A man has been handed time behind bars after targeting lone women in a series of violent robberies across Greater Manchester.
Jason Cunliffe, from the Crumpsall area of Manchester, appeared at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 5 February 2026) where he was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of robbery, two counts of fraud, and one count each of attempted robbery, burglary, and theft.
The incidents Cunliffe pleaded guilty to were said to have taken place between 17 August and 3 September 2025.
10 incidents were reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in which a man approached women in public spaces and forcibly stole their handbags and other belongings, and in several cases, victims were dragged to the ground and wrestled before the man – later identified as Cunliffe – fled on foot.
All incidents occurred in public areas of Greater Manchester, and police say Cunliffe ‘deliberately targeted’ women who were alone or in a pair.
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On 4 September last year, police on proactive patrols in known hotspot areas spotted a man, confirmed to be Cunliffe, acting ‘suspiciously’ in Crumpsall.
Upon seeing the police vehicle, Cunliffe attempted to hide by ducking down next to a car, but officers saw this and subsequently approached, before he then fled prompting a foot chase which eventually ended in him being caught and arrested on the spot.
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After a house search, officers found 12 handbags and other items including an iPad, iPhone, Hugo Boss jumper and Samsung tablet that Cunliffe had stolen – all of which were able to be returned to the victims.
Speaking following Cunliffe’s sentencing this week, Detective Inspector Natasha Feerick, of GMP’s City of Manchester Neighbourhood Crime Team, commented: “I would like to thank the victims for reporting these incidents to us and allowing us to fully investigate, as thanks to these reports, neighbourhood officers were able to quickly identify and arrest Cunliffe.
“His offending will have a lasting effect on victims and I hope this result will bring some reassurance to them going forward.
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“Cunliffe preyed upon women and on many occasions physically assaulted them to take items from them. He stole handbags and other items totalling thousands of pounds.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester to host G20 Summit in 2027 with more than a dozen world leaders descending on the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has been confirmed as the host city for the G20 Summit next year.
It was already announced back in November last year that the G20 Summit would be coming to the UK in 2027, and plans were apparently already being discussed to host it in Manchester even before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister and Number 10 North was set up.
But now, ahead of this year’s leaders’ summit being held in Miami in December, it has been confirmed that the G20 Summit will arrive in Manchester in November 2027.
Manchester is said to have been picked to host the leaders’ summit because of its ‘cultural heritage’.
Bringing together 19 of the world’s largest economies and two major multilateral bodies – the European Union and the African union – G20 members who will be invited to attend the summit next year make up 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population as a whole.
Manchester has been confirmed to host the G20 Summit in 2027 / Credit: 10 Downing Street | Paul Kagame (Flickr)
G20 members are also some of the UK’s closest economic partners, the Government insists.
17 of the UK’s top 20 global export markets attend the summit, as do 18 of the UK’s top 20 sources of foreign direct investment.
The presidency of the G20 is currently held by the US but will pass to the UK after the leaders’ summit hosted by the president at his Trump National Doral Miami golf resort in December.
The 2027 summit will be held at Manchester Central, it has been confirmed, and other locations across the UK will also host other G20 events as part of the year-long presidency, but these are yet to be announced.
Emily Sergeant -
6th February 2026 
