ONE of the North-East's most notorious criminals is facing a lengthy stretch behind bars after being convicted over the tragic death of a teenager.

A judge yesterday warned Dean English - once dubbed The Singing Defective by police - to expect a long sentence after the 22-year-old one-man crimewave was found guilty of causing the death of Ian Gourley by dangerous driving.

English denied being at the wheel of a stolen Ford Escort when it was driven erratically over a grassy area known as the Pony Fields, off Eden Lane, Peterlee, County Durham, hitting the 15-year-old boy.

Ian, of Lakemore, Peterlee, who was sitting with friends just over the brow of a hill, was confirmed dead in hospital from head injuries, less than an hour later on November 19 last year.

The car failed to stop and was driven on a further half-mile across the fields before being set on fire in a ravine to remove forensic evidence.

English, of Basingstoke Road, Peterlee, was also convicted of arson.

He denied both charges, but the jury returned guilty verdicts after less than an hour's deliberation on the fifth day of the trial, at Durham Crown Court, yesterday.

Following the verdicts Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told the court that English had 73 previous convictions, which covered more than 150 offences.

English, who has served seven previous custodial sentences, earned the Singing Defective nickname when, as a young persistent offender, he would sing "No reply" repeatedly, to frustrate officers in police interviews.

Agreeing to a request by defence barrister Jane Waugh to allow the probation service to draw up reports on English prior to sentence, Judge Richard Lowden told him: "You have been convicted on what seems to me to be clear evidence. Don't expect anything other than a long custodial sentence."

English was remanded in custody to return to court in almost two months' time, when he will discover how long he must spend behind bars, but he could receive up to ten years for each charge.

He will be sentenced along with 18-year-olds Lee Black and Shaun Morton, who were passengers in the car.

Morton, of Robson Avenue, Peterlee, and Black, of Rothbury Avenue, in nearby Horden, both admitted aggravated vehicle taking and arson at a previous hearing.

A 16-year-old boy, who police suspected was also in the car, has since died from natural causes.

Detective Chief Superintendent Harry Stephenson, who was in charge of the inquiry, said: "This was a terrible incident which led to the tragic death of Ian Gourley, and the fact they took not much more than 45 minutes to find him guilty is, to me, a wonderful result.

"He has been a prolific criminal and has a history of offending from the mid-1990s onwards."

Ian's parents, Lavinia and Alan, were in court with elder sister Joanne Duggan, plus other family members.

Mrs Gourley said: "I'm delighted he's going to get a long sentence. I still feel the same, I have no forgiveness, not for what he did.

"If it was a pure accident on the road I might have been able to forgive him. But, to me, it was deliberate."

Mr Gourley said: "It's been frustrating since we came to court. I was worried he would get away with it."

Sentence will be passed on English, Morton and Black on November 8.