News
Man, 29, used Moonpig and Instagram to blackmail women out of more than £80,000
A man who blackmailed women out of tens of thousands of pounds using Instagram and Moonpig cards has been sentenced to seven years and three months in jail.
Zeashan Mahmood, 29, threatened to release intimate videos and photos of his two victims, blackmailing them over a three-year period.
The Preston man’s victims sent him more than £80,000 in payments in a bid to stop him posting the private images online.
Mahmood had received private pictures and videos of one of his victims in 2017, which he later used to pressure her into sending him money, saying he was in financial difficulty.
Preston Crown Court heard that he contacted her through Instagram under an alias, threatening to share the images if she did not send him money, and even making threats against her loved ones.
She sent him around £20,000 in payments.
His second victim told the court that she had disclosed details of an intimate sexual experience to Mahmood – he later claimed he had a video of the incident and demanded £7000, or he’d send it to her family.
He also demanded that the victim send intimate pictures, videos and texts, again creating fake Instagram accounts to continue contacting her, or he would increase the fee.
He claimed that the blackmail was part of his involvement in an organised crime group.
Across a three year period, the victim sent Mahmood in excess of £66,000 – but he still posted the videos on the internet and encouraged people to share them around.
Read more: Rochdale car thief caught attempting to hide from police… inside a giant teddy bear
When she reported him to the police, the defendant sent Moonpig cards to her address, telling her ‘money is needed’, and sent emails saying ‘guess who is alive’ alongside sexual images of the victim.
He was arrested in February 2021 as part of a joint effort between Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police.
Detective Constable Brundrett, of GMP Manchester’s Criminal Investigation Department, said: “I would like to thank the victims for having the bravery to speak out about this horrific and long-term abuse.
“Over three years, Mahmood operated a web of lies and manipulated the victims to get exactly what he wanted, when he wanted.
“The severity of these offences should not be underestimated. Today’s sentence is much deserved and reaffirms our commitment as police officers to put these perpetrators behind bars and prevent this awful crime from occurring.”
Featured image: GMP
News
‘Seriously injured’ man rescued from reservoir dam at popular Bolton country park
Emily Sergeant
A significant emergency service response descended on a popular country park in Bolton early yesterday evening.
After reports of a person in the water at Jumbles Reservoir, in the Bromley Cross / Bradshaw area of Bolton, came in just before 6:30pm yesterday (Monday 18 May), teams from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Lancashire Constabulary, and Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service all attended the scene in droves.
Specialist support was also provided from NWAS’s Hazardous Area Response Team, North West Air Ambulance, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, National Police Air Service, and United Utilities – which looks after the reservoir.
It was also confirmed that a HM Coastguard helicopter was requested to attend the scene.
At this time, no formal statement has been made by the police, but Bolton Mountain Rescue Team has taken to social media to update the concerned public on the situation as it unfolds.
Their statement reads: “At 18:28 this evening, the team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service with the report of a person in the water at Jumbles Reservoir, Bolton.
“We worked alongside colleagues from NWAS and their Hazardous Area Response Team, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, North West Air Ambulance, National Police Air Service, Lancashire Constabulary, and United Utilities. A HM Coastguard helicopter was also requested.
“A seriously injured male was rescued from within the overflow structure on the reservoir dam and was conveyed to hospital for further treatment.”
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According to reports in the MEN, pictures and videos posted on social media showed rope rescue teams along with water rescue units also in attendance, and the emergency response was seen in the main car park off Bradshaw Road.
Further statements and updates on the situation are expected in due course.
Featured Image – David Dixon (Wikimedia Commons / Geograph)
News
Bury primary school teaching assistant jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A teaching assistant from Bury has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a ‘vulnerable’ young boy.
Terri Cook, of Masefield Avenue in Radcliffe, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week, where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of sexual offences.
The sentencing came after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) began in ‘intense’ investigation into Cook back in September of last year after a member of the public reported seeing her out with a young boy.
The subsequent investigation showed that she had been grooming and manipulating the young boy into engaging in a sexual relationship with her.
Police found numerous messages on Cook’s phone where she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy and holding indecent images of him, and she was also found to have been buying him expensive items, like jewellery and clothing, for a period of more than nine months.
During a powerful statement read out in court, the young boy was described as being ‘extremely kind and caring’, with his mum adding: “Despite experiencing traumatic events earlier in his life, he continued to be positive and compassionate. He smiled every day and made us all laugh.”
Cook was sentenced four-and-a-half years in prison for eight charges of sexual offences.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Adam Stanfield, from GMP’s Bury CPIU, said: “This case was a horrific example of calculated abuse of power, and Cook targeted a vulnerable child who put his trust in her.
“Grooming is a form of manipulation that can leave lasting emotional and psychological damage, and our priority remains protecting young people and supporting victims as they recover.
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“This sentencing also emphasises our unwavering commitment to protecting male victims. They can be victims too and I urge anyone who believes they may have been through anything similar to please report to us.”
Featured Image – GMP
Daisy Jackson -
11th August 2022 
