A local drug ring has been hit hard this month after four members of an organised crime group were sentenced to a combined quarter of a century in prison.
The quartet of criminals have been slapped with roughly 25 years following a series of arrests over the 18 months or so, with the first being made back in August 2024.
Stopfordian resident Calvin Cousins was taken into custody, charged and ultimately convicted of conspiracy to supply class B and class A, receiving a seven-year sentence – but his isn’t even the longest stint behind bars handed down by Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week.
Following a conclusive hearing on Friday, 3 July, Germane Tarrant from Salford was also convicted of conspiracy to supply class B and class A drugs, for which he received nine years and 10 months.
Meanwhile, fellow Salfordian Letitia Sandys was convicted of participating in the activities involving organised crime by providing legitimacy to drug supply activity, collecting drugs from conspirators, and assisting with anti-surveillance measures, as well as disposal of said drugs and paraphernalia.
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Fourth and finally, Nicholas Griffin of Clifford Avenue was also convicted of conspiracy to supply class B and conspiracy to supply class A after a two-week trial this past January.
The pair were given 27 months and six and a half years, respectively.
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As per a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) press release, this recent result is a product of the Trafford Challenger unit’s exhaustive investigation across the Sale, Altrincham and Timperley area between August ’24 and this past July.
Cousins, in particular, was arrested twice during that period, with phone analysis and surveillance tactics ultimately ending in over £25,000’s worth of cannabis and cocaine being recovered among other contraband.
This latest progress made by GMP comes amid a series of successes within various boroughs like Trafford, Salford, Stockport and more, with local authorities continuing to crack down on criminal organisations of various sizes.
The SK Challenger Team are doing important work, too.
GMP Detective Sergeant Samuel Barr, from the Trafford Challenger team, said: “The presence of organised crime groups (OCGs) in our communities undermines public safety and trust.
“We are committed to disrupting and dismantling OCGs to protect our communities and keep people safe from the harms associated with organised crime.
“I hope today sends a clear message that we will not tolerate organised crime and the exploitation of vulnerable people by those criminals. We will not stop until we have brought them to justice.
“If you’re concerned about criminal activity in your area, please reach out to us; we rely on information from the public to assist with our enquiries.”
As always, they are urging those with information they feel may be pertinent to file a report with the police on 101, via the LiveChat function on the GMP website, or by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Student police officer charged with off-duty rape and kidnap of woman in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A student police officer has been charged with the rape and kidnap of a woman in Manchester while he was off duty.
Mohammad Hassan, 23-years-old and of Asian-Pakistani ethnicity, has been remanded in custody following the charges, and has been suspended Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The charges – which have been authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following a police investigation – relate to reports made to authorities on the evening of Saturday 8 August 2026, which ended in a police pursuit on the M62 in West Yorkshire.
Following the police pursuit, a woman was safeguarded at the scene, and continues to be supported by specialist officers and support services.
Hassan has been charged with oral rape, kidnap, strangulation, sexual assault, theft of mobile phone, and dangerous driving.
He is set to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court today (11 August).
“GMP detectives and staff have been working on this investigation throughout the last 48 hours to ensure charges are brought in this case,” explained GMP Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Dexter.
“The victim is our priority, and we are ensuring she continues to receive specialist support. Criminal proceedings must now take its course without interference.
“I understand, and share, the feeling among the public and our thousands of hard-working, decent staff who will have seen this news. Proceedings are underway and necessary action will be decisively taken within the regulations.”
Featured Image – GMP
Crime
Bury man jailed for life after being found guilty of murder at New Year’s Eve party
Emily Sergeant
A man has been handed a life sentence following the murder of another man at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Bury.
Antony Junior Murray, aged 25 of Tarn Drive in Bury, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week (7 August) where he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years after being found guilty of murder.
It follows the death of 23-year-old Joe Burton on New Year’s Eve last year.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that emergency services were called to reports of a disturbance at an address on Tarn Drive at approximately 11:56pm on New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025), and upon arrival, officers discovered Joe ‘unresponsive’ at the bottom of a staircase with a significant amount of blood around him.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Joe was pronounced dead at 12:43am on New Year’s Day (1 January 2026).
A post-mortem examination later confirmed he had died from a single stab wound to the back.
At the scene, Murray initially denied any involvement and claimed he had returned home from a pub to find the victim unresponsive, however officers quickly identified inconsistencies in his account.
Initial enquiries – including phone and location data – showed that Murray had been at the address throughout the evening.
Joe had been in a relationship with Murray’s sister and had been invited to the address earlier that evening, and then further investigation revealed that Murray, Murray’s sister, the victim. and another individual had been at the property together, drinking and setting off fireworks to see in the New Year.
CCTV footage recovered from the scene captured the events leading up to the incident, including the fatal attack, and showed Murray assaulting Joe and placing him in a headlock, before proceeding to stab him in the back.
Following a detailed police investigation, Murray was charged with murder and was subsequently found guilty at court.
“Murray carried out a brutal attack on Joe and then attempted to mislead officers about his involvement,” explained Duncan Thorpe, who was the Senior Investigating Officer on the case.
Danny Jones -
7th July 2026 
