A killer driver, violent thugs, a burglar, dodgy fish salesman and a wife beater have all been locked up at Teesside Crown Court this week.
The Northern Echo has pulled together a list of some of the most serious offenders facing justice.
See them below and find out why they were jailed.
Killer driver
A cocaine-addled driver who killed his 15-year-old friend when he smashed into an oncoming car when he lost control of a Land Rover Discovery has been jailed.
Brandon Jefferson-Howe had been drinking and taking drugs in the hours leading up to the fatal collision in the early hours of Saturday, July 30, this year.
The 20-year-old, who has never held a driving licence, refused to give police the name of his passenger leaving Connor Thompson’s family anxiously waiting for several hours before their son could be formally identified.
Jefferson-Howe, of Trefoil Court, Norton, near Stockton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, no insurance, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
“The sentence that I impose doesn’t not, nor try to, measure the worth of Connor’s life or the grieving of his loss, which will be long-lived because his life has been tragically cut short,” he said.
Violent thugs
Two thugs who got drunk on the day they appeared in court charged with a violent armed confrontation left a man suffering serious injuries when they kicked his head like a football.
Sean Carroll and Jamie Hunt attacked the man, punching and kicking to the ground, as they walked through Middlesbrough town centre on March 13 this year.
The brutal attack resulted in the man having part of his skull removed to ease the swelling of his brain after he was repeatedly kicked to the head with such ferocity that he was left with a trainer print on his forehead.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair has spent the day drinking after appearing at the same court charged with affray and violent disorder after they became embroiled in a fight with Mark Nicholson.
An eye witness had described the men kicking their victim’s head like a football.
Carroll, of Firby Close, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm from that incident and using threatening behaviour, insulting words with intent to cause fear and provoking violence during the earlier incident.
The 33-year-old also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis from August 26, 2021; threatening to damage property from August 18 last year; and fraud from October 4, 2021.
His co-accused, Hunt, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm from that incident from the Middlesbrough attack.
The 30-year-old, of Jameson Road, Hartlepool, was also convicted of affray and possession of an offensive weapon from the July 2021 incident.
While Nicholson, 38, of Frederick Street, Seaham, pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon after brandishing the golf club during the fight with Hunt.
Judge Howard Crowson jailed Carroll for four years for all offences; Hunt for three years and nine months; and passed a nine-month sentence, suspended for 12 months for Nicholson and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Threatening salesman
A threatening and intimidating dodgy fish salesman who ripped off at least 110 vulnerable or elderly customers raked in almost £250,000 over a three-year period.
Craig Henderson even had the audacity to ramp up the cost further as the age of his target increased – one as old as 105, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 50-year-old continued to travel all over the country flogging his unsafe fish to unsuspecting victims throughout the Covid outbreak which rendered many of his victims housebound.
A judge heard how the unscrupulous businessman used his ill-gotten gains to fund his drink and drug addictions.
Sabrina Goodchild, prosecuting, said investigators were able to attribute £246,000 of fish sales going through the defendant’s bank account between November 2017 and June 21.
Henderson, of Fir Avenue, Durham, but formerly of Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading over a three-and-a-half year period.
“Your methods included aggressive, misleading and dishonest sales techniques. It is perfectly clear that you were deliberately targeting areas where there was a high number of vulnerable or elderly people,” he said.
Domestic Violence
A bullying man who inflicted a seven-year reign of terror on his partner has been locked up for more than two years.
Keith Fleetham subjected his partner to vile abuse, threats and violence, throughout their relationship.
His threatening presence was so severe that his partner’s child wet themselves because they were too frightened to leave a room to go to the toilet, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The court how Fleetham had pinned the woman to the wall with his hands around her throat during one argument and he demanded that she tell him her pin number for her bank card.
The 51-year-old pushed his wife’s friend over and she was knocked unconscious after hitting her head on a concrete slab, the court heard.
The defendant then grabbed some keys from his wife’s hand which resulted in her fingernail being ripped off.
Fleetham, of Whin Meadows, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of assault.
She said: “You accept that you called your wife abusive names – ‘a fat lazy *** and b******’ and you accept you called her abusive names in front of the children.”
Prolific offender
A prolific criminal is back behind bars after going on a burglary and theft spree in Darlington.
Lee Geldart knocked over the pensioner whose home he burgled when he jumped behind the wheel of her car and drove off after stealing the keys.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the woman suffered no injuries as a result but had been left traumatised by the burglary of her home.
Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said the 48-year-old’s latest crime spree started on April 12 when he stole food, candles and shopping basket from the One Stop Shop, a theft of £1,000 worth of DeWalt tools from a car on April 14.
On April 20 he stole Grenade Bars and Alcohol from the Blackwell Post Office and on the same day he carried out the burglary on Grangeside, Darlington.
Miss Buck said the defendant also pleaded guilty to driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance after stealing the victim’s car.
His last offence took place between April 27 and May 5 when he was caught with a handbag and purse stolen during a burglary.
Geldart, of Dinsdale Court, Darlington, pleaded guilty to all offences.
The court heard how he had 39 convictions for 100 offences, including charges of burglary and theft, and was serving two suspended sentences at the time of the latest offences.
Judge Peter Armstrong said: “You had stolen jewellery, a mobile phone and her car keys, and when you left you took her car and drove off, accidentally knocking into her, fortunately she was not seriously injured.”
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