will take place next year.
Sizwa Sibanda
Aspley father-of-two Sizwa Sibanda is to spend this Christmas, and at least one more, behind bars after being found with heroin and crack cocaine. Officers stopped a car Sizwa Sibanda was driving on the A617 and on him were wraps of both types of drugs.
The 31-year-old, of Broxtowe Lane, denied he was selling them to make money but, after hearing all of the evidence, a jury convicted him. Now, he has been handed his second long sentence for the same offences having already previously served three years for offences in Hertfordshire.
Jailing him for five years, Recorder Simon King KC said: “Both of these offences took place some time ago when you were stopped in your car on December 5, 2021 and a number of wraps of heroin and crack cocaine were found. This is not the first time you have been convicted of these offences because in 2018 you were sent to prison for three years for possession with intent to supply class A drugs and those previous convictions seriously aggravate your case.”
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, which could see him stripped of any cash and assets he might have, has been set for April 11, next year.
Josh Gittins
Homeless Josh Gittins, who has a long history of carrying knives in public was caught again with one inside Nottingham’s Victoria Centre. Nottingham Crown Court heard how the 26-year-old’s latest is his 10th such offence in a short space of time.
When he was last sentenced in August, he admitted calling the police to tell them he was armed as he “wanted to go back to prison”. Now, after being released partway through that sentence, he has got his wish.
Jailing him for eight months, Judge Steven Coupland said: “You were in drink and on drugs in public and, just as you have on many occasions, you had got a knife on you. Whether or not you did it to get sent back to prison, you know the dangers of having a knife.
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
“There is always the risk that you may find yourself in circumstances where you pull it out to threaten people or even use it on someone. You know what the consequences are because you have been down this road many times before.
“This is not the tenth occasion where you have been found with a knife or bladed article and you were on post-sentence supervision for the last offence at the time and this is made worse because you were on drink and drugs and so potentially less able to control yourself. Get it down, get out and try to stay away from knives.”
The latest offence happened in the early hours of November 9, this year. Gittins, of no fixed address and who has 24 previous convictions for 34 offences including nine for carrying a blade or knife in public, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife.
Tylor Munslow
“Despicable’ rapist Tylor Munslow subjected his victim to a violent attack in Bestwood country park on the day he was released from prison. The 24-year-old, of no fixed adderss, beat and raped his victim the day he got out on licence from HMP Ranby.
He attacked his victim in a car park at the park shortly before 11.30pm on September 15, 2023. The court heard a member of the public called 999 after witnessing an “obviously distressed” woman in the car with him.
The car was driven away moments later but officers soon located it and the victim, who disclosed she had been beaten and raped, and Munslow. The court heard Munslow had been drinking on the day in question and initially denied the victim’s accusations, insisting she had given consent.
The case was heading for trial until Munslow changed his pleas to guilty to rape, assault by penetration and assault occasion actual bodily harm. Jailing him for nine years, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC told Munslow that he accepted he suffered with mental health issues including schizophrenia – but that his culpability for the offences remained “high”.
Judge Rafferty KC told him: “You were drinking all day and by 8pm you quite clearly were worse for drink. But from your perspective and hers, the awful thing is you still knew what you were doing.
“You set out to torture her – because that’s what this case is really about. When she said she didn’t want to have sex with you, you wouldn’t take no for an answer. She is never going to recover from what you did. She will never be a whole person again. That is down to you.”
Tyrone Rowe
Nottingham father-of-three Tyrone Rowe left an elderly market stall holder with fractures to his face after attacking him over a phone charger cable. The 41-year-old, of Radford twice punched the victim, who was in his 70s, causing him to stumble backwards and hit his head.
The heavily convicted defendant, of Southey Street, then rode off on his bike from the scene leaving the man requiring hospital treatment where a CT scan revealed the broken bones. Handing Rowe a five-year sentence, Judge Julie Warburton said: “This was an unprovoked attack on an elderly market stall holder in Hyson Green. He suffered a number of fractures and in his victim personal statement it’s clear his injuries had a significant impact on him.
“He requires a lot of support from family members and he suffered weight loss. He says he’s unlikely to ever return to work on his market stall which has had an impact on his independence.”
Tyrone Rowe has been jailed
The attack took place in Radford Road on June 19, this year and the defendant pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. He has 13 previous convictions for 40 offences, including a long jail sentence imposed in 2007 for robbery and wounding, as well as battery, threatening behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Rowe’s five years sentence is made up of three years immediate custody, plus a two-year extended licence for dangerousness.
Craig Foulstone
A Nottinghamshire widow was stalked by gas fitter Craig Foulstone who came to fix her boiler. Mum-of-two Ellie Slatter said she wanted to warn other women about the 58-year-old who she said “developed some sort of dangerous fixation” on her. A court heard how the defendant, of Sheffield, turned up at her Worksop address on numerous occasions and left notes despite her successfully applying for a stalking protection order. Now he has been sent to prison for his “persistent course of conduct” against her.
Ms Slatter, 47, of Worksop, said: “Because he was a mate of a mate I didn’t think there would be any problem but it turned into a nightmare.
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
“This was not an ex-partner, it was simply a gas engineer who came to my home to fix my boiler and developed some sort of dangerous fixation towards me. I think making the public aware would keep many people safe from this very disturbed and dangerous man.”
Foulstone, of Packmans Way, Grenoside, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to five breaches of a stalking protection order and breaching a suspended sentence order imposed in September for possession of a knife.
He has 11 previous convictions for 18 offences. Jailing him for 21 months, Recorder Richard Davis said: “You need to realise that orders of this court are there to be obeyed. You have heard two victim impact statements and you should be in no doubt the level of emotional harm she suffered.”
As well as the jail term, the judge handed the defendant a 10-year restraining order not to contact Ms Slater or enter Worksop.
Marcin Podbielski
Marcin Podbielski twice drunkenly submerged his former wife’s head under the water of their son’s paddling pool. His sentencing hearing was told how the Broxtowe victim “thought she was going to die” at the hands of her ex-partner. And during the incident, a witness heard him say he would “kill the s**t” as she struggled to breathe before he dragged her head out of the water and dunked it in a second time.
Jailing the 43-year-old, of no fixed address, for 16 months, Recorder Bruce Gardiner said: “You had been drinking before you arrived and you continued drinking while you were there. You pushed her towards the paddling pool, grabbed her and then held her head under the water.
“She thought she was going to die. You let go of her and she was able to come up for air but she thought you were trying to kill her.
Marcin Podbielski
(Image: Nottinghamshire Police)
“There were children present but it is not clear they were able to see what was happening and what you did had a significant impact on her. I have read what you said (to the probation service) and you don’t seem to appreciate the gravity of your conduct.”
The incident took place on July 21 and Podbielski pleaded guilty to a charge of suffocation. As well as the jail term, the judge handed him a three-year restraining order. He told him the decision on whether to deport him back to Poland on the completion of the remainder of his sentence will be down to the Home Office.