Exclusive:Six people who appeared in court in Portsmouth in July and August - and what happened to them
Sex offenders, fraudsters and shoplifters have all found themselves in the dock in Portsmouth.
Over the past month or so, we have seen plenty of criminals going through the court system.
From fraudsters to sex offenders, domestic abusers and everything in between, here are some of the notable court cases from July and August so far - and what happened to the defendants.
Leslie McMahon
A Gosport man pleaded guilty to owning indecent images of children - and extreme images of a ‘dead or alive’ animal.
Leslie McMahon, 69 from Kingston Road, Gosport, pleaded guilty in March this year to four counts of possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, and one count of extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse with a dead or alive animal.
During a previous hearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court, it was tallied up to around 80 indecent images of children, and more than 200 images depicting a ‘dead or alive’ animal, as per the charges.
Alfie Matthews
A “warped” labourer who put a woman through hell has avoided being sent to prison.
Alfie Matthews, 21 from Hurst Green, Gosport, unleashed a torrent of abuse on a woman between December 2024 and October 2025, the court heard.
His victim sustained multiple injuries, repeated verbal abuse and damage to her property during his reign of terror against her.
At Portsmouth Crown Court, Matthews pleaded guilty to two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour, as well as assault and criminal damage charges.
Amirun Begum
A crooked accountant who stole more than £70,000 of taxpayers’ money has been spared jail.
Amirun Begum, 49 from Sheffield Road, Fratton, took £72,582.17 from public coffers between April 2022 and January 2023, a court was told. Begum, who worked for the council for 27 years, worked in the accountancy department of the housing office, taking cash payments at the end of each day and scratching them off her daily financial reports.
In essence, she would “record a lower figure than what had been paid, then pocketed the difference,” Judge Michael Bowes KC was told. The cash was pumped into Amazon gift cards, in a bid to disguise her ill-gotten gains.
Mahin Miah
An “arrogant” abuser who assaulted and manipulated women has been thrown behind bars.
Mahin Miah, 24 from Cornwall Road, Fratton, was sentenced on Thursday, July 30 at Portsmouth Crown Court for crimes of controlling or coercive behaviour, actual bodily harm, assault, sexual assault and criminal damage. In May this year, the defendant was found guilty of the first two offences in Portsmouth, while the other crimes relate to a case heard at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Laura Deuxberry, prosecuting, told the court that Miah’s behaviour against a woman in Portsmouth included threats of violence, constant belittling, demanding his victim showed him things like bank statements, and cutting her off from family and friends.
Nicholas Patterson
A pensioner caught in a sex predator sting has been spared jail.
Nicholas Patterson, 67 from Alverstone Road, Southsea, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. On Friday, August 7, he appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court for sentencing.
The court heard how in February 2023 Patterson, who is retired, messaged who he thought was a 14-year-old girl via an online forum - which instead was a decoy account run by a vigilante group. Patterson told the decoy about his health conditions, before moving the conversation onto a more sexual discourse.
The decoy account repeatedly told the defendant that they were only 14 years old, to which Patterson replied, “I know, but you’re gorgeous.”
Michael Valentine
A man who appeared in court for sentencing had to be taken into the cells after spiralling into a frenzy - and will now have to wait until next week to learn his fate.
At Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, August 14, Michael Valentine was due to be sentenced for two counts of shoplifting, one count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon, and one count of assaulting a police constable.
Valentine, from Sparrow Close in Waterlooville, had previously indicated guilty pleas to all charges.
Upon appearing in the dock, Valentine first yelled at the court’s legal adviser - saying he could not hear her - before shouting to Recorder Richard Tutt to “just get on with it”.
Despite his solicitor, Bridget O’Hagan, advising him to “shut up”, Valentine became more and more aggressive, to the point his case had to be adjourned. The court heard he had been drinking in the build-up to his hearing.