Here are some of the most serious offenders who faced justice at Teesside Crown Court between July and September.
They include killers, perverts, burglars and drug dealers.
JULY
Depraved couple
The full scale of a couple’s depravity only came to light when they were caught by a paedophile hunting group after they groomed a ‘teenager’ for sex.
A search of Amy Scott and Gavin Marsden’s home revealed they had a vile collection of child abuse videos and photographs many of which were recorded by the pair.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the sick Darlington couple had sexually abused a number of children over several years before they were finally brought to justice.
Christine Egerton, prosecuting, said that their reign of abuse came to an end when Scott started sending a 14-year-old girl sexually explicit messages and videos without realising she was talking to a decoy posing as a child.
She said Scott sent the girl a video of herself performing a sex act before encouraging her to do it to herself.
Scott then arranged for the pair to meet the teenager at Durham Railway Station in April last year but they were confronted by members of the paedophile hunting group who had already called the police.
Marsden, 31, and 32-year-old Scott, both of Cobden Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sex abuse charges, including distribution of indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and attempting to engage in sexual behaviour with a child.
He said: “An examination of digital devices seized after your arrest uncovered a shocking catalogue of child abuse committed by the pair of you over a long period of time."
Marsden was given a 22-year sentence – 16 years in custody followed by an additional six years on extended licence.
Scott was given a 15-year sentence – 11 years in custody and a further four years on extended licence.
Hartlepool killers
A man was killed after he was crushed underneath a car when he was hounded through the streets in a ‘mob-handed’ revenge attack after he stabbed a love-rival with a knife.
Adam Thomson kicked his way into his ex-partner’s Hartlepool home and attacked her new partner, Anthony Hadfield, before being chased from the property after he suffered a stab wound to his cheek.
Hadfield called his sister Sarah Hadfield and Steven Corbett, who arrived at the scene on Sydenham Road in a Ford Focus, before the gang cornered the 30-year-old armed with knives.
Witnesses recorded the fatal incident as it occurred and detectives were able to track down CCTV footage to piece together exactly what happened in the early hours of Wednesday, January 4.
David Lamb KC, prosecuting, Sarah Hadfield made two attempts at hitting the father-of-one with her car before finally finding her target on the third attempt as they chased him through the streets.
Footage then showed the different members of the gang trying to push the car off the trapped Mr Thomson before fleeing the scene as police arrived.
Detectives were able to recover footage of them as they ran through the streets and piece together their actions.
Hadfield and Corbett were spotted dropping their knives into rubbish bins as they made their way home from the scene. At one point, Corbett was recorded hiding behind a low wall as police cars were scouring the area looking for the suspects.
Sarah Hadfield, of Brenda Road, Hartlepool, was sentenced to five years and 11 months and banned from driving for five years and four months. The court heard how the 35-year-old had given birth just months before the incident.
And 40-year-old Anthony Hadfield, of Wensleydale Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for seven years and seven months.
While 31-year-old Corbett, of Brenda Road, Hartlepool, who is the father of three of Sarah Hadfield’s children, was jailed for five years and five months.
Sex offender
A convicted sex offender is back behind bars after he started using social media accounts and dating sites despite being banned from accessing them.
Neil McLean was made subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) after he was convicted after trying to groom a 12-year-old girl before being snared by her quick-thinking grandmother.
The 41-year-old pervert was caught after the youngster’s grandmother turned amateur detective and took over the online conversation as it became increasingly sexualised and secured more than 100-pages of illicit chat.
As part of his three years and four-month sentence, McLean was also banned from using dating sites and social media platforms to protect vulnerable young children from his predatory behaviour in 2016.
McLean, of Grange Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to three breaches of his sexual harm prevention order between May 22 and June 6 this year.
James Fenny, mitigating, said his client had been feeling lonely and isolated at the time of the offences.
He urged the court to revisit the conditions of his client’s SHPO to make them more suitable to current guidelines to protect vulnerable children.
He said: “On this occasion there was no evidence you made contact with children but with Facebook being used there was a risk of harm to children.”
Drug dealer
A dealer who helped a gang supply Class A drugs across the North East has been locked up for his role in the illicit enterprise.
Thomas Cleary was spotted in the Darlington several times, once alongside gang leader Kyle Nelson, before being arrested near South Park in the town when he was carrying three wraps of cocaine and heroin.
After he was bailed, the 28-year-old was overheard calling his mother and asking her to get Nelson to pick him up and take him back to Leeds.
Ian West, prosecuting, said the defendant didn’t play any further role in the gang’s enterprise to flood the region with drugs following his arrest at the end of May 2019.
Cleary, of Naburn Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs heroin and cocaine between January and July 2019, and failure to surrender to custody.
He said: “In your case, although your activity was relatively brief, you were known to have been engaged in topping up credit on a mobile phone that was central to the conspiracy.
“Your record of offending, although unenviable, doesn’t reveal and inclination to drug trafficking.”
In November last year, Nelson was jailed for nine years in custody for his leading role in supplying high purity Class A drugs to dealers around the country.
The 35-year-old, of Hardwick Close, Acomb, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine over an 11-month period in 2019.
Violent bully
A violent thug who terrorised his ex-partner when he pinned her to her bed before strangling her after creeping into her home while she slept.
Anthony Smith bit her face before releasing his grip on her throat and then demanding a cuddle before falling asleep on her bed enabling his victim to flee her own home.
The 32-year-old then turned up at her home and marched her to a cashpoint demanding that she withdraw cash belonging to him, Teesside Crown Court heard.
A judge heard how Smith had earlier threatened to smash all the windows of the woman’s while she was working in a friend’s café after she ended their on and off three-year relationship.
The court heard how she was unable to withdraw the money as it wasn’t in her account but he returned later and she did transfer his cash from her account to his.
Smith, of Carville Court, Stockton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm from May 5 and harassment of his victim between April 21 and May 10.
He added: “You pinned her to the bed and then bit her above the left eye causing a cut and bruising. You then put your hands around her neck and applied pressure but she didn’t lose consciousness.”
Smith was also made subject to a five-year restraining order to protect his victim.
AUGUST
Deadly driver
The family of a man killed by a speeding drunken motorist told him to ‘rot in hell’ as he was jailed for 12 years for the senseless death.
Arron Dunlop downed at least six double Southern Comforts and Jagerbombs before getting behind the wheel of his Audi A5 and speeding away from the George and Dragon pub where he had spent then evening drinking.
Within minutes, the 30-year-old smashed into the rear of Paul Greenfield’s motorbike in Norton, Stockton, as he made his way home from work.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the father-of-three was carried on the bonnet of the speeding Audi for a few hundred metres before being thrown onto a grass verge.
Cheryl Greenfield said the couple met while working at the KP factory in Billingham and her husband was returning home from his shift when he was killed.
The mother-of-three told the court she knew something had happened when he failed to return home and came across the horrendous scene while she was searching for him.
“There are no words to describe this, nobody should have to go through what we have had to,” she said. “He was doing nothing wrong; Peter was just minutes away from home when he was killed.”
Dunlop, of Alma Street, Stockton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen.
Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, branded Dunlop’s driving as shocking and slammed him for trying to ‘skulk in Spain’ in a bid to evade justice.
Knife threat
A man who threatened a care worker with a knife before stealing her car and taking police on a dangerous chase through a North East town left his victim fearing for her life.
Spencer McKittrick targeted the community carer while she was attending patients’ homes before tearing off in her Nissan Micra and crashing it during his desperate attempt to flee police.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 20-year-old was arrested after abandoning the car in Middlesbrough and trying to escape on foot.
The court heard how the stolen Micra was later spotted by police as McKittrick drove it around Middlesbrough before he sped off to avoid arrest.
In a victim impact statement, the care worker said the incident had left her fearing for her life and scared about working alone in the community.
John Nixon, mitigating, said his client was ‘a puzzling young man’ who had been turning his life around and was working hard but had ‘fallen off the edge’ when he committed the offences on July 1 this year.
Judge Chris Smith sentenced the defendant to 44 months in a young offenders’ institute and banned him from driving for a total of four years and ten months.
Disgraced footballer
An ex-footballer who launched a brutal attack on a woman during a drunken night out has been locked up after his ‘egregious violence’ left her covered in her own blood.
Marcus Maddison’s assault left the 60-year-old woman with severe facial injuries after he delivered a heavy blow while wearing a large ring on his finger.
The Ex-Darlington player, who was repeatedly linked with a possible multi-million pound move to Sunderland while he was playing in League One with Peterborough United, called the woman’s daughter a “fat sl**” before hurling cheesy chips at her and punching her in the face.
Violence erupted after the former midfielder left The Gate nightclub in Darlington at 3am in the early hours of Sunday, September 25, 2022.
The victim told Teesside Crown Court that she still suffers medical problems as a result of the brutal punch.
The ex-professional footballer became embroiled in a row about queue jumping in a kebab shop before the altercation descended into violence.
Maddison, of High Causeway, Peterborough, admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm following the incident.
Tabitha Buck, mitigating, said he had stopped drinking as a result of his behaviour on that night and had fully accepted that his reaction of over the top.
Recorder Paul Reid jailed the ex-footballer for 20 months for the vicious assault.
Vicious thug
A vicious thug who kicked and stamped on a woman during a violent attack in broad daylight has been locked up.
Andrew Davies was detained by members of public who intervened when they witnessed the brutal assault in Darlington town centre.
When police arrived on the scene the victim told officers that the 45-year-old had also threatened her with a knife on December 2 last year.
Although the woman did not support a police investigation, officers from Durham Constabulary pursued the case through an evidence-led prosecution due to the severity of the incident.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Investigative Officer Heidi Weir and PC Amie Thornton, from Darlington Safeguarding Team, said: “Although the victim in this case did not support a prosecution, we are pleased our investigation has resulted in Davies – a violent and dangerous man - being jailed."
Callous murderer
A violent thug who beat a friend with a wine bottle and a walking stick has been branded a coward as he was jailed for life for the brutal murder.
Dean James Williams became enraged when Ian MacNeil refused to share his heroin with him and launched a vicious assault on the 46-year-old.
The 50-year-old refused to attend court to learn his fate as he was locked up for a minimum of 16 years following the fatal attack on November 28, 2021.
Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, called the murderer coercive and manipulative as he lambasted him for trying to persuade a witness to point the finger of blame at another man.
“You have chosen not to attend the last few days of the trial, providing the court with excuses because the reality is that you do not want to attend because you cannot face the consequences of what you did.
“Your failure to attend court is illustrative of the sort of manipulative, coercive and cowardly character that you are. You don’t even have the courage to face the court today to hear your sentence.”
Dealing with the violence, he said: “You punched him repeatedly in the face and continued to demand money for drugs or drugs.
“At some point you had picked up an empty bottle of wine – first you threatened him with it but eventually, with him continuing to hold his ground, you hit him about the body with it."
Judge Watson sentenced Williams to life in prison and told him he must serve at least 16 years in custody before he is eligible for parole.
Taxi robbery
A thug who left a taxi driver fearing for his life as he forced him to drive while holding a seven-inch blade to his neck has been locked up.
Brooklyn Dougan climbed into the back of the victim’s car in Thornaby town centre before demanding he hand over cash and his mobile phone.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 21-year-old pulled on the car’s handbrake before jumping out of the car and running away with a shopping bag full of snacks.
The taxi driver told police he was ‘99 per cent sure he was going to die’ during the incident.
Dougan was identified by a Cleveland Police PCSO who watched CCTV from the Sainsbury’s store.
The court heard how the defendant also forced his way into five sheds before being chased off by the homeowner from his property on Lilac Avenue, Thornaby, in the early hours of February 16.
Dougan, of St Pauls Road, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article following the incident on March 13. He also pleaded guilty to the shed burglary.
Judge Andrew Hatton told Dougan it didn’t matter that his robbery attempt was unsuccessful as the taxi driver genuinely feared for his life.
Dougan was jailed for a total of six years after a suspended sentence for four shop thefts was activated.
Shop robbery
An armed robber who donned a balaclava before raiding a high street shop was arrested within minutes after the worker recognised his voice.
Paul Sherwood entered the shop armed with a knife before making his way behind the counter and grabbing cash from an open till.
The 43-year-old then fled from the One Stop Shop on Guisborough High Street before discarding his disguise in a bin, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Jon Harley, prosecuting, said the defendant was out on licence when he carried out the armed robbery on June 19 this year.
Sherwood, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article following his swift arrest.
Judge Andrew Hatton locked the defendant up for four years and eight months after knocking a third off his sentence for pleading guilty.
He said: “You went in the shop with a balaclava over your head and face, in fact CCTC showed you putting it on nearby, you had a knife in your hand.
“You went to the till area and emptied the till which was open as the woman was serving someone else – you told her to keep it open.
“Despite the balaclava you were recognised.”
Sherwood was also barred from entering the shop for ten years after he was made subject of a restraining order.
Domestic violence
A jealous thug, who smashed a car his ex-partner was driving before scrawling abuse in her kitchen and plunging a knife into a unit, has been branded ‘insecure’ by a judge.
Martin Ogelby flew into a rage when his victim turned up to pick him in her brother’s Audi and smashed the windows of the car with a mallet, showering her with broken glass.
He then launched a torrent of abuse in a series of threatening and intimidating messages and phone calls.
Teesside Crown Court heard how his erratic behaviour escalated when he gained entry to her Darlington home and wrote ‘f*** you’ all around her kitchen.
The 44-year-old banned her from mentioning her former partner and demanded she take a video-call to show him that no-one else was in her Darlington home.
Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, told the court how Ogelby caused more than £2,500 worth of damage to Audi leaving the woman covered in broken glass.
The court heard how Ogelby then turned up at her home when she was out and vandalised her home leaving a crowbar on her bed and a knife embedded in a cabinet causing more than £2,000 worth of damage.
Ogelby, of Imperial Crescent, Stockton, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, common assault and harassment between May 29 and June 2.
“Your messages were threatening and intimidating which is exactly what they were designed to do. You said nothing was going to make you stop and you would destroy everything she held.”
The judge locked Ogelby up for a total of 15 months after he relentlessly targeted his victim over a protracted time period.
Opportunistic burglar
An opportunistic burglar, with a ‘dreadful’ record, has been jailed after he climbed through an open window to steal a student’s laptop and Fitbit.
Thomas Leonard was caught on CCTV prowling the streets of Middlesbrough town centre looking for easy targets when he spotted the flat’s open window.
Teesside Crown Court heard how he was in and out within seconds after the student heard someone in his flat and came out of the bathroom to confront the man.
The judge heard how the £1,000 laptop was returned to the victim following the defendant’s arrest and how he had 27 convictions for 58 offences, the majority of which were for dishonesty.
Leonard, of Letitia Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to burglary on the flat on Borough Road, Middlesbrough, from May 5 this year.
He said: “You were out that morning looking for opportunities to steal. You were seen on CCTV trying car doors and then you chanced upon the open window and took the opportunity to burgle the flat.”
'Berserk' man
A man went berserk with an axe when he threatened to kill his sister and her partner while smashing it into the door and windows of his former family home, a court heard.
Paul Lowe screamed ‘I’ll bury this axe in your head’ as he delivered countless blows trying to force his way into the Darlington property.
A neighbour bravely came out their home to try and calm the situation but the 44-year-old continued to plunge the axe into the door of the house.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Lowe was heavily intoxicated at the time of the violent attack and threatened to bite a chunk out of his own arm before sinking his teeth into his arm after police finally managed to subdue him.
Uzma Khan, prosecuting, said the defendant was shouting "I own 70 per cent of this house and I can smash it up if I want" as he rained down blow after blow on the house.
When police arrested the defendant, they found a craft knife stashed in his pocket before he became increasingly agitated and attempted to resist arrest.
In a victim personal statement, Lowe’s brother-in-law said: “He does not care how much grief his is causing us.”
Recorder Thomas Moran jailed Lowe for a total of 18-months after he used the axe during family home row.
Fallen banker
A Vietnamese banking director found himself tending a cannabis farm in the North East after he fell into debt and was smuggled into the country to repay it.
Le Van Cong was arrested following a raid on a three-storey property in Hartlepool town centre after a police drone heat map picked out suspicious activity at the premises on York Road.
The 37-year-old was looking after around 810 plants across eight rooms in the building and had a book full of instructions to tend the plants in his possessions.
Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, said the plants could yield between22.5kg and 68kg with a street value estimated to be worth up to £680,000.
He said the defendant told police he had arrived in the country from Ukraine and ordered to work to pay back his debt.
Cong, of York Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to production of a Class B drug after the cannabis was closed down on February 15 this year.
Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced the Vietnamese cannabis farmer to 19-months in prison.
Violent brothers
A pair of brothers who stormed into a pub to deliver a brutal beating to a man celebrating his 21st birthday have been jailed for the violent assault.
Paul and Shaun Taylor delivered a series of punches before their victim was ‘thrashed’ with a bar stool after they had forced him to the ground.
The brothers continued to attack their victim while he was incapable of defending himself as he was propped against the bar in The Thorntree before knocking him unconscious.
Teesside Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of the shocking violence as other drinkers were forced to flee to safety and they rained down blows on the defenceless man.
Caroline McGurk said Paul Taylor threw the first punches before his elder brother joined in the brutal attack.
“Paul Taylor punched him to the ground,” she said. “Shaun Taylor hit him twice a chair and kicked him while he was on the ground – the kicked appeared to connect with his head and render him temporarily unconscious.
“The victim got back on his feet and Shaun Taylor continued to attack him by punching him.
“The attack was caught on the pub’s CCTV system.”
In a personal impact statement, the man said he suffered nightmares about losing the sight in one of eyes after it was damaged in the unprovoked attack.
Paul Taylor, 35, of Morpeth Avenue, Marton, Middlesbrough, and his 38-year-old brother Shaun, of Fulbeck Road, Normanby, both pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the attack on August 1, 2021.
Judge Jonathan Carroll locked the pair up for 14-months apiece for the truly ‘vicious beating’.
“This was committed inside a public house,” he said. “The victim was minding his own business at the bar when you come and attacked him."
Danger to women
A man who was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to protect women breached it within days of it being fully implemented.
Cleveland Police applied for an interim court order against John McClacklan to protect women amid concerns that his controlling behaviour could lead to sexual offending.
The temporary order barred the 42-year-old from staying in the same house as a woman unless they were aware of his court order and he also had to register a new address within three days of moving in.
Teesside Crown Court heard how McCLacklan was arrested in June when police found him living in a new home in Hartlepool while a mother and daughter were also sleeping at the address.
Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said the two offences also put him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed on him in July 2022 for assault.
McClacklan, of Helmsley Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order and a breach of a suspended sentence.
The defendant maintained that he had not received the conditions of the fully implemented SHPO.
Judge Chris Smith said: “I’m satisfied that you knew full well what the terms were and this was a serious and deliberate breach of the order.”
McCLacklan was sentenced for 15 months for all three offences.
Homeless burglar
A prolific burglar was caught after traces of his blood were recovered from the scene of his latest raid.
David Evans targeted a Stockton Brough Council office block and smashed his way in through a window before stealing electrical equipment.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 41-year-old left the local authority out of pocket to the tune of £2,620 following the burglary between January 23 and 24 this year.
Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, the defendant was arrested after traces of his blood and DNA were recovered from the scene.
The court heard he 25 convictions for 55 offences, including 20 non-domestic burglaries and five dwelling house burglaries.
At the time of the burglary, Evans was serving a community order for a burglary at a dental practice in Norton but now finds himself back behind bars.
Evans, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of the non-domestic burglary after failing to attend his trial. He did plead guilty to breaching his community order imposed for previous burglaries.
Nigel Soppitt, mitigating, said his client was ‘living a fairly tragic existence’ after being diagnosed with schizophrenia and living homeless for almost 20 years.
Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced the serial offender to a total of 19 months in custody.
He said: “I’m not going to pass a sentence that will provide a long-term home in prison, so you’re going to have think about what you are going to do when you get out."
Serial burglar
A serial offender has been locked up after carrying out three shop burglaries in a fortnight to fund his drug habit.
Robert Thornton smashed his way into the Art Shop, Millets and B&M and stole goods from the stores in Darlington town centre during his latest crime spree.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 39-year-old used a weapon to gain entry before grabbing items from the window displays and running away.
The drug addict targeted The Art Shop on Bondgate on June 23, when he smashed a window to steal toys worth £240 and was identified by blood left on the window.
Thornton then targeted Millets on July 3 and police were called in the early hours of the morning after a pane of glass was smashed and four North Face T-shirts found next to broken glass but after a stock check it was discovered that 21 items had been stolen worth £590.
His third burglary took place five days later at the B&M store on High Northgate when two people were spotted on CCTV smashing a window and entering the store.
They stole razor blades, bottles of aftershave and perfume. Again, he was identified by a police officer who recognised his clothing.
The court heard how he has 39 convictions for 105 offences, including theft and non-dwelling burglaries.
Thornton, of Brougham Street, Darlington, and formerly of Bouch Street, Shildon, pleaded guilty to all three burglaries.
He added: “You have a terrible dishonesty record which dates back to the 2000s and you carried out offences in dwellings and non-dwellings.
“Drugs are at the heart of it but you understand that is no mitigation.”
Repeat offender
A burglar who targeted the same business three times in a matter of days was caught red-handed on his latest crime spree.
Paul Smith forced his way into the Open Jar in Seaton Carew on three occasions over a two-week period and the prolific offender also raided the Staincliffe Hotel and Fish Face takeaway in June this year.
The 36-year-old was out on prison licence when he committed all five of the burglaries, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Dr Christopher Wood, prosecuting, said the defendant’s fingerprints were recovered from a glass and a vodka bottle after he prised open a security door of the seafront hotel in the early late on June 6.
He told the court how Smith then forced his way in the Fish Face takeaway in Seaton Carew at around 11pm on June 12. The defendant set of the alarm in the premises and fled the scene empty handed.
Dr Wood said the Open Jar was then targeted three times with the first happening on June 12 when he stole £250 in cash from the tills.
He returned on June 18 and this time he managed to steal £500 in cash and two laptops.
However, his crime spree came to an end on June 28 when he again targeted the same business but was caught in the act.
Smith, of Rydal Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to five burglaries between June 10 and 28 this year.
He said: “You have a conviction for robbery and were on licence at the time of these offences.
“It seems to me that the courts have tried in the past to help you and it seems there is no other alternative but prison here.”
September
Murdering sister
A woman stabbed her sister to death after their feud spiralled out of control following months of aggravation between family members.
Marie Metcalfe, who is one of 15 siblings, had been in a long-running conflict with several members of her large family including her elder sister Laura.
Laura, 44, had lived in Scotland for almost 20 years before returning to Hartlepool with her three children to live close to her family following a breakdown of her relationship.
The 41-year-old defendant had accused Laura and two other sisters of assaulting her in July last year but the case was finally dropped at the beginning of this year.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant had a history of violent behaviour including smashing a glass in a woman's face in a pub and hitting a man over the head with a hammer during an argument in the street.
Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Metcalfe to life imprisonment and told her she would serve at least 18 years in custody before being eligible for parole.
He said: "It is not entirely clear for how long you were in possession of the knife, it was not a small knife and you must have had it before you went to the shop.
"You had carried it through local streets and into the shop before the confrontation with Laura, you did carry it to the scene of this murder.
"You have a history of violence using weapons, including striking a woman to the head with a glass and striking a man to a hammer to the head."
Rapist brothers
A pair of brothers who systematically raped and abused a vulnerable woman have been locked up after their sickening behaviour was exposed.
Maurice and John Ronald Edwards separately abused their victim and were branded predatory after a judge heard how their assaults had a horrific impact on the woman.
Younger brother John was the first to rape the victim, who was a child when the abuse started, and continued to sexually abuse her on a regular basis for about four years.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the-now 64-year-old was only a young man himself when the sickening abuse started.
Elder brother Maurice started sexually abusing the same woman after he got her drunk and raped her while she was unconscious.
Judge Jonathan Carroll branded the pair manipulative as he jailed them following a two-week trial.
John Edwards, 64, of May Street, Hartlepool, was convicted of two counts of gross indecency and two counts of rape.
Maurice Edwards, 74, of Tithe Barn Road, Stockton, was found guilty of rape and indecent assault after pleading guilty to two other sexual offences on the same victim.
Maurice Edwards was sentenced to a total of 27 years and six months for all offences while his younger brother, John, was sentenced for18 years with a one-year extended licence period.
Foot imprint
A man left a foot imprint on his victim’s face following a violent assault after he claimed his dog had told him that the man had hurt one of his other pets.
Paul Guy reacted angrily after his victim lost his dog and launched the brutal attacks days later when he dragged the man to the ground before stamping on his head and neck.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the victim managed to escape and fled to his mother’s house before heading to hospital for treatment to his injuries.
The 43-year-old then used a friend to contact his victim where he made a number of threats before demanding that he withdraws the allegation.
Mr Abrahams said that the defendant was carrying a lock knife when the police arrested him following the attack but he contacted his victim several weeks later and made a series of threats.
The court heard how the attack happened on May 9 this year in Darlington and the witness intimidation took place on June 12.
Judge Howard Crowson praised the defendant for taking steps to address his alcohol and drug problems before sentencing him to a total of 51 weeks in prison.
He added: “All of this behaviour was out of character for you, the most important factor at the time was that you were using drugs and alcohol to deal with problems in your life.
“This caused you to behave differently from how you would usually behave."
Cruel burglar
A burglar who left an autistic youngster devastated when he broke into his home and stole some of the boy's computer games as well as cash and groceries has been locked up.
Nathan McManus forced his way into the family home on Norton Road, Stockton, in the early hours of August 4 this year before stealing the games, bacon, cheese, washing up liquid, and two bags.
Teesside Crown Court heard how one of the bags contained the victim’s purse with £140 in cash and her driving licence inside.
Cainan Lonsdale, prosecuting, said McManus was traced after a tattoo shop worker recovered the stolen bags and returned them to the woman before police were able to retrace the defendant’s steps with CCTV footage.
McManus, of Corfe Crescent, Billingham, pleaded guilty to burglary when he appeared at magistrates’ court.
Paul Green, mitigating, said his client had struggled with mental health problems and urged the judge to spare the 26-year-old from immediate custody.
“You have a horrific record for someone who is only 26,” she said. “I accept that you indicated your guilty plea at the lower court and will give you full credit for that.”
McManus was jailed for two years.
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Sexual assault
A drunken thug who sexually assaulted a woman after he grabbed her by the throat has been jailed for his brutal attack.
Kevin Peart left his victim with a black eye after punching her in the face before digging his nails into her breast and genitals during a prolonged assault.
The 48-year-old apologised for his behaviour but a neighbour later called the police after watching her own CCTV footage after she was awoken by the banging and shouting, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The court heard that the defendant then grabbed his victim’s breast while digging his nails in as though ‘he was trying to rip her skin off’. He then grabbed her genitals in exactly the same way.
Peart, of West Moor Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault, one charge of intentional strangulation, and a further charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, following the attack last year.
Dr Christopher Wood, mitigating, said his client had a longstanding history of alcohol abuse but accepted that was not an acceptable reason for the offending.
Peart was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register until further order.
Serial shoplifter
A serial offender who terrorised shop staff during a campaign of thefts and robbery has had his crime spree brought to a halt with his imprisonment.
Michael Winner used his physical presence to intimidate staff and if that didn’t work, he would threaten to batter them with the bottles of booze he had just ‘brazenly’ stolen.
The 37-year-old, who has a lengthy record for dishonesty and violence, was not averse to telling shop workers exactly what he intended to do before helping himself to food and alcohol.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Winner carried out six shop thefts in Redcar, over a week-long campaign of criminal activity, just days being given a community order for another raft of shop thefts.
Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the defendant’s crime spree took on a more serious element when he walked into a shop on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, and threatened staff with a knife before stealing booze and vapes.
He said the serial shoplifter intimidated staff in Farm Foods, Morrisons, and Tesco, in Redcar before stealing bottles of spirits and jars of coffee, on March 16.
Three days later he returned to Tesco and again stole booze before continuing his spree on March 21 when he again targeted Morrisons and Farm Foods.
Winner, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a bladed article, six shop thefts, and three threatening behaviour charges, between March 16 and April 4, this year.
John Nixon, mitigating, said his client had a longstanding drug addiction which was behind his offending and was anticipating a lengthy custodial sentence.
“This was a campaign of perpetual thefts you carried out on shops in Redcar. Your substantial build must have been intimidating,” he said.
Teenage blackmailer
A teenager who helped target a vulnerable pensioner and threatened her with the police if she didn’t settle a fictitious window cleaning bill has been locked up.
Alan Pearson was just 16 when the pensioner was ripped off to the tune of £170 when she paid the cash after she became intimidated by the teenager and an unknown older accomplice.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair spotted the pensioner walking with a frame before following her home and conning their way into her flat.
Initially, they demanded £70 for washing her windows at her previous home before increasing the demand to £170 which she paid to get them out of her home.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the pensioner asked for a receipt which the older man was unable to write before Pearson stepped in and wrote it out.
The court heard how the pair left before returning and telling their victim had made a mistake before offering her the money back but she refused to let them back into her flat.
In a victim personal statement, the pensioner said being blackmailed by the pair had resulted in her moving in with her son as she was too traumatised to return home.
Pearson, of Dalton Avenue, St Helens, Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to blackmail following the incident on November 11, 2021.
He said: “You saw and approached her as she walked home, there was no need to approach as neither of you knew her and you claimed to know her and you were the window cleaner and she owed you money.
"She owed you nothing, clearly she was targeted because of her obvious frailty. She was preyed up when you followed her home and your accomplice threatened her with the police."
Homeless attacker
A homeless man who stabbed his victim through the arm after he reacted angrily to his niece bringing him some booze and cigarettes has been locked up.
Craig Roberts was sleeping in a tent on wasteland near Middlesbrough Police when he launched the unprovoked attack on the man.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 48-year-old plunged the blade completely through the forearm of his victim as he raised his arm to protect himself.
Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said the victim bumped into the defendant’s niece after leaving the Mint nightclub in Middlesbrough town centre before walking the short distance to where Roberts was sleeping rough.
Roberts, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article following the stabbing on April 4 this year.
The judge heard how the defendant had 18 convictions for 28 offences, including ones for violence.
Brian Russell, mitigating, said his client is hoping to get to the bottom of why he reacts in such an irrational and violent way to certain situations.
He added: “Clearly, he is a man who needs to change the way he reacts to incidents such when there wasn’t a great deal of provocation.”
Judge Timothy Stead sentenced Roberts to four years in custody with a three-year extension for the unprovoked attack due his history of impulsive violent behaviour.
Wheelchair-using burglar
A wheelchair-using burglar and thief has succeeded in getting himself locked up with a desire to get himself clear off drugs.
David Lawrence went on a short crime spree around Middlesbrough town centre targeting a parked car, a mosque, and a hotel, to steal laptops, rucksacks, and vehicle documents.
The 47-year-old’s first offence took place on February 24 when he smashed a window of a Ford Fiesta parked in Wood Street car park and stole the registration documents for the car and causing £170 worth of damage.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Lawrence then stole two laptops and a rucksack after wheeling himself into a mosque on Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, on February 28 while worshippers were called to prayer.
The court heard how Lawrence then burgled the Leonardo hotel on Fry Street, in Middlesbrough, and helped himself to a backpack before the man was spotted by a member of staff.
Lawrence, whose address was given as HMP Durham, pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of theft.
She added: “He wanted to be arrested, he wanted to get himself back into the system and he finds himself now with significantly better clarity in his life.”
Recorder Robert Ward jailed the defendant for a total of 21 months for all offences.
Spurned lover
A spurned lover who stalked his ex-partner and threatened to post sexual pictures of her online and posing as a police officer has been locked up.
Ross Lynch also bombarded his victim with vile and abusive voice messages making threats to her young child and its father, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 31-year-old started his campaign of terror after his victim ended their two-year relationship while she was pregnant with their child.
Lynch would turn up at her house and refuse to leave as well as threatening the victim throughout December last year culminating with the threat to post intimate pictures and videos on Facebook on Boxing Day.
Lynch, of Clough Close, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to stalking between December 2, 2022, and April 2, this year, threatening to disclose private sexual images and sending malicious communications.
Michele Turner, mitigating, said: “He accepts that these offences clearly pass the custodial threshold and the only question is whether that sentence can be suspended. He has been on remand since April.”
The court heard the couple lost their child earlier this year.
Recorder Robert Ward sentenced Lynch to a total of two years and eight months for all offences.
Lynch was made subject to an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.
Predatory rapist
Justice has caught up with a bullying sexual predator after his victim came forward two decades after she was repeatedly abused.
Michael Woods destroyed his victim’s life but she was praised by a judge for her courage in coming forward and the efforts she has made to rebuild her shattered self-belief.
Judge Jonathan Carroll branded the 41-year-old a danger to women as he passed a 26-year sentence to the smirking sexual deviant.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Woods embarked on a campaign of sexual violence towards his victim.
Woods, formerly of Newcastle, was found guilty of three counts of rape against the Darlington teenager following a trial at the same court. The defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders’ register.
Jurors heard how the defendant subjected his victim to degrading sexual assaults as he asserted his dominance with his predatory behaviour.
Sentencing the pervert to an extended sentence of 26 years, the Judge added: “You were then 18 and from your conduct towards her, you were already establishing a sexually obsessed and predatory character.
“Almost from the beginning your relationship was defined by your controlling and coercive personality. You were sexually aggressive, abusive, and entitled.”
'Armed' robbers
Two armed robbers who hurled racist abuse at a shopkeeper as they threatened staff and customers with a knife and an imitation handgun have been locked up.
Lewis Callaghan and Stephen Mark stormed into the convenience store with their hoods up and masks over their faces alongside their accomplice Aaron Stubley before they stole cash, cigarettes, and scratch cards.
Police were able to trace the defendants’ movements from CCTV cameras and soon raided the nearby home of 40-year-old Mark where they recovered a knife and all of the stolen goods.
Teesside Crown Court watched CCTV footage showing Callaghan holding what appeared to be handgun to intimidate staff and customers before knocking one woman out when he pushed her to the floor.
Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, told the court how Callaghan threatened to ‘blow her head off’ before others could be heard shouting racist abuse.
A judge heard how they gang had stolen £800 in cash, £1,100 worth of cigarettes, and £450 worth of scratch cards. All of which was recovered by police.
Callaghan, of Birdsall Row, Redcar, was found guilty of robbery, possession of an imitation firearm and assault on the shop customer. He pleaded guilty to assault on an emergency worker and a separate charge connected to an unrelated burglary.
Mark, of Ullswater Close, Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article following the offence on January 15 last year.
Callaghan was jailed for eight years with an additional three years on extended licence while Mark was locked up for six years and seven months for his role in the robbery.
Child rapist
A child rapist who destroyed his young victim’s life has been branded a dangerous offender after he was given a 22-year sentence.
Gary Taylor abused a young girl on several occasions when he forced his depraved sexual needs on the child while he was living in the Darlington area.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the abuse had left his victim feeling ‘worthless and dirty’ after the pervert was convicted of five counts of rape and one of sexual assault on a child.
“What he did to me has left me deeply scared and traumatised,” she said. “If I spoke out about what he did to me at the time, I didn’t know what else he would have done to me.
“It was so horrible to come to terms with. I blamed myself at the time and wondered if it was all my fault.
Judge Anthony Brown sentenced Taylor to 18 years in prison with an extended four years on licence to mark the dangerous nature of his offending.
Taylor, of Lilburn Close, Shildon, was made subject of an indefinite restraining order and told he would sign on the sex offenders’ register for the remainder of his life.
The 38-year-old was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Brutal attacker
A violent thug caught on CCTV slamming a women’s head on the ground several times before repeatedly punching her to the face has been locked up.
Sahed Sarkut Mihmud initially chased his on/off partner down the street believing she had stolen some money from his wallet after a two-day booze-fuelled bender before she pushed him several times to the chest.
However, the vicious assault that followed shortly afterwards showed the 40-year-old continue to slam his victim into the ground when she appeared to have been knocked unconscious by several brutal blows to the face.
The judge, sitting at Teesside Crown Court, watched two minutes of CCTV showing the horrific impact of the brutal attack.
Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said defendant told officers that they had been drinking together for two days before he confronted her in the street.
Mihmud, of Clive Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm following the attack on March 23, this year.
Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said there was an element of provocation but his client accepted it was not a justification for the violence that followed.
She added: “You slammed her to the ground five times when she was unconscious, you then punched her several more times.
“She is left on the road. I have watched the CCTV footage and it is surprising that she survived this attack.”
Throat slashed
A violent thug who slashed his partner’s throat just weeks after being released from prison for attacking her in the street is back behind bars.
Jason Noble grabbed the kitchen knife and lashed out at his victim when they returned home after he had spent the day drinking and taking cocaine.
His ex-partner was so scared of the 50-year-old that she initially told police it was a different man who had attacked her in their Darlington home.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Noble was arrested after his DNA and flesh from his victim’s neck was recovered from a kitchen knife.
For a round up of cases from January to March, 2023, click HERE.
Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the man who picked the pair up from the pub had earlier fled the house in his stockinged feet after Noble started to become angry and threatening.
When he returned to check on his friend, he saw that she was holding a towel to her throat to stem the flow of blood and returned to his home to tell his partner before the police were called.
The judge had heard how Noble was jailed for 16 weeks last July after he punched the woman in the face and carried out the knife attack on October 14, just weeks after his release.
Noble, of Harry Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.
Andrew Nixon, mitigating, said his client had slowly recognised the significant impact of his latest offence against his partner after he pleaded guilty.
Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, branded Noble a dangerous offender as he passed a 15-year sentence – 12 years in custody followed by three years on extended licence.
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