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Courts across the region have sentenced individuals for heinous crimes, ranging from murder and sexual assault to burglary and domestic violence. Here is a summary of the cases that saw justice served this month:
Army Veteran’s Jealous Rage Leads to Prison
Army veteran Steven Files, 36, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for a brutal attack on his partner in Darlington. Files, who had a history of violence towards the victim, assaulted her after a drinking session following England’s Euro 2024 loss. The victim suffered severe injuries, including ripped tissue inside her mouth, during the attack. Files was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Teesside Crown Court, where Judge Richard Bennett deemed him a danger to the public.
Vigilante Gang Convicted for Brutal Murder
A gang led by Michael Richardson, 53, has been jailed for the fatal attack on father-of-three Lee Clarkson in Bishop Auckland. The group, armed with weapons, mistakenly targeted Clarkson in a revenge mission for a burglary. Richardson and a teenage accomplice were convicted of murder, receiving life sentences with minimum terms of 23 and 15 years respectively. Two others, Karl Jones and Craig Dent, were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years and 9 years and 6 months, respectively.
Obsessive Stalker Jailed for Strangulation and Police Assault
Kriss Wilson, 40, was sentenced to 20 months for strangling his partner and assaulting a police officer in Darlington. Wilson’s controlling and abusive behavior culminated in the August incident, where he threatened the victim and attacked an officer during his arrest. He was also issued a ten-year restraining order to protect the victim.
Sexual Predator Jailed for Alleyway Attack
Harmandeep Singh, 34, received a three-year-and-six-month sentence for sexually assaulting a woman in a Consett alleyway. Singh attacked the vulnerable victim as she was unable to defend herself. Judge Richard Bennett emphasized the lasting trauma inflicted on the victim, who now fears leaving her home.
Screwdriver-Wielding Thug Sentenced for Aggravated Burglary
Leroy Hewitt, 46, was jailed for 10 years after breaking into a flat in Darlington and threatening a resident with a screwdriver. Hewitt’s violent history, including a prior conviction that left another victim with life-altering injuries, contributed to his lengthy sentence. Judge Francis Laird criticized Hewitt’s repeated targeting of individuals for drugs and money.\
Machete Attack Over Missing Phone Leads to Jail Time
Benjamin Binney, 27, was sentenced to three years and five months for slashing a man across the face with a machete in Darlington. The attack occurred during a confrontation over a missing mobile phone. Judge Richard Bennett condemned Binney’s violent actions, which left the victim hospitalized due to severe blood loss.
Violent Bully Convicted of Child and Partner Abuse
Ryan Turnbull, 29, received a four-year-and-six-month sentence for assaulting a young boy and his ex-partner in Ferryhill. Turnbull’s controlling behavior escalated to physical violence, including smashing a basketball into the boy’s face and attempting to strangle his next partner. The court also imposed indefinite restraining orders to protect the victims.
Prolific Burglar Jailed for Targeting Schools and Businesses
David Soley, 40, was sentenced to 18 months for a series of burglaries in Darlington, including ransacking a primary school and a charity shop. Soley’s actions caused thousands of pounds in damage, with Judge Bennett highlighting his chronic drug addiction as a driving factor. Soley was also convicted of multiple thefts and cannabis possession.
Judge Richard Bennett locked Wilson up for 20 months after the victim described his behaviour as ‘controlling, obsessive and paranoid’.
Wilson was also made subject of a ten-year restraining order.
Sex assault
A pervert who took advantage of a vulnerable woman and sexually assaulted her as she relieved herself in a back alley has been jailed.
Harmandeep Singh followed his victim into the alleyway before carrying out the sickening attack while she was unable to protect herself.
CCTV footage showed the defendant with his victim before he fled the scene, a judge heard.
The 34-year-old attacked the woman after she had spent the night drinking in Consett town centre, Teesside Crown Court heard.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was now too scared to leave her home or to go into Consett and was receiving counselling to help her address her trauma.
Singh, of Newmarket Street, Consett, was found guilty of assault by penetration following a trial.
David Callan, representing the defendant, said his client worked in the kitchen of a restaurant after saving up to move to this country from his native Punjab.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Singh to three years and six months in custody for the sex attack.
He said: “Your assault on her has had a considerable effect and she has struggled to leave her house at times.”
Singh was told that he must sign on the sex offenders’ register for life unless he is deported following his release from custody.
Darlington thug
A screwdriver-wielding thug intent on ‘taxing’ a drug dealer has been jailed after entering the wrong flat and threatening to stab an innocent victim.
Leroy Hewitt let himself into the man’s flat in the early hours of the morning before demanding that he hand over his cash and drugs while he was looking for ‘sniff’.
The 46-year-old forced the man to show him the contents of his wallet before threatening him with a screwdriver as he held it against his body.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the man was able to escape when Hewitt started searching his bedroom and he fled to a neighbour’s flat to call the police.
The court heard how Hewitt had a previous conviction from June 2020 when a man was forced to jump out of an upstairs window to escape the violent defendant.
The defendant was searching for drugs and money at the time and the victim was so scared that he chose to jump out of a window where he suffered life-changing injuries, including broken back, broken leg and facial injuries.
Jonathan Walker, mitigating, said his client is determined to turn his back on crime once he is released from custody for his latest offence.
Judge Francis Laird passed a ten-year sentence for Hewitt – eight years in custody followed by two years on extended licence.
“You demanded to have his coke and you then said you were going to stab him while you held what he thought was an ice-pick but was in fact a screwdriver and you held it to his stomach,” he said.
“Your intention that night was to enter the premises of somebody you believed to be a drug dealer and steal drugs and money – that activity is commonly called taxing.”
Machete slasher
A thug who slashed a man across the face with a machete during a row about a missing mobile phone has been locked up.
Benjamin Binney used the large knife to attack the man in his own home after his partner’s phone went missing.
The 27-year-old went looking for a man he believed was responsible before the confrontation descended into violence in the victim’s Darlington home.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the man collapsed in the nearby hospital as a result of blood loss from his facial injury.
Binney, of Longfield Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.
The defendant read out a letter to the court apologising for his violent behaviour on January 18 this year.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Binney to a total of three years and five months for both offences.
He said: “You barged your way into the address and then you produced that knife and started lashing out. You hit the victim.
“You were aggrieved about a missing phone belonging to your partner – it was a lifeline for her.”
Ferryhill bully
A violent bully who attacked a young boy when arguing with his former partner went on to attempt to strangle another woman.
Ryan Turnbull grabbed the boy by the arm and threw him to the ground before smashing a basketball into his face during the row with his mother.
Teesside Crown Court heard how he had been in a controlling relationship with the boy’s mother for four years before his violence became too much for her to endure.
Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Turnbull called the boy’s mother 30 times asking if he could come and apologise, she refused and told him he ‘had gone too far’.
He told the court how the defendant started a new relationship but his controlling behaviour continued, he would repeatedly call her to check where she was and accuse her of having an affair.
Turnbull, of Bessemer Street, Ferryhill, was found guilty of coercive and controlling behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm on the young boy in September 2022.
The 29-year-old was also found guilty of intentional strangulation and assault on his next partner in June and July last year.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Turnbull to a total of four years and six months after he was found guilty of all charges.
“You became controlling and verbally aggressive and then increasingly physically aggressive,” he said about the first set of charges.
“You created an unpleasant atmosphere in her home for her and her children. When her son asked why you were shouting at his mother, you grabbed him by the arms and pushed him to the floor.
“Whilst he was lying on the floor crying, you picked up a basketball and threw it full force into his face. That blow made him feel dizzy and upset.”
Turnbull was also issued with indefinite restraining orders to protect his two victims.
Prolific burglar
A prolific offender is back behind bars after he carried out a spate of burglaries on businesses, a school and a charity shop to fund his drug habit.
David Soley caused thousands of pounds worth of damage as he carried out the spree of offending over a six-week period across Darlington.
The 40-year-old was branded a menace to small and large businesses as he was jailed for his latest catalogue of offences.
Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said the repeat offender broke into the Barnardo’s shop before conducting an untidy search and ransacking the backroom before stealing £80 cash and doing £2,000 worth of damage.
His second burglary took place at Northwood Primary School where he removed a window before carrying out an untidy search causing damage of £475.
Miss Buck said the next burglary took place at SEM Electrical where he forced entry to the premise, again conducting an untidy search and stealing a hedge trimmer and a camera.
In May, Soley broke into a car parked on Eldon Street, Darlington, and stole loose change, a bank card and washing pods.
The second theft occurred the following day where he broke into a Mercedes van and stole two DeWalt drills worth £500.
On May 20, he used a hacksaw to remove metal bars from the Style Council and stole drills, a hammer drill and a box of cannulas worth £600.
On his arrest, he was found to be in possession of cannabis.
He was found guilty of a burglary of a shop on Northgate and an attempted burglary of a tyre centre.
Miss Buck said he stole cash from a corner shop as well as vapes, cigarettes and Red Bull before attempting to break into Tyre Corner nearby.
Soley, of Corbridge Crescent, Darlington, was convicted for four non-dwelling burglaries, one attempted burglary, two thefts and possession of cannabis.
Judge Richard Bennett jailed the serial burglar for a total of 18 months for all offences.
He said: “You have a longstanding chronic addiction to drugs and it is clear that when you are in the throes of your addiction you simply do not care who you target.
“That includes the mean offences of burgling a charity and a primary school.”
Wimbledon rapist
A bodyguard working at the Wimbledon tennis tournament has been locked up after he molested and attempted to rape a woman in her hotel room.
Phillip Harrison partied into the early hours of the morning drinking and taking cocaine before conning his way into the woman’s room and sexually assaulting her.
The 33-year-old former army Lance Corporal persisted with his attack on his victim despite her repeatedly telling him to stop, a judge heard.
Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court heard how the defendant bombarded her with text messages before trying to twice kiss her only for her to reject his unwanted advances.
Harrison also gave the woman cocaine before coercing her to delete the messages so that he didn’t risk losing his security licence.
The father-of-one continued bombarding the woman with messages even after he had sexually assaulted her, the court heard.
Judge Sarah Plaschkes KC sentenced Harrison to a total of eight years following his conviction after telling his victim that he was ‘high, horny and arrogant’ just minutes before the attack.
“Despite her making it clear that she was not sexually interested in you, you would not take no for an answer,” she said.
The judge read out the contents of the messages Harrison sent to his victim before he persuaded a member of the hotel staff to give him a key to her room after watching pornography in his room and taking cocaine.
Harrison, of Market Crescent, Wingate, County Durham, was convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration following a trial in the summer.
Lucy Organ, mitigating, said her client was addicted to cocaine at the time of the offence but has since addressed his drug problem and has shown remorse.
She added: “I suggest this offending was out of character for a 33-year-old man who had previously conducted himself without previous conviction as an upstanding member of society.”
Harrison was also made subject of an indefinite notification requirement order meaning he has to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Sainsbury’s arsonist
A paranoid man set fire to the toilets of a Sainsbury’s store when he barged his way in, claiming he was being followed during booze and cocaine bender.
Gavin Speck entered the shop in an agitated state before locking himself inside the staffroom toilets and starting a fire when police arrived on the scene.
The 34-year-old arsonist was found to be in possession of cocaine when the officers forced the door and arrested him.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the arson took place just two days after he was arrested for breaking into his partner’s home and creeping around her bedroom.
The court heard how the Eston store was forced to close for two days and damage caused was estimated to have cost the company £31,396.42.
Dealing with the criminal damage charge, Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the defendant had smashed a window to gain entry to his partner’s home before launching a tirade of abuse towards her and then fleeing.
Speck, of Margaret Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, possession of cocaine and failing to surrender to bail.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced Speck to a total of three years and seven months after he activated part of his previous suspended sentence.
He said: “At the time you committed the offences you had, in your own words, been on a bender which had lasted several days with you taking cocaine and drinking heavily.”
Defecating burglar
A burglar who targeted several properties in one night was also caught on CCTV defecating on the doorstep of someone’s home.
Gerald Dunion carried out the spree of the offences in the early hours through to early morning when he crept into two properties and attempted to gain entry to several others.
The 50-year-old was caught by the visually impaired occupant of one the properties before fleeing the scene, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said Dunion’s first offence saw him captured on Ring doorbell footage entering a property before he defecated on the doorstep of another home on Carlton Street, Hartlepool.
He said a couple of hours later he spotted in Belmont Gardens trying door handles after carrying out an untidy search of one home and stealing the occupant’s iPhone.
The final burglary happened two hours later when he was spotted opening a window and sticking his head through a window and shouting hello before walking away after he spotted the occupant in the house.
Mr Gittins said the woman whose mobile phone was stolen managed to track him down and recover her iPhone before the police arrived.
Dunion, of Stockton Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to three burglaries, attempted burglary and damaging property on September 9 this year.
Judge Francis Laird KC locked the repeat burglar up for three years and nine months for all offences after hearing he had 23 convictions for 73 offences, including 40 charges connected to theft.
He said: “At the time, you were homeless and you had resorted to drinking very heavily.”
Scooter thief
A teenager who lashed out with a metal weapon when he was confronted by members of a scooter club as he was trying to steal one of their bikes has been jailed.
Morgan Handley-Todd was spotted trying to take the bike from outside a pub before he was chased down an alleyway where he attacked the man and left him with an injury to his hand.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 19-year-old attacked another man when he was trying to break into a BMW and steal contents from inside.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said during the first offence the defendant was challenged by members of the scooter club who were meeting in the Marine Hotel in Saltburn.
Mr Soppitt said the teenager then attacked a man when he was confronted as he rifled through a BMW looking for items to steal.
The teenager then threatened to burn down the man’s home.
Handley-Todd, of Lismore Gardens, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, two charges of attempted theft, battery and possession of an offensive weapon from April 25 this year.
Judge Chris Smith sentenced the teenager to a total of three years and two months for all offences.
“One person had parked their scooter outside the pub and you thought you would try to help yourself, you were seen by somebody, but you bit off more than you could chew.”
Police attack
Five members of a lager-swilling gang who violently attacked two police officers when they had bombarded them with rocks and bottles have been jailed for more than 20 years.
Craig Bradley was described as the ringleader as he encouraged his friends to attack the officers to prevent him from being arrested after he became abusive as he resisted arrest.
Macauley Owen, Josh Blackston, Martin Rivers, Samuel Lane, and an unidentified male, launched a barrage of missiles or taunted the officers after they attended the report of a fire in the middle of a road.
Now four of them have been locked up for their role in the disgraceful disorder which left one officer facing the end of his career due to the injuries he suffered in the early hours of November 26 last year.
Judge Chris Smith labelled the outbreak of violence, near Fonteyn Court, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, as disgraceful as he sentenced the group of thugs.
“Each of you played your parts in what was a pitched battle with those two police officers,” he said.
“You armed yourselves with an array of makeshift weapons, grabbing whatever was close to hand, beer cans, bottles, rocks, bricks and lumps of concrete, in a disgraceful piece of mob violence.”
The officer suffered significant injuries and is waiting to be discharged from the force due to trauma and the impact the attack had on his physical wellbeing.
Teesside Crown Court had heard how some of the gang armed themselves with a variety of missiles before launching them at the officer’s head from just metres away.
Owen, 26, from Alwinton Court, Ormesby, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and violent disorder. He was jailed for six years and one month.
Rivers, of no fixed address but formerly of Alstread Court, Hemlington, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He was sentenced to two years and five months.
Lane, 20, of Eddison Way, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and breach of a criminal behaviour order. He was sentenced to two years and ten months.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of their co-defendant Josh Blackston.
The 23-year-old, of Fonteyn Court, Middlesbrough, was jailed for six years and one month in his absence after pleading guilty to wounding with intent and violent disorder.
Jealous outburst
A young thug who smashed his way into his ex-partner’s home and attacked the occupants has been jailed following his jealous and violent outburst.
Charlie Dobbing was joined by his pal Bruce Coffey to carry out the retribution after he was kicked out of a Darlington nightclub after confronting the mother of his two children.
The 19-year-old stormed to her address and smashed a number of windows before returning a couple of hours later armed with knife and a bike seat pole.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the two teenagers crept into the house before Dobbing started attacking his ex-partner and 19-year-old Coffey struck a male across the head with a metal bar before fleeing the scene.
Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said Dobbing continued to attack his ex-partner and her a female friend before starting to fight a male friend.
The court heard how the teenager then attacked two police officers when they attended his home to arrest him. He flung his head into the face of one officer before lashing out and hitting another in the face with a fist.
Dobbing, of Coxwold Drive, Darlington, pleaded guilty to affray, three counts of criminal damage and two charges of assaulting an emergency worker following the events of January 26 and 27 this year.
Coffey, of Neasham Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to a single charge of affray as a result of his involvement in the offending.
Judge Deborah Sherwin sentenced Dobbing to 67 weeks in custody while Coffey received a six-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
Young rioter
A young rioter who threw a rock at police officers when a town centre was enveloped in violence has been locked up.
Mother-of-one Tamsyn Cerr was caught on camera confronting the police cordon in Hartlepool before throwing an object at an officer.
Drone footage of the incident also captured the 21-year-old running away as police officers moved forward in an attempt to disperse the violent disturbance.
Teesside Crown Court watched footage as she passed a missile to another rioter which was then thrown towards the cordon.
Cerr, of Firby Close, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to violent disorder following the civil unrest in Hartlepool on July 31.
Calum McNicholas, mitigating, said the young mother helped her blind father to get around as well as taking her child to medical appointments.
He said: “This is somebody who prides herself on the care that she provides to her young daughter, to her vulnerable father and also on the work she has done in the community.”
Judge Francis Laird KC sentenced the young mother to one year in custody for her role in the largescale violent disorder that blighted Hartlepool town centre.
“You were observed, firstly, throwing a missile at police officers from close quarters. Secondly, handing a missile to another who also threw it towards police lines,” he said.
Urine attack
A man who threw urine at police officers after dowsing them in lighter fluid and battering one with a baseball bat has been locked up.
Mohammed Hussain launched the violent attacks during a lengthy stand-off with officers when they attempted to arrest him after he threatened to stab his former partner’s new lover.
The 34-year-old told officers the only way he would leave his flat was in a body bag before climbing onto the roof and throwing tiles at officers on March 3 this year.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Hussain also set bedding alight before throwing at the officers forcing them to extinguish the flames at the block of flats in Hartlepool.
Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Hussain hit one officer several times to the head with a baseball bat but thankfully he was wearing protective head gear and didn’t suffer any significant injury.
Mr Newcombe said Hussain threw items at the officers, including a radiator, a chest of drawers and a vacuum cleaner.
The judge heard how the defendant then set light to bedding and threw them at officers which set fire to the carpet.
The defendant then hit the officer five to six times with a baseball bat before brandishing a large kitchen knife and threatening them.
The stand-off lasted for several hours and eventually came to an end when they tasered the defendant and arrested him after he threw urine at the officers.
Hussain, of no fixed abode but formerly of Elwick Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to reckless arson and five counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
Judge Chris Smith passed an extended prison sentence of seven years as he locked Hussain up for the raft of offences in ‘this troubling case’.
“You were violent and aggressive and abusive from the outset. You told them that you hated the police and had attacked them in the past which was right as you have previous convictions for assaulting emergency workers and resisting arrest,” he said.
“You poured lighter fluid down the stairwell and squirted it at the officers – that is dangerous behaviour.”
Child rapist
A convicted child rapist caught hiding two mobile phones in the glovebox of his mother’s car when police arrested him has been jailed.
Police were tipped off that Chris Leyburn was using an online alias of ‘Lizardman1990’ while using Snapchat despite being banned from going online unless following strict guidelines.
The 34-year-old was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and notification requirement order (NRO) following his conviction for serious sex offences on a young boy and girl.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the serious sex offender had breached both orders multiple times since it was imposed following his conviction for rape of a child in 2006.
Dan Wilberforce, prosecuting, police were tipped-off that the defendant was using a fake alias on Snapchat under the name of Lizardman1990.
Leyburn, of Aylton Drive, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his SHPO and one charge of breaching his NRO following his arrest on September 12.
The court heard how Leyburn claimed that the court orders were a breach of his human rights and he wasn’t aware that he had to declare his alias on Snapchat.
Judge Richard Bennett branded the sex offender’s behaviour as a ‘persistent breach’ as he locked him up for two years for lying about the mobile phones, he had access to.
“I’m satisfied that your use of Snapchat was a persistent breach as you were using the app for nine months without telling the police,” he said.
“You have convictions for raping a girl under 16 and a boy under 13, together with other child sexual offences and the order was imposed to manage the risk that you pose to young children.”
Here are some of the most serious offenders who have faced justice at Teesside Crown Court in November.
The cases include a killer, rapists, drug dealers and violent thugs from across the region.
November
Pub killer
A thug who killed a loving grandfather when he attacked him in a pub beer garden has been locked up.
Curtis Tudor headbutted Carl James before delivering a devastating right hook as he tried to get up from the floor and he hit his head on a wooden table when he collapsed from the blow.
The 42-year-old died following an incident at the Jack and Jill pub on Crossfell Road, Middlesbrough, in May this year.
CCTV footage captured the fatal incident in the pub beer garden which showed Mr James sitting next to the defendant before violence erupted.
The court heard how the pair had a ‘bit of chew’ earlier in the day before Tudor told the father-of-five to ‘f** off’ and then seconds later launched the fatal assault.
Judge Francis Laird KC told Tudor that no sentence he could pass could reflect the “value or worth of his life” which had been “cruelly snatched away from him”.
Tudor was sentenced to six years in prison.
The 26-year-old, of Welburn Grove, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to manslaughter following the violence shortly before 6pm on Saturday, May 11.
Darlington pervert
A sick pervert who left a woman terrified for her safety after he chased her home following a night out has been branded a danger to women.
A judge told Mohammed Rahman that his behaviour is “alarming” after hearing how the woman was forced to run for safety as the 20-year-old closed in on her.
The woman started to use her mobile phone to record Rahman as he was bearing down on her and was left terrified he knew where she lived.
Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court how the defendant followed the victim for several minutes whilst continually closing the gap between the pair and pulling up his hood to disguise his identity.
She said: “She took out her mobile phone and started to record the male who was now at a sprint, crossing the road towards her.
“She shouted ‘why are you following me?’ as he pulled his hood around her face and ran past her.”
Rahman, of Selbourne Terrace, Darlington, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sexual risk order following his arrest on April 14 this year.
The judge heard how Rahman was issued with a sexual risk order after he was caught carrying out a sex act in front of residents of care home.
Judge Jonathan Carroll branded Rahman’s approach to women as ‘alarming’ as he jailed him for two years and eight months.
“She fled and you sprinted after her,” he said. “The level of anxiety and fear that must have triggered is hard to imagine.”
Drug dealer
A drug dealer who came back into the country illegally after he was deported when he was released from prison following the death of a popular Yarm man is back behind bars.
Edwin Taha was convicted of affray after he was involved in the death of Luke Jobson who died after he was chased through Yarm town centre by a gang of youths.
The 24-year-old was deported to his native France in January 2023 after he was released from custody after the 22-year-old engineering student drowned when he fled after he was surrounded by a ‘pack of wolves’ on the night he died.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Taha illegally re-entered the country within months of his deportation before returning to Teesside and dealing drugs to fund his lifestyle.
Taha was arrested after cocaine, cash and gold jewellery were recovered from his car and home when he was stopped in Hartlepool.
He was driving along Grange Road on September 14 when he was pulled over by officers driving a white Mercedes.
Saba Shan, prosecuting, said police estimated that the cocaine recovered following his arrest in September was valued at around £10,000 alongside a can of CS spray, a baseball bat, a hammer and a large quantity of cash and jewellery.
Taha, of Park Lane, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of a prohibited weapon – CS spray, entering the country illegally, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
Judge Timothy Stead jailed the drug dealer to a total of five years and nine months for all offences.
EncroChat gang
A gang of ‘industrial scale’ drug dealers who were brought down when their encrypted phone network was compromised have been locked up for more than 40 years.
Nico Easton, Robert English and Mark McKeswick were brought to justice after French police hacked EncroChat in 2019 and recovered thousands of encrypted messages.
The North East drug traffickers were jailed after they were convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin and source a firearm as part of their criminal enterprise.
Easton was the Teesside link to the crime network, while English and his right-hand man McKeswick headed up operations in the Newcastle area.
The Stockton man, who was using the name “Dior Metal” on the messaging platform, was trying to buy 1kg of heroin, alongside 3kg of mixing agent.
During their trial, jurors had heard how Easton and English were trying to source a handgun and a silencer while trading in large quantities of illicit drugs.
All three defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to supply heroin and conspiracy to acquire a firearm.
English, of Woodlands, Throckley, was also found guilty of the possession of criminal property. McKeswick, of Muswell Hill, Newcastle, was also found guilty of being concerned in the production of heroin and the possession of criminal property.
Easton was jailed for 15 years and six months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to acquire a firearm without a certificate.
English was jailed for 18 years and eight months for his role in the conspiracy while his lieutenant McKeswick was locked up for 13 years and three months.
‘Despicable’ rapist
A vile child rapist who carried out a campaign of sexual abuse has been branded ‘arrogant and despicable’ as he was sentenced to 25 years.
George Bellwood’s horrendous abuse left his victim wanting to die after the pervert video recorded some of his deplorable sex attacks.
The 32-year-old eventually pleaded guilty to all charges but not until he had forced his young victim to be cross examined ahead of his impending trial date.
Sentencing him, Judge Jo Kidd said: “(The victim) was the subject of the most heinous, monstrous, violent abuse by you.
“Matters came to light when they disclosed to their teacher what had happened. The child said – ‘it makes me sad and stressed and I wish I was dead’.”
Durham Crown Court heard how Bellwood’s violent sexual abuse had left the victim suffering from medical problems and left her in tears which didn’t stop the assaults.
In a victim impact statement, the child’s mother laid bare the suffering and pain they had endured at the hands of Bellwood.
She said the child now has difficulty regulating their emotions and regularly says they want to be dead and that is heart-breaking.
Bellwood, of Zetland Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13, sexual assault on a child under 13, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of child, distributing an indecent image of a child, and possession of extreme pornography.
Sobbing dealer
A drug dealer sobbed as he was locked up after £1,500 worth of cocaine was found hidden in a fridge in an outhouse.
Unemployed Zack Reeves was selling the drug to help fund his own cocaine fuelled ‘benders’ alongside the money he made from buying and selling cars and motorbikes.
The 28-year-old also had £3,629 stashed in a cupboard when police raided his Middlesbrough home in the summer.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Reeves told officers where they would find the drugs when he answered the door to his home.
Ian West, prosecuting, said three bags of cocaine were found in the fridge and a specialist officer valued the drug to be worth £1,500 on the streets.
Reeves, of Downside Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property following his arrest on August 22 this year.
Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced Reeves to three years and four months for both offences.
He said: “When the police arrived, you volunteered to police where the drugs would be found, it is plain that you kept those drugs away from the children in a place they were unlikely to go.
“The fact is, Class A drugs should never be anywhere near a house where children would be – I think you understand that now.”
Cannabis farmer
A cannabis farmer found hiding under loft insulation has been locked up after plants with an estimated street value of up to £160,000 was recovered.
Fatjon Hoxha had spent a month looking after the illicit crop before Durham Constabulary raided the house in Darlington last month.
The 21-year-old Albanian was told he would be deported once he had served his sentence when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court.
Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, said Hoxha was looking after the professionally set-up cannabis grow in the house on Leafield Road until the police raid was carried.
Police valued the potential value of the cannabis grow ranged from £20,000 if sold in bulk up to £162,000 if sold on the streets but said there was no evidence of street dealing at the three bedroomed house.
Hoxha, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to being involved in the production of a Class B drug, cannabis on October 2.
Judge Richard Bennett told Hoxha he would be deported to his native Albania once he had served his two-year sentence.
“They found a cannabis farm spread across three floors, this was a professional set up, you were located hiding under insulation in the attic and in possession of a mobile phone.
“Officers found the cupboards and fridge were stocked with food and the bed had been slept in,” he said.
Sex offender
A rapist who also sexually abused a young girl has been locked up for 17 years after being convicted of a string of sex offences.
Keith Sterling’s degrading abuse took place several years ago while he was living in Darlington.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the sex offender had significantly damaged the lives of his victims and he still continues to deny his offences.
Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said one of the rapes happened when the victim was sleeping.
In a victim personal statement, the woman said Sterling’s abuse had impacted on her mental health and would take the pain ‘to her grave’.
The child victim said Sterling’s abuse had left her struggling to come to terms what had happened to her and she still struggled to put into words the impact that his abuse had on her and remains mistrustful of male adults.
The 46-year-old, of Roker Place, Darlington, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault on a child following a trial at the same court.
Recorder Aisha Wadoodi sentenced Sterling to a total of 17 years for all offences.
“The prosecution submitted that some of the offences were done in drink but there was a repeated pattern of sexual offending which was reflected by the jury’s verdicts,” she said.
Sterling was also made subject of life-long restraining orders, sexual harm prevention order and was told he would have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.
Career criminal
A career criminal has been locked up for his latest raft of offences including shoplifting, knife possession and smearing faeces on a camera in a police station cell.
Christopher Webster, who has 11 convictions for 224 offences on his record, stole corned beef, hair straighteners, jewellery and fragrances during a plethora of shoplifting offences.
The 42-year-old was found guilty of carrying a knife while in Darlington Memorial Hospital after he failed to turn up for his trial, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, said the serial offender stole goods from the Co-op and TK Maxx in July and August.
He said Webster had smeared excrement on a security camera inside a police cell following one of his arrests in July which resulted in it needing a deep clean.
Webster, of Headlam House, Darlington, pleaded guilty to shoplifting, criminal damage, assault an emergency worker, failure to surrender to court bail and possession of Class C drugs. He was found guilty of the bladed article offence.
Recorder Tayrn Turner locked the repeat offender up for a total of 14 months for a raft of offences over a short period of time.
“When I say a raft of offences, I’m right in saying they total 11. They are also a variety of offences but I have to acknowledge they are all relatively low level with the exception of possession of a bladed article and assault on emergency worker,” she said.
Drug runner
A drug dealer who dangled off a footbridge across the A66 in a desperate attempt to avoid arrest has been locked up.
Jake Marron was spotted by officers speeding around on his electric scooter before carrying out a suspected drug deal in a park.
The 22-year-old knocked one of the officers out of the way on his bike before discarding his mobile phone as he edged his way along the ledge, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Albany Kidd, prosecuting, said: “The other officers were blocking his path, so he climbed over the bridge railing and was dangling over a 50mph stretch of the A66.
“He edged along the ledge and was heard to make a call from his mobile phone saying – ‘I have been caught’.”
Marron, of Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, and assaulting an emergency worker.
Judge Richard Bennett sentenced the defendant to a total of two years and three months after he was caught selling the drugs in a Middlesbrough park.
He added: “You were seen openly being involved in what was described as a drugs transaction and then left the park in as much as a hurry as when you arrived in the park.”
Gang shooting
An armed gang who trawled the streets looking for their intended target were heard to shout ‘shoot him’ before a volley of four rounds were fired from a rifle.
The man was left fighting for his life after he was shot in the back with the bullet shattering two of his ribs before bursting out of the front of body.
Christopher Teasdale, Martin Timms and Richard Finn used a .22 long-barrelled rifle, which was fitted with a telescopic sight, to shoot their victim after they spotted him walking along the street.
Security footage captured their white BMW in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, and one of them could be heard shouting ‘There he is man – shoot him, shoot him’ before the sound of fire shots were captured.
Moments later, the victim’s girlfriend appeared on the scene and one of the gang was heard to shout ‘Move your car – move it’ before they drove away from the scene.
Paul Rooney, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court, how the three men were caught on more security footage when the pulled up at the home of Timms on Caernarvon Close, Eston, and were seen to remove the rifle from the rear.
He said the 21-year-old victim suffered huge blood loss and a punctured lung, with broken ribs piercing his skin. He was left in a critical condition as being treated by paramedics who feared he would go into cardiac arrest while laid in the street.
The three men initially faced a charge of attempted murder but they pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent last month on the day their trial was due to start.
Paul Abrahams, representing 45-year-old Finn, of Brunswick Avenue, Middlesbrough, said his client had started committing offences when he fell into drug use but had managed to stay out of trouble for 20 years.
Dan Cordey, presenting 53-year-old Timms, said his client had 30 previous convictions for low-level offending and accepted he had served a six-month prison sentence in 1996, for drug driving.
While Jane Waugh, representing 42-year-old Teasdale, of Stafford Road, Middlesbrough, said her client was the main carer for his four children but accepted he did have several previous convictions.
They all got sentences of 13 years and nine months, with ten years and nine months in custody and three years on extended licence.
Street attack
A drunken thug who stabbed a man nine times in an unprovoked attack following a confrontation near a taxi office has been locked up.
Adam Leonard lured his victim away for the office to launch his unprovoked attack before running away celebrating what he had done.
The 33-year-old left his victim needing emergency surgery after he suffered two punctured lungs as a result of the stabbing in the early hours of the morning on Redcar High Street.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the attack had a devastating impact on Leonard’s victim and he is still struggling to come to terms with it.
Judge Roger Thomas KC sentenced Leonard to 14 years in prison with an extended licence period of three years after branding him a serial offender with a predilection to carrying a knife.
“You are seen on CCTV for a number of minutes before the stabbing and it is possible to gain a very good impression of you and your behaviour which was odd and bizarre.
“For some wholly unjustified and senseless reason, you took some sort of exception to your victim who did nothing at all to you to explain the attention that you paid to him,” he said.
“Having effectively lured him to you, you produced a knife from your pocket and stabbed him nine times. These were penetrating wounds, his left lung was pierced and deflated and his right lung was also deflated.
“These injuries were correctly described as life-threatening.”
Leonard, of Park Court, Redcar, was found guilty of causing wounding with intent after he pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article following the attack on March 31.
The judge heard how Leonard had 30 convictions for 65 offences including ones for violence and weapons offences and one for attacking his own brother.
Teenager abuser
A teenager who sexually abused three young girls has been locked up for his campaign of degrading assaults.
Dominic Legg carried out a series of sexual assaults and rapes on his victims over a four-year period leaving them suffering from the traumatic effects of his abuse.
The 19-year-old’s victims ranged in age from under ten to 15 years of age and took place when he was under age as well with the abuse starting when he was around 12, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Claire Anderson, prosecuting, said the abuse has left one of his victims feeling suicidal due the impact of his behaviour towards her while another had been left feeling withdrawn and her personality had been changed.
Legg, of Harrow Street, Hartlepool, was found guilty of 13 charges against the three victims including counts of rape, sexual assault and engaging in sexual activity with a child following a trial.
Passing sentence, Judge Chris Smith said: “You committed these crimes over a long period of time when you were growing up. Three young women have been really affected by what you did to them.”
Legg was sentenced to a total of five years and nine months in a young offenders’ institute for all offences.
The teenager was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order to protect his victims.
He was told that he must sign on the sex offenders’ register for the remainder of his life.
Drug taxing
An armed gang who left their terrified victim a tetraplegic when he fell from a window in a desperate attempt to flee their attack have been jailed.
Samantha Nunn drove the gang to the house before shouting vile encouragement to her co-accused to ‘get him’ before he plunged headfirst from the first-floor window.
Her boyfriend Kallum Shilham, and Andrew Hobson were caught on ‘chilling’ Ring doorbell footage using weapons to smash their way into a house intent on inflicting violence on the-then 20-year-old.
Teesside Crown Court had heard how the three defendants, and another unidentified person, descended on a house in Stockton armed with knives and a pool cue with the intention of ‘taxing’ an alleged drug dealer.
The armed gang smashed a window in the house before piling in and hunting down their intended target.
Jurors had heard how Hobson had rifled through the pockets of the man as he lay seriously injured on the floor before they all fled the scene without calling for help for their stricken target.
Judge Timothy Stead said: “Not only did Samantha Nunn get out of the vehicle; she was seen and heard on video recording which is both descriptive and chilling to watch.
“She is seen and heard to be directing what was going on, she was seen to move a bin with a view to help others get into the premises and heard to be shouting ‘go on, get in, he is a ****, go on get him’.”
Nunn, of Sandringham Road, Thornaby, was convicted of aggravated burglary and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Her boyfriend, 24-year-old Shilham, of Harrowgate Lane, Stockton, had denied the same charges but was convicted. He had pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article.
The third defendant, Hobson, of Sun Gardens, Thornaby, had denied both charges and also denied the possession of an offensive weapon – a pool cue, but was convicted of all charges.
All three were sentenced to a total of 18 years in custody.
Darlington arsonist
A thug who hit a man in the face before stealing his e-bike turned up at his victim’s house the following day with an axe demanding he hand over the charger.
Brian Todd used a heavy object to strike his victim across the nose before stealing his e-bike and riding off.
The following day he threatened the victim with an axe while wearing a mask and demanded he handover the charger.
A few months later, the 31-year-old travelled to the Middlesbrough area where he threw a petrol bomb through the window of a bungalow where an elderly couple lived.
Teesside Crown Court heard how Todd was identified from CCTV footage from a nearby shop where he bought a lighter while smelling strongly of petrol.
Ashleigh Leach, prosecuting, said the robbery took place in August last year when they were walking along Geneva Road in Darlington.
Todd left his victim with blood all over his face before turning up the next day wearing a mask, carrying an axe and demanding the charger for the e-bike.
Todd, of Dumfries Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, and arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.
Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said his client was effectively homeless at the time of the offences and had fallen in with a bad crowd.
Recorder David Kelly sentenced Todd to a total of eight years and six months for all offences.
“You claimed your actions were simply at the sway of a local drug dealer but there is no evidence of that.
“Your financial motive is laid bare by the fact that the following day you went back to his house with an axe and demanded he hand over the charger,” he said.
Attempted murder
A man who repeatedly stabbed a woman he had farmed a ‘bizarre’ relationship with has been locked up for attempted murder.
David Fletcher was only thwarted when another woman bravely grappled with him as he tried to stab his victim over and over.
Graphic footage of the violent attack was shown at Teesside Crown Court when the 62-year-old was sentenced for the attack in Durham earlier this year.
The judge heard how Fletcher dragged the victim between two buildings off Churchill Square, Gilesgate, and began stabbing her with a knife.
As she screamed out for help, a woman ran over and attempted to prevent the attack by trying to grab the knife from Fletcher.
In a victim impact statement, she said: “Since the attack, I have not been able to trust even my closest friends and find myself constantly on edge with people.
“My mental health has seen a major decline since the incident, resulting in me becoming secluded, isolated, and a shell of my former self.”
The court heard how Fletcher has 11 previous convictions including one for dangerous driving when he rammed his Transit van into another vehicle where the same victim was a passenger and another for violence against her.
Fletcher, of Dean Road, South Shields, pleaded guilty to attempted murder, possession of a bladed article and assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the violent attack on May 2 this year.
Judge Francis Laird KC said the victim became known to the defendant through her sex work before they formed a friendship and he tried to get her to improve her life.
He said: “You attacked her with a knife, she shouted for help a number of times but you continued to attack her even after she was knocked to the ground.
“Her cries attracted the attention of local residents; a woman left her home and intervened. With considerable courage she sought to tackle you and prise the knife from your grasp.
“She managed to disarm you but in the course of the struggle you injured her with the knife. You threatened her and swiped the knife towards her.”
The North East man was told he would serve 17 years in custody before serving a further four years on extended licence.
December
Darlington thugs
Two thugs who robbed a vulnerable old man have been locked up after he was left scared to leave his own home.
Kerry Nevison stopped the victim to ask him for money just after he had left a small supermarket before Kevin Warne came up behind him and stole his wallet.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair managed to steal £150 in cash, a bank card and a driving licence from their victim near the Asda store on Neasham Road, Darlington.
Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the victim became concerned when he saw the woman loitering near the shop.
“She came across to ask him for money and he gave her 80p. However, he didn’t see the male come behind him, the female grabbed his wrist and used her other hand to grab the shopping, the male went through his pockets,” he said.
“A witness went to assist the victim who appeared to be frightened.”
Mr Sabiston said 45-year-old Nevison was identified on the CCTV footage and arrested in connection with the robbery.
In a victim impact statement, the man said he was usually a ‘happy-go-lucky’ person who would chat to anyone but since the incident happened on June 3.
Nevison, of Carlton Court, Darlington, pleaded guilty to robbery as did her co-accused 33-year-old Warne, of Eastbourne Road, Darlington.
Mr Sabiston said Warne had also pleaded guilty to a burglary on August 1 with a different co-accused, Jon Foster.
The 39-year-old, of Aldborough Walk, Darlington, will be sentenced at a separate hearing in the New Year.
Recorder Andrew Smith MBE sentenced them both to 29 months or the offence while Warne was given an additional 30 months for the burglary and driving offences.
Violent attack
A father and his two sons landed themselves in court when they joined forces to dole out a beating when bad blood spilled over into violence.
Brian Robinson and his sons, Tyler and Jordan Carlton, were caught on CCTV launching the attack on their victim, who was the brother of the father’s former partner.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the three men became involved in the violence in Coundon near Bishop Auckland on April 12 last year.
Michael Cahill, prosecuting, said the victim was attacked and beaten in the Sainsbury’s car park by the three men in full view of members of the public while other people have not been identified.
He said: “The complainant was heavily outnumbered, all of them were armed and he was unarmed at the time of the attack.”
The victim was first attacked by Jordan Carlton who hit the man with a stick with such force that it snapped.
Tyler Carlton hit the man in the groin with a pair of garden shears causing him to fall to the ground before attempting to hit him around the head but resulted in him suffering serious injury to his hand when his finger got stuck in the mechanism.
The victim tried to get out of the car park and got surrounded by the group who continued to attack him from all sides and he is again knocked to the ground where he is kicked and stamped on.
Robinson, 44, of Gurlish West, Coundon, County Durham, and his 26-year-old son Jordan, of Leeholme Road, Coundon, both pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
While 22-year-old Tyler Carlton pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon – the garden shears.
Sentencing them all, Judge Joanne Kidd said: “Tyler you are the youngest but what I can see from the CCTV is a very persistent attack on someone including while he was on the ground and you hit him with the shears on five occasions which was part of a group activity.”
Tyler Carlton was jailed for 43 months for his role in the attack while his brother and father were given ten-month sentences suspended for two years for their lesser role in the attack.
They were also ordered to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
Violent bully
A violent sexual bully who took pleasure in degrading women has been jailed for more than a decade for his sickening abuse.
Shane Youll would regularly physically and sexually assault his vulnerable victim fuelled by his ‘warped views of women’, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 37-year-old was convicted of a catalogue of offences, including rape and assault, following a trial.
Judge Joanne Kidd the defendant inflicted subjugation and fear in the victim and ‘simply did not care’ how his shocking behaviour impacted her.
“The victim in this case was a vulnerable woman,” she said. “You have a history of violence towards women and you really have no insight whatsoever into your behaviour towards women.
“This is perfectly illustrated by the way you acted towards this victim.”
Judge Kidd added: “No doubt, fuelled by your drug addiction and your warped views of women, you started to assault her sexually.
“You did this in order to humiliate and degrade her. You simply did not care.”
Philip Morley, prosecuting, said the defendant was convicted of violent and sexual offences by a jury.
Youll, of Cotswold Terrace, Stanley, was found guilty to rape, assault by penetration, causing actual bodily harm, common assault and intentional suffocation.
The North East defendant was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison and was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.
Bike thief
A violent thug who robbed a man of his bike before hitting him with a heavy spanner has been locked up.
Anthony Burgess-Williams had also burgled his ex-partner’s home just days after they split up, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 26-year-old demanded cash from the cyclist, claiming that he owed him money when he approached him on York Road, in Hartlepool, in the early hours of May 7.
Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the defendant punched the man in his face, causing the victim’s lip to split open and as the man staggered back, Burgess-Williams took his £600 bike from him and cycled off.
The court heard how Burgess-Williams then turned up at the man’s home on Murray Street with another man and attacked him when he struck him to the head with the spanner.
Burgess-Williams, of Moyne Gardens, Hartlepool, admitted robbery, actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
He also admitted burgling his former partner’s house in August last year.
Judge Joanne Kidd jailed Burgess-Williams for 42-months for all offences.
He was made the subject of an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-girlfriend.
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