Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Thug jailed 5 years for stab attack
A THUG who stabbed a man in an “sustained” attack was jailed for five years yesterday.
Belfast Crown Court heard the victim suffered two wounds to his head which required 17 staples after he helped a female friend in October 2019.
Piaras Heatley, 24, deemed to be a dangerous offender by both the Probation Board and Judge Stephen Fowler who said he showed “little mercy” and a “callous indifference to the plight of this victim”.
Heatley, from Pim Street, North Belfast, admitted wounding a man with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.
A HUSBAND and wife have been jailed over a string of violent burglaries.
During one break-in Gary Spilsbury, 48, tied up a terrified 24-year-old woman and threatened to rape her unless she revealed her bank details.
In another he tied up and robbed a woman of 77.
His wife Gemma, 36, sold the stolen items on the black market.
The pair, of Farnworth, Gtr Manchester, were jailed at the city’s Minshull Street crown court.
Gary Spilsbury pleaded guilty to burglary, robbery, theft and fraud. He was jailed for nine years.
Gemma got nine months after admitting handling stolen goods.
Judge John Potter told them: “You are people with no moral compass.”
A SCAMMER pretending to work for Amazon deposited money into a woman’s bank account before trying to fleece her of tens of thousands of pounds, police revealed.
She was contacted by a male “purporting to be from Amazon who gained her trust by transferring a small amount of money into her account on the premise it was a refund”.
A spokesman said: “He then convinced her to download two apps to her ipad after which sums of money were transferred out of her account.
“This was noticed quickly and with assistance from family members a stop was put on the account before the fraudster could secure the money. The loss could have been close to £80,000.”
Chief Supt Simon Walls warned: “Never disclose your personal or banking details to anyone over the phone or online, no matter how convincing they may seem, and never allow an unauthorised person to have access to such details.
“Also never download software on the basis of a phone call.”