Four men are behind bars for various acts of violence following hearings at Durham Crown Court over the last ten days.

The court was told that one of the cases involved a man heavily under the influence of drink and drugs at a friend’s house party in Peterlee, on June 8.

Ricky Drewitt was said to have “lost control” and attacked his partner when she refused to allow him to use her phone to order more drugs.

He repeatedly punched her to the face and head and the court heard that she tried to protect herself by curling up into a ball-shape.

Read more: County Durham man attacked partner in quest for more drugs

Drewitt left the injured and heavily blood-soaked victim at the scene, after grabbing her phone, and he was only arrested in a store car park in Peterlee the following day.

The 31-year-old defendant, of Second Street, Blackhall Colliery, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and theft, as well as failing to surrender to the court for an earlier hearing.

He received a total prison sentence of 22 months.

A man convicted of offences of child cruelty and assault has started a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

Kaylem Sugden was sentenced at the court by Judge Jo Kidd, who presided over his trial this week.

The 25-year-old defendant, of The Grove, Coxhoe, County Durham, denied both charges, said to have taken place between September 8, 2020 and September 10, 2021.

He stood trial at the court, starting on Monday, but was found guilty on both counts by the jury, on the third day of the hearing.

Following the unanimous verdicts, Judge Kidd imposed the prison sentence, totalling 30 months.

A man given a suspended prison term for a prolonged attack on his partner and her father at their family home, is now behind bars, having breached the order by failing to complete the community element of the sentence.

Josh Peter Orr received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for offences of affray and assaulting an emergency worker, at the court in August.

It arose from his violent behaviour towards his partner and her father at their home, following a night out on April 15 this year.

Orr turned up at the address, punching the door and window, before attacking his partner and her father, and trying to head butt an officer who later tried to detain him.

As part of the suspended sentence order he was expected to complete 180-hours’ unpaid work, attend 20-rehabilitation activity days overseen by the Probation Service, and undergo a building better relationships course.

A restraining order prohibited him from contacting either his partner and her father, or from going to their home, for the next five years.

Orr, 28, of Rose Avenue, Stanley, was back before the court this week for breaching the suspended sentence order, by failing to attend unpaid work and activity day appointments, while he had not even started the relationship course sessions.

Jude James Adkin, therefore, activated the 12-month suspended sentence, but reduced it by a month to reflect the token work completed by Orr.

Read more: Stanley offender behind bars after breaching suspended sentence order

He told Orr he had been given a chance which he spurned.

“I’m absolutely convinced I would have made it crystal clear if you breached the community order in any way you would receive a prison sentence,” the judge told the defendant.

A teenager, who the court was told acted “out of character” in launching an attack in a pizza shop, received a 20-month sentence.

Kane Dunstone punched a man after unsuccessfully trying to sell drugs to him and his partner in the early hours of February 12.

In the confrontation, which moved into the street outside the shop in Claypath, Durham, he punched the man again, knocking him to the ground and then kicked him in the face and head three times, causing a “jolt” with each blow.

The 19-year-old defendant, of Johnson Estate, Wheatley Hill, who is of previous good character, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and common assault.

Despite pleas by defence counsel Robin Turton to suspend the sentence, Judge Kidd said it was too serious to merit anything other than an immediate term of imprisonment.

Read next:

               Teen launched attack on man outside Durham Claypath pizza shop

               County Durham drug abuser wanted to activate suspended sentence

               Stockton inmate squirted urine at female prison officer

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