A LEIGH man has been convicted of trying to murder a woman and then distributing pornographic pictures of her daughter in an attempt to stop them giving evidence against him.
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Stanley Hil1, of Kensington Drive, Leigh, guilty of the attempted murder of Wendy Crooks.
He was also convicted of distributing pornographic images of Janine Crooks and two offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was remanded in custody for sentencing.
During an eight day trial the jury heard that Hill had been "consumed with anger" towards the women, having had relationships with both. Hill, aged 45, was initially in a relationship with Wendy Crooks and then with her daughter Janine, who he lived with at a house in Leigh.
She moved back in with her mother in Royal Drive, Higher Folds, Leigh, and it was there that an incident occurred on September 7, 2005, during which substantial damage was caused and lives endangered.
Hill was charged and bailed - the conditions of bail including that he lived out of the area.
He knew the women had made statements against him and wanted to prevent them from pursuing the charges, said Michael Scholes, prosecuting.
While Janine lived with him she had allowed herself to be photographed in pornographic or near pornographic poses, which Hill had stored on CD.
Last October a number of copies of the CDs were distributed in the neighbourhood where the women lived, bearing labels with Janine's name, address and mobile phone number on it.
Neighbours gave copies of the CDs to the women, which they passed on to the police.
Hill had been staying at his home in Kensington Drive, Leigh, he used to share with Janine, which breached the condition attached to his bail.
On December 29, 2005, Wendy Crooks was walking towards a bus stop on the estate where she lived when Hill, dressed in black and wearing a balaclava, came towards her.
He stabbed her four times.
Hill was later arrested in Glasgow and a computer, CDs and two cameras were found.
A forensic expert found the images on the distributed CDs were the same as those found in Glasgow and they had all been burned using the same software.
Mr Scholes said that Hill twice stood trial last year facing the original allegations made by the two women but neither jury could agree.
This time he was convicted of attempted murder on an 11-1 majority Hill had denied the charges and claimed to have been in Glasgow, his home city, at the time of the stabbing.
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