These are just some of the people to have faced justice at Teesside and Durham Crown Courts throughout June.
Drug dealers, violent thugs and an armed robber are among those who have been locked up.
ARMED ROBBER
A masked armed robber who leapt over the counter of a convenience store and threatened a female member of staff with a knife before grabbing cash from two tills has been locked up.
Robert Lance left the young woman terrified as rifled through the till drawers while holding the knife towards the stomach of the shop worker before she managed to get herself to safety.
Teesside Crown Court was shown the CCTV footage of the short-lived robbery where Lance could be seen walking into the Sainsbury’s Local in Redcar wearing a snood to cover his face and with his hood pulled up in an attempt, to hide his identity.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said police were able to identify Lance after using CCTV footage to trace him back to his nearby home following the raid at 7.30am on February 15 this year.
Miss Masters said the defendant then carried out a burglary on a Dominos takeaway on Roseberry Square, Redcar, after forcing his way into the shop and stealing a bottle of wine and £40 in cash just before midnight on March 3.
His final offence took place on March 17 when he stole nine vapes from a shop on Queen Street, Redcar.
Gary Wood, mitigating, said his client has expressed remorse about the robbery and accepted that his offence had an impact on her after he brandished the knife towards the Sainsbury's worker.
Recorder Anthony Dunne locked Lance up for a total of six years and four months for all offences after using the knife to terrify the shop worker.
DRUG DRIVER
A prolific criminal has been locked up after crashing a stolen car into a bus following a high-speed chase through a North East town centre.
Stephen Harker was spotted driving the stolen Renault Megane around Middlesbrough before he sped away from pursuing police officers.
Teesside Crown Court heard how his dangerous driving came to an end when he smashed into a bus as he weaved his way through traffic on Borough towards the junction with Linthorpe Road.
When he was arrested by police following the crash on March 16 this year, he was discovered to be driving under the influence of cocaine and a derivative of the Class A drug.
The judge heard how the 36-year-old was also charged with the attempted theft of car parked on Gresham Road, Middlesbrough in the early hours of April 4 and a theft from a motor vehicle on the same night when he stole a sat-nav from a taxi.
Harker, formerly of Redcar but now of Conference Road, Leeds, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking; dangerous driving; driving whilst disqualified; driving without insurance; two charges of driving under the influence of drugs; attempted theft of a motor vehicle; theft from a motor vehicle; and breach of a community order.
Recorder Anthony Dunne sentenced Harker to a total of 18-months in custody for all offences.
He said: “You attempted to get away from a police car by driving at speed through busy residential streets and then through busy roads leading to Middlesbrough town centre."
ARSONIST JAILED
An arsonist who put a firework through a woman’s letterbox has been jailed after a judge heard his attack could have proved fatal.
Robert Anthony Wilkinson had been arguing with the victim in the street last August before leaving, returning with the fireworks and used them to start the fire in the house.
He then lit them and put them through the letterbox at the address in Shotton Colliery, trapping the woman inside.
The County Durham home was badly damaged with the fire spreading to the children’s bedrooms but the woman managed to escape without injury.
Wilkinson, of Peterlee, was identified as a suspect and promptly arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, arson with recklessness and threats to kill.
The 30-year-old County Durham man pleaded guilty to arson with recklessness but was found guilty of the other two charges following a trial.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Ash Hagar, of Peterlee CID, said: “This was a reckless crime that could have proved fatal so we are pleased to see justice served.
“I would also like to praise the victim for her bravery throughout the process and hope this will give her some closure.”
ROLLING-PIN ATTACK
A man who went ‘ballistic’ and battered a woman with a rolling pin leaving her covered in blood has been jailed for the brutal attack.
Afzal Hussain's attack on his victim took place when he lost his temper, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 38-year-old left the woman with a minor brain injury and several lacerations on her head as a result of his brutal, unprovoked attack.
Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the woman was so seriously injured that she required treatment by paramedics for her head injuries.
The court heard how police and an ambulance crew were called by frightened occupants of the property and the defendant could be heard shouting ‘I don’t give a ***’.
Witnesses told the police that the victim was being hit with a rolling pin and when the emergency services arrived, she had ‘blood running down her face’ after Hussain went 'ballistic'.
Hussain, of Hall Drive, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the attack on February 24.
He had originally been facing the more serious charge of wounding with intent.
Judge Chris Smith sentenced Hussain to two years and two months in custody for the violent assault.
He said: “You struck the woman to the head five or six times. There is medical evidence which shows she suffered lacerations to the head and a minor traumatic brain injury."
VIOLENT THUG
A violent thug who flew into a jealous rage and assaulted his partner when she asked whether she could have friends around her own home has been locked up after he finally ran out of chances.
James Peacock was told that he had been given more chances than normal to amend his ways when a court heard he was serving two suspended sentences and two conditional discharges when the assault took place.
The 21-year-old even took his mother with him when he confronted his partner at her home before he threatened to 'slit her throat', Teesside Crown Court heard.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said body-worn camera footage of an arresting officer caught the defendant threatening to have someone kill her.
The court heard the offence took place just eight days after he was given a suspended sentence for his roll in a ‘Wild West’ brawl in Asda in Darlington.
The defendant was at the heart of the four-man fight which also included his father and two former friends when they clashed in Asda on Neasham Road, Darlington.
Peacock, of Brighton Road, Darlington, was found guilty of assault by beating following a trial at magistrates’ court.
Judge Chris Smith sentenced Peacock to a total of 14 months in custody after activating part of his suspended sentence and told him to work on his anger issues to stop him continually returning to court.
“I can’t think of anybody who has had four chances like that – you have run out of chances now,” he said.
STALKER JAILED
A man who forged his former partner’s name in a row over money before bombarding her with abusive and degrading messages has been jailed.
Stuart Bell set up a fake email account to convince a solicitors’ firm to send him documents about the transfer of housing assets before forging his ex-partner’s signature.
The 51-year-old then started to harass her with the disturbing messages while taunting her about selling their Mercedes car despite agreeing to hand over the vehicle as part of their separation agreement.
Philip Morley, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court how the defendant was made subject of a restraining order but continued harassing and stalking the woman following the breakdown of their relationship in May 2020.
Mr Morley said Bell made the situation worse by trying to persuade his nephew to take responsibility for sending the messages to his former partner.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said the stress of the case coming to court and finally being resolved had resulted her having suicidal thoughts and she was prescribed medication to get her through.
Bell, of North Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to stalking, breaching a restraining order, forgery and perverting the course of justice.
Judge Chris Smith jailed the Darlington man for four years and four months for making his ex-partner’s life a misery for three years by harassing and stalking her.
He said: “She reported feeling worthless and contemplating suicide, she said she didn’t know what to do to make you stop.”
VIOLENT BURGLARY
A violent thug who was one of seven men who kicked their way into a house before ransacking it and attacking the occupants has admitted his role in the burglary.
Josh White had already stabbed another man in the chest at least fives during an orgy of violence as the group rampaged around Thornaby, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 22-year-old and some friends confronted the two men on the evening of January 9 last year when they surrounded their car to intimidate them before smashing their way into the house on Mansfield Avenue in the early hours of the following morning.
White, of Mead Crescent, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to burglary on the day his trial was due to start but denied being involved in any of the violence.
The court heard how the father-of-one was already serving a sentence of eight years and six months after being jailed for wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article.
Stephen Grattage, mitigating, said his young client was struggling to come to terms with only having contact with his child while is in prison.
He said: “Up to seven people kicked the door in of the property, you must have terrified the occupants with your actions.”
FARM BURGLAR
A prolific burglar is starting his longest stretch in prison after being locked up for his latest crime spree.
Metin Ucarcan and an accomplice targeted a County Durham farm and stole a £8,500 quad bike and chainsaw before leaving the off-road bike burnt out.
The 31-year-old then committed a further burglary and an attempted burglary after being released by police whilst under investigation, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said Ucarcan removed a window from a garage at a farm in Egglestone, near Barnard Castle, before stealing the quad bike in the early hours of October 11 last year.
She said the farmer was left £10,000 out of pocket, the equivalent to a year’s profit from his business.
The court heard how he carried out further offence in Darlington on Monday, October 31. The burglary and attempted burglary happened in the Burnet Drive and Bourne Avenue areas of the town.
Miss Atkinson said the burglary on Burnet Drive was captured a neighbours camera doorbell but police were unable to get further details from the occupant.
Ucarcan, of Hewitson Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to burglary and burglary of a non-dwelling.
Duncan McReddie, mitigating, said his client had admitted responsibility for all of the offences at the earliest possible stage and deserved credit for his early guilty pleas.
Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Ucarcan to a total of three years and one month for all offences.
“The first burglary at the farm appears to have a had some planning and caused a great deal of loss to the farm owner,” he said.
CHARITY SCAM
An ex-charity trustee has walked free from court despite pocketing almost £27,000 from a privatised probation organisation.
Hugh Morgan Williams took £26,966 the from Durham and Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) while he was chairman.
And his fall from grace could be added to after the Cabinet Office was made aware of his conviction in light of him receiving an OBE in June 2008.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 70-year-old used personal contacts with a private company he had links to, to procure contracts for DTVCRC and took ten per cent of the contract value for his own personal use without the knowledge of the board.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Williams had attempted to have entries deleted on invoices with the name DTVCRC on them prior to his invoices being submitted to the company for payment.
He received an OBE in June 2008 for services to business in the North East and North Yorkshire Police has confirmed that the honours department of the Cabinet Office have been made aware of his hearing with a view to a request to have this forfeited.
Morgan-Williams was sentenced to 17 months in prison suspended for 12 months.
JEALOUS RAMPAGE
An arsonist who flew into a jealous rage and torched a car belonging to his pregnant girlfriend’s aunt before threatening to burn her family home down has been locked up.
Brandon Murray’s fury boiled over just days after he reacted angrily to a man messaging his partner over Snapchat before going round and smashing the windows of his mother’s home.
The 20-year-old then told police officers ‘I wish I had burned the ****ing house down’ when he was arrested.
The defendant was already serving a suspended sentence when he went on the rampage in October last year, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said Murray caused between £400 to £6,000 worth of damage to the woman’s home after he got angry about a series of Snapchat messages and became abusive towards the man.
Mr Dryden said Murray admitted taking cocaine and ecstasy at the time of the offences between October 27 and 30 last year.
Murray, of Denbigh, Road, Billingham, pleaded guilty to arson, criminal damage and threatening to cause criminal damage.
Emma Williams, mitigating, said her client was fully expecting a custodial sentence but remained determined to turn his life around and become a good father.
She added: “You took some accelerant, got a taxi to go to her aunt’s house where she (his partner) was staying and set fire to her car before saying ‘your families houses are going up next’."
TEENAGE RAPIST
A cocaine-fuelled teenage rapist eventually admitted his guilt after his victim gave birth and DNA proved he was the father.
Luke Chambers grabbed his victim and sexually assaulted her before carrying out the rape in a field near Bishop Auckland.
The teenage sex attacker was with one of his friends and one of the victim’s friends when the sickening sex attack took place.
Durham Crown Court heard how the victim’s friend was prevented from intervening while Chambers was sexually assaulting the teenager but the rape took place out of their sight when he stole her phone and she chased him to recover it.
Jane Waugh, prosecuting, said when the defendant was initially caught by police he denied rape, but his victim allowed officers to take a sample of her baby's DNA which proved Chambers was the father.
In a victim impact statement, the teenager said she had been left traumatised by the attack but was focussing all of her energies on bringing up her child.
Chambers, now aged 18, of St Phillips Close, Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland, pleaded guilty to rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault following the attack.
Nicholas Askins, mitigating, said his client was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the attack and was being exploited by a ‘County Lines’ drugs gang.
He said: “It has had a huge impact on her life but she has the support of her loving family. She has dedicated herself to a child she never planned to have and she has shown remarkable courage.”
RECKLESS FATHER
A reckless father who allowed his four-year-old son to steer his van as he drove along a busy town centre road has been branded a ‘danger’ to other motorists.
Another driver called police after she spotted Patrick Kearney’s van swerving along the road while someone was continually honking the horn.
When the 41-year-old was arrested for dangerous driving the young lad told police that his father regularly let him get behind the wheel and steer the van while it was moving.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Kearney failed to stop when police tried to pull him over and became aggressive and abusive when they eventually managed to arrest him.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said: “He was swerving around the road and the horn was being constantly tooted. The witness saw the defendant had his four-year-old child on his knee."
The court heard how when Kearney was arrested, he started calling one officer ‘a black f*****’ before banging his head against the side of the police van.
Officers suspected he was driving under the influence of either drink or drugs but the defendant refused to provide a sample when he was arrested on April 14 this year.
Kearney, of Thomas Court, Darlington, admitted dangerous driving, ill-treatment of a child, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, two public order offences, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced the dangerous driver to a total of 16 months for all offences.
He said: “You were operating the pedals of the vehicle but you had trusted the steering and horn to the four-year-old child on your knee – that just beggars’ belief.
“Not only were you putting others at risk; you were putting your child at risk. I can’t imagine what was going through your head to think that was appropriate."
DANGEROUS DRIVER
A dangerous driver who mounted a footpath before smashing into another car when he lost control of his partner’s car was told he could have ‘ended her pregnancy’.
Joshua Norman sped off when police tried to pull him over and reached speeds of 80mph in a 30mph zone before coming to a shuddering halt after weaving through traffic as he headed towards the A66.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 28-year-old had decided to drive despite being banned when his girlfriend tried to get behind the wheel when she was drunk.
Judge Chris Smith warned the defendant he was facing longer and longer sentences if he didn’t grow up while he was in custody.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Norman was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the accident and was avoiding going back to prison after he was recalled on licence for a previous offence.
She said the high-speed pursuit started on Haughton Road, Darlington when police spotted him driving along a footpath and ended when he crashed into another car while illegally overtaking vehicles as he headed towards Great Burdon.
Norman, of NFA but formerly of Darlington, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, being unlawfully at large, driving without insurance, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis, following the incident on April 12 this year.
Judge Smith sentenced Norman to a total of 16 months in prison for all offences warning him that he was now at a ‘make or break’ point in his life unless he stops offending.
HEROIN DEALER
A heroin dealer has been locked up despite trying to do a runner when police attempted to arrest him after he was caught red-handed.
Max Cashman threw a Kinder Egg, with the Class A drug hidden inside, into the engine compartment of car being repaired in the street before officers managed to apprehend him.
A search of the 27-year-old’s clothing resulted in the discovery of a further three plastic bags containing more heroin and some illicit prescription drugs.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Cashman had initially attempted to convince the court that he had acted under duress but when he failed to attend a Newton Hearing, he was arrested and admitted his guilt.
The court heard how Cashman was caught with almost 4g of the Class a drug was recovered from the defendant and it was estimated to be worth up to £300 on the streets.
Cashman, of Mowbray Close, Stockton, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class A drug – heroin, two charges of possession of two types of Class C prescription drugs, and failure to surrender to custody.
He said: “You know perfectly well that selling drugs on the streets is going to get you jailed if you are caught – and you were caught."
SICK PERVERT
A pervert who ripped out a telephone and threw it across the courtroom after launching a tirade of abuse towards a judge and jury after he was found guilty of his ‘pathetic’ voyeurism has been locked up.
Daniel Larsen reacted furiously when the verdict was delivered and made several threats to people in the courtroom, leaving many of them in tears.
Judge Jonathan Carroll branded the 34-year-old’s behaviour as an afront to the judicial process and said the defendant’s apology left a lot to be desired.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Larsen was found guilty of hiding a mobile phone to record a teenage girl before destroying the handset after his sickening behaviour was exposed.
Larsen was sentenced to a total of 16-months after the judge heard of how the offending had impacted on the young girl’s life in such a devastating way.
Turning to the contempt of court charge, the judge said: “Your outburst was loud, aggressive, threatening and intimidating. You made not less than four direct threats to the jury.
“As you were not in a secure dock, I was no able to have the jury immediately removed because to do so would have brought them closer to you. You were showing signs of intention to climb out of the dock towards the jury."
Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said his client continued to maintain his innocence following his conviction.
Larsen was made subject to ten-year sexual harm prevention order and issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim.
DRUNKEN THUG
A drunken thug who launched a tirade of racist abuse at a taxi driver before dragging him from his car by his beard and attacking was too drunk to carry out his attempted robbery.
Robert Hood carried out the vile attack as he became increasingly abusive as the taxi driver took him home on Christmas Day after spending the day drinking.
The 38-year-old initially attempted to punch the man through the Covid screen in the taxi before dragging him out and punching him and kicking him while he was prone on the ground.
Judge Jonathan Carroll locked up Hood for a total of six years after he was found guilty of attempted robbery and racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court had heard how Hood had claimed that he was going to pay for the taxi but the judge did not accept that was his intention and told the defendant it was only his drunken state that prevented him carrying out the robbery.
Hood, of Esher Street, Middlesbrough, was found guilty of both charges following a trial at Teesside Crown Court following the attack on Christmas Day, 2020.
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