A man who broke into a Manchester student’s residence and raped her has been jailed for 20 years, it has been confirmed.
today (31 August 2023) been sentenced to 20 years in jail with a further 5 years on license after release.
33-year-old Courtney Adams, of Chichester Road in Manchester, raped and sexually assaulted the 19-year-old woman after breaking into an address on Cavendish Place at around 5:30am on 29 November 2022.
The victim awoke to find Adams in her room “holding a knife to her face” and “demanding cash and valuables”, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) reports.
Earlier on the night of the attack, Adams had also broken into another victim’s address on Greater Western Street armed with a crowbar – with the victim having heard Adams breaking in and proceeding to flee the house to “seek assistance from her neighbours” after seeing him.
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Whilst the victim was gone, Adams then “tore through her home” and stole numerous things – including debit cards, handbags, and more – and after making unsuccessful attempts to use the stolen cards in a late-night convenience store, he then made his way to Cavendish Place.
On gaining entry to the property in central Manchester, Adams took a knife from the kitchen and went into a bedroom.
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What then followed is what police have called a “truly horrific ordeal”.
Cavendish Place in Manchester city centre / Credit: Google Maps
Adam’s pressed the knife to the 19-year-old victim’s face and threatened to harm her if she didn’t hand over valuables and cash, and so, distressed and in fear of her life, the victim gave him a quantity of cash, but he still proceeded to ransack the room looking for more, before going on attacked, sexually assault, and rape her.
Left “immediately traumatised” by what had happened to her, the victim called a friend and together they contacted the police.
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Upon receiving reports, GMP straight away launched an investigation to “rapidly-locate” and arrest the man responsible for this “horrific attack”.
The search operation involved extensive house-to-house enquiries, several appeals to the general public for information, and reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV and other footage.
Following appeals for information, officers were provided with compilations of CCTV by members of the public and using this footage, they were able to piece together the events of that night and follow the movements of the man later identified as Adams.
#JAILED | Today (31/8/23) Courtney Adams (DOB: 1/11/90) of Chichester Road, Manchester has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for the rape and burglary of a nineteen-year-old female student at an address on Cavendish Place, Manchester in November 2022 ⬇️ https://t.co/izxQZUEfdOpic.twitter.com/uS8t8gzH9N
Investigators also discovered till receipts on the grass near Cavendish Place, which showed Adams attempting to use the stolen credit cards in the shop and linked him to the other burglary that had taken place earlier that evening on Great Western Street.
Investigators consulted the Greenheys Neighbourhood Team who, on viewing CCTV, identified Adams as the suspect.
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This led to a warrant at Adams address, and following this phone work was completed which yielded crucial evidence that put Adams directly at the scenes at Great Western Street and Cavendish place during the times when the offences took place.
After investigators discovered information linking to Adams’ earlier crimes in the night, a warrant led to his address, and on 4 December 2022, he was arrested.
He was then charged a short time later, and remanded until trial.
Following this rape conviction, yesterday (31 August), Adams was sentenced to 20 years in jail with a further five years on license after release, GMP has confirmed.
Featured Image – GMP
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Pep Guardiola delivers important reminder about multiculturalism after Jim Ratcliffe controversy
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered an important message about the power of multiculturalism in his most recent press conference.
Guardiola’s comments come after the high-profile controversy surrounding his rival club across the city, Man United, whose co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw some of his recent remarks fall under major scrutiny.
In case you somehow missed it, the Failsworth-born British billionaire was heavily criticised after claiming he believes the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.
Fast forward a couple of days, and while the club and the fan base are still dealing with the fallout of the story, Pep acknowledged the debate by reminding people that “embracing other cultures” makes for a “better society”.
Well put, Pep – in fact, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Although he didn’t reference the 74-year-old directly after being probed on the subject by journalists, the Man City boss reiterated that his time spent living and working across the world has only broadened his mind and enriched his life.
That goes for both his professional and personal spheres, by the way, as the Catalan coach has often spoken of his love for English culture and the Manc people, specifically.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup game against local side Salford City, Pep described the attitudes towards immigrants around the world as a “big problem” despite most people simply leaving their country in search of “a better life”.
He also drew attention to the fact that he, like so many others in football – a sporting industry loved the world round by people from all walks of life and that the likes of Ratcliffe directly benefit from – is an immigrant working and contributing to not just the game but the British economy by being here.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have since shared a public statement on their club website and across social media, reiterating to fans and supporters the world over that they are an “inclusive club”.
‘We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.’
The INEOS chairman, CEO and minority stakeholder in Manchester United Football Club, has since apologised (at least in part) for his “choice of language” following the divisive interview with Sky News.
In a world where plenty of people are quick to pessimism, negativity and turn to division almost by default, Pep’s message is one echoed by so many and is one that we should all keep in mind.
And for anyone who needs a more light-hearted bit of content on their timeline this week, here’s what else Pep said in his pre-match presser…
Pep Guardiola responding to a really intelligent question from a reporter:
‘Do you want to be my assistant coach, fucking hell, you are brilliant…’
Featured Images — Hayters TV (screenshot via YouTube)
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Chester Zoo becomes first UK zoo to gain important international status
Danny Jones
The North West’s beloved Chester Zoo has been awarded a highly coveted global status, being named as the first international botanical garden in the entire UK.
With so many well-deserved awards, accolades and plaudits from within the world of wildlife preservation over the year, it’s no surprise.
A gem in Cheshire and the wider region’s crown, which continues to express its extreme commitment to ecological and environmental causes year in and year out, Chester Zoo is regularly ranked the best in the country and one of the top facilities in all of Europe, and now its worldwide reputation is growing too.
Taking its already sterling CV one further this year, 2026 marks the inaugural year of not only Chester Zoo existing as a recognised international botanical garden, but a big moment for Great Britain’s conservation status in general, as it’s been over 150 years since it last held the status.
Writing on social media in response to the huge honour, they wrote: “We’re officially the FIRST UK zoo recognised as a globally important botanic garden!
“We care for hundreds of rare plants, protect species at risk of extinction, and create beautiful gardens that encourage visitors to slow down and connect with nature.
“Global plant conservation organisation [Botanic Gardens Conservation International] assessed us against 22 criteria before awarding us Conservation Practitioner status – a recognition that now lets us do even more to protect native wildlife alongside our incredible conservation partners!”
Incredible stuff.
They signed off by adding that their efforts are “all made possible by YOU”, with 2025 marking an all-around groundbreaking year for the venue, as a total of 2,136,224 visitors came through the gates to surpass their previous record tally back in 2019 (2,086,785).
BGCI’s awarding of Conservation Practitioner is yet more proof of just how much work Chester Zoo does throughout the annual calendar, not least of all the incredible fundraising they do via various activations like their hugely successful charity run.
They signed off by adding that their efforts are “all made possible by YOU”, with 2025 marking an all-around groundbreaking year for the venue, as a total of 2,136,224 individuals came through the gates to surpass their previous record tally back in 2019 (2,086,785).
Speaking directly on the watershed moment, the zoo’s head of plants, Philip Esseen, said in an official press release: “This recognition shows that our plant work has real conservation value.
“We’re caring for species that are threatened with extinction in the wild, and that carries a responsibility to protect them, propagate them and share our expertise with others.
“The accreditation will help us work more closely with other horticultural and conservation organisations and increase the amount of conservation work we can do, particularly to support native species.”
Congratulations once again to Chester Zoo on such a significant achievement, and with around 10k people visiting each day – be that staff, field-expert guests or visitors – the proof is in the pudding: it really is the best in Britain doing some of the most vital work possible.
The UK has lost half of it's hedgehogs in the last 20 years, so here's 3 simple things you can do to make your garden a hedgehog haven 👇
🏡 Create a cosy hideout – piles of leaves, logs, or a hedgehog house give them a safe spot to rest Make a hedgehog highway – leave a…
Emily Sergeant -
1st September 2023 
