The Judge presided over the trial of Harvey Gaskell in June 2021 on charges related to his running of a drugs gang in Weatherfield.
The key witness at the trial was Leanne Battersby whose son Simon Barlow had been groomed into his gang by one of the members, Jacob Hay, with the intention of making him one of the runners. Leanne stepped in to protect the boy, making some deliveries herself, until she came clean and handed herself into the police.
A second witness was Harvey's aunt, Sharon Bentley, who testified against her nephew. At the end of the trial, the jury declared that the defendant was guilty, and the judge had to calm down his outraged outburst. She stated that sentencing guidelines would mean that a custodial sentence would be imposed, but she would need reports before reaching a final decision and he would be remanded in custody in the meantime.