CRIME & PUNISHMENT: We round-up this week's verdicts and sentences from Swindon Crown Court

OUR weekly round-up of the major cases to be heard at Swindon Crown Court over the past seven days.

Teenager who abused three-year-old niece is spared prison term

A TEENAGE boy who sexually assaulted his three-year-old niece has been spared a prison term.

And the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will not have to register as a sex offender as a result of the sentence.

Chris Smyth, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the teenager was staying with his sister in Penhill when the offence took place in October or November 2013.

He said the little girl was also staying with her mum when the teenager and another much younger boy, molested her.

A TEENAGER who had been accused of carrying out a serious assault has had the charge against him dropped.

Connor Livingstone had been due to face trial by jury accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

But after it was found the 18-year-old has mental health issues which mean he is not fit plead or stand trial, prosecutors at Swindon Crown Court offered no evidence.

Read more here.

Former sex worker stole from kerb crawler to pay for Christmas

A FORMER prostitute went out on Manchester Road and stole from a kerb crawler to raise some cash for Christmas.

Streetwise Charlette Wilkes, who insists she wasn’t ‘working’, got into the would be punter’s car before fleecing him for £240.

But after hearing the 24-year-old  mum had been out of trouble since her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was born, a judge imposed a community order.

Read more here.

Judge orders Swindon pair to allow gas safety checks

A JUDGE has ordered two tenants to allow Swindon Borough Council to carry out essential gas safety checks at their homes after they persistently refused to give access to engineers.

Penhill residents Amanda Chubb, of Staverton Way, and Lianne Hodges, of Odstock Road, were summoned to appear at Swindon County Court after failing to allow the council to carry out gas safety checks despite numerous letters and visits to their properties.

Read more here.

Drug dealing dad-of-seven peddled crack from his pushbike

A 58-YEAR-OLD drug dealer caught peddling crack cocaine from his pushbike has been jailed for five years.

Dennis Melhado had 16 rocks of the class A drug when he was arrested on his way to make a sale on the streets of Park North.

But he was spotted by plain clothes cops as they drove past in an unmarked car and realised what was going on.

As they got out to speak to Melhado and the known addict he was meeting he said ‘what have you found on me? Nothing.’

And the defendant, who was jailed for four years nine months for dealing 2006, added ‘I don’t deal any more, you caught me for that before’.

But just inches away from him on the ground were 16 wraps of the drug, each worth 20 pounds, which they believed he had dropped.

Read more here.

Father and son walk free from court after bursting into neighbours’ home in vigilante attack

A FATHER and son who took the law into their own hands when they burst into the home of neighbours as they slept have walked free from court.

Paul and Danny Frankham launched the violent vigilante attack because they were upset with the police decided not to prosecute the victim for an alleged assault.

Following a night of drinking 63-year-old grandfather Paul smashed his way into the Watchfield home of Brian and Dawn Selwood.

And he was followed by his son Daniel, 42, who joined the violence, biting Mr Selwood so hard he drew blood, Swindon Crown Court heard.

But after hearing both men had been out of trouble for a long time and the terrifying raid was out of character a judge imposed suspended sentences.

Read more here.