These callous couples found themselves on the wrong side of the law after becoming partners in crime. The lovers were hauled before the courts together to face the consequences of their actions - and some will now spend years behind bars.
One twisted pair brutally murdered a woman in their 'flat of horrors' before dumping her body parts on wasteland. Another sick duo exchanged 'vile' messages about young girls as they conspired to take indecent images of children.
A couple were jailed for child neglect after a youngster in their care fell out of a window while they were high on cocaine, while two people who supposedly thought of their pets as 'children', caused them unnecessary suffering when they fled their home and left them behind. You can read more about the individual cases below.
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Nathan Maynard-Ellis and David Leesley
These twisted lovers brutally murdered and dismembered a market trader in their 'flat of horrors'. The killing was the "culmination of years of pent-up fantasy and desire" for serial killer obsessive Nathan Maynard-Ellis, who was fascinated by horror movies and mass murderers.
Maynard-Ellis met Julia Rawson at the Bottle and Cork pub in Dudley, and convinced her to get a taxi back to the Tipton flat he shared with boyfriend David Leesley. Once there, Julia, who was described as the "life and soul of the party" by loved ones, was violently killed.
Her body was dismembered and dumped in undergrowth near the pair's home in Mission Drive, Dudley Port, in May 2019, and she remained undiscovered for 47 days. The sick duo were later found guilty of her murder and jailed for life following a trial.
Colin Dawson and Annette Punter
This sick duo exchanged hundreds of 'vile' messages about young girls as they conspired to take indecent images of children. Colin Dawson and Annette Punter, who are both in their 60s, were in a relationship when the offences took place.
Dawson's home in Merridale, Wolverhampton, was found to be linked to online chats referring to child abuse. This resulted in the convicted sex offender being arrested, with officers seizing mobile phones and a laptop, which had an app installed for accessing the dark web.
Indecent images, featuring children aged between four and 13, were also found on Dawson's devices - along with hundreds of messages between him and Punter, cataloguing their exchanges about young girls. Punter, from the East Park area of Wolverhampton claimed she'd been 'manipulated' by her former partner, however they both later admitted conspiring to take indecent images of children between November 9 and 19, 2018.
Dawson also admitted making 44 indecent images at various dates between November 4, 2018 and July 7, 2020, and was jailed for two years and two months. He will remain on the sex offenders' register for life. Punter admitted taking and distributing indecent images of children between November 2 and 5, 2018, and possession of extreme p*rnography on March 5, 2021. She was given a 20-month jail term, suspended for two years, and will remain on the sex offenders register for a decade.
Liam Brock and Charlotte Hayward
A child fell from an open window while in the care of this couple, who were high on cocaine. The youngster was taken to hospital with head injuries on June 2, 2022, sparking a police probe.
Liam Brock, 29, and Charlotte Hayward, 31, both of King Edward Road, Nuneaton, said the child had fallen off a chair when quizzed by officers. However video evidence showed the child had climbed out of an open window and fallen before being discovered by a witness - who had tried, unsuccessfully, to get the couple's attention by knocking on the door.
Hayward later collected the child from the witness’ house and they were taken to hospital. Forensic investigation of blood taken from the Hayward and Brock showed the presence of benzoylecgonine – a chemical formed as the body breaks down cocaine - showing they were either under the influence of, or coming down, from cocaine at the time of the incident.
Brock and Haywood were both jailed for 18-months after pleading guilty to child neglect. They were both required to pay a £156 victim surcharge.
Emma Bayliss and Aaron Johnson
This couple claimed their pets were like their 'children' - but when they 'fled' their Kingswinford home, they left them behind. Emma Bayliss and Aaron Johnson said they'd felt 'unsafe' at home after receiving death threats and they hadn't gone 'out of choice'.
They insisted they'd returned at least twice a week to check on the snakes, spiders, tortoises and fish, however seals placed on doors by the RSPCA remained in tact for two weeks. The animals - including two Royal Pythons with skin conditions - were later seized by the charity.
Bayliss and Johnson both admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and were handed at 12-month community order at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. They were also fined £120 each and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
