“Have you seen there’s police in The Rings in Ingleby?” 

It’s often the way many breaking news incidents start. A source sends a message in, prompted by the sight of blue flashing lights or the sound of wailing sirens. 

But what could’ve been just another small-scale police incident turned into something much bigger - and more sinister - than I could have anticipated. 

Over the next few months, the nation would uncover how 999 crews had swarmed the mansion of now-disgraced GP Thomas Kwan after he launched a scheming plot to kill his mother’s long-term partner by injecting him with flesh-eating toxin in a fake Covid jab. 

The "extraordinary" tale which began in a quiet Ingleby Barwick cul-de-sac, at a home owned by a married father-of-one, became the biggest story of the year in the North East. 

999 crews flooded Kwan's house 999 crews flooded Kwan's house (Image: Terry Blackburn)

As the months went on, the trial equally gained huge attention - sending shockwaves not only across Teesside but up and down the country. 

Today, as Kwan is sentenced to 31 years and five months in prison, Alex O’Leary, the first journalist on the scene of the incident, looks back at what it was like to unravel the twisted murder plot that left neighbours of the plush housing estate in shock. 

I’ve been a journalist for almost three years now - attending many crime scenes, knocking on hundreds of doors, and reporting on some of the most horrific incidents. 

But the Kwan case easily stands out as the most shocking I’ve ever been to.

I was coming to the final few hours of my late shift on February 6 when news of the incident first surfaced.

The initial tip-off came in from a source who had been made aware of police vehicles along Lullingstone Crescent, in The Rings area of the estate.

It was a quiet late shift and so, as the sun was starting to set, I headed to the car and drove along to the scene of the incident.

Expecting to see a clear street, I was stunned as I parked my car at the side of the road, looking down on a sea of blue lights and gridlocked 999 crews - too many to count.

Lullingstone Crescent was flooded with incident response units, a fleet of fire cars and fire engines, and police officers, while Brading Court was fully taped off. 

After moving towards the 999 response, I was told by one officer that I would have to contact the Northumbria Police press office for further information - an initially confusing thought being in the Cleveland Police force area.

A fire engine was parked at the entrance to Brading Court, blocking accessA fire engine was parked at the entrance to Brading Court, blocking access (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

This created more questions than answers - and, at first, I even considered the incident was linked to the then ongoing manhunt for chemical attack suspect Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, who was from the Newcastle area - although police later confirmed this was a separate incident. 

As a journalist, door knocks are not unfamiliar at incidents like this - but on this day, with each door knock, the gravity of the situation began to unravel. 

Residents opened up about how they’d peered out of their upstairs windows to find unusual-looking inflated tents in the back garden of the home, which had been lit up by a bright white light.

The home had been lit up by a bright light - and this was the only view of the first investigation tent from nearby Lullingstone CrescentThe home had been lit up by a bright light - and this was the only view of the first investigation tent from nearby Lullingstone Crescent (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Only minutes after I arrived, residents claimed they were told about “dangerous chemicals” being involved, and that an “unknown substance” had been located at the address - the latter of which was soon after confirmed by police. 

There were several conflicting reports about how long police had been at the scene for - with one person telling me how police had been asking the homeowner for CCTV several days ago. 

It was shortly after that I heard the homeowner was a doctor or GP - something we couldn’t yet report on as we awaiting confirmation from the police.

I knocked on the door of a woman who lived close to the property in question, and who kindly invited me inside to get a better view of the home under the spotlight. 

Upstairs, in a bedroom of the home, was the moment I first clearly saw the investigation tents creeping over the top of the garden fence.

The first time I spotted the huge tents was from the window of another homeThe first time I spotted the huge tents was from the window of another home (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

You often become a part-time detective when at a scene like this, trying to piece together slithers of information while wading through a sea of speculation and rumours. 

This was no different - although a common thread amongst nearby residents was that they seemed genuinely bemused at the major operation happening just metres from their homes.

The house was in an awkward position on the street making it hard to get a good view of the activity - and it was only once a drone had been lifted into the air that the scale of the police operation, and its three investigation tents, made itself known. 

A drone shot of the house, taken the following dayA drone shot of the house, taken the following day (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

For a brief period, I decided to stand beside the police cordon and watch on - witnessing firefighters throw on hazmat suits and strap oxygen tanks to their backs. 

At this point, several neighbours had started to come out into the street and local amateur photographers had arrived at the scene. 

Inquisitive cyclists, runners, and walkers would continue to look upon the 999 response with confusion and intrigue - although many simply had no clue as to what was taking place.

Photographer Terry Blackburn was then able to capture blue hazmat-suited officers wearing breathing equipment in the garden carrying out several boxes. 

Officers wearing blue suits and purple gloves were then spotted entering the propertyOfficers wearing blue suits and purple gloves were then spotted entering the property (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

After several hours, I headed home to write a breakout news piece, with a revisit already planned for the following morning. 

The next day, while continuing door knocks, we received more intel that the person was a GP - and that he had been arrested for attempted murder after a poisoning in Newcastle. 

At 10.30am, Northumbria Police confirmed a man had been charged and was due to appear in court, as well as a series of off-record guidance to help with the reporting of the case. 

I vividly remember the discussions around this being on a 'Netflix-style documentary' scale as early as the night of the incident - something that would later be a common thread amongst Ingleby residents as the case began to unravel in court. 

I think it's fair to say the whole area was on edge following the incident - and it turned out to be an even more turbulent week for the area after a revengeful hit and run days later that took the life of 60-year-old Brian Darby just streets away.

It would be months until the full details about Kwan’s murder plot to kill his mother’s partner were revealed, including the elaborate disguise, fake NHS letter, and will row. 

Thomas Kwan was captured on CCTVThomas Kwan was captured on CCTV (Image: Northumbria Police)

“Money-obsessed” Kwan eventually admitted trying to kill Patrick O’Hara, his mother’s partner of more than 20 years, after injecting him with a flesh-eating toxin during a fake Covid vaccination. 

It was first thought he had used ricin on Mr O’Hara but a poisons expert said iodomethane, which is used in pesticides, was more likely.

Ahead of Kwan's sentencing, I returned to Brading Court and its neighbouring streets to speak to those nearby about their reaction to the extraordinary trial. 

This was the first time I'd been back since the incident - and the street that was previously chock-a-block with police and firefighters was now a quiet, ordinary residential area. 

It was strange to go back to Brading Court after eight monthsIt was strange to go back to Brading Court after eight months (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

Eight months on, there I was, speaking to the same residents I spoke to on that cold February night - but this time, now clued up on the case, they spoke of their "pure shock" at how the quiet GP could have concocted such a heinous plan metres from their home. 

It was quite an eery experience to be back. And I couldn't help but feel strange. 

Strange that the street once placed under the national spotlight was now just an unremarkable road. Strange that things had just returned to normal - even though this was something that was always guaranteed and of course should happen. 

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I think it was especially odd to be back armed with the full knowledge of the case and to know exactly what had taken place at the property - as well as the story's significance across the North East as a whole. 

As I said before, you cover many cases as a journalist, each one taking its chunk out of your memory. But to have something this major happen on an estate where you had grown up and still have friends and family living, is not something you'll forget in a hurry. 

  • Kwan has today (Wednesday, November 6) jailed for 31 years and five months following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.