Here are some of the most serious offenders who faced justice at Newcastle and Teesside Crown Court in June.
The cases include a murderer, a rapist, a drug dealer and violent men from across the region who have been locked up.
Andrew Hall
A man has been jailed for life for brutally stabbing to death an old acquaintance in her own home before stealing items to fund his drug addiction.
Andrew Hall repeatedly stabbed Glenna Siviter before stuffing her body under a sofa where her son found her four days later.
The 47-year-old drug addict, who did not give evidence during his murder trial, was convicted following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
Ms Siviter was stabbed more than 30 times when she was brutally attacked by Hall while he was heavily under the influence of drugs.
The 50-year-old's body was discovered by her son, Declan, in her home in Grimwood Avenue, Brambles Farm, Middlesbrough, on Friday, December 15, last year.
Mr Justice Nicholas Lavender sentenced Hall to life for his drug-fuelled violence over a five-day period.
Jurors had heard how Hall and Ms Siviter had been friends since childhood and were "like brother and sister".
Hall was sentenced to a minimum of 36 years, less the time he has spent on remand, for his friend's murder, attempted murder and wounding with intent.
James Roberts
A man who legged it from police whilst handcuffed and wearing just his boxer shorts has been locked up for more than a year.
James Roberts was given the chance to have one last drag on his vape as he was being taken into Darlington police station before taking the opportunity to make a dash for freedom.
The 25-year-old’s audacious escape bid didn’t last long as he was soon recaptured, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Ian West, prosecuting, said officers were arresting him on suspicion of arson, conspiracy to obtain a firearm, and working alongside an organised crime gang when he fled police earlier this year.
The court heard how Roberts was also charged with assaulting an emergency worker when he lashed out with his feet when they were trying to put him in a police van when he was suspected of committing a public order offence.
Mr West said he kicked the van door into the chest of the officer before causing scrapes to the officer’s arm when she was forced to the ground as they struggled to restrain him on July 6 last year.
Roberts, of Meadowsweet Lane, Darlington, pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody from March 28 this year and assaulting an emergency worker.
He said: “The police kindly allowed you one last drag on your vape but you burst off and were arrested a short while later, a relatively short distance away.
“You have a regrettable antecedent history for a person of your age, this includes a number of offences you have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment.”
Carl Gowland
A predatory sex offender who systematically abused three young victims has locked up for 20 years after he inflicted significant psychological damage on them.
Carl Gowland’s decade-long abuse started before he was a teenager and continued until he was in his 20s, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 37-year-old was finally brought to justice when the victims bravely told police about the appalling abuse they had suffered at the pervert’s hands.
Judge Jonathan Carroll told the defendant his continued denial of the abuse following his conviction played a part in his sentencing.
“Throughout this time, you directed towards them persistent, continuous and relentless sexual obsession,” he said.
“You still don’t accept any responsibility,” he added. “Until you start to accept some responsibility, you will continue to pose a risk to children.
“You have shown no regret or remorse.”
Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said there were some elements of grooming involved in Gowland’s abuse as he would offer them access to computer games.
Gowland, of Durness Grove, Hartlepool, was found guilty of a catalogue of sexual offences, including sexual intercourse with a child under 13, rape, indecent assault, and indecency with a child.
He was made the subject of an indefinite restraining and sexual harm prevention orders and will also be on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Mark Learoyd
A man who ‘beat the s***’ out of his partner just two weeks after being released from prison has found himself behind bars again.
Mark Learoyd punched his victim up to 30 times when he lost his temper after she told him she needed some space for an hour.
The 47-year-old launched the violent attack in his Darlington home before threatening another woman with a knife after he grabbed it out of her kitchen drawer.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the second woman suffered injuries to her hands when she grabbed the knife off Learoyd.
The court heard how he also told his victim that he ‘wanted to cut her head off’.
Learoyd, of Brook Terrace, Darlington, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and threatening a person with a knife on May 12 this year.
The court heard how he had previous convictions for domestic violence and had been subject of two domestic violence protection orders.
Martin Scarborough, mitigating, said his client had a longstanding alcohol problem which was at the root of his offending and accepts that he was heavily intoxicated at the time of his latest offending.
He said: “In her own words you ‘beat the s*** out of her’ for asking for an hour for herself.”
Learoyd was jailed for a total of 18 months for both offences.
"Ferocious" beating
A man who suffered a ‘ferocious’ beating after being overpowered by a gang of men when he fired an air rifle at one of them has been locked up.
Nathan Sloan was captured on CCTV swaying on his feet while has standing outside a house waiting for his intended targeted to arrive.
The footage showed the 32-year-old’s night-time scope illuminating the area after he shot Luke Madden at short range.
Teesside Crown Court heard Sloan’s behaviour in the early of the morning described as someone who ‘had thrown the boomerang and it has hit him’ as he was beaten unconscious minutes after the shooting in Stockton.
Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, said Madden returned to the house for a few minutes before going outside armed with an axe and a wooden panel for protection.
The CCTV footage showed the 31-year-old and an unidentified male move towards Sloan before he was quickly knocked to the ground and a number of kicks and stamps were delivered to his head and body.
Two other defendants, Liam Matthews and Ellis Heald, then joined in the attack on their unconscious victim and delivered their own kicks and stamps to his head a body.
Matthews was armed with a metal spike, which he didn’t use, before searching through the victim’s pockets.
Police attended the scene to discover Sloan unconscious on the street before kicking one of the officers when he was taken to hospital.
Sloan, of Turton Road, Yarm, pleaded guilty to possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of the threat of violence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault an emergency worker.
Madden, of Rievaulx Avenue, Stockton, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, possession of a bladed article an axe; and possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of the threat of violence.
Liam Matthews, 25, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, as did his 19-year-old co-accused, Ellis Heald, of Carburt Street, Stockton.
The teenager was ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a six-month curfew between 6pm and 6am, trail monitoring requirement for six months, and carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
Mohammed Hamza
A drug dealer who had customers queuing up to buy his crack cocaine has been locked up after more than £30,000 in cash was seized from his home.
Mohammed Hamza would drop off drugs, collect money at properties or carry out exchanges from a vehicle, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 22-year-old was stopped on Surrey Street, Middlesbrough, in May last year and police seized a quantity of money along with a mobile phone.
He was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and taken into custody before being released while officers examined the phone.
Before the investigation was completed, Hamza was spotted parked on Longford Street in Middlesbrough on Monday, December 11 where he was seen by a member of the public exchanging drug deals from the passenger side of the vehicle.
Officers stopped the grey BMW and a large amount of money was found stuffed in his chest pocket and a subsequent strip search resulted in wraps of crack cocaine being seized.
Hamza, of Vaynor Drive, Ingleby Barwick, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and money laundering.
He was jailed for four years and three months.
James King
A man who choked his father in the street after emptying his bank account has been jailed for more than two years for his ‘utterly disgraceful’ behaviour.
James King moved his father out of a care home to live with him, before leaving him with just 20p in the bank and fearing how he would pay for his own funeral.
And the 44-year-old deliberately dumped his father’s personal belongings outside for the binman to take away in a final cruel act after charging him £150 a week to live with him, Teesside Crown Court heard.
“This was an utterly disgraceful and unforgivable incident,” he said.
“Over the course of some seven weeks, you removed a total of £9,250 from his bank account.
“These were not in sums of £150 but range between £200 and £500. The final indignity upon your father’s finances was on August 18, the day of this appalling incident, when you withdrew almost the last penny leaving him with 16p.”
King, of Dent Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to fraud between June and August 2022, theft from August 2022, and intentional strangulation August 18, 2022.
The charge of fraud against King’s wife, Michelle, were left to lay in the court files, the judge heard.
Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said his client had longstanding mental health conditions.
Mark Yates
A violent thug who repeatedly battered his girlfriend has been locked up for almost five years for inflicting a campaign of abuse against the woman.
Mark Yates launched his first brutal assault when he was challenged about receiving messages from another woman, Teesside Crown Court heard.
His reign of abuse finally came to an end after fellow passengers on a bus to Scarborough reported his violent assault to police.
On the first occasion, the 41-year-old repeatedly punched his victim in the face as she curled up into a ball to protect herself from him.
A week later, Yates kicked his victim in the chest several times as she tried to get her mobile phone out of his grasp, said Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting.
Mr Gittins said the assault left the woman needing medical treatment and her explanation that she fell down the stairs did not convince medical staff.
The next assault happened on May 2, the lawyer said: “He got up and punched her numerous times to the face, she was grabbed by the hair and some of it came out.”
He added: “He was caught on CCTV pushing her a number of times before striking her a number of times to the face.”
After other passengers called the police, the couple were found at the waterpark and Yates was arrested and charged.
Yates, of Mulgrave Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour between December 22 and July 2023, and four charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm between March and May 2023.
Recorder Paul Reid locked the violent Hartlepool man up for a total of 59 months for all offences.
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